Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. or more chili-garlic sauce
4 cups chopped greens, such as spinach, chard, kale or napa cabbage
2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 green onions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 14-oz. package of rice noodles or bean thread noodles

In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry and 1 tbsp. of sesame oil. Toss the chicken strips and let stand for 20 minutes or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, tahini, ginger, sugar, vinegar and chili-garlic sauce. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the greens, mushrooms and green onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken with the marinade and the tahini-garlic mixture. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with chili-garlic sauce. The soup can be made to this point and refrigerated or frozen.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Transfer the cooked noodles into soup bowls. Reheat the soup, ladle it over the noodles and serve.

Calzone Rolls

4 large, crusty Keiser Rolls
1 1/2 c ricotta cheese
Salt and Pepper
1/4 lb salami, chopped **use spinach instead for a veggie version**
1/4 c Parmigiano-Reggiano
8 slices mozzerella or provolone (skim or low-fat)
8 slices vine ripe tomato
8 fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the Keiser rolls in half, leaving the bottom slice thicker than the top. Scoop a little of the white soft insides out of the bottoms.

Season ricotta with S&P. Stir the salami (or spinach) and grated cheese into the ricotta. Fill the rolls with the ricotta mixture. Cover the ricotta with tomato and basil, then top with mozzerella/provolone slice. Set covers in place and bake to heat through 10-12 minutes.

Serve w/ Quick Zesty Marinara.

Quick Zesty Marinara

2 pints grape tomatoes
6-8 whole garlic cloves
EVOO

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse tomatoes, let air dry. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil. Spread tomatoes out in baking dish with whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with EVOO. Season with S&P. Bake until tomatoes burst, about 10 min.

Transfer tomatoes and garlic to bowl, mash with potato masher. Serve hot with Calzone Rolls.

The BEST Low-Fat Banana Bread EVER!!!

1 1/2 c flour (I use oat flour, it makes the bread more dense, but healthier)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 lg egg whites, slightly beaten
3 lg ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c sugar
2 tbsp oil (I use EVOO instead of veg, can't taste the difference)

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Is seperate mixing bowl, mix together egg whites, bananas, sugar and oil. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, mix until combined. Pour into greased or non-stick bread pan. Bake @ 350 for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:

• Sprinkle sugar on top of bread batter prior to baking to give it a crispy sugar crust. If you want, feel free to reduce the sugar in the recipe by 1/8 c, and sprinkle on top instead, so you're not adding calories.
• You can also substitute apple sauce for oil, but I recommend leaving at least 1 tbsp of oil for best density.
  

Beef & Asparagus (or Green Beans or Broccoli)

1 lb. flank steak
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, green beans or broccoli
4 tbsp. peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice fresh ginger, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Thinly slice the steak and cut into 2-inch wide strips. Marinate the steak in a mixture of the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch and sugar for about 1 hour.

Blanch the asparagus, green beans or broccoli until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the asparagus, green beans or broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove them from the pan.

Add 2 more tbsp. of oil to pan. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper seeds and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the meat and cook for 3 minutes (or cooked to desired doneness). Return vegetable to meat and stir together.

Serve with rice.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Leeks

1 leek, about 5-7 inches of the white-to-pale-green portion, sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp. olive oil (divided)
1 12-oz pork tenderloin
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. minced fresh herb (your choice)

Put each half-round length of leek flat side down and slice crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide half-rounds. Tumble the pieces by hand to separate the layers (they'll look kind of like wood shavings). With 1 tbsp. olive oil, lightly coat the pork and the bottom of a 5x9-inch baking dish. Grind pepper over the pork and set aside. Mound the leek shavings across the dish bottom in a layer about 2-3 inches wide. Sprinkle the coarse salt and minced fresh herb over the leek mound. Drizzle remaining tbsp. olive oil over the leeks and place the pork on top.

Roast on low to mid-oven rack until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest in the baking dish for 10 minutes. Slice the meat, place on a warm platter and spoon leeks on top.

**You can also put this in a crock-pot on low for 8 hours.

Grilled Chicken Soup

1 Serving

1 Can low sodium chicken broth
Sliced grilled chicken breast
Cooked Barley
Vegi's
(one serving each of the chicken, barley, vegi's)

Warm over medium heat or microwave...

Pizza

1 Serving

1 Whole wheat Pita
1 baked chicken breast
Fat Free or low sugar tomato sauce
1 oz. low or fat free mozarella sauce
vegi's of your choice (onions, peppers, etc...)

Bake until warm. (around 10 min)

Tortilla Chips

Cut Tortilla (whole wheat, plain, etc...) into triangles.
Bake about 1 hr at 250 degree's.

Add 1/2 C cottage cheese to 1/4 C salsa if you want to add protein and calcium.

Easy Muffins

1 - 15 oz can of Pumpkin
1 box of cake mix (any flavor)

Mix the two things. Non-stick spray your container. Bake 30 min (until no longer shiny). Makes 12 cupcakes. (don't use the cupcake papers)
A friend said this is only 2 pts. on weight watchers.
Very moist and needs no frosting...

Susan

Potato Leek Soup

2 large leeks
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 to 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup heavy cream

1 pckg shredded monterey jack cheese

fresh chives (optional)

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very crispy and has rendered most of its fat. Removed bacon, set aside for topping. Add the chopped leeks and garlic, cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, thyme, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Stir in the heavy cream and cheese, adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with chopped bacon and chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.