Reuben Casserole

This is like a Reuben sandwich but and you decide how much your "sandwich" should have of each ingredient.

1 can drained & rinsed sauerkraut WELL
1/2 lb. thin sliced corn beef or pastrami - low fat from the deli
1 1/2 c. shredded low fat Swiss cheese or use non-fat slices
Non-fat thousand island dressing
Rye Bread cut into cubes

Spray quart casserole dish with non-stick spray and spread drained sauerkraut in bottom. Add corn beef and then cheese. Spread the dressing. Top with the cubed bread.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mushroom Patê

You can use whichever kind of mushroom makes you happy but portobello, crimini, or shiitake mushrooms are all excellent choices and each has a distinct flavor of its own. But plain old button mushrooms will work just fine in this low-calorie spread.

2 T finely chopped onion
Nonstick Cooking Spray
2 T all-purpose flour
3 T dry sherry (or use cooking sherry)
Water
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c mushrooms, finely chopped
1/8 c toasted walnuts, chopped
1 T snipped fresh chives
1 - 2 c apple slices
Belgian endive leaves or crackers

Spray 1 quart microwave-safe casserole with a lot of nonstick cooking spray and add onion and cover. Microwave, on high for 2 minutes. Mix together flour and sherry until smooth then add sherry/flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mushrooms to the onions. Microwave, covered, on high for 4 to 5 minutes more until onion and mushrooms are tender, stirring once (add a little water if too thick but the mushrooms should give off a lot of liquid). Cool slightly.

Transfer 1/2 cup of mushroom mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. (Set remaining mushroom mixture aside.) Cover and blend or process until smooth. Combine blended mushroom mixture, reserved mushroom mixture, walnuts, and chives in a serving bowl. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days. Serve with apple slices, Belgian endive leaves, or crackers. Makes about 1 cup (16 servings).

Simple Low-Fat Enchilda Sauce

2 c non-fat chicken broth
4 poblano peppers*
8 oz Fat Free Sour Cream

Place the chicken broth into a blender along with the poblanos and sour cream. Puree until smooth and set aside. Pour the pureed poblano mixture into the skillet and lightly simmer for 10 minutes. Now you can use the sauce to make some enchiladas!

*Roast the peppers or buy the dried and re-hydrate.

Great Fake Fried Chicken

2/3 cup honey mustard dressing (or make your own by mixing mustard & honey)
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place corn flake crumbs in a shallow bowl and place the honey mustard in a bowl reserving about 1/3 cup to serve with the chicken. Dip chicken breasts into dressing, then corn flake crumbs. Place into shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake until chicken is golden and no longer pink, about 15 minutes.

Drizzle remaining dressing mixture (the 1/3 cup that was set aside) over chicken breasts and serve.

Taco Soup

15 oz canned black beans
15 oz canned pinto beans
15 oz canned kidney beans
20 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies
1 serving(s) Ranch Dressing Pkg 4 oz
1 oz reduced-sodium taco seasoning
32 oz fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 servings Boca Ground "Meat"

Heat on stove top until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with sides for garnishing: fat free sour cream, fat free cheese and baked tortillas.

Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts. About 4 small pieces.
1 box Stove Top Stuffing mix (I used savory herb)
1 jar Heinz Fat Free Chicken gravy
1 c chopped celery
1 c chicken broth

Spray the bottom of the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray and lay the chicken at the bottom. Pour the broth over the chicken. In a bowl, mix together the dry stuffing mix, celery, and gravy until slightly moistened. Heap over the chicken in the crock pot. Cook 6-7 hours on low.
Serves 4 at about 340 calories a serving or 7 points for WW.

Pumpkin Fluff

15oz can pumpkin
1 pkg. fat-free sugar-free vanilla pudding
1 c. skim milk
8 oz. container fat free Cool Whip
2 tsp. pumpkin spice

Using a mixer, blend pumpkin with dry pudding mix and milk. Fold in Cool Whip. Chill.

Apple Crumble

1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
5 c granny Smith Apples, peeled & chopped
3/4 c brown sugar (if you use Splenda brown sugar the points/calories go down!)
3 T flour
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
8 oz fat free sour cream
1/4 c unflavored dry breadcrumbs
2 T sugar (Splenda cooking sugar works fine)
I can't Believe It's Not Butter spray

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Combine apples, brown sugar, flour, extract and sour cream. Pour mixture into crust. In another bowl combine breadcrumbs, sugar and toss and then spray with "butter" and toss again. Sprinkle this over the top and bake for 40 minutes. Cool to serve.

Yield is 8 it really is. About 3 points per serving for WW and 245 calories/3 grams of fat.

