Recipes!

It's been awhile since I have posted some yummy recipes so here you go!

Appetizers:

Crisp Garlic Potato Skins

Here's a low-fat, low-sodium version of a popular restaurant-style appetizer.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 large baking potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil or cooking oil
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

One day or several hours ahead, prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree
oven for 40 to 50 minutes or till tender. Cool, Wrap and store in refrigerator.
At serving time, cut baking potatoes into quarters. Scoop out the insides
(reserve for another use), leaving 1/2 inch thick shells. Lightly brush both
sides of potato skins with olive oil. Place, cut side up, on a large baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees about 15 minutes or till crisp. Meanwhile, in a small bowl
combine the chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic powder. Spoon some of the tomato
mixture into each potato quarter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 2 to 3
more minutes until heated through.

POINTS: 2.5

PER SERVING: 107 Calories, 3 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat,
1 mg Cholesterol, 27 mg Sodium, 19 g Total Carbohydrate,
0 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g Protein


Mama Mia Meatballs

Makes 50 Appetizers

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast or 96% lean ground beef
1/2 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated nonfat Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Sauce

1 1/2 cups fat-free bottled marinara sauce

Combine the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Shape the meatball mixture into
50 (1 inch) balls, and place the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake the meatballs
at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Transfer the
meatballs to a chafing dish or Crock-Pot heated casserole to keep warm. Place
the marinara sauce in a small saucepan, and simmer over medium-low heat just until
hot. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, toss gently to mix, and serve.

SERVING SIZE: 1 appetizer

POINTS: .5

PER SERVING: 23 Calories, 3.2 g Protein, 0.1 Fiber, 0.2 g Fat g,
40 mg Sodium, 8 mg Cholesterol



Caramel Apple Crisps

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 (4-inch) fat-free caramel-flavored popcorn cakes
1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced (recommend Red Delicious or Golden Delicious)
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free caramel-flavored sundae syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place popcorn cakes on a baking sheet. Top evenly with sliced apple; drizzle
caramel syrup evenly over apple. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon;
sprinkle evenly over each serving. Broil 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

SERVING SIZE: 1 popcorn cake

POINTS: 2

PER SERVING: 84 Calories, 0.1 g Total Fat, 0.8 g Fiber


Spicy Barbecue Meatballs

Makes 60 Appetizers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey breast or 96% lean ground beef
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 egg whites
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed fresh garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce
1 can (8 oz) unsalted tomato sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons spicy mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce

Combine the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Shape the meatball mixture
into 60 (1") balls, and place meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake the meatballs
at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Transfer
the meatballs to a chafing dish or Crock-Pot heated casserole to keep warm.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer over medium-low
heat just until hot. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, toss gently to mix, and serve.

SERVING SIZE: 1 appetizer

POINTS: .5

PER SERVING: 24 Calories, 3.3 g Protein, 0.2 Fiber, 0.2 g Fat g,
35 mg Sodium, 7 mg Cholesterol



Main Meals:

Chicken Broth with Angel Hair Pasta

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups coarsely chopped escarole
2 cups sliced carrots
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 1/2 ounces angel-hair pasta (capellini)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fill medium saucepan with 1" water; set steamer rack in saucepan. Place escarole
and carrots on rack. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat to low. Steam vegetables
over simmering water, covered, 15 minutes, until tender. In separate medium
saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low; let simmer until ready to use.
In large pot of boiling water, cook angel hair 3 minutes, until tender. Drain;
return pasta to pot. Add 1 cup of the simmering broth; stir to keep pasta from
sticking together. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 soup bowls; add an equal
amount of escarole, carrots and remaining broth to each bowl. Sprinkle each
portion with 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, then the pepper.

SERVING SIZE: 3 cups

POINTS: 3.5

SELECTIONS: 3 Vegetables, 1 1/2 Breads, 35 Optional Calories

PER SERVING: 196 Calories, 3 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat,
0 mg Cholesterol, 130 mg Sodium, 33 g Total Carbohydrate,
4 g Dietary Fiber, 9 g Protein, 69 mg Calcium



Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Pizza

This most basic pizza, known as Pizza Margherita in Italy, proves the
old adage that less is more. Use the freshest basil and tomatoes you can find.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 small plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup whole fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 1/2 ounces skim-milk mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

Prepare grill for a hot fire, using direct method (When the coals are ready, arrange
for direct cooking. In the direct method, coals are spread out in the middle of the
grill and the food is cooked directly above. This method cooks food quickly,
resulting in more browning on the outside of the food. Direct cooking is best
suited for smaller pieces of food such as kabobs, steaks, chops, burgers or vegetables.)
Sprinkle work surface with flour. With rolling pin, roll out dough to two 8" circles,
approximately 1/8" thick. Carefully lift dough directly into grill rack. Grill about
2 minutes, until dough bubbles and begins to char on bottom; turn. Sprinkle crusts
evenly with shallots; evenly distribute one-fourth of the cheese over each. Arrange
tomato slices and basil leaves evenly over cheese and top with remaining cheese.
Close grill cover or tent with foil. Grill 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and
crust is crisp. Cut into quarters and serve.

SERVING SIZE: 1/2 of 8" pie

POINTS: 5

SELECTIONS: 1/4 Fat, 1/4 Vegetable, 1/2 Protein, 2 Breads,
8 Optional Calories.

PER SERVING: 231 Calories, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat,
6 mg Cholesterol, 328 mg Sodium, 40 g Total Carbohydrate,
2 g Dietary Fiber, 8 g Protein, 107 mg Calcium



Carolina Barbecued Chicken

In the Carolinas, folks mix the barbecue sauce with vinegar, plenty of
spices and a dash of sugar--but no tomato. We've re-created this sauce,
which gives a great taste to chicken.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
One 2-pound 4-ounce chicken, skinned and cut into 8 equal pieces

Preheat outdoor barbecue grill according to manufacturer's directions, or
preheat broiler and spray rack in broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In small saucepan, combine onions, bell pepper, vinegar, brown sugar, juice,
salt, dry mustard, pepper flakes and black pepper; stirring constantly,
bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally,
20 minutes, until flavors are blended. Grill chicken over hot coals or place
onto prepared rack in broiler pan and broil 4" from heat, turning as needed
and basting with some of the onion mixture, 20 minutes, until browned and
juices run clear when pierced with fork. Transfer chicken to serving platter;
top with remaining onion mixture.

SERVING SIZE: 3 Ounces Chicken, 1/4 Onion Mixture

POINTS: 5

SELECTIONS: 1 Vegetable, 3 Proteins, 35 Optional Calories.

PER SERVING: 233 Calories, 6 g Total Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat,
76 mg Cholesterol, 353 mg Sodium, 19 g Total Carbohydrate,
1 g Dietary Fiber, 25 g Protein, 39 mg Calcium



Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil or dried
1 tsp lemon zest, grated
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp parsley, minced
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

If using oil packed tomatoes, drain and finely chop. If using dried tomatoes,
cover tomatoes with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain and
finely chop. Place 2 tbsp chopped tomatoes and half the lemon zest in a small
bowl. Add butter, parsley and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Combine
remaining tomatoes and zest in another bowl and mix thoroughly. Using a
sharp knife, cut horizontally through the center of each chicken breast to
form a pocket. Do not cut all the way through. Divide tomato and lemon zest
mixture into equal portions and spread in pocket of each chicken breast.
Turn on broiler. Arrange chicken on a broiler pan and place 4 inches from
heat source. Broil 5 minutes. Turn and broil another 4 minutes. Spread tomato
and butter mixture over chicken breasts. Broil another 1-2 minutes or until
chicken is opaque throughout.

POINTS: 4.5

PER SERVING: 174 Calories, 6.9 g Total Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat,
82 mg Cholesterol, 131 mg Sodium, 0.3 g Total Carbohydrate,
0.1 g Dietary Fiber, 26.4 g Protein





Garlic Pork Balsamico

Ten cloves of garlic may sound like a lot, but after cooking garlic's
pungent flavor mellows to give the chops a mild, slightly sweet taste.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 small bulb garlic (about 10 cloves)
1 cup water
12 ounces boneless pork loin, cut into 8 slices
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey-mustard
Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Separate garlic bulb into cloves. Do Not peel. In a small saucepan combine garlic
cloves and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Drain; cool slightly.
Peel cloves and set aside. Sprinkle both sides of pork slices with rosemary,
pressing into surface of the meat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook half
of pork and garlic cloves over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes or till no pink
remains and juices run clear, turning meat over after half the cooking time.
Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining pork and garlic. For sauce,
stir together vinegar, 2 tbsp water, and honey-mustard. Add to garlic in skillet,
stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Bring mixture just to boiling. Reduce
heat. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or till sauce becomes slightly thickened. To serve,
spoon sauce over pork. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired.

POINTS: 3.5

PER SERVING: 143 Calories, 13 g Protein, 7 g Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat,
6 g Carbohydrate, 128 mg Sodium, 38 mg Cholesterol, 0 g Dietary Fiber