Roasted Apples & Onions

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Ingredients
1 large Apple, fresh, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 large Onion, raw, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup fresh (or frozen) whole Cranberries
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Coriander seed
1/4 tsp Caraway Seed
freshly ground black Pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat oven F400.
2. Cut onions and apples. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices. Add fresh cranberries.
3. Bake for 30 minutes.

I'd recommend it served with shredded Pecorino Romano, Gruyere or Swiss cheese.    
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Nutritional info per 1 cup: makes 2 servings
    * Calories: 117
    * Fat: 4g Carbs: 22g (fiber: 4.6g) Protein: 1g

Sweet Potato & Bean Chili

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Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, fresh, seeded and diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (OR ground chipotle chile)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 15-ounce can beans (red, black, kidney or any other), drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (OR cilantro)

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pan (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add chopped jalapeno pepper, cook for 1 minute. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, curry (OR chipotle) and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is almost tender,  for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley (or cilantro).

I'd recommend it served over baked spaghetti squash, cooked pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or any other grains, in a corn taco shell, inside of cooked half of an acorn squash or with a piece of corn bread.                        
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Nutritional info per 1 cup: makes 4 servings
    * Calories: 202
    * Fat: 4g Carbs: 33g (fiber: 9g) Protein: 10g

Panini Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Pears

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Ingredients
Bread, Sourdough, 2 slices (2.5 oz)
Swiss cheese, 2 slices (1 oz)
Ham, 2 pieces (2 oz)
Pears, fresh, 1/4 pear (1.5oz) , thinly sliced
Pepper, black, freshly ground
Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp

Equipment:
panini press, non-stick cooking spray

Preparation
1. Heat the panini maker, spray it with non-stick spray if necessary.
2. Arrange a sandwich with all the ingredients and cook it pressed in the panini maker for 3-5 minutes.

Serve warm with fresh arugula.                        
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Nutritional info: makes 1 sandwich
    * Calories: 407
    * Fat: 13g Carbs: 49g (fiber: 2.6g) Protein: 27g

Sirniki (Farmer Cheese Pancakes)

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Ingredients:
Farmer Cheese, two 7.5oz-packages (450g total)
Granulated Sugar, 2 tbsp
Flour, white, all-purpose, 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup for dredging
Egg, 1 jumbo (or 1 large+1 egg white) raw
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
Oil for cooking (2-3 tbsp) 

Equipment: 
frying pan

Cooking Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients except oil. Put 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow dish. Form 8 cutlet-shape flat cakes (1/2"-thick) and dredge every one in flour.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Cook cakes at low-medium heat for 3 minutes on each side (just like pancakes) till golden brown.

Serve warm with Greek yogurt, honey, jams, sour cream, milk, sweetened condensed milk.
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Nutritional info per one cake: makes 8 cakes
    * Calories: 174
    * Fat: 9g Carbs: 12g (fiber: 0.3g) Protein: 10g

Mushroom Baked Risotto

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Ingredients:

Portabella Mushrooms, 1 large (130-150g), cut into 1/8"-pieces
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Garlic, 1 clove (minced)
Rosemary, 1/4 tsp (chopped)
Onions, raw, 1/4 large (chopped)
White Wine, 2 fl oz (remove)
Arborio / Risotto Rice (uncooked), 1/2 cup
Water, tap, 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
Chicken Broth 99% Fat Free, low sodium, 14oz can (2 cups)
Pecorino Romano Cheese, 2 tbsp (finely shredded)

Equipment: 1 or 2 clay pots with lids (or baking dish)

 

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Mince garlic clove through press. Chop rosemary and onion. Cut mushroom into small pieces.

3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add rosemary and mushrooms and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes till there is no liquid in frying pan and mushrooms got light brown.

4. Add white wine and cook for 30 seconds. Add uncooked arborio rice. Mix well.

5. Add rice-mushroom mixture into clay pot (or devide it between two) or any other kind of baking dish. Pour chicken broth and water. Cover with lid.

