These recipes consist of my own favorite concoctions that are healthy, nutritious, and delicious. You will find them quick and easy so that you can incorporate them into your busy lifestyle.

Super Bowl Chicken Chili

vegetable cooking spray
1-½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbs. chili powder
½ tsp. dried whole oregano
4 cups bite-sized cooked
chicken breasts
(about 2 pounds, skinned, boned)
1 cup water
½ tsp. ground red pepper
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 14 ½ -ounce can no-salt added stewed tomatoes
1 13 ¾ -ounce can no-salt added chicken broth
1 12-ounce bottle reduced-calorie chili sauce
1 16-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained

Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion and the next 3 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 2 minutes. Add chicken, water, and next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add beans, and cook 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Curried Shrimp and Rice

½ tsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 pound medium-size fresh peeled, deveined shrimp
1 ½ tsp curry powder
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
¾ cup uncooked instant rice
¼ tsp salt

Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and curry powder, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. Add chicken broth and vegetables to skillet; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute.

Stir in rice and salt; place shrimp in with the rice mixture. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 ½ cups). Quick and healthy, voila!

Swordfish With Arugula Salad

1 garlic glove, minced
2 (4-ounce) swordfish steaks (about 1 ½ inches thick) you may substitute salmon
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups loosely packed arugula
1¾ cups chopped unpeeled tomato
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Press garlic onto swordfish.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Coat rack of a broiler pan with cooking spray; place rack on pan. Place swordfish on rack. (You can also barbeque the fish on the grill.) Broil 5 ½ inches from heat for 6 minutes. Turn swordfish, and cook an additional 5 minutes or until done. Set aside.

Combine arugula, tomato, and parsley in a bowl; toss gently. Combine remaining tablespoon lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper to taste, stirring with a wire whisk until blended. Pour over arugula mixture; toss well.

Place swordfish steak on serving plate, and top with salad mixture. Serve immediately.

(About 197 calories per 3 ounces swordfish and 1 ½ cups salad).

Tip: Timing is critical when cooking fish. Perfectly cooked fish will be moist and tender; overcooked fish will be dry and tough. As fish cooks, its translucent flesh turns opaque (solid) in appearance. When just a thin, translucent line remains when the fish is cut, remove it from the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking it on the way to the table. Enjoy!

Pizza-style Meat Loaf

2/3 cup pizza sauce, divided (Trader Joes’s is awesome)
1½ pounds extra–lean ground round (may substitute ground turkey)
¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg white
2 (1-ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup diced red bell pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1/3cup sauce, meat, and next 8 ingredients (sauce through egg white) in a bowl. Shape meat mixture into an 18 x 12- inch rectangle on wax paper. Arrange cheese slices over meat mixture; sprinkle with red bell pepper, leaving a 1- inch border. Roll meat mixture up jellyroll fashion starting at short side. Pinch ends to seal.

Place meat loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat loaf registers 160 degrees. Brush 1/3cup pizza sauce over meat loaf. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until done; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

This easy recipe is ideal for breakfast or dessert. This shake is a delicious way to get your calcium and vitamin C. Orange juice also contains beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium. Also by eating an entire orange, you will get some fiber.

2 cups low-fat vanilla ice cream
1 ½ cups orange juice
1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
1 medium ripe banana, cut into 4 pieces
Fresh fruit (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.
Garnish with a skewer of fresh fruit. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup). Calories: 185

Just in time for summer. Next time you go to the market, come home with fresh blueberries. This pie is so simple to make, you’ll be enjoying it in no time. It’s also a lightened version of a heavier rendition.

Don’t worry this dessert doesn’t always hold it shape, cut into it and the berries spill out of the shell onto the plate. The blueberries are supposed to spill out- that’s the crumble! Enjoy!

5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (9-inch) reduced-fat graham cracker crust
¾ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place blueberries in crust; set aside.
Combine brown sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon rind, and sour cream; spread over blueberries. Combine breadcrumbs, granulated sugar, and margarine; sprinkle over sour cream mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until set and crumbs are lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Yield: 8 servings. Calories: 312.

Banana Nut Bread

Compared to the traditional banana bread, this one has half the sugar and fat but tastes just as sweet and delicious. Use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown speckles. As the bananas ripen, they become sweeter because the starch turns to sugar. Ripe bananas improve the flavor and tenderness of the bread. An added egg white and nonfat yogurt is also for moistness.

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 small)
½ cup sugar
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
¼ cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Baking spray with flour

Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; stir in pecans. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 3-inch loaf pan coated with baking spray with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on the wire rack. Yield: 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice).
Calories: 158, Fat grams: 5.3.

