Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce

For the gnocchi

Mix boiled potato, 1 egg and some cornflour to make a soft dough for gnocchi. Give shape to the dough into small boat shaped bites. Boil the gnocchi in some water with salt and basil leaf. Set aside. 

For the sauce:

Finely grind basil leaves, black pepper corns, cheese, salt, olive oil & a couple of garlic cloves into a thick paste to make pesto sauce. 

For cooking the gnochhi:

Heat oil in a sauce pan, toss the gnocchi with the pesto sauce. Remove from flame. Chop fresh red onions, toss with gnocchi and left over pesto sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and serve. 

Edamame Bruschetta

Cut a 2-inch piece of whole-grain baguette into 3 thin slices; toast slices. In a food processor, blend 3 tbsp shelled edamame, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan, 2 basil leaves, 1 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar until smooth. Spread over baguette slices; top each with 1 tsp chopped red bell pepper. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with basil leaves.

The Skinny: 156 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 19 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 10 g protein

Edamame = green soya pods (immature soyabeans)

No Bake Cherry Yogurt Cheesecakes

Place 1 tbsp cold water, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a saucepan; sprinkle on 1 tsp plain gelatin. Let rest until gelatin puffs above liquid, 15 minutes. Melt over medium heat, 3 seconds. In a bowl, whisk 3 tbsp lowfat plain Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar. Combine mixtures. Place a lowfat vanilla wafer on bottom of each of 3 mini muffin cups. Spoon mixture evenly over cookies; top each with 1 dark red cherry. Chill 1 hour.

The Skinny: 148 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 25 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 7 g protein

Mini Icecream Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup light vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt), softened at room temperature
• 24 vanilla wafer cookies (1 1/2 inches in diameter)
• 1 oz dark (or bittersweet) chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Line a shallow storage container with waxed paper. Put a small scoop of ice cream (about 2 tsp) on a cookie; top with another cookie. Roll sandwich in chocolate so chips adhere to ice cream. Place in container. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 12 mini ice cream sandwiches. Cover container and place in the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes, or freeze for up to 1 week.

THE SKINNY

220 calories for 3 sandwiches, 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 35 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein

Pudding

This luscious pudding offers a tasty hit of calcium to help build bones. If you can't find hazelnut-flavored chocolate, substitute 1/4 cup Nutella and use 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch instead of 2; the result will be milder in taste.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups 2 percent milk, divided
• 3 oz dark gianduja (hazelnut-flavored chocolate), broken into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. In a bowl, stir cornstarch into 1/2 cup milk until dissolved. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook remaining 1 1/2 cups milk with remaining ingredients, whisking, until chocolate melts. Increase heat to medium; cook, whisking, until almost boiling. Stir cornstarch-milk mixture; slowly add to saucepan, whisking. Bring to a simmer, whisking. Simmer, whisking, 90 seconds. Divide among 4 cups; cover with plastic wrap, pressing against surface of pudding. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

THE SKINNY

229 calories per serving, 12 g fat (5 g saturated), 24 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein

Turkey Meatballs With Sage and Cranberries

iNGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 lb ground lean turkey
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs, soaked in 1 oz skim milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup packed Swiss chard, spinach or arugula, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Parchment paper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 oz store-bought cranberry chutney (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat a small pan over medium heat; add pine nuts and stir until aromatic and light brown, a few minutes. In a bowl, combine all ingredients from turkey through pepper, being careful not to overmix. Cover and chill for at least 2 1/2 hours. (Chilling will help meatballs keep their shape while cooking.) Heat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; brush paper with oil. Roll meat into 1-inch balls; place on baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. Bake until balls are brown and bounce back to the touch, and internal temperature reaches 165°, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove; let rest. Serve warm with chutney, if desired.
   
   Make-ahead tip: These savory bites can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Store, covered, in the fridge; reheat at 250° for 15 minutes.

Spinach Fettuccine With Yogurt-Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz spinach fettuccine
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow or 4 to 5 pattypan squash, thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Set aside. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat; add oil. Add zucchini, squash, bell pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to low; cook until pepper begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth; cook until all vegetables are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta, yogurt, basil, cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Toss and serve immediately
   
   
   249 calories per serving, 4.9 g fat (1.7 g saturated), 38.9 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 13.3 g protein

Chana Dal Hummus

Hummus is a classic Middle Eastern dip served with pieces of pita bread cut into triangles. It's quick and easy to make. Usually made with garbanzo beans (chickpeas), hummus has a rich, earthy flavor. Made with chana dal, hummus is lighter, sweeter, and even better.

High in soluble fiber, hummus is one of the healthiest dips you can make. Other healthy dips, such as salsa and baba ghanouj are not as nutritious as hummus, especially if you leave out the traditional tahini (sesame paste) and olive oil, either of which can add lots of fat.

Made with chana dal, you will appreciate the low-fat version not only with pita (or crackers) but also with raw vegetables, in a sandwich, or as a salad.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chana dal (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked chana dal), drained (reserve 1/4 cup liquid for thinning and 2 tablespoons beans for garnish)
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons)
• 2 large cloves garlic (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 teaspoons dill
• Splenda or stevia equal to 1 teaspoon sugar

Optional Ingredients:

Hummus has many variations. The most common optional extra is

• 1/4 cup roasted tahini (sesame paste)

Other options include

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 onion, chopped

Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (can be omitted to reduce fat)
• 2 tablespoons whole, cooked chana dal
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

Preparation:

• As you cook any dried beans, pick over dried chana dal and wash in several changes of water. Soak them in fresh cold water for 8 to 12 hours. Rinse in fresh cold water, drain, then cook in more fresh cold water, until tender (about 1 hour). The cooking time depends on the age and quality of the chana dal. Or you can speed up the process by bringing them to a boil for about three minutes, cover, remove from heat and let stand for 2 hours, rinse, and cook further on low until tender.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chana dal, reserved liquid, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, dill, and sweetener. Process or blend until smooth and creamy in texture, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• Taste for seasoning, adding optional tahini (or toasted sesame oil) or herbs and spices as desired. If too thick, add a small amount of lemon juice or water.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve or refrigerate for future use. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serving Suggestions:

If used as a dip, dribble paprika and optional olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and arrange a decorative pattern of cooked whole chana dal on top.

Serve with wedges of warm pita bread (or crackers). It's great with vegetable crudités of celery, red and green bell pepper strips, carrots, radish slices, broccoli, or cauliflower.

You will also enjoy it on an open-face sandwich with cucumber and tomato slices. Some people serve it as a side salad.