Lemon Artichoke Chicken

We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Nowhere is that truer than here in food blog territory. The other day I was longing for taco hamburgers for dinner when I discovered that I'd neglected to buy ground round. Nor did I even have ground chicken or turkey in the freezer. As we all know, when the going gets tough, the tough go blog-hopping and off I went. It wasn't too long before I popped into Debi's Kahakai Kitchen(http://www.kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/) where I saw this recipe for Lemon Artichoke Chicken. Debi had found it in a magazine called Clean Eating, one I hadn't heard of before. If the recipe hadn't already sold me, her photo of the chicken served with pasta would have. Fortunately, I had everything on hand and dinner was saved. (One unfortunate speed bump was that my bunch of fresh parsley had died; next time I will definitely have this on hand as dried parsley just doesn't do it for me.) I made virtually no changes to the dish other than to use some leftover flour mixture to further thicken the sauce.

This dish is extremely low fat and low calorie, but it definitely gets high marks for taste. In fact, the next day I heated a portion just enough to take the chill off and served it over a tossed salad and it was equally delicious. I served it with rice, but next time will try it with pasta "Kahakai Kitchen" style. Oh, and did I mention it takes about a half hour to prepare? This is definitely in the rotation and I think it would be delicious with shrimp or fish as well as chicken.

Serves 4

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tbs dried oregano

freshly grated black pepper

1/4 cup Kosher salt, plus additional to season to taste

1 lb thinly pounded chicken cutlets

olive oil cooking spray

1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 (14 oz) can artichokes, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Combine the flour, oregano, pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt

Dredge each chicken cutlet in the mixture and place on a plate (save any remaining flour mix)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray

Heat on medium to medium high so skillet is hot, but not smoking

Add 1/2 the chicken cutlets at a time and cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned

Cover plate to keep cutlets warm (I put them in a 200 degree oven)

Heat oil and saute onion for 5-6 minutes, until golden

Add garlic and saute 1 minute more, stirring to keep garlic from burning

Sprinkle remaining flour mixture over veggies and saute 1 more minute (I added this step)

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer (the flour thickens it a bit more)

Add artichokes, lemon juice and zest and simmer another 2-3 minutes to heat through

Season to taste

Pour over warmed chicken cutlets

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve

(N.I. for 4 oz chicken and 1/2 cup artichoke mixture is 220 cal, 4.5 g total fat, 1g sat fat, 65 mg chol, 20g carb, 2g figer, 2g sugar, 27 g protein)

This is a very zesty and flavorful dish and one that I will be making again very soon. Thanks again, Debi.

WHEN NOTHING ELSE WILL DO BUT MAC N' CHEESE

Even though it's still in the 80's outdoors, it is, after all, fall. The leaves are already starting to turn. So, too, are my thoughts...to soups and stews and other comfort foods of autumn. At a recent farmers' market I bought some frozen crab cakes. Today was a busy day with an hour's drive to the dentist, so I decided to make the crab cakes with a salad of radicchio and romaine. What to do about a side dish? I just happened to have a brick of Cabot's 50% reduced fat Cheddar cheese and a box of Ronzoni Smart Taste penne. If you are interested in making healthier choices and haven't tried either of these products, you really should. I highly recommend both. They TASTE good and the cheese actually melts. Since I am still trying to focus on healthy eating, I toned down the roux considerably without sacrificing too much taste or texture. I also decided to forego the bread crumb topping since the crab cakes already had bread crumbs. I was pleased with the taste and the ease of preparation. Remember, this is NOT your usual decadent, fat-infused mac n' cheese. It is, however, a quick and healthy substitute when you want some daily points (WW) left over for another indulgence.

4 Servings (4 pts each)

2 cups dried pasta (elbows, penne, wagon wheels)

4 tsp all purpose flour

1 tbs Olivio

1/2 cup fat free milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 brick (8 oz) Cabot's 50% reduced fat Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and place in a bowl sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Using the same pot, melt the butter and add the flour over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until the flour browns lightly. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken. Add the cheese while continuing to whisk until it is fully melted. Add to the pasta and mix thoroughly.

TO TURN THIS INTO AN ENTREE: Steam or broil or grill 8 oz of turkey kielbasa. Cut into rounds and add to the mac n' cheese. Serves 2.

TURKEY SHEPHERD'S PIE

Ireland is a beautiful country and the week I spent there I saw more shades of green than I ever imagined were possible. The only drawback to Ireland was that I do not, nor have I ever, eaten lamb. I guess the one exception is that I do love gyros and if that meat is lamb, well then I contradict myself. But no other lamb shall ever pass these lips. That said, the idea of shepherd's pie is appealing in nearly every other way. What's not to love about a casserole topped with mashed potatoes?

