Fresh Tomato and Corn Salsa

Here is another wonderful salsa that you can serve as a side dish with anything. I like it because it uses corn and I like having corn for the sweetness. The recipe uses fresh corn, but if I don't have it handy I just use canned or frozen. And as usual I skip the heat:)

I sometimes add a clove of garlic, crushed depending on what I'm serving this with. Feel free to try and see if you like it.

FRESH TOMATO AND CORN SALSA

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear)
1 1/4 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
Steam corn, covered, 2 minutes, and cool. Combine corn and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Note: The salsa can be made a day in advance. Cover and chill.

Makes 2 cups
Per serving: (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Calories: 50
Fat: 1,5 g
Carbs: 9 g
Protein: 1,5 g

Fresh Tomato Lasagna

I don't think of this as a low calorie recipe from Cooking Light which had it copied from The Culinary Institute of America., it's more like a recipe that I can enjoy at any time. It is really basic and very tasty. The tomatoes does take some time to cook, but it really is not a big deal.

I like adding other herbs to the tomatoes too, such as dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram. Add about 1/2 teaspoon each. You can even add parsley if you like, although I would add fresh parsley rather than dried.

FRESH TOMATO LASAGNA

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
7 cups chopped peeled tomato (about 4 pounds)
2/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray
8 cooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:
Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 2/3 cup basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat ricotta in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot; stir in mozzarella, stirring until melted. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Spread 2 cups tomato mixture in bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half the noodles over tomato mixture; top with ricotta mixture. Arrange remaining noodles over ricotta mixture; top with remaining 2 cups tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon basil. Let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 290
Fat: 12 g
Carbs: 29 g
Protein: 18 g
Fiber: 3 g

Greek Salad Pita Sandwiches

I love having sandwiches while dieting, it makes me feel like I'm cheating a bit:) This easy recipe is from Bon Appetit, and it's basically a favorite salad of mine in a sandwich.

Here are some numbers if you want to make changes:
1 cup broiled chicken, diced = 230 calories white meat, 280 calories dark meat
1 cup feta cheese (4.5 oz.), crumbled = 390 calories
1 cup radishes (3 -4 oz.), diced = 20 calories
1 tomato, medium (4 oz.) = 25 calories
1 cucumber, medium (7 oz.) = 25 calories
1 stalk green onion = 5 calories
1 cup red onions (6 oz.) = 70 calories

You can also use hummus as a spread in the pita. Just check the calories on the box.

GREEK SALAD PITA SANDWICHES

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups chopped seeded plum or cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 1/2 ounces)

4 8-inch-diameter whole wheat pita breads, halved

Directions:
Whisk olive oil and red wine vinegar in large bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Mix tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, radishes, and parsley into dressing. Stir in feta cheese.

DO AHEAD: Salad can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Using slotted spoon, transfer salad mixture to pita bread halves. Serve sandwiches immediately.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 400
Fat: 20 g
Carbs: 45 g

Goat Cheese in Grape Leaves with Tomato and Olive Salad

This is a whimsical recipe, but it is fast and very very tasty. If you are barbecuing, it's a good idea to serve these as appetizers. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for about a week.

And you don't have to wait for the barbecue, you can just cook them in a pan or a skillet grill. Just watch them while cooking so that you don't char/burn the leaves.

Serve it over greens, such as mesclun or lettuce. One cup shredded greens will add 10 calories per serving, so you can just go crazy with it:)

GOAT CHEESE IN GRAPE LEAVES WITH TOMATO AND OLIVE SALAD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
12 large grape leaves from jar, rinsed, patted dry, stemmed
3 4- to 5-ounce logs soft fresh goat cheese, each cut crosswise into 4 rounds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted black olives

Directions:
Whisk 1/2 cup oil, thyme, and black pepper in small bowl to blend.

Arrange grape leaves, vein side up, on work surface. Dip each cheese round into thyme oil and place in center of 1 grape leaf. Fold sides of leaves over cheese; fold up bottom and continue to roll up, enclosing cheese completely.

Arrange wrapped cheeses, seam side down, on platter. Brush lightly with some thyme oil. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled. Cover remaining thyme oil and store at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Slightly overlap tomato slices on large platter. Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with half of olives.

Place wrapped cheese rounds on grill, seam side down. Grill until cheese softens and leaves begin to char, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange cheeses atop tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining olives.

Makes 12 appetizer servings
Per serving:
Calories: 240
Fat: 22 g.
Carbs: 4 g
Protein: 7 g

Bulgur Stuffed Tomato

You can think of this as an appetizer or just something different to prepare and enjoy while dieting.

To hollow out the tomatoes, use a serrated grapefruit knife and a teaspoon, scoop out the inside of the tomatoes and leave the shells intact. Place the tomatoes cut side down, on a double thickness of kitchen paper to drain. Or you can always use your hands, but be careful not to squeeze them tightly.

Keeping them in the fridge overnight helps it blend together and not come apart when served, but you don't have to wait if you want to eat them as soon as you prepare them.

I actually skip the mint, I just don't like the taste of it. And skip apples too, which give a nice crunch, but for me it just doesn't work. If you want, you can substitute equal amount of mushrooms with apples. The calorie count doesn't change that much, maybe about 5 calories more than if you would use apples.

BULGUR STUFFED TOMATO

Ingredients:
1 cup fine-grain bulgur
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped red delicious apple (tossed in a little lemon juice to prevent browning)
4 beautiful ripe tomatoes, hollowed and 2 tablespoons finely-chopped tomato pulp reserved
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
Salt and pepper
Greens

Directions:
Rinse the bulgur wheat in a sieve and place in a bowl, covered with cool water. Let stand for 30 minutes, drain excess liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan, add the onions and apple and cook for 2 minutes.

Hollow out the tomatoes to make room for the salad: reserving 2 tablespoons of the pulp.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the bulgur wheat, onions, apples, chopped tomato innards, and all the remaining ingredients (except greens); blend well. Adjust the seasonings.

Refrigerate overnight and check seasonings before you fill the tomatoes. Serve on greens.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 265
Fat: 11 g
Carbs: 40 g
Protein: 8 g

Herb Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Feta

This easy and wonderful recipe is from Bon Appetit. Roasting the vegetables, especially the tomatoes concentrates the flavor and makes this dish that much more yummy. Not bad for a diet recipe:)

If you want to, you can substitute or add more veggies to make the dish more to your taste. Here are some suggestions with their calories:
1 cup (4 oz.) chopped zucchini = 20 calories
1 cup (6 oz.) chopped onion = 65 calories
1 clove garlic = 5 calories
1 cup (5 oz.) chopped green or red peppers = 30 calories
1 cup (5 oz.) mushrooms, sliced, cooked = 80 calories
1 tomato (4 oz.) tomato = 25 calories
1 olive = 10 calories
1 cup chopped eggplant, cooked = 35 calories
1 lb eggplant, cooked = 130 calories

Be careful with the olive oil, don't use too much. Keep in mind that olive oil has 120 calories each tablespoon.

HERB ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES WITH FETA

Ingredients:
1 1 3/4-pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large plum tomatoes, cored, quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place eggplant and tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet; toss with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Transfer eggplant and tomatoes to platter. Sprinkle with feta and 2 teaspoons oregano and serve.

Makes 6 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 133
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 10g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 3g