Rotini with Italian Sausage-Roasted Pepper Sauce

1 lb. mild or hot bulk Italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped red onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can stewed tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 (12-oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz. rotini (spiral pasta)

1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center, stirring frequently. Remove excess drippings if necessary. Add green bell pepper and onion; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute, or until fragrant.

2. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a boil. Cover; simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing tomatoes into smaller pieces, if desired. Stir in roasted peppers, tomato paste, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook, covered, over medium heat an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Serve sauce over pasta.

4 (2-cup) servings

Baked Coconut Chicken

2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup panko*
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mango chutney
1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Whisk eggs and milk in medium shallow bowl until blended. Combine panko, coconut and butter in wide shallow bowl until mixed well.

2 Sprinkle chicken with salt. Dip in egg mixture; roll in coconut mixture, pressing to coat completely. Place on baking sheet, pressing any excess coconut mixture over chicken.

3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

4 Meanwhile, combine chutney and mayonnaise in small bowl; serve with chicken.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 520 calories, 32 g total fat (12.5 g saturated fat), 31.5 g protein, 27.5 g carbohydrate, 150 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

TIP *Panko are coarse bread crumbs usually found next to other bread crumbs in the supermarket.

Flank Steak with Roasted Vegetables and Orange Vinaigrette

1 1/4 lb. fingerling potatoes, quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 lb. asparagus
1 (1 1/2-lb.) flank steak
1 1/2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper to coat; arrange in single layer.

2. Bake 15 minutes or until almost tender. Push potatoes to one side of pan; arrange asparagus on other side. Drizzle asparagus with 2 teaspoons of the oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and asparagus is crisp-tender.

3. Meanwhile, sprinkle steak with Montreal seasoning. Whisk orange juice, orange peel, 2 teaspoons of the oil and vinegar in small cup. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat until hot. Add steak; cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steak; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.

4. Remove skillet from heat; add orange juice mixture to hot skillet, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pan. (If pan is very hot, sauce may boil and evaporate. If this happens, stir in a few tablespoons of water.) Drizzle vinaigrette over steak and vegetables; garnish with parsley.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 500 calories, 17.5 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 54.5 g protein, 31.5 g carbohydrate, 125 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

Bacon-Potato Frittata with Greens and Gruyère

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon
1 medium Yukon gold potato, unpeeled, diced (1/4 inch) (1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 small onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 large head escarole, thinly sliced (6 cups)
8 eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese or Swiss cheese

1. Heat olive oil in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add bacon; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels; crumble.

2. Add potato, bell pepper, onion, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to drippings in skillet; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until potato is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; stir in escarole by the handful, continuously adding as it begins to wilt. Cook 3 minutes or until greens are wilted and potato is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, half-and-half and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl until blended.

4. Heat broiler. Gently press vegetables over bottom of skillet; sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Add egg mixture; cook, covered, over low heat 4 minutes or until bottom begins to set. Remove cover. Broil 4 minutes or until the eggs are set, puffed and top is lightly browned. Let stand 3 minutes before cutting into wedges.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 555 calories, 41 g total fat (17 g saturated fat), 30 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrate, 440 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 3.5 g fiber

Italian Ziti Bake and Take

1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
8 oz. mild bulk Italian sausage or 2 to 3 sausage links, casings removed
1 small zucchini, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Dash crushed red pepper
1 (26-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 lb. ziti or penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (12-oz.) pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese (3 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat large skillet over high heat until hot. Crumble ground beef and sausage into skillet; cook 5 minutes or until just beginning to brown, stirring frequently and breaking into small pieces. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. With slotted spoon, place in medium bowl.

3. Cook zucchini, onion and carrot in same skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in spaghetti sauce, water and meat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Place in baking dish. Top with sauce; sprinkle with cheese. (Pasta can be made to this point 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time.)

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

8 servings

PER SERVING: 645 calories, 24.5 g total fat (9.5 g saturated fat), 36 g protein, 70.5 g carbohydrate, 70 mg cholesterol, 1180 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Oven-Fried Chicken

2 1/4 lb. bone-in chicken breast halves, thighs or drumsticks
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Remove skin from chicken by grasping with a paper towel and pulling. Trim visible fat. With large knife or kitchen shears, cut breast pieces diagonally in half.

2. Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic, hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in medium bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag; pour in buttermilk mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.

3. Heat oven to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place wire rack over foil; spray with cooking spray.

4. Whisk flour, cornmeal, paprika, baking powder, pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, gently shaking off excess.* Coat in flour mixture; place on rack. Spray chicken with olive oil cooking spray.

5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in center.

6 servings

PER SERVING: 185 calories, 5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 28.5 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 75 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, .5 g fiber

TIP *When coating food in breading mixture, prevent clumping by using one hand to remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and other hand to roll chicken in flour mixture.

Five-Spice Glazed Chicken

FOR THE CHICKEN, COMBINE:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–6 oz each)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Shredded savoy cabbage

FOR THE GLAZE, COMBINE:
1/4 cup plum jam
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp five-spice powder
Salt to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill grate with oil.

For the chicken, combine chicken breasts, sesame oil, 1 tsp. salt, and lime juice in a resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and toss chicken to coat with marinade.

For the glaze, combine jam, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, five-spice powder, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring glaze to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook glaze 2–3 minutes; set aside.

Grill chicken, covered, 2 minutes. Rotate chicken breasts a quarter turn and grill 2 minutes more. Flip chicken and grill 2 minutes. Rotate chicken a quarter turn and grill 2 minutes more. Reduce grill heat to medium-low.

Dip chicken breasts in glaze when meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer; return to grill for 2 minutes. Flip chicken again, dip in glaze, and grill 2 minutes more. Remove chicken from grill and place on plates of shredded cabbage. Top each serving with Plum Salsa and serve with remaining glaze.

Servings: 4
Nutrition per Serving: 266 Calories, 5g Total Fat, 1g Sat, 82mg Cholesterol, 515mg Sodium, 20g Total Carbs, 0g Fiber, 33g Protein

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Chinese Five Spice Powder 

Chinese five-spice powder is easy to find at the grocery store, but why not try making your own? 

Combine: 
2 Tbsp ground star anise
2 tsp ground cinnamon 
2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp ground cloves 
1/2 tsp black pepper