Orange-Almond Salad
2 navel oranges, peeled and separated into sections
½ cup thinly sliced celery
2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
¼ cup Splenda (or sugar)
2 tsp. canola oil
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
Combine greens with celery, green onion, and orange slices in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine vinegar, Splenda (sugar), and canola oil in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk until well blended. Drizzle dressing mixture evenly over greens mixture. Toss gently to coat.
To serve, place 1 cup salad green mixture on a serving late and garnish with 1 tablespoon toasted almonds over top of salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Per serving: calories 123, total fat 7 g; sat fat 0.6 g, cholesterol 0 mg., carbohydrate 16 g, fiber 5.3 g, protein 3 g, sodium 25 mg.
Rosemary Salmon with Fettuccine and Mushrooms
1 pound salmon
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
Combine canola oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Brush onto fish. Broil 12 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. Serve with Fettuccine and Mushrooms. Serves 4.
Here’s another “special occasion” option for entrée:
Fettuccine and Mushrooms
3 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
8 oz. whole-wheat fettuccine or spaghetti
½ cup (1 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh herbs such as basil or rosemary, or a combination, divided
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for cooking pasta. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9-11 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Add the pasta, reserved cooking liquid, Parmesean, and ¼ cup chopped herbs to the mushrooms in the skillet; toss to coat well. Plate ½ cup servings immediately with 4 oz. Rosemary Salmon. Garnish with remaining herbs. Yeild: 4 servings.
Grilled Steak with Skillet-Seared Tomatoes
¾ tsp. salt, divided
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, minced and divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
½ tsp. sugar or Splenda (optional)
½ cup shredded part skim Mozzarella cheese
Mix ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tsp. pepper, along with half of the minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub the steak evenly with the pepper-garlic mixture. (This can be done several hours ahead and refrigerated, or just before cooking). Preheat broiler and place steak in broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. Set aside and keep warm. Note: steak can be also cooked on outside grill.
Heat a 12 inch heavy stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add oil. Arrange tomatoes, cut-side down in the pan and cook, uncovered, until just tender and the undersides are darkened, 10 minutes or so. Mix the parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn each tomato cut-side up. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle each tomato lightly with Splenda or sugar, if using, salt and pepper, followed by equal portions of the parsley mixture and a light sprinkle of cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with 4 oz. serving of steak.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
2 pints fresh strawberries, stems intact
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate (such a Nestle’s chocolate chips)
1 tsp. canola oil
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Wipe the strawberries clean and dry them well with paper towels. Melt the chocolate with the oil over a double boiler. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat. Hold a strawberry by its green top and dip it ¾ of the way into the melted chocolate. Lift it out of the chocolate, let the excess chocolate run off, and set the berry on one of the lined baking sheets. Repeat this for all of the strawberries. To harden the chocolate, chill the strawberries for about an hour before serving. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Yield: 36 strawberries.
Per serving: calories 39, total fat 2 g, sat fat 1 g, carbohydrates 6 g, protein 0 g, fiber 1 g, sodium 1 mg.
Hot Fudge Cake
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla extract.
Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa; sprinkle over cake batter. Pour water over batter (do not stir). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings
Per serving: calories 172 (3 % from fat); total fat 0.5 g, protein 2.2 g; carb 40.3 g, chol 0 mg, sodium 63 mg; fiber 0.3 g.