What You Need:

3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1/2 tsp garlic minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C of flour
3/4 C of chicken broth
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp chives, snipped
1 bunch of watercress

How to Make It:

Place 1 tsp of the oil into a skillet placed over medium high heat.
Add the tomatoes to the oil and cook, shaking the pan a few times, for 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften.
Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Remove the tomatoes and garlic to a serving bowl.
Coat the chicken breasts with the flour shaking off any excess flour.
Place the remaining oil into the same skillet.
Place the coated chicken into the heated oil and cook 5 minutes.
Turn and continue cooking 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and stir to scrap any brown pieces from the bottom of the skillet.
Add the mustard and sour cream and whisk until well blended.
Simmer the mixture for 1 minute or until just starting to thicken.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the chives.
Place the watercress on a plate and arrange the chicken over the watercress.
Place the tomatoes over the top of the chicken and cover with the sauce.

Makes 4 servings

This chicken dish is a great quick meal for a weeknight dinner. To clean watercress, cut about 1 in. off the bottom of the bunch before untying it. Wash it under cold water and let it drain well. Tear into smaller pieces or leave it whole if you prefer. Watercress has a slight pepper taste making a great match to this chicken and mustard sauce meal.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 14 minutes 30 seconds
Total Time: approximately 24 minutes 30 seconds

Nutritional Information: (approximate amounts per serving)
Calories 215; Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 2g; Carbohydrates 9g; Protein 29g; Fiber 1g;
Cholesterol 70 mg; Sodium 451 mg

What You Need:

3 C of fresh tart red cherries, pitted and divided
3 ripe mangoes cut into chunks
3 tbsp honey
1/2 C no fat sour cream
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 C of sugar, divided
1/4 C of water

How to Make It:

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut up 1 1/2 C of the cherries into small pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Place the baking sheet into the freeze and freeze until the cherries are frozen solid.
Also place a spring form pan into the freezer.
Place the mango and honey into the blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, add the sour cream and whisk until well blended.
Fill a saucepan 2/3 full of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
Break the eggs into a heatproof bowl and stir in 1/2 C of sugar.
Reduce the heat under the pan of water and let the water die down to just a simmer.
Place the bowl with the eggs and sugar over the pan of water being sure the bowl doesn’t touch the actual water.
Beat the egg sugar mixture with a handheld mixer on high for 10 minutes.
The mixture should be tripled in size, thick and register 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the mango mixture
Gently stir in half of the frozen cherry pieces.
Pour the soft mixture into the cold spring form pan and top with the remaining frozen cherries.
Freeze for 24 hours.
Place the remaining cherries into a saucepan and place over low heat.
Stir in the remaining sugar and water and simmer for 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve.
To serve remove the soft freeze from the freezer and remove the sides of the pan.
Cut into wedges and place on serving plates letting the slices stand to soften slightly.
Top each slice with a tbsp of the cherry sauce.

Makes 10 servings

What a yummy dessert. To pit cherries easily use a paper clip. Lift the small curve of the clip and bend it back. Bend the tip slightly. Remove the stem of the cherry and push the paper clip into the cherry below the pit. Slowly draw the pit out of the cherry. It only takes a couple of seconds this way and makes for less mess.

Preparation Time: approximately 40 minutes
Freezer Time: approximately 24 hours
Total Time: approximately 24 hours 40 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 190; Fat 3g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 39g; Protein 5g; Fiber 2g;
Cholesterol 106 mg; Sodium 45 mg

What You Need:

1 tsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 sweet yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
1/4 C of mustard
4 hard rolls, split and toasted
8 lettuce leaves
1 tomato, sliced thin

How to Make It:

Preheat the broiler.
Pour the oil into a skillet and place the skillet over medium heat.
Add all the peppers, onions and the garlic and sauté 5 minutes or until crisp tender.
Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Spread the mustard over the top of roll.
Spoon the vegetables over the bottom of each roll.
Place a slice of cheese over the vegetables.
Place the bottom of the rolls on a broiler pan.
Place the pan in the broiler and broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Top each sandwich with a couple slices of tomato and a lettuce leaf and cover with the top of the bun.

