I have some homeade binders of all of the recipes I’ve collected. I have a 1/2 inch one for main dishes, a 1/2 inch one for breads + cooking substitutions (something I always needed when we lived overseas), & a 1 1/2 inch one for desserts. Because that’s how I roll.
Speaking of rolls, there are too many of them around my mid-section, so I’ve officially started a big fat diet. This is stupid to do with Thanksgiving and Christmas looming around the caloric corner. But, I can’t stand the chubble bubble accumulating around my bum any longer. Low-fat, healthy cooking here we go!
This is where I have a problem. I need to include more veggies & fruits in my diet. But, the only veggies I like to eat are carb-loaded or fatty. In fact, I’m not sure you can call most of them veggies. De-healthified Plant-derived Foods is more like it. The 1/2 inch binder I have of side dishes, salads, and appetizers is barely full. What’s in there are delicious dishes like cheesy potatoes au gratin, corn pudding casserole, and macaroni & cheese.
I stink at side dishes.
So, I’m asking for help. This will be the first ever mab Blab recipe contest. I’ll have some sort of real prize for the winner. Here’s the scoop:
Send me a recipe that fits the paramaters listed below. I’ll make it sometime over the next few weeks and write about it here. After all have been tried, my family and I will have a vote and the winner will get something. Who knows what. I guess it depends on if the winner is a boy or a girl. After all, last time Papa Steve won a Hittite fertility goddess necklace and apparently he hasn’t worn it yet. He claims he doesn’t have a matching outfit, but I think there’s another reason…..
Recipe Parameters:
1) It has to be low fat or low calorie. Nothing coated in cheese or fried. While I would enjoy these side dishes immenseley, they are not going to help me out, are they?
2) I’m a massively picky eater. For real. So, all entries that include squash, sauerkraut, zucchini, okra, mushrooms, chard, kale, asparagus, pineapple, watermelon, a lot of onions (a few or chopped small is okay), beets, or cooked cabbage are out. I also still have a dislike of green beans left over from my first pregnancy’s food aversions. I can eat them, but I don’t enjoy them. If you want to win, I wouldn’t send me any green bean recipes.
I think this is it. (Yeah, like this leaves a lot left…) Leave the recipe via comments or send me an e-mail. I’ll also take suggestions on the prize. It may be some of the sugar scrub I made up for the craft fair & gifts. It’s wonderful. Or, it might be a custom tote bag. Or since I’m not eating many sweets, maybe I’ll send you some cookies instead.
Oh, and up to 3 recipes can be submitted per person.
I’m looking forward to this culinary adventure! Come on people, show me that low fat and low calorie can still be fun!
The mab Blab 
KarenD
I will try to think of some others, but here is one off the top of my head that I like to make a batch of and eat throughout the week. Pasta Salad: cooked and cooled penne or spiral pasta, preferably whole wheat for the “health factor,” a small bottle of Italian dressing (again, you can choose the “light” version here or another vinegrette of your choice) plus chopped fresh veggies: I usually add cucumber, red peppers, and matchstick carrots. My sis-in-law likes to add black olives, too, but I don’t care much for those. Also, feel free to lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese before digging in.
Beth
Hey mab! First of all, you’re hilarious =) I love your long list of food aversions (lol). Anyway, I’m excited to finally enter one of your giveaways! Here’s my recipe:
Delish Turkey Burgers
Mix 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey, 2 T. seasoned bread crumbs, 2 T. finely (or EXTRA finely in your case š diced onion, 1 egg white, 2 T. fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried parsley), 1/2 T. minced garlic, and Tony’s creole seasoning (to taste).
Form the mixed meat into burgers and BAKE in the over at 350 degrees for about 25-30 min.
These are so tasty! We eat them on wheat buns with a side salad or something for a healthy dinner. Hope you enjoy!
bethgun
Oh, I will totally comment with three recipes. And I’ll tell my mom – she’s the best recipe-idea-person ever. I mean EVER!
Simple Turkish Salad
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tomato, diced
about 4 oz. crumbled feta (can be reduced fat)
sprinkle of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil (can reduce to lower the fat, but this is good fat so I say go for it)
1 T. lemon juice
To this simple version I’ve added a sweet bell pepper, black olives, canned chicken, orzo, and some green onions in varying combinations with good results.
bethgun
Second recipe that’s not a recipe:
Oven-roasted veggies
I’ve started roasting veggies in the over, since I don’t have a grill to do them on. I clean them, cut them in smaller pieces, and use some olive oil, salt, and pepper to season them. I then put them on a baking sheet to cook (I think maybe 400 degrees or so?). Something about roasting them makes them taste waaaaay better than raw. Some veggies I’ve tried this way:
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus (it tastes way better than canned…maybe you’d like it this way?)
