Jan 21st

Breakfast:
Quick Breakfast Quesadilla, Orange Juice, Banana

Lunch:
Tuna Sandwich, White Bean Salad, Apple

Dinner:
Vegetarian Chili, Red Bell Pepper Strips, Green Salad, Blueberries with lemon cream

Snack:
Low-fat Cheese, Pear, and Green Tea

Quick Breakfast Quesadilla

1 Serving
Start to finish: 10minutes

This is a quick fix for mornings when you just can't face another bowl of porridge or whole grain cereal. These little quesadillas also make good lunches or afternoon snacks for children. As always, you can enhance the nutritional content by adding in any finely chopped vegetable or a handful of baby spinach leaves.

1 egg
1 ounce grated low-fat cheese or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salsa
1 small flour tortilla (preferably whole wheat)








Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scramble the egg quickly in a small skillet. Fold in the salsa and cheese. Put the tortilla on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Put the egg mixture on one half and fold over the other half to cover. Bake for 5 minutes or until the tortilla is crisp.


Per serving: 234 calories
12 total fat (5 g sat)
202 mg cholesterol
18 g carbohydrate
15 g protein
1 g fiber
460 mg sodium

White Bean Salad

3 servings
Start to finish: 5minutes

This is a very easy bean salad you can make the night before and take to work, or serve as a side dish.

1 can white beans, like cannelini
1 tbsp red pepper, chopped fine
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1 tbsp red onion, chopped fine
1 tsp quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp herb and spice blend

Drain the canned beans and rinse well in a strainer. Make sure you've drained all the rinse water. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, whisking the oil and vinegar together first. Add the beans. Experiment with different types of canned beans and different chopped vegetables to add.




Per serving: 240 calories
4 total fat (1 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
39 g carbohydrate
15 g protein
10 g fiber
100 mg sodium


Tuna Sandwich

1 serving
Start to finish: 15minutes

This tuna salad uses tofu mayonnaise. Soy mayonnaises are readily available in health food stores, or you can make your own from the recipe below. There are also a number of light mayonnaises without hydrogenated oils which are fine to use.

3 ounces canned water-packed tuna, drained
2 tbsp Tofu Mayonnaise
2 tbsp finely chopped celery
2 tbsp finely chopped apple
1 leaf of lettuce
2 slices whole grain bread

Mix mayonnaise, tuna, celery and apple. Use the tuna salad to make a sandwich with the lettuce leaf on the bread. Toast bread if you prefer it that way.

Tofu Mayonnaise
(makes about 10 ounces or a little more than 1 cup)

1 cup tofu, preferably organic silken
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp herb and spice blend (like Mrs Dash) Optional

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. The texture won't be right if you mix by hand; it's the mechanical mixing that gives the tofu mixture a mayonnaise-like consistency.




Per serving: 313 calories
5 total fat (1 g sat)
28 mg cholesterol
30 g carbohydrate
30 g protein
5 g fiber
378 mg sodium

Creamy Salad Dressing

6 ounces silken tofu (or soft tofu, drained)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar


Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Makes 8 2-tbsp. servings



Per serving: 34 calories
1 total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
3 g carbohydrate
3 g protein
2 g fiber
76 mg sodium

Vegetarian Chili

6 servings

In the culture and cuisine of the Southwest, chili is serious business. But contrary to what many believe, good chili doesn't require “carne” or meat. The key to great chili is knowing how to harness the fiery flavor of a wide range of available chile peppers to make the dish exciting yet edible. (“Chili” commonly refers to the dish made with “chile” peppers.) My favorites are the red New Mexican chile peppers traditionally tied in strings called ristras or available as ground powder, and chipotles which are ripe (red) jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. Experiment with different amounts until you find a level of intensity you're comfortable with. Be aware, however, that capsaicin, the active component in chile peppers that gives them their heat, is concentrated in the white tissue attached to the seeds. If you’re using whole chiles, you may want to remove that white tissue if you don't want your chili too hot.

7 1/2 cups cooked beans, like pintos, anasazi, adzuki, or kidney (roughly four 15-oz cans or 1 pound dried beans, cooked)
2 tablespoons quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 dried or canned chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon mild red New Mexican chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried whole oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
5 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnishes:
Chopped raw onion
Chopped tomato
Shredded lettuce
Tortillas

1. Drain beans in a colander.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and golden.
3. Crush the chipotle pepper if using dried, or mince if using canned.
4. Add the chipotle pepper, red chile powder, oregano, cumin and allspice to the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding liquid if the mixture gets too dry.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more chili if you want a hotter dish.
7. Serve in bowls with warm tortillas. Garnish with chopped raw onion, chopped tomato, and shredded lettuce.


Per serving: 351 calories
6 total fat (1 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
62 g carbohydrate
17 g protein
21 g fiber
450 mg sodium

Blueberries with Lemon Cream

4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

Blending vanilla yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese creates a topping that is as virtuous as it is delicious. Any fresh berry would be lovely in this recipe. Look for a healthier version of reduced-fat cream cheese in a natural food market.

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 cups fresh blueberries

1. Using a fork, break up cream cheese in a medium bowl. Drain off any liquid from the yogurt; add yogurt to the bowl along with honey. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until light and creamy. Stir in lemon zest.

2. Layer lemon cream and blueberries in dessert dishes or wineglasses.


Per serving: 155 calories
7 total fat (4 g sat)
22 mg cholesterol
19 g carbohydrate
6 g protein
2 g fiber
155 mg sodium