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I used to love an eggplant marinara recipe my mom found in Cooking Light. I was going to go find the original but just decided to make my own from what was on hand -- cheap, hearty, and delicious! I served it with a combination of shelled edamame and whole wheat penne.
I decided to make my own paella and to be honest, didn't really know what I was doing but this turned out great! You can substitute any vegetables of course. I made a pan full and just divided it into thirds. I'd say a serving is two cups.
I am a big fan of jumbo muffins (because hello, no one eats more than one...it is easy to eat 2-3 of the regular sized ones), but wanted to make healthy ones. These use whole wheat flour, pumpkin, almonds, and a limited amount of sugar. Yogurt keeps them moist.
Adapted my Monterey Pasta recipe using Spaghetti Squash rather than pasta.
Throwing random things in the pot...errr Le Creuset batter bowl. Olives, feta, black beans, spices, and couscous...15 g protein per serving whoot whoot!
It is a soup kind of day here so I made this out of what was in my pantry/fridge -- dried navy beans, carrots, celery, and rice for texture (the rest is pureed). Each serving is a cup of the puree and a half cup of rice. 223 calories but 10 g protein and 11 g fiber!
I had a whole pumpkin I wanted to use and since I did not have goat cheese to make Goat Cheese Pumpkin Quesadillas I decided to make bread. You can absolutely use canned pumpkin but don't be intimidated by the real thing! I stuck the whole pumpkin the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so and let it cool...it sliced like butter. Anyhow this makes one standard loaf pan, ten servings.
These have been a crowd favorite for years and I have always wondered just HOW caloric they are. Not something to make every day but if you want people begging you for more and/or to be a superstar, make these!
Homemade veggie burgers are tastier and cheaper than store-bought ones, so I make them from scratch with whatever I have on hand. These include lentils, rice, oats, eggs, carrots, and onions. Eight patties at 152 calories each.
A rich and satisfying potato leek soup. This makes six one-cup servings and is surprisingly VERY filling. Enjoy!
Everyone RAVES over this cookie cake; the secret is in the pudding! It is moist, buttery, and impossible to eat just a bite! No diet-swaps here; this is the real deal. It makes 9x13 inch pan.
I have no idea what to call these things but they are a staple in our house for baking. You can make them for any occasion and add seasonal sprinkles on top. They are basically peanut butter cookies in miniature cupcake cups with a miniature Reese's in the middle.
The lovely Laura (LLBEAN75) gave me the idea for this recipe so props go to her. It is a lot like hummus, but hot and a little chunkier.
I found this recipe on Delish and knew I wanted to make it, but after I visited the produce section and saw all the beautiful spaghetti squashes I decided to adapt the recipe. This makes four GIANT main-dish servings because spaghetti squash is so light, but you could easy serve six out of it. It combines spaghetti squash, ricotta, marinara, spinach, cheese, and spices.
No groceries, onions, and a can of evaporated milk leftover from Christmas baking? Sounds like Onion Soup to me! This is super-easy and requires few ingredients since a) it is in a crockpot and b) I had no food in the house. 200 calories a serving, which is a little high but this is super-rich soup. :)
These turned out delicious! I used a bit of produce from the farmer's market and doused them with olive oil and seasonings.
These are delicious and incredible and fairly easy to make! One serving is HUGE (a little over a cup).
This is identical to my eggplant parmesan recipe BUT it serves six instead of four and unlike the other does not include noodles or sauce. Sometimes I just want the eggplant part (or I do not have time to make more noodles) and I wanted a reflection of that in my tracker (i.e. 250 calories less!). Let me reiterate: this is not "diet" eggplant parmesan. This is delicious authentic eggplant parmesan with no "shortcuts." It is worth EVERY bite.
I got this recipe from the Healthy Roads Cookbook. It is a mayonnaise-free potato salad recipe that is excellent for you. Each serving is over one cup.
Could this BE anymore indulgent!?!?! It is a Nutella Icebox pie and it is to die for. I had to subsitute some ingredients, hence the modified part. But it is is worth every single calorie.
