Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

This is my go-to turkey taco recipe. It's delicious and light – On nights I want to go low-carb, I forgo the taco shells and use lettuce wraps instead!

This is an oldie from the archives, but since I make this so often I thought I would update the photos just in time for taco Tuesday! It's naturally gluten-free, low-carb, and paleo & dairy-free without the cheese and sour cream. I find the outer leaves of Iceberg lettuce makes the best wraps, it's crisp and pliable and the leaves are large enough to make decent size wraps.

Add your favorite taco fixins such as shredded cheddar, light sour cream, chives, black olives, jalapeno, tomatoes or whatever you like on your tacos. The portions are generous, and if you're kids want shells, you can easily bake a few for them and use the same filling.

Making your own taco seasoning is a healthier alternative to buying packaged taco seasoning, and uses less sodium, no sugar, no preservatives and no msg. It also saves you money if you are on a budget. If you prefer to use the package seasoning, simply replace it with the spices listed here.

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Egg Tomato and Scallion Sandwich

Sliced hard boiled eggs, juicy ripe tomatoes, chopped scallions with a touch of mayonnaise, salt and pepper – enjoy this for breakfast or lunch.

With Spring in the air, I thought I'd share this sandwich from the archives which I often make for my older daughter, Karina. It's inexpensive, easy to make and she loves it!

Before I left my previous job in Manhattan, there was a small cafe that served this simple egg sandwich that I was hooked on. It's so simple but the flavors just work with the tomatoes and scallions. Now that I work at home, I make it quite often for myself and my daughter as she often requests it.

Easy Tip: Keep hard boiled eggs in your refrigerator for a quick breakfast on the go, to add to sandwiches or even salads. It only takes a few minutes to boil a few eggs, here's a foolproof way to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time.


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Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

If the thought of a hot sandwich filled with beef,  melted cheese, caramelized onions and peppers served with beef broth for dipping sound appealing, you NEED to make these!

These sandwiches make the perfect game day meal, start this early in the morning because you'll need 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast. You can even serve them as sliders by serving them on dinner rolls.

Ever since I got my hands on the The Recipe Girl Cookbook: Dishing Out the Best Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day, I've had my eye on this recipe because I love a good French Dip! To be honest, I've never made roast beef in the slow cooker, because I love my roast beef in the oven, cooked to medium rare. But I took a chance because I was curious and made this yesterday. Smelled so good simmering all day and when it was ready I made myself a sandwich… it was awesome!

My husband came home from work hungry and I made him a sandwich, and he LOVED it! I didn't have to do much to her recipe to make it light, I just used whole grain bread (tried with both whole wheat baguette and whole wheat 100 calorie potato rolls) and I used portion control and they were perfectly satisfying. I highly recommend making the onions and peppers, in my opinion they make the sandwich!

I've known Lori (aka Recipe Girl) for quite a few years, we first met on Twitter, then in person a few times and recently spent a weekend away at the Better Blog Retreat in Park City, Utah along with a few other lovely ladies. Lori is pictured on my left.

The recipes in her book are perfect for entertaining and she includes menu ideas from everything from football parties, romantic dinners for two, holiday parties, tailgating parties and more, or you can just serve them up any night of the week.

Because this can make several servings depending on the size of the roast you purchase, and the appetites of your guests I am leaving out the serving size and calculating the nutrition based on one sandwich using a whole wheat baguette.

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Salsa Verde Burgers

Wow, these Salsa Verde Burgers are OFF THE HOOK! If you need a new burger idea that everyone will love, look no further. These burgers are lean with a mean, green kick topped with pepper jack cheese, salsa verde and avocado – delish!

I shared this delicious homemade salsa verde recipe for Better Homes and Gardens on Delish Dish and decided to make these burgers using the salsa for dinner last night. You can also use store bought salsa verde, but trust me, nothing beats homemade!

I made the burgers with both lean beef burgers and chicken burgers since I had both on hand, and I loved them equally.  My husband's not eating carbs this week so he ate two beef burgers without the bun. Whether you make them with lean beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo, black bean patties, veggie burgers... modify them however you wish!

I calculated these with 93% lean beef patties, with the bun and without and with the bun and no cheese. Any other variations you'll have to do on your own – enjoy!
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Eggplant Panini with Pesto

My friend gave me eggplants from her garden, and I used it to make this delicious hot pressed sandwich. If you can find a whole wheat baguette, even better! A perfect summer panini made with eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella and skinny pesto on crispy French bread. Make this for one, or for the whole family.

