Cantaloupe Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups diced (1/4 inch) cantaloupe

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion such as Vidalia

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 (2-inch-long) fresh Serrano pepper, minced (including some seeds)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Toss together all ingredients in a bowl and let stand, covered and chilled, 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Bran Muffins Made with Skim Milk

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unprocessed oat bran

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin

1/2 cup skim milk

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cooking oil spray

Directions

Combine bran, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl and stir well. Make a small well in center of mixture. In a second bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, beaten egg whites and vegetable oil. Stir until well mixed. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spray 2 muffin tins with cooking oil spray or use paper liners. Spoon into the muffin tins until each is 3/4 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately; serve warm or at room temperature.

Simple Lunch Time Chicken with Feta Pita Sandwich

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon dried mint, crushed

4 large pita bread rounds

4 lettuce leaves

6 ounces thinly sliced fully cooked deli chicken breast

1 small tomato, thinly sliced

1/3 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese

Directions

For dressing: In a small mixing bowl stir together yogurt, cucumber, dill weed, and mint. Set aside. For Sandwich: Place a pita bread round on a plate. Top with lettuce, chicken, tomato, and feta cheese. Spoon dressing on top. Roll up the pita bread. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Serve immediately.

Roasted Eggplant Spread Recipe

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

1 large sweet red bell pepper

1 small sweet red onion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Minced fresh Italian parsley leaves for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Stab eggplant all over with the tines of a fork. Place on a rack in roasting pan and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Prick onion and pepper all over with the fork as well and place on rack beside the eggplant. Continue roasting for 30 more minutes until vegetables are very soft. Let cool until you can handle.

Remove stem of eggplant, cut in half. Remove as many seeds as possible, then chop. Remove from skin and chop eggplant coarsely and place in a food processor. Cut pepper in half, remove skin, seeds, stem and membranes. Chop and add to the food processor. Coarsely chop onion and add to processor.

Add garlic, lemon juice, oil, black pepper and process until mixture is somewhat chunky. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to one hour before serving. Garnish with minced parsley.

Choco Nutter Butter Shake

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate milk

1/2 cup cottage cheese (2

2 tbsp natural omega-3 peanut butter

2 cup ice

Preparation

Add chocolate milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese to blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Add the ice and continue to blend on high for another 1-2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Shrimp Dip

1 – 8 ounce package fat-free cream cheese (softened)

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

10 minced green onions

2 pounds Boiled Shrimp, peeled, deveined and coursely ground

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Tabasco sauce to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Blend softened cream cheese and the lemon juice. Stir in green onion, ground shrimp and mayonnaise. Season to taste with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Chill for several hours to blend flavors. Serve with low-fat crackers.

How to Make Grilled Veggies

Ingredients

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 red onion

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

12 oz asparagus, trimmed

1 roasted red bell pepper

1 1/2 cup lightly packed arugula, chopped

1 cup mixed baby greens

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk first 4 ingredients to make the dressing. Gradually add oil while stirring fast.

Heat barbecue or pan to medium high.

Brush onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus with 1/2 of the balsamic dressing. Grill or saute vegetables until just cooked through, turning occasionally.

Allow veggies cool slightly, then cut into small pieces and place in large bowl.

Add roasted bell pepper, arugula, and greens; toss with enough dressing to coat.

(Makes 4 Servings)

Spinach Feta Salad

Ingredients

6 cups baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry

4 tomatoes, sliced

1 English hothouse cucumber, diced

8 to 10 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

cup fat-free vinaigrette

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, feta and red pepper. Top with your favorite fat-free vinaigrette.

Save the Calories with an Apple Pie Shake

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla fat free frozen yogurt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (can substitute cinnamon)

1 cup skim milk

Directions

Put the mugs in freezer to chill. In blender, combine yogurt applesauce, apple pie spice. Add milk and blend just until mixed. Serve in chilled glasses.

Home Made Granola Bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed walnut

2 cups of oats

1/2 cup raisins

4 tbsp whole flax seed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup

Preparation

Add all ingredients except vanilla extract into a bowl, mix it until its blends. You may think it needs more liquid, it won’t just keep mixing. Next add vanilla extract and remix. Once mixed, break into 8 equal individual pieces and form a bar. Place all bars on a baking sheet that has been coated with coconut oil and bake at 350 F for 8 minutes.