wilkes

Sloppy Garden Joes

Serves: 8

Not just for the lunchroom anymore. These Sloppy Joes are given an extra boost with some surprise ingredients. Reprinted with permission by Public Health - Seattle & King County

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 (8oz.) can mushrooms
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
pepper to taste
8 whole wheat buns

DIRECTIONS
1. Sauté onions, carrot, green pepper and ground turkey or chicken in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, barbecue sauce and seasonings and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until thick.
5. Serve on toasted or plain buns.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 429
Fat: 11.3 g
Carbohydrates: 63 g
Protein: 22.9 g

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey-Yogurt Dressing

Serves: 6

The dressing makes the fruit an extra-sweet treat.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large seedless oranges, peeled, sliced, and halved
1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced, and cut into wedges
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 ripe pear, cored and sliced into wedges
1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and cinnamon. Stir well to blend ingredients.
2. Arrange fruit on plates and drizzle the honey-yogurt dressing on top.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 135
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 31 g
Protein: 3 g

Baked Pumpkin

Directions:

* Simply take your pumpkin-pie pumpkin and split it vertically in half (from the stem at the top, to the center point at the bottom.
* Scoop out all the seeds and loose fibers in the middle of each pumpkin half
* In an oven-safe pan or pyrex dish an inch or two deep and large enough to hold the two halves of the pumpkin, place 1/2" of warm tap water.
* Now, invert the pumpkin halves in the water (i.e., center of pumpkin facing down in pan)
* Place in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F.
* Bake for 35-40 minutes - when ready, a fork or knife should easily slide through the pumpkin.
* Remove from oven.
* Carefully (remember, this pumpkin is hot!) use a spoon to scrape the fleshy inside of the pumpkin away from the very thin rind, and place this onto serving plates or into a bowl for serving.
* Suggested topping: upon serving, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over each portion served, and perhaps a bit of granulated Splenda (or sugar / brown-sugar if you don't mind the calories or don't watch your sugar intake).


Nutrition:
With the baked pumpkin being so mild on its own, the slight accent of cinnamon and a sweetener should remind you just a bit of a pumpkin pie. And, when it comes to health, you can't get much better than the nutrition of cooked pumpkin (check out that link - it is a really useful nutritional analysis site), which for every half-pound of cooked / baked pumpkin yields:

* only 50 calories per 1/4 Kilogram (half-pound) serving - the entire prepared pumpkin likely won't exceed 150 calories, and it is quite filling
* nearly 250% of your RDA of Vitamin-A, much of that as Beta-Carotene
* nearly 3 grams of fiber
* essentially zero sodium
* roughly 20% of RDA of Vitamin-C
* a bit of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acides
* about 8% of your Iron, and 4% of your daily Calcium recommendations
* A super-low glycemic-Load of only 4 (in a range that goes up to 75 or 80)!

Beef Fajitas
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
12 ounces beef sirloin, select grade, cut into
strips 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long
1 red onion, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
4 whole-wheat tortillas, about 8 inches in diameter,
warmed in the microwave
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup salsa
In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, oregano, paprika,
garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dredge the sirloin pieces in the
seasonings, coating completely.
In a nonstick frying pan, cook the sirloin strips over medium
heat until slightly pink, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and
green pepper strips and saute until the vegetables are tender,
about 5 minutes.
To serve, spread an equal amount of the meat and vegetable
mixture on each tortilla. Top each with 1 tablespoon cheese,
1/4 of the diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup shredded lettuce and 2
tablespoons salsa. Fold both sides of each tortilla up over the
filling, and then roll to close. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
Serving size: 1 fajita
Calories 307 Cholesterol 51 mg
Protein 34 g Sodium 494 mg
Carbohydrate 32 g Fiber 11 g
Total fat 7 g Potassium 658 mg
Saturated fat 3 g Calcium 124 mg

Greek Wrap
Ingredients:
2 cups cubed cooked Rotisserie Chicken
1 pkg of Chicken & Herb rice (prepared as directed)
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 small can (2-1/4 oz) of sliced black olives, drained
1 package (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
3 large soft flour tortillas
Directions:
Combine chicken, rice, onion, cheese and dressing in a large bowl; fill each
pita with 1 cup of mixture. Wrap and serve,
Makes 6 servings.
For snacks cut in half or thirds

I have switched from sandwiches to wraps so always looking for new ideas there!!
Today I used lean deli turkey with low fat cream cheese and a few slices of cucumber with sprouts all in a large tortilla. MMM!!
I have also used grilled chicken tenders with peppers and onions and just a tiny bit of low sodium teryaki sauce all topped off with shredded lettuce and wrapped.

