SkinnyKitchen.com is my go-to meal planning site, hands down. Run by my friend, Nancy Fox, it’s the best website around for finding delicious healthy, low-calorie meal ideas that are simple to prepare. Guaranteed. I’ve never made a single dish from her site that wasn’t absolutely yummy.
So I decided to put together a Skinny-Kitchen “I’m having company for dinner” menu with some of my very favorite dishes. I promise that no one will know that every part of this meal is lower calorie and good for them, but they WILL know that they’ve just had a yummy dinner! So here goes.
Appetizer
These Chinese Chicken Salad Bites are only 16 calories each, so you can pop a few in your mouth with impunity, and so can your guests. Oh, by the way, they don’t stint on taste, either.
Main Course
Balsamic Rosemary Chicken is my husband’s favorite way for me to prepare the fowl. It’s incredibly tasty, easy to make and absolutely company-ready. Be sure to use fresh rosemary: it makes all the difference.
Side Dishes
Tired of the same old veggies? A salad. Steamed veggies. Blah food. Like me, you are probably always looking for new ways to prepare healthy vegetables. Sometimes you might even want to pretend they aren’t healthy but instead are decadent side dishes prepared by a master chef. But you don’t want to wear them on your ass.
Look no further.
Mashed Butternut Squash is a seasonal favorite and tastes far richer than it is. It’s also super-good for us. Try it!
Garlic Sauteed Spinach is perfect for those of us who really don’t like spinach (like me) but do like its health benefits (also like me). The garlic adds another good-for-you component, and the whole thing is just, well, garlicky goodness that’s chock-full of vitamins and minerals.
Spaghetti Squash Tomato Toss is a delightful way to pretend you have a carb-rich pasta side dish, only you don’t. You have spaghetti squash and it is oh-so good.
Dessert
Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze sounds and tastes delightfully decadent, but it’s less than 250 calories a slice. I mean, as the late Joan Rivers used to say, “can we talk?” I love these flavors and this recipe really does pay off.
So there it is: a company-ready meal plan perfect for eaters who control their calories but still want their food to taste great. And oh, BTW: Nancy didn’t give me a thing for this. I just love her website. You’ll love it too: www.skinnykitchen.com
A huge thank you my dear Carol for the kind words about Skinny Kitchen and for sharing my recipes. Way to make a girl feel good. I love the menu you created!
How fun…What time is dinner?
With love,
Nancy
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Sounds yummy for my tummy, especially the rosemary chicken part! Thanks for sharing, I wasn’t aware of this site.
That chicken dish is my husband’s favorite. I just made it a few days ago.
Carol, it is so easy to create recipes like this at home. I love making meals and apps in a healthy version and no one evens realizes it. 🙂
Yep. And here, you have a whole bunch of them you can make without thinking at all. Just follow Nancy’s easy steps. So scrumptious.
I love her website also, Carol. And this menu sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing it.
I’d exchange the rosemary for another spice (my husband hates Rosemary) but this sounds healthy and yummy
I can’t wait to try each and every one of these! I will have to subscribe to Skinny Kitchen asap!
b
Love it! Thanks for sharing this, Carol – I’ve already printed off the Chinese Chicken Salad Bites!
I missed out on the post love!
I’ve never been to this website before but I will now be a regular visitor. The recipes look amazing!
Just found you. You go all out when you have company over. I need to rethink my entertaining skills.
A huge thank you my dear Carol for the kind words about Skinny Kitchen and for sharing my recipes. Way to make a girl feel good. I love the menu you created!
How fun…What time is dinner?
With love,
Nancy
I have a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad, but it’s loaded with calories. This one sounds great.
I love Nancy’s recipes! I am going to have to make those Chinese Chicken Salad bites for Christmas Eve!! Thanks Carol! xo
Holy yummy! Chinese Chicken Salad bites for the win! Such great recipes! 🙂