Kristen's Recipes

3 fresh Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic
1 C. chopped Basil Leaves
2 T. EE Olive Oil
1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 T. Pine Nuts

Cut the tomatoes in half. Combine the garlic, basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Spoon the mixture onto the top of each tomato half. Place the tomatoes on a broilder pan and broil about 3″ from the heat until lightly browned, about 3 – 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings
Calories: 90
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 1g

1/3 C. Dry Bread Crumbs
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Dried basil
1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme
1/8 tsp. Pepper
4 Tomatoes, cored and sliced in rings
2 Green Onions, chopped fine
1/2 T. Butter

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, sugar, and seasonings. In 9” pie pan, arrange a layer of tomatoes, sprinkle with 1/3 breadcrumb mixture and top with 1/2 the green onions. Add another layer in the same fashion, and finally a third layer of tomatoes, ending with bread crumbs. Melt butter and drizzle over the top. Bake uncovered about 30-35 minutes, until tomatoes are soft. Increase heat to broil, and broil tomatoes 1-2 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown.

3 lb. Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 350. Cut squash in half lengthwise, discarding seeds. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; add water to dish to a depth of 1/2 inch. Bake for 45 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove squash from dish, and cool. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands.

2 tsp. Oil
1/2 C. Sliced Onion
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 C. Fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and torn into bite sized pieces
4 Sun Dried tomato halves, chopped
2 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 T. Parmesan Cheese

Heat onion and garlic in oil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add spinach and tomatoes when onion becomes soft. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add bacon and vinegar and stir to combine. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

1 lb. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 C. part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 C. Eggbeater
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C. red onion, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, minced
1/4 C. part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pepper to taste
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray mini-muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and fill with popper batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove from the oven, and serve.

6 Poppers = 200 calories, 2g fiber, 7g fat

20 medium mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots, scallions or onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 C. chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup Yogurt Cheese
Pepper

Wash the mushrooms and carefully remove the stems without breaking the caps. Chop the stems until they are quite fine. Combine the shallots, garlic and vinegar in a small skillet or saucepan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and release their juices. Add the spinach and cook, continuing to stir, until it is wilted and the liquid in the pan is absorbed. Remove from the heat, let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the Yogurt Cheese. Season with pepper to taste. Stuff the spinach filling into the mushroom caps. The mushrooms can baked at once or the recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated for baking later. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. If the mushrooms were stuffed ahead and refrigerated, bring them back to room temperature while the oven reheats. Place the mushrooms in a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes for the filling to set before serving.

1 C. low-sodium chicken broth
1 T. cornstarch
Five large (or eight small) summer squash, sliced as thin as you can get ’em
One large or 2 small Vidalia onions, chopped to fine mince
1 packet Splenda
Fresh ground pepper

Mix broth and cornstarch and set aside. Spray a big skillet well with Forbidden Cooking Spray. Pile remaining ingredients in the pan. Grate a LOT of black pepper over the top. Sprinkle Splenda on. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add broth-cornstarch blend. Continue to cook, stirring often, 20-25 minutes or until it’s all tender and the “gravy” has thickened slightly

2 Japanese Eggplant
1 Onion, thinly sliced in rings
1/2 C. Canned No Salt Added Chopped Tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 C. Chopped Fresh Parsley
Pepper

Cut off and discard the stems from the eggplant. Using a sharp knife, peel the eggplants to form a striped pattern (like a barber pole). Heat some water or broth over medium heat. Add eggplants and sauté until tender and soft on all sides. Carefully transfer eggplants to a baking dish, arranging them side by side. Add onions to the pan (with more broth if necessary) and sauté until tender. Add tomatoes and garlic, and cook a few minutes longer. Season to taste with pepper. Stir in the parsley and set aside. Cut a lengthwise slit in the eggplant, cutting about halfway through, leaving about an inch on each end. Carefully pull apart this pocket and stuff each with half the onion mixture. Add 1 C. hot water to the pan, cover with foil, and bake at 350 until the eggplants are very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

2 tsp. minced garlic
12 oz. sliced Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine (or substitute with broth)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chives

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium; add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until browned. Remove mushrooms to serving dish. In the same skillet add wine, and bring to a light boil while scraping pan. Season with pepper. Pour sauce over mushrooms and sprinkle with chives. Great on Rice noodles or Rice

2 medium onions, sliced
6 large plum tomatoes (1 lb.) cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves

Heat nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and pepper and cook 1 minute. Stir in basil. Spoon sauté over broiled chops, chicken, or fish

1 large onion
2 tsp curry powder
7 oz can tomatoes
2 C. frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup vegetable broth/stock
2 T. fat-free plain yogurt.

Thinly slice onion. Heat 1 T. water in non-stick pan and cook onion for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, and the stock, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with cooked rice and top with yogurt.