Makes 4 sandwiches

This tasty burger is great for those who are trying to cut back on their meat intake. The sautéed vegetables give it a low fat twist. For something a little different try a couple of fresh basil leaves on each sandwich instead of the lettuce leaves. You can also make a great sauce by mixing together 1/4 C of mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp of horseradish together and spreading it on the buns instead of the mustard.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 7 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate amounts per serving)
Calories 278; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 39g; Protein 9g; Fiber 3g;
Cholesterol 13 mg; Sodium 456 mg

What You Need:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. fat free cream cheese
1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped fine
1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained well
8 (8 in.) flour tortillas

How to Make It:

Place the cream cheese, dressing mix, peppers and pimientos into a mixing bowl.
Mix the ingredients together until well blended.
Spread the mixture evenly over the 8 tortillas.
Roll the tortillas tightly around the filling.
Wrap each tortilla tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 1 hour or until the filling is firm.
Unwrap the tortillas and cut each tortilla into 8 pieces.

Makes 16 servings

Finding appetizers or party foods that are healthy can be hard to accomplish. These are healthy and they taste great too. Be careful when chopping the peppers. Use disposable gloves if you have them and don’t rub your face or eyes until you have removed the gloves and wash your hands well.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Chilling Time: approximately 1 hour
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 106; Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 15g; Protein 6g; Fiber 0g;
Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 419 mg

What You Need:

4 tbsp of light margarine, divided
3 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
3 apples, peeled, quartered and cored
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Allow the oven to preheat to 350 degrees.
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and place 1 tbsp of the margarine onto each sheet.
Place the sheets in the oven until the butter has melted completely.
Spread half the squash and half the apples onto one baking sheet and turn to coat with the butter.
Repeat with the second sheet.
Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes or until tender.
Remove and place in the squash and apples into a large bowl.
Add the remaining butter and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Use a potato masher and mash until smooth.

Makes 8 servings

Looking for something a little healthier than those regular mashed potatoes? This tasty dish fits the bill. These can even be made ahead of time. They stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or they can be frozen for up a week. To reheat, just thaw if they are frozen and heat in the microwave until hot.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 40 minutes
Total Time: approximately 50 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 168; Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 30g; Protein 2g; Fiber 4g;
Cholesterol 16 mg; Sodium 211 mg

What You Need:

1 1/3 C of flour
3 1/2 oz. almond paste, cut small
2/3 C + 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed and divided
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 C almonds, toasted and chopped very fine
1 C of fresh cranberries, chopped very fine3
3/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp sugar

How to Make It:

Place the flour into the food processor or blender.
Add the almond paste, 2 tbsp of brown sugar and the salt.
Blend just until the almond paste is blended into the flour.
Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse until a moist crumb mixture forms.
Transfer the mixture to a flat surface and knead until it forms dough.
Lightly flour the surface and divide the dough into thirds.
Shape each third on the floured surface into a 1/2 inch thick disk.
Cover each disk with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Set the oven to 350 degrees and preheat and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Place the almonds and cranberries into a bowl.
Add the remaining brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon and mix well.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out one disk of the dough into a 9 inch circle.
Place 1/3 of the filling onto the dough circle and press it into the dough.
Cut the dough into 12 wedges and slide each wedge out with a spatula.
Roll the wedges into croissants beginning at the wide end and rolling to the point.
Place the croissants point down on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough.
Brush the top of each croissant with a little bit of the egg.
Mix the sugar and remaining cinnamon together and sprinkle each croissant with the mixture.
Bake 22 minutes or until a light golden brown then cool on wire racks.

