Persimmon Salad

Approx. 70 calories (0 grams of fat) per serving. Recipe serves 3

Ingredients

• 1 medium persimmon
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red pear
• raspberry wine vinegar
• purple leaf kale

Directions

1. Peal and remove seeds from cucumber.
2. Dice the cucumber and pear.
3. Thinly slice the persimmon.
4. Arrange on a bed of purple leaf kale.
5. Drizzle with vinegar.
   

Mediterranean Rapini

Approx. 85 calories (1 gram of fat) per serving. Recipe serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium bunch of rapini
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. capers
• 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. In a sauté pan, add the water, vinegar and juice from 1 lemon.
2. Add all remaining ingredients.
3. Cook until the rapini is tender and all the liquid is absorbed/evaporated.
4. Serve hot.
   

Spinach stuffed manicotti

Approx. 200 calories (3 grams of fat) per serving. Recipe serves 3

Ingredients

• 6 manicotti tubes
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/8 cup fresh basil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs. shredded romano cheese
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes.

Directions

1. Boil pasta until almost Al Dente and drain.
2. In a food processor, chop the spinach, mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
3. Stuff the chopped spinach/mushroom mix into the tubes of manicotti.
4. In a food processor, chop the tomatoes and basil.
5. Spoon the tomato/basil salsa on top of the stuffed manicotti.
6. Microwave on high for 2 minutes to heat stuffing.
7. Sprinkle with romano cheese and garnish with fresh basil.
   

Vegetable fried rice

Approx. 210 calories (3 grams of fat) per serving. Recipe serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice*
• 2 large eggs (whites only)
• 1 medium japanese eggplant
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups raw baby spinach
• 2 Roma tomatoes, peeled
• 5 chili peppers, chopped
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok
2. Add the garlic and egg whites to the oil.
3. Scramble the egg until slightly firm.
4. Add the rice, eggplant, chilis, and mushrooms.
5. Stir well.
6. Add the oyster sauce and soy sauce.
7. Once the eggplant softens, add the spinach.
8. Once the spinach wilts, add the tomatoes and heat until warm.
9. Serve garnished with spinach and tomato roses.

* Left-over rice works better than freshly made rice.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Ratatouille

Approx. 100 calories (1 gram of fat) per serving. Recipe serves 3

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. garlic (finely chopped)
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 large Portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 cup of each of the following diced vegetables

• red bell pepper

  green bell pepper

  zucchini

  yellow squash

  eggplant

  red onion

  tomato (not in picture because I didn't realize that I didn't have one until too late)