80--- Almost Alfredo Sauce

Thank you Christina for the "80-fy my recipe" comment! This white sauce is "almost alfredo" (shown here with whole wheat penne). The chicken broth really adds that flavor that is often missing from low-cal alfredo recipes.

Almost Alfredo Sauce

Serves 8

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, pressed and finely minced

2 cups skim milk

1 cup chicken broth

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden brown.

In a separate saucepan, stir together milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper over low heat until smooth and thick. Stir into garlic. Continue to cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

One serving contains only 80 calories and 4 g fat!

80--- Italian Salsa

Nothing is better than salsa. It's really such a simple dish, but there are so many variations! The best part-- it's virtually calorie and fat free.

This is an Italian salsa. Yes you can eat it with tortilla chips-- let's be multi-cultural. It can also be served as a bruschetta topping, or on pasta, or with grilled chicken or fish........ the possibilities are endless.

Italian Salsa
Serves 6

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, roasted (see below), seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed and minced
1 tsp salt

Roasting the pepper: Rub pepper lightly with olive oil. Place pepper on a hot grill over medium-high heat. Turn every 4-5 minutes until all sides are charred. Remove from grill and allow to cool for handling. Peel away charred skin, leaving a few pieces of char for color. Remove stem and seeds and chop.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for ~1 hour prior to serving.

Nutrition Info per 1/4 cup serving: 45 calories, 1.8 g fat, 1 g protein, 4.8 g carbohydrates, 1.3 g fiber

80--- Prosciutto Arugula & Fig Pizza

This is my lovely friend Arin's recipe. It has such great flavor combinations, and it feels perfect for fall!

The sauce of this pizza is fig spread. Fresh figs are sometimes difficult to find (especially in Montana), and fig spread may be as equally difficult to find. My advice: KEEP LOOKING. You may have to go to a specialty market, but it is so worth it!

Figs are a great source of potassium and calcium. If you can find fresh figs, you should definitely try them! They are a lovely treat (yes, even out of Newton form).

Prosciutto Arugula & Fig Pizza

Serves 3-4

1 -10 oz pre-made whole wheat Italian style pizza crust OR whole wheat pizza dough, rolled thin and baked until firm (you can even use flatbread if you want to cut out a few more calories!)

5 oz fig spread (I used an all-natural one made by St. Dalfour)

3 oz prosciutto OR Canadian bacon slices, crisped in skillet

1 cup baby arugula leaves

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup artichoke hearts (from a jar or can), blotted dry

4 oz mozzarella fresca ciliegine (small mozzarella balls- about 12, sliced in half)

3 oz cheve (goat cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On prepared crust, spread fig spread and sprinkle with garlic powder. Next layer crisped prosciutto, arugula leaves, mozzarella ball halves, cheve, then artichoke hearts.

Cook for ~15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is done to your liking. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Slice into 6 slices and serve.

Nutrition Info per 1/6 pizza: 274 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 14 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates

80--- Turkey Meatballs

Remember how I hate to waste food? Well, after making turkey ravioli I had leftover ground turkey, AND I had that wonderful homemade marinara sauce. So..... TURKEY MEATBALLS! I served mine with a side of spaghetti squash. YUM!

Turkey Meatballs
Serves 4

3 tsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (I used a food processor)

1 garlic clove, pressed and minced

1 1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbsp breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded

8 oz lean ground turkey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet and add onion and garlic. Saute until softened and fragrant. Add basil and allow to cool, ~ 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix turkey, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Add in onion mixture, salt, and pepper and mix with hands until well-blended.

Form into 12 balls. Heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet (you can use same one as onion mixture). Add meatballs and brown over medium-high heat, turning often, for 4-6 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with marinara sauce and pasta (or spaghetti squash) of your choice!

Nutrition Info per 3 meatballs: 170 calories, 11 g fat, 14 g protein, 1.7 g saturated fat, 3.7 g carbohydrates, 27.5 g cholesterol

80-- Mio Marinara

Marinara sauce is so versatile. However, what comes in a jar is often laden with corn syrup, salt, and other foreign ingredients. This is the time of year when garden-fresh tomatoes are plentiful! Use them to make your own marinara sauce! It can be frozen or stored for up to 2 months in the refrigerator. And all it takes is a few SIMPLE ingredients.

Tomatoes contain large amounts of lycopenes, carotenoid antioxidants that can aid in cancer and heart disease prevention. It has been found that organic tomatoes and tomato products contain even more lycopene than their non-organic counterparts. Look for deep red tomatoes for the highest concentrations!

Mio Marinara

Serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, pressed and minced

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/8 tsp sugar

2 springs fresh basil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Salt

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, stirring approximately 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil sprigs, and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick (~30 minutes). At the end of cooking, add chopped basil and salt or additional seasonings to taste.

Nutrition Info per 1/2 cup serving: 52 calories, 2 g fat, 1.5 g protein, 4.5 g carbohydrates

80--- Zucchini Parmesan with Polenta

It's zucchini season! Okay, most people really don't celebrate that much, because MOST people do not know what to do with zucchini-- but, now YOU DO!

Eggplant parmesan can be a great vegetarian dish-- and I know many meat-lovers who enjoy it as well! This recipe uses zucchini instead, and has a great italian feel-- with loads of vitamins and nutrients. Zucchini is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, fiber, and manganese. It has lots of heart healthy nutrition and cancer-fighting antioxidants!

These lovely rounds can be served with polenta (recipe below). Polenta is simply cornmeal (grits), prepared as you would rice. It really absorbs flavors, and it has a smooth creamy texture. Cornmeal is gluten-free, and has most likely been enriched with iron and B-vitamins. It's nice to branch away from the same old grains!

Zucchini Rounds

Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini (~1 pound)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs (use seasoned if you wish)

Marinara sauce of your choice


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Dip each zucchini round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.

Polenta

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup coarse ground cornmeal
2 Tbsp Parmesan, grated

In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.

Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken broth, bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, reduce heat to low and simmer. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Stir in parmesan ~2 minutes prior to serving.

Nutrition Info for 1/2 cup polenta and 3/4 cup zucchini rounds: 305kcal, 11g fat, 2g saturated fat, 9g protein, 39g carbohydrates