Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Mushrooms add a savory flavor that makes beef taste even meatier, while red wine brings acidity for balance. Splurge on great steaks in this simple recipe; with so few ingredients, the meat shines through.

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Butter-flavored cooking spray
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1  cup  dry red wine
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh rosemary

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a serving platter; keep warm.

2. Add mushrooms to pan. Coat mushrooms with cooking spray; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Remove pan from heat; add butter and rosemary, stirring until butter melts. Pour sauce over steaks.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

244 (46% from fat)

Fat:

13g (sat 6g,mono 4g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

23.3g

Carbohydrate:

3.8g

Fiber:

0.9g

Cholesterol:

74mg

Iron:

1.9mg

Sodium:

235mg

Calcium:

24mg

Chipotle Bean Burritos

Add chips and guacamole to this hearty vegetarian dish for an easy Mexican meal.

Time: 30 mins

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/3  cup  water
• 1  (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained
• 1  (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained
• 3  tablespoons  refrigerated fresh salsa
• 6  (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas (such as Mission)
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 3)
• 1 1/2  cups  shredded romaine lettuce
• 6  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions
• 6  tablespoons  light sour cream

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

361

Fat:

10.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 2g)

Protein:

16.8g

Carbohydrate:

52.2g

Fiber:

11.4g

Cholesterol:

19mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

735mg

Calcium:

395mg

Chicken and Bow-tie Pasta with Walnut Pesto

To make sure the walnut pesto ingredients are evenly minced, stop the food processor halfway through processing, and scrape down the sides. Total time: 26 mins

Yield: 4 servings 

Ingredients 

• Salad:
• 2  cups  uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta; about 6 ounces)
• 2  cups  cubed cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1  cup  quartered cherry tomatoes
• 2  tablespoons  chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 
  
• Walnut Pesto:
• 1  cup  basil leaves
• 1/2  cup  fresh parsley leaves
• 3  tablespoons  coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  white wine vinegar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  garlic clove
• Remaining ingredient:
• 4  curly leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; rinse with cold water. Combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl.

To prepare walnut pesto, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely minced. Add pesto to pasta mixture, tossing gently to coat. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 4 plates; top each serving with salad mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

374

Fat:

12.5g (sat 2g)

Protein:

29.4g

Carbo:

36.3g

Fiber:

3g

Chol:

60mg

Iron:

3.6mg

Sodium:

393mg

Calcium:

62mg

Chile Dusted Shrimp with Corn Relish

A little sugar might seem out of place in the three-pepper spice rub here, but it caramelizes during cooking to give the shrimp a lovely browned look. The fresh vegetable mix has a nice sweet-sour flavor to balance the spicy shrimp. Load shrimp and veggies into tortillas for great Southwestern shrimp tacos.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 1/2  teaspoons  sugar, divided
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ancho chile powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 5  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic
• 2  teaspoons  bottled minced ginger
• 1  (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  cider vinegar
• 1/2  cup  chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Combine 2 teaspoons sugar, chili powder, chile powders, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add shrimp to spice mixture; toss well to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and corn to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Transfer corn mixture to a bowl; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup green onions.

3. Wipe pan with a paper towel. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, turning once. Serve with corn mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

342

Fat:

9.6g (sat 1.5g)

Protein:

37.9g

Carbo:

28g

Fiber:

3.7g

Chol:

259mg

Iron:

5.3mg

Sodium:

569mg

Calcium:

114mg

Baked Polenta Lasagna

This polenta lasagna is a great way to work extra vegetables into a weeknight meal, as it calls for chopped zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and red bell pepper.

Prep time: 15 mins

Baking time: 45 mins Oven: 350°F

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 
  
• 1  cup  meatless fat-free sausage, crumbled (such as Lightlife Gimme Lean)
• 1  cup  chopped mushrooms
• 1/2  cup  chopped zucchini
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (16-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 18 slices
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce into an 8-inch square baking dish to cover bottom, and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in sausage; cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Add remaining marinara sauce; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Arrange 9 polenta slices over marinara in baking dish, and top evenly with half of vegetable mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over vegetable mixture; arrange remaining polenta over cheese. Top polenta with the remaining vegetable mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

4. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

221 (20% from fat)

Fat:

4.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

12.3g

Carbo:

30.9g

Fiber:

4.6g

Chol:

5mg

Iron:

2.8mg

Sodium:

880mg

Calcium:

125mg

Salmon Steaks with Ginger

This delicious and nutritious Asian style salmon is a simple way to dress up the filet and wind down your day.

Prep: 5 minCook: 10 min.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbs. sesame oil

4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
1 cup sliced green onion

Yields: 4 servings

PREPARATION

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon and dot with half the butter mixture. Cook about 5 minutes or until browned on one side. Turn, dot with remaining butter and cook another 4-5 minutes until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with green onion.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 487
Fat: 23.6g
Chol: 181mg,
Protein: 63.7g,
Carbo: 1.9g
Sodium: 367mg