Greek Meatballs with Lemon Dip

Ingredients: (24 kebabs)
Meatballs
2 small red onions
1 pound ground lean lamb
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped
Fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 24 small squares
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and pepper

Dip
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot
Juice of 2 small lemons
1/2 cup low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 small egg
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1    Soak 24 long wooden skewers in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain. Preheat the grill or oven broiler to medium.
2    Cut each red onion into 12 thin wedges, keeping them still attached at the root end.
3    Combine the lamb, finely chopped onion, cooked rice, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, and lemon zest in a bowl, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands. Shape the meat mixture into 24 small balls.
4    Thread 1 meatball, 1 piece of pepper, and 1 onion wedge onto each skewer. Arrange in one layer on grill rack or broiler pan. (The kebabs can be prepared 3 to 4 hours ahead and then kept in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.) Brush lightly with oil and grill for 15 to 18 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and thoroughly cooked.
5    Meanwhile, make the dip. Mix the arrowroot with about half of the lemon juice, then stir in the rest of the juice. Heat the broth in a small saucepan until boiling, then stir in the arrowroot and lemon juice mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat.
6    In a bowl, beat the egg lightly. Slowly pour in the hot broth mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Return to the pan and whisk over a low heat for about 4 minutes or until the sauce is smooth and thick. Do not boil or the egg may curdle. Stir in the chopped thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
7    Serve the meatball skewers with the hot lemon sauce.

Per serving (two kebabs): 88 cal, 3 g fat (1 g sat), 6 g carbs, 9 g protein, 1 g fiber, 43 mg chol, 54 mg sodium

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups (2 medium) onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 to 5 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped scallion greens

Directions:

1    Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the lentils and stir to coat. Add the broth, water, tomato paste, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes.
2    In batches, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Return the puree to soup pot and heat through. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of scallion greens. The soup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Per serving (1 cup): 187 cal, 2 g fat (1 g sat), 29 g carbs, 14 g protein, 12 g fiber, 4 mg chol, 199 mg sodium

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Beef with Mango

Ingredients

• 14 oz lean steak, such as sirloin
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp sunflower oil
• Ginger and honey dressing
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp mild Mexican-style chilli powder
• 1½ tbsp clear honey
• 1 in. piece fresh root ginger, grated
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• juice of 1 lime or lemon

Salad Ingredients

• 1 ripe but firm mango, peeled and cut into strips
• 2 ripe but firm plums, sliced
• ¼ medium-sized red cabbage, shredded
• 2 oz watercress leaves
• ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• ½ red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 3–4 spring onions, cut into diagonal pieces
• 1½ oz mixed fresh mint and coriander
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Directions:

1. To make the dressing, put the paprika, chilli powder, honey, ginger and vinegar in a saucepan and slowly add 8 1/2 fl oz of water, stirring. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime or lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Combine all the salad ingredients, except the peanuts, in a large shallow serving dish and toss gently together until evenly mixed. Set aside.
3. Cut the steak into thin strips for stir-frying. Put the steak in a bowl with the garlic, sugar and soy sauce and mix together so the strips of steak are seasoned. Heat a wok or non-stick pan on a high heat, then add the oil. Add the beef and stir-fry until the strips are evenly browned and cooked to taste.

4. Spoon the stir-fried beef over the top of the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the top and sprinkle with the peanuts. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon-Roasted Pears With Dried Cherries and Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces dried tart cherries
• 1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 Bosc pears, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Put cherries in small bowl. Heat orange liqueur almost to boiling. Pour hot liqueur over cherries; set aside until liquid is absorbed.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter, then stir in cinnamon. Arrange pears in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish, cut-side-up. Brush pears with some of the cinnamon butter, and spoon some softened cherries into each pear half. Bake pears, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes or until fork-tender, brushing occasionally with cinnamon butter. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead to this point if covered and refrigerated. Before serving, bake at 325°F 15 minutes, or until heated through.)

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugars, corn syrup, cream and salt. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and cook until mixture reaches 238°F* on a candy thermometer or until it forms a soft ball when a small amount is dropped into cold water. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead to this point if covered and refrigerated. Warm over low heat before serving.)

4. To serve, spoon some warm caramel sauce onto a small plate. Arrange 2 pear halves on top of sauce and drizzle with a bit more sauce.

*Note: If you live in a high-altitude area, reduce the goal temperature by two degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level. For example, if you live at 5000 feet, this caramel sauce will reach the soft ball stage at around 228°F.

Salmon with Polenta

Ingredients:

• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbs. olive oil, divided
• 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 salmon fillets (6 oz. each) 

Directions:

1.  In Dutch oven, sauté celery and onion in 1 tbs. oil until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, Italian seasoning, thyme, basil, and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In large, heavy saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with wooden spoon 15 to 20 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from sides of pan.

3. Place flour in large, shallow bowl; coat salmon on both sides. In large skillet, brown salmon in remaining oil. Transfer salmon to tomato mixture; cook, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve salmon and sauce with polenta. Yield: 6 servings ($2.63 per serving).

Per serving:

• Calories: 495
• Fat: 23g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Cholesterol: 100mg
• Sodium: 652mg
• Carbs: 31g
• Protein: 38g
• Fiber: 5g

One serving equals 1 salmon fillet with 1/2 cup polenta and 2/3 cup sauce.