Traditionally this method of marinating the poultry in a cornstarch and egg white mixture is referred to as a “velvet”. Normally the chicken would be shallow or deep fried briefly to seal in the moisture but this simple, low fat dish is still very moist and flavorful. (12 servings)

• 12 ea. 4-oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 ½ cups egg whites
• ½ cup sherry
• 1/3 cup water
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ tsp. five spice powder
• 1 scant cup white sesame seeds
• 2 ¼ cups Apricot Orange Glaze (see sauce section)

Whisk the egg whites, sherry water, cornstarch, soy sauce and spices together in a large glass or stainless bowl. Gently toss in the chicken, making sure it is well coated. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day toss chicken again before draining. Coat the chicken breasts in white sesame seeds and cook over medium heat on griddle top or in a fry pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Place a weight on top of the chicken breast to insure even cooking. Turn after 6-8 minutes adjusting heat down if seeds are burning rather than browning. Cook until the thickest part of the breast is cooked through but still moist. Brush with the glaze and serve more sauce on the side.

Per Serving: Calories: 320 Protein: 41gm Fat: 10gm

Carbohydrates: 12gm Sodium: 1046mg

Serve this fajita filling inside a steamed flour tortilla with a little salsa and fatfree sour cream. (12 servings)

• 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast meat, cut in thin strips
• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. lime juice
• ½ cup diced roasted red peppers
• 1 ½ tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. toasted ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. toasted chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups yellow onions, sliced in thin ½ moons
• 4 cups julienne green pepper
• 2 tsp. toasted ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

Whisk the lime juice, peppers, garlic, spices and olive oil together. Marinate the chicken strips in this mixture for a minimum of 30 minutes. Preheat a griddle, grill or large cast iron skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Cook the chicken until cooked through but moist. Toss onions and peppers with the remaining spices and sauté on the griddle until al dente. Mix the chicken and vegetables together and serve hot.

Per Serving: Calories: 248 Protein: 36gm Fat: 6gm

Carbohydrates: 10gm Sodium: 486mg

(12 servings)

• 1 ½ lb. ground beef, 7- 10 % fat content
• 3 Tbsp. chopped celery
• 3 Tbsp. chopped yellow onion
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 2/3 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 5 Tbsp. tomato paste
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 ½ cups beef stock
• 2 ½ cups tomato puree
• 2/3 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2/3 tsp. thyme leaf
• 5 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• ½ cup cold water
• 12 oz corn tortillas
• 2 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp. shredded jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro

Cook the meat in a large sauté pan and drain off any excess fat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender. Add the spices and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Add the cheese, remove from the heat and stir until melted.

Whisk stock, tomato puree, and seasonings together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn to a simmer. In a separate bowl whisk flour and water together to form whitewash and strain into simmering sauce. Cook until slightly thickened, approximately 5 minutes.

Cover tortillas with a clean damp towel while assembling casserole. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan; layer 1/3 of the tortillas, slightly overlapping; spread 1/3 of the sauce; ½ the meat mixture; another layer of tortillas; more sauce; remaining meat mixture; tortillas; remainder of sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 30-40 mins. Remove foil, top with cheese and return to a warm oven until ready to serve. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro just before serving.

Per Serving: Calories: 230 Protein: 17gm Fat: 8gm

Carbohydrates: 24gm Sodium: 726mg

(12 servings)

• 6 oz. ground beef, 7- 10 % fat content
• 4 oz ground turkey
• 2 ¼ cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 ½ Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1 ¼ cup chopped zucchini
• 1 ¼ cups chopped green pepper
• 1 cup beef stock
• pinch salt and black pepper
• ½ bay leaf
• ½ tsp. ea. dried basil, rosemary and oregano
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• ½ cup canned mushrooms, drained
• 2 1/3 cups tomato puree
• ¼ cup tomato juice
• 1 cup diced tomato with juices
• 1 ½ tsp. red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup red wine

Brown the meat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the vegetables and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the hot stock and all the other ingredients and simmer for at least 1 hour.

• ¾ lb. fresh lasagna sheets*
• ½ lb.grated mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup pasteurized eggs
• 2 Tbsp. nonfat milk
• pinch of salt
• ½ lb. grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Use a heatproof pan approximately 9 x 12 x 2. Ladle 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread to the edges. Cover the surface with a layer of lasagna. Spread another cup of sauce to cover. Cover the sauce with ½lb. of mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of pasta. In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk and salt into the ricotta then smooth this custard evenly over the pasta. Spread 2 cups of sauce gently over the custard. Sprinkle ¾ of the remaining mozzarella cheese over the surface and top with another pasta sheet. Spread all the tomato sauce on the top. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F oven for approximately 40 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the remaining cheeses and return to the oven until the cheeses have melted and become a little golden.

* If you do not have a pasta shop in your area try the freezer section of your supermarket or use the dried lasagna sheets that do not require precooking. If you use the dried sheets and don’t precook them you’ll need to double the sauce quantities throughout the recipe.

Per Serving: Calories: 300 Protein: 24gm Fat: 10gm

Carbohydrates: 24gm Sodium: 384mg

We serve this as a reduced fat entree in the cafe using lowfat milk and full fat cheeses. It still comes to less than 12 grams of fat per serving and is rich and delicious. (12 servings)

• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 tsp. salt
• pinch black pepper
• 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• ½ tsp. dried rosemary, ground
• 1 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup +1 Tbsp. nonfat milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• pinch black pepper
• pinch nutmeg
• 3 lbs. Healthy Choice or other fat-free tomato sauce
• 12 oz dried penne pasta, cooked until al dente
• 3 Tbsp. bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp. diced roasted red peppers

Wilt the onions, mushrooms and zucchini with the garlic, herbs and salt. You may need to add a little water to keep them from sticking. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are wilted and slightly browned, set aside.

