Stuffed tomatoes
2 large ripe tomatoes   
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled    
2 T chopped onion   
5 oz frozen chopped spinach    
1/4 sour cream      
1/4 c grated mozzarella cheese      
1/8 t dried basil
 
Cut stem end of tomatoes and scoop out pulp.  Sauté onion in bacon drippings.  Cook spinach according to package and drain well.  Combine spinach with onion, bacon, sour cream, basil and cheese.  Fill tomato shells with spinach mixture.  Place shells in a small casserole dish and bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
 
Broiled tomatoes
Tomatoes, sliced, Tony's seasoning, Other spices to taste such as basil and parsley, Parmesan cheese.  Put tomatoes on a sprayed pan.  Season with other ingredients.  Broil until cheese is brown and bubbly.
 
Crawfish Etoufee
Sauté one chopped onion, one bell pepper, one celery stalk, and two cloves of garlic in 1 T olive oil.  Add in 1 pound crawfish tails until warm.  Add 1 can golden mushroom soup and 1 1/2 cans hot water, Season to taste with Tony's, pepper, bay leaf.  Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Add parsley and green onion tops at the last 5 minutes (optional).  This is good served over brown rice on the weekends or over baked fish during the week.
 
Baked Shrimp
1 # large shrimp (headless with shell on)
1/4-1/3 bottle light Italian dressing
1/4-1/2 stick light butter or margarine
Tony's
Garlic and onion powder
 
Season shrimp with all ingredients in a baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 20 min.  Turn all shrimp.  Bake another 10-15 min.
 
7 layer salad
Romaine lettuce
1 pound Bacon (cooked, crumbled)
Red onion (1/4 - ½ sliced),
Peas (frozen bagged about 1 cup)
3 eggs boiled and sliced
½ - 1 cup light mayo and 2 T sugar mixed together
Parmesan cheese. 
 
Layer all ingredients in order.  Cover and refrigerate several hours.  Mix before serving.
 
Cabbage Casserole
Medium head Cabbage
4 T light butter or margarine 
2T flour
1 onion
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup liquid from cabbage
Pepper
celery salt
garlic salt
6 oz Mexican Velveeta
Worchester sauce ( a couple splashes)
Tabasco (to taste)
 Melt butter and saute onion.  Stir in flour, and blend.  Add evaporated milk, stir until thick.  Add cheese and seasoning.  Add liquid if needed.  Top with bread crumbs.  Bake 350 degrees  20-25 minutes

SPINACH SALAD
Sauté sliced baby bella mushrooms and shrimp in coconut oil.  Mix together in container, spinach, shrimp, mushrooms, cucumbers, avocados, pepper jack cheese.
 
 
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
2 cups chopped, cooked, skinless chicken breast   
1 ½ cup seedless grapes, rinsed and cut in half  
¼ cup diced celery  
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans  
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup thinly sliced green onions  
1 cup light mayonnaise  
¼ tsp sea salt   
¼ tsp ground black pepper 
 
 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate and serve.   This works great with rotisserie chicken from the deli or with the roasted chicken recipe. You can also add the mixture to whole grain bread, ½ pita pocket, a whole grain tortilla, or serve with whole wheat pita chips.
 
Mushrooms Florentine
 
2 packages frozen chopped spinach  
16 oz mushrooms cleaned & chopped  
1 Small onion chopped fine  
½ t Minced garlic  
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese  
4 T Olive oil  
8 oz light sour cream   
Salt and pepper to taste  
¼ t Nutmeg
Cook spinach according to package and squeeze out the liquid.  Sautee the onions until translucent.  Add mushrooms and olive oil to the pan.  Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender.  Add the spinach, parmesan, sour cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg and heat thoroughly.   This is a great side dish to complement the roasted chicken
   
Roasted Chicken
Ingredients: 
2 chickens  
4 1/2 to 5 pounds  each  
6 lemons
Fresh herbs
 
Marinade Ingredients:  
1 cup Dijon mustard     
½ cup soy sauce   
½ cup lemon juice, save rinds
 
 Directions
To make marinade:  Whisk all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
To make roasted chicken: Preheat oven to 425°.
Clean chickens well and pat dry.  Place each chicken in its own baking dish.  Stuff chicken with rinds and herbs.  Pour marinade over chicken.  Add cracked pepper and remaining herbs to the top of each chicken.  Place an oven thermometer in each chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Place on the lower rack of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the aluminum foil.  Baste with a basting bulb.  Keep basting often, every 15 minutes until the thermometer reads 180°.

Lasagna 
1 jar marinara    
1/4 c. chopped basil 
salt/pepper  
1 chopped shallot   
2 eggs    
wheat lasagna noodles        
1c each shredded cheese  (Parmesan, Mozzerella & Colby)  
1/2c. chopped fresh mushrooms
1-2c. fresh spinach    
16 oz. ricotta   
1/2 tsp. minced garlic 
1 lb. ground turkey      
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.  Brown turkey, shallot and garlic.  Drain.  Add about 1-2 cups of sauce to the turkey and stir until most of the meat is broken down into little pieces.  Combine ricotta, parmesan, basil, eggs, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.  Boil the wheat noodles until firm to the bite about 8-10 minutes.  In a 9x12 pan put a couple of T of sauce and spread @ the bottom.  Add 3 cooked noodles on the bottom, then ricotta mixture on those, then meat mixture, layer spinach, noodles, ricotta, meat, mushrooms, noodles, the rest of the ricotta and all the cheeses.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and brown the top cheeses.    
 