6. Bake for 25 minutes in the oven.

7. Take it out of the oven. Fluff with folk and add freshly grated cheese. Mix again and serve immediately.

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Nutritional info per 1 cup: Makes 2 cups

    * Calories: 293

    * Fat: 8g Carbs: 45g (fiber: 1.5g) Protein: 8g

Banana baked with Ham and Gruyere

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Ingredients:
Banana, ripen, 2 medium (80g each)
Ham, 4 thin slices, 2 oz (preferably low sodium)
Light Sour Cream, 4 tbsp
Gruyere Cheese, 1/3 cup, shredded
Black Pepper, ground
Paprika

Equipment:
2 baking dishes
cooking spray 

Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the baking dishes.
2. Peel bananas, cut them in half crosswise and cut each half lengthwise. Wrap each piece in slices of ham and arrange in two baking dishes. Grind some black pepper on top.
3. Add sour cream and spread it over the wrapped bananas. Put shredded cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika.
4.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm with a piece of toasted bread.

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Nutritional info: 1 dish
    * Calories: 248
    * Fat: 10g Carbs: 23g (fiber: 2g) Protein: 18g

Cheddar Biscuits

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Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp salted butter, chilled (OR 4 tbsp unsalted butter & 1/4 tsp salt)
3/4 cup (2 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup Kefir, chilled (OR buttermilk)

Equipment: 
food processor (or pastry blender)
biscuit cutter

Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if using). Put it in a food processor (or pastry blender) together with butter, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheese; toss to coat. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough comes together. Do not over-knead!
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat (or roll very easy, do not push on) it into a 1/2 -inch thickness. Dip a biscuit cutter in flour and cut out 8-12 biscuits.
4. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet covered with cooking spray.
5. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not open the oven during baking!

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Nutritional info: 8-12 biscuits
    * Calories: 142
    * Fat: 6g Carbs: 18g (fiber: 1g) Protein: 4g

Quinoa Chili

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Ingredients:
Quinoa, dry, 1/2 cup
Water, tap, 1 cup
Salt, a dash
Kidney Beans Dark Red, 1 cup (with juice)
Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (OR a pinch of Cayenne pepper)
Curry powder, 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon, ground, 1/8 tsp
Cumin, ground, 1/8 tsp
Chili powder, 1/4 tsp
Tomato, medium, diced
Green Onions, fresh, 2-4 tbsp, chopped

Cooking Instructions:
Put quinoa, water and a dash of salt in a pot and cook for 15 minutes.
In another pot put beans and spices together, add 1/4 cup of water and simmer it for 10 minutes till beans are thick. Add cooked quinoa. Mix together.
Cut tomato and green onions in small pieces. Put it on top of chili and serve warm.

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Nutritional info: 2 servings (1 cup)
    * Calories: 286
    * Fat: 3g Carbs: 51g (fiber: 10g) Protein: 16g

Cranberry-Apple Chutney

 
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Ingredients:
Orange juice, 1/3 cup
Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
Orange zest (or Lemon zest), grated, 1/4 tsp
Ginger Root, fresh, grated, 1/4 tsp (or 1/8 tsp ground)
Cinnamon, ground, 1/4 tsp
Brown Sugar, 1/3 cup
Cranberries, fresh (or frozen), 2 cups
Apple, fresh, 1 large, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

Cooking Instructions:
Put all the ingredients into a small pot or a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, steer gently, cover the pot with lid and let simmer for 10-12 minutes.

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Nutritional info: 8-10 servings (1/3 cup)
    * Calories: 43
    * Fat: 0g Carbs: 13g (fiber: 1.5g) Protein: 0g

Roasted Butternut Squash

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Ingredients:
    Butternut Squash, 1 small (800-900 grams), peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
    Black pepper, ground
    Salt
    Olive Oil

Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 400F.
2. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil

and spay it with a non-stick spray.
3. Clean the squash - peel skin, take seeds out, cut into pieces.
4. Put the squash on baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes, until tender.
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Nutritional info: 4 servings (1 cup)
    * Calories: 95
    * Fat: 2g Carbs: 21g (fiber: 6g) Protein: 2g