Easy Main Dish Recipes

To help keep your spring and summer days stress-free, here's a sampling of easy main dish recipes to try.

1. Super Simple Salade Nicoise

Have your eggs boiled and cooled, and your red potatoes cooked before you start this recipe.

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/2 cup light bottled balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

Salad:
->12 ounces green or yellow beans, trimmed
->2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) tuna canned in water (chunk light or albacore), drained
->8 anchovy filets, drained (packed in oil) and pat them dry
->1 pound tiny new potatoes, cleaned, pierced with fork and microwaved until tender
->Half a red or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin (1/4-inch strips)
->1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half if large)
->About 18 pitted black olives, drained well
->1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
->2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (optional)
->Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)
->3 large eggs (preferably a higher omega-3 brand), hard-cooked, peeled, and cut into quarters

Preparation:

1. Add vinaigrette to small bowl and whisk in mustard; set aside.
2. Add green beans to microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cook on HIGH for about 3 minutes or until barely tender. Drain immediately and cover with cold ice water to stop the cooking process.
3. To assemble the salad, combine the beans, tuna, anchovies, potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, fresh parsley and tarragon. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to cover all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Garnish serving bowl with hard-boiled eggs.

Yield: About 6 servings

Nutritional Analysis: Per serving: 420 calories, 35 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate, 6.6 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 147 mg cholesterol, 11 grams fiber, 776 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 14%.

2. Cashew Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
->1 head butter lettuce (or use green or red leaf lettuce)
->1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
->1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
->1/4 teaspoon curry powder
->1/4 teaspoon chicken broth powder (optional)
->2 cups skinless, roasted chicken breast, chopped (from a rotisserie chicken)
->1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
->2 green onions, finely chopped
->1/3 cup cashew pieces

Preparation:

1. Remove some of the better-looking leaves from the head of lettuce. Rinse well, then dry well in paper towels. Keep until needed in a gallon size plastic bag in the refrigerator.
2. Combine light mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and chicken broth powder in small bowl with a whisk.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining chicken salad ingredients, gently tossing with spoons until well blended. Pour dressing over the top and toss to blend everything well. Cover bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Ten minutes before serving, spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken salad mixture (use 1/4 cup or less if the leaves are on the small size) into the center of each lettuce leaf.

Yield: Makes 4 servings (2 wraps each)

Nutritional Analysis: Per serving: 215 calories, 25 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 105 mg sodium (if unsalted cashews used). Calories from fat: 38%.

3. Bruschetta Baked Chicken

If you can find a bottled tomato-based bruchetta in your grocery store, you can use 1 3/4-cups of this instead of the diced tomatoes, tomato pesto, fresh basil, garlic, and oregano.

Ingredients:
->Olive oil cooking spray
->4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut in half to make 8 thin filets
->1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (in whatever flavor you like, such as roasted garlic with herbs or Italian-style)
->2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto (available in jars at grocery stores)
->1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
->1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic (you can use the pre-minced variety from a jar, if desired)
->1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or more, if desired)
->6 ounces shredded, part-skim mozzarella (1 1/2 cups)
->3/4 cup panko crumbs (or soft bread crumbs)
->3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Lay chicken pieces on the bottom of pan. In medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes (not drained), tomato pesto, fresh basil, garlic, and oregano. Spread bruschetta mixture over the top of the chicken.
3. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the bruschetta mixture. In small bowl, combine panko crumbs with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the top of the mozzarella. Coat the top with olive oil cooking spray.
4. Bake dish, uncovered, in center of oven for 30 minutes (or until chicken is cooked throughout and cheese is bubbling).

Yield: Makes 4-6 servings

Nutritional Analysis: Per serving (if 6 servings): 251 calories, 28 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 5.5 g saturated fat, 72 mg cholesterol, 0.7 g fiber, 570 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36%.


4. Make-Ahead Lean Beef Kabobs

Ingredients:
->3/4 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
->1/4 cup pineapple juice
->1 3/4 pounds top sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1-inch to 1 ->1/2-square pieces
->1 bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (red, green or yellow)
->1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed
->1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (or canned in juice, drained)
->8 long metal or bamboo skewers

Preparation:

1. Combine teriyaki sauce and pineapple juice in small bowl, and set aside 1/3 cup of the mixture for basting. Add steak pieces to a gallon-size plastic bag set inside a medium size bowl. Pour the remaining teriyaki sauce mixture over the meat and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them for several hours.
2. Place bell pepper pieces and mushrooms in a microwave-safe vegetable cooker and cook on HIGH for 1-2 minutes.
3. Thread steak pieces (discarding bag and marinade), green peppers, mushrooms and pineapple onto skewers, alternating meat and produce. Place in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or plastic container of equal size. Drizzle or brush the reserved 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce over the top. Cover kabobs well and store in refrigerator until ready to grill.
4. Preheat outside or inside grill for high heat. Lightly coat grill grates or grill plates with canola cooking spray. Cook kabobs on grill until the meat is cooked throughout (about 8 to 10 minutes over direct heat, or 15 to 20 minutes indirect).

Yield: Makes 4 servings (2 skewers each)

Nutritional Analysis: Per serving (including one-third of the marinade): 340 calories, 48 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 8.6 g fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 360 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 33%.