OK, I thought I would start a thread here with actual dishes made with the idea that we can have delicious fare and still watch fat, cholesterol, and (for those on Weight Watchers like me) total point values.
As a prologue to this dish, let me explain that we have a long-standing tradition of tailgating at Tampa Bay Bucs home games, and those tailgates are normally "Themed" to the opposing team. So, for instance when the Bucs play New Orleans we might make Jambalaya or Etouffee. When we play Seattle we might make salmon, when we play Miami we might make Mahi Mahi (Dolphin), etc.
At a typical tailgate, one family is responsible for the appetizers, one for the main dish, one for the side dish, and one for the libations. We rotate - four families, eight home games - so that everyone is responsible for each course twice during the year.
Yesterday (11/13) the Bucs played Houston, so the Theme was Tex-Mex.
Since all of our friends know (and support) the efforts of the Czarina and I to lose weight and eat healthier, everyone in our group agreed to make their dishes with those goals in mind.
We started with virgin margaritas: 1/2 cup Trop 50 orange juice, 1 12oz can frozen lime-aid concentrate, 2 cups ice in a blender.
For appetizers, home-made roasted red-pepper hummus, on sesame pretzel thins.
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions. chopped
3 garlic cloves. minced
3 oz fire roasted red bell pepper
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red pepper, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper with the onion mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Makes 8 Servings
per serving: 89 calories, 4 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol. 147 rng sodium, 10 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein, 37 mg calcium.
Pointsplus per serving: 2
Next on to the main course
First, Home-made turkey chorizo.
1-lb ground turkey
1/4-cup cold white wine
2-tsp (smoked spanish) paprika
1-tsp salt
2-tsp fresh minced garlic
1-tsp cayenne
1/2-tsp cumin
1-tsp dried oregano
1/2-tsp freshly ground black pepper
Combine all, mix well
Then stuffed that into a butterflied 6-oz chicken breast. Added 2 TBS Spanish (yellow) rice, and 1oz low-fat Queso Blanco.
Sprinkled the outside with paprika, cayenne, and Mrs, Dash Garlic & Herb blend.
Cooked on lightly oiled hot cast iron skillet 5 minutes per side, poured on a small (16 oz) jar of salsa, turned to low and allowed to simmer for 15 minutes.
Served with more yellow rice.
So, for those following weight-watchers, the stuffed chicken was 8 points plus, the side of rice was 5, the total meal was 13 points plus.
Extremely tasty.
As a prologue to this dish, let me explain that we have a long-standing tradition of tailgating at Tampa Bay Bucs home games, and those tailgates are normally "Themed" to the opposing team. So, for instance when the Bucs play New Orleans we might make Jambalaya or Etouffee. When we play Seattle we might make salmon, when we play Miami we might make Mahi Mahi (Dolphin), etc.
At a typical tailgate, one family is responsible for the appetizers, one for the main dish, one for the side dish, and one for the libations. We rotate - four families, eight home games - so that everyone is responsible for each course twice during the year.
Yesterday (11/13) the Bucs played Houston, so the Theme was Tex-Mex.
Since all of our friends know (and support) the efforts of the Czarina and I to lose weight and eat healthier, everyone in our group agreed to make their dishes with those goals in mind.
We started with virgin margaritas: 1/2 cup Trop 50 orange juice, 1 12oz can frozen lime-aid concentrate, 2 cups ice in a blender.
For appetizers, home-made roasted red-pepper hummus, on sesame pretzel thins.
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions. chopped
3 garlic cloves. minced
3 oz fire roasted red bell pepper
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red pepper, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper with the onion mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Makes 8 Servings
per serving: 89 calories, 4 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol. 147 rng sodium, 10 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein, 37 mg calcium.
Pointsplus per serving: 2
Next on to the main course
First, Home-made turkey chorizo.
1-lb ground turkey
1/4-cup cold white wine
2-tsp (smoked spanish) paprika
1-tsp salt
2-tsp fresh minced garlic
1-tsp cayenne
1/2-tsp cumin
1-tsp dried oregano
1/2-tsp freshly ground black pepper
Combine all, mix well
Then stuffed that into a butterflied 6-oz chicken breast. Added 2 TBS Spanish (yellow) rice, and 1oz low-fat Queso Blanco.
Sprinkled the outside with paprika, cayenne, and Mrs, Dash Garlic & Herb blend.
Cooked on lightly oiled hot cast iron skillet 5 minutes per side, poured on a small (16 oz) jar of salsa, turned to low and allowed to simmer for 15 minutes.
Served with more yellow rice.
So, for those following weight-watchers, the stuffed chicken was 8 points plus, the side of rice was 5, the total meal was 13 points plus.
Extremely tasty.
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