PASTA

LOW CALORIE

BRUSCHETTA

5-6 Ripe Roma Tomatoes
small diced onion
Olive Oil
Balsalmic Vinegar
Fresh Basil
French or Sourdough Bagette

Dice tomatoes. In bowl add equal parts oil/vinegar approx. 2-3 tablespoonseach. Add chopped basil and tomatoes and let sit. Cut bread into 1/4 inch thick slices, lightly butter and top with a sprinkle of parmesan. Put bread under broiler at lower setting until golden brown and crunchy. Serve with tomato/onion mixture spooned on top or let people do it themselves.

OYSTERS in TEMPURA BATTER

20 oysters
Sunflower oil for deep frying

Dipping Sauce...

4 tbsps dark soy sauce
4 tbsps water
Juice of 1 lime

Tempura Batter...

              2 oz plain flour
              2 oz cornflour
              small pinch salt
              4 tsps toasted sesame seeds
              6 fl oz ice cold soda water
              Lime wedges to serve

Open all the oysters and pour off the liquor. Carefully cut the meats out of the deeper shells and retain these for serving.
Mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and pour into four dipping saucers.
Heat some oil for deep frying to 190 C.
Make the batter by sifting the cornflour, flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sesame seeds then stir in the ice cold soda water until only just mixed in but still a bit lumpy. Add a little more water if it seems to thick. The batter should be very thin and almost transparent.
Dip in the oysters, one at a time. Drop into the hot oil and fry for one minute until crisp and golden. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper.
Return the oysters to their shells and arrange on plates. Serve with lime wedges and dipping sauce.

"THE BEST" CHEESEBALL

1 - 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, plain
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
dash or two of worcesteshire sauce & tabasco sauce
3 cups grated medium cheddar cheese (do not pack)

Have cream cheese at room temperature & beat well. Add sour cream & blend all ingredients together with electric beater. Put onto sheet of Saran wrap and shape into ball. Best when stored in fridge ovenight before serving. Serve with crackers, breadsticks, etc.

ESCARGOT

20-30 fresh mushrooms
1 can of escargot
butter or margarine
1 package of escargot seasoning

Wash and remove stems of mushrooms. Lay mushrooms bottom side up in an appetizer casserole dish. Place escargot in mushrooms, place 4 or 5 heaping tablespoons of butter or margarine over top of mushrooms and escargot. Sprinkle escargot seasoning and other seasonings you may wish to use, over top of mushrooms and escargot. Bake at 350 until butter is melted. Serve as is.

PARTY PITAS

Brown hamburger thoroughly in dutch oven and drain any excess fat. Stir in taco seasoning and water, simmer about 15 minutes. Spread seasoned hamburger into a 9 x 13 Pryex dish or cake pan. When hamburger is cool sprinkle on chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Spread the container of sour cream evenly on top of this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. When ready to serve, cut the tiny party pita in half, spoon "taco filling" into the pita pockets (this can get a little messy so have guests fill their own pitas!) These are easy and very yummy, kids will love them too!! By using extra lean groud beef and substituting sour cream with fat free sour cream and the regular cheddar cheese with low fat cheddar cheese, you will now have a terrific low fat snack!

GRILLED PORTABELLA SANDWICH

(Serves 4)

12 slices Bacon
3 Tbs. Butter
4 cloves Garlic, pressed
2 large Portabella Mushrooms
1 Avocado, thinly sliced
8 slices Bread, lightly toasted and buttered

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, and drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, warm the butter in a separate skillet over medium heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Brush both sides of mushrooms with the butter and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
To assemble sandwiches, place 3 slices of bacon, one-fourth of the sliced avocado, and one-fourth of the sliced mushrooms on each of four pieces of toasted bread. Season with black pepper to taste, cover with another piece of toast, and serve.
Tip: So you like the idea of this tasty little sandwich, but you'd like to cut out some of the fat and calories? Try preparing today's recipe with turkey bacon as a substitute for the original recipe. You'll find the sandwich just as satisfying, and you'll have removed much of the unnecessary fat.

CHINESE SPRING ROLLS

(Makes 20 Small Rolls)

1 mild Green Chili (or hot if you prefer)
3 oz. Chicken Breast, cooked
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (divided)
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Carrot, julienne
1 Scallion or Green Onion, finely sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and julienne
1 oz. Bean Sprouts
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
4 sheets Filo Pastry
1 Egg White, lightly beaten
Soy Sauce, to serve

Slice the green chili in half and remove the seeds. (If you elected to prepare your spring rolls with a hot chili, be sure to wear a plastic glove.)
Using a sharp knife, slice the cooked chicken breast into thin strips. Heat a wok or heavy skillet with two tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic, and then the chicken strips, and stir-fry for about a minute. (When the oil sizzles and browns a cube of fresh bread, then the oil is hot and you're ready to stir-fry.)
Add the julienne carrots, scallion slices, and red bell pepper to the wok or heavy skillet and stir-fry for about two minutes. Add the bean sprouts, stir in the teaspoon of sesame oil, and remove the cooking container from the heat to let the mixture cool.
Meanwhile, cut each sheet of filo pastry into five short strips. When the filling is cool enough for you to easily handle it, place a small amount of the filling at one end of each strip. Fold in the long sides of the pastry and then roll the filling to the end of the pastry. Seal and glaze each spring roll with the egg white. Repeat the process until you have used all the filling and filo dough.
Refrigerate the spring rolls for at least 15 minutes prior to frying. Wipe the wok or skillet clean and add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the spring rolls and fry them in small batches until they are crisp and brown. Drain the fried spring rolls on paper towels and serve warm with soy sauce for dipping.
Tip: Double the batch and freeze several servings of spring rolls for easy use with your Chinese cookery throughout the month. Simply prepare the recipe as directed and store several portions in airtight bags to freeze. You don't even have to let them thaw completely before frying, serving, and enjoying them.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Take some time to select the freshest large mushrooms you can find at your local grocery store. The larger the bowl-shape, the better.