I love, love, LOVE Panini night in my house because everyone is happy and they are so easy to make. If you're capable of making a grilled cheese, then you can make a panini, that's how simple and you don't need a fancy panini press to make it. Prior to owning my panini press, I used my George Forman grill or made them on the stove in a grill pan with an iron skillet on top to press it down.

I grilled the eggplant right on the panini press, so there's no dirtying extra pans. A perfect Meatless Monday dish, and even the meat-lovers in your house will enjoy this sandwich. 

If you're a newbie to Skinnytaste, check out my tip on how to make a larger sandwich for less calories. If you are making this for one, simply divide the ingredients by four.

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Chipotle Lobster and Avocado Wrap

Chipotle lobster salad with avocado, scallions, cilantro and lettuce on a whole wheat wrap – fabulous!!

A few weeks ago I grabbed a bite at Lenny's clam bar with my husband and daughter and we ordered the special – the chipotle lobster avocado burrito. It was SOOO good I HAD to recreate a lighter version of it myself.

I don't eat lobster often because it's not cheap, but I love it and like to treat myself once in a while, especially in the summer. I went to my local fish market and bought a 2 pound lobster and had them steam it for me (I personally don't love cooking live lobsters). All the fish markets near me steam them for you for the same price as buying it live. This yielded enough lobster meat for 4 servings.

Then I tossed the lobster with lemon juice, a little light mayo and yogurt to make it creamy and added some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to give it a little kick. Tossed in some chopped scallion and fresh cilantro and the lobster salad was delicious.

I wrapped it on a whole wheat tortilla with avocado and lettuce (you can lower the carbs and make it gluten free by turning this into a lettuce wrap) and had myself a fabulous lunch over a bed of greens.

If you want to make a lunch to impress or even a light dinner, this is the perfect wrap!

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Roast Beef Sandwich with Melted Cheese and Caramelized Onions

I wish this photo could capture how delicious this sandwich is. I made a few attempts at photographing this, but the photo can't capture how sweet these caramelized onions are and how perfect they taste with yesterday's leftover garlic infused roast beef and melted Swiss cheese.

Father's Day is coming up and I'm trying to think of dishes that would make Dad happy. For those of you who are Pinterest obsessed, I made a Skinny Father's Day board and pinned recipes I think Dads would love. My husband loves caramelized onions, I can't say I blame him. I never knew just how good they were until I met him; he makes them all the time. The onions shrink to about half their size when the slowly cook down, and as they turn golden in color they turn sweet and delicious. They are great over burgers too, I make them with a lot less oil than he does with great results.

I don't east sandwiches often, maybe once a week. But when I do eat a sandwich, my bread of choice is a fresh baked whole wheat French or Italian bread from the bakery because it's generally made with no fat and I love a crispy fresh baked loaf.


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Skinny Chicken Fajitas

Lean strips of chicken breast, bell peppers and onions served sizzling hot with warm tortillas and shredded cheese. If this is your idea of delicious, you are not alone!

My husband Tommy is a creature of habit; anytime we go out for Mexican he always orders chicken fajitas. In fact when we went to Mexico a few years ago, he may have ordered them almost every night! I find that amusing because I get really bored of eating the same thing twice, and tend to always take a chance and try something completely new to me.

But chicken fajitas are a regular in my home, we make them at least once a month and the whole family enjoys them. My younger daughter Madison likes her bell peppers raw, so I chop some up and just set them aside for her and cut up the chicken. You can make the whole thing outside on the grill using a cast iron skillet to cook the peppers and onions as we usually do in the summer, or you can cook this indoors in a skillet. Enjoy!

This recipe was from the archives, but I made some minor changes to the original, and found those cute fajita cast iron skillets and tortilla warmers at Target by Imusa (a brand I love for Latin cookware), which was the perfect excuse for a new photo. They really make you feel like you're having a fiesta!!! I may need to buy this tortilla press next!

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Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

It's 80° today, perfect day for grilling so I thought I would highlight this recipe from the archives. Turkey burgers with a cayenne pepper kick! Here's a fun way to turn boring turkey burgers into something with a little more exciting. If you're a buffalo wing fan, you'll love the flavors in this turkey burger topped with a broccoli slaw tossed with my very own homemade blue cheese dressing.

