Authors: Jennifer Hudson

I Got This (22 page)

Feta-Stuffed
Chicken Burgers

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Course: Main meals

PointsPlus
^®Value: 7

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 16 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Olives, roasted peppers, and feta add great flavor to these burgers. Complete your meal with our light Greek Salad.

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked extra-lean ground chicken breast

1 Tbsp fresh oregano

¼ tsp garlic powder

7 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

4 items reduced-calorie hamburger rolls

1 cup lettuce, romaine, cut into thick strips

cup roasted red peppers, sliced (without oil)

5 small olives, black, sliced (about 4 tsp)

Instructions

Preheat grill or broiler.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, oregano, garlic powder, and feta; divide mixture into four balls and then press them gently into patties.

Grill or broil patties until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165°F, about 7 to 8 minutes per side.

Serve each burger on a bun with ¼ of lettuce, ¼ of peppers, and 1 teaspoon of olives. Yields 1 burger per serving.

Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with
Teriyaki Sauce

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Course: Main meals

PointsPlus
^®Value: 5

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 8 min

Cooking Time: 9 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

A summertime pleaser. The teriyaki sauce is simple to make and so full of flavor: rich, tangy, and thick.

Ingredients

1 spray cooking spray

3 cloves (medium) garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, finely minced

1 Tbsp sherry cooking wine, or mirin

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup water

3 Tbsp packed brown sugar, dark variety

1 Tbsp cornstarch

16 oz yellowfin tuna, 1-inch thick

Instructions

Coat grill rack with cooking spray; preheat grill to high.

To make teriyaki sauce, in a small saucepan, combine garlic, ginger, sherry, soy sauce, orange juice, water, sugar, and cornstarch. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick.

Coat all sides of tuna with teriyaki sauce. Grill, flipping once, brushing on more teriyaki sauce as fish cooks, about 4 minutes for rare, or longer to desired degree of doneness.
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Serve with arugula tossed with your favorite salad dressing, or some oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper (could affect
PointsPlus
^®values). Yields about 3 ounces of tuna per serving.

Notes

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Grill 3 minutes per side for a 2-inch tuna steak cooked to rare. Or cook longer until desired degree of doneness.

You can also broil the tuna. Just preheat the broiler, along with the pan, to high.

Spicy Beef Tacos

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Course: Main meals

PointsPlus
^®Value: 7

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 12 min

Cooking Time: 13 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

You get two tasty tacos in a serving. Add your own touch with fresh chopped cilantro, scallions, or tomatoes.

Ingredients

3 sprays cooking spray, divided

2 cloves (medium) garlic, minced

¾ pounds uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)

1½ tsp Durkee ground cumin, or other brand

1½ tsp ground coriander

¾ tsp table salt, or to taste

1½ cups canned diced tomatoes, with jalapeños or green chilies

8 small corn tortillas, lightly toasted just before serving if desired
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2 cups lettuce, shredded

½ cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp variety

cup salsa

Instructions

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add beef; cook until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, salt, and diced tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Place tortillas on a flat surface. Top each with about ¼ cup beef, ¼ cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 2 teaspoons salsa. Fold tortillas in half and serve. Yields 2 tacos per serving.

Notes

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To toast tortillas, coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tortillas on top and coat with cooking spray. Heat in a 300°F oven until slightly crisp but not too crisp that they break when folded.

Shrimp with
Zucchini and Tomatoes

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Course: Main meals

PointsPlus
^®Value: 4

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 8 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Keep a bag of large frozen shrimp on hand for this quick and easy sautéed meal. The juices from the tomatoes add a wonderful flavor to the sauce.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin, divided

1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 pound shrimp, large-size, peeled, and deveined

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp table salt

¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

1½ tsp minced garlic

¼ cup water

Instructions

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini in a single layer; increase heat to high and cook until bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip zucchini and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, remove zucchini to a plate.

Heat remaining teaspoon oil in same skillet. Add shrimp; sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper; sauté until shrimp are almost just cooked through, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and water; sauté, stirring to loosen bits from bottom of pan, until shrimp are cooked through and tomatoes are softened, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Return zucchini to skillet; toss and serve. Yields about 1¼ cups per serving.

Notes

Try this with fresh basil instead of, or in addition to, the oregano (just stir it in right at the end).

Grate some lemon zest over top and/or sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, if desired.