It seems like all I've been posting about is food lately! I guess when you're trying to cut calories like I am that IS all you think about. I'm continually searching for something new that not only I can eat but my whole family (I hate the idea of making two separate meals and won't do it!) So again, I'm listing calories when I know it but they will vary depending on the exact ingredients that you use.Monday - Chris may not be around for dinner but if he is I'll serve Chicken empanadas. These are great to freeze and only take 15-20 minutes to cook.
Tuesday - Dijon chicken (286 calories) with Easy Zucchini Parmesan (52 calories)
Wednesday - Slow cooker jambalaya (255 calories) with rice
Thursday - Garlic brown sugar chicken (187 calories) with Parmesan roasted broccoli
Friday - Pasta carbonara florentine (I've made this once before but I'm going to try it with turkey bacon this time to cut calories.)
Last night I had the urge to bake and to try something new. I had torn out a muffin recipe from Parents Magazine and tried it last night.
Zucchini and Orange Zest Muffins
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
Zest of one orange
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup small-dice drained canned pineapple
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt.
Preheat oven to 365. Fit a 12 muffin tin with paper liners. With a whisk or a fork, cream butter, sugar and zest until fluffy. Set aside. Whisk together eggs and vanilla, and then slowly incorporate into butter mixture until well combined. Mix in zucchini and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then fold into the wet ingredients. Fill muffin cups halfway. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12.
"As is" Calories - 178.9, 5.7 fat, 30.5 carbs, 2.8 protein
Baked using Splenda instead of sugar - 114.4 Calories, 5.7 fat, 16.3 carbs, 2.8 protein
The muffins turned out a little bit denser than I thought but I guess that's what happens when you bake with fruit and veggies. (It couldn't have been the cooks fault, right?) Anyway, the boys and I both liked them and had one for a bedtime snack and ate them again for breakfast this morning.
Make sure to check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for more great dinner ideas.
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