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Spinach and Artichoke Wrap
1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts, drained
2 whole wheat wraps (12")
8 slices provolone cheese
1 red bell pepper
1 cup baby spinach, packed
coarse salt and pepper

Wrap artichoke hears in paper towels; squeeze out liquid and coarsely chop.  Set wraps on work surface.  Lay cheese on surfaces, then layer artichoke pieces, bell pepper and spinach.  Season with salt and pper.  Fold tops and bottoms of wraps in 1" and roll tightly.  Makes 2.

Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 each red and green pepper, cut into chunks
½ BBQ sauce
3 T frozen oj concentrate, thawed

stick all the meat on skewers, combine bbq sauce and oj to use as marinade.

Makes 4 servings; 240 cal, 3 g fat, 3 g fiber 

White Bean Salad with Zucchini and Parmesan

2 cans (15.5 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 lb zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 oz green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, crumbled
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 T olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper

4 servings; 205 calories, 7.7 g fat, 11.2 g protein, 6.7 g fiber

Compliments of Rachael Ray:

Stuffed Roasted Strawberries

This is an inside-out version of chocolate dipped strawberries. Roasting the fruit brings out even more flavor and juiciness. You’ll never settle for plain old dipped berries again! You can use any type of chocolate (milk, white, or semi-sweet), but remember bittersweet chocolate has less sugar and is lower in carbs.

I needed a quick veggie to throw on the side with our bbq pork sandwiches, so I had Nathan stop after work for some quick ingredients to throw together a quick salad.  I laughed when the Barefoot Contessa, who I was watching just before dinner, was fixing a very similar salad.  I’m definately throwing in frest basil next time.

Our last-minute Summer Salad:

1/2 cucumber

1 tomato

2 oz basil-tomato feta (crumbled or you can rough chop)

just a bit of (extra virgin olive) oil and vinegar (I had balsamic)

a pinch of kosher salt (not too much - the feta’s salty) 

Chop everything and toss.  Couldn’t be easier, and it was very yummy.   

Creamy Pea Salad

(Light & Tasty, April/May 2002)

Really easy and very good.  We’re sick of eating plain old frozen veggies every night, so I’ve got a big stack of recipes to start trying. 

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (go with the kind that has cow spots all over, you really can’t tell it’s not the real thing)

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 green onion, chopped

1 t white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

3 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed

In a bowl, combine first six ingredients; mix well.  Add peas and toss to coat.  Refridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 4 servings (3/4 cup), each with 142 calories, 2 g fat (1 saturated) 3 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 9 g protein 

One of my favorite lazy/yummy foods is shredded chicken taco meat.  Yesterday morning I threw five chicken breasts (we only use boneless skinless) into a crockpot with about 3 cups of water, and a good dose of chicken buillion and taco seasoning.  After it’s cooked, the chicken meat shreds really easily.  Nathan ate the meat as a taco, I threw the meat in a big bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocado, corn and black beans.  Dressing was a bunch of salsa with a little ranch mixed in.  Yum.  I made enough for leftovers in the fridge and enough to freeze for later in May. 

From Light & Tasty magazine, February/March 2002

• 30 baked tortilla chips
• 1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat, chopped
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon dill weed
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

 Here’s what the magazine directions say: Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the crab, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion and dill; spoon about 1 tablespoon onto each chip. Sprinkle with cheese, olives and paprika. Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Here’s what I did: combine crab, sour cream, mayo, onion, dill, and cheese - micro until warmed.  Serve on baked tortilla chips.

What can I say, we were in a hurry and if I didn’t have something quick before dinner, Nathan was going to devour a pb&j five minutes before dinner.  We made a half order (to serve 3) and it was a perfect appetizer - really tasty.  It would be even better with a milder onion - ours was very strong.

As written, the recipe serves 6.  Each serving (4 appetizers) = 127 calories, 3 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 441 mg sodium, 17g carbs, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein. 

From Light & Tasty Magazine, April/May 2002

Tortilla Pie 

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian or Mexican diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley, divided
• 4 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a nonstick skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil; remove from the heat. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons cilantro.
    Place on tortilla in a 9-in. round cake pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat sauce, one tortilla, all of the ricotta mixture, another tortilla and the remaining meat sauce. Top with remaining tortilla; sprinkle with cheddar cheese and remaining cilantro. Cover and bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

241 calories, 8 grams fat, 1.8 fiber, 15 g carb, 14 g protein

 
Fast and easy and pretty good.   Serve with salsa corn (frozen or canned corn tossed with some salsa and microed - how easy is that?)