There are hundreds of eggplant parmesan recipes in here, and plenty that are healthier, but this is the most delicious. I did not try to cut fat or calories, I just made it the way we always do in my family. It tastes sumptuous, but really is not THAT bad for you, especially considering the big portions and the fact that one cup of noodles and a half cup of sauce is INCLUDED in the calorie count. You are welcome. :)
Made with frozen blueberries and 100% Juice Cranberry Juice, these tasty ice pops help you get in fruit servings AND take longer to eat/drink than fresh fruit or juice. I have had homemade popsicle molds sitting unopened for MONTHS (I know!) and some cranberry juice that needed used. Voila.
I randomly created this when a craving for cheesecake struck and I did not feel like paying $5 for a single slice of Sara Lee at the grocery store. This is why I lose weight slowly. :) Oreo Crust, Peanut Butter Layer, Reese's mixed in the cheesecake, and Hershey bar on top.
This is basically the "Peanut Sesame Noodles" recipe on here cut in half to serve two, but with more pasta and a little more peanut butter.
I used the "weight watchers" recipe of pumpkin, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, and Chocolate Chips, as directed in the recipe "rich chocolate muffins," but thought the nutrition stats sounded too good to be true. Turns out they are. The cals are around 200 which is still pretty good, but definitely NOT 95 cals each. That recipe really needs to be deleted.
I whipped this up one day when the boyfriend was craving Lemon pie. It is super easy and good. I spread the cool whip on top like a final layer, but you can mix it in with the other filling if you want.
I found this recipe on All Recipes when looking for new crockpot recipes. I modified it for light ingredients. It takes maybe 15 minutes of prep (including boiling pasta water) and then you just throw it in the Crock!
I used Julia Child's recipe but omitted the celery and onions, used store-bought condiments, and lightened it up a bit. Easy to make, delicious to eat!
So easy and so delicious. The servings are not hefty, but it is rich so a little goes a long way. Seriously takes two minutes to make so if you need a fast delicious dessert this is it!
The tortillas I bought for the nutritional content seemed a bit too small to try to stuff with filling so I made a enchilada casserole instead of literal enchiladas. Makes 4 HUGE servings and tastes delicious, especially when craving mexican food!
SUPER low-cal full size muffins -- less than 90 cals each! This is a variation on the theme of "low calorie banana muffins" ...I wanted to see the exact nutritional stats using whole wheat flour, blueberries, and brown sugar.
I absolutely adore this stuff and was thrilled when I found the recipe. It is called dressing, but we use it as a dip as well. This makes 6 .25 cup servings, so if you go by tablespoon it is actually quite healthy.
Such a wonderful dessert for summer-- though it should have lemon in the title!!! Cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice combine to make a fabulous filling that is even better chilled.
This takes ten minutes to make and tastes delicious! The portions are good-sized so it is easy to throw in a tupperware and take for lunch.
I have been wanting to try this for AGES...so glad I did. It is simple, easy to make, and tastes delicious. Good size portions as well!
This recipe is delicious and is made entirely in the microwave. It makes a wonderful side dish and is ready in minutes!
I absolutely adore potato soup! This recipe is a little different as it uses less butter and red potatoes instead of white. Delicious, rich, creamy and decadent. The nutritional stats aren't so bad either considering how wonderful it tastes! And the best part? You probably have all the ingredients on hand!
I absolutely love this salad! You make it the day before you plan to serve it. It makes a LOT so the calories really don't turn out to be too high considering the ingredients! Can be used year-round but we love it in the spring/summer. This recipe uses light ingredients and you cannot tell a difference. If you want to use full-fat it will not hurt, but will change the nutrition stats!
I found this recipe randomly but knew it was a keeper by looking at the ingredients. Tastes a LOT more high cal than it really is. Takes one bowl to make, super easy...divine taste!
We found this recipe years ago in Taste of Home -- it has been one of my favorites ever since!!! Easy to make, delicious to eat, and great for you!
I knew the basics of making Tzatziki but halfway in realized I did not have a lot of the traditional spices on hand. I just added what looked good and it turned out great!
After viewing the nutritional information I realized these need to be made as a very SPECIAL treat. However, they are so delicious and incredible!
The most delicious wheat chocolate chip banana muffins you will ever taste, albeit not the healthiest!