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Vegetable Samosas with Mint Chutney

2 points

This looks a lot like the curried vegetable samosas recipe, but uses phyllo dough instead.  I’ll have to compare and decide which one I like better.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 samosas and 1 1/2 teaspoons chutney)

CHUTNEY:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt

SAMOSAS:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup shredded carrot
2/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
8 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare chutney, combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process 1 minute or until smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

3. To prepare samosas, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas, mustard seeds, garam masala, and salt; cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes; remove from heat.

4. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, cut each sheet lengthwise into 3 (3 x 14-inch) strips, and coat with cooking spray. (Cover remaining phyllo dough to keep from drying.) Spoon 1 tablespoon potato mixture onto 1 end of each strip. Fold 1 corner of phyllo dough over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Place triangles, seam sides down, on a baking sheet. Brush triangles with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with chutney.


CALORIES 89 ; FAT 3.6g (sat 0.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.5g); CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 21mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13g; SODIUM 217mg; PROTEIN 2.2g; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 0.9mg

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Lemon-Splashed Shrimp Salad

5 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

8 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked rotini (corkscrew pasta)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/2 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta to pan; cook 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine pasta mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients; toss well.


CALORIES 250 ; FAT 6.9g (sat 1.2g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 252mg; CALCIUM 74mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17g; SODIUM 667mg; PROTEIN 30.3g; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 5.1mg

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Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Mushrooms and Spinach+

Yield: 6 Servings

6 points

1 (3.5-pound) spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1.5 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Poblano pepper
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1 1/4 cup cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1. Preheat broiler.

Cut poblano in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 °.

4. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash halves cut side down in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add water to measure 1/2-inch deep. Bake at 400 ° for 45 minutes. Turn squash over; bake an additional 15 minutes or until tender; cool. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove strands to measure 6 cups. Keep warm.

5. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Cool and crumble. Increase heat to medium-high; sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to drippings in pan and cook 4 minutes; remove from pan.

6. Heat remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan and cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, reserved bacon, Poblano, garlic and Italian seasoning to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add wine to pan and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add reserved chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, and spinach to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly; stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Place about 1 cup squash on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1 cup chicken mixture and 2 teaspoons remaining cheese.


CALORIES 296 ; FAT 9.3g (sat 3.2g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 241mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.8g; SODIUM 707mg; PROTEIN 31.2g; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 3mg

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Summer Squash & Chimichurri+

A quick blanching in boiling water mellows the garlic slightly.

Yield:  6 servings

7 points

2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3/4 pound)
3 medium zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3/4 pound)
6 (5-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add garlic to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Remove garlic from water; cool. Coarsely chop garlic.

2. Place garlic, 1/2 cup parsley, 2 tablespoons oil, shallots, and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper) in a food processor; process 1 minute or until almost smooth. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; pulse 2 times.

3. Preheat oven to 450°.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

5. Combine squash, zucchini, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl; toss well. Arrange squash and zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bake at 450° for 16 minutes or until tender, turning after 8 minutes.

6. Lightly coat lamb with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place lamb on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Divide squash and zucchini evenly among 6 plates. Top each serving with 1 lamb chop and 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley puree.

CALORIES 288 ; FAT 15.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 8.4g,poly 1.5g); CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.8g; SODIUM 466mg; PROTEIN 30.9g; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 3.5mg

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Omelet with Summer Vegetables

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2/3 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 tablespoons shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Preparation
Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, zucchini, onions, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, water, pepper, egg whites, and egg, stirring well with a whisk. Coat pan with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture into pan; cook until edges begin to set (about 2 minutes). Gently lift the edges of omelet with a spatula, tilting pan to allow uncooked egg mixture to come in contact with pan. Spoon corn mixture onto half of omelet; sprinkle corn mixture with cheese. Loosen omelet with a spatula, and fold in half over corn mixture. Cook 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Carefully slide omelet onto a plate.

Yield: 1 serving (serving size: 1 omelet)

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Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup

Pancakes:
1  cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1  tablespoon sugar
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon salt
1  (1-ounce) package uncooked instant farina (such as Cream of Wheat)
1 1/4  cups low-fat buttermilk
1  tablespoon canola oil
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
1  large egg
1  cup mashed banana (about 1 large)

Syrup:
1/2  cup pomegranate juice
1/2  cup maple syrup
2  tablespoons pomegranate juice
2  teaspoons cornstarch

To prepare pancakes, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through farina) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in banana.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
To prepare syrup, combine 1/2 cup juice and syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine 2 tablespoons juice and cornstarch in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute or until thickened; remove from heat. Serve with pancakes.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 pancakes and about 2 tablespoons syrup)

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Asian Chicken Slaw

Ingredients

Slaw:
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sugar snap peas
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 (10-ounce) package angel hair slaw
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation
To prepare slaw, combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine cider vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour dressing over the slaw; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and sesame seeds before serving.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

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Plasma Jet Chili+

2-3 pounds beef cut in 1 inch cubes
2 15oz cans black beans with cumin and chili spices
1 large (26oz) can sliced jalapeno peppers
1 small (7oz) can chipotle peppers w/adobo sauce
1 26oz jar spicy/sweet barbecue sauce
1 large red onion

1) Chop onion. Drain jalapenos.

2) Combine all ingredients (use half the jar of barbecue sauce) in large crockpot.

3) Cook on low setting overnight. Serve.