Deconstructed Apple Crisp

• 1/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon to combine. Add butter and process until mixture is moistened throughout and dough begins to darken. Using the pulse button, process until moistened and pieces can be squeezed into small clumps.

On the baking sheet, spread 1/4 to 3/4-inch clumps to cover the sheet so there are different sized pieces (it is okay to have some crumbs). Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, toss clumps to redistribute, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until crunchy and cooked through. Watch carefully. Pieces should darken but not overcook and burn. You might need to stir more frequently for even cooking. Set aside to cool. The pieces will continue to firm upon standing.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, and water and stir to combine. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until apples soften. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if mixture begins to dry out to starts to stick to the pan. Set aside to cool.

Divide apples in individual bows and top with crumbles.

*Good apples for cooking include: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, and Gravenstein varieties.

Serves 4. Approximate per serving: 210 calories; 6 grams of fat.

Source: The Great American Eat Right Cookbook by American Cancer Society.

For Greek Seasoning, combine and set aside:

• 2 teaspoons of garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons of dried mint
• 2 teaspoons of oregano

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup flour
• 8 teaspoons Greek seasoning, divided
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
• 1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced lengthwise into strips
• 3 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 3 tablespoons Kalamato olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Dredge chicken in flour mixed with 4 teaspoons of Greek seasoning. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add onion to skillet and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. add bell pepper and cook  another 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes, sprinkling with remaining Greek seasoning. Mix in tomatoes.

Remove from heat, transfer to serving dish, and sprinkle with olives and feta cheese.

Serves 8. Approximate per serving: 210 calories, 9.5 grams of fat.

Grilled Vegetables

• 1 cup fat-free Italian dressing
• 1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 medium summer squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 red peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
• 2 green peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
• 2 yellow peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
• 1/2 head fennel, leaves removed, cut into 4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt

Toss vegetables with Italian dressing to coat, keeping each type of vegetable separate. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Skewer vegetables (or cook in grilling basket to prevent small items from falling onto coals or heating element). Grill until tender and lightly browned: 1 to 2 minutes per side for peppers, 2 to 3 minutes per side for eggplant and squashes, and 3 to 4 minutes per side for fennel. Sprinkle with garlic salt while cooking.

Remove from grill and place on a large platter, separating each type of vegetable.

Serves 8.

Approximate per serving: 80 calories, 0 grams of fat

From Celebrate: Healthy Eating for Any Occasion. Click here to order.

Revised: 06/30/2009

Taco Pie

Use a 13 x 9 baking dish and spray with non-stick coating. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Crust:

• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Filling:

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can kidney or chili beans
• 1 cup of shredded cheese
• green onions
• sour cream
• guacamole
• Rotel cheese sauce

Mix the egg and cup of cheese into rice and spread into baking dish. Bring the rice up the sides of the dish to form a pie kind of shell in the dish. bake for 30 minutes. It will be crusty on the sides and still soft on the bottom. 

While the shell is baking. cook the beef/turkey, drain. Add two cans of diced tomatoes, kidney or chili beans let that simmer. If you like a kick. add cumin and chili or hot sauce to your taste preference. 

When the shell is done, pour the meat mixture into the shell. Top with shredded cheese and green onions and bake for about 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

When serving, spoon onto plate, add a dollop of sour cream to the top and drizzle rotel cheese sauce over the top. Serve with tortilla chips. 

This is a Weight Watchers recipe and can be altered alot of ways. Approximately 3.5 points per serving. Hope you enjoy it.