2 pounds Vidalia onions, medium size
3 T. heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground allspice
2 T. whole green peppercorns (optional)
1/2 cup snipped, fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the onions in an ovenproof dish. Bake until tender and easily pierced with a skewer, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel and cut the onions into 1/2″ thick slices. In a large bowl, combine the onions, cream, a generous dose of the spices, green peppercorns and the chives. Lay the onions slightly overlapping in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake until the onions are very soft and slightly golden on top, about 30 to 45 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. 1/8th of the gratin Calories 70 Dietary Fiber 3 g

1 cup cooked white beans
1/2 cup vegetable sauce, plus 1/2 cup for the puree
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Pepper
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, peeled and seeded
12 drops chili oil or a dash of cayenne (optional)
Grated Parmesan, for garnish
6 squash, such as zucchini, crookneck or summer squash, or vegetables of choice such as onion slices, mushrooms, bell peppers

In a medium saucepan, place the beans and 1/2 cup broth, garlic, onion, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and olive oil. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chili oil. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until creamy smooth, adding additional broth to reach the desired consistency. Brush the vegetable slices with olive oil and place them on a grill until grill marks appear. Place the vegetables on a plate and spoon the bean sauce over the top. Garnish with grated cheese.

2 lemons, juiced
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Cracked black pepper
3/4 lb. white button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the mushrooms and let stand in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
3 T. vegetable shortening
3-1/2 T. ice water
Cooking spray
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450&176; Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until combined. Add shortening; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined. Gently press mixture into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; roll dough into an 12-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray; fold edges under, and flute. Pierce bottom and sides of dough with a fork; bake at 450&176; for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375. Snap off tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with a knife or vegetable peeler, if desired. Steam asparagus, covered, 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse asparagus under cold water; drain well. Arrange asparagus spoke like in prepared crust with tips toward inside of crust. Combine milk, rind, juice, tarragon, salt, egg, and egg white; stir well with a whisk. Pour over asparagus; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375&176; for 30 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Serve warm.

1/6th recipe calories: 212

2 medium sweet red peppers, cut in half and seeded
2 medium yellow peppers, cut in half and seeded
6 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 C. basil, fresh
1/4 C. rosemary, fresh (or use 1/2 C. total of any fresh herbs)
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 T. water
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Preheat broiler. Place peppers cut side down on a nonstick baking sheet. Broil until blackened, about 10 minutes. Place peppers in a zip-close plastic bag for 15 minutes; remove and peel off skin with hands. Slice into strips. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Place garlic on a nonstick sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes; squeeze garlic out of peels. Place garlic, herbs, oil, vinegar, water and pepper in a blender; purée. Add garlic mixture to peppers; toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Yields about 1/3 C. per serving.

1 T. minced fresh Parsley
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Pepper
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
18 baby yellow squash
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1” pieces
3 sm. Zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters

Combine first four ingredients; stir well. Add squash, red pepper, and zucchini; toss gently. Arrange vegetables in wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray. Place over medium-hot coals and cook 10-12 minutes, or until tender, turning once.

Peel a Vidalia or Walla Walla onion. Make two cuts into the onion, in a cross shape, going down to 1/2 – 3/4 of the way through the onion. Place the onion in Aluminum Foil. To 1/4 C. Balsamic vinegar add a dash or two of oregano and garlic powder. Sprinkle this mixture over the onion and in between the sliced bits, pulling it apart a bit if necessary. Wrap the onion up and place it on the grill until tender, about an hour, depending on the size of the onion.

1lb. Broccoli
2 tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges
2 T. water
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 clove Garlic, minced
1oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 T. sliced Black Olives

Trim broccoli, remove tough ends, wash and cut into small spears. Arrange broccoli in a veggie steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam 5 to 8 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain, place in saucepan. Add tomato wedges, water, garlic and oregano to pan, stir gently. Cook uncovered, over medium low heat 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with Feta and olives. Remove from heat, Cover and let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

5 C. (about 1 lb.) quartered mushrooms
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
10 garlic cloves — chopped
1/2 C. no-salt-added beef broth
Dash black pepper
2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Heat some chicken stock in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms, crushed red pepper, and garlic to skillet, and sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add broth and black pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with parsley.

1 C. Haricot Verts
1 small yellow summer squash
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed dried tarragon
Sliced cherry tomato
2 tsp. Olive Oil

Clean and trim beans. Cut 4-1/2 inch thick slices of squash and hollow out centers to 1/4 inch of rind. Thread beans and red pepper slices through squash rings as if squash was a napkin ring. Steam bundles for 4 minutes or until beans turn bright green. Sauté garlic and tarragon in oil until garlic is soft, but not brown. Pour oil mixture over bean bundles and serve immediately with cherry tomato garnishes

Peel 3 whole medium carrots and cut into lengthwise chunks. Toss with 1 tsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp. of ground cumin. Coat baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4 slices turkey bacon (2 oz)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium sized red cabbage (about 2 lbs), shredded (about 8 C.)
3/4 C. apple cider
1/4 C. cider vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large McIntosh apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces

Cook bacon in large nonstick pot over high heat until crisp, 5 minutes. Crumble into small pieces; reserve. Heat oil in same pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in apple cider, vinegar, sugar, salt and apple. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is softened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, stir in bacon.

