Crab and Corn Chowder

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 2 cups diced red potato
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 thyme sprig
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
• 1/2 cup chopped chanterelle or other fresh wild mushrooms (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed (OR Substitute 1/2 pound of Scallops, Shrimp or combination seafood)
  
• Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add corn and next 7 ingredients (corn through thyme sprig); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine cornstarch and evaporated milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Add cornstarch mixture to soup; simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and crab; remove thyme sprig. Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with chives, if desired.

Calories:220 (16% from fat)

Chicken with Linguini Leeks and Tomatoes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup pasta and vegetables)

Ingredients

• 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons margarine
• 3 cups sliced leeks (about 3 medium)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 4 ounces linguine, uncooked

Preparation

Place each chicken piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and next 4 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of chicken, and set aside.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add margarine, and place over medium-high heat until margarine melts. Add the chicken, and cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet; set aside.

Add leeks and garlic to skillet; cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Break linguine into 2-inch pieces; add linguine and chicken to skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

329 (13% from fat)

Recommended by Kate and Jim

Steak and Chicken Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

Serving--2 fajitas
Ingredients
Marinade:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14.25-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
• 
  Fajitas:
• 1 (1-pound) flank steak
• 1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
• 2 red bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
• 2 green bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
• 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 16 wedges
• Cooking spray
• 16 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

Preparation

To prepare marinade, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.

To prepare fajitas, trim fat from steak. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of the steak. Combine 1 1/2 cups marinade, steak, and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Combine remaining marinade, bell peppers, and onion in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove steak and chicken from bag; discard marinade. Remove vegetables from bag; reserve marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; set aside. Place steak, chicken, and vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil; place tortilla packet on grill rack the last 2 minutes of grilling time. Bring reserved marinade to a boil. Cut steak and chicken diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Place the steak, chicken, and vegetables on a serving platter; drizzle with reserved marinade.

Arrange about 1 ounce steak, about 1 ounce chicken, 3 bell pepper wedges, and 1 onion wedge in a tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon salsa, about 1 teaspoon sour cream, and 1/2 tablespoon cilantro. Fold sides of tortilla over filling. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

Calories: 407 (31% from fat)

Chicken Sate

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 skewers and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

• Saté:
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 8 strips
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
  Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons natural-style, reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (such as Smucker's)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  Remaining ingredient:
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Prepare grill.

To prepare saté, combine chicken and next 6 ingredients (through 2 garlic cloves) in a medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the next 5 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove) in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Thread chicken strips onto each of 8 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve chicken with sauce.

Calories: 205

Grilled chicken, Spinach and Cashew Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

In this delicious salad, the honey mustard vinaigrette serves as both a marinade and a dressing.

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken, Spinach and Cashew Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin Makes ALL the difference--takes a good salad to a WOW salad
  
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey (such as clover, wild thistle, or lavender)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless (2 1/2 pounds total)
• 6 cups baby spinach , cleaned and dried
• 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup roasted salted cashews

Directions:

To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, mustard, cumin, and honey in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil in a steady stream. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour in 3 tablespoons dressing. Turn breasts to coat well. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side until done, turning often to prevent burning. (Chicken should be browned and firm.) Remove from grill and allow to cool 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch strips.

In a large bowl, toss spinach, tomatoes, and cashews with remaining dressing and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a platter or divide among 4 plates, and top with chicken strips.

The dressing/marinade was surprisingly tasty--just the right amount of Cumin spices it up without overwhelming the honey mustard.

Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 pinch sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard; tear the leaves into pieces of uniform size. (I made my pieces about the size of a small potato chip.) Wash torn kale pieces and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels until they're very dry.
3. Put the kale pieces into a large resealable bag (or use a bowl if you don't mind getting your hands oily). Add about half the olive oil; seal and squeeze the bag so the oil gets distributed evenly on the kale pieces. Add the remaining oil and squeeze the bag more, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly 'massaged.' Sprinkle the vinegar over the kale leaves, reseal the bag, and shake to spread the vinegar evenly over the leaves. Spread the leaves evenly onto a baking sheet.
4. Roast in the preheated oven until mostly crisp, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Store extras in an air tight container.
Try other seasonings--flavored salts, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion--whatever you think sounds tasty!

Tonga Toast (Stuffed French Toast) Kona Cafe at DIsney's Polynesian

Ingredients:

2 or 4 slices sourdough bread, cut 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
1 banana
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
oil or shortening for frying
whipped butter and/or syrup

Method:

Cut a 1-inch pocket in one side of each bread slice. Cut banana in half crosswise, then split each piece lengthwise. Remove peel and stuff two pieces of fruit in each pocket of bread; set aside. Mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Mix together well the egg, milk and vanilla.

Heat about 4 inches of oil in a pan to 350º F. Dip stuffed bread into egg/milk mixture and let it soak a few seconds to let penetrate bread. Fry bread on both sides in hot oil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or wire rack. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve.

Macadamia Pancakes with Macadamia Nut Butter

Yield: 12 – 15 pancakes

Ingredients

Pancakes:

1-1/4 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups milk

3 eggs

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Sift flour into medium bowl

Add brown sugar, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.

Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

If using an electric skillet pre-heat to 350 F; pre-heat griddle or skillet on medium until a few drops of water dance on the surface.

For each pancake pour 1/4-cup batter onto skillet and cook on first side until bubbles form and sides look dry, flip over and cook until golden brown

Top with your favorite syrup or macadamia nut butter (below).

Macadamia Nut Butter

One stick butter (at room temperature)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup toasted Macadamia nuts

Method:

Combine butter, honey, and toasted Macadamias.

Use a spoonful to top pancakes.

Coconut Almond Chicken--Kona Cafe (Disney)

Ingredients:

4 half breasts (1/3 pound each) Chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1 ounce Almond breading
1 ounce Coconut Marinade

For the Salad:
6 Cups Asian Greens Mix
1 Cup Golden Pineapple, large dice
1 Cup Strawberries, quartered
½ Cup Carrots, julienne cut
12 each Mint leaves, torn in pieces
1 Cup Honey-lime Dressing
½ Cup Almonds, sliced, toasted
4 each Lime wedges, quartered
½ Cup Mango Puree
½ Cup Coco Lopez
Pinch to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Pinch to taste Kosher Salt

For the Dressing:
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Canola Oil
¼ Cup Lime juice, fresh
Pinch to taste Kosher Salt
Pinch to taste Freshly Ground black Pepper

For the Coconut Marinade:
½ Cup Whole Eggs, mixed well
½ Cup Coconut Milk
½ teaspoon Pataks brand curry paste
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Almond Breading:
½ cup Flour, all purpose
1 Cup Almonds, sliced, chopped
½ Cup Coconut Desiccated unsweetened
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

Method of preparation:
Mix all ingredients for the salad season with salt and black pepper, mix all ingredients for dressing and add to the salad. Toss well to make sure all salad is coated with dressing.

Trim, pound chicken breast halves. Mix ingredients for marinade, place chicken in for 1-2 hours.

In a seasoned pan, place small amount of canola oil. Dredge marinated chicken breasts in the almond flour mix, sauté until golden, turn and place in a 400-degree oven and cook until golden and firm (minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Season chicken with Kosher salt after removing from the oven.

Divide salad among four plates; lay chicken partially on the salad, and drizzle chicken with mango puree and Coco Lopez using squeeze bottles with a fine tip. Garnish each plate with a few toasted almond slices and a lime wedge.

Crepes

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Fresh Peaches with Apricot Preserves--garnished with lemon zest and cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, water and the eggs. Gradually add in the flour. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth. Let Batter rest for 20-60 minutes before cooking.
   
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.