Category Archives: Main Course Recipes

Easy Skinny Chili

Easy Skinny Chili

I adore chili!  The spices, the steam, the comfort....  Perfect.  While it can be healthy with its ingredients, traditional chili is also a very calorie dense food.  That means a little goes a long way, so it's easy for all of us to overeat.  Who wants a tiny bowl of anything?Most chili cooks also use salty canned beans and salty and sugary seasoned canned diced tomatoes, paste and/or puree.  Look at the labels and pick no-salt and no-sugar.  The leanness of the meat makes an enormous difference in the calories, and restaurants often use inexpensive fattier ...
Healing the Body, Anti-Inflammation, Anti-Aging Benefits, Lunch Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
Quick Skinny Dinner Trick

Quick Skinny Dinner Trick

Yikes.  I’m not certain what possessed me to eat 4 (!) large baked chicken drumsticks for lunch as if I were Henry VIII at a medieval banquet, but those plump spicy leftovers in the frig just looked and tasted awesome.  After a big breakfast and obviously an even bigger lunch, I still never skip dinner.  Although it’s tempting, skipping meals just slows the metabolism and sets myself up for overeating the next day.QUICK ...
Eating Rules, Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
No-Tortilla Skinny Mexican Shrimp, Beans and Vegetable Cheese Enchilada

No-Tortilla Skinny Mexican Shrimp, Beans and Vegetable Cheese Enchilada

Who doesn't love the spicy flavors of a Mexican style large enchilada?  But who needs the 1000+ calorie salt mine and unhealthy fat/carb overload?  Searching for a flourless and highly nutritional twist to a cheesy Mexican style enchilada, I stumbled upon this masterpiece of spicy gooey flavors.  It was really incredible!A smooth "base" was created using vegetables and beans.  Black beans are a great slow-burning complex carb and served as my Main Carb for this meal, so ...
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Seared Wild Rockfish with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Seared Wild Rockfish with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

It’s the dead of summer, my AC is barely working in this house, and it’s starting to affect my appetite. Not good. You know how much I absolutely adore eating, so I don’t like anything messing with it! But once I visualized this new recipe in my head, my appetite returned big time.I craved a chilly sweet salsa to add to the rich flavor of some freshly caught ...
Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
Roasted Spiced Chickpeas, Squash and Asparagus Medley

Roasted Spiced Chickpeas, Squash and Asparagus Medley

If you don't have ground cumin and turmeric in your spice drawer right now, run out to the store and buy it!  There is nothing quite so interestingly fragrant as this spiced dish roasting in the oven.  The easiest part --- It's a one dish, one pan, pop it in and forget about it kind of meal.   Another bonus is it is very low in calories, yet absolutely filling ...
Lunch Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes | 4 Comments
Naked Skinny Turkey Burger with Swiss Cheese

Naked Skinny Turkey Burger with Swiss Cheese

It's time for summer cook-outs and BBQs with family and friends, especially this week for Independence Day.  When offered the basic all-American choice for either a burger or hot dog, one simple strategy I use is to request a medium-rare burger with cheese, but hold that typically big white roll of empty calories.  One slice of full fat cheese is usually 100 calories of filling protein, yet a large roll is up to 300 calories, typically with no filling ...
Eating Rules, Lunch Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Recipes, Survival Guide: Dining Out, Restaurants, Events, Family Gatherings | 4 Comments
Healthy Tuna Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese and Beans

Healthy Tuna Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese and Beans

Give me a can opener, and I'm set for a no-bake, no-heat, no-processed food healthy meal.  This easy dinner using cabinet staples worked perfectly during a summer power outage at my home.  Think plain tuna from a can is dry and boring without gobs of mayo?  Think again.With each forkful, I layered the quality protein tuna with tangy goat cheese and smooth avocado to create a moist and salty taste.  I was sold!  ...
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One Pan Seared Tilapia, Broccoli and Red Skinned Potatoes

One Pan Seared Tilapia, Broccoli and Red Skinned Potatoes

Table for one, please.  It is a week night, and everyone is gone....  No extra hungry little mouths to feed, no extra sides to add for the big guy, and no complaints from the peanut gallery on whatever I am serving.  What's a skinny chick to do with all of this foodie tranquility?  I do NOT turn to take-out, which leaves my body with a horrendous case of buyer's remorse the ...
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Easy Skinny Steak Night

Easy Skinny Steak Night

Sometimes I just get a hankering for a thick juicy steak on the grill.  It’s a Saturday night, the weather is perfect, and the New York Strip Steaks were on sale at my grocery store this morning.  What more of an excuse do I need?!  And tonight, I wasn’t in the mood to cut off one-half or less of my pretty and plump steak for a reasonable Easy Skinny portioned meal.  I wanted the ...
Eating Rules, Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
Skinny Halibut with Lemon Butter, Capers and Shallots

Skinny Halibut with Lemon Butter, Capers and Shallots

Tonight’s fish dinner was downright decadent and seemed the perfect kick off to my Mother’s Day weekend.  The white Atlantic Halibut tasted rich, smooth and chunky, yet light and flakey, and the different flavors were amazing.  There is a salty hint from the capers and a touch of butter, a sweetness from the shallots, and a citrus tanginess from the lemon.  No added salt, sugar or marinades needed!Skinny Halibut ...
Main Course Recipes, Recipes, Skin and Complexion Benefits | 1 Comment
Skinny Wild Salmon, Roasted Red Pepper, and Sweet Potato Salad

