Recipe:  Flounder Piccata with Spinach
Source:  Interwebs, via Cooking Light


Servings: 4
Serving Size:  1/2 cup rice, 1/3 cup spinach, 1 fillet of fish, 1T of sauce


Ingredients
1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
4  (6-ounce) flounder fillets
2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1/3  cup  dry white wine
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
1  tablespoon  drained capers, chopped
2  tablespoons  butter
4  cups  fresh baby spinach


Preparation

1. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place rice in a medium bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge fish in flour.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Add wine, juice, and capers to pan; cook 1 minute. Add butter to pan, stirring until butter melts. Remove fish and sauce from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Add spinach to pan; sauté 1 minute or until wilted.

Our Thoughts:
I'm not going to lie. I thought this was fantastic.  I was expecting something good, but I'm not a huge fan of rice in general, so I was thinking it was going to be "okay" at best.  Nope, this was great.  We changed the recipe a little bit...we used rainbow trout instead of flounder, and because fish is expensive, we shared one fillet instead of each having our own.  I might be a bit prejudiced because trout is my favorite fish, bar none, but it was awesome.  I'm sure flounder would have been just as good, though.  We also couldn't find "boil in the bag" long grain rice, so we used Uncle Ben's 90 second microwave version.  We got the long grain and wild rice with 23 herbs.  It was awesome.  I definitely wanted more by the end of the meal (more rice, more spinach, more fish), but alas, there was none.  And I know Scott was still hungry.  Serves us right for only buying one fillet.  My only (very, very slight) complaint would be the amount of "lemon" in the sauce.  Personally, I'd cut back a little.  If Scott made it exactly the same, though, I'd eat it again just as fast as I ate it last night.


Rating:  5 out of 5 stars (That's right, that's the highest score you can get!)


Nutritional Information
Calories:  332 (28% from fat)
Fat:  10.2g (sat 4.4g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:  31.3g
Carbohydrate:  27.4g
Fiber:  1.9g
Cholesterol:  95mg
Iron:  3mg
Sodium:  713mg
Calcium:  51mg

Recipe: Asparagus Risotto
Source: Interwebs, via WW

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 scant cup

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp table salt, for cooking water
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 sprays cooking spray
1/2 T unsalted butter
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1 T fresh lemon juice
4 cups canned chicken broth
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp table salt, to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water (to stop them from cooking and help retain their bright green color); set aside.
2. Coat a medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat; melt butter. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.
3. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer; keep warm.
4. Add 1/2 cup of hot broth to pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 minutes.
5. When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat; add cheese and stir well. Stir in asparagus; season with salt and pepper.
   

Our Thoughts:
This risotto tasted really good.  I really liked the flavor and the asparagus.  But for me, I just couldn't wrap my head around the actual rice.  Scott tried and tried and tried to get it "cooked" enough for me, and eventually I said it was good enough (and it was...I could eat it), but it still felt too firm for my tastes.  But, maybe it was because it was our first foray into risotto.  I'm going to rate it higher than I felt at the time because I believe it could be fantastic.  It just wasn't that night.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 190

Fat: 3.9g

Protein: 9.2g
Carbohydrates: 29.2g

Fiber: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 9% DV
Sodium: 849mg
Calcium: 9% DV

Recipe:  Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Source:  Sunset, 2002 via myrecipes.com

Servings:  8
Serving Size:  1/8 of casserole

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salad oil
1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
Salt
10 flour tortillas (small fajita size)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.
2. Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.
3. Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Our Thoughts
This was super tasty.  At first, we didn't think it was going to taste like much because the enchilada sauce/turkey mixture was a bit bland, but something about putting it in the oven really spiced it up.  We added a dollop (haha...1 tablespoon) of light sour cream to each serving because, well, we love sour cream.  We ate it with a fantastic salad on the side (have you tried Cardini's light balsamic vinaigrette?  it's awesome!).  This was our first of many "Sunday Night Dinners" Scott and I are hosting for our friends, Drew and Kelly, who come over to watch HBO Sunday programs with us.  It was quite fun and this dish fed us all (the boys had 2 servings each, the girls had 1.5 servings each) and I was stuffed afterwards!  I think you should try it for sure!

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Nutritional Information**
Calories:  249 (20% from fat)
Protein:  27g
Fat:  5.7g (sat 3.1)
Carbohydrate:  23g
Fiber:  1.7g
Sodium:  1048mg
Cholesterol:  58mg

These might be a bit off because we altered the recipe some, but for the most part, it's right.