(Serves 4)

8 large Mushrooms
3 Scallion or Green Onions, sliced lengthwise
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
10-oz. package marinated Tofu, diced
7-oz. can Corn, drained
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
2 tsp. Sesame Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 400-F degrees. Gently wipe the mushrooms to clean after removing and chopping the stalks.
Add the scallions and garlic to the chopped mushroom stalks. Pour the soy sauce over the ingredients and stir to mix.
Dry the marinated tofu on paper towels. Add the corn and the diced tofu to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper and stir again to combine all ingredients.
Place the mushroom cups, open sides facing up, in a baking dish. Divide the stuffing mixture evenly among the eight mushroom caps. Gently brush the rim of each mushroom with the sesame oil.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the mushrooms are just tender; then serve warm, garnished with scallion strips, if so desired.

HOT CHICKEN WINGS

(Serves 10 to 12)

• 6 or 7 lbs. Chicken Wings
• 1/2 stick Margarine
• 3 cups Hot Pepper Sauce
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 - 2 tsp. dried Herb Mixture
• (Basil, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley)
• 1-2 tsp. Chili Powder
• Ground Black or Red Pepper (red is hotter)
• 1/8 tsp. Turmeric
• Juice of 1 Orange (About 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Cut wings at joints. Use only the two larger pieces. (Save the tips in freezer for making stock.) Rinse the wings in cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
Melt the margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the hot pepper and Worcestershire sauces, herb mixture, chili powder, black or red pepper, turmeric, and orange juice. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Pour the marinade over wings in a large glass or stainless steel container. Toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is better.)
Note that there's no salt added to the marinade. George doesn't think it's needed at all; but if you like, salt the wings only during the last 15 minutes of cooking, because adding salt to the marinade will dry out the wings and cause them to be less tender.
Also note, there's nothing sacred about the measurements above, they're just approximations. Increase, decrease, add or delete anything according to what you like and what you have on hand.
Spread marinated wings in a single layer in a large on a shallow roasting pan. (George uses a cheap aluminum throwaway pan so he doesn't have to wash it.) Reserve excess marinade for basting if needed. (Since the marinade has been in contact with raw chicken, keep it in the refrigerator and use only in this recipe. Please, don't use it in anything else.)
Preheat oven to 450-F degrees. Bake wings, uncovered on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325-F degrees and continue baking for an additional hour or so. Turn or the wings once while baking.
Halfway through baking, drain accumulated juices from pan. (George reminds you that this is important. Otherwise the wings will be rubbery and gunky like the restaurant variety, and will contain more fat.) Brush or spoon on some of the reserved marinade to coat the wings again.
After the wings are finished, they can be held for several hours in a warm oven. Add a shot of the juices drained from the pan to keep them moist and cover with aluminum foil, or just serve them warm, now.

CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS

12- 14 stuffing mushrooms (medium size)
1 Tablespoon of butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 can of flaked crab meat (6 oz. - drained)
1 can of water chestnuts (5 oz. - drained and chopped up)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of chopped parsley
6 slices of bread made into bread crumbs in a food processor
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a frying pan and saute the chopped garlic and green onions. Add the flaked crab meat and bread crumbs. Remove from heat and add water chestnuts, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture sticks together.
Quickly wash the mushrooms and pat dry. Remove the stems. Fill the mushroom with the bread crumb mixture and pat into a ball.
Put mushrooms on a baking tray (does not require to be greased) and bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until mushroom caps start to brown. The water chestnuts give the mushrooms a delicious crunch.

CALAMARI WITH BLACK OLIVES & PINE NUTS

3/4 lb. (6) small squid, cleaned, frozen or fresh
salt and pepper, to taste
flour, for dredging
3 large oyster mushrooms, torn gently by hand
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
2 sprigs oregano, stems removed and chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
lemon wedges, for garnish

Frozen squid can be used simply by cleaning it. If using fresh squid, make sure you remove ink sack, head and discard innards. Turn bodies inside out and rinse thoroughly. Slice bodies into thin rings and leave tentacles whole. Rinse well and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil on high. When oil is starting to smoke, add the squid and toss vigorously until golden about 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and set aside.
In same pan heat remaining olive oil until hot. Add the oyster mushrooms and toss. Add the onion and sauté for a minute. Add garlic, olives, tomatoes and oregano. Sprinkle with parsley and pinenuts and return squid to pan. Toss several times and adjust seasoning.

ITALIAN NACHOS

4 ounces (about 48 chips) tortilla chips
2 cups (8 ounces) Healthy Choice Italian Shreds
1 cup Healthy Choice Traditional Pasta Sauce
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely-chopped green onion
1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped olives
Finely-chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on baking sheets, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, about 2 teaspoons cheese per chip. Spoon 1 teaspoon pasta sauce over cheese on each chip. Arrange red and green bell pepper, green onion and olives on top.
Bake until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately. If desired, garnish with Italian parsley.
Variation: Other flavors of Healthy Choice Shredded Cheese can be substituted for flavor variety.