I've been making the same Weight Watchers' turkey shepherd's pie for almost 15 years, so when I found another version, I thought I'd give it a try. There was an ingredient that I would have much preferred to leave out--frozen peas and carrots--but Larry loves them. I love carrots, the fresh variety, but I abhor peas. I don't like the way they taste or feel. I will give them an A+ for color. Except for this addition, the new version of turkey shepherd's pie is a big improvement. The old version used instant mashed potatoes, something I really dislike. I made it anyway because it was tasty, quick, and low in points. The new version, however, uses Yukon gold potatoes--I left the skins on for more fiber--and was just as tasty, quick, and low in points. Larry liked it a lot. The serving size is very generous as well.

Yield - 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs small Yukon gold potatoes, skins left on

3/4 cup fat free milk

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 lb ground turkey (lean)

1 1/2 tbs all-purpose flour

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs poultry seasoning (or sage)

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen peas and carrots, thawed (OR LEAVE OUT and use fresh, parboiled baby carrots, as I will next time)

Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot filled with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are done--about 25 minutes. Drain, add milk and mustard, and mash until creamy. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large, nonstick pan with cooking spray and saute onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until browned. Sprinkle the flour over the turkey and onion and cook about 1 minute, until the flour is absorbed. Stir in the Worcestershire and poultry seasoning and cook another minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until mixture thickens (2-3 minutes). Stir in the peas and carrots.

Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square baking dish. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over the mixture. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 40 minutes (until bubbling). Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. (3 points per serving)

BBQ PORK WITH MOP SAUCE

Everyone has his or her own favorite kind of barbecue. In the Northeast, it isn't as much of a religion as it is in the South or in the West. I'd forgotten how much we liked the rub I used on a grilled flank steak, how tender and juicy the meat was after it was seared on.

One of my freezer staples are those packages of pork loins. They generally run about 2 pounds and contain 2 small loins. DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy those already-flavored loins. Not unless you enjoy salt licks. Just buy the regular pork loins; they're inexpensive, lowfat, and can be used in any number of ways.

I chose to use a dry spice rub, then serve the pork with a spicy, vinegary sauce. While I used loins of pork, this recipe would work as well on chicken or beef or even catfish.

Yield - 6 servings

DRY RUB

2 tbs dark brown sugar

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 - 2 lbs total), trimmed of any visible fat

MOP SAUCE

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tbs molasses

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Spray the grill or a grill pan with nonstick spray and prepare the grill for indirect heating (I turned the left and right burners on high and left the middle one off).

Combine all ingredients listed under spice rub. Rub half the mixture all over the pork loins and let stand for 15 minutes.

While pork absorbs rub, combine all ingredients for the mop sauce. Whisk until blended.

Rub the pork loins with the remainder of the spice rub and place over the indirect heat (the middle burner, in my case). Grill 13 minutes, then turn and grill another 12 - 15 minutes until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove pork from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing each tenderloin into 12 slices. Serve with the sauce. (WW 4 *'s)

I've already packed Larry's lunch with slices of pork and sauce over rice. I shredded the rest of the leftovers and have them in the sauce. They will make a tasty sandwich for my lunch tomorrow. Yum!

CAVATELLI WITH BROCCOLI

I haven't been posting much lately because the lack of a sense of smell and taste has seriously cut down on my cooking and baking. It's hard to be satisfied when you have no smell or taste whatsoever, so I've been eating foods that have some texture and way more cheese than is good for your system. Pizza, onion soup au gratin, and grilled cheese are about the only things that satisfy. However, that is not a balanced diet and I feel sorry for Larry, so yesterday I took advantage of the beautiful basil growing in my windowboxes and some wonderful broccoli I picked up at the farmers' market and made a healthy, easy pasta dish.

1 pkg frozen ricotta cavatelli

olive oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cavatelli according to package directions. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water. As they cook, heat about 1 1/2 tbs olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the garlic until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully so the garlic crisps and doesn't burn. About 4-5 minutes before the garlic is done, add the broccoli to the pan and cook; it will be crisp tender. Add the pasta to the vegetable mix and toss with additional olive oil (start with a tablespoon and add to taste), salt, pepper, grated cheese, and just enough pasta water to moisten. Top with chopped basil.

If you haven't eaten cavatelli, they are lighter than gnocchi, but more satisfying than penne or ziti. Mom and I used to make our own for Easter. You form them with your thumb and after rolling some 5 pounds, let me tell you, your thumb is numb!