Healthy Version on Haystacks

Fiber One Haystacks

1 “cashier size” Hershey bar
1 cup peanut butter – I used reduced fat
1 cup Fiber One cereal

Place the peanut butter in a microwavable dish and add the chocolate by breaking it into pieces and standing the pieces in the peanut butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and continue to microwave and stir in 10 second intervals until creamy. Add cereal and stir. Place "haystack" spoonfuls on waxed paper and chill.

(WW: 1 "haystack" is one point but 2 are 3 points!)

Stuffed Mushrooms

olive oil cooking spray
1 pound button mushrooms, about 24 large mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 1/2 slice whole-wheat bread, chopped into bread crumbs
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp ground turmeric

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Remove mushroom stems from caps and finely chop stems; reserve caps and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sauté mushroom stems, onion, pepper and spinach until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well-combined.

Stuff each mushroom cap with 2 tablespoons of filling mixture. Place mushrooms on baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes; serve warm.

Yields 2 mushrooms per serving.

(Note: The mushrooms can be stuffed in advance, covered, refrigerated and then baked later in the day to save on last minute preparation time.)

Emergency Fat Free Whipped "Cream"

This will not "keep" so make close to time you want to use it and don't make more than you can use!

1/2 c. instant dry milk
1/3 c. cold water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar Dry sugar substitute equal to 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine dry milk and cold water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Beat chilled milk mixture at high speed for 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the whipped milk. Continue beating at high speed for 4 additional minutes. Stir the sugar and sugar substitute together. Continue beating the whipped milk, and gradually add the sugar/sweetener mix to the whipped milk while it is being beaten. Add vanilla and beat until well-blended. Refrigerate immediately and keep chilled until used.

Pineapple Pie

3-1/4 cups fat free whipped topping
16 oz. container pina colada flavored yogurt
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained well
1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust

In a large mixing bowl, mix together whipped topping, yogurt and pineapple. Add to crust. Cover tightly. Freeze overnight.

Fruit Cheese Dip

4 oz. Fat Free cream cheese
1/2 cup Fat Free sour cream
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and process until smooth.

VARIATIONS: substitute 3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries for the strawberries; or use chopped fresh mango and orange juice instead of strawberries and lemon juice.

Stuffed French Toast

6-1" French Bread slices (French Bread has no fat)
4-5 T Fat Free Cream Cheese
2 T Orange Marmalade
3/4 c Egg Whites (from the carton)
3/4 c Fat Free Milk
Sprinkle of Cinnamon or 1/4 t vanilla

Mix the cheese with the marmalade. Use a knife to slice a pocket into each piece of the French bread - but be careful not to cut all the way through. Fill the pocket with some of the cream cheese mixture. Beat the egg whites and milk with your choice of "spice" then pour over the stuffed bread. Let soak until the bread is saturated.

Spray your pan with nonstick type spray and cook the bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Serve with sugar-free syrup.

BBQ Pork Pasta

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 scant T brown sugar
sprinkle red pepper or to your taste
sprinkle dehydrated onion flakes
About 3-4 oz pork tenderloin
2 cups cooked pasta

Mix first ingredients and pour over pork. Bake at 350 until pork is done and tender. Let pork cool enough to pull apart with two forks. While pasta is hot mix the pulled pork, sauce and pasta together and serve. About 2 large servings.

Blender Avocado Soup

1 ripe avocado 1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups chilled water
1 1/2 T lime juice
1/2 sour cream (fat free if you wish)

Add all into blender and process until smooth. Transfer to bowls and garnish with one (or more) of following as you wish: Diced, seeded watermelon crab meat cilantro leaves diced red onion. Yield: 4

With regular sour cream: 180 cal/14.5 g fat/2 g fiber

King Ranch Chicken

When I meet someone who has never had King Ranch Casserole, I just plain feel bad for them. But I feel bad for myself when I realized the original version is so high in sodium and fat that I couldn't include it in my diet any longer!

Here is a lower calorie version of the original. This is an easy way to serve a great Mexican style dish at home that takes so little time, especially if you use left over chicken and still can be worked into a healthy diet. I personally prefer corn tortillas but it works with flour - but use whole wheat to keep it healthier.

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, diced (or shredded)
12 corn tortillas (you may use whole wheat flour)
1 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 can reduced-calorie cream of chicken soup (Low sodium if possible)
1 can reduced-calorie cream of mushroom soup (Low sodium if possible)
1 can Rotel Tomatoes (or like brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare casserole dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Mix remaining cheeses together and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together both cream soups and tomatoes. Blend well and set aside.

Put a few tablespoons of soup mixture in bottom of casserole. Tear corn tortillas into pieces arrange one layer of tortilla pieces on bottom of prepared casserole dish. Top that with 1/2 of chicken, 1/2 of soup mixture, 1/2 of cheeses. Repeat. Top with rest of cheese, spray with cooking spray and bake for one hour.

Serves about 8.