Skinny Wild Salmon, Roasted Red Pepper, and Sweet Potato Salad

If you haven’t noticed, I get freakishly excited about eating the most nutritional and largest quantity of optimal food each day while staying lean.  Welcome to my Easy Skinny Life world.It’s almost a game each day.  How many different vegetables and fruits, how many colors, and how many great tasting seasonings can I add?  More importantly, how high can I pile all of it on the plate?  ...
Healing the Body, Anti-Inflammation, Anti-Aging Benefits, Main Course Recipes, Recipes, Skin and Complexion Benefits | Comment
Indian Spiced Skinny Roasted Chickpeas and Vegetables

Indian Spiced Skinny Roasted Chickpeas and Vegetables

Today, I took just 10 short minutes to clean out my overflowing drawer of dried spice bottles dating back way too many years.  What in the world took me so long to accomplish this simple task?!  Now, my spice drawer is organized and clutter-free!  Having pure seasonings on hand is such an easy way to create exceptional variety on my vegetables each night, whether roasting, steaming or sprinkled on a ...
Healing the Body, Anti-Inflammation, Anti-Aging Benefits, Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
Skinny Seafood Pasta and Vegetables

Skinny Seafood Pasta and Vegetables

This large skillet is filled with one full serving and all for Easy Skinny me.  As usual, my whole delicious dinner is less than 600 calories, too!  Using two pots and one skillet, the meal is quickly created, cooked, and tossed together on the stovetop to blend in all of the flavors.  The slightly crisp whole grain pasta flavored with the hint of herbs and oil in the main skillet provides a hearty foundation to the filets, overflowing ...
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Skinny Shrimp and Kiwi Salad

Skinny Shrimp and Kiwi Salad

Maybe it was the tease of warm weather this week, but I'm still on my fresh summerlike fruit addiction to add a pop of sweetness to my main entrees.  For this gigantic salad, the salty taste of fresh shrimp paired with the sweet kick of a kiwi fruit really created a taste masterpiece.  Kiwi fruit is packed solid with Vitamin C, plus the bright green flesh with those tiny black seeds adds such a tropical flair to the salad.Top it with a homemade ...
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Healthy Strawberry Avocado Salad with Stone Ground Mustard Garlic Dressing

Healthy Strawberry Avocado Salad with Stone Ground Mustard Garlic Dressing

This beautiful large salad combines the sweet taste of fresh plump strawberries with the cool smoothness of avocado and the spicy hot flavor of stone ground mustard, garlic, and apple cider vinegar dressing.  From a taste standpoint, it is absolutely superb.  And from a nutritional standpoint, it is an absolute powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and healthy fat to nourish the skin, hair, nails, and soul.For a main course meal, add one serving of a quality protein ...
Lunch Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment
Herb-Crusted Pan Seared Basa Fish

Herb-Crusted Pan Seared Basa Fish

I had never heard of Basa, until my favorite seafood manager suggested I try this sustainable and inexpensive thick white fish.  On sale for just $3.99 per pound, I was able to purchase two long and fat 8 ounce filets for just $4.00.  Stuck in a Tilapia rut lately, I was more than happy to try this environmentally friendly and fat fish.  Basa is a type of river catfish traditionally farmed in Vietnam ...
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Jennifer Hudson’s No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna

Jennifer Hudson’s No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna

How did Jennifer Hudson create that delicious vegetarian lasagna without using any noodles?  She did it by substituting hearty, roasted vegetable strips for the layers.  Here is the light and low-carb recipe for the creation that was recently featured on television.  Following our Easy Skinny Life rules for a meal, the Main Protein is the cheese with the combo of thick vegetables as our Main Carb.  Pair it with a large colorful green salad topped a ...
Main Course Recipes, Recipes | 18 Comments
Wild Rockfish with Shiitake Mushrooms, Garlic, Lemon and Capers

Wild Rockfish with Shiitake Mushrooms, Garlic, Lemon and Capers

Wild Rockfish with Shiitake Mushrooms, Garlic, Lemon and Capers Recipe:8 ounce Wild Rockfish fillet 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 tablespoons minced garlic from jar 2 tablespoons capers 1 lemon, halved Shiitake Mushrooms Variety of colorful fresh thickly chopped vegetables for roasting.  I used yellow squash, Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower 1 tablespoon CuminDirections:Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine roasting vegetables with one tablespoon of oil and place on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cumin ...
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Pan Seared Citrus Orange Roughy and Roasted Garlic Vegetables

Pan Seared Citrus Orange Roughy and Roasted Garlic Vegetables

In my search to eat more foods with natural iodine in order to kick-start the thyroid and metabolism, I have been adding more saltwater fish to my usual seafood staples.  Orange Roughy is a favorite for even non-fish lovers with its meaty texture and mild flavor.   Adding the orange and lemon juice and slices really enhanced the fish, and it paired nicely with garlic roasted vegetables for a flavorful dish without ...
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Skinny Baked Mac and Cheese Comfort Food

Skinny Baked Mac and Cheese Comfort Food

What could be more comforting to eat on a cold winter day than a steaming plate of Mac and Cheese?  An easy Skinny version!  This simple and innovative recipe is adapted from Cooking Light magazine, but tweaked with my own touches for a whole grain and pure Skinny style.  By using cottage cheese as a smooth and silky sauce and crispy panko topping for an added crunch, it provides all of the cheesy pleasure, with no toll on ...
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