THRIFTY LIGHT RECIPE OF THE DAY

Thrifty Light RecipeEach day we will be posting A Thrifty Light recipe from one of our readers. At the end of the month, one of you will win a $25.00  Gift Card. For all the details click here. Keep those thrifty and healthy recipe tips coming!!!

Please submit your recipes on this post HERE, or to our email with the  word Thrifty Recipe on the subject line.

Thanks to Stephanie for this recipe,

Italian Soup

1 pound turkey meat or ground beef
2 Cups of Hot Water
1 box Lasagna Hamburger Helper
1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Medium Zucchini
1 Can of Corn (optional) – drained

Brown turkey or beef completely in a deep skillet. Add water, all the contents of the Hamburger Helper & can of diced tomatoes (keeping the soup boiling). Cut zucchini into slices and add to soup along with can of (drained) corn. Reduce heat to Medium Heat and cover, stirring occasionally. Let boil for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy. Can also be topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
*For an even healthier alternative, you can leave out the Lasagna Hamburger Helper Noodles….still is a tasty soup without the noodles :o)

*****************************************************

Emilee

This is a yummy family favorite from KRAFT-its a bonus because it uses lots of coupon deals!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake
1 1/2 cups multi grain penne pasta, uncooked (Rotini pasta often free)
1 pkg (9oz) fresh spinach leaves (or I often use frozen that I got for free)
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (1.99 lb at Albertsons)
1 tsp basil leaves
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) spaghetti sauce (Free Prego)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) dices tomatoes, drained
2 oz cream cheese (Free last week at Albertsons)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (Free cheese from this summer)
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese (free from this summer)
Heat over to 375. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for last minute (ommit if using frozen just add it to the mixture). Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on med-high for 3 minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese. Drain past mixture and return to pan, stiring in chicken and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Pour into 2-qt baking dish. Bake 20 minutes then sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

********************************************

Dawn

This is an easy & awesome Strawberry vinaigrette salad, I made it for a family function & it was a hit

2t Strawberry jam
1T balsamic vinegar
3T extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste (if desired)
1 pint strawberries sliced
4 – 5 cups chopped romaine or spinach

Place jam in bowl, whisk in vinegar & extra virgin olive oil
Toss greens & strawberries, add dressing, top with sliced almonds or pecan pieces if desired.

******************************************

April

Steamed fresh brocoli

2-3 heads of brocoli remove stalls
2 tbsps of olive oil
pinch of table salt
2 pinches of black pepper
1 tsp of butter
2 tsps of garlic powder
mix all of the ingredients up together in a freezer bag sometimes I double bag them.
place in pot of water put a lid on the pot and boil for 25-35 minutes.Cooking them will vary depending on how done you like your brocoli I like it fairly soft.
I used the same recipe for brussels sprouts but I do cook them a little longer about 30-40 minutes.

***************************************

Kelly

My 2 faves:
Greek chicken pitas: Season chicken breast with greek seasoning, a little olive oil, S&P, and broil. Stuff in pitas with a mixture of nonfat plain greek yogurt/cucumbers/dill/S&P, tomatoes, and red onions. delish!!
Taco salad: Cook up extra lean ground beef or turkey, season w/taco seasoning, dump in a bowl with kidney beans or black beans, tomatoes, green onions, reduced fat cheese. Top with a little avocado, crumbled baked chips, and a mixture of nonfat plain greek yogurt/taco seasoning and/or cholula hot sauce and/or salsa. I use nonfat greek yogurt for everything that calls for sour cream or mayonnaise. I could eat this taco salad every day of the week!

***********************************

Jennifer L

This is for those that need a reduced sugar to sugar free recipe:

ORANGE JELL-O SALAD

1 large box sugar free orange jello (or 2 small boxes)
1 large box vanilla cook & serve pudding (haven’t been able to find in sugar free)
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 tub sugar free cool whip
2 1/2 cups water

Boil water and add in orange jell-o and pudding. Stir until smooth and boil for 2 minutes. Pour into glass bowl or glass mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight or until completely set up (about 4 hours). The mixture will be quite firm. I use a my kitchen aid mixer so I use a spatula to get the mixture into my mixing bowl and using the wire attachment, mix until smooth. Drain mandarin oranges and add to mixture. Mix until oranges are well blended. Add in cool whip. Mix until well blended. I scrape the sides and bottom a couple of times to ensure cool whip and jello and blended evenly. Pour into serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Even though it’s reduced sugar, this is very rich and can be used as a dessert if desired.

*****************************************

Elizabeth
Orange Chicken
Serves Two

2 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 Cups Brown rice
Sauce:
1 Cup Orange juice
½ Pineapple juice
¼ Cup Low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Garlic powder and pepper to taste

Put rice on to cook (I use Uncle Ben’s Boil-in-Bag brown rice.) Put the chicken breasts on the grill (I use a George Foreman to make this easy… you can also bake, steam, or broil your chicken.) Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan (to avoid cornstarch lumps, put it in a coffee mug and add a couple tablespoons of hot water and stir… then mix into the rest of the ingredients.) Bring the sauce to a boil, and then turn down to medium heat for 2-3 minutes (or until desired thickness.) Stir frequently.

I serve the chicken atop the rice and covered with ½ cup of sauce. Also, I typically serve with a small salad and ½ cup of steamed broccoli.
This whole meal is incredibly low in fat and calories… not to mention, it’s an incredibly quick meal. The whole thing, prep to the table, takes me about 15-20 minutes.

******************************************