Mix the ricotta with the egg substitute, milk, and spices together. Set aside.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Mix the remaining sauce with the pasta. layer the noodles, vegetables, more noodles, and then the ricotta custard over the top. Poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon to insure the custard gets down through the noodles.

Sprinkle with the crumbs and bake in a 325°F oven until set, approximately 45-50 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and diced peppers before serving.

Per serving:

• Calories: 170
• Protein: 8gr
• Fat: 2gr
• Carbohydrates: 31gr
• Sodium: 793mg

If you cook the pasta in water or stock before assembling you will need to cut the sauce measurements in half. (12 servings)

• 1 lb. fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup egg substitute
• 2 Tbsp. fat-free Parmesan
• pinch of salt, black pepper and nutmeg
• 1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 Tbsp. dry basil)
• 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 cup nonfat milk, cold
• pinch salt, black pepper and nutmeg
• 12 cups Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (see sauce section)
• 1 lb. dried semolina lasagna sheets (labeled do not need precooking)
• 1/3 lb. fat-free mozzarella, grated
• ¼ lb. fat-free garlic jack or other flavorful cheese, grated
• 2 Tbsp. fat-free Parmesan
• 3-4 Tbsp. fat-free Parmesan

Whisk the ricotta with the egg substitute, Parmesan and seasonings. Add thawed the chopped spinach and basil. Whisk the flour and seasonings into the cold milk. Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened slightly. Cover and set aside.

Ladle 2 cups of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13x2″ pan. Place a layer of dry pasta sheets to cover. Ladle and spread 2 cups of sauce, sprinkle with ½ the cheese mixture, layer of pasta, 2 cups sauce, ricotta cheese mixture, pasta, sauce, remaining cheese mixture, pasta, sauce, pasta, sauce. Spread warm milk mixture evenly over the top layer of sauce. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown on top and bubbling. Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before cutting it to serve.

Per Serving: Calories: 214 Protein: 16gm Fat: 1gm

Carbohydrates: 32gm Sodium: 350mg

(15 servings)

• 4 quarts boiling water
• 4 cups dried elbow macaroni
• 4 ½ cups nonfat milk
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups nonfat milk, cold
• 2 ¼ cups grated aged sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. paprika
• ¼ cup bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni until al dente, approximately 8 minutes, and drain. Rinse under cool water and set aside. Bring larger amount of milk to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk flour into cold milk until there are no lumps. Whisk the flour and cold milk mixture into the heated milk and stir until thickened. Whisk cheese and seasonings into sauce and combine with cooked pasta.

Prepare a 10x12x2 pan with nonstick spray. Scrape macaroni mixture in and top with breadcrumbs. Bake the casserole in a 325F oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

Per Serving: Calories: 318      Protein: 16gm Fat: 12gm

Carbohydrates: 36 gm Sodium: 544 mg

(8 servings)

• 2 cups + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3 ½ Tbsp. white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups nonfat milk
• 2/3 cup thawed or fresh corn kernels
• 6 Tbsp. canned diced chilies, drained
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup + 1 Tbsp. egg substitute

Preheat oven to 400F and spray an 8″ square baking pan with nonstick spray. Sift all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk all other ingredients until quite frothy. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture, gently; do not overwork. Spread mixture into prepared pan and spray top with nonstick spray 2-3 seconds. Turn oven down to 375F and bake until lightly browned on top and springs back to the touch, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Per Serving: Calories: 200 Protein: 6gm Fat: 1gm

Carbohydrates: 42gm Sodium: 600mg

(12 servings)

• 1/3 cup chopped yellow onions
• ¼ tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1 ¼ cups converted or brown rice
• 2 2/3 cups vegetable stock, hot
• ¾ cup tomato puree
• ½ cup diced canned tomatoes with juices
• ½ lb. fresh or frozen peas and chopped carrots
• pinch of salt
• chopped cilantro (optional)

Wilt the onions and garlic in a covered pan with a little water. Add the rice and sauté it until the garlic and onions take on some color. Add the vegetable stock, tomato puree, and juice from the tomatoes to the rice. Bring to a boil and stir gently. Turn down to barely a simmer and cover securely. Leave the rice undisturbed for 25-30 minutes. The liquid should be completely absorbed. Add the peas and carrots for the last 5 minutes, if frozen. If fresh; add carrots the last 10 minutes, then peas the last 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pan covered until serving. Fluff gently with a fork before serving, mixing with the chopped cilantro if desired.

Per Serving: Calories: 86 Protein: 2gm Fat: 0gm

Carbohydrates: 18gm Sodium: 179mg

A nice addition to round out an Indian meal or just add some color to your plate. (8 servings)

• 1 ½ tsp. turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 gallon boiling water
• 1 ½ lb. basmati rice

Add turmeric and salt to boiling water. Add rice and cook until just tender. Drain well and fluff in chopped cilantro, if desired.

Per Serving: Calories: 183 Protein: 4gm Fat: 0 gm

Carbohydrates: 34gm Sodium: 325mg