Cannelloni Bean Salad
 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced red onion
¾ tsp dried oregano
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 15oz can cannelloni beans, rinsed well, and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

whisk together oil, vinegar, onion, and oregano in a large mixing bowl. Add cucumber, beans, and bell pepper, toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 1 cup servings. 180 calories, 7g protein, 22g carbs, 8g fat, 5g fiber

Ginger Steamed Red Snapper (can substitute chicken!)
 

1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 5” piece of fresh ginger
¼ cup mirin, or rice wine (can substitute ¼ cup white wine plus 1 tbsp splenda)
4 6oz red snapper filets, or chicken breasts
8 scallions, cut in half crosswise, and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tsp dark sesame oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Finely grate 1 tbsp ginger, and roughly chop the rest to fill about ¼ cup. Place chopped ginger in a large saucepan and cover with water to reach 2 inches. Add mirin / rice wine and bring to a simmer. Season fish/chicken with grated ginger, salt, and pepper. Place in steamer insert, add scallions, cover, and steam until ready- about 10 minutes. Serve hot, drizzled with sesame oil, and topped with sesame seeds

Makes 4 servings. 240 calories, 35g protein, 4g carbs, 5g fat, 1g fiber

Shrimp Scampi (serve over whole wheat pasta, or brown rice)
 

1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled and de-veined
3 tbsp low fat margarine
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse shrimp under cold water and pat dry well with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat margarine and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and stir to coat with margarine. Add lemon juice, parsley, and red pepper flakes, cook, stirring occasionally, until shrim are pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, serve over whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

Makes 4 servings. 230 calories, 31g protein, 4g carbs, 10g fat

Chinese Style Steamed Chicken
 

4 6oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1lb head broccoli, cut into florets

Fill bottom part of a steamier with 1” of water, bring to boil. Toss chicken with garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, coating breasts well. Place chicken in the steamer basket, pouring remaining soy sauce mixture over chicken. Lower basket into water container, reduce to a rapid simmer, and cover with a lid. Steam for 5 minutes. Turn chicken breasts, add broccoli, cover, and continue steaming until chicken is cooked through, and broccoli is tender, 5-6 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. 220 calories, 42g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat, 2g fiber

Chicken Piri Piri
 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
4 6oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat grill or grill pan to high. Whisk together oil, vinegar, jalapeno, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small bowl. Place chicken in a shallow dish. Add 3 tbsp of the marinade and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Discard marinade. Grill chicken, turning often, until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with remaining sauce, and serve with brown rice, or steamed veggies.

Makes 4 servings. 310 calories, 39g protein, 1g carbs, 16g fat

Chicken Yakitori (can make skewers, or do as a stir fry for over brown rice)
 

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces
10 scallions cut into 1” pieces
1 large bell pepper, cut into 1” squares
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin, or rice wine
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 8” skewers, if wanted

Heat oven to broil. Thread chicken, scallions, and pepper onto skewers, place in a large shallow dish. Whish together soy sauce, mirin, oil, ginger, and garlic. Cover skewers with ½ cup of the mixture and marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, set aside remaining soy sauce for dressing cooked skewers. Lightly coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Place skewers on the pan, reserving marinade. Broil, turning skewers basting occasionally with reserved marinade, until chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

Makes 4 servings. 270 calories, 42g protein, 12g carbs, 4.5g fat, 2g fiber

Baked Barbecue Chicken
 

4 6oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup BBQ sauce (see next recipe)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350F. Season chicken on both sides with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, 2 minutes per side. Place chicken in a single layer in an ovenproof baking dish, and spoon sauce evenly over the top. Bake until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling, 18-20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. 200 calories, 40g protein, 2g carbs, 3.5g fat

South Beach Barbecue Sauce
 

1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Combine tomato sauce, vinegar, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes 4 ¼ cup servings. 25 calories, 1g protein, 5g carbs, 1g fiber

Grilled Ancho Rubbed Flank Steak
 

1 ½ pounds flank steak, 1” thick
2 tsp ground ancho chili pepper
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp grated lime zest
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
lime wedges

