Mediterranean Roast Chicken

This was the first time I've ever roasted a chicken, and it came out SO well. Someone was asking if I'd cooked it on a rotisserie. By sealing the spices in with the skin, you get some beautiful flavors. It does take a while to cook in the oven, but the prep work is pretty quick, then it's just waiting for it to finish cooking.

• 1 TB ground thyme
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 roasting chicken (try to get a ROASTING variety, not one marked for frying)
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 1.5 lbs red potatoes, cut into wedges
• 8 kalamata olives, pitted
• Kitchen twine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the rack of a roasting pan with nonstick spray and place in the pan. Combine the spices with the oil in a small bowl. Gently loosen the skin from the chicken around the breast and legs, then spread the herb mixture under the skin of the chicken. Place the lemon wedges inside the cavity of the chicken. Tuck the wings behind the chicken and tie the legs together with the twine. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the roasting pan. Place in oven and roast, until thigh registers 180 degrees, about 1 hr 10 min.

Meanwhile cut up the potatoes. When the timer on the oven reaches 45 min, put potatoes and olives into a separate baking dish, coated with cooking spray. (If you put it in the dish with the chicken, it will get too greasy and add tons of extra calories and fat.) Put into oven, and stir periodically while the chicken is cooking.

Yield: 6 servings, 6 points per serving

280 calories, 7g fat, 2g fiber

Turkey Chili Verde

This is DEFINITELY the best chili recipe I've tried (and I've tried plenty!). It's got a piquant flavor, tangy and zippy but not too crazy spicy, reheats well, and is not too hard to make. It does need to cook for a while, though, so it's not as quick as most of the dishes I like to make.

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 3 TB chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed and cut in half
• 4.5 oz can diced green chiles
• 1/2 c cilantro leaves
• 2c low sodium chicken broth
• 2x 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp sugar

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook for 5-10 min until tender. Add the turkey, chili and cumin, cook until turkey is browned.

While this is cooking, put the tomatillos, cilantro, and chiles into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Add to turkey mixture, stir in the broth, beans and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the mixture is thickened and the flavors are blended, about 45 minutes.

Yield; 6 servings, 1 c each, 7 points, 334 calories, 11g fat, 9g fiber