Someone recently emailed me and gave me this idea, she took my zucchini turkey burger recipe and dipped it in hot sauce after. I decided to add it to the turkey meat instead, and figured you can always serve more on the side if you wish!

And by the way, there's carrots in these burgers but I promise, you can't even tell. It's a great way to add more fiber and vegetables into your diet whether it's for yourself or your family.

I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so Frank's hot sauce is perfect for my taste, but if you really like it hot you could use Tabasco or your favorite cayenne hot sauce.

To make these burgers gluten free, you can sub the breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats.


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Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Avocado

Tuna with minced vegetables on a toasted slice of multi-grain bread with avocado and sprouts. A quick and easy, satisfying lunch.

I grew up with avocados in my home way before they became popular here in the States, and squeeze them into my diet every chance I can. Avocados are a regular part of a South American diet, and my mom always served them along side a hearty bowl of hot soup or rice and beans.

Avocados are also good for you, loaded with heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. According to Bodybuilding.com, avocados are listed as one of the 15 Best Fat Burning Foods. I'd love to tell you I buy them for all those reasons, but quite frankly we just love them. In fact, I created an entire Pinterest Board in it's honor!

To make the tuna salad quickly, I throw all the vegetables in my chopper and pulse a few times. If I am eating one sandwich, I keep the rest refrigerated for the next day. Easy peasy!

Just under 250 calories and for those of you on Weight Watchers, 6 points plus.

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Greek Salad Sandwich

If you love a Greek Salad, then you'll love this sandwich. Crisp Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese and red onion on ciabatta bread with a touch of oil and red wine vinegar. 

Some of you have been asking me for more sandwich recipes to pack up for work, school or to eat on the road. This is a great sandwich, it's meatless but has plenty of flavor from the olives and feta. You can even add some sun dried tomatoes.

Other sandwiches I love that don't require heating up Egg Scallion and Tomato Sandwich, Tomato Roasted Pepper and Mozzarella Sandwich, Prosciutto Arugula and Balsamic Sandwich, Heirloom Tomato Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato, and my favorite... Roast Beef, Arugula and Shaved Parmesan. More sandwiches are coming soon, what are some of your favorite sandwiches?

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BLT with Avocado

For the bacon lovers in your life! Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado on toasted whole grain bread. With summer tomatoes at their peak, this is the best time to enjoy these yummy sandwiches, perfect for lunch or school.

I love a BLT for lunch, if made with center cut bacon and whole grain bread it's lighter than a traditional BLT and a great sandwich to pack for lunch. Swapping the mayo for the avocado adds some healthy fats that you can mash up or leave sliced.

For lettuce I used what I had on hand, which happened to be arugula - use romaine, or whatever you like. If you don't eat pork, of course turkey bacon would work. For picky kids, cater to their taste; if they don't like one of the ingredients, leave it out or swap it for something else.

To make this even lighter, serve open faced and save on calories, carbs and points (6 points vs 8 points). With a light soup on the side like cream of zucchini or creamy cauliflower (you can put the soup in a thermos for lunch on the go) you'll have yourself a satisfying meal.

For a low-carb BLT you might also like my BLT Lettuce wraps! Try them with avocado too!

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Asparagus Prosciutto Panini with Garlic Mayonnaise

Melted Swiss cheese, asparagus, proscuitto, arugula and garlic mayonnaise pressed in a ciabatta. Did that just make your stomach growl?

Panini's are the perfect weeknight meal, they come together quickly and you can literally clean out your refrigerator coming up with new variations. If you can make a grilled cheese, you can make a panini, that's how easy it is and you don't need a fancy panini press to make it. Prior to owning a panini press, I used my George Forman grill or you could even use a grill pan on the stove and place an iron skillet on top to press it down.

I grilled the asparagus right on the panini press, so there's no dirtying extra pans. You can make this a meatless Monday by leaving the ham out for 8 pts plus, it will still taste great!

If you are new here, check out my tip on how to make a bigger sandwich for less calories.


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Skinny Buffalo Burger Quesadilla

100% grass-fed buffalo burgers with melted cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo wedged in between two whole wheat tortillas.

This was inspired by a lunch I had at Applebee's, although this sandwich is far leaner! Sure, you can make this with lean beef, turkey or even use veggie burgers, but I wanted a fun way to introduce my first buffalo recipe on Skinnytaste.

