This is an occasional meal, because it is a little sweet, but my girls love it. You couldn't get an easier recipe. I serve this with fresh, warm bread and a large, leafy green tossed salad. It's a very light, refreshing meal. Add a glass of 1/2% or skim milk to get your dairy.

CANDIED HAM

6-1/4 to 1/2 inch slices of ham or ham steaks
1/3 c red hot cinnamon candies
1 large can pineapple rings

Pour pineapple juice in a large pan. Add cinnamon candies and stir until dissolved, removing any remnant pieces that don't want to melt. Add ham slices, cover and simmer until heated through. Add pineapple rings, cover and heat on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve over brown rice garnishing each slice of ham with one or two pineapple rings.

We're going to the movies tonight...so it's a quick, yet still healthy, meal.

BOBOLI ONION PIZZA

1 large Vidalia onion
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 oz Feta cheese, finely crumbled
20-30 spinach leaves, washed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Boboli crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat a large non-stick pan with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium meat. Add onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are brown and carmelized.

Scatter carmelized onion on Boboli crust. Cover with sliced tomatoes and spinach leaves. Sprinkle Feta cheese over all. Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

My husband and I really like this recipe. I usually use pork tenderloin instead of the pork loin chops, which makes it even healthier.

LEMON ARTICHOKE PORK

1 pound lean boneless pork loin chops with any fat removed
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 c chicken broth, reduced sodium
14 oz can artichoke hearts, no oil, drained and chunked
2 T capers, drained
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t dried oregano

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and put pan on medium-high heat. Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to hot pan and cook until browned, about two minutes per side.
Add broth, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, and oregano to the pan. Get heat back to medium, then simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve immediately.

I usually don't add a lot of fancy sides to this kind of meal. I would serve this with a fresh, good quality, warm bread, and a fresh bowl of fruit. The vegetable is in the entree.

I think by now, we all know the benefits of the healthy oils in fish. I have also made the tilapia in a non-stick fry pan, with no oils, and had great results.

BLACKENED TILAPIA

2 T garlic powder
2 t salt 2 T paprika
1 T onion powder
1 T black pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
Tilapia Fillets
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Small bunch of fresh parsley

In an empty spice jar or small bowl, make the blackening seasoning by combining all of the above dry spices. Set aside. Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron works well) on high for a few minutes. Rinse the fish fillets with water and generously rub the blackening seasoning on both sides of tilapia fillets (remaining seasoning can be stored for later use). Sear fillets in hot skillet for about 2-3 minutes on each side (until they are blackened and cooked through). Give them a squeeze of lemon and garnish with chopped fresh parsley for extra flavor.

Seve with baked potato and steamed broccoli sprinkled with parmesan cheese. What an easy dinner to prepare.

It's a beautiful spring day and this meal combined with a tossed green salad is light and refreshing.

TURKEY BBQS

1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 c ketchup
2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 T mustard
1 T worcesterchire sauce

Brown turkey in pan until cooked. (No oil needed if using a non-stick pan. Otherwise, you might need to heat 2 T of extra virgin olive oil in the pan before browning white meat turkey.)

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until heated through. Serve in hamburg or hot dog buns. This also works well with shredded meats, such as pork tenderloin or chicken breast.

APPLE SALAD

1-20 oz can unsweetened pineapple chunks
1/4 c sugar
1 T lemon juice
2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
1/4 c light mayonnaise
3/4 c fat free whipped topping
8 c chopped apples
2 c green grapes
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. Place juice in a saucepan; add sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth; add to the saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Chill. Stir in whipped topping and mayonnaise, mixing well. In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, apples, grapes, poppy seeds, and pineapple dressing. Fold in pecans just before serving.

This meal is pretty complete as is. I might serve a store-boughten dinner roll (whole wheat, of course) with this, not to have to fuss too much.

ORANGE CHICKEN

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c freshly squeezed orange juice
½ c soy sauce
1/3 c packed brown sugar
10 thin slices fresh ginger root
1 c sliced celery
2 T corn starch mixed with ½ c water

Arrange chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix orange juice, soy sauce, and sugar and pour over chicken. Sprinkle ginger and celery around chicken. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Push chicken to side. Stir cornstarch mixture into pan juices with wire whisk. Spread chicken evenly back in pan. Bake 10 minutes longer or until sauce thickens and chicken is tender. Serve over brown rice and garnish with orange slices.

SESAME COLE SLAW

1 large head of cabbage
4 green onions
1 package chicken Ramen noodles
2 T sesame seeds
½ c slivered almonds
4 T sugar
¾ c canola oil
6 T white vinegar
Seasoning to taste

Chop cabbage and green onions. Toast sesame seeds and slivered almonds in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
Blend together sugar, oil, vinegar, and ½ of seasoning packet from noodles (optional) with wire whisk.
Just before serving add dressing to cabbage and blend. Break uncooked Ramen noodles into pieces and add to cabbage alone with sesame seeds and slivered almonds. Gently toss.

Sunday Dinner

We eat a little heartier on Sundays because we eat at about 2:00 pm and then have a light supper or snack in the evening. We add a plain fresh fruit, such as a bowl of grapes, and are mindful of portion control with this meal.

GRANDMA'S OLD-FASHIONED, UPDATED, CHICKEN

6 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 1/4 c flour
1/8 c salt
1 t pepper

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate, with your hands. Blend until you can "feel" the salt. Heat about 1/2 c of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat in a dutch oven type pot. While the oil is heating, rinse the chicken under water and dredge in the flour mixture. Put chicken in oil and brown well on each side. Remove from heat and drain any extra oil from the pot. Add water or low sodium chicken broth, about two inches deep in pot. Cover and place pot in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let cook for 30-4o minutes. Add dumplings (recipe below) and cook until dumplings are done. Remove from oven and make gravy (recipe below) with liquid in pot.

DUMPLINGS

Combine 2 c flour, 2 t baking powder, 2 T buttermilk powder and 1/2 t salt. Cut in 4 T shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 c water, stirring just until moistened.
Place in mounds-about 12-on top of chicken without immersing in liquid. Place cover back on pot and put back in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. The dumplings are steamed so will look moist on top.

CHICKEN GRAVY

Remove chicken and dumplings from pot and cover to keep warm. Add additional chicken broth, as needed to make about 3 cups for gravy. Pour 1/2 cup milk in a bowl and whisk in 2 T cornstarch and 2 T flour. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add milk mixture slowly while whisking quickly. Reduce to simmer and let thicken while stirring occasionally.

COLE SLAW LIKE KFC

8 cups cabbage finely chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 t buttermilk powder
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder, water, vinegar and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Add the cabbage and carrots. Mix well.Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Servings: 6 to 8.