VALENTINE'S DINNER . . . FOR FOUR

I can't remember the last time my husband and I went out for Valentine's Day. I think it was an early seating at some popular place more than 10 years ago. They'd clearly brought in extra tables and I was closer to the person next to me on the banquette than my husband across the table. So much for romance.

So now I prefer dinner at home with my best men. Purely for my own enjoyment I set the table with my china, linens, and the red dishes my Grandma gave me, make something special that everyone loves, and light the candles. We have a lovely time together eating and giving gifts (from me to the boys, from all the boys to me). For about 20 minutes. And then its time for swimming lessons. Ahh, the romance.

I like to think I'm inspiring my boys to create traditions with their families someday. That doing something special and doing it every year will sink in. That maybe they will be the occasion-creators in their families. If nothing else, I hope they will learn it is a joy to do things for others.

Owen's Valentine's Day dinner request was Diablo Shrimp, his all-time favorite meal and my good friend Heidi's creation. With a bit of post-heart-attack modification, it's a special treat for all of us.

Happy Heart Day! Please do what you need to keep your heart healthy so you can share your life with those you love.

Heidi's Diablo Shrimp

1/4 cup olive oil (Heidi's original recipe is 1/2 cup butter, which I assure you is divine. But olive oil is good too and the way it must be around here)
1 tbsp. garlic, minced (must be fresh, do not cheat and use jarred like I often advise)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio being my white of choice!)
1 lb. peeled devined uncooked shrimp (my boys love shrimp so much I often use 1.5 lbs.)
1 lb. linguini
thin slices of lemon
5 oz. fresh baby spinach
parmesan cheese

Combine olive oil/butter, garlic, and cayenne. Cook until garlic is soft. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Allow to cool a little. Cook pasta in the meantime and reserve some pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce.

Return oil and garlic to the heat and add the shrimp. Cook until nearly opaque, then add the spinach. Cook until heated through and wilted. Serve over the pasta with lemon slices and parmesan.

RECIPE: SPICY PEANUT SESAME NOODLES

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking
Serves 4-6

2 cups peanut butter (creamy, chunky, your choice)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. garlic puree or equivalent roughly chopped fresh garlic
3 serrano peppers, cut into pieces (more or less to your spice preference)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (divided)
2 tbsp. chili oil
1 cup brewed black tea
1 lb. lo mein or spaghetti noodles
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
Chopped cilantro

Start the pasta water. Blend peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppers, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Scrape into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup sesame oil, chili oil, and tea. Drain pasta, toss with 2 tsp. oil, and place in a large, shallow pasta bowl. Top with sauce and toss. Garnish with cucumber and cilantro.

We are having this with steamed broccoli on the side.

RECIPE: ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC

This will be my second attempt at a whole chicken. My first did not turn out (a crock pot recipe, and chicken is not a slam dunk in a crock pot). This is Joy of Cooking recipe, so I'm feeling pretty confident.

3 1/2-4 lb. chicken
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lemon
3 heads garlic, cloves separated by not peeled
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine

Rub the chicken with olive oil, then stir the herbs and spices together and rub all over the bird. Quarter the lemon and place inside the cavity. Put the chicken in a covered, oven-safe, stovetop-safe casserole (Yay! Get to use my Dutch oven!) and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 375. Add the garlic, stock, and wine to the casserole and bring to a boil on the stove top. Cover the casserole and roast for 25 minutes. Increase the oven temp to 450 and roast 35-60 minutes more, or until the chicken reaches 170 to 175 degrees.

Keep checking to make sure there is always some liquid in the pan; add more wine or stock if needed.

Remove the chicken and garlic from the casserole and skim the fat. If your pan juices are too watery or weak, boil down to concentrate. Peel 6 or more of the roasted garlic, mash, and add to the sauce. Boil sauce for one minute and then add fresh herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, or tarragon) if desired. Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Spoon pan sauce over and scatter the garlic cloves around it.

