Curried Chicken Salad With Cashews and Grapes

Another great recipe adapted from the cookbook " Eating in Color" by Frances Largeman-Roth. This is perfect for a luncheon or light supper.

Serves 8 ( 2/3 c. = 5 points +)

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 c. low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 T. grated lemon zest
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. red grapes, quartered
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/3 c. chopped cashews
• Romaine lettuce

For dressing, whisk together yogurt, mayo, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and curry powder. 
Place cooked, chopped chicken in a large bowl. Stir in dressing to coat. Add celery, grapes, cranberries and cashews. Stir gently to mix. Serve on top of Romaine lettuce leaves. 

Lemon Berry Trifle

A couple of weeks ago, I tried a recipe for lemon pound cake. It was easy to make and tasted awesome. I decided to make it again, this time using it in a trifle. A trifle is a traditional English dessert made with layers of cake, some kind of custard or whipped cream, berries, etc. Since it is spring, I thought lemon would be a nice flavor to try.

Serves 16 ( about 2/3 c. = 5 points +)

• 1 lemon pound cake ( recipe here)
• 2 small boxes lemon, sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding
• 3 c. skim milk
• 1 ( 8 oz) container Cool Whip Free
• 4 c. berries of your choice. I used raspberries and blackberries.

After your lemon pound cake is made and cooled, cut into cubes.

For filling, whisk together pudding and milk until thickened. Let stand 2 minutes to thicken more. Fold in Cool Whip.

Place about 1/2 c. filling in the bottom of your trifle dish. Top with 1/3 of cake, 1/3 and remaining filling and 1/3 of berries. Repeat twice. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Orecchiette with Snap Peas and Tuna

Orecchiette means "little ears" in Italian. These noodles are not only cute, they hold sauce very nicely.
Serve this pasta warm or cold.

serves 8 ( about 1-1/4 c. = 7 points +)

• 1 lb. orecchiette noodles
• 1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, cut in half
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can ( 4 oz) tuna packed in water, drained
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta according to package directions. Steam the pas for 2 minute or just until the color begins to brighten. If you have a steamer basket that is larger than the diameter of your pasta cooking pot, you can set it directly on top and utilize the steam from the boiling water below.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together lemon zest, juice, olive oil, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir in tuna and peas. Drain pasta and stir into tuna mixture.

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Muffins

With no added fat and warm chocolate oozing from these muffins, what's not to love?

Makes 18 muffins (4 points +)

• 2 medium bananas ( ripe)
• 1 c. canned pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar-free maple syrup
• 1/4 c. flax seed, ground
• 1/4 c. wheat germ
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chunks
• 1/4 c. shelled raw pumpkin seeds ( Pepitas)

Preheat oven to 375 and spray muffin tins with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, pumpkin, eggs, sugar and syrup..
In another bowl, combine flour, flaxseed, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

Gently stir dry ingredients into wet, being careful not to overmix. Stir in chocolate chunks. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. 

Bake 18-20 minutes or until done. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

adapted from the cookbook: " Eating in Color" by Frances Largeman-Roth

Nutty Broccoli

Another quick and fresh-tasting side dish. To toast the nuts, place on a baking sheet or small baking pan like a loaf pan. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool.

Serves 4 ( 2 points +)

• 1 large head broccoli ( about 4 c.)
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 T. chopped pecans, toasted
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat a large nonstick skillet. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add broccoli and cook until crisp-tender. Toss broccoli with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and pecans.

Nectarine Salad With Ricotta and Pecans

This is a wonderfully quick and easy spring or summer salad that is loaded with flavor!

serves 4 ( 4 points +)
Salad:

• 6 c. mixed greens
• 1 nectarine, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c. low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Dressing:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. flavored vinegar ( I used a peach white balsamic)
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Place 1-1/2 c. mixed greens on each plate. Top with nectarine, 2 T. ricotta and 1 T. pecans.

For dressing, whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Drizzle over salads.

Crispy Cauliflower Fritters

This recipe was adapted from "Cooking Light". I would describe it as a combo between a fritter and a latke. We all enjoyed them. At 2 points each, they make for a nice satisfying side dish.

