Pecan Stuffed Medjool Dates

Dates are a healthy snack or dessert idea and stuffed with peanut butter are delicious on the go snacks for kids and adults. Because of their natural sweetness, dates are known as “nature’s candies.” Medjool dates are ideal for this recipe because of their size and plumpness. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, or another butter like almond butter. They are made of only 3 ingredients: dates, peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter), and pecans. They are impressive to serve at a get-together but are extrememly easy to make.

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Easy Roasted Eggplant With Lemon Tahini Sauce

Eggplant, also known as aubergine, is available year round. It’s a wonderful, hearty vegetable that can be used in amazing ways. One cup of cubed eggplant contains 20 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 percent of your daily doses of both potassium and folate. It’s rich in flavonoids like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid which may help fight cancer and protect cells from damage.

Today’s recipe is another veggie dish classic, Roasted Eggplant with Lemon Tahini Sauce. Choose medium or small eggplants that are shiny, smooth, firm, and heavy for their size. You can slice the eggplant in small circles or do long oval slices. It makes a great appetizer or side dish. For a main entree, add nuts such as pistachio nuts.

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Grilled Peaches & Cream Cheese

Peaches are a fabulous summer treat. Besides being a tasty summer dessert, peaches do great things for our bodies. Loaded with anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and A , peaches are low in calories (39 in 100 grams). They contain flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin, which help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals. This helps protect us from various diseases. Rich in minerals, peaches contain potassium, fluoride and iron. Iron helps form red blood cells. Potassium helps regulate heart and blood pressure. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Research also indicates that they help prevent obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

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Best Low-Fat Spinach Dip Recipe

One of the most popular dips for a party or get-together is spinach dip which is usually high in fat. The classic recipe is a mix of sour cream and mayonnaise. To lower the fat content but still maintain flavor, I’m using fat-free versions of yogurt and cream cheese. You’ll have an easy dip without all of the fat, but it still tastes great.

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Crock Pot Peach Cobbler

If you’ve read many of my recipes, you know how much I love a slow cooker. Put food on to cook while you do something else. Today’s recipe is for the summer favorite, peach cobbler, made in a crock pot. On hot summer days, you don’t need to turn on the oven to enjoy a fresh homemade dessert. I love peach season, but you can eat peach cobbler year round. Fresh or frozen sliced peaches, a little sugar, spices, and biscuit dough makes a traditional southern peach cobbler. There is no cake mix in this recipe. I prefer to know all the ingredients used and avoid chemicals. For gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free flour. For vegan, use Earth Balance margarine sticks.

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Lentil Bolognese Sauce

You know I like to cook with lower fat  for a healthier diet. Today I’m offering a vegetarian Bolognese sauce when you sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on it. If you need a vegan version, drop the cheese. Bolognese sauce is traditionally a meat sauce with tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Today’s pantry recipe replaces the meat with lentils and mushrooms. It requires lentils, mushrooms, herbs, and crushed tomatoes to make a go-to-sauce for pasta, stuffed peppers, and even lasagna.  Add a little dry red wine (or white) to the simmering sauce; the alcohol will burn off. Wine adds another note of deeper, richer flavor. This is a great inexpensive week night meal that’s ready in less than 50 minutes.

Broader pastas have been used in Italy with Bolognese sauce, but you can use the pasta of your choice. Use whole wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, or even zucchini spirals or spaghetti squash. Feel free to adapt the recipe to meet your family’s taste. 

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Barbecue Cauliflower Wings

These crispy cauliflower wings, coated in sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce, are a plant-based twist on the classic chicken wing appetizer. Made with just a handful of ingredients they’re a welcome way to add more veggies to your next outdoor BBQ or game-day get-together. Make sure to leave the florets slightly larger with a little bit of stem for easy hand-held eating. Serve the smoky wings with blue cheese or ranch dressing to add refreshing coolness to the tang.

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