Mackerel Salad
1 15 oz can mackerel fillets – separated into halves and bones removed
1 head romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato
2 oz carrot shreds
2 oz broccoli shreds
lemon juice and/or dressing of choice

Serves 2 as a main course – 310 calories per serving without dressing

Baked Eggplant Parmesan
2 large eggplant, quartered lengthways then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
3T parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic
3 cups marinara
1 spray Pam or 1t olive oil

Spray a 9×13 dish with PAM to prevent sticking.
Slice the eggplant and place in a 9×13 baking dish.
Crush the garlic and mix with the eggplant.
Then cover with the marinara and mix to coat the eggplant.
Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Remove cover carefully – test eggplant – should be soft/chewy.
sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 mins uncovered.
If it is still not browned, can broil for 2-3 minutes to brown top – take care not to burn it.

Serves 6, 150 calories per serving.

Cauliflower Curry with Crab, Corn, Carrots and Cilantro
1 head cauliflower – any color you like – I used a green one
1 8 oz package flake or lump imitation crabmeat (surimi – tastes way better than it sounds!)
1 16 oz can corn kernels or mini-corn
1 large carrot, julienned
20 stems cilantro, chopped
5-6 oz (or to taste) Thai red, green, or yellow curry sauce – I use Trader Joe’s – shown here is yellow

Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a microwaveable bowl. Cover with shrinkwrap and microwave on high 10 minutes.
While cauliflower is cooking, cut up carrots and cilantro.
After 10 minutes, carefully pull back the shrinkwrap and add the carrots, drained corn, and most of the cilantro. Recover and microwave on high 5 minutes.
Open crab package, separate chunks and slice into bite-size pieces, about half-inch dice/slices.
After veggies finish cooking, again pull back shrinkwrap and add crab and Thai sauce. Mix carefully to coat the veggies with sauce. Recover, and let sit 5 minutes for flavor to permeate and crab to heat.
Drizzle a spoonful more Thai sauce over the top, or if plating, over each plate, and sprinkle with a little chopped cilantro.

Serves 4 – 240 calories per serving

Pumpkin Cloudcakes Recipe – click to enlarge.

Cook as above or make up the batter the night before and fry for a filling Thanksgiving breakfast or brunch. Serve hot with maple syrup. The recipe picture could be clearer – it’s 1/4 t baking soda, 1/8t nutmeg (although I use 1t cinnamon instead), 1/8t salt which I omit, and 1/2 cup yogurt. I normally make a double batch that uses a whole pot of yogurt and a whole 16oz can of pumpkin. I also use regular flour not cake flour but cake flour is better if you have it or can find it.

Serves 4 – no calorie counting today.

Carrot Apple Raisin Slaw
2 large carrots, shredded (peeled if you insist)
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup raisins or craisins and/or chopped nuts

Shred carrots and mix ingredients together thoroughly to make sure all the carrots are coated in apple sauce.
Serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Serves 1 as dessert or 2-4 as a side dish – 380 calories for the whole recipe

Rice Cake Bruschetta
Per rice cake:
1 oz cottage cheese
1T bruschetta mix – can make your own by adding 1 clove crushed garlic, 2T chopped olives and 2T olive oil to normal jar of salsa
small slice of ham, turkey or cucumber slivers optional

65 calories per rice cake as shown with cucumber.

Thai Green Green Curry
1 cauliflower – green or white – alternately broccaflower or broccoli would work well also
8 oz pre-cooked chicken, e.g. rotisserie chicken
1 jar Trader Joe’s Thai green curry sauce.

Remove the stem and any leaf stalks from the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into florets and rinse thoroughly in the sink. Slice the leaf stems into slivers. Place all in a microwavable container and cover with shrink wrap.
Microwave on high for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile cut up the precooked chicken into bites.
When the cauliflower is done (check with a fork), add the chicken and jar of sauce to the cauliflower, recover, and microwave a further 3 minutes at 70% power.
Serve by itself or over another vegetable like spaghetti squash.

Serves 4, approx 425 calories per serving.

Butternut Squash “Fries”
1 butternut squash, about 3 pounds makes 50-60 half-moon fries

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squash in half lengthways, and scoop out the seeds.
Peel the squash with a potato peeler.
Slice each half of the squash into about 30 quarter-inch thick half moon slices.
Place 1t of oil on a baking pan and spread it around with the fries as you lay them out for baking.
For one whole 3 pound squash I needed 2 baking pans. I prefer the non-air-layered baking pans so that the fries brown on the bottom.
Bake for 20 minutes – take out of oven and turn the slices.
Return to oven and turn up to 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until browned.
Alternately broil for about 6-8 minutes watching carefully so they don’t burn.
Season to taste and serve.

Serves 4, each serving of 15 fries is 150 calories

Red Beans And Cauliflower “Rice”
1 cauliflower
1 16oz can chili beans (or use red beans with 1T chili powder)
1 16oz can diced tomatoes or diced fresh ones if available
Extra seasonings to taste – extra chili powder, tabasco, or liquid smoke
Optional garnish – chopped cilantro or parsley

Cut or break the cauliflower into florets or dice into 1/4 inch dice if you want to pretend it’s rice.
Place florets in microwavable bowl and cover tightly with shrinkwrap.
Microwave on high 15mins.
Meanwhile, open cans of beans/tomatoes and heat in a pan with any extra seasonings.
When cauliflower is done, pour beans/tomatoes over cauliflower and serve.

Serves 2, 350 calories for 1/2 caulflower serving.

Broiled/Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplant, sliced lengthways into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick slices
seasonings – I used thyme and oregano
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup marinara
1 spray Pam or 1t olive oil

Slice the eggplant and salt generously on both sides. Leave for 30 minutes to 2 hours to let the salt pull the water out of the eggplant. Wipe the liquid and salt off each slice and place on a broiling pan. Cut garlic cloves in half and rub eggplant surfaces – crush remaining garlic and reserve for later.
Broil 10 minutes per side, turning once and making sure it does not burn – you want to cook the eggplant until it is soft, and a golden brown. Spray with pam or brush with oil and sprinkle seasonings, crushed garlic and parmesan cheese over each slice. Return to the broiler for 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Serve with a side of hot marinara.

Serves 2, 298 calories per plate.