Dinner

Get out your crock pot and try the easy, clean and comforting slow cooker chicken barley stew that helped one of our readers shed 200 pounds!

The use of boneless, skinless chicken and low-fat yogurt helps to reduce the fat that is commonly found in this zesty Indian dish.

Use your own canned tomatoes (or your favorite boxed variety) to make this bone-warming Spanish chicken and rice skillet, a breeze at just 20 minutes of prep!

Panko bread crumbs and crushed walnuts join forces with dried herbs to create a crispy, flavorful coating for our roast – in perfect textural contrast to its creamy blue cheese sauce.

Searing a large piece of beef and then roasting it in the oven gives you the best of two worlds: crisp, caramelized edges and a tender, juicy interior. Our herb-laced Dijon rub is the icing on this sirloin roast.

This protein-rich dinner is only $2 per serving, but that doesn't mean it can't have rich flavor! The process of reduction intensifies the sauce's flavor, lending the sirloin a pleasing tang.

Stew doesn't have to simmer for hours. This one cooks up in a jiffy, thanks to quick-cooking ingredients like shrimp and small potato wedges.

We've taken your classic shrimp salad sandwich and amped up the flavor even more with fresh dill, crunchy celery and Dijon. In our version, Greek yogurt stands in for mayonnaise, providing creamy texture without the fat.

Adding beaten egg whites to these luscious cheesy grits increases their volume (so you'll feel like you're eating more!), yet gives them a light texture. And if zucchini's not in its prime, substitute any seasonal vegetables you love!

Lean ground turkey and buttermilk-mashed Yukon gold potatoes give this seasonal family favorite all the flavor and creaminess you'd expect from a shepherd's pie—with none of the actual butter or cream. Translation: a low-cal, low-fat meal sure to soothe any wintertime craving, guilt free.

Fennel, shallots and olives are a popular combination, making this light and elegant flatbread a surefire hit. We've tossed the shallots in a bit of lemon juice to brighten their flavor and roasted the fennel to bring out its natural sweetness.

Toasted sesame seeds turn these pork tenderloin medallions into a dramatic-looking dish, while sweet apple butter and savory tamari combine to create a luscious sauce for a sideof steamed baby bok choy.

The flavor of nutrient-rich sesame punctuates this punchy dish double time, in seeds toasted atop the garlic-roasted chicken and in the Middle Eastern-inspired tahini sauce.

Our slightly browned scallops nestle on a bed of puréed peas, as satisfying in texture as they are nutritionally robust.

Bridge the gap between surf and turf by serving up seared scallops, a dinner option that's as fresh and delicate as it is substantial and rich.

With a vibrant sauce and a bit of flair in its presentation, this dish looks and tastes great for so little effort. Scallops take literally minutes to cook, making them the perfect fast food when you need a touch of elegance in a flash.

Broiled scallops sprinkled with a crunchy, toasted bread-crumb and almond mixture and cloaked with a thick, smooth, lemony avocado sauce is our lean, culinary ode to this New Orleans signature sandwich.

The success of the homemade potato chips in this $2 dish really depends on your knife – sharper knives cut thinner slices for crispier chips! Toss your chips with dill only after they've come out of the oven so the dried herb doesn't burn.

Leftover fish, whole grains and a crisper drawer's share of produce, and this reader made dinner!

A short marinade infuses the salmon with citrus flavor and helps keep it moist. Plus, since only a small fraction of the marinating liquid is absorbed, this easy step keeps calories low!

The subtle sweetness of roasted red pepper pairs perfectly with succulent grilled shrimp in this cozy 10-minute soup. Enjoy with a side of crispy garlic toast!

You might not think that you can make pasta in your slow cooker, but this scrumptious, Mediterranean-inspired rotini will prove otherwise. Shrimp adds lean protein while roasted peppers and olives add some extra zing.

Roasted chicken can sometimes get boring. With our cherry barbecue sauce and toasted almonds, this Sunday dinner staple takes on a starring role.

You'll love our crispy garlic, bread crumb and walnut topping! Try it on all your favorite pastas and casseroles.

These aren't your grandmother's Brussels sprouts, considering the subtly mild zip you get from the apple cider vinegar and the nuttiness from the chestnuts.

If your favorite part of ravioli is the creamy ricotta filling, then you'll go wild for my homemade ricotta dumplings.

Surprise! Nutritious rhubarb can be eaten raw! Serve this simple compote over nonfat Greek yogurt, homemade granola or even savory dishes such as grilled pork tenderloin.

Sopa seca is a term used in Mexican cuisine to describe a side dish made with pasta, which is cooked until the soupy liquid is absorbed. Using quinoa instead of pasta boosts the protein and fiber content of this dish.

Nutty-tasting quinoa adds texture to a backdrop of creamy rich-tasting beans. A dash of smoky chipotle pepper gives this chili a meaty quality without all the fat.

This determined reader ditched the fatty salad dressings and greasy chips for a healthy potluck favorite that leaves her friends and family begging for more!

Switch butter and whole milk with reduced-fat cottage cheese whenever you want to whip together your own flavorful, naturally low-fat mashed potatoes.