Recipe:  Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce
Source:  Cooking Light, March 2010

Serves:  4
Serving Size:  1 breast half and 4 tsp sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons finely chopped drained bottled roasted red bell peppers
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pockets.
3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Working with 1 chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture, and panko.
4. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; place skillet in oven. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done.
5. While chicken bakes, combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, bell peppers, water, Worcestershire, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook until butter melts. Remove from heat, and stir in hot sauce. Serve sauce with chicken.

Our Thoughts
Honestly, this wasn't my favorite.  Scott followed the recipe to the T, except for one big difference.  We chose to use the light blue cheese crumbles we had in the fridge instead of the full-fat kind.  I suppose this could have been the downfall of the dish, but I usually really like the light blue cheese.  I thought the dish was kind of bland.  The cheese wasn't evenly distributed (although, Scott blames this on himself, since he started with semi-frozen chicken breasts) and the sauce looked way less than appetizing (it was very, very thick...I suggested at the end of the meal that if there's a next time, we should food process it to make it more sauce-like).  I ate my entire serving, but I most definitely did NOT go back for seconds.  Scott ate another half-breast, but I'm pretty sure it was because he was hungry.  Scott and I are not food wasters and we always eat leftovers...but the remaining 1.5 breasts sat in our fridge for a week before we threw them out.  Not very green of us, but it just wasn't worth it!

Rating:  2.5 out of 5 stars

Nutritional Information
Calories:  392
Fat:  12.9g (sat 6.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 1g)
Protein:  47.4g
Carbohydrate:  18.5g
Fiber:  1.1g
Cholesterol:  175mg
Iron:  2.3mg
Sodium:  421mg
Calcium:  120mg

Recipe:  Oregano and Lime Roasted Chicken Breasts
Source:  Cooking Light, March 2010

Servings:  4
Serving Size:  1 chicken breast half and 2.5 T sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tequila
1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Preparation:

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Loosen skin from breast halves by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub the oregano mixture evenly under loosened skin of each breast half. Arrange chicken breasts in a shallow dish; cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add chicken to pan, skin side down; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over, and transfer to oven. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings; set chicken aside, and keep warm.
4. To prepare sauce, heat reserved drippings in pan over medium-high heat. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon cumin to pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add chicken broth, 1 tablespoon tequila, and lime juice, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 2/3 cup (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve with chicken.

Our Thoughts

Okay, okay...we still haven't made this.  I keep finding other chicken recipes Scott would rather make.  Soon, though, I promise!

Rating:  X out of 5 stars

Nutritional Information:

Calories:  446
Fat:  18.8g (sat 4.9g,mono 8.1g,poly 3.8g)
Protein:  60.2g
Carbohydrate:  2.9g
Fiber:  0.7g
Cholesterol:  167mg
Iron:  2.6mg
Sodium:  534mg
Calcium:  46mg

Recipe:  Black Bean Soup
Source:  Eating Well, January/February 2010

Servings:  4
Serving Size:  1.25 cups

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
3 cups water
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, add chili powder, cumin, beans, water, salsa and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice.
2. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir the puree back into the saucepan. Serve garnished with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Our Thoughts

So, there's very little I like more than black beans and very little Scott likes less than soup as a meal.  It took me awhile to convince him to make this for dinner, and in the end, he loved it!  We had to make a couple changes to the recipe (we used taco sauce instead of salsa and we had to cook longer than the recipe calls for because all of the water made it runny--we like thicker soups).  Next time we make this, we'll probably cut the water back to 2 cups, and cut the serving size to 1 cup per person.  The soup has a nice spice without being too hot, tastes great with a dollop of light sour cream, and we paired with cheese quesadillas (Mexican grilled cheese!) for a great and filling meal!  We will definitely make again!

 

Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars!

 

Nutritional Information:

Calories:  191

Fat:  4g

Protein:  9g

Carbohydrates:  1.5 servings

Fiber:  9g

Cholesterol:  unsure

Iron:  unsure

Sodium:  408mg

Calcium:  unsure

Recipe:  Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce
Source:  Cooking Light, March 2010

Servings:  4
Serving Size:  1.25 cups pasta, 2 T cheese, 1 T basil

Ingredients
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
4. Place tomatoes in a food processor; process until almost smooth. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Add sausage and cooked pasta to pan; toss well. Top with fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Our Thoughts
Wow! We both really liked this.  But, as usual, we made a few changes.  I'm not a fan of link-style sausage, so Scott de-cased the sweet italian (we couldn't find hot) turkey sausage and crumbled it, then cooked it on top of the stove instead of under the broiler.  We also used our favorite high-fiber pasta rather than regular.  The rest we made per directions.  It was super yummy.  You can always tell when Scott really likes something because he comments on it over and over while he's eating it.  This meal was no exception.  It's a little higher in calories than I typically like in a meal, but the good news is that while I usually have more than one serving, with this, one was perfect!  We'll definitely make this again, and soon!

Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Nutritional Information
Calories: 460
Fat: 16.9g (sat 5.1g,mono 8.1g,poly 2.8g)
Protein: 24.4g
Carbohydrate: 53.3g
Fiber: 4g
Cholesterol: 57mg
Iron: 4.7mg
Sodium: 895mg
Calcium: 253mg

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Shawarma
Source: Cooking Light, March 2010

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 pita halves, prepared

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/4 tsp coriander, ground
5 Tbsp Greek yogurt, divided
2 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp tahini
4 pieces pita bread, halved
1/2 c cucumber, chopped
1/2 c tomato, chopped

Preparation:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients with 1 Tbsp of yogurt in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and 2 of the garlic cloves. Add the chicken and coat with the yogurt mixture.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chicken and saute until browned and cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the remaining yogurt, remaining lemon juice, garlic, and tahini. Stir. Spread 1 1/2 tsp of this mixture in each pita half, stuff with chicken, cucumber, tomato, and enjoy!

Our Thoughts:
We really liked this dish!  I thought it was incredibly filling (meaning, one serving was enough!) and Scott went back for a 2nd serving, although he probably would have been okay with just one.  The sauce/spread really does mimick the flavor or shawarma incredibly well.  The only thing Scott and I decided we might do differently is cut down a little on the amount of tahini in the sauce.  It tastes amazing while you're eating it, but the tahini doesn't go away when you're done.  I was tasting shawarma all night, no matter what I ate or drank!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (We'll definitely eat this one again!)

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 402 

Fat: 10.7g

Protein: 41.77g

Carbohydrates: 29.23g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 97mg

Iron: unsure

Sodium: 387.32mg

Calcium: unsure

Recipe:  Very Vanilla Fluffcakes
Source:  Hungry Girl

Servings:  9
Serving size:  One cupcake

Ingredients:


For Frosting
1 1/4 cups Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 1/2 Tbsp. Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

For Cupcakes
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 1/2 cups) moist-style yellow cake mix
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup Sprite Zero (or another diet lemon-lime soda), room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup liquid egg whites or (about 4) raw egg whites

For Topping
3 tbsp. rainbow sprinkles

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the frosting, combine Cool Whip with pudding mix in a bowl, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cupcakes are ready to be frosted.
3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix with baking powder and stir until free of lumps. Add soda and vanilla extract, and stir or whisk until batter is smooth. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with a handheld electric mixer set to medium speed until fluffy, about 1 - 2 minutes. Gently mix egg whites into the cake batter until thoroughly combined.
5. Line 9 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute batter among the 9 cups. Cups will be VERY full -- this is okay!
6. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out fairly clean. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
7. Once cupcakes have cooled, top each evenly with the frosting and 1 tsp. sprinkles.

Our Thoughts:

So, every year for Scott's birthday, he asks for yellow cake.  I think this is sort of lame, but whatever.  I make him a yellow cake.  This year, he actually asked for brownies (No Pudge! in the pink box--try them, they're awesome!), but I thought I'd continue our tradition and make him some "better for us" yellow-style cupcakes.  What a horrible idea! These were horrendous.  Scott (and our friend, Drew) said they were "okay", but I'm pretty sure they were just saying that to be nice.  I ate one bite and had to fight to swallow it and not spit it out.  However, I feel I should be slightly fair and point out that the horrible part of this recipe is the actual cake.  The frosting, on a better cake, would have been quite good, I think.  But the cake. OH the cake!  Oh yeah, and as Scott just reminded me, if you STILL want to make these after reading this review, keep this fun fact in mind:  these are a bake and eat (immediately) item.  The next day, we awoke to find that the cupcakes had slightly collapsed and the Sprite Zero had started to ooze out and pool in the sunken cake top.  Appetizing? No.  Will we ever make again?  Absolutely not.

Rating:  0.5 out of 5 stars (only for the frosting!)

