Lean Meatloaf

I know...meatloaf isn't everyone's favorite. This recipe takes a bit of work to prepare, but it really is tasty & good for you. Try it, you just might like it! And yes, it's another Dr. Phil recipe. --Keri

6 servings

1 lb. button mushrooms, brushed of dirt
3/4 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 egg
2 T. minced dry onion
2 t. rubbed sage
2 t. dried thyme
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper, optional
1 med. tomato, sliced paper thin

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Chop or use a food processor to make the mushrooms look like meal (fine or coarse is okay).
3. Scoop a handful of the ground mushrooms into some paper towels. Form a closed packet, then squeeze over the sink to remove all the excess moisture. Place the squeezed mushrooms in a large bowl and repeat with the reamining ground mushrooms, working in batches.
4. Making sure your hands are very clean, crumble the ground beef and ground veal into a bowl, stir well, and add the oats, egg, onion, sage, thyme, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Work the mixture through your fingers, squeezing gently until ingredients are well blended and of a uniform consistency.
5. Place the mixture into a bread pan & lay the tomatoe slices over the top, overlapping if necessary to form a line of slices along the length of the loaf.
6. Bake until well browned and firm, about 50 minutes; an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should read 165. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving.

Spicy Sausage & Peppers Penne

Serves 6

8 oz uncooked whole-wheat penne pasta
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage (links or ground both work)
1 each: medium green, red, and yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove sausages from skillet. Cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
3. In same skillet, cook bell peppers, onion, and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
4. Place pasta in a large bowl; pour sauce mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

This another Pampered Chef recipe that is really good. Enjoy! --Keri

Cocoa Lava Kisses

Makes 40 kisses

3 egg whites
1/8 t. salt
1 c. sugar
2 t. water
1 t. vanilla extract
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 250. Line 2 cookies sheets w/ wax paper.
2. Place egg whites and salt in medium bowl. Whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
3. Gradually add 1/2 c. sugar to egg whites while constantly whipping.
4. Combine water and vanilla in a cup. Add to mix, a few drops at a time, alternating with the remaining 1/2 c. sugar while constantly whipping.
3. Flake cocoa with a fork to break clumps. Sift if necessary. Fold completely into mix. Place bite-sized rounded teaspoons of batter onto the wax paper-lined sheets. Bake approx. 30 minutes. They will be dry on the outside, but moist and lava-like on the inside. They will retain their shape. (If they become completely dry like Styrofoam, they are overbaked.)
4. While kisses are still hot, remove from wax paper and place on a wire rack so they will not stick. After cooling, store kisses in an airtight container. They will also freeze well.

I just made these and they are delicious! They are from Zonya's Lickety-Split Meals cookbook. They are fat-free and only 20 calories per kiss! (I must have made mine small, because I probably got 60 kisses, meaning each one had even few calories!)

California Wraps

Serves 6

Avocado Mixture*
1 med. ripe avocado, seeded
1 t. fat-free sour cream
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/8 t. salt

1 lg. tomato, seeded & diced
6 t. thinly sliced green onions w/ tops
6 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
6-12 large lettuce leaves
8 oz. thinly sliced reduced-fat deli smoked turkey
1 pkg. (4 oz) salad sprouts
6 T. shredded cheddar cheese

*1 container (6-oz) frozen avocado dip, thawed, can be substituted for the avocado mixture. I found some preservative free guacamole in the produce section of Wal-Mart that I used.

1. In small bowl, mash avocado & stir in sour cream, lemon juice, and salt.
2. Top each tortilla with avocado mixture and spread. Cover with 1 or 2 lettuce leaves, pressing lightly. Place one slice turkey over lettuce. Top evenly with 1/2 c. salad sprouts, 2 t. tomato, 1 T. green onion, and 1 T. cheese.
3. Roll each tortilla up tightly. Cut each wrap diagonally in half. Serve. (Wraps can be prepared & refrigerated up to 3 hours in advance.)