Did you know that 100% grass-fed meat is leaner than grain-fed meat? The benefits of eating wild buffalo are that it's hormone-free and antibiotic-free, it tastes just like beef only sweeter and it's much leaner. Because the meat is so lean, you have to cook it for less time than you would a fattier ground beef burger or it will become dry and overcooked.

You can make the pico de gallo yourself, but I cheated and used a pre-made organic brand for convenience. Look for small fajita sized whole wheat tortillas, I used La Banderita which were 2 points plus for two tortillas and I actually took a scissor and trimmed it a bit smaller to fit my burger better, but that's totally optional!

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Avocado Egg Salad

Whether you serve this as a wrap, on whole-grain toast or in a lettuce cup, you will love this egg salad that uses half the yolks and lots of healthy fats from the avocado.

I tried a Flat-Out for the first time after hearing your positive reviews about it and loved how easy it was to create a wrap. It tasted great too! If you're on a gluten free diet or looking to use less calories this is also wonderful in a lettuce wrap or why not a hollowed out tomato!

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Chicken Panini with Arugula, Provolone and Chipotle Mayonnaise

One word to describe this hot panini... dee-licious!

I'm in love with the flavor combination of this grilled chicken panini made on Ciabatta bread with melted provolone, arugula and a spicy chipotle mayonnaise.

This sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner and you can easily prepare this for one or a family of eight!

A panini press is on my Christmas list this year, but not having one has never stopped me from making paninis before. I lightly spray the bread with oil and use my George Forman grill and it's ready in minutes. You could even use a grill pan on the stove and place an iron skillet on top to press it down.


And if you are new to my site, don't forget my tip on how to make a bigger sandwich for less calories!

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Shrimp Parmigiana Hero, Lightened Up

Breaded shrimp topped with pomodoro sauce and melted mozzarella cheese on French bread. One bite of this sandwich and your significant other may ask you to marry them!

As the weather starts to cool, hot sandwiches make a fabulous meal, and shrimp parm heroes are one of my favorite sandwiches, however ordering this from my favorite Italian restaurant would be well over 25 points with all it's deep fried shrimp and masses of cheese and sauce. This lightened version uses my Healthy Breaded Shrimp recipe, part-skim mozzarella cheese and I serve it with extra sauce on the side to dip.

For the bread, I used my skinny tip to scoop out some of the bread to make larger sandwiches for less calories. This would make a great addition to to your game-day menu for all you football fans out there!

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Steak and Cheese Sandwiches with Onions and Mushrooms

 

I have a confession to make... steak and cheese sandwiches are my weakness! I love them for lunch or dinner and have a really hard time passing up a Charley's Subs whenever I'm in the mall.

I blame my Mom, she always made the BEST steak and cheese sandwiches for dinner, and luckily I don't have to give them up and neither do you! I love this with Swiss, provolone, cheddar or even American cheese... reduced-fat of course.

Yesterday I posted a recipe for Quick Skillet Steak with Mushrooms and Onions, this sandwich is made with that steak recipe whether you have leftovers or want to make it specifically for this sandwich, as I often do. And as I've mentioned before, I always scoop out some of the bread to make a bigger sandwich without the added calories or points.

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Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Pepper on Whole Wheat Bread

Rustic whole wheat Italian bread, fresh mozzarella, summer tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. My favorite meatless sandwich!

I live two blocks away from a really great Italian ravioli store called Pastosa. Aside from the best homemade raviolis they carry an amazing array of fresh breads from Brooklyn, homemade fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and lots of other temping goodies. It's actually dangerous walking in there as all their mouth watering goodies are displayed right there in front of you.

Today I had a plan and didn't stray, I picked up some roasted peppers, tomatoes, a wonderful whole wheat loaf and fresh mozzarella, sliced thin (great trick to keep yourself from using too much as it is not low in fat!) I came home and picked some basil from my garden and put this delicious and satisfying lunch together.

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Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato

An open faced sandwich on Ciabatta bread with mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes and grilled chicken. A perfect way to use up leftover chicken.

Avocado is a wonderful healthy option in place of mayonnaise and it adds such great flavor. Yesterday I mentioned how good tasting bread is crucial for me in the sandwich making process, and Ciabatta is another fat free option I love to use. Although it's usually fat free, always double check the labels.

I made this an opened open-faced for the photo, then realized once I started eating it that it's easier to eat if it's closed and it's also more portable for lunch on the run. I'll leave that up to you!

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