Makes 8 fritters ( 2 points + each )

• 1 ( 10 oz.) package frozen cauliflower florets
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2 T. white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. crushed garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 3/4 c. shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1/2 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 c. plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 T. minced green onions
• 2 T. low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Boil cauliflower until tender; drain, place in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
Stir in onion, flour, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, rind, potatoes, cheese and eggs. 

Form into 8 patties. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Cook patties 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Combine yogurt and remaining ingredients. Season with salt to taste. Serve with fritters.

Pork Loin Chops with Strawberry Red Wine Sauce

serves 4 ( 6 points +)

• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 4 tsp. crushed garlic, divided
• 1/3 c. red wine
• 2 T. strawberry jam
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1 T. grated lemon rind
• 4 ( 4 oz) boneless pork loin chops
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Coat with nonstick spray. Add onion and 1 tsp. garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add wine; cook until liquid almost evaporates. Add jam; cook 1 minute. Add vinegar and cook until reduced to about 1/2 c. 

Coat a large nonstick skillet with spray. Combien 1 T. garlic and 1 T. lemon rind. Press over both sides of pork chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes per side or until done. Remove from pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with strawberry sauce.

Peanut Butter Chicken Salad

A nice light luncheon or dinner entree, the ingredients for this salad can be prepped ahead of time and put together right before serving.

serves 8 ( 1 c. chicken mixture on top of a bed of spinach = 5 points +)

• 1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
• 1 large English cucumber, cut into thin sticks
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 can ( 15 oz) bean sprouts, drained
• 1/4 c. reduced-fat natural peanut butter
• 1/2 c. fat-free chicken broth
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 T. olive oil
• baby spinach

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.
Place carrots, cucumber, onions and bean sprouts in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, chicken broth and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with pepper.

Pour the peanut sauce over the vegetables. Add cooked chicken and toss to coat.

Place a handful of spinach on top of each plate and top with 1 c. chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Lemon Pound Cake

What a delightful spring-time dessert this was! This is fairly easy to make and is very versatile. Serve it with berries or ice-cream, use left-overs for toast or French toast. This is one recipe you will want to make again and again!

serves 12 ( 5 points +)

• 6 T. butter
• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 325 and spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice in another bowl and set aside.

Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar in two additions beating until blended after each. Add the sour cream mixture and mix. Add half of the flour mixture and mix again. Stir in remaining flour mixture by hand.

Transfer dough to loaf pan. Bake 45-60 minutes or until lightly golden and springs back when touched.
Cool completely in pan.

adapted from the cookbook: "Eating in Color" by Frances Largeman-Roth

Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sausage

This dish is a little bit of work, but oh . so . satisfying! My little granddaughter, who is 20 months old, ate 3 bowls of this!
Risotto is a traditional Italian dish using Arborio rice, but I decided to use barley since I had it on hand. The flavor is nutty and hearty. 

serves 8 ( 1 c. = 7 points +)

• 4c. fat-free chicken broth
• 1/4 c. red wine
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 c. diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1-3/4 c. uncooked barley
• 3 hot turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

In a medium saucepan, combine 3-1/2 c. wine and tumeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to keep warm.

Heat a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Stir in barley. Cook for 3 minutes.

Using a 1/2 c. ladle, add broth mixture to barley, stirring occasionally. Allow each addition to be absorbed before adding more broth` 5-7 minutes.

In a large saute pan coated with nonstick spray, add sausage and break apart with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Remove sausage and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

Add squash to saute pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally 7-10 minutes. Ad remaining 1/2 c. broth to pan. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender. 

Add squash and sausage to pan and heat through. Stir in Parmesan cheese before serving.

Crab Cakes

serves 4 ( 1 crab cake with yogurt sauce = 4 points +)

Crab Cakes:

• 2 T. thinly sliced green onion
• 1/2 T. light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1tsp. fresh lemon juice
• black pepper to taste
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 c. Panko Japanese bread crumbs
• 8 oz. lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
• 1-1/2 T. canola oil

Sauce:

• 3 T. low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. dried dill

For crab cakes, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in pankp. Add crab meat; stir to combine. Let stand 10 minutes.

Divide crab mixture into 4 patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add oil.

Add patties to pan; cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden. Remove from pan and keep warm.

For sauce, whisk all ingredients together.  Serve sauce over crab patties.