• 1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions (green and white parts), chopped
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves, or ¼ teaspoon dry rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 medium green olives, pitted and minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place artichoke hearts, olive oil, sour cream, garlic, onions, rosemary and cayenne in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the olives and parsley. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve with toasted baguette slices and/or raw vegetable sticks. Yield: 32 (1 tablespoon) servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 13; Prot 1 g; Carbo 2 g; Fat 1 g; 41% Cal from Fat; Sod 45 mg

• 4 large red bell peppers
• 1 cup coarsely ground walnuts
• ½ cup wheat crackers, or melba toasts, crumbed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
•    (*Available in Mediterranean specialty stores)

Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast them at 450 degrees, turning them until they are charred and thoroughly blistered, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the blackened peppers to a paper bag; close the bag tightly and allow the peppers to steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the bag, peel and seed them. Place the roasted peppers, walnuts, cracker crumbs, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, sugar, lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate molasses in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature with pita crisps. Yield 64 (1-tablespoon) servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 19; Prot1 g; Carbo 2 g; Fat 1 g; 54% Cal from Fat; Sod 33 mg

• 30 small shrimp
• 4 Roma tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups seafood stock or clam juice
•    Shrimp shells
• ½ cup peeled and diced potatoes
• 1 cup peeled and diced sweet potatoes
• ½ cup diced chayote squash or zucchini
• ½ teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon adobo paste from canned chipotle chile peppers or Mexican hot sauce
• ½ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate or 2 cups fresh pineapple juice reduced to 1 cup
• 1 cup canned yellow hominy, drained

The Garnish: 

• Finely diced fresh pineapple
• Finely chopped radishes
• Shredded toasted corn tortillas
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Queso fresco
• Lime wedges

Peel the shrimp; reserve the shells and set aside. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge into boiling water in a saucepan for 30 seconds; drain, peel and chop. Heat the canola oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the onions to a food processor or blender, add the chopped tomatoes and puree. Combine the chicken stock and seafood stock in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain into a clean soup pot, discarding the shells. Add the tomato mixture, potato, sweet potato, chayote squash oregano, sugar, coconut extract, adobo paste, pineapple juice concentrate and hominy. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add salt to taste; mix well. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot with any of the garnishes. Yield: 10 servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 92; Prot 4 g; Carbo 17 g; Fat 1 g; 10% Cal from Fat; Sod 309 mg

• 1 pound rice stick noodles
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound pork tenderloin or chicken breast, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons catsup
  1/2 cup tofu, drained, diced small
• ¾ cup egg substitute
• 2-4 Serrano peppers, sliced very thin
• 8 green onions, cut into one-inch lengths
• 2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fine chopped, dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Soak rice noodles in hot water until soft (about 15 minutes.)  Prepare shrimp and pork, or chicken. Stir fry garlic in hot oil until it begins to color.  Add meats for 1 minute.  Combine fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and catsup.  Add sauce and bring to a boil.  Drain noodles and add to sauce.  Add tofu.  Stir to combine, and add egg substitute.  Cook without stirring until egg begins to set.  Add peppers and green onions and stir fry until egg is completely cooked.  Add remaining ingredients. Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 569; Prot 23 g; Carbo 90 g; Fat 10 g; 16% Cal from Fat; Sod 1266 mg

• 4 (3 ounce) boneless, skinless all-natural chicken breasts
•    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ½ cup coarsely ground dry-roasted pistachio nuts
• 6 red plums, quartered and seeded
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup port
• 1 teaspoon Asian chile paste
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness with a rolling pin or the palm of your hand. Remove the plastic wrap and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Slather the top of the chicken with Dijon mustard and coat with the ground pistachios. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken, coated side up, on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Combine the plums, sugar, port, chile paste, gingerroot, vinegar and salt in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree. Strain the puree into a bowl and mix in the lime juice. Pool some of the sauce in the middle of each of 4 plates. Top with a piece of chicken. Yield: 4 servings

Nutritients Per Serving: Cal 481; Prot 25 g; Carbo 43 g; Fat 18 g; 32% Cal from Fat; Sod 339 mg

• 4 cups fish stock or clam juice
• 4 cups  chicken stock
• ½ onion chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 rib celery chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp fennel seed
• a few  parsley stems chopped
• 12 shrimp, peeled, deveined, shells reserved
• 4 oz. salmon filet
• 4 oz. snapper filet (or other white fleshed fish)
• 4 oz. crabmeat (optional)
• 12 mussels or clams
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup Arborio or Texmati rice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp saffron
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 T  parmesan cheese

Combine the fish and chicken stocks with the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, fennel seed, parsley and shrimp shells, simmer for 20 minutes.   Strain, discarding vegetables and shells.  Cut the fish filets into half -inch cubes, poach off in the stock mixture, strain and reserve.  Take ½ cup of the stock and combine with ½ cup white wine (when you are ready to serve, place the shrimp and mussels in a wide pan, pour the wine/stock mixture in, bring to a boil, cover and steam for 3 minutes.)

