Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 chicken breasts
1 egg
3/4 C seasoned breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp sage
8 slices of black forest ham
4 slices of swiss cheese
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 400. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Beat egg in a medium bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, thyme and sage in a separate bowl. Slice the chicken breasts 3/4 of the way through to make a pocket. Wrap 1 slice of cheese in two slices of ham. Stuff inside the pocket of each chicken breast. Close with toothpicks. Dunk the stuffed chicken breasts in egg then roll in bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Cook for 25 minutes.

Asparagus Pizza

1 recipe pizza dough

1/2 lb asparagus
1/4 C grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
1 C shredded mozzarella
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/8 C chives, minced





Preheat oven based on pizza dough recipe. Shave asparagus with vegetable peeler. Sprinkle pizza dough with parmesan cheese and garlic, then cover with 3/4 C mozzarella. Spread shaved asparagus throughout pizza and top with remaining cheese and chives. Bake according to pizza dough recipe.

(Inspired by Shaved Asparagus Pizza, by Smitten Kitchen)

Pizza Dough

1 C flat beer
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 1/2 C flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's recommendation. Remove dough from bread machine. Roll dough to cover pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Let rise for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Spread ingredients and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.


(Inspired by Bread Macine Pizza Dough, by AllRecipes.com)

Spinach Dip

10 oz. frozen chopped spanich
1/2 C fat free sour cream
5 tbsp fat free mayo
1/4 C chives, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C part skim shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in oven safe dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted throughout. Serve hot.


(Inspired by Hot Spinich Dip, by Ginas Skinny Recipes)

Chicken Parm

2 chicken breasts, halved
3/4 C garlic and herb breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C parmesan cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1 C marinara
1/2 C part skim mozzarella cheese







Preheat oven to 450. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Combine br4eadcrumbs, garlic and parmesan in a bowl. Brush chicken with butter and dip in breadcrumb mix. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven spoon on marinara sauce and top with cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.


(Inspired by Baked Chicken Parmesan, by Ginas Skinny Recipes)

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp all spice
5 large bell peppers
1/2 C chicken broth
2 C tomato sauce
2 C cooked brown rice
1/3 C shredded cheddar cheese




Preheat oven to 400. Cook rice according to box. Saute onion and garlic in a large skillet for about 2 minutes or until they become translucent. Add ground turkey, cumin, marjoram and all spice. Brown meat. Add chicken broth and tomato sauce. Mix in brown rice and cheese. Cut peppers in half length wise and remove all seeds. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Place peppers in baking dish. Fill each pepper half with meat mixture. Sprinkle additional cheese on top to taste. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 40 minutes.

(Inspired by Turkey Stuffed Peppers, by Ginas Skinny Recipes)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 box of bow tie pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3 C milk
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 C mushrooms, copped
1 1/2 C frozen peas
10 oz canned tuna, drained
1 1/2 C shredded colby jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.Once the butter is melted slowly add the flour sirring constantly. Slowly add milk, again stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Continue sirring until sauce begins to boil. Add garlic, pepper, onion and mushrooms. Turn down sauce to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add tuna and pasta. Mix well. Spray a 9x13 pan and add 1/2 the pasta mixture. Spread 1/2 the cheese on top of the pasta. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

8 hamburger buns
1.25 lbs lean ground beef
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 C shredded carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
15 oz tomato Sauce
12 oz tomato paste
1/2 C sweet potato puree

In a large skillet brown meat over medium heat. Season with pepper. Add carrot, onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms red wine and worcestershire sauce. Cook for 10 minutes or until onions become transparent. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and sweet potato puree, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Toast hamburger buns and place about 1/2 cup of sloppy joe mix on each bun.

(Inspired by Skinny Sloppy Joes, by Ginas Skinny Recipes)

Noodle-Free Lasagna

5 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
1 tsp salt
1 lb. ground turkey
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp pepper
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 C sweet potato puree
15 oz skim ricotta cheese
16 oz skim shredded mozzarella
1/4 C Parmesan
1 egg white

Place sliced zucchini on foil lined baking sheets. Sprinkle salt over zucchini and let stand for 10 minutes. Blot excess water and salt from zucchini with a paper towel. Broil zucchini on high for 2-3 minutes a side. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375.  In a medium skillet, brown ground turkey. When meat is browned, mix in pepper, garlic and onion and cook for 5 more minutes or until onions begin to become transparent. Stir in tomato and sweet potato puree. Set aside. Combine ricotta, Parmesan and egg white. mix until smooth. Set aside. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 C of the sauce. Cover with sliced zucchini (instead of noodles). Place meat mixture over zucchini. Place another layer of zucchini over the meat mixture. Cover zucchini with cheese mixture and top with mozzarella. Cover mixture with zucchini and spoon on the remaining sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower Puree

Cut off florets and discard core. Steam for 10 minutes. Place in food processor or blender for 2 minutes with 2 tspn water. Mix until smooth.

(Inspired by Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld)

Sweet Potato Puree

Peel sweet potatoes. Cut into chucks. Steam for 45 minutes. Puree in food processor or blender.

(Inspired by Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld)