Fruit Salad with Citrus-Mint Dressing

Ingredients

• 6 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
• 2 cups (1 1/2-inch) cubes honeydew
• 2 cups (1 1/2-inch) cubes cantaloupe
• 1 medium papaya, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mint
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange peel
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

• Combine kiwifruit, honeydew, cantaloupe, and papaya in a medium bowl.
• Place sugar and remaining ingredients in a mini chopper food processor; pulse until mint is finely chopped. Pour sugar mixture over fruit, and stir gently to coat.

Chicken Rice & Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 2 cups cubed skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
• 1 cup jarred sliced peeled mango, drained and chopped (such as Del Monte SunFresh)
• 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves
• Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Preparation

• Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Cool. Combine rice and next 5 ingredients (through sliced almonds).
• Combine mint, juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle mint mixture over rice mixture; toss well. Cover and chill. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of four plates. Spoon 1 1/2 cups rice mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Leek & Lima Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 3 bacon slices
• 2 cups chopped leek (about 2 leeks)
• 4 cups fresh baby lima beans
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation

• Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add leek to drippings in pan; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in beans, broth, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until beans are tender.
• Place half of the bean mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean dishtowel over opening in blender lid (to prevent spills), and process until smooth. Pour pureed bean mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining bean mixture. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon onions, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and about 1 teaspoon bacon.

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Focaccia

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (6-ounce) packages baby spinach
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Add remaining spinach; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; stir in feta and next 6 ingredients (through pepper).
• Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread spinach mixture lengthwise over half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold other half of dough over filling; press edges together with a fork. Cut 5 (1-inch) diagonal slits in top of dough.
• Combine milk and water; brush evenly over dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden.

Beef & Vegetable Potpie

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 cup prechopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• Cooking spray
• 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated soft breadstick dough

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add zucchini and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); sauté 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return beef to pan. Stir in wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and broth. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Spoon beef mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Separate breadstick dough into strips. Arrange strips in a lattice fashion over beef mixture. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until browned.
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Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Preparation

• Preheat broiler.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.
• Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas

4/5*

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, each cut in half
• 8 Romaine lettuce leaves

Preparation

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.

Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto

2/5* (Good, but alot of the same flavor to be the main dish. Mac-n-Cheese-ish)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen pureed butternut squash (such as McKenzie's)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• Grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine rice and oil in a 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe dish, stirring to coat. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and 1 cup water to rice mixture; microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 9 minutes. Stir well; microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 6 minutes. Remove from microwave; let stand 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

3. While risotto stands, heat squash in microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until warm. Add squash, salt, pepper, and cheese to risotto. Stir well to combine. Garnish with additional cheese and thyme sprigs, if desired.

Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza

4/5*

Ingredients

• 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and chopped (about 10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled herbed goat cheese

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium heat.

2. Unroll dough onto a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray.

3. Place dough on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn crust over. Rub with garlic; sprinkle with tomato and cheeses. Close grill lid; grill 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

4/5* (Would be great as a large side salad to share)

Ingredients

• Vinaigrette:
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salad:
• 3 slices center-cut bacon
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless turkey breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup refrigerated fresh pico de gallo
• 1/2 cup diced avocado
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk; set aside.

2. To prepare salad, cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Increase heat to medium-high. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle turkey with salt. Add turkey to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done.

3. Arrange 2 cups lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 2 teaspoons bacon, 5 tablespoons turkey, 2 tablespoons pico de gallo, 2 tablespoons avocado, 2 tablespoons queso fresco, 1 tablespoon onions, and about 1/3 cup beans. Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over salads.