This is from The Pamperd Chef's It's Good For You cookbook. It would be great as a lunch or at a party. --Keri

Arroz con Pollo (Spanish Rice w/ Chicken)

6 servings

2 t. olive oil
12 small boneless & skinless chicken thighs, halved
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/8 t. saffron threads (optional...I've never used them)
1 bay leaf
1 c. uncooked brown rice (white also works)
1 c. frozen peas

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. In the meantime, pour the tomatoes, water, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, (saffron), bay leaf, rice, and peas into a 9x13 pan or casserole dish w/ taller sides. When the onion and garlic are cooked, add them to the pan. Stir ingredients. Cook the chicken thighs just until browned on the outside, then add them to the dish.
3. Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour. (Mine always takes longer...plan on up to 2 hours.) Discard the bay leaf before serving.

This is basically another Dr. Phil recipe, but I've simplfied the process of how he "assembles" it. It is another yummy recipe that I use over and over. The leftover are superb, too. --Keri

Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 c. lemon yogurt
1 t. vanilla
1 t. poppy seeds
1 large orange, peeled, segmented & then segments sliced in half lengthwise
1 banana, sliced into 3/4 inch slices
1 apple, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 c. grapes
1 T. toasted wheat germ or Forget-the-Fat Granola per each serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla and poppy seed. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
2. In large/medium sized bowl, add fruit. Stir in the yogurt mixture until fruit is covered.
3. Serve, topping w/ wheat germ or granola, if desired.

This is another Dr. Phil recipe. Can you tell I use his cookbook a lot? --Keri

Refrigerator Applesauce Bran Muffins

24 muffins

1 1/2 c. original All-Bran cereal
1 c. oat bran
3/4 c. wheat bran
1/2 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
2 1/2 c. boiling water
2 c. whole-wheat flower
1/2 c. Splenda (or sugar)
2 T. baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt
2 c. low-fat or fat-free buttermilk*
3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. pasteurized egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
1/4 c. canola oil

*Don't have buttermilk? Make the equivilant by adding several teaspoons of white vinegar to each cup of milk.

1. Combine the All-Bran, oat bran, wheat bran, and rolled oats in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until thoroughly moistened. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwile, combine the whole-wheat flour, sugar substitute, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a second large bowl.
3. Mash out any lumps in the bran mixture, then stir in the buttermilk, applesauce, egg substitute, and oil until smooth. Stir in the whole-wheat flour mixture until well blended. The batter will be thick, so using an electric mixer or potato masher might make this easier. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. (I prefer to make them all at this time so I don't have to bake one whenever I want it. I just keep a few in the fridge and freeze the rest.)
4. To bake the muffins, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.
5. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for 3 minutes, then serve or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Baked muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Yet another Dr. Phil recipe. This one is really good! I just warm a muffin up for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating. --Keri

Turkey Vegetable Soup

6 servings

1 med. onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced (abt. 2 cups)
3 med. carrots, thinly sliced (abt. 2 cups)
6 oz mushrooms, brushed of any dirt and sliced (abt. 3 cups)
2 med. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 lb. cooked turkey, cut into small chunks & slivers (chicken also works)
1 t. dried thyme
1 T. dried dill
4 c. no-salt, fat-free broth
1/2 t. salt

1. Spray large nonstick saucepan w/ nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring until softened and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have begun to give off their liquid and it is simmering, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the turkey and cook, stirring, just until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and dill and cook 20 seconds. Pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, until the veggies are tender and the soup smells terrific. Season w/ salt and serve at once.

This another amazing recipe from Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook. --Keri

Forget-the-Fat Granola

12 servings, A serving is 1/2 cup

3 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
3/4 c. wheat germ
1/3 c. whole raw almonds, roughly chopped
2 T. shelled raw sunflower seeds
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 c. unsweetened apple-juice concentrate, thawed
1 c. dried cranberries or raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Combine the oats, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the juice concentrate. Stir well, and spread mixture even on a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Mix in dried cranberries or raisins, then pour into a sealable container or plastic bad and store at room temperature for up to 2 months.

This is seriously the BEST granola I've ever had. The fact that's it's healthy is an added bonus. This is from Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook. --Keri