From the corner of my eyes I saw Toni suddenly brighten at being called a young girl.
“And if you decide to do this, I’d be thrilled to publish it. I know your skinny recipes concept is a sure winner. If you’re interested, give me a call.”
I took the card and glanced down at it, noticing the handwritten number at the bottom.
“That’s my private number,” she said. “Call me, any time.”
And as suddenly as she had appeared, the woman was gone, leaving everyone in the room with their heads spinning.
“Did I just hear her right?” I asked Toni. “She wants us to write a book?”
Toni nodded. “That’s right.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?”
“We’re going to be authors!” she exclaimed. “You’ll be rich too. And I’m going to need a whole new wardrobe.”
*
Recipes
White Wine Spritzer
Serves one
48 calories
Every person has their favorite white wine. When selecting a white wine for a spritzer, I suggest choosing a dry one with an earthy flavor, such as a very oaky chardonnay.
Ingredients:
2 oz. dry white wine
1 oz. soda water
2 ice cubes
Slice of lemon
Directions:
Sip slowly and make it last.
Eggplant Parmesan
Serves four
284 calories per serving
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 egg whites
2 ½ lbs. eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices
½ cup garlic-flavored croutons
½ tsp. olive oil
1 cup tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried
½ tsp. black pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic
½ cup onion, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
In a shallow dish, beat the egg whites and 2 tbsp of water until foamy. Dip eggplant into egg whites, then into bread crumbs, pressing crumbs into eggplant.
Place eggplant on prepared baking sheet and spray oil over eggplant slices. Bake 30 minutes, turning eggplant over after 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
In a stove-top pan, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft and just beginning to turn golden.
In a medium-size bowl, stir together tomatoes and their juice, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onions.
Spoon 3 tbsp. of tomato mixture into bottom of 9” square glass baking dish. Place half of eggplant over sauce, spoon half of remaining tomato mixture over eggplant, and sprinkle half of mozzarella on top. Repeat with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture, and mozzarella.
Sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake for 20 minutes, or until eggplant is piping hot and sauce is bubbly.
Skinny French Toast
Serves two
187 calories per 2-slice serving including yogurt and strawberry syrup.
Ingredients:
Four 1-inch slices of day-old French bread (1 oz. each)
Three eggs
3 tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. Splenda
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
Cooking spray
½ cup strawberry syrup
½ cup 0 fat vanilla Greek yogurt
Directions:
Spray your frying pan.
Beat eggs, Splenda and cinnamon together in shallow pan (I use a round cake pan).
Dip your slices of bread into egg mixture and fry in frying pan on medium heat until golden, then turn over to fry other side.
Serve with ¼ cup vanilla yogurt and ¼ cup strawberry syrup.
Strawberry Syrup
This entire recipe will contain 270 calories and should measure 1½ cups of syrup. Each serving of ¼ cup contains 13 calories.
Ingredients:
1 package frozen unsweetened strawberries, about 2 cups (allow to thaw overnight in refrigerator before cooking)
1/8 cup Splenda
Directions (Should be made the night before to allow time to cool):
Mix strawberries (including juice) with Splenda in a pan and, stirring frequently, cook on medium heat until it begins to boil. As soon as it boils, take off stove and cool overnight. Skim off foam before serving.
Fasolada (Greek Bean Soup)
Serves 8
253 calories per serving
I had this soup for the first time at a local restaurant and loved it so much I had not two, but three bowls. My husband couldn’t believe it. I begged the owner for the recipe and he kindly gave me the ingredients. I went home and experimented until I got it right.
To eat this soup is to fall irrevocably in love with it. I’ve made it once a week for the past three weeks.
Ingredients:
1 16-oz. can of navy beans
1 16-oz. can of stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
½ cup chopped turnip
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped (leaves included)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 1 ½ quart water (I like to add two tablespoons Better than Bouillon vegetable base)
¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (according to how much heat you want in your soup, although it still won’t be very hot)
Salt and pepper to taste
And the secret ingredient is 1 tbsp. honey
¼ cup feta cheese for garnish
Directions:
In large soup-pot, sauté vegetables and garlic in olive oil at medium.
When all vegetables have become sweaty, rinse beans thoroughly and add to pot, along with canned tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, liquid and Better than Bouillon vegetable base. Bring to a boil for ten minutes, then lower the temperature to a simmer and continue cooking for one hour.
Add the honey, stir, and serve with 1 or 2 tsp. crumbled feta for garnish. Yummmmm.
Low-fat Mulligatawny
6 servings of about 1½ cups each
230 calories per serving
Approximately 1 hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cups celery, chopped
1 cup sliced carrot
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. hot Madras curry powder (If you don’t like it too hot, use regular curry powder, or for hotter, use 1½ tsp.)