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories:  164

Fat:  3g

Protein:  2.5g
Carbohydrates:  30g

Fiber:  0g
Cholesterol: unsure

Iron:  unsure
Sodium:  293mg
Calcium:  unsure

Recipe:  Herb-Roasted Beef & Potatoes
Source:  Cooking Light, Dec. 2009

Servings:  4
Serving size:  3 oz beef and 3/4 cup potatoes

Ingredients:
2 tsp. dried thyme (divided)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (divided)
3/4 tsp. black pepper (divided)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8 oz) beef shoulder roasts, trimmed
cooking spray
1 (20 oz) package refrigerated potato wedges

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine 1 tsp thyme, rosemary, parsley, 1 Tbsp oil, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and garlic.  Rub evenly over both sides of beef.  Place beef on rack of a broiler pan coated w/cooking spray; place rack in pan.
3. Combine potatoes, remaining oil, salt and pepper; toss.  Arrange potatoes on rack around beef.  Broil 7 minutes. Turn beef over.  Broil 7 more minutes or until beef is desired degree of doneness.  Place beef on cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Stir potatoes and sprinkle with remaining thyme.  Cut beef into thin slices.

Our Thoughts:

This beef was quite good.  Scott and I don't usually cook big roast-style cuts of meat, but we really enjoyed this one.  That being said, we made some minor adjustments.  The first is, we thought we had thyme, but didn't, so we used oregano instead.  I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference anyway.  The biggest change is that our Kroger doesn't carry the wedge-style refrigerated potatoes, so we bought the hashbrown style, which I thought was going to be really gross if we cooked the way the recipe said to, so instead we used the oil we were supposed to "toss" the potatoes in and used it to skillet-fry the hashbrowns nice and crisp (the way I like them and Scott is sweet enough to make for me!).  Also, we thought the roast needed to be cooked longer than the recipe indicates, so Scott cooked as recipe said, then sliced, then put the slices under the broiler for 45 seconds per side.  For me, it was a perfect "doneness".  We both said we'd like to make this meal again, and since we have another identical cut of meat in the freezer, I imagine we will in the next couple of weeks.  Scott's final thought:  "More hashbrowns, please!"

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars!


Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories:  318

Fat:  14.6g

Protein:  26.1g
Carbohydrates:    18.7g

Fiber:  3.9g

Cholesterol:  66mg 
Iron:  3.2mg
Sodium:  788mg
Calcium:  16mg

Recipe:  Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Source:  Interwebs

Servings:  4
Serving size:  1/4 of total number of tenders (6 give or take the size of yours!)

Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup reduced fat parmesan topping (the pre-grated kind)
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 medium egg whites
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine bread crumbs, cheese and garlic powder in a small, shallow bowl.  Whip egg whites until foamy and place in another shallow bowl.  Dip chicken first into egg whites and then into the breadcrumb mixture to coat thoroughly. 
3. Place chicken tenders in prepared baking dish and bake until crispy, about 25 minutes.  Serve chicken with sauce of your choice!

Our Thoughts:
Man alive, does Scott love these chicken tenders.  They have a really good flavor on their own, though we usually do a medley of low-fat dipping options (blue cheese, ranch, bbq, honey mustard).  I think Scott could just eat a ton of these as a meal on it's own, but I prefer when they're accompanied by a veggie or two.  They're pretty quick and easy, though, and a great alternative to the pre-packaged, not at all good for you, breaded chicken tenders (not to mention the fried kind you get at a restaurant!).

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars.

**Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  283
Fat:  6.8g
Protein:  42.2g
Carbohydrates:  10.7g
Fiber:  0.7g
Cholesterol:  102mg
Iron:  unsure
Sodium:  320mg
Calcium:  unsure

**This nutritional information was calculated with full-fat parmesan cheese.  Using reduced fat will make it more nutritious!

Recipe:  Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon
Source:  Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2010

Servings:  4
Serving Size:  1 cup

Ingredients:
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine
2 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat about 4 minutes, or until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally.  Remove bacon from pan; reserve drippings.  Add garlic to bacon drippings in pan; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low.  Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.  Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid.  Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine.  Sprinkle with bacon, parsley and pepper.

Our Thoughts:
So, I love fettuccine alfredo.  It's easily one of my favorite meals.  I eat the Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones that are alfredo and they're okay, but I've always believed it is really hard to make a good fettuccine alfredo without it being horrible for you.  I no longer believe that's true.  This stuff is pretty awesome.  My two small complaints would be 1) the serving size--I can totally eat 2 servings of this no problem, but I probably don't need to! and 2) It's not super creamy--no extra sauce to sop up with the bread I'm not eating, anyway!  Scott, well he REALLY loves this dish.  I think he likes the alfredo, but I also think it's the bacon that sealed the deal.  As soon as we finished eating it, he turned to me and said he wanted to move it into the regular rotation.  That's pretty high praise!  So overall, this dish is a big Yes! in our household!

Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars!

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  339
Fat:  11.7g
Protein:  17.3g
Carbohydrates:  38.4g
Fiber:  2g
Cholesterol:  22mg
Iron:  0.5mg
Sodium:  833mg
Calcium:  291mg

Recipe:  Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Source:  The Interwebs

Servings:  18
Serving Size:  One muffin

Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup water

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the three ingredients until all of the dry mix is moistened and integrated with the pumpkin and water.  It should be a smooth consistency, but slightly thicker than a regular cake mix.
2. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and then fill with the batter, about 3/4 full.  (These do not rise much when you bake them.)
3. Bake according to the directions for cupcakes on the spice cake mix box.

Our Thoughts:
I really, really love these muffins.  They are denser and more moist than regular muffins, but that's a texture I really like.  The taste is amazing.  It's the perfect cross between a gingerbread/spice cake/pumpkin bread taste, which is really great in the fall and winter, but I imagine is awesome anytime.  I eat them warm or room temperature, plain.  Scott also likes these.  I think his level of like is slightly less than mine.  He probably prefers a cakier consistency (which I saw on a message board you can achieve by adding 1/2 cup egg beaters to the recipe).  He likes to eat them warm with a bit of butter (we use Brummel and Brown) spread on them.  Other message board options:  adding chocolate chips or cinnamon chips!

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars! (Really, I only lowered it this much because I didn't want Scott to disagree with my rating--I'd probably put it at a 4!)

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  121
Fat:  2.4g
Protein:  1.6g
Carbohydrates:  24.6g
Fiber:  0.7g
Cholesterol:  0mg
Iron:  unsure
Sodium:  188mg
Calcium:  unsure

Recipe:  Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
Source:  Scott's sister, Catie (adapted)

Servings:  8
Serving size:  1/8 of the casserole

Ingredients:
1 box Ronzoni Smart Taste spaghetti
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 oz milk
2 cups Weight Watchers shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (12 1/2 oz) can chicken breast
1 spray cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions.  In a large mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, one cup of cheese, and chicken breast. Stir together until evenly mixed.  After draining spaghetti, add to the soup mixture and mix well. 
3. Transfer the spaghetti to a pre-sprayed casserole dish (we use a 9x13 dish).  Spread evenly.  Top with remaining cup of cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese on top is completely melted.

Our Thoughts:
Scott and I LOVE this dish.  Seriously.  It's definitely a comfort dinner.  The soup, cheese, chicken and spaghetti mesh perfectly together.  We thank Catie all the time for passing this recipe on to us.  We make this meal probably three times a month, and it's great both the night you make it and as leftovers.  We really can't get enough. 

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars!  We really do love it that much!

**Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  341
Fat:  9.3g
Protein:  27.1g
Carbohydrates:  35.5g
Fiber:  0g
Cholesterol:  93mg
Iron:  unsure
Sodium:  337mg
Calcium:  unsure

**This is the nutritional information for regular spaghetti.  If you use whole wheat pasta or Ronzoni Smart Taste, this meal becomes significantly more nutritious!

Recipe:  Chipotle Bean Burritos
Source:  Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2010 (with some substitutions on my part!)

Servings:  6
Serving Size:  1 burrito

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained
3 Tbsp. taco sauce
6 10" reduced-fat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mexican blend cheese
1 1/2 cups tomato, diced
1 1/2 cups lettuce, shredded
6 Tbsp. light sour cream

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic to the pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Stir in water and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in taco sauce.  Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.
2. Warm tortillas according to package directions.  Spoon 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla.  Top each serving with 2 1/2 Tbsp. cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, and 1 Tbsp sour cream.  Roll and enjoy!

Our Thoughts:
Man!  This was really good.  We added a little more taco sauce (me) and salsa (Scott) to the burrito before rolling them up, but the bean mixture tastes really good!  It's simple to make (takes about 10-15 minutes from start to finish) and it's very filling.  We each had two burritos and I did not need to have a snack before bed as I usually do.  I'd really suggest trying this recipe if you like beans (which we do) and want an easy and yummy meal all-in-one meal!

Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars!

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  361
Fat:  10.3g
Protein:  16.8g
Carbohydrates:  52.2g
Fiber:  11.4g
Cholesterol:  19mg
Iron:  3.3mg
Sodium:  735mg
Calcium:  395mg