Chicken Hash (WW New Complete Cookbook, p. 114)

Ron likened this recipe to a chicken pot pie. It is much healthier with only 4 grams of fat, 185 calories, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber and 21 grams of protein. This dish serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 slices white bread
1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1 red onion
1 celery stalk
3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp minced chives
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fat-free milk
1 green bell pepper, seeded
1/4 tsp paprika

1. In a mini food processor or blender, combine bread, cheese and pepper; pulse until mix in consistence of coarse crumbs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In large nonstick skillet, melt margarine. In a mini food processor, blend onion and celery. Saute onion and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sprinkle with flour, thyme, chives and salt; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Stir in milk; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. In a mini processor, blend bell pepper. Add bell pepper to chicken mixture. Transfer to the casserole; sprinkle with crumbs and paprika. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers (WW New Complete Cookbook, p. 161)

Show me the beef. You can actually use ground turkey in this recipe to cut down more on the fat.
Each stuffed pepper has 284 calories, 10 grams fat, 28 grams carbohydrates and 6 grams fiber.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup cooked white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup thawed frozen green peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp minced thyme
1 tsp minced basil
1/2 tsp minced sage
1/2 tsp minced rosemary
4 bell peppers, tops cut off (save for another dish) and seeded
1/2 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine beef, rice, onion, peas, cheese, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, basil, sage and rosemary. Loosely stuff peppers with the mixture, stand them in a baking dish or casserole. Pour the tomato puree over the peppers; add enough water so that the liquid comes about one-fourth up the sides of the peppers. Cover with foil or lid and bake, basting occasionally with the juices, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers and rice are tender and the filling is completely cooked, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Low-Fat Jalapeno Artichoke Dip (An original recipe still in progress)

My love of jalapeno/artichoke dip led me to try a lower-fat option. Using "lower fat" ingredients brought this recipe to about 36 grams of fat (610 Cal) for the entire dish vs. 210 grams of fat (2,000 Cal) using whole fat ingredients. If you try it and put a twist on it, let me know.

Ingredients:

13-14 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3 cloves minced garlic
2 ounces chopped green chilies (canned salsa verde works fine)
1/2 cup non-fat sour cream
8 ounces non-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup non-fat mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut up artichoke hearts. Mix all ingredients and artichokes together with mixer. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top (about 45 minutes). Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or crackers.

Spiced Shish Kebabs (P. 182, Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless top sirloin steak
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 large red onion
1 medium yellow bell pepper
cooking spray

Horseradish Cream
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp bottled white horseradish
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Chili powder to taste

16 cherry tomatoes

Discard all visible fat from steak. Cut into 16 cubes. Put the cubes in a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp chili powder, oregano, cumin and 3/4 tsp garlic powder. Toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, quarter the onion and separate the layers so there are at least 16 pieces. Cut the bell pepper into 16 pieces.

Preheat broiler. Lightly spray a broiler pan and rack with cooking spray.

In a small serving bowl, stir together all the horseradish cream ingredients except the chili powder. Sprinkle the chili powder on top. Set aside.

Thread the vegetables and steak onto four long metal skewers as follows, repeating until all are used: onion, bell pepper, tomato, and steak. Put the kebabs on the broiler rack.

Broil about 4 inches from the heat for 4 minutes. Turn over and broil for 3 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Serve with the horseradish cream.

Triple Chocolate Pecan Bites (from Rabbi Jerry Kane of Las Cruces, N.M. as found online)

Okay..So they are not low-fat, but they are delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp cinnamon (for tossing)
1 tsp chili powder (for tossing)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until combined. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla.

Sift next 6 ingredients together. Gradually add dry sifted ingredients to butter mixture, beating until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine white and semi-sweet chocolate chips and pecans. Toss chips and pecans with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp chili powder. Carefully stir tossed chips and nut mixture into dough until just combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tbsp onto sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake 9-11 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie (WW New Complete Cookbook, Page 115)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. This one- dish meal serves 4, has 268 calories, 3 grams of fat, 37 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, and 25 grams protein. Not bad at all. I use rotisserie chicken out of sheer laziness!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 carrots, sliced and blanched (dipped in boiling water)
1 cup chopped cleaned spinach leaves
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup evaporated skimmed milk (I used fat-free and it was fine)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp marjoram
3 medium russet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika

1. Prep all ingredients first (chopped chicken, bake or boil potatoes, blanch carrots, etc.).

2. In a medium nonstick saucepan, melt margarine. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the flour, cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in the broth, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 3-4 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and the remaining tbsp of flour. Stir in the carrots, spinach, scallions, corn, milk, thyme, marjoram and the sauce. Transfer to the casserole dish. Top with the potatoes, spreading to cover the filling completely, sprinkle with the cheese and paprika. Bake until bubbling and the potatoes are golden, 30-35 minutes.

4. Salt to taste.