Steeple Media Fit Club

Italian Vegetable Bake

Serves: 18 This colorful, low-sodium, and cholesterol-free vegetable dish is prepared without any added fat. INGREDIENTS 1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes 1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 lb. fresh green beans, sliced 1/2 lb. fresh okra, cut into 1/2" pieces or 3/4 cup (1/2 of a 10 oz. package) frozen okra 3/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 2 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 3 medium (7" long) zucchini, cut into 1" cubes 1 medium eggplant, pared and cut into 1" cubes 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS 1. Drain and coarsely chop tomatoes. Save liquid. 2. Mix together tomatoes and reserved liquid, onion, green beans, okra, green pepper, lemon juice, and herbs. 3. Cover and bake at 325º F for 15 minutes. 4. Mix in zucchini and eggplant and continue baking, covered, 60-70 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally...

Very Lemony Chicken

Very Lemony Chicken Serves: 4 Using skinless chicken breasts means this tangy dish is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 lb. chicken ***, skinned and fat removed 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup fresh sliced lemon peel 3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 1 medium onion, sliced 1/4 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon paprika DIRECTIONS 1. Place chicken in 13x9x2" glass baking dish. 2. Mix lemon juice, lemon peel, oregano, and onions. Pour over chicken, cover and marinate in refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning occasionally. 3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. 4. Cover and bake at 325º F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more or until done. NUTRITION INFO (per 1-*** serving) Calories: 158.6 Fat: 1.6 g Carbohydrates: 8.4 g Protein: 28.0 g

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Baked Cinnamon Apples Serves: 1 A warm, sweet baked apple dish is the perfect ending to any meal. This recipe helps keep it light. INGREDIENTS 4 baking apples 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 4 teaspoons margarine 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon DIRECTIONS 1. Remove core from apples and place upright in baking dish. 2. Place two tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon margarine and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon in the center of each apple. 3. Pour water into baking dish to 1/4 inch depth. 4. Bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. NUTRITION INFO (per 1-apple serving) Calories: 223.5 Fat: 4.3 g Carbohydrates: 49.2 g Protein: 0.2 g

Yosemite Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Yosemite Chicken Stew and Dumplings Serves: 6 Skinless chicken is the basis of this delicious stew; cornmeal dumplings are made with low-fat milk. INGREDIENTS Stew 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken meat, cut into 1" cubes 1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste 1 pinch ground cloves 1 bay leaf 3 cups water 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 package frozen peas Dumplings 1 cup yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup sifted whole wheat flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup low-fat (1%) milk 1 tablespoon olive oil DIRECTIONS Stew 1. Place chicken, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender. 2. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain broth. 3. Skim fat from broth; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid. 4. Mix...

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad packs plenty of flavor

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad Serves: 1 A spicy Cajun twist to the familiar Caesar Salad. Simple to make and low on fat. INGREDIENTS 1/2 large boneless, skinless chicken *** Cajun spice (to taste) Hot sauce (to taste) 2 cups romaine lettuce 2 tablespoons reduced fat Caesar salad dressing 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS 1. Sprinkle spice and hot sauce on chicken ***, catering to your own taste, and grill chicken on skillet or grill (chicken is done when light pink has disappeared from center). 2. Toss lettuce, dressing, and chicken to evenly distribute throughout salad. 3. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve. NUTRITION INFO (per serving) Calories: 196.1 Fat: 3.3 g Carbohydrates: 7.4 g Protein: 31.7 g

Portobello Burgers

Serves: 4 Serve in place of a steak or with lettuce and tomato on toasted whole-grain buns. INGREDIENTS 4 large Portobello mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, sliced into very thin slivers 1 tsp. fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried, (optional) 1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried, (optional) 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat broiler or grill. 2. Wipe mushrooms with damp cloth. Remove stems. 3. With paring knife, make slits in tops of caps. Stuff slivers of garlic and herbs (if using) into slits. 4. In small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Brush mushrooms with oil mixture. 5. Place mushrooms, cap-side down, on pan and broil or grill until soft and brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. NUTRITION INFO (per serving) Calories: 71.6 Fat: 5.5 g Carbohydrates: 4.5 g Protein: 3.2 g

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad...mmmmmmmmm

Fat: 3.3 g Carbohydrates: 7.4 g Calories: 196.1 Protein: 31.7 g Ingredients 1/2 large boneless,skinless chicken *** cajun spice (to taste) hot sauce (to taste) 2 cups romaine lettuce 2 tablespoons reduced fat Caesar salad dressing 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese Cooking Instructions 1. Sprinkle spice and hot sauce on chicken ***, catering to your own taste, and grill chicken on skillet or grill (chicken is done when light pink has disappeared from center). 2. Toss lettuce, dressing, and chicken to evenly distribute throughout salad. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Mousse a la Banana

