Cheesy Orzo

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. A lot of people don't like her, but I do. The recipe serves 4. I cut it in half and there was still too much for 2 people to have as a side dish. Also, it calls for parmesan or romano cheese. I used a mixture of both. This is so simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

* olive oil for the pan
* small onion, chopped
* garlic, chopped
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 2 cups orzo
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Procedure:

1. Heat pot over medium heat.
2. Add oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil.
5. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer.
6. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender.
7. Remove lid and stir in cheese.

Nectarine Beef Saute

My husband isn't big on vegetables, but he does like fruit. Add this recipe to your low fat, low cal, low cholesterol recipe archive.

Ingredients:

* approx. 8 ounces thinly sliced sirloin steak
* black pepper
* all-purpose flour
* 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
* 1 Tablespoon honey
* 1 teaspoon oil
* 1 red onion, cut into 1/4" thick slices (I omitted cuz hubby no like)
* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
* 2 fresh nectarines, sliced
* pinch ground red pepper

Procedure:

1. Season steak strips with black pepper.
2. Lightly coat steak strips with flour and set aside.
3. Combine soy sauce and honey in a cup and set aside.
4. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add onion and cook until tender.
6. Add garlic and steak strips and cook until steak is browned.
7. Add nectarine slices, reserved soy sauce and honey mixture and red pepper.
8. Cook about 1 minute or until nectarines are warm and liquid is reduced to a glaze, stirring constantly.

Caribbean Spice Chicken

I am getting bored of the same old dinners. I pulled out my Light Cooking Cookbook this morning and found this recipe. I made it for dinner tonight. It's not 5 star, but I would make it again.

Ingredients:

* 1 (20 ounce) can of pineapple
* 1 teaspoon each: ginger, curry powder, garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* approx. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* olive oil for drizzling
* shredded coconut and green onions to taste

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Drain pineapple juice into a measuring cup.
3. Combine spices into a small bowl.
4. Stir 1/4 teaspoon of spice mixture and cornstarch into pineapple juice and set aside.
5. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture over chicken.
6. Drizzle olive oil onto chicken.
7. Place on a pan and bake for 15 min.
8. Add pineapple and bake an additional 5 minutes.
9. Microwave the pineapple juice mixture for 2-4 minutes until sauce boils and thickens.
10. Arrange chicken and pineapple onto plates (I made a bed of rice and put the pineapple and chicken on top).
11. Spoon with pineapple sauce, sprinkle with coconut and green onion.

Tina's Basic Meatloaf

My mom, Tina, makes a very basic and delicious meatloaf that even my husband will eat. To quote my husband: "I was afraid when you said we were having meatloaf for dinner, but that was actually good." I make 2 or 3 at a time using this recipe and freeze them.

Ingredients:

* 1 or 1.5 lbs. mix of ground beef, veal, and pork

* 1 t mustard

* 1 - 2 t worcestershire sauce

* 1 egg, beaten

* 1/2 cup or 1 cup breadcrumbs (depending on how firm you like your meatloaf)

* chopped fresh herbs (I use oregano, basil and whatever else looks good from my herb garden)

* salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Mix together all ingredients.

2. Form into 2 or 3 loaves.

3. Wrap in wax paper if freezing.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. (I thaw mine in the fridge the night before. If you are baking it frozen it will take longer.)

5. Serve it as is or with gravy, tomato sauce, or even BBQ sauce. We prefer plain or an herb beef gravy.

Turkey Chickpea Curry

This delicious recipe is very simple to make. I love that it's low fat, low cal and high fiber!

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. ground turkey breast
* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
* 1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained
* 6 oz. nonfat plain yogurt
* 2 Tablespoons curry powder
* fresh cilantro (to garnish)
* salt & pepper (to taste)

Procedure:

1. Heat skillet on medium heat.
2. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cook ground turkey breast.
4. When ground turkey breast is no longer pink, sprinkle with curry powder and cook approximately 2 minutes.
5. Add yogurt and cook an additional 3 minutes.
6. Add diced tomatoes and chickpeas and heat through.
7. Serve over rice, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Delicious with Naan or other bread.