Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 2 pounds total)
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning meat
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat
2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 8 ounces or 2 cups)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 cup
1/2 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/2 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons capers

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 cup parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

Greek Grilled Leg of Lamb: Gyros

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

1 (4 to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of visible fat
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into 20 slivers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Essence, recipe follows
16 pita breads
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows
Chopped tomatoes

With a sharp knife, make 20 slits across 1 side of the lamb and insert the garlic slivers. Place in a large non-reactive dish.

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour over the lamb and rub evenly across the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 and up to 6 hours, turning occasionally. 

Remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Season lightly on all sides with Essence. Brush a grill lightly with olive oil and preheat to medium heat. 

Remove the lamb from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from the grill and transfer to a platter. Tent with foil and let rest for 12 minutes before carving. 

Thinly slice the lamb and place the meat in the center of the pita breads. Top with Tzatziki Sauce and chopped tomatoes, and serve.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup
 

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Wood Grilled Buffalo Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Port Wine Sauce

Recipe by Jason Knibb, Sundance Resort

2 cups diced yellow onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cups ruby port wine
2 cups red wine
1 1/2 quarts veal stock or brown chicken stock
4 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
24 small shallots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
2 3/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 2-inch thick
3/4 pound unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup half-and-half
1-ounce canola oil
1/2 pound mixed wild mushrooms, of your choice, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 (5-ounce) buffalo fillets

Place the onion, carrot, and celery with the canola oil in a medium saucepan and saute over high heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the port wine and red wine and cook until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add veal stock and simmer for 1 hour. Strain, return to the saucepan and add thyme and parsley, simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the thyme and parsley, return back to the pot and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper to taste, strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place shallots in an oven proof pan with the olive oil and cover with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour or until tender. Toss with thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Salt the water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until excess moisture is evaporated. Rice the potatoes in a food mill or a ricer into a bowl. Add butter and mash with a potato masher.

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup half-and-half to a boil. Add to the potatoes, stirring gently until the desired consistency. Do not over mix the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Preheat a large saute pan on medium height heat. Add oil and saute mushroom for 2 to 3 minutes. Stirring often. Once mushrooms become tender add garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Set aside for platting. Mushrooms maybe sauteed a day in advance.

Place an additional 1/2 cup of half-and-half in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add blue cheese and blend with a hand held blender prior to serving.

(1 Cake: 120 calories, 1g fat, 120mg sodium, 23g carbs, 1g fiber, 9g sugars, 3.5g protein = 2 Points)

It's a creamy, crunchy, banana-chocolate sensation!

Ingredients:

1 Quaker Rice Cake, Chocolate Crunch

2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free

1 tsp. SPLENDA, Granular

1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese; softened

1/3 small banana; sliced

*Optional: sugar-free chocolate syrup and more Cool Whip Free; for topping

Directions:

Stir to combine cream cheese, Cool Whip and Splenda until smooth. Spread mixture on rice cake and place in freezer for about 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and distribute banana slices on top. If desired, top with chocolate syrup and whipped topping! Serves 1!

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning fish
2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound frozen artichokes, thawed
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the grilled halibut. Serve immediately.

**I use chippino seasoning to spice it up and use salmon at times in place of the halibut for a different taste….Terre’

Hummus

Recipe found in Gourmet Magazine 
 

4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1-pound 3-ounce) cans chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup well stirred tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly
Toasted pita thins On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt.

In a food processor puree the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl.

In the food processor, cleaned, puree the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a small jar.

The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Serve the hummus with the pita.

Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

1 pound fusilli
1 (26-ounce) jar Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or other purchased marinara sauce
2 (6-ounces each) cans albacore tuna packed in oil, drained
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomato sauce, tuna, capers, and lemon peel in a heavy large skillet. Using a fork, break the tuna into chunks. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Simple Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Garlic-Lime Chicken with Olives

Recipe by Robin Miller

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves*
1 cup diced onion
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup pitted and sliced Greek olives, such as kalamata

*This amount of chicken is for 3 meals based on chicken. If you are only using it for this meal, use 1 pound.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, onion, garlic, lime juice, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.

Transfer chicken to prepared pan and pour over any remaining marinade. Arrange olives over and around chicken in pan. Roast 30 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve 1/3 of the chicken tonight and reserve remaining chicken in the refrigerator for other meals.