Sauté the minced onion in olive oil until softened.  Add the rice, garlic, and saffron.  Sauté for one minute while stirring.  Add one cup of stock and let the rice cook over medium heat, uncovered until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Add a second cup of stock and repeat.  Test the rice texture  (eat a tiny bite) then add as much of  1/3 cup of stock as needed to complete the cooking.  When the final liquid installment has been absorbed, cool slightly, then fold in fish, crabmeat (if using), and parmesan cheese.  Cook shrimp and mussels as directed, adding pan liquids to your tomato broth after the shellfish are cooked.  Press individual servings of the rice mixture lightly into a one cup mold, then invert into a wide dish soup-bowl.  Ladle tomato broth around rice, set three shrimp and three mussels in per serving.  Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and a few thawed green peas. Yield: 4 Servings

The Roasted Tomato Broth:

• 2  large cloves garlic
• 3  Roma tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• Cayenne pepper

Rub the garlic cloves with a drop of olive oil, wrap loosely in aluminum foil and roast on a baking sheet along with tomatoes at 400 degrees until the tomatoes are softened and mottled brown.  Puree the garlic and tomatoes with salt and cayenne, thinning with remaining seafood/chicken stock to desired consistency. Yield: 1 1/2 cups. 

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 474; Prot 32 g; Carbo 54 g; Fat 10 g; 21% Cal from Fat; Sod 1737 mg

• 2 cups Idaho potatoes, peeled, cut into ½" dice
• 1 cup onion, fine diced
• ¾ pound ground chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 bay leaf, ground in spice grinder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground clove
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided in half
• 4 ounces low fat cheddar, shredded
• 12 corn tortillas
• non-stick spray

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain.  Combine the chicken through the vinegar and sauté in a non-stick skillet with half of the oil until fairly dry.  Add the potatoes, onion, and remaining oil and cook until the potatoes brown, mix everything together, mashing lightly.

To finish, sprinkle a little cheddar on top of 6 tortillas.  Divide the chorizo mixture our, top with the remaining cheese and the remaining tortillas.

Sauté, using pan spray in a non-stick skillet, and turning occasionally, until each quesadilla is slightly crisped.  Cut into ¼'s and serve with a dollop of avocado sauce.

Avacado Sauce:

• 2 ounces fat free cream cheese
• 1 small avocado, peeled and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded, minced
• 2 ounces fat free sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• pinch of salt

Puree all until smooth. Yield: 6 Servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 338; Prot 21 g; Carbo 38 g; Fat 13 g; 33% Cal from Fat; Sod 304 mg

• 1 medium onion, diced, divided
• 12 ounces pork tenderloin trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red bell peppers, minced
• 2 tablespoons carrot, minced
• ½ cup apple, minced
• 2 tomatoes, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Set aside ¼ cup of the minced onion.  Simmer the pork in enough water to cover along with the remaining onion, half of the garlic, salt and peppercorns until tender (30 minutes).  Cool in the broth.  Remove and shred the meat.

Sweat the reserved onion and garlic in oil along with bell pepper, carrot and apple in a heavy, covered skillet.  Add the pork and remaining ingredients through cinnamon.  Simmer until fairly dry.  Cool. 

Cut off the tops of the chiles.  Stuff some of the pork mixture into each of the chiles.  Arrange the stuffed chiles on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees until heated through.  Remove from oven.  Arrange 1 chile on each of 6 plates, cover with the walnut cream sauce. (Recipe below.)  Garnish with pomegranate seeds, if desired. Yield: 6 servings

Walnut Cream Sauce

• ½ cup walnut halves or pieces
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• ¼ cup fat-free sour cream
• ¼ cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• â? teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Drop the walnuts into boiling water.  Let sit, covered, off heat for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Rub or pick off as much of the brown exterior skin as possible.  Puree the cleaned nuts with the remaining ingredients.  Chill until ready for use. 

• 10 reduced fat cinnamon graham crackers, crumbed
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon light butter, melted
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
• 12 ounces fat free cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 14 ounces fat free sweetened condensed milk

Combine the first 3 ingredients.  Press into the bottom of a sprayed 9" spring form pan, then bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Combine the next 4 ingredients (cranberries through orange zest) in a non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Beat the cream cheeses until fluffy in a food processor.  Beat in the remaining ingredients.  Fold in 1/3 cup of the cranberry mixture by hand, then pour into the prepared crust.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Turn off the oven, let the cake sit for 30 minutes.  Cool completely.  Top with the remaining cranberry mixture.

• 5 lemons
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons light butter, melted
• 1 cup flour, divided (1/4 cup - 3/4 cup)
• ½ cup Grape Nuts cereal
• â? cup pistachio nuts, chopped
• â? cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons light butter, cut into bits
• â? cup buttermilk

Slice the peel from the lemons; cut into strips.  Blanch the strips in boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain.  Change water and repeat two additional times using fresh water each time.  Pare the white pith away from the peel with a sharp knife and discard.  Chop the remaining zest.

Slice the lemons very thinly; discard the seeds.  Combine the chopped zest and lemon slices with the 2 cups of sugar in a stainless steel bowl.  Let sit for 24 hours.  Combine this lemon mixture with the egg products, the 2 tablespoons of melted light butter and ¼ cup flour.

In a second bowl combine the remaining ¾ cup flour through salt.  Work in the butter bits, riffling them thoroughly with the flour between your thumbs and fingers until incorporated.  Add the buttermilk, stirring just enough to combine.

Pour the filling into an 8" baking dish.  Dollop with the topping, then bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until the top is browned.  Cool slightly. 

Serve, if desired, with vanilla frozen yogurt. Yield: 12 Servings

Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 281; Prot 6 g; Carbo 55 g: Fat 6 g; 17% Cal from Fat; Sod 343 mg