Delicious, Light Recipes for Dinner

Light meals are key for a healthy life. Light recipes are not only easy to prepare, but scrumptious as well.

  1. The weather is warm and it’s time to eat light and nutritious. Beat the heat with light and healthy meals.

Spoil your family with these delicious and light recipes.

FLUFFY LIGHT MEAT LOAF

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground beef

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1/2 c. Oatmeal

3 Tbs. Finely chopped green pepper or celery

2 Tbs. Bran

2 Tbs. Wheat germ

1 sm. Onion, finely chopped

1 Tbs. Freshly chopped parsley

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1/4 Tsp. Finely chopped garlic

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Tsp. Freshly ground pepper

Chili sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all loaf ingredients, using your hands. Form into loaf and place in 9 X 5 X 3 loaf pan cover with layer of chili sauce (or ketchup if desired) bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. (Do not over bake since part of the secret of fluffiness is shorter cooking time.) Serve the meat loaf sliced and hot. Serves 4. Variation: Half ground veal and half ground beef can be used for the meat loaf – lower in calories.

CHICKEN SALAD PICANTE

Ingredients

4 ea. Breasts, chicken, halves, broiler/fryer, boned, skinned

1/2 c. Dressing, bottled, ranch, fat free (works well with similar chicken salad recipes as well)

2 Tbs. Sauce, picante

1 Tsp. Chili powder, divided

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbs. Oil, vegetable

4 c. Greens, salad, mixed, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 med. Avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, cut into horizontal slices

1 med. Onion, red, thinly sliced into rings

2 med. Tomatoes, cut in 8 wedges each

2 Tbs. Cilantro, chopped, OR

2 Tbs. Parsley, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together salad dressing, picante sauce, and a 1/2 Tsp. of chili powder; set aside. Mix the remaining 1/2 Tsp. of chili powder with the salt and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature in a fry pan. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 8 minutes or until brown and fork tender. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut horizontally into 1/2-inch slices.  Place one-fourth of the lettuce on each of four serving plates. On each plate, arrange one sliced chicken breast half over the lettuce. Place avocado, onion, and tomatoes around the chicken. Drizzle 2 Tbs. of dressing over each salad. Sprinkle salad with cilantro or parsley, if desired (works well with many light recipes). Source: Chicken Cookery – 1994. Delmarva Chicken Cooking Contest : Delmarva Poultry Industries Inc., Georgetown, Delaware.

LIGHT PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients

3 Beaten eggs

1/2 c. Firmly packed brown sugar

1 Tbs. Honey

1 Tsp. Ground ginger

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

1 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie, shell, thawed

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin

6 pkg. Envelopes low-calorie sweetener

1 Tsp. Nutmeg

1 1/2 c. Nonfat milk

Whipped topping

Orange peel

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium bowl, combine all but milk.

Gradually stir in milk. Spoon mixture into pie shell and bake for 70-80 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between centre and edge comes out clean. Let cool, then garnish each slice with 2 Tbs. of whipped topping and grated orange peel.