500 Calories or Less

Brazilian Mayonnaise Potato Salad

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables & Sides

Brazilian Salad

 

The great thing about having 7 aunts and uncles is that they and their children provide so much diversity to the family dynamic. Yes, we’re all essentially Arab/Middle Eastern, but we’ve grown up all over the world, some of us are American, others are Italian, Australian, Dutch, Jordanian, Egyptian, Algerian, English and Brazilian. And some of us have lived in places like London, Malaysia, Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, and Singapore. But we all bring something to the table – literally and figuratively. We may face some language barriers and be able to hold a conversation, but we all understand good food. And with so many cuisines to choose from, we’re lucky enough that our table is always full. (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Brazilian Mayonnaise Potato Salad

Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Salad)

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Seafood

Frutti Di Mare_3

 

I love all seafood. Really, I don’t discriminate. I’ve cooked all sorts of seafood before – from shrimp to red snapper. But I’ve never tried to make mussels or clams at home. This was the coolest cooking experience I’ve had in a while! It was so fun I Instagramed them popping! I had to do a little bit of research to find out how exactly to wash and prepare them. It’s a lot of work, but let me tell you … it is worth it. The most exciting step in this dish was steaming the clams and mussels. I have glass tops for my cookware and I was able to watch the shells popping open. At first, I had no idea what to expect with the clams. I wasn’t sure how how “open” they’d get. When I saw a sliver of an opening, I almost turned the heat off, but then I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the first shell pop completely open. If you’re not into the whole Frutti Di Mare, you at least have to steam your own mussels and clams. It’s pretty impressive too, when you present them to guests. (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Salad)

Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Chicken, Posts, Recipes, Rice & Grains

Broccoli Chicken Casserole_3

 

The last time I made rice, it took me exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds. I basically pulled the plastic wrap off of minute rice, stuck it in the microwave and waited impatiently for one minute while it cooked. Needless to say, rice is not my forte. Even more needless to say, I barely eat rice at home, unless it’s minute rice of course. Despite this, I still decided to try my luck with a healthy, lower-calorie version of a rice casserole. I wasn’t sure. I’ve had too many experiences where the rice was either over (mushy) or under cooked. Trust me, if I can do this, so can you. (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Loaded Light Baked Potato Soup

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes

 

Ah, the holidays. Cookies, cakes, 5-course dinners, drinks, parties. It’s the perfect time to throw your diet out the window and eat everything in sight, right? Wrong. It seems to be the endless Holiday cycle – starting with Thanksgiving where we go with the all-you-can eat mentality up through New Year’s Day. Then, it’s back to everyone’s favorite resolution, “this year I’m going to lose weight,” when you start eating lettuce again and fighting for a treadmill and space in your Zumba and Kick-Boxing classes. (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Loaded Light Baked Potato Soup

Arugula Almond Salad

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Salads

 

Salads are meant to be simple. That’s my philosophy, at least. So why complicate a salad with way too many ingredients and fat-laden salad dressing? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told, or have read, that just because you’ve ordered a salad at a restaurant, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being healthy and cutting calories. That’s because they’ve added fried ingredients and added a dressing that has 500 calories (that’s dressing without the actual salad). You’d be better off ordering yourself a burger and fries. At least that way you can justify the 500 calories without trying—unsuccessfully—to convince yourself what you’re eating is actually good for you. (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Arugula Almond Salad

Nacho Corn Soup

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Soups

 

I don’t really cook with corn, unless in corn on the cob. So lately, I’ve been trying to find recipes with corn as an ingredient. I just so happened to come across this recipe from Slodka Babka and thought it’d be a nice addition to Taco Night. The Nacho Doritos really amp up the flavor give it that nacho-ey feel. I received compliments from everyone (mom and dad included). (more…)

  •  Comments Off on Nacho Corn Soup