Red pepper
Green Onions
Eggplant (this needs a little more olive oil to keep it moist)
Tomatoes
It IS a bit of a pain to do, so I always do a bunch at a time, then try to use the leftovers in other things (such as omelets or whatever).
carrots
bethgun
For my third recipe, an Asian-flavored recipe that I got years ago out of Prevention Magazine (and I want to have another shot at a third recipe if you hate Asian food)!
Soybeans with Sesame Oil and Scallions
1 bag frozen, shelled soybeans, also known as edamame (12 oz)
1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1.5 tsp. sesame oil
2 T minced scallions
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Bring soybeans, soy sauce, and water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer the beans until tender, about 12 minutes, or until no liquid remains. Remove from heat, stir in the oil, scallions, salt, and pepper.
bethgun
Alternate recipe three (in case my soybeans are disqualified):
Spinach, couscous, and almonds (From Everyday Food Magazine a while back – serves 1, but obviously can be doubled or tripled, also can use cooking spray to reduce the fat further).
2.5 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups baby spinach (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium. Add couscous; cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is almost absorbed, about 6 minutes. Add spinach, and cook until couscous is tender, 1 minute. Stir in almonds, and set aside.
Martha Gunckel
My daughter Beth sent me your blog and thought with my many years of cooking and interest in recipes, I might like to join in the fun. While your YUK list is long, I did want to point out a few facts which you may or may not know. Different foods are usually palatable prepared in some way to everyone. I would almost bet that the ways you have had the YUK list prepared, wasn’t good to you because of the preparation.. So don’t give up totally on that list. Keep trying and you might find a way of “fixin” it that works for you. Plus each food has unique nutrition and to leave part of the selection out deprives the body of those nutrients. While you may get by without certain foods, to have such a huge list is not in your best interest. I am not sure what your diet plan is. Practically any one can loose weight by having only a “serving” of foods and dividing their plate into fourths…1/4th lean protein, 1/4th carbs, 1/4th veggies and 1/4th fruits. Eating a balanced plate, eating breakfast like a king (which stokes the body furnace and tells it to burn energy), lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper is a doable plan and easy on the budget too.. Meat of some kind for breakfast helps you have energy all morning! And it can be bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon, or ham or your choice(within reason) chopped and mixed in an egg white omelet with some diced veggies of choice (I like red bell peppers diced, green onions or shallots diced, any of the meats mentioned, and diced tomatoes that are not too juicy and spinach shredded added into the mix. I wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla and add a little cheddar shreds. This is recipe #1 You might try cooking 1/2 C whole oats with 1/2 C water and chopped walnuts or other nuts chopped, some fruit of choice (blueberries, peaches, raisins, craisins, other) , a shake or two of cinnamon which aids digestion, is also a great breakfast and great for the fiber which is essential for weight loss and intestinal health. I was eating poached salmon for breakfast a while back and it is easy in a little water with lemon juice and cooked covered til just done. Can also be shredded into salads or pasta or dark romaine or spinach as a meal with tomatoes, pea pods, and shallots (for a very mild onion/garlic flavor ). Having whole grain breads will help in the weight loss, and soups for supper with barley added and the veggies in it diced small. You will have a difficult time telling a potato from a rutabaga when you dice them small. Remove fat from cooked meats before cooking, use lean meat as you can afford, and when chilled, remove fat from cooking liquids. Have fish as often as you can for supper. Limit starches and desserts but reward yourself once -a-week for being good. Remember there are no bad foods. We just eat more calories than we use and that is the bottom line for all of us. I will think about 2 more recipes and see what I can come up with. I agree with one of your other contributors that roasting veggies brings out their natural sweetness and caramelizes them in just a little olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. You would be amazed at how good they taste that way. I love Roma tomatoes split, and roasted with fresh grated sea salt and black pepper and a dusting of fresh grated Parmesan on top. If you don’t have a fine grater for Parmesan, you must get one. The cheese goes so much farther and is so good on anything and everything. I hope you will not be offended by my motherly suggestions. I only share what I have learned and wish for you every success. Don’t forget the exercise component for reducing those extra cells. We never get rid of them entirely. We can only reduce their size by movement. The body was created to move and we all fight it. Good luck!
LDL
mab, you had me at “I canāt stand the chubble bubble.” I’m in the same boat, sister! (I used to laugh at jokes about maternity clothes becoming your “normal” clothes, but now it’s not so funny.)
