Healthy Recipes - Main Courses

Aloha Pizza

Four (4) 6-inch pitas
1/2 cup pizza sauce or 2 tbsp olive oil
1 can (6 1/2 ounce) flakes of ham, drained and flaked
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups shredded light mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide pizza sauce OR olive oil evenly between pitas. Top with ham, pineapple, green pepper and cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 418 calories; 10 g fat; 50 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein.

Chicken and Pear Skillet

1 can (16 ounce) pear slices in juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
4 cups packed spinach leaves, torn (approx. 5 ounces)

Preparation:

Drain pears, reserving 3/4 cup liquid; set aside. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot; cook chicken breasts until brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add onion and garlic to skillet; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is crisp-tender.

In small bowl, combine reserved pear liquid, wine, soy sauce, cornstarch and thyme; mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Gradually add to vegetables in skillet; cook and stir until mixture thickens. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add pear slices to skillet. Place spinach on top of pears and chicken in skillet; cover and cook 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and chicken is cooked through. Serve at once.

Preparation and Cook Time: 30 - 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 332 calories; 10 g fat; 73 mg cholesterol; 903 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 29 g protein.

Crepes with Seafood

1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter, for frying

Ingredients for seafood filling:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cans (6 ounces each) crabmeat or salmon,drained
1 cup finely chopped broccoli or spinach
1 cup milk
3/4 cup canned condensed cream of celery soup
2/3 cup grated imported Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

For Crêpes: Whisk together milk, flour, egg, egg yolk and salt. Let sit, covered, at least 1/2 hour or up to overnight in refrigerator.

When ready to cook, thin crepe batter with 1/2 cup water or milk, if necessary. (Batter should have consistency of cream.) Heat a 7- to 8-inch nonstick skillet with a little oil or butter over medium-high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom and make a crepe about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. When lightly brown, about 1 minute, turn over. Let other side brown slightly, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Repeat with remaining oil and batter until all is used, stacking cooked crêpes. You should have 12 crêpes. If not using immediately, crêpes can be wrapped and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

For Seafood Filling: Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in crabmeat, broccoli, milk, condensed soup, cheese and bread crumbs. Stir over medium heat until heated through. Season with lemon juice and pepper.

Spoon a generous 1/4 cup filling across middle of each crepe. Roll up loosely and serve immediately, or place filled crêpes in shallow baking pan, cover with foil and heat in 350° F oven about 10 minutes, until hot throughout.

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (2 crêpes per serving)
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 368 calories; 16 g fat; 16 mg cholesterol; 950 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 24 g protein.

Mediterranean Couscous Platter

1 can (14 1/2 ounce) chicken or vegetable broth, (reduced-sodium)
1 cup dry couscous
2/3 cup bottled olive oil vinaigrette, divided
1 can (13 3/4 to 16 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions
1 can (6 ounce) pitted black olives
1 can (4 to 6 ounces) chicken breast, solid or chunk tuna in oil or water, or anchovies, drained

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand about 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork, then toss with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette.

To assemble, place couscous in center of a large platter or divide among serving plates. Arrange artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives and chicken (or tuna or anchovies) separately but surrounding the couscous; drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup vinaigrette.

Tip: Toss the couscous with 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 250 calories; 5 g fat; 10 mg cholesterol; 630 mg sodium; 40 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 11 g protein.

Mexican Veggie Toss

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) diced Mexican tomatoes, drained
1 can (11 ounce) vacuum-packed corn kernels
1 can (7 ounce) diced mild green chiles (optional)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Low fat sour cream, optional

Preparation:

In bowl, toss all ingredients except hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips and low-fat sour cream, if desired.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 2 - 3 hours
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups each) Nutritional Information Per Serving: 209 calories; 1 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 2078 mg sodium; 49 g carbohydrate; 13 g fiber; 13 g protein.

Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Bruchetta

1 can (6 ounce) water-packed tuna
1/3 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Ingredients for bean purée:

1 garlic clove, peeled
1 can (15 ounce) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped drained oil-packed dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
20 thin diagonal slices crusty French or Italian bread)

Preparation:

For Tuna Mixture: In small bowl, flake tuna with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients.

For Bean Purée: With food processor running, drop garlic through feed tube and process until chopped. Add beans; process until smooth. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; pulse just to mix. Scrape into small bowl.

Heat broiler. Arrange bread slices in single layer on cookie sheets. Broil 1 to 3 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Spread each toast with bean purée, then spoon on some tuna mixture.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 4 - 6
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 228; Fat 5g ; Cholesterol 9 mg; Sodium 705mg; Carbohydrate 35g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 15g.