low calorie meals

Well I am back at it.... looking for easy healthy meals to prepare for my family. This time I was on a search for meals that were easy, tasted great, low calorie, and something my 4 year old would eat. I am happy to announce that I found some keepers! I sat down Labor Day weekend and planned my dinner menu for the month of September. After doing a lot of searching online I had my menu in place. I broke my shopping into 3 categories (what I need to by for the meals for 2 weeks and weekly groceries). Weekly groceries include things like milk, cottage cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables. :) Happy cooking and shopping.

Now for the meals that I recommend trying... (kids tested and approved)

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
2 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 butternut squash (2lbs), peeled, cubed
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender.
2. In 3-4 quart slow cooker, mix onion and remaining ingredients.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat 6-8 hours.
4. In blender or food processor, blend soup mixture on high speed until smooth.

Makes 6 servings.
***This is what I did. The recipes actually calls for 1 package cream cheese. You would add this to the crock pot after you have blended the soup. Stir in cream cheese, and then cook on low heat for about 30 minutes longer or until cheese is melted, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth.  HOWEVER, my family loved it with sour cream and hot sauce.


Turkey & Balsamic Onion Quesadillas
From delish.com 

• 1 small red onion,  thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup(s) balsamic vinegar
• 4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cup(s) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 8 slice(s) deli turkey, preferably smoked (8 ounces)

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Directions

1. Combine onion and vinegar in a bowl; let marinate for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the vinegar for another use, such as salad dressing.
2. Place 2 tortillas in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (they will overlap); warm for about 45 seconds, then flip. Pull the tortillas up the edges of the pan so they are no longer overlapping. Working on one half of each tortilla, sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese, cover with 2 slices of turkey and top with one-fourth of the onion. Fold the tortillas in half, press gently with a spatula to flatten and cook until the cheese starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Make two more quesadillas with the remaining ingredients. Serve warm.

Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken and Vegetables
From delish.com

• 1 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup(s) smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon(s) minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) chile-garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon(s) minced fresh ginger
• 8 ounce(s) whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 bag(s) fresh vegetable medley

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size strips.
3. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic sauce and ginger in a large bowl.
4. Cook pasta in the boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse the pasta and vegetables with cool water to refresh. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the peanut sauce; add the pasta, vegetables and chicken; toss well to coat. Serve warm or chilled.

Turkey Sloppy Joes
From fitnessmagazine.com 

• 2teaspoons  olive oil
• 2onions, such as Vidalia or white, sliced
• 12ounces  lean all-white-meat ground turkey
• 1/2teaspoon  dried marjoram
• 1/2cup  bottled steak sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Whole-grain rolls, toasted

1. Rub oil in a heavy skillet. Heat skillet to medium-high heat.

2. Saute onion until it just turns soft.

3. Add turkey, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste; saute 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Stir in steak sauce. Heat through; serve on toasted whole-grain rolls.

My family has really enjoyed all of these new menus. For the Turkey Quesadillas I didn't put onion on my daughters. But otherwise my daughter ate the meals as is. :) All meals were served with a fresh salad or steamed broccoli. Hope your family enjoys some of these meals!