Almond-Yogurt Dip

I just thought of this yesterday. It's really creamy, and it's actually pretty good for you (lots of protein!). I put it on a banana, but it would definitely work with most non-citrus fruits (and it's good plain, too).

Ingredients (pretty approximate):

-1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

-2 Tbs almond butter

-1/2-1 tsp cinnamon

-1-2 tsp sugar or sweetener

Mix it all together and enjoy! :)

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

For some reason, I've been into butternut squash and also the blend of spices included here. I adapted this from this month's Cooking Light magazine.

1 T. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
12 to 16 ounces chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 t. ground red pepper
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (I used a bag of frozen and it worked fine)
3 T. tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/3 cup uncooked couscous (I use whole wheat from Trader Joe's)
3/4 t. salt
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 3/4-inch slices
1 t. dried basil (recipe calls for 1/2 cup fresh but it's not summer!)
2 t. grated orange rind

Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add oil to pan and add onion and cook until translucent.Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper to pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add squash and tomato paste, then stir in chicken stock and water, scraping the pan to loosen brown bits. (When I made this, I actually boiled the chicken and then cut it up, and used the broth for the stock, and it tasted fine so it's definitely an alternative.) Reduce heat, simmer 8 minutes. Stir in couscous, salt, and zucchini; cook 5 minutes until zucchini is tender. Remove from pan. Stir in basil and orange rind.

Spinach Casserole

This version is a tad healthier than the original as I eliminated the butter and it tasted fine.

1 pint small-curd, low fat cottage cheese
3 eggs
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, low-fat if desired
3 T. flour
1 10-ounze package frozen chopped spinach
1/2 t. salt

Beat eggs and add cottage cheese. Add shredded cheese to thawed, well drained spinach. Pour into greased casserole and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until set.

Macaroni and Cheese in the Microwave

This is a quick stand-by. It can be made in 20 minutes, and kids like it. This recipe uses skim milk and whole wheat pasta so that it's not as unhealthy as most mac and cheese dishes.

1 pound whole wheat pasta, preferably elbows or something small in size
3 cups skim milk
3 T. butter or margarine
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground mustard
3 T. flour
1 cup shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese (you can use low-fat version)
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs


Heat water and boil pasta. In the meantime, melt the butter in a microwave container. Add flour, salt, ground mustard and whisk together. Add milk and whisk again. Place in microwave for approximately 9 minutes on high, stirring every two or three minutes and checking to make sure it doesn't boil over. Remove and add cheese. Stir until well-blended. Add cooked pasta. Pour into a 9 x 12 microwavable casserole dish that has been lightly oiled. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs. Place in microwave for 11 minutes.