Ingredients:

8 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese

2 Tbsp. plain, non-fat yogurt

1/4 tsp. dried, ground ginger

8 strawberries, halved

4 peaches, halved or quartered

8 chunks pineapple

4 plums, nectarines, or papayas, halved

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

In a blender, puree cheese, strawberries, yogurt and ginger together until smooth. Refrigerate the dip for 2 hours before grilling fruit.

When ready to grill fruit, thread pieces of prepared fruit onto eight skewers. Mix together vinegar and sugar. Grill fruit until lightly browned, turning frequently and brushing with vinegar mixture during grilling.

Serve grilled fruit with sauce on side.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 102 calories, 2 g. total fat, 18 g. carbohydrate, 4 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 40 mg. sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

Canola oil spray

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with canola oil spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the syrup, oil and vanilla extract. Add the liquid mixture to the oat mixture, stirring well until the oats are coated.

Spread the mixture across the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the granola with the raisins. Using a large spatula, mix the raisins and granola well, breaking up any large pieces. Return it to the oven and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes. 

Allow the granola to cool completely. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze some for later use.

Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 250 calories, 8 g. total fat (<1 g. saturated fat), 42 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 35 mg. sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)

1/2 cup salsa of your choice

4 (9-inch) whole-wheat tortillas

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup chopped scallions

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, chili powder, cumin, jalapeno and 1/4 cup of the salsa. Mash the ingredients with a fork until blended.

Spoon the mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Divide the chicken evenly among the four tortillas and place over the bean mixture. Roll each tortilla, fold in the ends and place side-by-side in the bottom of prepared pan. Top each rolled tortilla with the remaining salsa, cheese and scallions.

Cover the pan with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes, until the cheese is golden. Serve immediately.

Makes four servings. Per serving, 390 calories, 9 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 35 g. carbohydrate, 38 g. protein, 6 g. dietary fiber, 510 mg. sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

3 skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves, each 6 ounces

3 skinless, bone-in chicken legs with thigh pieces, each 8 ounces

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup orange juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.

Rub each piece of chicken with garlic. Dab fingers in oil and rub with oil and sprinkle with rosemary and pepper. Place chicken pieces in the baking dish. Pour the orange juice over the chicken. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken and return to the oven until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Baste the chicken with the orange juice from the pan as needed to prevent it from drying out.

Transfer the chicken to individual serving plates. Spoon orange juice from the pan over the top of the chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Per serving, 170 calories; 25 g. protein; 76 mg. cholesterol; 70 mg. sodium; 6 g. total fat; 1.5 g. saturated fat; 16 mg. calcium.

–From the Mayo Clinic’s Housecall email newsletter

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 small eggplant sliced into thin rounds

1 zucchini, sliced thin

1 yellow summer squash, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch slices

Cooking spray

1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

8 slices whole-grain sandwich bread

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix the vinegar, oil and 1/4 cup basil in large bowl. Add the vegetables and toss to coat. Let the vegetables sit in the marinade for several minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill or preheat your oven’s broiler. Lightly spray a grilling pan with cooking spray and add the marinated vegetables. Grill or broil until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, turning frequently to brown all sides and avoid charring.

Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside to cool. Vegetables may be grilled in advance and refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Bring the chilled vegetables to room temperature before assembling sandwiches.

Make the spread by mixing together the yogurt, mayonnaise, remaining basil and lemon juice. Mix together until well combined and smooth.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the yogurt mixture on one side of four slices of bread. Next, divide the vegetable mix evenly between each. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and top each sandwich with remaining slices of bread. Slice and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 250 calories, 7 g. total fat, 42 g. carbohydrates, 9 g. protein, 10 g. dietary fiber, 390 mg. sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. peach jam, preferably fruit sweetened

2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. dark toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger root

1/2 pound (8 ounces) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips

1 1/2 tsp. canola oil

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 firm apples, such a Fuji or Gala, cut into one-inch pieces

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups steamed brown rice or whole wheat angel hair pasta

Directions:

In small bowl, combine jam, soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Set aside. In large, non-stick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add pork and ginger and stir-fry until pork is browned and just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer pork and ginger to bowl with slotted spoon. Add canola oil to skillet. Stir-fry peppers, with water chestnuts, and apples until peppers are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Add pork back to skillet along with scallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add jam mixture. Continue to stir-fry 30 seconds to one minute, or until sauce thickens. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 355 calories, 8 g. total fat, (2 g. saturated fat), 55 g. carbohydrates, 17 g. protein, 10 g. dietary fiber, 345 mg. sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

2 (7 oz.) jars roasted red peppers, drained

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste

1tsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup scallion, chopped

4 oz. reduced-fat Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dash of Tabasco or hot chili pepper sauce (optional)

Directions:

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water (enough to cover) for about 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.

In a food processor, puree red peppers, drained sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, cilantro and scallion until smooth.

Add the cream cheese and puree again, adding enough of the reserved liquid to thin the dip to the desired consistency. Blend until smooth. Add the black pepper and hot sauce, if using, to taste.

Transfer the dip to a covered container and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving. Serve with assorted cut vegetables or whole-wheat pita bread.

Makes 8 servings (2 Tbsp. each) Per serving: 80 calories, 3 g. total fat (1.5 g. saturated fat), 10 g. carbohydrates, 4 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber and 380 mg. sodium.

From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

1 bag (10 oz.) unsweetened frozen strawberries

2 fresh kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

1 container (8 oz.) strawberry nonfat yogurt

1 tsp. almond extract

Fat-free milk (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl until desired consistency is reached. If thinner consistency is desired, continue blending and add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is reached.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving*: 110 calories, 0 g. total fat, 26 g. carbohydrates, 3 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 30 mg. sodium.

*Note: Nutritional analysis is based on regular sugar-sweetened yogurt. Yogurt made with no-calorie sweetener may yield a slightly different analysis.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

1 medium papaya (about 1 1/2 cups), halved, seeded, peeled and cubed

1 cup red pepper strips (about 1 large pepper)

2 scallions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. honey

1 garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

11/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add the chicken breasts and return to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, cover and cool in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, papaya, red pepper and scallions. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic and mustard. Slowly add the oil and whisk until well-blended. Add the salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Cube the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces and combine with the dressing. Add the chicken and dressing to the salad greens and toss. Top with toasted pecans and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 210 calories, 11 g. total fat (1.5 g. saturated fat), 13 g. carbohydrates, 15 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 135 mg. sodium.

From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. ground extra lean beef

1/4 cup sherry (optional)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/8 tsp. salt

pinch ground red pepper

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup diced fresh or canned pineapple

1 16-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped pimiento or red bell pepper

Directions:

In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender and meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Drain off fat.

Add remaining ingredients except green pepper and pimiento. Bring to simmer and cook five minutes. Add green pepper and pimiento and heat through. Service with rice and bread.

Serves 4. Per serving: 324 calories, 14 g. total fat, 6 g. saturated fat, 70 mg. cholesterol, 282 mg. sodium, 3 g. dietary fiber, 27 g. carbohydrates, 24 g. protein.

From Healthy Hispanic Recipes by the National Cancer Institute