Apple and Horseradish-Glazed Salmon

Mild apple jelly and hot horseradish pair well with rich salmon. Serve with a neutral-flavored side of couscous or rice.
1/3 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick), skinned
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine apple jelly, chives, horseradish, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.

Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, and cook 3 minutes. Turn salmon over; brush with half of apple mixture. Wrap handle of skillet with foil; bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Brush with remaining apple mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 375(40% from fat); FAT 16.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 7.7g,poly 3.4g); PROTEIN 36.4g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 30mg; SODIUM 376mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.1g

Conghilie with Clams and Mussels

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound conghilie (small shells) pasta
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, debearded
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli into the pasta water and continue cooking until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, and the broccoli is blanched, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes. Add the clams, mussels, and wine. Cook for 5 minutes, making sure all the shells have opened. Discard any shells that remain closed. Sprinkle with the parsley.In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, broccoli, and shellfish. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus

Recipe BY Giada De Laurentiis, The food Network

1 (14 to 15-pound) turkey, neck and giblets reserved
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 onion, cut into wedges
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
6 fresh sage sprigs
6 fresh oregano sprigs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (approximate amount)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

To make the turkey: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Place the orange and lemon wedges, onion, and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the main turkey cavity. Tie the legs together to hold the shape of the turkey. Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, the herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey and between the turkey breast meat and skin. Place the turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)

Cover the turkey breast with foil. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour 3 cups of broth into the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan. Roast the turkey for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the turkey; pour 1 more cup of broth into the pan. Continue roasting the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes while preparing the gravy.

To make the gravy: Strain the turkey pan juices from the roasting pan through a sieve and into a 4-cup glass measuring cup; discard the solids. Spoon off the fat from atop the pan juices. Add enough chicken broth, about 1 to 2 cups, to the pan juices to measure 4 cups total. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth. Simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

Ricotta Cappuccino

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 (3-inch) biscotti, crushed
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch cocoa powder

Place the sugar in a food processor. Cut the vanilla bean open lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place them in the food processor with the sugar. Run the machine to make vanilla sugar.

Place the ricotta and espresso powder in the food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Stop the machine to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Blend for another minute. Spoon the mixture into 4 small coffee mugs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.To serve, top the ricotta cappuccino with crushed biscotti. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes.

Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside.

Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.

(Entire recipe: 200 calories, 2.5g fat, 990mg sodium, 37g carbs, 7g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 6g protein = 3 Points)

Crunch it up...Oli!

Ingredients:

9 Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks, Nacho Cheese

1/4 cup Old El Paso Fat Free Refried Beans

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup Newman's Own All-Natural Bandito Salsa (Mild, Medium or Hot)

*Optional: slices of jalapenos and/or black olives

Directions:
Heat beans in the microwave until hot (approximately 45 seconds). Stir and place a dollop on each mini rice cake. If you like, top with jalapenos and/or olives. Serve with sour cream and salsa for dipping!

1. Beat butter with fork in small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper, and sugar in medium bowl. Add half of shrimp to pan in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and shrimp; after second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet along with flavored butter and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

(1 Parfait: 140 calories, 0g fat, 120mg sodium, 32g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 18g sugars, 4g protein = 3 Points)

Here's a cinnamon-apple-vanilla crunchfest you can share with a pal!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peeled apple chunks

1 tbsp. SPLENDA, Granular

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cornstarch

7 Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks, Caramel Corn; crushed

1 6-oz. container Yoplait Light yogurt, Very Vanilla

*Optional: 2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free

Directions:

Place apple chunks in a microwavable bowl with 1/4 cup of water; cover with plastic wrap or lid. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Drain water and set aside. Mix Splenda, cinnamon, vanilla and cornstarch into a 1/2 cup of COLD water. Over medium heat, cook and stir liquid mixture until thickened to a caramel-sauce-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir apples into mixture. Allow to cool and set for several minutes (for a warm parfait) or refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, layer apple mixture, yogurt and crushed rice snacks into 2 cups. If desired, top each with a dollop of Cool Whip Free. Serves 2!

*Optional ingredients not included in nutritionals; numbers will vary accordingly.

Garlic and Citrus Chicken

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

Lemon Spaghetti...wonderfully light

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.