DASH- Acapulco Tuna Salad

Acapulco Tuna Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 6-oz cans tuna, very low sodium

2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise made with olive oil

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 small sweet onion, diced very finely

1 jalapeño, diced, seeds and spines removed

1 tbsp lime juice

Directions

Drain the water from the tuna and mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

DASH- Super- Savory Sliders

Super-Savory Sliders

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive or canola oil

1/2 large Bermuda onion or 1 medium, sliced very thin

1 small pat of butter

1/4 cup red wine

1 lb extra-lean ground sirloin

4 slices 2% Swiss cheese

2 cups grape tomatoes

Directions

Preheat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat.

Sweat the onions in the oil until very translucent and soft, about 20 minutes. Stir often, and turn down heat if needed to avoid crisping the onions.

At the end of the sweating, add the butter and red wine to finish.

Make 3 very large, thin hamburger patties, using the ground sirloin.

Pan-broil them over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes on each side, in the same skillet used to cook the onions.

After cooking, cut each patty into fours for each “slider.”

Top with Swiss cheese, and add grape tomatoes on the side. Cover with mustard if desired.

Hints: Sweating onions means that you cook them slowly, with minimal browning. This brings out all the sweet flavor of the onions. If your kids don’t like onions, leave them off their portion. And let them have slider buns. Great sides would be green beans and coleslaw.

DASH- Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini Lasagna

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large zucchinis, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

4 large tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

2 medium onions, sliced very thin

1 sprig fresh basil, 6-8 leaves, chopped or thinly sliced Italian seasonings

8 oz shredded 2% mozzarella

Ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a 2 1/2-quart oval bakeware dish, pour the olive oil (or spray with olive oil cooking spray). Cover the bottom of the dish with sliced zucchini. Then, spread a layer of tomatoes and a layer of onions. Top with half of the sliced basil, Italian seasonings (or other herbs from your garden), and ground pepper.

Then add a layer of about half the shredded cheese.

Repeat (except for the olive oil).

Bake about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Hints: This recipe is especially great for using up end-of-summer veggies. An easy way to slice the basil is to roll up several leaves (stem edges inside), and then make thin slices. You end up with very thin strips, called a chiffonade.

This recipe is adapted from Liz Manaster’s From A to Zucchini.

DASH- Meaty Sauce Over Spaghetti Squash

Meaty Sauce Over Spaghetti Squash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

1 lb extra-lean ground sirloin (could substitute lean ground turkey)

1/2 medium onion, diced, or 1/2 cup frozen onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, no added salt

1 14.5-oz can tomato sauce, no added salt

1/2 tsp dry

Italian seasonings

1 medium spaghetti squash

4 fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Brown the ground beef in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the diced onions directly to the cooking ground beef, to sauté.

Before adding the garlic, turn the heat down slightly. Then add the garlic. (Hint: Remove the skin by smashing it under the blade of a chef’s knife. You can either mince the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press.)

After the meat is fully browned and the onions are mostly translucent, add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Then add Italian seasonings to your own taste. Turn down the heat to low, and allow to simmer and thicken.

For the spaghetti squash, cut the squash in half first, then scrape out the seeds.

Boil in a large pot for 30 minutes, or fill a rectangular baking dish partway with water, place the squash halves with the rind facing up, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until soft.

Add the basil to the spaghetti sauce.

Then, pick up the squash lining just like you would pasta. Top with the spaghetti sauce, and enjoy.

Hints: Add a salad and you have a low-calorie meal with about 5 servings of vegetables and 3 ounces of lean meat.

To make this a vegetarian dish, add soy-based crumbles instead of the sirloin. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to sauté the onions and garlic before adding the crumbles. Keep the temperature slightly less than medium, to avoid burning the garlic, which would create a harsh flavor.

If you have leftover spaghetti sauce, freeze for another use.

DASH- Naked Chicken Piccata

Naked Chicken Piccata

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Lemon-pepper seasoning mix

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, preheated in a microwave

Directions

First, pound the chicken breasts with a wooden mallet until they are about 1/4‑inch thick. This will be easiest if you place them on sheets of plastic wrap and sprinkle water around the sheets so they don’t stick so much. You could also use a rolling pin to thin and even out the breasts.

Sprinkle the breasts with the lemon-pepper seasoning mix.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. (If the oil is smoking, the cooking temperature is too high.)

Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and place on a plate with a cover (such as a pot lid or aluminum foil) to keep warm.

Add the lemon juice, zest, and hot chicken broth to the skillet, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Continue to cook to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat and add the butter or margarine. Return the chicken to the pan and cook about another 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breasts is at least 165°F.

Hint: To make this dish even lower in sodium, use 1 cup of white wine instead of the chicken broth. You will still have great flavor.

DASH- Crispy Grilled Chicken

Crispy Grilled Chicken

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, bone in, with skin

Garlic clove or salt-free seasoning mix (optional)

Directions

Heat the barbecue grill to medium heat.

Create a boat out of aluminum foil for each of the chicken breasts. Use nonstick aluminum foil for the boats for best results.

If desired, for extra flavor, rub the chicken with a peeled, cut garlic clove or sprinkle with salt-free seasoning mix.

Place chicken, skin side down, in boats.

Cook for 45 minutes, turning the chicken in the boats every 15 minutes.

You will get a lovely, golden brown color and intense flavor from the caramelization of the chicken skin. And does it get any easier?

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Source: Mom Fiala

Ingredients: 
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
1/3 cup of milk (fat free)
2 hard boiled eggs
1 cup cooked egg noodles
1 cup cooked peas (or 1 small can of peas)
1/2 cup crumbled potato chips

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together, except chips.  Bake at 350 for 25 mins.  Sprinkle on chips, bake for another 5 mins.