RECIPE: PESTO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

This is my invention, combining the Light and Tasty Pesto from the American Heart Association cookbook, with a roasted vegetable preparation from a Real Simple dish I made last week. Serves 6.

Pesto Sauce

4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed basil leaves (jam as many in there as you can, you want lots!)
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
1/4 chicken or vegetable stock (I used chicken stock for its almost-non-flavor. Veggie stock sometimes tastes pretty strong. Experiment and see what you like.)
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted in your oven for a few minutes at 350
1/4 cup grated or shredded good parmesan
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Vegetables

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sprigs thyme
a few grinds black pepper
veggies of your choice: I'm using red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, red onion, and cremini mushrooms
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

To make the sauce:
Put everything but the salt and pepper in your food processor and whirl until smooth. If the pesto is too thick (which would be surprising), add some more stock or water 1 tbsp at a time.

To roast the veggies:

Place the mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet and everything else on another rimmed sheet. (You don't want these together because the mushrooms release too much liquid.) Toss each with 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a sprig of thyme, and a few grinds of black pepper. Roast, rotating the sheets once, until tender and a little bit browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar and toss gently.

Toss sauce and veggies together with hot cooked linguine.

RECIPE: FISH TACOS

This recipe is from Ellie Krieger's excellent book The Food You Crave. You can find the original recipe on Food Network.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound white flaky fish fillet, like tilapia or halibut

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

Corn tortillas

Shredded Romaine lettuce

Corn kernels (thawed if frozen)

Fresh cilantro leaves

Whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with apaper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan. Flake the fish with a fork. Serve with lettuce, corn, cilantro, and chipotle sauce. I also usually offer Mexican cheese blend for the kids, since they don't use the sauce.

RECIPE: BEEF AND BROCCOLI

This is my mom's recipe. She first made it for us when Owen was in the hospital and she lived near us. She shopped and cooked and fed us for weeks. If she hadn't, I don't know what we would have eaten!

1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 pound beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed and cut into ½ thick inch slices

3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed with garlic press

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. olive oil

¾ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. Asian sesame oil.

Cut broccoli florets into 1 ½ inch pieces. Peel broccoli stems and cut into ¼ inch diagonal slices. In nonstick skillet, heat ½ inch water to boiling over medium heat; add broccoli and cook 3 minutes, uncovered, until tender-crisp. Drain broccoli and set aside. Dry skillet.

In bowl, toss beef with garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Add ½ tsp. olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture and cook 2 minutes until beef just loses its pink color, stirring quickly and frequently. Transfer beef to plate. Repeat with remaining ½ tsp. olive oil and beef mixture.

In cup, mix broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil until blended. Return beef to skillet and stir in cornstarch mixture; heat to boiling. Cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Nutritional Information: 245 calories (not including rice), 28 grams protein, 11 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat; 3 grams fiber, 57 mg. cholesterol, 1,010 mg. sodium

FABULOUS FUNGI

If you click the image you can see it larger. Thanks, Yale Heart Study.

I love this infographic shared by the Yale Heart Study this week. It makes parsing the heart-healthy diet rules much easier. Avoiding saturated fat is the easy part; remembering all the other rules is harder. (Though I'm pleased to report I'm doing very well in the red wine 1-2 glasses per day category.)

The whole section devoted to "cooked Asian mushrooms" was a new one for me, so I did some research. I always thought mushrooms were a tasty but nutritionally benign food; I didn't know they had health benefits like broccoli, kale, almonds, and salmon. What a fortuitous discovery for my heart-friendly cooking adventure!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN FETA RISOTTO

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1 onion, diced

1 cup pumpkin puree

3 cups baby spinach leaves

3.5 ounce package crumbled feta cheese (I used – gasp – reduced fat!)

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Arborio rice

The risotto is mild and creamy, so I served with shrimp
sauteed with olive oil and lots of garlic and cayenne.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until tender. Stir in rice, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing all the liquid to be absorbed before adding more broth. Continue cooking until the rice is tender to the tooth, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir the pumpkin and spinach into the risotto until spinach is wilted. Add feta and stir to just combine.

