Grilled Fruit with Strawberry Dip

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

Raisin Granola

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

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

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

Orange Rosemary Roasted Chicken

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

Grilled Veggie Sandwiches

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