Apple-Tarragon Barbecue Chicken

It’s that time of year again when we spend much of our summer barbecuing. This is an easy, delicious low fat recipe using apple cider and spices. Marinate at least one to three hours before grilling to get the full benefits of the flavors.

1cup apple cider
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup sliced scallions
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1-½ teaspoons dried tarragon
1-teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds), or 1 chicken (3 pounds), cut up

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add apple-tarragon marinade. Cover and marinate turning occasionally, 1 to 3 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight. Grill chicken pieces over medium direct heat, turning, for about 30 to 35 minutes, or broil 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

Italian Turkey Burgers

This recipe is packed with flavor. The Italian spices make these turkey burgers one of my favorites! Great, and healthy for the kids too.

4 (1 ½ -ounce) Italian rolls, split lengthwise. (You can substitute
any bread preference)
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1-pound ground turkey
½ cup low-fat spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup Italian- seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 (1-ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut in half

Heat grill or preheat broiler.

Place rolls, cut sides up, on a broiler pan or a top your barbeque grill coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat sides of rolls with cooking spray. Broil or grill until lightly toasted. Rub garlic evenly over cut sides of rolls. Set aside; keep warm.

Combine turkey and next 5 ingredients (turkey through parsley). Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into ½ -inch-thick patties. Place on broiler pan or on grill; broil or grill 7 minutes on each side or until done. Place burgers on bottom halves of rolls; top with ½ cheese slice; broil or grill until cheese melts. Cover with tops of roll. Yield: 4 servings. Calories 372.

Penne Puttanesca

This recipe is made using nicoise olives, which can be found in most supermarkets. These small, dark-brown or purple olives have a sharp and slightly sour flavor.
Don’t let the anchovies scare you. They add a nice smoked flavor to the dish. With all the flavors put together no one would notice the anchovies unless you tell them. You can also use anchovy paste (found in most supermarkets), which is a little milder in flavor than canned fillets. Enjoy!

2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped green onions
4 canned anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup chopped pitted nicoise olives
2 tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste)
5 cups hot cooked whole-wheat penne (about 12 ounces uncooked tubular-shaped pasta)
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Drain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl; reserve ½ cup juice. Set aside. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-low heat. Add onions and anchovies; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, reserved juice, wine, olives, capers, marjoram, pepper, and garlic; cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until reduced to 2 ½ cups. Serve over 1 cup pasta, and sprinkle with 1-tablespoon cheese. Yield: 5 servings. Calories 229.

Pumpkin-Chestnut Stuffing

The holiday season is already upon us. Enjoy this healthy recipe with your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey.

Using canned pumpkin lends to a buttery texture and subtle sweetness while providing as much nutritional value as its fresh counterpart.

For best results, use firm, sturdy bread such as French bread. Dry it in the oven at a low temperature, or let it sit out overnight. Coat one side of foil with cooking spray, and place it, coated side down, over the stuffing to prevent it from sticking to the foil during baking.

8 ounces firm white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (About 8 cups)
1- tablespoon butter
2-cups chopped onion
2-cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1-cup chopped celery
1-1/2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
1-cup coarsely chopped bottled chestnuts
1/3-cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2-tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2-tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
½ cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place bread cubes on a large baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour or until dry, tossing occasionally.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and celery to pan, and sauté 5 minutes. Add apple and cranberries; sauté 5 minutes. Add chestnuts; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, sage, and thyme.

Combine pumpkin and the next 4 ingredients (pumpkin through eggs) in a large bowl. Add bread and mushroom mixture; stir gently to combine. Spoon mixture into 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the top is crisp. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup). Calories 226.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Cookies

It’s that time of year when cookies are in abundance for the Christmas holiday. These two recipes are healthy and low calorie to enjoy without any guilt. Be sure to use regular stick margarine instead of the reduced-fat version. Reduced-fat margarine will produce a different, and possibly an inferior product.

CHEWY COCONUT COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3-cup sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3-cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1-teaspoon coconut extract
2 egg whites
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Vegetable cooking spray
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Combine corn syrup, oil, extracts, and egg whites; stir well. Add corn syrup mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in 1/3-cup coconut.
Drop dough by level tablespoons onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle toasted coconut over cookies, and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes; let cool on pans 1 minute. Remove from pans; let cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie). Calories 66, Fat 1.6 grams.

MAPLE - SPICE COOKIES

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3- cup stick margarine, softened
1 ¼ teaspoons maple extract
1- teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8- teaspoon ground cloves
Vegetable cooking spray

Cream the sugar and margarine at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add extracts, egg, and egg white; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves; stir well. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating well.
Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes; let cool on pans 1 minute. Remove from pans; let cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie). Calories 67, Fat 1.9 grams.