If using low-fat feta, this is just 3 grams of fat per serving, 2 saturated.

RECIPE: SZECHUAN STIR FRY

I've made this several times, varying the protein and veggies based on my mood or what we had around. Most recently I made it with tofu, which Scott tolerates and Owen actually likes. But it would be just as good with cooked chicken or shrimp. This is adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

Serves 4

1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (or in a jar, which is what I use)
1 tsp minced garlic (again, a jar!)
1 cup firm veggie of your choice (cauliflower, broccoli, baby corn)
4 cups sliced cabbage or greens of your choice (bok choy, red cabbage, even kale)
1/2 small onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black bean sauce or black bean paste
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp chili-garlic paste (adjust heat for your family's taste here!)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 1/2 oz package firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1/4 cup shredded peeled carrots
2 tbsp sliced green onions
Chinese egg noodles or rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the vegetables and onion and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until whatever leaves you are using are wilted. Combine the sauce ingredients (from stock to pepper, above) in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl and whisk. Add to the pan and boil, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and heat through, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve over noodles or rice and top with shredded carrots and scallions.

RECIPE: HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Serves 4

28 oz. can plum tomatoes, lightly drained

2-5 serrano peppers, depending on your spiciness preference, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 small yellow or white onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

Refried Black Beans (recipe below)

4 eggs

2 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

Tortilla chips*

 

To make sauce: place tomates, serranos, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the sauce (which will sizzle) and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bright orange-red and thickened. Add salt to taste.** The sauce can be made a day ahead.

To assemble: make the refried beans (recipe below), or reheat if made ahead. Put some beans on a plate and make a hollow for the eggs. Fry or scramble your eggs any way you like them. Add eggs and top with sauce and cheese. Serve chips on the side of the plate. 

Refried Black Beans

1 tsp. canola oil

14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and stir to coat with oil. Add cumin and oregano and stir and mash until heated through and the consistency you prefer. Add water or vegetable stock as needed to achieve desired creaminess. Add salt and pepper to taste (up to 1/2 tsp, but consider the whole plate as described above).

* To make this heart-healthy, either use baked chips, warm corn tortillas, or just skip the chips altogether. You could skip the cheese too, though in small amounts feta is not that bad for you.

**I had to add almost a 1/2 tsp. of salt, but check the saltiness of your chips before seasoning your sauce. I have had the overall dish turn out too salty because I made the sauce "just right" and didn't consider the chips.

RECIPE: RIGATONI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH

This is adapted from a recipe I saw made on Guy Fieri's show on Food Network. Every time I go to Exercare (for phase III of cardiac rehab), Food Network is playing on the TVs. This is amusing to me, as I've watched demonstrations of gruyere-bacon-potato tortes, ground pork lau lau, and all manner of desserts, sauces, and roasts that I can't eat. But this one looked like it was healthy and tasty, and it was. Thanks Guy.

Serves 8

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets*

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 bunch fresh spinach (about 3 cups)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (best quality)

3 tablespoons capers, with 1 tablespoon juice

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound rigatoni

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil over medium heat, then add the cauliflower. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan, and saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute. Remove the cauliflower from water with a large strainer and add it to the pan with the garlic-red pepper mixture. Saute until starting to brown (it took mine about 10 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the stock, add in the spinach, cover and let wilt for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and capers with juice and reduce the heat. Remove the cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Return the cauliflower water to boil, adding more water, if necessary, to cook the pasta. Add the pasta add cook to al dente. Remove the pasta from the water and add it to the pan with the sauce, adding a little pasta water, if needed.** Serve immediately with a little parmesan cheese, if desired.

* Before you dismiss this recipe because you don't like cauliflower, know that pan-roasted cauliflower like this is nutty, sweet, and perfectly tender-crunchy. Absolutely delicious. Trust me on this one.