Garden Style Turkey Loaf
1-1/2 pounds lean ground turkey breast
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 egg whites or 1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine all ingredients,
mixing lightly but thoroughly.
In 13 x 9-inch baking pan or on rack of broiler pan,
shape turkey mixture into 9 x 5-inch loaf.
Bake 1 hour or until thermometer registers 170°F
and center is no longer pink. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Variations:
Lean ground beef may be substituted for ground turkey breast.
Proceed with recipe. Bake 50 to 55 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness,
until not pink in center and juices show no pink color.
One-half cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper may
be substituted for spinach.
Recipe Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
Nutrition Information: Calories: 150, Calories from Fat: 20,
Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: .5g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 105mg,
Total Carbohydrates: 11g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Protein: 24g

Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a cookie sheet w/ cooking spray.
Mix the peanut butter, Splenda, and egg all together.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. (The original recipe says you get 20 half-dollar-sized cookies,
but I usually get more like 12-14.)
Dip a fork in more Splenda and flatten the cookies crossways,
like you do the usual peanut-butter cookie.
Bake 9-10 minutes.
Divide the number of cookies by the number of carbs in
the peanut butter to get a count per cookie.

Taters & Bacon
8 servings
16 ozs frozen hash browns, thawed
12 ozs fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 c onions, chopped
1/2 c egg whites, slightly beaten
3 ozs low-fat bacon, cooked and crumbled(turkey is ok)
1 tsp salt
2 ozs monterey jack cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 8" square dish with
cooking spray. Layer hash browns, onions, cheese, and
bacon; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, egg
whites, and salt. Mix well. Pour evenly over ingredients
in dish. Cover and bake for one hour. Uncover and bake
additional five minutes.
Nutritional Analysis per serving (8 servings total)
Calories148 Total Fat4 g
%CFF26 % Cholesterol14 mg
Protein9 g Sodium547 mg
Carbohydrates18 g Fiber0.8 g

Minestrone Soup
(From Betty Crocker)

1 can whole peeled tomatoes, un-drained
1 can great northern beans, un-drained
1 can kidney beans, un-drained
1 can whole kernel corn, un-drained
½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti noodles
1 ¼ cup water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in a 4 quart Dutch oven, breaking up tomatoes. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally until macaroni is tender. Serve with Cheese. Serves 6.

Chicken Penne a la Marengo
(From Betty Crocker)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can chicken broth
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 medium bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can sliced olives

Spray skillet with baking spray. Heat over medium high heat, cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side stirring frequently until brown. Stir broth into chicken. Heat to a boiling. Stir in pasta and bell pepper. Heat to a boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and paste. Cook uncovered 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Make sure chicken is no longer pink in the middle and pasta is tender. Stir in olives. Serves 4.

California Chicken Bake

2 cups fat free shredded taco cheese
¾ cup uncooked regular long grain rice
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 cup salsa
1 cup water
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ¼ pound

Heat oven to 350. Spray rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Reserve ½ cup cheese, Mix remaining cheese, rice, cilantro, salsa and water in a large bowl. Spread evenly into the baking dish. Arrange chicken on rice mixture. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 4


Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 bag (16 oz.) frozen vegetables with broccoli, carrots & cauliflower
1 pkg. (14 oz.) Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Made With 2% Milk
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 can (12 oz.) or 2 cans (6 oz. each) white tuna in water, drained
1 cup 2% Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Place vegetables in colander in sink. Cook Macaroni as directed on package. Pour over vegetables in colander to drain and quickly thaw vegetables. RETURN macaroni and vegetables to same saucepan. Add Cheese Sauce, milk and dressing; mix well. Add tuna and 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese; mix well. Spoon into 2-qt. round casserole dish; cover with foil. BAKE 35 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake an additional 3 to 4 min. or until cheese is melted.

Pineapple Pie

1 can crushed pineapple
1 low fat graham cracker crust
1 16 oz container of fat free sour cream
1 large box of vanilla pudding mix

Drain pineapple. Add sour cream. Make pudding as directed on the box for pie filling using fat free milk. Mix sour cream mixture with pudding mixture. Pour into crust. Let set overnight. Makes about 8 servings.

Southwestern Chicken Skillet

1 Tbsp. oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
1/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk or Free Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 4 min. on each side or until cooked through (170°F).

REMOVE chicken from skillet; set aside. Add 2 cups water, the salsa and corn to skillet; mix well. Bring to boil.

STIR in rice. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 5 min. Top rice mixture with the chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Cover; simmer an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Baked Basil Fries

¼ cup grated parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
4 medium red potatoes

In a bowl, combine spices and oil. Cut potatoes into French fries. Add to cheese mixture and toss to coat. Place in a 15 x 10 baking pan coated with non stick cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, turn potatoes. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until crisp and tender. Makes 4 servings.

Cheddar Ham & Mac Casserole

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cubed OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup KRAFT Free Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare Mac and Cheese as directed on package using fat free milk and low fat butter. Add peas, ham and milk; mix well. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 min. or until heated through.

