Low-fat Caesar Salad Dressing

My husband loves caesar dressing...and I admit, I do too!  But it is so fattening, so here's an alternative.  Trust me, you can't even tell this is a low-fat version.

Whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons light mayo, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1/4 garlic powder and 2 tablespoons water.

I toss this with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and grilled chicken or shrimp and a little more grated Parmesan on top.

You can also make your own croutons by: brushing a few pieces of whole-grain bread with a small amount of oil on both sides, then chopping them into cubes.  Put them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and broil on each side until browned (about 1 minutes per side).

Leftover Krab (and corn) Soup

Me and my husband makes lots of homemade sushi, and yes, we sometimes use fake krab. :)  Often I have some krab leftover and if I don't use it, it goes bad.  This soup is a great way to use up krab before it gets forgotten about in the meat drawer!  Its also low-fat because you use flour to thicken it up and only a tiny bit of whole milk to get a "chowder" feel without using cream!

Roasted Corn and Krab Soup
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 stalks of celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
8 cups of water (with 8 bouillon cubes)
1/2 tsp. of dried thyme
1/4 tsp of ground red pepper
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. whole milk
however much krab you have (the more the better, I typically use about half of a package or 1/2 to 1 cup of krab)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Put thawed corn into a pan lined with foil, and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring one or two times.  Take out of oven and set aside.
2. In a big stockpot, saute onions and celery in tablespoon of oil until they are soft.  Add 6 cups of water and 6 bouillon cubes, corn, thyme, red pepper and pepper.  Bring to boiling and then simmer for about 10 minutes (make sure bouillon cubes have dissolved).
3. In a large cup or a jar, heat up two cups of water with two bouillon cubes in microwave until its chicken broth.  Add flour and whisk (or if in jar, shake) until thoroughly mixed.  Stir into the soup and cook until thickened (a few minutes), add whole milk and crab.  Heat for one more minute, then serve!

Yum!

Mexican Meatball Soup

I love quick soups.  Although it is summer, there is something wonderful about throwing together some broth, vegetables and meat and making a huge pot that will have leftovers for days!  So here's two soup recipes I love: a great meatball soup I found online and a wonderful (low-fat!) roasted corn and crab soup!


The link to the Mexican meatball soup is here: http://homecooking.about.com/od/soups/r/blss48.htm


The original article shows you how to make your own meatballs.  I simply used frozen ones from the store to cut down on time and work!  Other than that, I kept everything the same and it tasted great!  Subtle, but still savory.  I'm not sure how fattening the recipe is, but several ways to keep Mexican-based dishes low-fat are: use low-fat sour cream, and skip the cheese and tortilla chips.  This was honestly super tasty with a dollop of low-fat sour cream on top, it didn't need other garnishes!


Mexican Meatball Soup

• 1 package of pre-made meatballs (I used 15 meatballs - half a bag - and the meatballs were a little sparse, I'd use a full bag if you can!)
• 2 quarts beef or chicken broth (or a combination - I used beef)
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, with liquid
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs, crushed tortilla chips, shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preparation (The original article has how to prepare the meatballs from scratch, I'm assuming here that you're using pre-made ones):

Place beef or chicken stock, tomatoes, green chiles, onion, oregano, cumin, and hot pepper sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add rice, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Carefully add meatballs to the broth and simmer an additional 10 to 15 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (or are heated up!). Add corn and cook until heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in chopped cilantro leaves just before serving.

Garnish each bowl with crushed tortilla chips, a sprinkling of Mexican cheese blend, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. (Just use cilantro and low-fat sour cream to save calories!) Serve immediately.

Yield: about 8 to 10 servings