Lisa Lillian (Author of Hungry Girl Books) Is Back on Dr Oz

Have you surrendered to carbs? Figured that there is no way to get around your carb cravings and you can’t seem to stay on a low carbohydrate diet?  Have no fear. Back due to popular guest is Hungry Girls, Lisa Lillian!  During this episode, Lisa Lillian shared some delicious (carb laden) recipes with Dr Oz that will still allow you to lose weight!  You can enjoy carbs without the guilt if you do it the right way, and today Lisa appeared on the Dr Oz show to tell us how!  During this segment Lisa shared her BBQ quesadilla and Vodka Impasta recipes.  You will be “hungry” no more!  Also be sure to check out the Food Network’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and Veggie Chili Recipes and see how easy it is to reduce calories without sacrificing the taste.

Lisa Lillian’s Vodka Impasta Recipe

Hungry Girl's Vodka Impasta, Bbq Quesadilla Recipes on Dr Oz

Ingredients :

• 4 ounces of reduced calorie, high fiber penne pasta ( I really enjoy high fiber pasta’s.  When I first tried it I was certain that I would detest it, but wow was I surprised (and pleasantly wrong).
• 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes (you can also use cherry tomatoes and slice them in quarters)
• 1/2 cup of chopped onlion
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 2/3 cups of low fat marinara sauce
• 3 cups of chopped spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons of chopped basil (use fresh basil)
• 2 tablespoons of reduced fat Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 light and creamy swiss cheese wedges (Lisa told Dr Oz she recommends Laughing Cow brand)

Directions :

• Cook pasta according to the directions on the package which is usually 6-10 minutes but make sure you read what it says.
• Drain the high fiber penne pasta and cover
• Use a non stick cooking spray on a skillet
• Set temp to medium heat
• Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic (I’m one of those people who double up on garlic.. I may add more than this recipe calls for!)
• Add salt and pepper
• Cook and stir the onion, garlic, tomato mixture for 5 minutes
• Add spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted
• Add remaining ingredients other than the cooked penne pasta that is covered.  Break the swiss cheese wedges into pieces to melt easier
• Cook for approximately 2 more minutes until the cheese has melted
• Add pasta and stir until hot.

Calorie Breakdown

So how much did the Hungry Girl Vodka Impasta recipe save you?  A traditional penne dish has a whopping 640 calories.  The button on my pants just popped thinking about it.  Lisa’s Vodka Impasta contains only 282 calories and has 22 grams of fiber!  Does that mean we can double up on portion size?  Hmmm, probably not.

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla Recipe by Lisa Lillian

Ingredients :

• 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce (low calorie version! Find one that has 45 calories or less per 2 tablespoon servings.  Yes, you should be a label reader for this)
• 1 light and creamy swiss cheese wedge
• 1 high fiber, low carbohydrate tortilla (large)
• 2 ounces of cooked and chopped skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon of rinsed black beans
• 1 tablespoon of corn kernals (you can use frozen kernels and thaw them)
• 2 tablespoons of reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions
• Optional (For extra added yumminess make some salsa, fat free dressing, or extra  low calorie barbecue sauce for dipping)

Directions :

• Mix the bbq sauce with creamy swiss cheese wedge until blended evenly
• Lay the high fiber and low carb torilla out and spread the bbq and swiss cheese mixture on one half of the tortilla
• Add remaining ingredients on top of the bbq sauce mixture
• Spray grill pan with non stick cooking spray
• Set cooking temp to medium high
• Place the tortilla on grill pan and cook for 2 minutes
• Fold the tortilla over using a spatula
• Flip the tortilla over and cook until desired crispiness (Lisa’s directions said for 3 minutes)
• Cut the tortilla into wedges

As a side dish have a salad as well!

Calorie Breakdown :

So, how many calories did the Hungry Girl’s BBQ quesadilla shave off from a traditional version? Ordinarily a bbq quesadilla would have 600 calories.  Lisa’s BBQ quesadilla has only 273 calories.   I don’t know about you, but I’ll use Lisa’s recipe any day of the week.

Would you like to see more Recipes Shared on Dr Oz?  Huge selection of healthy and delicious recipes.