Tiramisu

Espresso Drizzle:
1/2 c water
2 T sugar
2 T instant espresso granules
2 T Kahlua (coffee flavored liqueur)

Filling:
1 (8 oz) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (3.5 oz) cazrton mascarpone cheese
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2T Kahlua

Remaining Ingredients:
24 cakelike lady fingers (6 oz)
1 1/2 t unsweetened cocoa
1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, grated

To prepare espresso drizzzle, combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons liqueur. Cool completely.

To prepare filling, combine cheeses in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Ad 1/3 c sugar, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons liqueur; beat at medium speed until well blended.

Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise. Arrange 24 ladyfinger halves, cut sides up, in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle half of expresso drizzle over ladyfingers. Spread half of filling over ladyfinger halves, and repeat procedure with remaining ladyfinger halves, espresso drizzle, and filling. Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa and chocolate; sprinkle evenly over top of filling. cover and chill for 2 hours. Yield: 8 servings.

Note: Place toothpicks in the center and in each corner of the dish to prevent the plastic wrap from sticking to the tiramisu as it chills.

Calories 260, Fat 8g

Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine

8 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 T olive oil
1/2 t crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 c chopped plum tomatos (about 5)
2 T reduced-fat sour cream
1 T tomato paste
1 T dried basil
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 c fresly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic to pan; saute 1 minute. Add shrimp; saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Calories 414, Fat 8.7

Buttery Polenta

5 c water
3/4 t salt
1 c dry polenta
2 1/2 T butter
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

Combine 5 cups water and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly wit a whisk. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring often. Remove fromheat. Stir in butter and pepper. Yield: 6 servings (2/3 cup each)

Calories 149, Fat 4.7g

Chicken Breasts Stufffed with Goat Cheese

1 whole garlic head
1/3 c (3 oz) goat cheese with herbs, softened
6 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 t kosher saltl
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
2 t olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Remove white papery skinn from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; spueeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp and cheese, stirring well; set aside.

Cut a horizontal sllit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 4 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken over. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a termometer registers 165; let stand 5 minutes. Serve with Buttery Polenta. Yield: 6 servings

Calories 238, Fat 8.1g

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter

1 (1 lb) sweet potato
2 T grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t gorund cinnamon
1/8 t ground nutmeg
24 wonton wrappers
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 quarts water
Cooking spray
3 T butter
1 T chopped fresh sage
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/8 t freshly gorund black pepper
Sage sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce potato several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel potato; mash. Combine potato, cheese, 1/4 t salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers witha damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon 1 tablespoon potato mixture into center of each wrapper. Brush edges of dough with egg white; bring 2 opposite corners to center. Press edges togethr to seal, formng a triangle. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers, potato filling, and egg white.

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil, Add 8 ravioli; cook 2 minutes or until done. Remove ravioli from pan with a slotted spoon Lightly coat cooked wontons with cooking spray; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

Melt butter in a small skillet over high heat. Add chopped sage to pan; cook 1 minutes or until butter is lightly browned. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, juice, and pepper. Drizzle butter mixure over ravioli. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired. Yield 8 servings (serving size 3 ravioli)

Calories 159, Fat 5.1g

Halibut with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth

Time: 35 minutes
1 T olive oil
4 (6 oz) halibut fillets
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
2 c chopped plum tomato (about 4)
1 1/2 c fat free chicken broth
1/2 c dry white wine
1 (16 oz) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t chopped fresh rosemary

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. add fish to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; keep warm. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato, broth, wine, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rosemary. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings

Calories 299, Fat 7.9 g

Chicken and Asparagus in White Wine Sauce

Time: 40 minutes
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly groung black pepper
2 T butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c fat-free chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T fresh lemon juice

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover wand cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and juice. Serve asparagus and sauce with chicken. Yield 4 servings

Calories 289; Fat 8 g

Basic Marinara

3 T olive oil
3 c chopped yellow onion (about 3 mineium)
1 T sugar
3 T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 t salt
2 t dried basil
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t dried thyme
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t fennel seeds, crushed
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 c fat-free, chicken broth
3 (28 oz) cans no-salt-added vrushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Ad broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Yield: about 12 cups

