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Peppercorn-Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Jus

6 points

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1 tablespoon jus)

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup port or other sweet red wine
1/2 cup fat-free less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pepper evenly over the steaks. Sprinkle salt over bottom of pan. Add steaks to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from pan; set aside.

Stir in port and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium. Return steaks to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan. Reduce liquid to 1/4 cup. Remove pan from heat. Add butter to pan; stir with a whisk until melted. Drizzle sauce over steaks.

CALORIES 257 (42% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 5.2g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.5g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 15mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.3g; SODIUM 313mg; PROTEIN 24g; FIBER 0.3g

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Grilled Chicken with Mint and Pine Nut Gremolata

6 points

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 4 teaspoons gremolata)

Gremolata:
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare gremolata, place mint, pine nuts, rind, and garlic in a mini chopper; process just until combined. Add 4 teaspoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; process to combine. Set aside.

2. To prepare chicken, heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush 2 teaspoons olive oil evenly over chicken; sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Serve gremolata with chicken.

CALORIES 236 ; FAT 11.3g (sat 1.6g,mono 6.1g,poly 2.6g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 35mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.3g; SODIUM 438mg; PROTEIN 30.4g; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 1.6mg

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Five-Spice Tilapia with Citrus Ponzu Sauce+

5 points

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 tablespoon sauce)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
2 teaspoons canola oil

Combine green onions, juices, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and ginger in a small bowl.

Combine five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of fish evenly with spice mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from skillet, and serve with sauce.

CALORIES 217 (27% from fat); FAT 6.6g (sat 1.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 125mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.1g; SODIUM 332mg; PROTEIN 37g; FIBER 0.2g

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Crab and Broccoli Chowder+

4 pts

Yield
7 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

·    1 1/2  cups  small broccoli florets (about 1 small head)
·    Cooking spray
·    1  cup  chopped onion
·    2  cups  cubed peeled red potato (about 3/4 pound)
·    1/2  cup  dry white wine
·    1  tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce
·    1/2  teaspoon  dried rubbed sage
·    1/4  teaspoon  salt
·    1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
·    1/4  teaspoon  pepper
·    Dash of hot sauce
·    3  (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
·    5  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
·    2 1/2  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
·    1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
·    3/4  pound  lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
·    2  tablespoons  lemon juice
·    1  tablespoon  sherry

Steam broccoli, covered, 2 minutes or until tender.

Place a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add potato and next 8 ingredients (potato through broth); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until tender.

Place 3 cups potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Add puree back to potato mixture in pan; stir well.

Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk; stir with a whisk until blended. Add to potato mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in cheese. Add broccoli, crabmeat, lemon juice, and sherry; cook until thoroughly heated.

  • Calories: 208
  • Fat: 5.5g
  • Fiber: 2.3g
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Pumpkin Dip

2 points

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 apple slices

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 tablespoons dip and 2 apple slices)

  • Calories: 107
  • Fat: 3.2
  • Fiber: 1.4
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Send a Message Fortune Cookies

These cookies are ideal for bake sales trying to promote a cause; customize the fortune to suit the occasion. Bake three cookies at a time so they’ll be soft enough to shape. Tuck your message into the cookie while shaping. If the cookies become too brittle, return them to the oven for a few seconds to soften.

1/2  cup bread flour (about 2 1/3 ounces)
1/2  cup sugar
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
2  large egg whites

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until blended. Scrape batter into a bowl using a rubber spatula; cover and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw 3 (3-inch) circles on paper. Turn paper over; secure with masking tape. Spoon 1 teaspoon batter into center of each of the 3 drawn circles; spread evenly to fill circle. Bake one sheet at 400° for 5 minutes or until the cookies are brown just around the edges. Remove from the oven. Working quickly, loosen edges of cookies with a spatula, and turn over.

Lay the handle of a wooden spoon and a prepared fortune along the center of 1 cookie. Fold cookie over so the edges meet over the spoon handle; press edges together. Remove spoon. Gently pull the ends of the cookie down over the rim of a small bowl (or jar); hold for a few seconds or until set. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.

Repeat procedure until all of the batter is used. Cool cookies completely; store in an airtight container.

Yield: 18 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

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Thai Steak Salad+

5 points

Yield:  6 servings

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chile paste with garlic

Steak:
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Salad:
3 cups trimmed watercress (about 2 bunches)
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

To prepare steak, heat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Rub both sides of steak with pepper. Add steak to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; place on a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place steak in a bowl. Drizzle with half of dressing, and toss well.

To prepare salad, combine watercress and next 5 ingredients (watercress through carrot) in a large bowl. Drizzle with remaining dressing, and toss well. Divide salad evenly among 6 plates; arrange steak evenly over salad. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon peanuts.

CALORIES 230 (40% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 4g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.9g); IRON 3.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 68mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.5g; SODIUM 327mg; PROTEIN 25.1g; FIBER 2g

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Korean Beef Barbecue

5 points

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

1 pound top sirloin steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

Wrap beef in plastic wrap; freeze 1 hour or until firm. Remove plastic wrap; cut beef diagonally across grain into 1/16-inch-thick slices.

Combine beef, sugar, and next 5 ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Place a wire grilling basket on grill rack. Remove beef from bag; discard marinade. Place beef on grilling basket coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning frequently.

CALORIES 208 (33% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.7g); IRON 3.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 76mg; CALCIUM 19mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.4g; SODIUM 457mg; PROTEIN 26.1g; FIBER 0.2g

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Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Spring Onions & Thyme+

6 points

Stuff the chicken and refrigerate up to one day ahead. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cooking. Serve with polenta and Broccolini.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 teaspoons sauce)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

CALORIES 274 ; FAT 9.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 123mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.6g; SODIUM 530mg; PROTEIN 39.3g; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 2.8mg

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White Bean and Turkey Chili+

5 points

I like mine spicier, so will add a chopped jalapeno, cleaning out most, but not all of the seeds (the source of the heat)

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups diced yellow onion (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 1)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 lime wedges (optional)

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes. Add oregano and beans; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups of bean mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Add turkey, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

  • Calories: 286 (19% from fat)
  • Fat: 6g
  • Fiber: 5.5g