** To facilitate freezing the leftover sauce separately, just add a little more stock to your sauce to make it saucier, and then sauce each plate of pasta individually instead of tossing all together. One serving of sauce has just 83 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, and 0.5 saturated.

RECIPE: SMOTHERED SALMON

I hate salmon. I know I'm supposed to like it, I know it is good for me, and I know that if it is fresh and prepared well it tastes good. But I still hate it.

So, I went looking for a salmon recipe that I could literally smother with other flavors so I could choke it down and get my omega-3s. I found one that I actually liked and Scott and Owen did too. (My picky Noah, not so much, but he's not really my arbiter of what makes a good recipe.) If you put a spice paste and Dijon and caramelized onions on anything, I'll probably like it.

I adapted this from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. Serves 2 (but it was enough for 3 of us).

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

1 white onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine the black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to make a paste. Spread the paste all over the salmon fillets and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake until cooked through, between 10-20 minutes. (Note that your onions, below, may not be done that quickly, so you might want to wait until the onions are a quarter or halfway done to put the salmon in the oven).

Heat the olive oil over low heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until caramelized (very tender and dark brown). This can take up to 20 minutes. Add some water, apple cider, or stock if the pan is drying out and to speed the process a bit.

Serve caramelized onions over the baked salmon. I would serve this with brown rice, a whole grain-based pilaf, or quinoa, and steamed broccoli.

RECIPE: TACO NIGHT

Everyone knows how to make tacos and likes them their way, but I just wanted to share a couple yummy recipes to accompany and garnish your tacos.

I make my taco meat using the Joy of Cooking recipe, or, if I don't have time, Frontera Grill Taco Sauce (you can find it near the other sauce packets). It is really tasty and if you read the ingredients, it passes the "whole foods" test - it has less than five ingredients you can pronounce. You can't really say that about the powdered packets.

We like Organic Valley's reduced fat Monterey Jack (an exception to my "no substitutions" stance regarding cheese), shredded romaine lettuce, avocado, red onion, pickled jalepenos, heated-up frozen corn kernels, cilantro, and Salsa Lisa (hot) on our tacos, as well as this yummy spicy cream sauce.

Chipotle Cream

1 tablespoon (or more or less depending on your heat preference) of finely minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
About 1/3 to 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat or regular mayonnaise

Jen's Easy Black Beans

These are the beans I serve on the side on taco night, but that sub for the taco meat on mine.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

Mix it up and warm up in the microwave. That's it!

* If you open a can of chipotles for this you will use less than a quarter of the can each time. So pack the remainder up in a small container and freeze them. Next time you want make this sauce (also great for fish tacos and squash quesadillas), just scoop out one or two peppers with a fork and mince them while still frozen. Once mixed with the yogurt and mayo they'll thaw in time for dinner. 

RECIPE: TURKEY MEATBALLS IN SPICY MARINARA

This is from Ellie Krieger's book "The Food You Crave," and also found on Food Network.

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey meat

1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included

1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce, or more to taste (I actually used less, for mass appeal)

2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Salt

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

First, make the meatballs. Mix all ingredients together and form into 2.5 inch meatballs (this is is a big meatball!). Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned on the outside and nearly cooked through (but not all the way).

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent (about 3 minutes) then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the basil and correct seasonings to taste. (I also blended the sauce a bit with my immersion blender, because I like marinara sauce to be smooth and all ingredients of even size, not chunky. But that's up to you!)

Add the almost-done meatballs to the sauce and simmer another 10 minutes until meatballs are completely cooked and have soaked up some of the sauce.

Serve over whole wheat pasta (I'm partial to Barilla Pasta Plus) with some parmesan on top. A serving is 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, and 2 big meatballs. You will be full. Total fat 10.5 grams, saturated 3 grams.

RECIPE: MUSHROOM AND RED WINE SAUCE

Best over papparadelle, fettucini, or rigatoni, this sauce recipe is from the Joy of Cooking. I also think it would be great over chicken, or of course, a steak.

