Beef and Vegetable Stew/Whole Wheat Rice

Beef and Vegetable Stew

1 pound lean beef boneless sirloin (or any other lean cut)
1 bag (1 pound) frozen vegetables, thawed and drained
4 potatoes, peeled
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
14 oz. beef broth
2 cans (5.5 oz. each) spicy V-8 juice
Parsley, chopped

1) Cut beef into 1/2 inch cubes. Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over med-high heat. Cook beef in skillet about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned.

2) Poke holes in potatoes and microwave 4-5 minutes until tender, but not completely cooked. Cut into cubes and set aside.

3) Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to boil and add potatoes.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Pour over rice in a bowl and top with parsley.


The sauce will thicken a bit as it simmers and the starch from the potatoes will help this along.  I served this stew over whole wheat rice.  Also, my butcher didn't have any sirloin, so I splurged and bought a filet mignon to use instead.  Obviously, for me and Nick, I cut the recipe in half, but it still made quite a bit of stew. 

Serves: 6
Cook time: 15 minutes

Calories: 200 per serving (Not including rice)

Easy Mexican Chicken and Beans/Whole Wheat Tortillas



Easy Mexican Chicken and Beans w/Whole Wheat Tortillas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 envelope (1 1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1 can (15-16 oz.) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1/4 cup water

1) Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Cook chicken in skillet over med-high heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center.

2) Stir in taco seasoning, drained beans, corn, and water.  Cook over med-high heat 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened.  Serve with tortillas.


I loved this recipe because it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  It is delicious and SO easy! I used black beans for the photo above, but pinto would work just as well.  I also added chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and a little cheese to each plate to make the tacos more interesting and well-balanced.

Serves 4-6 depending on portion size
Cook time: 20 minutes

Chicken Noodle Roll-Ups/ Garden Salad

Chicken Noodle Roll-Ups

6 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 cup finely chopped broccoli
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/8 cup egg product
1 teas. minced chives
1/8 teas. ground nutmeg
1/8 teas. ground black pepper
1/4 teas. garlic
1 Tbl. reduced calorie margarine
2 Tbl. all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teas. dry mustard
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

1) Cook lasagna accrding to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cool water. Place in single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool.

2) Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken in food processor and grind until finely chopped.  Spray large non-stick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.  Add chicken; cook 4 minutes or until no longer pink.  Stir in broccoli; cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Spread out on cookie sheet to cool.

3) Combine cottage cheese, egg product, chives, nutmeg, black pepper, and garlic in medium bowl.  Stir in cool chicken mixture.  Spread about 1/3 cup of mixture onto each lasagna noodle.  Roll up noodles, starting at the short end. Place rolls, seam side down, in 10X8 inch baking dish lined with foil; set aside.

4) Melt margarine in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in chicken broth, milk, and mustard.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Pour sauce over filled lasagna rolls; sprinkle with tomato.  Cover with foil and bake until filling is set.


Although I made this recipe with chicken, it would work equally well with ground beef or turkey.  Also, although we liked the flavor, I would experiment with different spice combinations next time I make it.  I also put the broccoli in the food processor to get it to the same consistency as the chicken. I had to put a bit of cornstarch in my sauce to get it to thicken to the consistency I wanted, but this is something you can play with.  Served with a nice salad and this is a meal to itself.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30-35 min.

Calories: 179 not including salad/salad dressing

Sloppy Joses/Oven French Fries/Salad

Sloppy Joses with French Fries and Salad

1 med. onion
1 small green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 teas. vegetable oil
1 lb. lean ground beef (92% works well)
2/3 cup chili sauce
1 Tbl. tomato paste
2-3 dashes hot pepper sauce (to taste)
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. cumin
1/4 teas. salt
1/4 teas. black pepper
4-6 hamburger buns

1) Using a food processor, coarsely chop the onion, green pepper, and garlic. (I like to see small chunks, but this is up to you).

2) In a large skillet, warm the oil over med-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic mixture and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to turn color, about 5 minutes.

3) Add beef and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat.  (Drain any fat)

4) Add chili sauce, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

5) Lightly toast hamburger buns.

6) using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop Sloppy Jose mixture on each bun.  (You can certainly use more or less, but I've found that 1/3 cup is the perfect amount for most hamburger buns.)


I like to serve the Sloppy Joses with oven french fries.  You can certainly make your own, but there are several really good varieties in the freezer section. I generally choose the organic brands since they have fewer additives.  A nice salad with your choice of dressing tops this off.

Serves: 4-6
Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Oven-Fried Parmesan Chicken/ Twiced-baked potato/Salad

Oven-fried Parmesan Chicken

1/2 Cup egg beaters
1/4 fat-free milk
3/4 grated Parmesan cheese (use fresh, NOT the canned version)
3/4 Cup dry bread crumbs (italian work best, although plain can be used in a pinch)
2 teas. dried oregano
1 teas. paprika
1/4 teas. ground black pepper
1/4 Cup flour
4-6 chicken thighs, breasts or legs (use what appeals to you, although cooking time might vary) with skin     removed
1/4 Cup butter or margarine, melted
Snipped fresh oregano or parsley (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a large, shallow baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl combine egg beaters and milk. In a shallow dish or pan, combine parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Add flour to another shallow dish.

2) Dip chicken in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into egg/milk misture, and coat with crumb mixture.  Arrange chicken in prepared baking pan, making sure chicken is not touching. Drizzle chicken with melted butter.

3) Bake for 45-55 minutes or until chicken is tender, no longer pink (170 F for breast halves; 180 F for thighs and legs).  Do not turn chicken during baking.  Garnish with fresh oregano or parsley.


Twice-baked potatoes are a wonderful side dish to accompany the chicken.  To save time, I bought mine from Sam's Club (in the frozen food section).  Served with a salad, this makes a delicious, filling meal.

Serves: 4-6
Cook time: 45-55 minutes

Teriyaki Beef with Noodles/ Eggrolls

Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

1 pound boneless sirloin cut in strips
1 can (14 oz.) beef broth
1/4 C. teriyaki stir-fry sauce
1/2 teas. garlic
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
1 package frozen stir-fry vegetables (thawed)
3 oz. chinese noodles cooked (Whole wheat angel hair pasta works well)
1 teas. corn starch mixed with 3 Tbl. water

1) Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet 2-3 minutes (DO NOT OVERCROWD or meat will steam instead of brown) sirring occasionally. Remove beef from skillet; keep warm.

2) Add broth; stir-fry sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes to skillet. Heat to boiling. Stir in thawed vegetables and noodles. Reduce heat to medium.  Stir in corn starch mixture.

3) Stir in beef. Stir gently until sauce is thickened (2-3 minutes).

Serve with: frozen eggrolls heated per manufacturer's directions.

Serves 4
Cook time: 10-15 minutes