Here’s one healthy recipe that my fam loves:
BROCCOLI SALAD
1 large head broccoli
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins (I prefer Craisins; I’m Craisy that way)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup light salad dressing or mayonnaise
2 tablespoons skim milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup Equal Spoonful
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices bacon (or turkey bacon), cooked crisp and crumbled
Clean, trim and chop broccoli into a large bowl. Add onion, Craisins and sunflower seeds. Mix together salad dressing, milk, vinegar and Equal; stirring until smooth; adjust ingredients to taste. Pour dressing over salad; add salt and pepper as desired. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, preferably overnight. Top with bacon bits before serving. (Or be extra healthy and omit the bacon bits.)
Other than drenched-in-cheese, this is the best way to eat broccoli!
LDL
And here’s another:
HEALTHY CHICKEN WALDORF SALAD
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken breast
2 cups cored, chopped apples
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup halved seedless grapes (or use raisins)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar or sugar substitute
Salt and pepper, to taste
Combine chicken, apples, celery, grapes and 1/4 cup walnuts in bowl. Blend mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(If I’m making this as a snack or side, I just combine apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts in some vanilla-flavored yogurt. Good for you and tasty, too!)
GeekLady
Okay, see, I have you covered here whenever you need recipes. Lots of all in one dishes, and quite a few sides. (I don’t remember if my mom was giving Mummey Family Cookbooks as wedding gifts when you got married, so you might have some of these.)
Chicken Fried Rice
Neapolitan Green Beans
Quick & Dirty Marinara
Bonus: Sugar Vinegar Dressing
2 parts oil (extra virgin olive oil is healthy)
3 parts plain old white sugar
4 parts plain old distilled white vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
A part is whatever you need it to be. Teaspoons will do for two, Tablespoons for a side for six. Mix it all up and use on salad. Use on shredded cabbage with a little finely diced onion to make an outstanding cole slaw substitution. Marinate cucumber or tomato slices in it for fancy sandwich fixings. Oddly enough, tasty on toasted almonds (in salads).
GeekLady
Chicken Fried Rice
1 lb. chicken breasts
2 cups cooked brown rice (I can’t tell the difference between brown and white in this recipe)
1 diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
1 cup frozen peas or ~1 lb. fresh sugar snap or snow peas in the pod
6 eggs, scrambled
Marinade: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 minced clove of garlic, freshly ground black pepper.
Start your rice cooking! I always forget, and it takes ~45 minutes. Use real rice, minute rice is too soggy.
Dice up chicken breasts and marinate in 1 batch of marinade, room temp for 30 minutes or all day in the fridge.
Get out a big ass frying pan. If you don’t have a huge frying pan, use a big pot. This recipe makes a ton.
Dice up your veggies fine, trim the pea pods if using fresh peas, and saute them in a second batch of marinade, until tender crisp. If you use frozen peas, add them at the end, they don’t need to cook long long, just get heated through. I saute them in more marinade to give them more flavor, but you don’t have to do this.
Put the cooked veggies in a bowl and set them aside. Saute the chicken until it’s cooked through completely. Add the cooked chicken to the veggies.
Scramble the eggs in the pan (don’t add any milk!). Add the cooked scrambled eggs to the chicken and veggies.
Sometime during all of this, your rice will finish cooking. Add it to the bowl with everything else.
Toss the contents of the bowl to mix everything thoroughly and then return it to the pan to make sure it’s all hot.
Eat.
GeekBaby will eat this till he busts a seam, it was his first “table” food at about 8 months.
GeekLady
Neapolitan Green Beans (a Martha Stewart recipe, I think, but it’s still tasty)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt (or regular salt, but I usually have kosher hanging around for pretzels)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 fresh roma tomatoes, cored and diced (if someone doesn’t like tomatoes, quarter them so they’re easy to pick out)
1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed and washed
1 stem fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, dried basil (if you’re using dried) & red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and green beans. Cook covered over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the fresh basil (if you’re using fresh) and cook for another 5 minutes.
I hate green beans, but I love this recipe. It has garlic. And red pepper. Mmm. I actually ended up on the front page of the Life section of the Houston Chronicle the first Thanksgiving I was married because of this recipe – I got snapped while getting fresh green beans for dinner!
GeekLady
Sorry, mince the garlic in this recipe, I forgot to write that!
GeekLady
Quick & Dirty Marinara (my own recipe! I ā¤ garlic!)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced, about a Tbsp from a jar (more if you love garlic!)
