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.

Tomato Basil Chicken

Tomato Basil Chicken

Source: Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom

Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 chicken breasts
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish


Instructions:
Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet. This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce. While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta. When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts. After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. By the way, when did chicken breasts get SO HUGE?! You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife. If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.


After the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up. Next, add the fresh basil that you have chopped into ribbons, the cold butter, the minced garlic, and you will probably want to add some more kosher salt and black pepper to season the sauce. Now give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.

When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now. At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce. Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Old Fashioned White Bread (Bread Maker)

Old Fashioned White Bread

Source: West Bend Bread Maker

Ingredients:


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
3.  Put cooked shredded chicken on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
4. Rough chop ham and layer over chicken.
5. Lay swiss cheese over ham.
6. Make sauce; Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat.  When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux.  Do not brown!  once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the bold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, paprika, and white pepper.  Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat.
7.  Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.
8.  For the topping; melt butter in the microwave in a medium sized bowl.  Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once melted.  Stir in bread crumbs, seasoning salt and crushed dried parsley.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
9.  Bake uncovered for 45 mins until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5-10 mins before serving.


Yields 8 servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 14 per serving

Chicken Gyros

Chicken Gyros

Source:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
(Tzatziki sauce)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

(For the chicken)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

(To assemble)
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Instructions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Source: Terri@Comegoodcookin

Ingredients:
(casserole)
1 whole cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 lbs very think sliced deli style honey ham (low fat)
1/2 lbs thin sliced swiss cheese (reduced fat)
(sauce)
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
3 1/4 cups milk (fat free)
2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper
(topping)
6 tbs butter
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp crushed dried parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
3.  Put cooked shredded chicken on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
4. Rough chop ham and layer over chicken.
5. Lay swiss cheese over ham.
6. Make sauce; Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat.  When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux.  Do not brown!  once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the bold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, paprika, and white pepper.  Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat.
7.  Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.
8.  For the topping; melt butter in the microwave in a medium sized bowl.  Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once melted.  Stir in bread crumbs, seasoning salt and crushed dried parsley.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
9.  Bake uncovered for 45 mins until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5-10 mins before serving.


Yields 8 servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 14 per serving

Italian Chicken Veggie Soup

Italian Chicken Veggie Soup

Source: Food Network, Paula Dean

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut-up into bite sizes pieces (1 3/4 lbs)
1 small onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (2 medium)
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomato with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
Grated Parmesan, optional

Directions:
1. In large pot, add olive oil and cook chicken.
2. Add onion and carrot, cook 5 mins.
3. Stir in zucchini, diced tomatoes and chicken broth.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 mins.
5. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yields 6-8 servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 2.5 per bowl, 1 per tbs of parmesan.

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Cups

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Cups

Source: Emily Bites Original

Ingredients:
20 oz shredded hash brown potatoes (I used Simply Potatoes brand which comes in a 20 oz refrigerated bag. If you use frozen potatoes, just make sure you let them thoroughly thaw first)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ t salt (plus a little more to taste for the eggs)
Black pepper, to taste
4 chicken breakfast sausage links (I used Wegmans Fully Cooked Breakfast with Sage Chicken Sausage)
6 large eggs
4 egg whites
6 T shredded 2% cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray
2. In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Scoop the hash browns evenly into each of the muffin tins and then press the hash browns down into the cups and up the sides to form a well. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until edges are browned.
3. Cut the sausages up into small bite sized pieces. Mist a skillet with cooking spray and brown the sausage pieces over medium-high heat.
4. In another large bowl, combine the eggs and egg whites and whisk together until thoroughly beaten. Add a bit of salt & pepper to taste.
5. Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese and browned sausage pieces into each hash brown cup and then spoon the egg mixture into each hash brown cup as well. Place the cups back into the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the eggs are set. To remove from tins, run a large spoon or butter knife along the edges of each muffins cup.

Yields 12 breakfast cups. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 3 per cup (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 123 calories, 10 g carbs, 3 g fat, 7 g protein, 1 g fiber