Makes 36 croissant cookies

These tasty little cookies are great for an after dinner dessert, when company is coming or with a nice cup of coffee in the middle of the afternoon. You can use any type of filling you like such as cherries and pecans or peaches and walnuts. Experiment to find the perfect filling that fits you and your family.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Chilling Time: approximately 1 hour
Baking Time: approximately 22 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 37 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per cookie)
Calories 105; Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 2g; Carbohydrates 12g; Protein 2g; Fiber 1g;
Cholesterol 14 mg; Sodium 28 mg

What You Need:

Water
1/4 tsp salt
8oz. fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1/3C olive oil and vinegar dressing
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 C of lettuce
2 (6 oz.) cans of solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked
3 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 C red radishes, sliced
1/3C of pitted Kalamata olives
Pepper

How to Make It:

Fill a large skillet half full of water.
Sprinkle the salt into the water.
Place the skillet over medium high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Add the green beans and cook 4 minutes or until crisp tender.
Drain the beans and rinse under cool water for 1 minute.
Whisk together the dressing and mustard until blended together well.
Place 1 tbsp of the dressing mixture into a bowl and stir in the cannellini beans.
Place 1 tbsp of the dressing mixture into a bowl and add the green beans tossing to coat.
Scatter the lettuce leaves over the bottom of a large platter.
Mound the cannellini beans in one corner and the green beans in another corner.
Mound the tuna onto the platter.
Place the hard boiled egg wedges on the platter.
Add the radishes and olives to the platter in separate mounds.
Pour the remaining dressing over the top of everything and sprinkle evenly with pepper.

Makes 4 servings

This summer platter is great for a late lunch on a hot day. Just place mounds of the ingredients onto the platter and add a loaf of crusty bread and enjoy. Substitute chicken, turkey or even pork for the tuna if you wish.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 4 minutes
Total Time: approximately 24 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 403; Fat 22g; Saturated Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 19g; Protein 29g; Fiber 6g;
Cholesterol 191 mg; Sodium 835 mg

What You Need:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 C sweet onion, chopped
1 C egg substitute
1/2 C cooked lean ham, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese, cubed

How to Make It:

Pour the oil into a skillet placed over medium high heat.
Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender.
Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the egg substitute.
As the egg sets use a spatula to lift the edges allowing the uncooked egg to run under and cook.
When the eggs are completely set sprinkle the ham evenly over the top.
Season the eggs with the salt, pepper and paprika.
Distribute the cream cheese cubes over the eggs.
Fold the eggs over the filling.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let the omelet cook for 2 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.

Makes 2 servings

If you are on a low cholesterol diet or just watching your cholesterol intake this omelet is perfect for you. The egg substitute lowers he cholesterol in this recipe. If you prefer whole eggs may be used in place the egg substitute. The cream cheese gives this nutritious breakfast a creamier cheese taste along with a more nutritious way to start the day.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 12 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 215; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 7g; Protein 22g; Fiber 1g;
Cholesterol 23 mg; Sodium 905 mg

What You Need:

Water
2 tbsp cider vinegar, divided
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
1 C of fresh dill
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 C light mayonnaise
1/2 C low fat sour cream
1 tbsp horseradish
2 tsp Dijon mustard

How to Make It:

Place 1 inch of water into a deep skillet and place the skillet over high heat.
Stir in the vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the salmon fillets and reduce the heat to low so the water just simmers.
Cover the skillet and cook the salmon for 10 minutes or until the center is slight opaque in the center.
Place the dill and scallions into a blender.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish and mustard.
Blend until the dill and scallions are chopped very fine.
Remove the fish with a slotted spoon to a platter.
Top the fish with the sauce just before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Salmon is an oily fish that is full of omega 3 fatty acids. Be careful not to over cook your salmon. The rule of thumb for cooking fish is known by most professional cooks. Measure it at the thickest area of the fish. Cook the fish for 10 minutes per inch. If you’re grilling or oven cooking your fish and it’s wrapped in foil or covered in sauce the best rule of thumb is to cook it 15 minutes per inch. If your baking or grilling take the fish out about 2 minutes before the required cooking time as the fish will continue to cook for a couple of minutes once removed from the heat source.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 460; Fat 27g; Saturated Fat 7g; Carbohydrates 5g; Protein 48g; Fiber 0g;
Cholesterol 110 mg; Sodium 352 mg