Three-Cheese Vegetable Quesadillas Serves 4 1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese olive oil spray 2 medium tomatoes, diced 6 scallions, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro Mountain Bread Combine cheeses in a bowl; set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, spray pan. Add tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, garlic and oregano and cook 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside. Return skillet to heat and add 1 mountain bread. Top 1/2 of mountain bread with 2 tablespoons each of cheese mixture and vegetable mixture. Fold over untopped side and cook 1 minute per side, until cheese melts. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges and serve warm. PI's Notes: Use whatever cheese you like, same with the veggies since I usually add some sauteed mushroom. I hate cilantro, so I use parsely instead. I also make sure that my cheese and veggie mixture is weighed out...DH loves this and I serve it with salsa and sour cream for him.

Cajun Spice Mix 1 tbsp paprika 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper 3/4 tsp white pepper 3/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp oregano Mix and use as needed. PI's Notes: I use this when I make chicken or beef burgers or meatballs for a different taste than the usual. I also make a bigger batch and keep it on hand.

Wild Mushroom Sauce olive oil spray 1/4 cup minced shallots 2 cups sliced shiitake and/or cremini mushrooms (or a combination of wild mushrooms) 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 tsp dried thyme 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley salt and ground black pepper Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, spray with olive oil PAM. Add shallots and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until they start to release juice. Add broth and thyme and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, until sauce thickens (sauce should reduce to about 1 1/2 cups). Remove from heat, add parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper. PI's Notes: This is great over turkey or ground sirloin meatballs. I also make some mashed cauliflower and spoon a bit on that so it is like a gravy.

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS Serves 2 Ingredients: - 2 chicken breasts, cut in strips - 1 medium ripe tomato, sliced thin - 1 small can brown button mushrooms, sliced and rinsed - olive oil spray - garlic powder - cayenne powder - dried oregano - dried basil - 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or your choice of vinegar) - water (or low sodium low fat chicken broth) Preparation: Spray a non-stick cooking pan with 2 3-second sprays of the olive oil. Warm up the pan, then add the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with abundant garlic and cayenne powder (to your taste) and start stir-frying. If the chicken starts to stick to your pan, add a little water (3-4 Tbsp) and keep stir-frying. Keep adding water and stir friyng until the chichen is no longer pink on the outside. Let the remaining water evaporate. Add the vinegar, and stir. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms, 2 lg pinches of oregano and a pinch of basil, stir to combine, then add the chicken broth (or buillon cube and about 1/2 cup of water). Partially close the pan, and let it cook, stirring often and adding a little water as necessary, until cooked through. There should be no liquid left, but the meat and veggies shouldn't be dry, either. Serve with mashed cauliflower and/or cucumber spears. It can be prepared in advance and warmed up shortly before serving. Sorry for the lack of measurements but I made this up as I went along for dinner tonight.

Balsamic Strawberries Serves 1 105 g frozen strawberries, thawed 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tsp splenda 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste DIRECTIONS Place strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar over strawberries, and sprinkle with splenda. Stir gently to combine. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, grind pepper over berries. (I make this before I start cooking dinner and it is ready for dessert by the time I am done eating. I usually save my bread allowance and eat it like jam since it becomes thick and syrupy...I love this. I also cut up the berries so it is chunky and I eat it with a spoon.)

Roasted Eggplant with Mozzarella and Balsamic Glaze 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into four 1/4 inch thick slices 3 tablespoons olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 1 bunch fresh oregano, finely chopped 2 cups mesclun greens Preheat the oven to 350F. Place eggplant slices on an oiled baking sheet. Brush each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 25 minutes. Place the vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil.Reduce heat and continue to cook until the vinegar reduces and becomes syrupy, measuring about 1/3 cup. Remove the eggplant from the oven and let cool. Stack the eggplant one layer at a time, alternating with cheese and fresh oregano, finishing with a fourth layer of eggplant. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Immediately cut each eggplant into four equal portions crosswise. Place each portion on a plate with mesclun greens tossed lightly in a vinaigrette. Drizzle the eggplant with the balsamic glaze. Serve and enjoy! PI's Notes: This is how the recipe was written but I made a few changes and oh boy was this ever good!! I can't wait to have it again, since it is so rich and satisfying...it really feels like I am cheating. First I only used a small amount of olive oil instead of the 3 tablespoons, and then just sprayed the eggplant with olive oil Pam. I made this in individual gratin dishes so it was all weighed and measured so I didn't have to guess at amounts. I only used 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and that was plenty...I don't have a clue why you would need 2 cups of it. I reduced it and got a good tablepoon to drizzle over my eggplant. Next time as well I think I might add some mushrooms to the roasting process instead of just all eggplant, and I'm going to add a breadcrumb topping to it as well. I didn't add the mushrooms or breadcrumbs this time but will do it the next time I eat this!

Mushroom soup (serves 4) 1 cup sliced onions 1/2 cup sliced celery 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 2 pounds fresh brown or white mushrooms chopped coarsely 4 cups stock (your choice) salt and pepper to taste chopped green onion Directions 1. In a pot over medium heat sprayed with with olive oil, add onions, and celery. Cook and stir until tender, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and mushrooms, and continue cooking until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. 2. Pour stock into the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls, and serve with green onions sprinkled on the top. PI's Notes: You can add a different herb if you choose, I just happen to like thyme! Also, after the 30 minutes of simmering was done I took out a bit of the soup and used a hand blender and then added it back to the pot, it helped make the soup a bit thicker. You can puree the whole amount or leave it as is, whatever you prefer. I think next time I will eat this as part of a cheese lunch so I can melt some mozza over the top like french onion soup. I also think adding chopped chicken to this would be good as well. I hope you enjoy.