½ tsp. of ground cumin
½ tsp. of ground coriander
½ tsp. powdered ginger (or 3 tbsp freshly ground ginger)
½ cup white basmati rice (rinse rice thoroughly before adding)
¾ lb. chicken breast, cut into bite sizes
1½ cup lite coconut milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds
Directions:
Heat oil in your stockpot over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables including garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add apples and spices and cook, stirring often, until the apples begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth and rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 12 minutes.
Add chicken, return to a simmer and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in coconut milk and return to a simmer for three or four minutes.
Remove from the he
at; stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.
To toast almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
Perfect Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4 to 6
250 calories per portion, if serving 4. 167 calories, if serving 6.
Start with this basic butternut squash soup recipe and add your own flair—to create your own version of the perfect.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash (about 4 ½ lbs.) or 4 lbs. peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic (optional)
3 tbsp. butter or vegetable oil
½ tsp. salt plus more to taste
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Directions:
Halve, seed, peel, and cube the butternut squash. Set aside.
Halve, peel, and chop the onion. Mince the garlic, if you like.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter or oil and the chopped onion. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the squash and the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer small batches to a blender or food processor. (My personal favorite is a submersible blender.) Hold a kitchen towel over the top (to prevent burns) and whirl until completely and utterly smooth, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
Return the soup to the pot and add more salt to taste.
Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Serves 4 as a light lunch
394 calories per serving
Ingredients:
2 hard Bosc pears, cored and sliced
2 oz. walnut pieces
5 oz. blue cheese of your choice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. walnut oil
½ tsp. butter
2 tbsp. whipped cream
yolk of one large egg
2 bags of mixed spring lettuces (about 6 oz. total)
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp. blue cheese with walnut oil, beating until almost smooth.
Next, heat the walnut oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and lightly sauté the walnuts, tossing them around for about 1 minute. Now blot the oil off and transfer them to a plate. Add the butter to the pan at the same heat, then add the pears and sauté them for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden. Drain the pears on kitchen paper, put them on a plate and set aside.
To make the sauce, place the cream in a small saucepan with the rest of the blue cheese, crumbled. Now whip them together over a low heat until the cheese melts and then forms a creamy texture. Drop in the egg yolk and continue to whip until the sauce thickens; do not quite bring to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside while you divide the salad leaves among 4 serving plates. Arrange the pears around the leaves, scatter with the walnuts, and pour the sauce over each salad.
Skinny Beef Burger
Serves 8
375 calories each
Ingredients:
1 pound extra-lean beef (5 or less fat), preferably grass fed
1 cup quick-rolled oats
1 large egg
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped very fine
¼ cup chopped scallions
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam cooking spray
8 thin buns (the ones that are 100 calories each)
8 oz. of cheddar cheese, sliced or grated to garnish
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients (except buns and cheese). Using a half-cup ice-cream scoop, measure out scoops on a cookie sheet and flatten to desired thickness.
Spray a large skillet with Pam and cook at medium heat until done. While these are cooking, heat buns whichever way you prefer. I like mine toaster crisp, but you might like yours heated in the oven for less crispness.
Assemble burgers, topping each with 1 oz of cheese.
Enjoy.
Skinny Turkey Burger
Serves 6
300 calories each
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
½ cup quick rolled oats
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped tart apple
1 tbsp. tabasco sauce
½ cup mango chutney
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam cooking spray
6 thin buns (the kind with 100 calories)
Garnish with lettuce
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients (except buns and lettuce). Using a half-cup ice-cream scoop, measure out scoops on a cookie sheet, and flatten to desired thickness.
Spray a large skillet with Pam and cook at medium heat until cooked through. Turkey burgers, unlike beef burgers, cannot be served any way other than well done. While these are cooking, heat buns whichever way you prefer. I like mine toaster crisp, but you might like yours heated in the oven for less crispness.
Assemble, adding lettuce, and enjoy.
The mystery began with a body and a knife... Go back to the beginning in book one of the Chef Landry Mystery series, available now!
Getting Skinny
Owning a restaurant is as crazy for Nicky Landry as an alcoholic owning a bar. But despite having to cram herself into a body shaper to look decent in a dress, life is pretty good. She’s throwing the party of the year for her graduating doctor boyfriend, Rob, who she’s sure is going to propose—until his new girlfriend shows up at the party.
After ordering Rob to get his stuff out of her house and get lost, Nicky finds him face up with her expensive Chroma knife sticking right out of his cheating heart.
As the prime suspect, Nicky is in hot water. And no matter how hard she tries to clear her name, her problems only mount. She’s convinced she can solve the murder—if only she can figure out the identity of the skinny person seen walking away with Rob after the party.
Getting “Skinny” won’t be easy for Nicky, but she never imagined it would be life or death...
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About the Author
Monique Domovitch lives with her husband and an ever-expanding collection of dogs. They share their time between the Canadian west coast and California. When they travel, Monique is never seen without her laptop.
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