"SPINACH ARTICHOKE CALZONES"

From Rachael Ray's Classic 30-Minute Meals

2 cups low-moisture part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 can (15 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tubes prepared, refrigerated pizza dough (10 oz. each)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups tomato, marinara or pizza sauce, warmed, for dipping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine ricotta, nutmeg, black pepper, Parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic in a bowl to make the filling.

Roll both tubes of pizza dough out on 2 separate non-stick cookie sheets and cut each dough in half across.  Spread 1/2 cup mozzarella and up to 1/4 of the filling over half of each rectangle, then fold dough over top of filling; pinch edges firmly to seal.  For a half-moon, pizza parlor look, mound filling into a half-moon shape, fold dough over top, and trim edges following the rounded shape, then seal by pinching with fingers.  If dough tears, remove a little of the filling and repair.  Repeat process, spacing calzones evenly on a baking sheet, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.  Serve with warm tomato, marinara or pizza sauce for dunking.  YIELD:  4 servings

"BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD"

From Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper hot sauce (or other hot sauce) plus more to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 heart of romaine, cut across into 1-inch strips (about 8 cups)
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
2 scallions (green part only), thinly sliced
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe follows)

Preheat the broiler.

Pound the chicken to an even thickness, then cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips.  In a large bowl, combine the hot sauce and oil, add the chicken and toss until it is well coated.  Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and broil until it is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total, turning once.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, celery, carrots and scallions and toss with the dressing.  Divide the greens between 4 plates and top with the warm chicken.  Serve with extra hot sauce on the side.  YIELD:  4 servings

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
salt and freshly ground peppe to taste

Fold a full sheet of paper towel lined into quarters and put it into a small strainer.  Spoon the yogurt onto the paper towel and place over a bowl in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to drain and thicken.

In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and thickened yogurt into the mayo until smooth.  Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to whisk until well combined.  Stir in the blue cheese and season with salt and pepper.  YIELD:  3/4 cup, 6 servings, serving size 2 tablespoons per person

"10 GRAB-AND-GO HEALTHY BREAKFASTS"

From Ellie Krieger

1. Peanut butter on whole-wheat English muffin w/ sliced banana and drizzle of honey

2. A snack bag filled with dried cereal, walnuts and dried cherries

3. A hard-boiled egg (made ahead), tangerine and a handful of whole-grain crackers

4. A stick of part-skim mozzarella cheese, a chunk of whole-grain baguette and some grapes

5. A whole-wheat tortilla sprinkled with reduced-fat cheddar, topped with slices of green apple and rolled up

6. A whole-wheat pita stuffed with lowfat cottage cheese and sliced peaches or blueberries with a drizzle of honey

7. Some smoked salmon, a slice of tomato and a little whipped cream cheese on pumpernickel bread

8.  A single-serving container of lowfat yogurt and a banana

9. A whole-grain frozen waffle, toasted and spread with peanut butter and some unsweetened applesauce

10. Two pieces of whole-grain crisp bread with soft goat cheese and topped with sliced strawberries.

"TURKEY PITA BURGERS"

1 medium red onion, half sliced, half chopped
1 large tomato, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oil
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
3/4 tablespoon dill weed
4 pita breads

In a 12 to 14-inch non-stick pan, combined chopped onion, cumin seeds and oil.  Stir often over medium heat until onion is limp, about 7 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.  Let cool slightly then mix with turkey, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper.  Shape mixture into 4 patties.

Place patties in the pan and cook over medium high heat to brown both sides, about 6 minutes total, turning once.  Drain and discard any fat; then add 1/8 cup water and 1/8 cup vinegar.  Reduce heat and simmer until patties are no longer pink in center.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, 1/8 cup white wine vinegar, 3/4 tablespoon dill weed and dash of salt.  Wrap pita breads in foil and place in a 250 degree oven until hot, about 15 minutes.  Serve turkey patties in pitas with tomato slices, onions, cucumbers and yogurt sauce.  YIELD:  4 servings

"TURKEY CUTLETS w/ CRANBERRY CURRANT SAUCE"

8 pieces turkey cutlets (about 3 oz. each)
1 tablespoon oil
2/3 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced chives

Pound turkey cutlets to 1/4 inch thick.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add turkey cutlets in a single layer.  Cook briefly on each side, just until cooked through.  