2 28oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or less, to cut the spiciness)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 lb. fresh baby spinach
olive oil
protein source, optional (preferably not powdered!)
1 lb. cooked pasta, small shells or rotini work well.
Saute the garlic in several tablespoons olive oil using your biggest frying pan. Be very careful not to burn the garlic, garlic burns easily!! Add the diced tomatoes, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat, until the tomatoes cook down and break up into a saucish mixture.
Taste, and add sugar/salt if you think it necessary. Sugar will cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
Add your source of protein, and cook till it's heated through.
Toss in the fresh baby spinach as you want, I try to put the whole half pound box in, it will wilt down and fit. Cook it for just 5 more minutes.
Toss with the cooked pasta and serve!
Protein Sources: It's good without one, but Mike feels the need for protein, so I add a couple cans (or 1 lb. dry cooked, to reduce salt) cooked cannelini beans (white kidney beans). Browned italian sausage is also good. Diced, sauteed chicken breast, not as much, but still tasty.
Mama P
Mashed Not Potatoes
1 head cauliflower
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
chicken bouillon – 2 cubes
healthy margarine or I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter Spray
Salt, Pepper, Garlic to taste
Cook or steam cauliflower in water with bouillon added. Cook until it just begins to get soft — don’t let it get too soft. Beat with cream cheese, butter spray, and seasonings. You will think it is potatoes.
GeekLady
š Potatoes that give you gas.
LDL
Here’s one more (not just because I am trying to win, but because this is good stuff and I like sharing recipes):
SPINACH SALAD
1 bag of fresh baby spinach (or regular sized)*
1 cup strawberries – halved or quartered
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasting optional)
2 handfuls feta cheese (or goat or bleu cheese, your choice)
1 handful of real bacon bits (again, turkey bacon is healthier and I think just as good)
balsamic dressing
*I like to chop the spinach up a bit so that I don’t have huge leaves with which to contend. When there are huge leaves, I am tempted to scoot them aside and focus on eating the strawberries, nuts, and cheese, which kind of defeats the point of making a salad intended to add more leafy greens into one’s diet.
Combine ingredients, tossing the dressing in salad just before serving. You can substitute halved red grapes instead of strawberries. But be sure to use a good crumbly cheese.
Beth
My first time entering a mab giveaway and I messed up *sigh* Oh, well, back to the drawing board… side dish, huh? hummmm… =)
mab
Hey…. no worries! All of your recipes but the burgers are sides that can be main dishes. So, they fit the bill! No mess ups here, friend. I’m looking forward to trying a lot of these, too!
GeekLady
I know exactly how you feel. Pfft. All in one dishes are the way to go. Especially soups. We spend half our dinners eating soup, I think.
GeekLady
Fine, more green beans SIDE dish recipes:
1 lb. green beans
1 tsp. italian seasoning blend
~ half of a yellow onion, finely diced
Wash, trim, and french your green beans. To french is to slice in half length-wise, you’re essentially opening up the bean.
Drop into a sauce pan with the seasoning and onion and toss together. Add a little water, maybe half a cup (you want it to evaporate and steam the beans).
Cook covered on medium until the beans are done. They’ll be bright green. Don’t over cook. It’s okay to have a little water left in the bottom.
I’m not fond of green beans, but these at least taste like a real green bean should taste.
jenna
I second the oven baked veggies. I also vote you get a steamer. I steam everything. It’s tasty.
My favorite vegetable is sweet potatoes. Here’s another non-recipe, but I hope it counts.
Steam sweet potatoes in a steamer (or microwave with some water and cover with Saran wrap). You can take the peel off if you want! Then add margarine, if you like.
Also another sp recipe: cut sweet potatoes into strips, lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with a few drizzles of evoo (that’s extra virgin olive oil) and salt and pepper to your tasting. Place in 400 degree oven for 45-ish minutes and ta-dah! You have sweet potato fries!
If all else fails, you can look up some really healthy sides on rachaelray.com. I love her but some people can’t stand her. Regardless, she has some good easy recipes.
Good luck and congrats on taking the plunge. š
GeekLady
Okay, last true side dish:
Broiled Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
~1/4 cup real parmesan cheese, finely grated
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus. Put the asparagus on a broiler pan. Sprinkle the cheese over them. Broil till asparagus is done, not sure how long it takes, I do this right before I’m ready to serve the mea. The tips may be a little crispy.
Yes this has cheese, but not a ton of cheese. And yes, you don’t like asparagus, but even a little real parmesan is a transforming condiment. For that matter, so is the mascarpone in my chicken & asparagus risotto, but that’s an all in one meal.