Dinner

Rosemary Lamb Chops

This recipe pulls tantalizing flavor from rosemary, garlic and pepper. Broiling is a healthy cooking method since it doesn't require that you add fat. Remember to trim any visible fat from the meat before cooking. Servings: 4

Here's what you need...

• 8 (4oz) loin lamb chops, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat broiler. Generously pierce lamb chops with fork. Place in shallow dish; add wine. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to marinate.
2. In a small bowl combine Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and garlic; mix well. Set aside.
3. Remove lamb from marinade; discard marinade. Place lamb on broiler pan. Spoon half of sauce mixture evenly over chops; sprinkle generously with pepper. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Turn chops. Spoon remaining sauce over lamb; sprinkle with pepper. Cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or to desired doneness. Sprinkle lamb with salt.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 190 calories, 9g fat, 1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 26g protein. 

Glazed Chicken & Couscous

Transform your boring chicken dinner into a tasty, tangy delight with this amazing glaze. Spicy mustard, apricot preserves, and orange juice make this dish one to remember. Preparation time is only 25 minutes. Servings: 2

Here's what you need...

• 1/2 up frozen sweet peas
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon apricot preserves or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. Place the peas, water, salt and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in couscous. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine orange juice, preserves and mustard; mix until well combined. Pour half of mixture (about 2 tablespoons) into another small dish; reserve for topping. Brush chicken with remaining orange juice glaze; place on broiler pan.
3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken. Brush again with glaze; discard any remaining glaze. Broil an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.
4. Stir couscous mixture lightly with fork; divide evenly onto 2 serving plates. Top each with chicken, drizzle with reserved orange juice mixture.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 370 calories, 4g fat, 49g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 34g protein 

Savory Chicken, Grilled Veggie Mix and Couscous

Total: 30 minutes
4 servings
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)
• Mrs. Dash sodium -free All Purpose Seasoning
• 2 zucchini thinly sliced, length-wise
• 2 zucchini squash thinly sliced, length-wise
• About 25 cherub tomatoes on shiskabob skewers (about 6-7 per skewer)
• 1 sweet onion, sliced for sautéing
• PAM cooking spray
• 1 box "Near East" Cous Cous cooked according to directions (add sliced cherry tomatoes to the boiling water for extra flavor)

1. Marinate chicken breasts in Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and sodium free All Purpose Seasoning for at least 30 minutes.
2. Spray grill with cooking spray and grill chicken for approximately 15 minutes (or until no pink remains in center) flipping one to two times.
3. While grilling chicken, place zucchini and zucchini squash on grill for about 7 minutes, cooking evenly on each side.
4. Grill tomato skewers for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Sautee onions in sauté pan with PAM cooking spray. Onions should cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, until browned and softened.
6. Place chicken breasts on plates, top with sautéed onions and serve vegetables and cous cous on the side. Enjoy!

Penne Pasta with Salmon Puttanesca (Food & Wine annual cookbook, 2008 edition)

Total: 30 minutes
4 servings
• ¾ pound whole wheat penne rigate
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb skinless center-cut salmon filet in one piece
• Salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 pint cherub tomatoes
• ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp drained capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup finely shredded basil leaves

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until barely al dented. Drain, reserving 1 ¼ cups of the pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add it to the skillet and cook over high heat until browned on both sides, but not cooked through (approximately 6 minutes). Transfer salmon to a plate and pour off oil in skillet.
3. Add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to skillet along with sliced garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook over moderate heat until garlic is lightly browned in spots (approximately 1 minute). Add cherub tomatoes and cook until just softened (2-3 minutes). Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and bring to a boil, gently crushing tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the cooked pasta, chopped olives, and capers and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the liquid is slightly absorbed by the pasta (2 minutes). Add salmon to skillet and break into chunks. Cook, tossing, until salmon is nearly cooked through and pasta is al dente (approximately 2 minutes). Add more of the pasta cooking water if the sauce seems dry. Stir in the shredded basil, transfer the pasta to bowls and serve!

Lingren Salad

Scott Lingren made this salad during his 40 day challenge:

3 roma tomatoes diced
3 jalepenos (seeds removed) chopped
½ medium onion chopped
½ bag of your favorite bagged salad
½ avocado cut in chunks
1 lime (for juice)

Put ingredients in large mixing bowl (except lime), squeeze lime juice over ingredients and mix together. If I would have had cilantro, I would have added it chopped as well.

"I made an awesome salad last night that proves you can enjoy salad without salad dressing. I think the key is to put a lot of high moisture content stuff in there to drown out the bland dry lettuce. Usually, we use salad dressing to do that. Here is the recipe for a large side salad for 2 people."

-Scott Lingren