Sauce:  In a small saucepan, heat the currant jelly, cream, turkey or chicken stock, and dried cranberries and cook until thickened and syrupy.  Then add the horseradish and mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour over turkey slices, garnish with minced chives and serve.  YIELD:  4 servings

**You can freeze this - after cooking turkey and sauce, let cool, put turkey in container and pour sauce over.  Cover and store in freezer.  When ready to eat, thaw and re-heat.

"CHINESE CHICKEN with PEPPERS AND PINEAPPLE"

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
2 cups celery, chopped diagonally
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
white or brown rice, for serving

Cut chicken into strips.

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Heat over medium-high heat and saute chicken strips just until browned lightly.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Combine bell peppers, celery and onion and saute in skillet the chicken was cooked in.  Add chicken broth, brown sugar, 5-spice powder and garlic, then cover and cook for 2 minutes; uncover, and cook, stirring often until almost all of the liquid is evaporated.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice.  Mix juice with soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch, making sure to dissolve cornstarch.  Stir into vegetables in skillet, along with the pineapple and cooked chicken strips.  Cook over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Serve over white or brown rice.  YIELD:  4 servings

If you want to freeze this, let cool and place in container.  When ready to eat, thaw then microwave or heat on stovetop on medium setting, stirring occasionally just until heated through.

"PESTO CHICKEN PASTA"

linguine (regular or whole wheat)
pesto
grilled or roasted chicken, sliced
canned stewed tomatoes

Cook pasta and drain stewed tomatoes.  Mix hot pasta, pesto, chicken and tomatoes and serve.

"RITZY CHICKEN NUGGETS"

From Nigella Lawson

2 big chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup cracker crumbs (recommended: Ritz crackers)

Pound the chicken breasts until they are thin, then slice into about 6 to 8 slices.  Put the slices into a freezer bag with the buttermilk and leave in the refrigerator to marinate for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to cook them, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Tip the cracker crumbs into a wide shallow bowl, and then shake off the excess buttermilk from the nuggets and dip them in the crumbs.  Coat them well before laying them on a lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

**They can be frozen once marinated and crumbed.  If cooking from frozen, add 5 minutes to the oven cooking time.

**You can also cook them, let cool, then freeze and re-heat just like you would store-bought nuggets.

"BARBECUED KOREAN CHICKEN"

From Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes

2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
4 medium cloves garlic, crushed
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
dash of freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place chicken thighs in a ziploc bag.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, mustard, ginger and black pepper.  Seal the bag and gently shake to combine ingredients.  Marinate at least 15 minutes, turn the bag over, and marinate at least 15 minutes longer.  You can marinate up to a day before also.

Remove chicken from marinade and reserve marinade.  Pat chicken dry with a paper towel.  Place on grill or under a broiler.  Barbecue until done.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  YIELD:  6 servings

**White vinegar diluted with a little water can be used instead of rice wine vinegar.

"WALDORF WRAP"

From Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes

1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons broken walnut pieces
1 small red apple, cored and cut into quarters (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 10-inch whole wheat tortillas
1/4 pound cooked, boneless skinless chicken strips

Mix mayo and lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Coarsely chop the walnuts, apple quarters and celery in a food processor or by hand.  Add to the bowl.  Toss well.  Place tortillas on a countertop and spread the apple mixture evenly over them.  Place the chicken strips on top.  Fold in the ends and roll up each tortilla lengthwise to make the wrap.  Cut them in half and place on two plates.  YIELD:  2 servings

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES w/ LEMONY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING"

From Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the frosting:

4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese), softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together both flours, the baking soda, salt and spices.  In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined.  Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.  Frost the cooled cupcakes.  The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator where they will keep for about 3 days.  YIELD:  12 cupcakes

HONEY MUSTARD TURKEY ROLL-UPS

From Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
8 slices turkey breast (about 8 oz.)
2 large red-leaf lettuce leaves, spine removed and each leaf torn into 4 pieces
1/4 large English cucumber, seeded and cut into 3-inch-long sticks
1/4 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
8 large basil leaves

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and honey until well combined.

Lay a slice of turkey on a plate or cutting board.  Spread 1/2 teaspoon of the honey-mustard along the turkey about  2 inches from the end of the slice.  Place a piece of lettuce on top of that, then a couple of sticks of cucumber and slices of red pepper.  Top with a basil leaf and roll it all up in the turkey.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  These may be prepared several hours in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.  YIELD:  8 roll-ups, 2 per person