Lemon Chicken Picatta

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chekn breast halves
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 lemon
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp honey

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish and set aside.

Place the chicen breasts, one at a time, between 2 sheets of wax paper orplastic wrap. Pound the breasts with several whacks of a meat mallet or rolling pin so they are and even 1/2 inch thick. Peel off the paper and cut the breasts in half lenghtwise.

Heat the oil in an extra-deep 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, dip the chicken pieces into the flour mixture to coat on both sides, shaking off any excess. Add the pieces to the skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 2 mintues.

While the chicken cooks, cut the lemon in hlaf. Cut one half into thin slices, and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the other half into a small bowl (picking out any seeds that may fall in) and set aside.

Turn the chiken and saute until lightly browned and cooked through, another 2 mintues. Remove the chicken to a platter.

Add the butter to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. When the butter is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and honey. Immediately drizzle the lemon mixture over the chicken. Garnish with the reserved lemon slices nad serve.

Serves 4

Creamy Tuna Melt

2 large ribs of celery, diced
1 small onion, chopped
cooking oil spray
1 large can (12 oz) white tuna packed in water
1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tbs lemon juice from frozen concentrate
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 english muffins
1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Place the broiler rack in the position nearest the heating element and turn on the broiler.

Dice the celery, peel and chop the onion. Spray a 12 inch nonstick skillet with the cooking oil spray and place it over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until the onion is tender, about 2 minutes.

Drain the tuna and add it to the skillet along with the cottage cheese, maynnaise, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and break up the tuna chunks. Cook just long enough to warm the ingredients, 2-3 mintues, stirring frequently. Remove th epan from the heat and set aside.

Spray a 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking oil spray. Split the english muffins in half and place the halves, split side up, side by side inthe baking dish. Spread the tuna mixture evenly over the muffins and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, 2-3 mintues. Serve

Makes 6 servings

Veal parmigiana

1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbs cracker crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 veal cutlets, about 1 lb
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/8 tsp pepepr
1/8 tsp oregano

Beat egg and salt in shallow dish. Combine cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese on waxed paper square. Place each veal cutlet between 2 pieces of waxed paper and pound with smooth surfaced meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Dip veal in egg, then in cracker crumbs, and set aside. Preheat 9 inch microwave browning dish 7 minutes on High, adding vegatable oil after preheating. Brown 2 veal cutlets at a time as follows: lay cutlets on dish, cover with waxed paper, and cook on High 1 1/2 -2 minutes. Turn and cook on High 1- 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Brown second 2 cutlets in same manner. Then, arrange all 4 cutlets in browning dish. Add vermouth, sprinkle onion over meat, top with cheese, then sauce and season with pepper oregano. Cook, covered on BAKE (level 60) for 10 mintues, or until sauce is hot and cheese melted

Roasted Red Peppers

8 medium size sweet red peppers (2 1/2 lb)
1 cup olive or salad oil
/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp salt
3 small garlic cloves
3 anchovy fillets

Preheat oven to 450'.
Wash red peppers and drain well.
Place peppers on cookie sheet; bake about 20 minutes, or until skin of peppers becomes blistered and charred. With tongs, turn peppers every 5 mintues.
Place hot peppers in a large kettle; cover kettle, and let stand 15 mintues.
Peel off charred skin with sharp knife. Cut each pepper into fourths. Remove ribs and seeds, and cut out any dark spots.
In a large bowl, cobine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Add peppers and toss lightly to coat with oil mixture.
Pack pepepr micture and anchovy fillets into a 1 quart jar; cap. Refrigerate several hours or over night

Serve as an appetizer or in a tossed salad.

Makes 12 servings.

Beef and Chorizo Chili

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 lbs chorizo sausage, casings removed, meat cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 medium size onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-4 tbs chili powder
1 tsp each dry oregano leaves and ground cumin
1 can (14 1/2 oz) disced otmatoes in purree
1 can (l lb) tomato sauce
4 -6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce or corn chips
about 2/3 cup each shredded jack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese

Crumble beef into a 3-4 quart microwave safe casserole; add chorizo. Microwave,uncovered, on High for 8-10 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink, stirring every 3 mintues. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tbs of the drippings. Stirn in onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 3-5 minutes or until onion is soft, stirring after 2 mintues.

Stir in tomatoes, undrained beans, and tomato sauce. Cover and microwave on High for 12-15 minutes or until chili is bubbly all over, stirring every 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3-5 mintues.

Line individual bowls with lettuce and top with chili. Sprinkle with jack and cheddar cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Beef Pot Roast

1 12-oz frozen onions
1 8 oz bag frozen carrot slices
1 beef chuck roast (4 lbs) rinsed and patted dry
salt and pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 packet (1 oz) onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup steak sauce

1. Add frozen onions and carrots to the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker.

2. Season roast with salt and pepepr. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chuck roast on all sides, then place into slow cooker on top of onions and carrots.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together cream of celery soup, onion soup mix, beef broth and steak sauce. Pour over top of roast.

4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low-heat setting for 8-9 hours or high heat setting for 3-4 hours.

Orange Smoothie

1 can (16 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate
1 packet (1 oz) sugar free, fat free vanilla pudding mix
1 container (4 oz) orange cream yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
3 cups ice cubes

1. Combine orange juice concentrate, pudding mix, yogurt, milk and ice cubes in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide between 2 glasses.