THE 300 CALORIE PASTA LUNCH

THE 300 CALORIE PASTA LUNCH
(OK, may be closer to 310 calories)

Well, they said it would happen, and it finally did...my metabolism seems to have slooooowed down.  Gone are the days of piling noodles high on a plate with all manner of sauces and cheese and whatnot.  Gotta start cutting the calories, but I'm definitely not cutting the flavor.  So, without further ado, my first calorie-conscious recipe..

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

1 1/2 cups dry Trader Joe's Brown Rice Fusilli
Splash of olive oil
1/8 cup Trader Joe's Basil Pesto Sauce
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 dried red chili peppers, chopped or torn into small bits
2 fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small bits
2 medium tomatoes (I like Campari from Costco), chopped
Shake of black pepper
Shake of garlic powder

Directions:

1.  Bring pot of water to a boil, adding a splash of olive oil.
2.  Add pasta, stir, cook for 7 minutes stirring frequently to unstick pieces.
3.  Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
4.  Place pesto in pot and stir in pasta.
5.  Split evenly between two plates and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. cheese, pepper, garlic powder, 1 tomato, 1 chili pepper, and 1 basil leaf.

Notes:

*Pair with a low-ish calorie protein for a complete dinner meal.

*To be honest, this alone is not likely to fill you up (unless you have a remarkably small tank!).  But it gives you the chance to have some of what you really want (pasta!  pesto!  cheese!) and then supplement with a piece of fruit or vegetable (spinach is an easy, healthy and low-cal choice) and still stay under a respectable 400 calories.

*Kids can rinse the pasta, stir the pesto, or tear the basil.

CAULIFLOWER FRITTATA

Ingredients:

1/2 cauliflower, only florets broken into small bits

2 leeks, halved and thinly sliced

4  fresh sage leaves

1-2 tsp. crushed garlic

1/3 bunch chard (approximately 1 1/2 cups), removed from stems and chopped

Olive oil 

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

Handful shredded Quattro Formaggio or Swiss Cheese

Small chunk mild blue cheese, broken/smushed into bits 

Splash Worcestershire sauce

Salt

Pepper 

8 eggs

1/2 cup non-fat milk 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a square casserole dish with olive oil spray.

2.  Cover cauliflower and a splash of water in a bowl with microwave-safe plastic.  Nuke for 1 minute.

3.  In a large sautee pan over medium-high flame, heat some olive oil.  Add cauliflower, garlic, sage and leek.  Stir frequently for 5 minutes.  Turn heat off and add chard, stirring with tongs until chard is just wilted.  Remove sage leaves.

4.  Add cauliflower mixture to casserole dish.  Sprinkle with all cheeses equally.

5.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour into casserole dish.

6.  Bake for 30 minutes or until frittata is puffy and almost browned.  Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.

Notes:

*Increase likelihood of kiddos eating by covering each serving with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (or gummy bears, or goldfish crackers, or whatever it takes).

*Kids can help by breaking off cauliflower florets, tearing chard off of stems, or whisking eggs.

*Tastes even better the next day!

*Go easy on the blue cheese, even if you really like it...it can overpower the more delicate flavors of the chard and cauliflower.