Herbed Egg White and Spinach Omelet
If you're watching your cholesterol, you may need to limit your intake of dietary cholesterol, of which eggs are a notorious source. While you undoubtedly lose some flavor intaking out the yolks, you can add flavor to an egg white omelet in many ways. Here's a nice herbed egg white and spinach omelet, which makes a perfect light breakfast or lunch.
Enjoy this egg white omelet with a dollop of salsa on the side or a slice or two of whole-grain toast.
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon nonfat milk
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar or grated parmesan
Combine egg whites, milk and herbs in a small bowl.
Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray.
Heat the skillet on medium to low heat.
Add chopped spinach.
As it wilts, pour egg white mixture over the spinach
and allow to set around the edges.
As the edges set, lift them gently with a spatula and tip the skillet to allow remaining liquid underneath. When the egg whites are set, sprinkle the cheese on top, then fold the omelet in half. Serve immediately.
Serves 1
Calories: 81, Calories from Fat 14, Total Fat 1.6g (sat 0.9g),
Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 249mg, Carbohydrate 3.4g, Fiber 1g,
Protein 13.4g

WEIGHT WATCHERS CHICKEN CACCIATORE
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can reduced-sodium whole tomatoes in juice
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried basil or 3-4 fresh leaves
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken breasts and sauté on both sides for a total of 6 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Add the red pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet.
Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, and basil.
Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.

MY EGG DROP SOUP

You can eat all of this you want.

1 package chicken thighs & legs
Place in large cooking pot and cover with water
Sprinkle to cover water (will float on top)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Any type of chicken seasoning you like - I use McCormick Rotisserie
Chicken Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cook chicken slowly until done - remove from pot and debone
Add: Sliced Mushrooms, Asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
you can also use broccoli
I only cook the vegies for a short time - I like them crunchy
In a small bowl - beat 2-4 eggs very well
Slowly, while pot is gently boiling, stir in the eggs being careful to pour eggs in a little bit at a time and stirring - will make little egg like dumplings
After all egg mixture is in, replace deboned chicken

So Good - Enjoy

Lite n Luscious Sorbet

Ingredients


2 cups Ocean Spray Light Cran-Grape
grape cranberry juice drink
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin


Method


Pour 1/4 cup grape cranberry juice drink into a medium glass mixing bowl.
Sprinkle gelatin over juice drink; let sit for about 2 minutes to allow the
gelatin to soften. Microwave on High for 40 seconds or until warm. Do not
boil.
Stir until gelatin is completely disolved. Stir in remaining juice.
Pour into a 9- by 9-inch non-metal pan and freeze. Stir occasionally. Freeze
just until firm, about 3 hours.
Remove from freezer and cut into small pieces. Place frozen pieces in a food
processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Return to pan. Cover and
freeze until firm.
Remove from freezer just prior to serving. Scoop into serving bowls.
This recipe yields 4 servings. Serving size: 1 cup.
Exchanges Per Serving: 1/2 Fruit.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 23; Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 5g; Proteins 0g.

Yield


4 Servings

Cauliflower Popcorn - Roasted Cauliflower

Based on the recipe by Bob Blumer from the "Surreal Gourmet Bites"
cookbook. This simple carmelization method transforms this much
maligned veggie into a knock-your-socks off side dish or sweet snack
that you won't be able to get enough of!


4 servings

1¼ hours 10 min prep

1 head cauliflower or equal amount of pre-cut commercially prepped
cauliflower
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Trim the head of cauliflower, discarding the core and thick stems;
cut florets into pieces about the size of ping-pong balls.
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and salt, whisk, then add the
cauliflower pieces and toss thoroughly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup (you can skip
that, if you don't have any) then spread the cauliflower pieces on
the sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning 3 or 4 times, until most of
each piece has turned golden brown.
(The browner the cauliflower pieces turn, the more caramelization
occurs and the sweeter they'll taste).
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calculated for 1 serving (158g)
Recipe makes 4 servings

Calories 155
Calories from Fat 122 (79%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 13.6g 20%
Saturated Fat 1.9g 9%
Polyunsat. Fat 1.6g
Monounsat. Fat 9.9g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 624mg 26%
Potassium 435mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 7.6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3.6g 14%
Sugars 3.5g
Protein 2.8g 5%
Vitamin A 18mcg 0%
Vitamin B6 0.3mg 15%
Vitamin B12 0.0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 66mg 111%
Vitamin E 1mcg 5%
Calcium 32mg 3%
Magnesium 21mg 5%
Iron 0mg 3%

Sticky Chicken Strips


Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4

"Chicken tenders are baked in a sweet, sticky sauce. Great for
parties and picnics."


Ingredients
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins or strips
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/4 cup white wine
1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste

Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Arrange chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. In a medium bowl
combine water, soy sauce, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and wine.
Pour over chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder.
Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until sauce is hot and bubbly.
Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an
additional 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce is thick and sticky, basting
repeatedly.

Nutrition Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 280
Calories from Fat: 50
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 130mg
Sodium: 1940mg
Total Carbs: 3g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 49g

http://splenda.allrecipes.c...

A great tasting, low fat way to prepare chicken:

1 package whole wheat pitas (or white if you can't handle whole wheat)
1 lb. boneless breasts, cut into bite size pieces
Season salt (I like Lawry's or Adolph's)
black pepper
1 green pepper
1 small onion
If you want, add red/yellow peppers too!

Cook the chicken in a dab of olive oil in a skillet
add chopped onion and peppers
season to your liking
Cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender

Spoon into whole wheat pita bread (cut them in half and spoon into the pocket)
Sprinkle on a little low fat shredded cheese, fresh tomatoes, and lettuce if you like.