Kristen's Recipes

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.

6 large firm but ripe tomatoes
4 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper freshly ground, to taste
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 large garlic cloves, minced (green sprouts removed)
1/2 cup chopped, flatleaf parsley

Cut the tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and drain cut side down in a colander, for about 10 minutes. Then dry them well with paper towels. Heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Cook the tomato halves, 4 to 6 at a time, cut side down for about 5 minutes or until golden. Place tomatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic and a little of the parsley and spread atop the tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. 2 tomato halves Calories 110

1-1/2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. eggplant, peeled and diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 C. onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. fresh dill, minced or 1 tsp. dried
Cooking Spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place half the tomato slices in the bottom of a lightly sprayed casserole dish. Toss remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Transfer into tomato lined casserole dish. Bake 35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

2 T. vegetable stock or water
1/2 lb. zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
2 green onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1/8 tsp. salt optional
2-1/4 tsp. cilantro or parsley, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Heat stock and zucchini in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low. Add onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 4-5 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and liquid is evaporated. Stir in remaining ingredients and serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Calories 64
Fat: 0.4g
Fiber: 3.6g

1 tsp. salt
2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed
3/4 C. (3 oz.) bleu cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)
1/4 C. fat-free milk

Bring 1 gallon water and salt to a boil in a Dutch oven; add asparagus. Cook 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels; chill. Combine bleu cheese, mayonnaise, juice, pepper, and bacon in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk, 1 T. at a time, stirring until smooth. Arrange asparagus on a platter; drizzle with sauce. 8 servings (serving size: about 1/4 pound asparagus and 1 1/2 T. sauce), calories 69, fat 3g, fiber 2g

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 pound)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well. Dip the zucchini slices in egg whites; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn zucchini over; bake an additional 15 minutes or until outside is crispy and browned.

Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 94
Fat: 1.8g
Fiber: 0.6g

1-1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Blanching the onion and celery mellows their flavors, so they don’t overpower the edamame and tangy vinaigrette. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Cook edamame in boiling water 4 minutes. Add onion and celery; cook 1 minute. Drain well. Add edamame mixture to vinaigrette; toss well to coat. Stir in parsley. Chill 1 hour.

2 T. reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
4 C. (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add sugar, stirring until melted. Add carrots, salt, and pepper and cook 10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

1/2 C. Serving: calories: 57 fat: 1.9 g fiber: 1.9 g

1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced (11/2 C.)
2 T. finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 T. light brown sugar
2 pounds carrots, sliced (6 C.)
2 C. vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt (omit if using salted stock)
2 T. fresh dill

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns a golden color. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the salt and dill. Simmer until the carrots are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and dill. 1/2 C. = 63 calories.

1 T. Olive Oil
1 T. minced fresh Garlic
1 1/2 lb. Asparagus (sliced 1 1/2”)
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp minced Tarragon
Pepper
2 T. chopped toasted Pecans
2 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add asparagus, cook 4 minutes or until tender. Combine vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and add to asparagus along with the tarragon and pepper to taste; stir well. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with pecans and bacon before serving.

1 C. = 134 calories, 7g fat, 4g fiber

1 medium red cabbage head
1 medium apple
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cut cabbage into quarters. Slice away the inner core and discard. Slice the quartered cabbage into thin strips. Core apple and chop into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add cabbage and apple and cook, uncovered, stirring for 10 minutes, until cabbage is wilted. Add brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

2 C. Green Beans
2 C. Broccoli, chopped

Dressing:
1/2 C. Water
2 T. light Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Honey
1/2 tsp. grated Ginger Root

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Set aside. Cut green beans into 2-inch pieces. If using frozen vegetables, cook green beans and broccoli following microwave directions on packaging. If using fresh vegetables, microwave green beans with water in covered bowl on high for 2-3 minutes. Remove cover carefully, allowing steam to escape away from you; stir green beans and add fresh broccoli florets. Cover and microwave together on high for 2 minutes. Drain green beans and broccoli; mix in dressing while still warm. Let vegetables chill in refrigerator until ready to serve (at least 5 to 10 minutes).

Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 50
Fat: .9g
Fiber: 2.4g

Cut a head of cabbage into 8 wedges. Place one wedge on a large piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. If desired, add slices of onion and carrot. Sprinkle on 2 T. Water, Vinegar, Apple Juice or other liquid. Wrap foil packet to totally enclose cabbage and prevent any liquid from draining out. Place on grill over low coals for 45 minutes to an hour.