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 C.

Calories: 86
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 3g

7 C. cauliflower florets (about 1 3/4 lbs)
1 T. white wine or chicken/vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. diced green bell pepper
1/2 C. diced red bell pepper
1/2 C. diced yellow bell pepper
2 T. sliced green onions
1/4 C. chopped fresh dill weed
2 tsp. Lemon juice
Pepper
2 tsp white wine vinegar

Steam cauliflower, covered, 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set cauliflower aside. Heat wine in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and next 4 ingredients; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the dill weed and next 3 ingredients; cook 1 minute. Spoon over cauliflower.

1 head Cauliflower
1 lg. Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
141/2oz. Can Chopped Italian Tomatoes, with juice
2 T. Parsley, chopped
Pepper

Break cauliflower into flowerets. Add onion and garlic to hot nonstick skillet and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, a little of the tomato juice, and the parsley. Season to taste with pepper. Add cauliflower and simmer about 10 minutes, until tender. Add additional tomato juice if desired as it cooks.

3 large yellow onions
4 C. chopped, peeled carrots (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. white pepper
8 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
For the onion C.: Bring a large saucepot of water and 1 tsp. sea salt to a boil. Fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and water for a ice-water bath. Remove the skin from the onions and discard. Cut off 1/4 inch from the root and 3/4 inch from the top of each onion. Place the onions in the boiling water just long enough for the outer layer of the onion to be cooked, 2 minutes. Place the onions in the ice bath for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Remove the onions from the ice bath. Press down on the center of each onion to remove the outer layer of the onion. Repeat with the remaining onions to obtain 12 onion C.. If the onion layer breaks it is still usable. Use the remaining onions for other dishes. Using the same boiling water, add the carrots and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place the carrots in a food processor and pur�e until smooth. Season with the cardamom, salt, and pepper. Remove the carrot mixture from the food processor and place in a medium bowl. Place the egg whites in a bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold the egg whites into the carrot mixture. Place the onion C. in the muffin C.. If there is a tear in the onion just overlap it to form the cup. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the souffl� mixture into each onion cup. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the souffl� has set up and is lightly browned. Serve as a vegetable or a vegetarian entr�e.

Per serving: Calories 50; Protein 3g; Total Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 9g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 150mg

Variation: Bake the souffl� filling in souffl� C. coated with cooking spray and filled with 1/2 cup of filling. Bake for 20 minutes.

1 lb. Brussels Sprouts
2 tsp. Butter
1 T. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsp. Coarse Grain Mustard
Grated Zest from one Lemon

Rinse the sprouts and trim off the stems. Cut an “X” into the base of each sprout. Steam the sprouts for 7 to 10 minutes over boiling water. (Do not overcook.) In a saucepan, slowly melt the margarine, stir in the lemon juice and mustard. Add the well-drained, cooked sprouts and toss. Serve immediately. Top with lemon zest (optional). Yield: 4 servings.

6 C. trimmed Brussels sprouts, halved (about 2 lb.)
1 T. olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Cooking spray
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the Brussels sprouts, 1-1/2 tsp. oil, and pepper. Place sprouts mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes or until sprouts are crisp-tender. Keep warm. Heat 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Add to sprouts mixture; toss well.

10 oz. frozen broccoli, chopped
2 each eggs
1/2 C. lowfat milk
1/4 C. unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
8 oz. part skim mozzarella
1 tomato, cut into 6 wedges

Defrost broccoli in unopened package on high for 3 minutes; set aside for 5 minutes; remove from package, drain and cool. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until very light. Blend in milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Fold in Muenster cheese and reserved broccoli. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Micro-cook uncovered on high until edges just start to look dry, 4 minutes. Stir, bringing edges toward center. Arrange tomato wedges on top; micro-cook on medium high (75% power) until firm to the touch, about 4 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before cutting.

1 tsp. Butter
2 C. finely chopped leek (about 2 large)
6 C. finely chopped zucchini (about 5 small)
2 Garlic cloves, minced

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 T. chicken stock. Add leek; sauté for 2 minutes. Add zucchini, and garlic. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Serve immediately.

Peel and trim roots of 4 medium-size red onions; place, one at a time, on cutting board, root end down. Using sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges, stopping two thirds of way down to root end; do not cut all the way through. Place onions in glass pie plate; drizzle with 1 T. honey; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Scatter 6 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves on top; pour 1/4 C. reduced-sodium chicken broth or water into pie plate. Cover with vented plastic wrap; cook in microwave on high (100% power) 18 to 20 minutes until onions are tender when pierced with tip of knife. When serving, spoon some of liquid from dish over onions.

3 large sweet onions (about 1-3/4 lb.)
Cooking spray
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel onions, leaving roots intact; cut each onion into 6 wedges. Place onion wedges in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; pour vinegar mixture over onion wedges, tossing gently to coat. Cover and bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 45 minutes or until tender.