Low Calorie Recipes for Two

For a calorie and health conscious person, every morsel counts. So, when you are deciding upon a menu that just involves two people; friends or family, make an extra effort to keep it healthy and low cal. Low calorie snacks should not exceed more than 40 calories, whereas, meals and main courses not more than 120 calories. Although, it is difficult to cook with an exact measure, one can work around it by limiting the quantity of the servings. Trust me, it won't go unappreciated.

Broccoli with Onions and Pine Nuts

Ingredients
  • Broccoli florets, 4 cups
  • Chopped onion, 1 cup
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tsp
  • Balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp
  • Pine nuts, 3 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Roast pine nuts in a dry skillet, until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool. Steam broccoli and set aside. Heat olive oil in a pan, add onion and salt, cook until soft and golden brown. In a large salad bowl, toss together broccoli, pine nuts, onion, vinegar and pepper. Serve immediately.

Country Italian Soup

Ingredients
  • Vegetable stock, 2 cups
  • Medium-sized carrot, 1
  • Celery, 1 stick
  • Small leek, 1
  • Courgettes, 1
  • Garlic, 2 cloves
  • Chopped tomatoes, 3 tbsp
  • Fresh basil leaves, 5
  • Dried spaghetti, ¼ ounce
In a large sauce pan, heat vegetable stock over medium heat, add in sliced carrots, celery, leek and courgettes, and chopped garlic. Once the soup comes to a boil, break spaghetti into small pieces and add it to the soup with basil leaves. Pour the soup in bowls, and serve hot.

Lemon and Dill Chicken

Ingredients
  • Skinless chicken breasts, 2
  • Chicken broth, ½ cup
  • Chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp
  • Finely chopped onion, 2 tbsp
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp
  • Flour, 1 tsp
  • Chopped garlic, 1 clove
  • Lemon juice, 1 tsp
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat ½ tsp olive oil in a large skillet, and add the chicken. Sear both sides, until well browned. Transfer it on a foil, and place foil on a plate. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil, add onion and garlic, and cook for a minute. In a cup, add lemon juice and flour, whisk it, adding dill to it. Add the whisked broth to the pan, reduce heat and continue stirring until slightly thickened. Add chicken to this thickened sauce, and let it simmer, until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, and season with salt and pepper.

Pasta with Peppers and Capers

Ingredients
  • Crushed red pepper, to taste
  • Roasted red peppers, 8 ounce jar
  • Crumbled feta cheese, 2 tbsp
  • Chopped garlic, 2 cloves
  • Whole-wheat spaghetti, 4 ounces
  • Drained and rinsed capers, 1 tbsp
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cook pasta in boiling salted water, until just tender. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, add garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir and cook, until fragrant. Remove from heat, and add roasted red peppers and capers. Stir well. Reserve a couple of spoon of the pasta-cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the pan. Heat the pan again, add the reserved pasta-cooking water, bring it a boil, and let simmer for a minute. Transfer in a serving bowl, and garnish with crumbled feta cheese. Serve hot.

Green Grapes with Cheese and Honey

Ingredients
  • Low calorie crumbled cheese, 1 ounce
  • Fresh green grapes, 1 cup
  • Finely chopped basil leaves, 2-3
  • Honey, 1 tsp
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tsp
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
This is one of the easy low calorie dessert recipes; cut grapes half lengthwise, and transfer to a large dessert bowl. In a small bowl, add crumbled cheese, oil and honey. Sprinkle it all over the grapes and garnish with basil.

Food can be a whole lot of fun if you can get innovative with it. Every meal that you cook can be altered to suit your serving portion and calorie requirement. So go, enjoy good food with good company and don't worry about the health factor.