I was just reading through recipes, looking for a different kind of pasta sauce, and noticed that these ingredients mean it is easily heart-healthy. This one takes a while - give yourself a good hour plus to finish it. Not really an after-work, weeknight meal!

1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
Zest of 1/2 lemon
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped small
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used some regular button and some baby portobellos)
1 clove garlic, mincd
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken (or vegetable stock if you are vegetarian, though I'd try to find a mushroom stock if you can; the advantage of chicken stock is its nearly non-flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups of hot water for at least 20 minutes. Scoop out the mushrooms (don't dump the soaking water!) and rinse and drain. Set aside. Strain the soaking water in a colander lined with paper towels and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, lemon zest, and sage and cook until the onions are soft. Add the porcinis and the fresh mushrooms, and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown (its okay if some are stuck to the pan). Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the soaking liquid and bring to a fast simmer. Reduce until the mushrooms are glazed. Add the wine and reduce again to a glaze. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and serve over pasta with parmesan.

If this serves 4 people, I estimate 7 grams total fat, only 1 saturated (not counting the little bit in the parmesan).

RECIPE: CHICKEN FINGERS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

From the American Heart AssociationServes 4

I bought this little American Heart Association kids cookbook because Owen likes to cook with me. We made the chicken fingers and I probably loved them more than either Owen or Noah did. I guess they are just one of those kid foods I never outgrew. But, Scott liked them too, so you can confidently embrace your inner child and enjoy, for only 3 grams (and 1 gram of saturated fat) per serving.

1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 lb chicken tenders, all visible fat removed
Vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all fruit raspberry jam or preserves
2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Place chicken and yogurt in a bowl and stir to coat. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix cornmeal, breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan, paprika, basil, garlic powder, and salt in another shallow dish or bowl. Dip chicken into the coating mixture, turning over and patting to coat (push off excess yogurt with your fingers first). Arrange in a single layer and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is done through and coating is crisp. For sauce, mix up jam, mayo, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

RECIPE: LIGHTER MAC & CHEESE

From Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 8

Sounds weird, is good. Trust me. The sweet nuttiness of the squash combines with the salty, tangy cheeses to create a great approximation of cheddar Bechamel, but with only 6 grams of saturated fat for a really generous serving (vs. 36 grams for the real stuff). I've had other squash mac-and-cheese dishes and this one is the best one I've tasted so far.

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about a 1 lb. squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups skim milk

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

5 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese

4 ounces grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 ounce finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 pound uncooked cavatappi

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil*

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
 

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender and add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape) and place a towel over the opening. Blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375°. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine oil and breadcrumbs and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

*Next time I make this I'm going to try half olive oil, half truffle oil.

RECIPE: ROASTED TOMATO SPAGHETTI

Serves 4 hearty eaters, with a bit left for you for lunch the next day
Adapted from Real Simple magazine

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp crushed garlic (from a jar)
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 12)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound spaghetti (I use Barilla Pasta Plus, for more protein and omega-3s.)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat oven to 450° F. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet or baking pan over low heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic, olives, anchovy paste, crushed red pepper, and oregano.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Remove from heat, pour the tomatoes over the top, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Transfer to oven and roast for 20 minutes until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the onions are soft. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Transfer the roasted tomato mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse once or twice to your desired consistency.Toss with the spaghetti and parsley. 

Variation I'm going to try: This robust sauce, similar to puttanesca, would stand up well to tuna. I'm going to add some next time to get in another fish serving and up the omega-3s even more. 

Nutritional Information

Calories   639 ;   Calories From Fat   141 ;   Fat   16g ;   Sat Fat   2g ;   Cholesterol   0mg ;   Sodium   853mg ;   Protein   19g ;   Carbohydrate   105g ;   Sugar   15g ;   Fiber   8g ;   Iron   5mg ;   Calcium   114mg