Serves: 4 This creamy dessert is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, but high on richness. INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons 1% milk 4 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 medium banana, cut in quarters 1 cup plain low fat yogurt 8 banana slices (1/4 inch each) DIRECTIONS 1. Place milk, sugar, vanilla, and banana in blender. 2. Process 15 seconds at high speed until smooth. 3. Pour mixture into a small bowl; fold in yogurt. 4. Chill. Spoon into 4 dessert dishes; garnish each with 2 banana slices just before serving. NUTRITION INFO (per ½-cup serving) Calories: 98.9 Fat: 1.4 g Carbohydrates: 18.0 g Protein: 4.6 g

Fruit + Pizza

Serves: 10 When looking for something stunning to serve at the next spring or summer gathering, try this quick and easy fruit pizza. It makes a delicious, refreshing dessert and a colorful centerpiece. INGREDIENTS 1/2 package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough 8 ounces of whipped light cream cheese 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon water 1/4 cup apricot preserves Fruit of your choice (sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, sliced kiwi, seedless grapes cut in half, blueberries, melon balls sliced in half) DIRECTIONS CRUST: Spread the ½ package of sugar cookie dough over a 14-inch pizza pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan. TOPPING: Blend the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until completely mixed. Spread in a thin layer over the cooled crust. FRUIT LAYER: Creatively arrange the fruit in circles while slightly overlapping the slices around the crust. GLAZE: Bring the water and preserves to a boil, stirring constantly...

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Serves: 8 Both chickpeas and mayonnaise keep this butter-less chocolate cake moist and nutritious. INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - cooked if fresh, drained if canned 2 eggs 1/2 cup egg substitute 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Powdered sugar DIRECTIONS 1. Place rack on middle level and pre-heat oven to 350 °F. 2. In a small bowl, melt chocolate in microwave oven on medium power for two minutes. 3. In food processor or blender, combine beans, eggs and egg substitute, blending on high for thirty seconds. Add chocolate, sugar, mayonnaise and baking powder and process until smooth. 4. Pour mixture into 9" heart-shaped non-stick baking pan or a round pan, baking for 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. 5. Cool and dust with powdered sugar and serve with pureed and strained raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries as a garnish. NUTRITION INFO (per serving) Calories: 380.6 Fat: 13.9 g Carbohydrates...

Baked BBQ Tempeh

Serves: 3 Equally good whether served on rice, toasted bread, or a bed of spinach! INGREDIENTS 8 oz package tempeh 1 small onion 1 cup BBQ sauce DIRECTIONS 1. Cut block of tempeh into 3 strips and dice onion. 2. Place onion and tempeh in shallow baking dish with BBQ sauce. 3. Place in refrigerator and allow tempeh to marinate for several hours. 4. Cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. NUTRITION INFO (per 3-ounce serving) Calories: 220.4 Fat: 10.2 g Carbohydrates: 19.7 g Protein: 15.6 g

No way! Cherry PIE???

Cherry Pie Serves: 16 This tangy pie is a tasty reminder of summer all year long. INGREDIENTS 2 (9" each) pie crusts (store bought or homemade) 2 (16 oz. each) cans tart cherries, packed in water 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 tablespoon margarine DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 2. Drain 1-cup of liquid from the cherries and pour into a saucepan. Mix the cornstarch and sugar together, then stir into the liquid and add margarine. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir, until thickened, for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in cherries. 3. Fit a 9" round pie pan with one crust, and pour cooled filling into crust-filled pan. Fit either lattice-worked top or full top over pie, using margarine or egg to seal edges while crimping together. (If using double crust, make five slits in top of crust for steam to escape.) 4. Bake about 60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover around the edges with aluminum foil...

Apple Coffee Cake

Serves: 20 Apples and raisins provide sweet moistness, which means less oil in this coffee cake that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. INGREDIENTS 5 cups tart apples, cored, peeled, chopped 1 cup sugar 1 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 egg, beaten 2-1/2 cup sifted whole grain flour 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350º F. 2. Lightly oil a 13x9x2-inch pan. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples with sugar, raisins, and pecans; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes. 4. Stir in oil, vanilla, and egg. Sift together flour, soda, and cinnamon; stir into apple mixture about 1/3 at a time, just enough to moisten dry ingredients. 5. Turn batter into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake slightly before serving. NUTRITION INFO (per 3.5" x 2.5" serving) Calories: 180.7 Fat: 4.6 g Carbohydrates: 33.6g Protein: 2.8g

Apricot-Orange Bread

Serves: Makes 2 loaves Only 1 egg and very little margarine are used in this low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol low-sodium bread. INGREDIENTS 1 (6 oz.) package of dried apricots cut into small pieces 2 cups water 2 tablespoons margarine 1 cup sugar 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel 3-1/2 cups sifted whole grain flour 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup chopped pecans DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly oil two 9x5-inch loaf pans. 2. Cook apricots in water in a covered medium-size saucepan for 10-15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain; reserve 3/4 cup liquid. Set apricots aside to cool. 3. Cream together margarine and sugar. By hand, beat in egg and orange peel. 4. Sift together flour, dry milk, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved apricot liquid and orange juice. 5. Stir apricot pieces and pecans into batter...

Finally, a lower fat Taco Salad

Taco Salad Serves: 5 An easy, fast, and lower-fat versio...