Pasta carbonara is usually made with bacon, eggs and loads of cheese, so to clean it up while keeping the dish taste bud-friendly, we've replaced the bacon with chicken, cut down on egg and cheese, and added mixed veggies to this healthy carbonara.

On days when you're pressed for time, skip the tedium of making individual quesadillas and spend 5 minutes assembling our cheesy casserole! It's rich in antioxidants thanks to one particular ingredient...

Our salmon burgers (packed with omega-3s!) get a whole lot of pizzazz with herbes de Provence, capers, olives and Dijon, then cool down under cucumber yogurt sauce. Oh, and the whole dish takes just 10 minutes!

Preparing a Thanksgiving turkey can be overwhelming for some, but we've broken it down into easy, manageable steps for a stress-free holiday.

Modern-day Italians serve cornmeal-based polenta as a simple side or hearty entrée, enriched with cheeses and herbs. Offering yet another take on the classic, our polenta is used to create a soft crust for a winter vegetable pie.

Chef and cookbook author Allison Fishman is all about simple, home-cooked dishes that let fresh, healthy ingredients shine. This Cajun-inspired recipe is a prime example!

It may not be the first cooking method that comes to mind when you think of chicken, but poaching is a great way to cook lean proteins that have a tendency to dry out.

Salad greens and zucchini noodles are tossed with a creamy, nutty and protein-rich pesto. Pistachios stand in for pine nuts (which are typically used to make pesto) and contain less fat, while creamy avocado adds a rich, velvety texture.

Las Vegas Chef Mayra Trabulse, owner of Pura Vida Bakery & Bystro, shared this vegan dish for the American Heart Association Flavors of the Heart competition, which we judged!

Top Chef's Angelo Sosa credits his Dominican father for his adventurous cooking style. His beet carpaccio is drizzled with herb-laced Italian honey and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

This quick and easy clean eating pizza uses pita bread for a traditionally thin and crispy crust. Vary the toppings to your taste preferences: add diced Roma or sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives or even leftover cooked broccoli.

We add depth to the Tetra Pak tomatoes by simmering them with onions, tomato paste, garlic and red pepper flakes. This process also thickens the sauce so it lightly coats the penne instead of drowning it.

Here's a good way to sneak some greens into your kids – and time into your schedule! These lasagna-style roll-ups can be made ahead of time and reheated for a quick, easy weeknight meal.

Bolognese sauce is a rich ragu that simmers for hours, coaxing flavor from aromatic vegetables. Our plant-based lentil bolognese honors its roots with steady (thankfully quicker!) preparation that persuades sweet notes from caramelized vegetables.

Baking in parchment keeps fish moist and makes cleanup practically effortless. Try substituting Pacific cod for similar results at a reduced cost, and reserve the second half of your fennel bulb for use in a salad: Try it with radicchio, toasted walnuts, cubes of pear and crumbled goat cheese.

Pappardelle - a wide, egg-based noodle - is topped with a sumptuous sauce made with ground beef and aromatic spices. Crumbled feta adorns the dish for a touch of saltiness to round out the meal.

Paella is composed of rice, meat and vegetables. In Valencia, where it's said to have originated, paellas are almost always single-protein dishes. Here in America, however, we like to mix fish, chicken and pork. Throw in some vegetables and you have a complete good-for-you one-dish meal.

A love for portobello burgers inspired this reader to find other ways to incorporate the meaty mushroom into her cooking. Her portobello mushroom recipe is filling enough to be eaten as a full meal!

An amazingly easy-to-prepare, delightfully sweet whole fish is paired with mild roasted fennel and onions, plus couscous – a complete meal with just 8 grams of fat.

Fake greasy takeout with this healthy twist on fried chicken, breaded with whole-wheat bread crumbs, cheese and thyme!

While poaching mild-flavored catfish in orange juice will help infuse this dish with a citrus fragrance, it's actually the orange zest that provides an intensely aromatic character.

Here, we're using lamb chops, which look like miniature T-bone steaks. They're full of flavor and the fat is relatively easy to trim off.

Clean cook and host of FitTV's Healthy Decadence, Devin Alexander takes the fried out of a beloved chicken dish. It tastes so good you'll wonder why you've relied on the grease for so long!

We clean up our Greek lasagna by topping it with low-fat béchamel, and the meat-and-potato dish doesn't lose an ounce of comfort. Prepare the sliced potatoes, eggplant and red sauce a day or two in advance and refrigerate to save time!

These vegetarian patties are simple, versatile and addictive! Enjoy them on their own with a dollop of our rich garlic aioli or sandwich one between thin whole-grain buns for a veggie burger!

Candice Kumai's salad gets an antioxidant boost from two kinds of berries, plus the heart-healthy omegas in raw walnuts and iron-laden spinach couple with a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette for a texturally satisfying, guilt-free lunch.

Find out how one reader manages to serve up a lean burger that actually bursts with juiciness.

This fantasic lobster roll has the two key ingredients: lots of succulent lobster and a soft, toasted whole-grain bun.