Spinach and Mushroom Pasta Alfredo
8 oz whole wheat pasta    
1 bag fresh spinach, chop 
1 package mushrooms washed and chopped
Bertolli garlic alfredo sauce  
mozerella and parmasean cheese 
Salt and pepper
 
Boil pasta according to directions.  In a separate pan, saute mushrooms in 1 T olive oil.  Add spinach to mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until wilted.  Drain pasta and put back in the pot.  Add 1/2 -2/3 jar of sauce to pasta along with the mushrooms and spinach, and cheeses and heat until melted.  Serve alongside baked chicken or add cooked chicken to the pasta.   
 
Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
1 tablespoon olive oil     
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)  
2 cloves garlic, minced   
2 (14.5-ounce) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices  
1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley   
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined    
1/4 t salt & 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°.  Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.  Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts ~ 12 minutes.
Substitute one can of rotel tomatoes for one can of diced tomatoes for a spicier version.  This is good served over baked tilapia as well.
   

High Protein Cheesecake   Sunday Treat
¾ cup fat free cottage cheese   
½ scoop of protein powder (vanilla flavor works best)
1 packet of Splenda (optional)
1 tbsp sugar free instant pudding mix (cheesecake or vanilla flavor)
4-5 tbsp of water (helps thin out mixture)
 
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix for about one minute. Top with sliced almonds, strawberries, or nothing at all.  Chill for 20 minutes.
 
Easy Chicken Fajitas
1 packet fajita seasoning    
½ cup water   
1 T olive oil  
1 # chicken breasts strips    
1 bell pepper sliced
1 onion sliced  
 Sliced mushrooms   
Wheat tortillas  
Salsa or taco sauce 
Fajita toppings (lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, grated cheese)
 
Directions   Heat the oil in a skillet.  Cook the onions and bell pepper until soft.  Remove from skillet.  Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning frequently, until done.  Return onion and bell pepper to the skillet, add mushrooms, fajita seasoning and water, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Heat tortillas in microwave a few seconds then fill with chicken, vegetables and other toppings.

All Protein Meatloaf  
1 1/2 # lean ground beef (or turkey)   
1 T Worcestershire sauce   
1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce   
2 eggs 
1/3 cup crushed fried pork skins      
2 1/2 T chili powder  
1 T garlic salt/powder     
1 T garlic powder
Directions:  Preheat the oven to 375° F.  In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, crushed pork skins, and eggs.  Season with chili powder, garlic salt, and garlic pepper.  Mix until well blended.  Form into a loaf, and place into a greased loaf pan.  Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
 
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies  Weekend Treat
1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup Equal sugar Lite (or 24 packets Equal)
1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate pieces (can substitute 1 cup M&M's)
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat peanut butter and Equal until blended.  Mix in egg and vanilla until combined.  Stir in chocolate pieces until well blended.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Cool slightly on cookie sheet.  Remove and cool completely on wire rack.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.          Yield: about 36 balls, Calorie: 86, Fat: 5.5g, Carbs: 8.1g, Protein 2.2g, Sodium: 35mg
Saturated Fat: 1.9g, Fiber: 0.7g, Calcium: 4.0mg, Total Sugars: 6.9g

Asparagus & Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts,  24 slices pepperoni, 6 slices provolone cheese
18 asparagus spears,  24 oz pasta sauce, ¼ cup parmesan cheese,  6 toothpicks
Cut chicken breasts in half and pound to ¼ inch thick.  Season with salt and pepper or other seasoning of your choice.  Put 4 slices pepperoni, one slice cheese and 3 asparagus spears in the center.  Roll up and secure with a toothpick.  Place chicken in a baking dish.  Top with pasta sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees.
 
Food Finds
Sam's Choice Stuffed Chicken Breasts: found at Walmart
Three cheese and Jalapeno:  240 calories, 7g carbs, 34 g protein,   Creamy Spinach Artichoke:   220 calories, 8g carbs, 32 g protein
Swiss, Crimini & Button Mushrooms:  230 calories, 7g carbs, 34 g protein, 
Pepper Jack, Swiss American & Bacon:  270 calories, 6g carbs, 37 g protein
 
Sam's Choice Skillet Meals (4 servings each)
Chicken Carbonara:  270 calories, 15g carbs, 29 g protein
Herb Rubbed Chicken:  200 calories, 16g carbs, 19 g protein
Garlic 7 Herb Beef:  270 calories, 18g carbs, 19 g protein
Greek Style Herbed Chicken & Feta: 350 calories, 11g carbs, 39 g protein
Monterey Ranch Chicken: 250 calories, 17g carbs, 24 g protein
 
Great Value: Thinly Sliced Beef Philly Steak ( 4 servings)   230 calories, 0g carbs, 16 g protein
Saute some onions, bellpepper and mushrooms to add to this along with
your favorite seasonings.  Top with swiss cheese, melt, and serve. 
 
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers:  Very quick and easy