Vegetarian: FRESH TOMATO PIZZA
Serves 4; 2 pieces per serving

Vegetable oil spray
1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
3 or 4 medium Italian plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with vegetable oil. Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with basil or parsley and season with pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or according to package directions. Cut into 8 wedges.

Calories: 284 kcal
Protein: 15 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Total Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 16 mg
Sodium: 500 mg
 

Appetizer: MARINATED MUSHROOMS
Serves 8 - approximately 3 mushrooms per serving 

1 8-ounce package fresh mushrooms
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno pepper
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 small strips lemon rind, yellow portion only
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Wipe mushrooms with clean, damp cloth; cut into quarters. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a medium, shallow bowl and stir to mix well. Toss mushrooms in mixture to coat evenly.
Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for several hours or overnight. Remove mushrooms from marinade. Discard marinade and serve mushrooms cold.

Calories: 98
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 18 mg 

GRILLED CHEESE AND CILANTRO SANDWICHES
Serves 2 

4 ounces sliced low-fat Monterey Jack cheese or part-skim mozzarella cheese
4 slices soft-textured whole-grain bread
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Vegetable oil spray

Divide the cheese between 2 slices of the bread. Top with cilantro, and season with pepper if desired. Cover with remaining bread slices.
Spray a large skillet with vegetable oil. Place sandwiches in skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.
Turn sandwiches and cook 2 minutes more, or until bread is golden brown and cheese melts.
Cook's Tip: You'll get more even browning by using bread with a soft texture. 

Calories: 295 kcal
Protein: 21 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Total Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 32 mg
Sodium: 572 mg 

Low-fat recipes
SWEET ‘N’ SPICY CHICKEN STIR-FRY
GLYCEMIC INDEX: 54
NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:
CALORIES………………504
FAT……………………….13g
CARBOHYDRATE………50g
FIBER………………………7g

½ inch thick slice of butternut squash (5 ozs.), cut into cubes
2 ozs. angel hair (capellini) pasta
10 ozs. chicken tenders
2 teaspoons oil
½ medium (2 ½ ozs.) onion, thinly sliced
½ small (6 ozs.) eggplant, cut into ½ inch dices
½ (6 ozs.) small red pepper, cut into narrow strips
1 large clove of garlic or a heaped teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1. Cook pasta according to manufacturer’s directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Parboil the squash (2 minutes in microwave).
3. Stir fry the strips of chicken in batches in a lightly oiled wok or fry pan.
Remove each batch once done and set aside on a plate.
4. Once all the chicken is done, heat the oil in the pan and stir-fry the onion and eggplant a few minutes. Add the pepper strips, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the crushed garlic and diced squash.
5. Return the chicken to the pan, then add the combined chili sauce, honey and soy sauce, all at once. Stir-fry 30
 

Soup: HOT-AND-SOUR SOUP
Serves 8; 1 cup per serving

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage or bok choy (about 3 ounces)
1 cup sliced fresh shiitake, cloud ear, or other mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 6 green onions)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
1/2 pound firm reduced-fat tofu, cut into strips
1 cup white vinegar or to taste
1 tablespoon black pepper or to taste (freshly ground preferred)
Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs, or 2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fragrant toasted sesame oil

Bring the broth to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat.
Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl; set aside.
Add the cabbage, mushrooms, green onions, soy sauce, and gingerroot to the boiling broth. When the broth mixture returns to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes.
Add the tofu strips, vinegar, and pepper. Taste and add more pepper or vinegar if desired. Reduce heat to a simmer.
Slowly drizzle the egg substitute into the simmering soup, stirring gently. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and serve.

Calories: 111
Protein: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 235 mg
 

Side-Dish: OVEN-FRIED POTATOES WITH

                      OREGANO
Serves 6

3 medium baking potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons malt vinegar

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Scrub potatoes thoroughly. Cut each potato lengthwise into 6 wedges. Place wedges in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Place potatoes and oil in a medium bowl and toss to coat evenly. Place potatoes on baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper and oregano.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with malt vinegar.

Calories: 88 kcal
Protein: 2 gm
Carbohydrates: 16 gm
Total Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fat: 0 gm
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 gm
Monounsaturated Fat: 2 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 5 mg
Potassium: 266 mg
Calcium: 11 mg
 

CALIFORNIA CUCUMBER SALAD
Serves 4 

2 cucumbers, scrubbed, not peeled
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped, unsalted, dry roasted walnuts
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Shred cucumbers and drain. Place in a medium bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss to mix well.
Serve on lettuce-lined salad plates.

Calories: 109
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 18 mg 

Low-Carb recipes
Fluffy Pancakes

2 extra-large eggs
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
   pinch of NutraSweet or Equal or to taste
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon rice flour or Wondra
1 tablespoon baking powder
   pinch of baking soda

 Whip the eggs in a food processor or by hand until frothy. Add the cheeses and beat until smooth. Add a little artificial sweetener. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to blend. Gently scrape the batter into a small bowl. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle with a little butter as needed and when it’s hot spoon the batter onto the gribble-about 10 pancakes. Cook over medium heat until the edges of the cakes are set and large bubbles appear across the surface, about 1 minute. Carefully flip them and cook for half as long as on the first side or until golden. Serve on heated plates, with a drizzle of dietetic maple syrup or berry syrup and a couple of breakfast link sausages or crisp bacon (about 2 grams protein each).

SERVES 2
PER SERVING: 10 GRAMS CARBOHYDRATE, 13 GRAMS PROTEIN
-Rice flour is available at most health food stores and Asian markets. It’s recommended for these pancakes because it results in a lighter texture.
-These pancakes don’t keep particularly well, so just cut the recipe in half if you’re cooking them for yourself,
-Because this batter is very delicate, it’s important that the baking powder be fresh, not more than 2 months oil, so it will puff up properly.