Heat grill or grill pan to high. Season steak with chili pepper and salt. Combine oil, lime zest, and lime juice in a shallow dish and stir to mix well. Add steak, and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Grill steak until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices. Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings. 310 calories, 36g protein, 1g carbs, 17g fat

Pork and Veggie Stir Fry (also works with chicken)
 

½ cup sugar free apricot preserves
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 ½ pounds pork cutlets, cut into ¼” strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets (3-4 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 bunch scallions, cut into 2” lengths
4oz snow peas, strings removed

Whisk preserves and soy sauce together in a bowl until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high hear. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining oil and garlic to the same skillet, cook over medium high heat for 30 seconds. Add broccoli, pepper, scallions, and snow peas and cook until veggies are crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pork and preserves mixture, cook 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot, over rice or whole wheat egg noodles.

Makes 4 2 cup servings. 400 calories, 43g protein, 24g carbs, 17g fat, 6g fiber

Chipotle Beef Burrito
 

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tbsp sauce from can
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 ½ lb bunch spinach, chopped (about 6 cups)
4 whole wheat tortillas
2oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beef and cook until well browned, about 6 minutes, drain fat from pan. Add chiles, adobo sauce, and beans to beef mixture, cook until beans are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Heat tortillas in a skillet or microwave. Lay 1 tortilla on a serving plate. Top with ¼ cup of the cheese, and 1 cup of the beef mixture. Fold two sides of the tortilla in toward the middle, and roll up to form the burrito. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

Makes 4 servings. 400 calories, 34g protein, 39g carbs, 15g fat, 8g fiber

Sesame green beans
 

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
¾ tsp dark sesame oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 pound green beans, trimmed
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt

Whisk together soy sauce, oil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water for 30 seconds. Add beans and tomatoes to soy sauce mixture and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings. 50 calories, 2g protein, 8g carbs, 1g fat, 4g fiber

Quinoa Pilaf
 

1 ¾ cups water
¾ cup quinoa
½ cup shelled unsalted pistachios (or almonds)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven or toaster oven to 350F. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. While quinoa is cooking, spread pistachios/almonds on a baking tray and bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool and roughly chop. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and scallions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add to quinoa, along with nuts, vinegar, and remaining oil, stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 4 ¾ cup servings. 260 calories, 8g protein, 28g carbs, 14g fat, 4g fiber.

Green Tea Truffles
 

Antioxidants found in both green tea and dark chocolate make this a healthier indulgence. Can also make with earl gray tea.

¾ cup fat free half and half
4 decaf green tea bags
½ pound bittwersweet chocolate (preferably 65% cocoa) finely chopped
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Heat half and half in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, remove the heat and add tea bags. Allow to steep 5 minutes. Gently squeeze bags over half and half, and discard. Return to a simmer, and pour over chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Place bowl in freezer until set, about 10 minutes, removing and stirring every 2 minutes. Chocolate is ready to roll into truffles when it is no longer a pudding-like consistency and is starting to harden. Scoop out about 2 tsp chocolate mixture and roll in the palms of your hands to form a 1” ball. Repeat with remaining chocolate. Place cocoa powder in a shallow dish. Roll balls in the cocoa powder to coat. Shake off any excess cocoa powder (should have 2 tbsp remaining). Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 16 2-piece servings. 90 calories, 1g protein, 9g carbs, 5g fat, 1g fiber.

Thin & Crispy Pear Tart
 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp splenda
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp almond extract
2 medium bosc pears, sliced 1/8” thick
6 13x18 inch sheets frozen whole wheat phyllo dough, thawed
butter flavored cooking spray

Heat oven to 375F. Combine lemon juice, splenda, cinnamon, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Add pears and stir to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working quickly, lay 1 phyllo sheet on the baking sheet, coat lightly with cooking spray, fold in half widthwide, and lightly coat with spray again. Repeat with remaining sheets, piling sheets in a single stack ag you go. Fold edges in ¼” on each side. Lay pear slices on top of phyllo in a single layer. Bake until pears are tender and crust is golden, about 22 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings

130 calories, 2g protein, 27g carbs, 2g fat, 3g fiber