A great “one-pan” meal with earthy flavors is simple to prepare. Assemble in about 15 minutes, pop it in the oven for about an hour for a healthy feast.

Ingredients

6 plum tomatoes
3 medium yellow squash or zucchini
4 large carrots
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs (bone in work fine too)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 Tb. fresh)

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cut the tomatoes & squash lengthwise into quarters. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes, and cut the squash into 3-4″ long pieces. Peel and cut the carrots into bite sized pieces 1/2 inch thick. For a nicer presentation, cut them on an angle to make the pieces longer (see photo).

Put the vegetables in a large baking dish and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Nestle the chicken into the pan so the vegetables surround the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of  salt, 1 tablespoon of oil, minced garlic, lemon zest and the lemon juice. Rub this mixture on the pieces of chicken. Season with some fresh ground pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Stir vegetables and add the rosemary to the pan. Return to the oven for 20-30 minutes until chicken is done.

Serve with white rice or roasted potatoes.

Serves 6

Variation: Cut 6 red bliss potatoes into pieces and add them to the vegetables to make this a real “one pan meal”.

But, there is no reason you cannot have a hearty soup like this and still eat healthy.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion. chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1-2 tablespoons of curry powder
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons plain nonfat yogurt

Heat the oil in a large soup pot.
Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly till soft. Do not brown.
Add the squash, broth, curry and salt and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the honey.
Purée with an immersion blender (if using a regular blender, do not fill the container more than half way… trust me
Season with salt if necessary.

Serve with a teaspoon of yogurt on top.

Serves 4

Just a variation on the basic BLT, but a little better for you. We use egg product instead of whole eggs, cutting down on fat and calories. And, we use Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon. It has the same smokey flavor without all the fat.

Ingredients for Two Sandwiches

1/2 cup egg product
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 slices Canadian Bacon
Lettuce for two sandwiches
2 slices ripe tomato
2 slices red onion
2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices low calorie whole wheat bread

Optional: 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

Cook the bacon in a frying pan till browned a little. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat the oil then pour in the egg product. Form into two sections that will fit on the bread. When set, flip and add cheese on top. Do not over cook.

Assembly

Layer on bread:
Mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, then cooked egg and cheese.

Serves 2

By making your own sauce, you control the sugars and oils and can make a simple, delicious sauce.

The same goes for the meatballs! Our meatballs are made from 50% beef and 50% ground turkey, cutting the fat content drastically.

The Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (if you like your sauce chunky) or kitchen ready tomatoes (if you like your sauce smooth)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup torn fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt & ground pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook till onions are translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. If you are using dried basil add that now also.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates.
Add fresh basil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

The Meatballs

1/2 pound 90% lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup “quick” oatmeal
1/4 cup of the sauce from above
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup egg product (like Egg Beaters)
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl. Do not over-mix.
Form into 2½” balls and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Cook 20 minutes in 350° oven until internal temperature of meatballs is 160°

After the meatballs are cooked, they can be moved into the sauce pot to keep warm and to give extra flavor to the sauce.

The Pasta

Any one pound box of pasta may be used. Cook according to package instructions.

Top the entire dish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped flat leaf parsley.

Serves 6

Everything is cooked in one pan, but two seperate steps. Very simple and takes only 15 minutes to get it to the table.

Ingredients

1 pound green beans
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium shallots sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms (button or any kind you like) sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the water in a frying pan just to the boil. Add the beans and cook covered for about 5 minutes, just till fork tender, but they still snap.

Drain the water and put cooked beans in a covered dish to keep warm.

In the same pan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Cook till almost brown and the water they give off has evaporated, 6-8 minutes, and then add the shallots. Cook till shallots are just soft.

Return the beans to the pan and toss to re-warm.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Bolognese

This flavorful dish will be a hit with the entire family. Pasta, ground meat, tomatoes with great Italian flavors over ziti. Add a small salad for an elegant meal.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup red wine (or beef broth)
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb Ziti or other pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onion and cook till soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the celery, carrot and garlic. Cook stirring frequently until all the vegetables are soft. About another 5 minutes.

Add the ground turkey and cook till done, usually 5-8 more minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 the parsley, wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook with the top off the pan for about 45 minutes till thickened. Discard the bay leaf.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to the pasta sauce. Remove from heat and toss. Transfer to serving platter and top with the cheese and remainder of the parsley.

Serves 4

We’ve solved the problem with our Garlic coated oven baked “fries”. The entire batch (serving for 4) is made with only 2 tablespoons of oil.

Your family will never know they are not deep fried.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 Large Potatoes (Any potato is fine. Baking potatoes will be softer inside and take a little less time to cook than a harder potato like a Red Bliss)
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Procedure

Preheat oven to 450° F
Heat the garlic and oil in a small pan for 2-3 minutes, just until the oil gets flavored.
Strain the garlic oil into a large bowl, reserving the partially cooked garlic.
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch “fries”.
Toss the potatoes in the oil and spread them out in a single layer on a a cookie sheet.
Bake untill golden brown for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss in the same large bowl with the reserved garlic, parsley and salt to taste.

Serves 4
(Note: This recipe is also good if you cut the potatos into large wedges)

Ingredents

1 orange
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
6 skinless, bonless chicken thighs or breasts
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F

Zest the orange with a zester (or peel with a potato peeler and chop fine).
Peel the orange when done and seperate the wedges.

In a bowl, combine the rosemary, orange zest, oil paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chickens.

Put chicken in roasting pan and scatter the orange wedges around the chicken. Roast about 45 minutes until chicken juices run clear.

Serves 6

You won’t realize that when you eat them!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup diced red onion, or Vidalia onions, or shallots
1 small ripe tomato, seeded and diced
4 large eggs
1 cup egg product
1 tablespoon chopped dill or chives
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium non stick pan, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes slowly.
Add the diced tomato and cook for a minute or two more.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep warm.
In a bowl, mix the eggs and egg product. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook over medium heat till desired doneness.

Drain andy excess water from the tomato mixture and serve over the eggs. Top will the dill or chives, salt and pepper.

Serves 4

The sauce is simply chicken stock, wine and a little mustard. Shhhhh, don’t tell anybody

Ingredients

One pork tenderloin (approx 1¼ pounds) trimmed of all visible fat and silverskin
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely ground or crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
½ cup chicken stock or broth
½ cup dry red (or white) wine
Salt to taste

Cut the tenderloin in medallions about 1¼ to 1½ inches thick. The typical port tenderloin yields about 7-8 pieces.

Mix the mustards and spread on both sides of the medallions. Sprinkle with the crushed peppercorns and press them into the meat so it adheres well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the medallions turning only once. Cook about 10 minutes total or until the center of the meat reaches 155° F.

Move meat to a warm serving plate and cover.

To make the sauce:

In the same pan, add the broth and wine and cook on medium high heat until sauce has reduced by half. Be sure to scrape off all the browned mustard/peppercorn bits that may be sticking to the pan.

Pour the sauce over the meat and serve.

4 Servings

Notes: You may use all Dijon mustard or any other kind of mustard that you like in this dish.