Chicken Meatball Curry Meatballs Chicken mince (your allowance) 2 tablespoon finely chopped onion (I use dehydrated onion) 2 crackers, crushed (your choice) 1/2 tsp each of: turmeric ginger powder pepper basil thyme oregano paprika Sauce 1 clove garlic minced 1 tsp curry powder 1/4-1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock To assemble: For meatballs A add everything together and mix. Form meatballs and brown in skillet. Set aside. For sauce Add garlic to heated pan sprayed with PAM, sauté for a couple of minutes but don't overbrown or it will become bitter. Add curry powder and stir for about a minute. Add the stock and don't make too watery, heat to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Pour sauce over meatballs, cover and bake in preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes. Then serve with your favourite vegetable. PI's Notes: Original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter in the sauce to cook the garlic in, I omit this but if you wish to add a bit it's up to you. I have made this and really like it. I eat it with mashed cauliflower and a big salad.

Bbq Dry Rub Recipe Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Chili powder 2 teaspoons Paprika, 1 teaspoon Cumin, powder 1 teaspoon Coriander, ground 1 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon Onion powder 1 teaspoon Garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon Mustard, dry 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, fresh ground 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, leaves, dried 1/2 teaspoon Curry powder 1/2 teaspoon Allspice, ground Directions: Mix all ingredients.

Fruity Salsa Ingredients: ½ cup fresh finely diced kiwi fruit ¾ cup fresh finely diced peaches 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped ½ cup cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped ¼ cup finely diced onion 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a large nonporous glass bowl combine the kiwi, peaches (or nectarines or apricots), jalapeno chilli pepper, cucumber, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix all together. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. PI’s Notes: This is really nice on lightly seasoned bbq’ed chicken or salmon.

Hearty Vegetable Soup 1 small onion, finely diced 1 celery stalk, diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tbsp. tomato paste 4 cups vegetable stock 1 bay leaf 1 cup cabbage, shredded 1/4 lbs. ground beef (optional) 1 cup diced zucchini salt and pepper olive oil spray In a large pot, sprayed with olive oil, sauté onions, garlic, and beef. Add tomato paste and celery. Continue sautéing for 2 minutes. Add bay leaf, then pour in the vegetable stock. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add shredded cabbage and diced zucchini to the pot, then simmer for 20 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. PI's notes...sometimes I omit the ground beef and sprinkle with parmesan cheese instead and then eat a "grilled" cheese sandwich with my left over cheese allowance. If I do make it with the beef, I am usually making it just for myself so it is easy to do my allowances... Also, sometimes I add shredded chicken breast to this soup instead, it is a good base soup to make it however you like.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Found this recipe last week, tried it this weekend & it does indeed taste just like Olive Garden's! 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup minced white onions (about 1 small onion) ½ cup chopped zucchini ½ cup frozen cut Italian green beans ¼ cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk) 4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves) 4 cups vegetable broth (Swanson is good) 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans, drained 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes ½ cup carrots, julienne or shredded 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 3 cups hot water 4 cups fresh baby spinach 1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. 2. Sauté onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. 3. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, hot water, and spices. 4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow simmering for 20 minutes. 5. Add spinach leaves and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency. 6. Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings. PI's Notes: All I did to change this to SS is I got rid of the ½ cup carrots, (julienne or shredded) and the ½ cup small shell Whole Wheat pasta.

So I absolutely love Spaghetti Squash, it takes on the flavour of whatever you put it with so it is really versatile. I thought if anyone wanted to know how to cook it and a few recipes to try I thought I would add them as well... How To Cook Spaghetti Squash Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375°F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender. Boil It -- Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done. Microwave It -- Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up or down in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out the strands. This is my favorite way to make it since it is so fast and easy! Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes so it will be easier to handle, before cutting in half (if it wasn't already) and removing the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands. You can do these steps ahead of time, then prepare any of the spaghetti squash recipes whenever the mood strikes.

Spaghetti Squash with Vegetables & Mozzarella 1 spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands 1 lg. yellow onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 T olive oil 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes 3-5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. basil 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) 1 C grated mozzarella cheese 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese Serves 6-8 Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix the cheese together, set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Top with half the cheese mixture, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Spicy Chicken (or Turkey) & Spaghetti Squash Skillet 1 small spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands 2 T olive oil 1/2 C minced onion 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 2 green onions, finely chopped 12 oz. cooked chicken or turkey meat 2 C canned crushed tomatoes 1/4 C broth 2 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano (1 tsp. dried) 1 tsp. crushed red pepper, more to taste 3 T Italian parsley, finely chopped Serves 6 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat, sauté onion, garlic and green onions for 2 minutes. Add the chicken or turkey and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour sauce over heated spaghetti squash and serve. For a vegetarian version, simply eliminate the meat, or if you want a substitute, use extra firm tofu