Cinnamon-Orange Turkey Scaloppini

Don't be afraid - the combination of cinnamon and citrus is a delightful one. I served this with spaghetti the night I made it, and put it on a salad the next day. It's a very tasty and healthy way to cook turkey cutlets.

Cinnamon-Orange Turkey Scaloppini

4 6-oz turkey cutlets
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 c. orange juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine cinnamon and garlic with salt and pepper; rub over both sides of turkey cutlets. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned cutlets, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned on outside, but not fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside; keep warm.

Pour orange and lemon juices into pan, stirring any bits of food that are stuck to the pan. Bring to a boil and return turkey to pan. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until liquid has reduced by half, 10-15 minutes. Serve cutlets with sauce spooned over.

Spicy Sweet & Sour Beef

I love my one-pot meals! I adapted this from another recipe to better suit my tastes. It's healthy and counts as a Weight Watchers Core recipe. This freezes well.

Spicy Sweet & Sour Beef

1 1/2 c. instant brown rice, uncooked
3/4 lb. lean ground beef
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped in 1/2-in pieces
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple (in juice), drained
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp. garlic-ginger stir fry sauce
1 tsp. ginger
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
dash cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook ground beef. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in skillet and saute onion and peppers until tender.

Stir in water chestnuts, pineapple, soy sauce, garlic-ginger sauce, spices, and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens, about five minutes. Stir in rice.

Chunky Veggie Toss

The beauty of a recipe like this is that you can adapt it to suit your personal tastes. Change the veggies to your heart's content. It does taste better as the flavors have time to meld, and will last for a few days in the fridge.

Chunky Veggie Toss

1 yellow bell pepper
1 cucumber
1 red onion
1 head broccoli
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
dash garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Cut pepper, cucumber and onion into 1/2-inch pieces. Divide broccoli into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss well. Refrigerate immediately.

Tex-Mex Sweet & Red Potato Salad

This yummy salad recipe hails from the Weight Watchers Turnaround cookbook. It's delicious warm or cold. If your oven doesn't always cook evenly, I recommend boiling the potatoes for five minutes before roasting.

Tex-Mex Sweet and Red-Potato Salad

1 lb. new potatoes, cut in 1 ½ inch cubes
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 ½ inch cubes
4 tsp. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a large jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. Combine the red and sweet potatoes with 2 tsp of oil in a large bowl; arrange in a single layer in the pan. Roast, tossing occasionally, until well browned and tender, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with potatoes. Combine mayonnaise, cilantro, lemon zest, salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I love easy recipes, and it's hard to beat a slow cooker for easy cuisine. I had it in the crockpot in less than five minutes, and for a busy week like this one has been, little could make me happier. Even better - this is a good-for-you concoction that even the kidlets should enjoy.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1 c. salsa
1 can 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream

Place chicken in crockpot (you may have to cut it in large chunks to make it fit). Sprinkle taco seaoning over chicken. Pour in salsa and soup. Cook on low for 4-8 hours (time will depend on how fast your crockpot cooks). When chicken is done, remove from pot and shred. Return to sauce, stir in sour cream, and cook for 15 minutes more. Serve with rice.

Serves 4-6

Tangy Mexican Couscous

I love it when an experiment goes well. I've had a ton of couscous (special ordered from my Weight Watchers days), so I am frequently looking for ways to use it. This is a simple, healthy, and tasty dish. Feel free to adjust spices as desired - I'm the kind who never measures spices. Add black beans for even more nutrients. You can use any veggies you like, and if you prefer a more muted lime flavor, reduce the lime juice to 1/4 c. and increase the water to 1 cup.

Tangy Mexican Couscous

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 onion
1 zucchini
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cilantro
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. lime juice
1 c. couscous
1 carton cherry tomatoes, quartered

Dice vegetables into 1-inch pieces. In a bowl, toss with spices and olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

When vegetables are nearly done, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. When boiling, add lime juice and couscous. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes to a large bowl and toss with cooked veggies. With a fork, fluff couscous and mix with vegetables. Serves 4.

Curried Chicken Salad

This is a favorite of mine, especially in the summer heat. I like to use rotisserie chicken (skin removed) - there is a great variety of flavors, and you don't have to heat up the kitchen to use it. The combination of grapes, carrots and celery make it a refreshing and tasty lunch. If you like, add a tablespoon of chopped pecans. I adapted this recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook.

Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes

2 c. shredded cooked skinless chicken breast
20 small seedless grapes, halved
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 - 1/2 c. plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1/4 c. reduced-fat Miracle Whip
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
4 c. mesclun salad greens

Combine chicken, grapes, carrot, celery, parsley, and lemon juice in medium bowl.Combine onion, yogurt, curry powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Pour over the chicken mixture and toss to combine. Divide mesclum among 4 salad plates and top with chicken salad. Serves 4.

PER SERVING: 171 cal, 4g fat, 2g fiber. 3 WW pts

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is officially the weirdest recipe I've ever tried. I cannot begin to fathom the creative process that put sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, and spaghetti sauce together. It is totally beyond my comprehension. In fact, it was so strange, I just had to try it. The result? It's delicious. Really - but don't take my word for it. You really should give this a try.

Besides being utterly yummy, it's unbelievably easy to put together - toss a few ingredients in the crockpot and go away. I'm all for anything that involves less work! I served this with rice and came away quite satisfied. Give it a shot - I promise the flavors work better than you would ever believe.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2-3 lb. frozen cooked meatballs
1 15-oz can sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 15-oz can cranberry sauce
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar

Put frozen meatballs in crockpot set to low. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs and cook for 3-4 hours, or until heated through. Serve with rice.

Fiesta Skillet Dinner

I am a big fan of one-pot meals, so we eat a lot of casseroles and skillet dinners. This one reminded me somewhat of a chicken recipe that came from my roommate, and I was not at all disappointed in the results. I did a little tweaking to add vegetables. I also added about 2 cups of water to make it saucier and served it over crushed tortilla chips.

Fiesta Skillet Dinner

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 package taco seasoning
1 1/2 c. water
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. uncooked instant rice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (optional)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook turkey and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Stir in taco seasoning, water, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Stir in tomatoes and cheese, just until cheese melts.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

I have a special place in my heart for breakfast casseroles - the kind that include meat, potatoes or rice, cheese, eggs, and lots of flavor. It's a versatile class of food, the kind that can be eaten any time of the day and on any occasion. When I tried this recipe from the Taste of Home Casserole Cookbook, I knew I had a winner. Jeff confirmed my assessment by eating half the casserole in one sitting! It really couldn't be yummier. To reduce calories and fat, use low-fat turkey sausage, reduced-fat cheese, and egg substitute.

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. bulk sausage
26-oz bag frozen tater tots
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
sliced tomatoes

Brown sausage and drain. Transfer to greased 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Sprinkle cheese over tots. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour over cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes more, until heated through. Garnish with tomatoes.

Chicken Spaghetti Toss

It's unbelievable how much flavor comes from a recipe so simple. While it's best fresh, the leftovers are still quite yummy. I tripled the amount of lemon, since I like the tartness.

Chicken Spaghetti Toss

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. freshly ground sea salt
1/4 tsp. dried lemon peel
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
7 oz. angel hair spaghetti

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter and oil until tender. Stir in chicken, lemon juice, parsley, salt, lemon peel, and black pepper. Saute for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Adapted from Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 2003