Corn Bread Bites

2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
1 (8 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
Dash of hot sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remainng ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir witha whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Divide batter evenly among miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 12 servings (serving size 3 muffins)

Calories 108, Fat 3.4 g

Autumn Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

2 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t minced garlic
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t dry mustard
1/8 t salt
Pinch of dried basil
inch of gorund red pepper
5 c mixed salad geens
4 c torn romaine lettuce
2 1/2 c cubed Asian pear (about 1 large)
2 c chopped Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
1/4 c (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese

Combine first 9 ingredients in a gowl, stirring with a whish.
Combine salad greens, romaine lettuce, Asian pear, apple and red onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette, and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Yield: 12 servings
(Serving size: about 1 cup salad and 1 teaspoon cheese).

Calories 48, Fat 3.2 g.

Dutch Apple Pie

Pie Crust
2 c flour
1 t salt
Combine. Take out 1/3 cup flour and mix with 1/4 cup water into a paste.
Add
2/3 c Cristo
to remaining flout. Cut in with a pastry blender. Add paste. Refrigerate for 1 hour roll out.

Pie filling
8 - 10 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 T sugar
1 1/2 t cinamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 c red hots

Crumb topping
1 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter
Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender till very course.

Bake at 450 for 50 mintues

Cosmopolitan

1 part Grand Marinier
3 parts vodka
1 par cranberry juice
1 part fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime swirl.

Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives and Pine Nuts

1 lb cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
2 T olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T pine nuts
1/2 fc chopped green olives
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 T drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425. In a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish, toss the cauliflower with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is lightly browned in spots. Add the pine nuts, olives, parsley and capers, toss and roast for about 10 minutes longer, until the pine nuts are lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

1 1/4 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped red apple, unpeeled
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 oz) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt

Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients. Toss. Mix cinnamon and yogurt and combine with all ingredients. Can garnish with frosted cranberries and mint leaves, if desired. Notes: In spite of the only 2 Tbsp sugar - this is a sweet salad.

Spinach Salad

Not the healthiest salad, so save for special occasions...

Tear 1 lb spinach into small pieces
Chop 5 boiled eggs
10 slices bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
6 sliced green onions

Toss.

Dressing:
1 c vegetable oil (could probably cut this down)
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.

Chicken Cheese Rolls

3 large chicken breasts, boned and split (6 breast halves)
8 oz whipped cream cheese with chives
1 T butter or margarine
6 slices bacon

Place split breasts betwen waxed paper; pound to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread each with about 3 tablespoons cream cheese; dot with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Fold ends over filling (some will oooze out during baking). Wrap 1 slice bacon around each roll. Place seam side down in a shallow baking pan. Bake on top rack in 400 over for 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear when meat is pierced. Broil aobut 5 minutes or unitl bacon is crisp and golden.

Crock Pot Chili

16 oz can red kidney beans, drained
16 oz can chili beans, drained
28 oz can tomatoes, drained
2 lb ground chuck, browned and drained
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 t garlic powder
2 T chili powder
1 t. pepper
1 t cumin
1 t salt

Combine ingredients and cook in a crock pot on low heat all day.

Tomato and Feta Salad

2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups)
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Thyme sprigs or basil for garnish

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the feta. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss. Top with herbs.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 qt. chicken stock
1 qt. water
1 whole chicken

3 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
seasoning - salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, etc.

Cook all ingredients in large pot for at least one hour. Remove chicken and bay leaf (if used). Allow chicken to cool and remove bones, skin, etc. Refrigerate chicken and broth seperately. While the broth is cooling, prepare noodles. (See recipe below). When the broth is cold, skim off the layer of fat and add the chicken. Reheat and add the noodles. Cook till noodles are tender about 15 minutes and serve hot.

Noodles
(We like lots of noodles, so I usually double this recipe.)

1 egg
1/2 t salt
2 T milk
1 c milk

Combine all ingredients. Begin by working with a fork, then the back of a spoon, then dig in and use your hands. When all ingredients come together, remove from the bowl and knead about 10 times working in more flour till no longer sticky. Flour your work surface and roll out 1/2 of the dough as thin as possible. Turning over and adding flour as needed. Top with a nice coating of flour and roll up. Slice into desired thickness. Unroll the slices and spread out on a floured surface and allow to dry for at least an hour.