Gorgonzola Pasta

This works insanely well as leftovers and tastes like it should be way more calories.

• 6 oz uncooked wheat pasta (I like penne)
• 2c fat free half and half
• 2 TB flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4c gorgonzola, crumbled
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup chives or green onions

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2) With a wire whisk, combine half and half and flour in a non-stick pot or skillet. Blend until the flour is dissolved. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbling.

3) Add gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Stir in green onions.

4) Pour over past and serve.

Yield: 4 servings, 6 points each

Recipes for July 29th Week

I'll be on a business trip for a few days this week, so am not buying for as many recipes as I normally would. I also have ingredients left over from a couple of last week's recipes:

• King Ranch Chicken
• Penne with Asparagus, Spinach & Bacon

For this week, I've got one old favorite, and then a few totally new recipes I'm trying from Cooking Light Magazine:

• Gorgonzola Pasta (old fave!)
• Shrimp Remoulade Po-Boys
• Ham & Gruyere Potato Gratin

Recipes to follow................

Veal Marsala

This recipe can be made for company easily, without anyone guessing that it's "light".

• 10-oz package presliced mushrooms
• 1/4c all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 lb veal scallopine
• 1.5 tsp butter
• 1/2 c marsala wine

1) Heat a large nonstick skillet and coat with cooking spray, on medium high heat. Add Mushrooms and cook until tender. Set aside, keeping warm.

2) While mushrooms cook, place flour salt and pepper in a ziploc bag. Shake a bit to mix. Then add veal, seal the bag, and shake to coat completely. Set remaining flour to the side, reserving 1TB for sauce.

3) Melt butter in the pan over medium heat. Add veal and cook 3 min on each side, or until browned. Transfer to a serving plate, then keep warm.

4) Combine wine and reserved TB flour, stirring well to get lumps out. Add to pan. Bring to a boil, scraping browned bits clinging to bottom of pan. Add mushrooms back to the pan, heat another minute.

5) Pour mushroom sauce over veal pieces, and serve.

Yield 2 servings, 5 points each (253 cal, 7g fat, 2g fiber)

Open Faced Turkey Patty Melt

This is ridiculously good, I can never believe I get all this for the points.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1c vertically sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4c fat free ricotta cheese
• 1.5 tsp worstershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 1 large egg white
• 4x 1oz slices of reduced fat Swiss cheese
• 4 slices light or whole grain rye bread
• 1/4 c country style dijon mustard

1) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion to pan. Cook until carmelized / brown. Transfer to a bowl.

2) Combine ricotta, worstershire, pepper, egg white, and turkey, using your hands to mix well. Divide into 4 equal sized patties. Coat pan with cooking spray, return to medium heat, and add patties. Cook 4 min each side, or until brown.

3) Meanwhile, toast bread and lay out on a cookie sheet. Spread each with 1 TB mustard, place one patty on each slice bread, and then divide onions evenly among sandwiches, placing those on top of the patties. Cover each with a slice of cheese.

4) Place in a preheated broiler for 3-4 min, or until cheese is bubbly and brown.

Yield, 4 servings, one sandwich each. 348 cal, 9g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 7 points

King Ranch Chicken

One of my husband's favorites and very easy to make, though it does have to bake for a while.

• 10 oz can chicken breast chunks, drained
• 1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 8 corn tortillas, cut into fourths
• 1c fat free shredded cheddar
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c celery, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1) Saute onions, garlic, and celery in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, after coating with cooking spray. Heat until tender. Add soups, rotel tomatoes and chicken. Heat and mix thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste.

2) Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the dish with half of the pieces of corn tortillas. Pour half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Then sprinkle half of cheese over the top of that. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Cover with foil.

3) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min, covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 min. Let stand five min before serving.

6 servings, 4 points each

Shepherd's Pie

This one takes a while and uses a lot of pots and pans, but YUM. I make this recipe a good bit, and there are usually leftovers, which reheat wonderfully.

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in chunks
• 1/4 c fat free sour cream
• 1TB margarine or light butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1c onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1lb ground turkey meat
• 3 TB flour
• 1 TB rosemary, fresh, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2c chicken broth (1 full can)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Boil water in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10-20 min, or until fork-tender. Drain potatoes, and mash with sour cream, margarine, salt and pepper.

3) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until soft. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up meat as you go. Add flour, thyme, rosemary, broth, salt and pepper. Stir to coat, and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 min.

4) Transfer turkey to a deep dish pie plate or casserole dish. Spread evenly along the bottom, then do the same with the potatoes, smoothing the top with a spoon. Bake until the potatoes are golden, about 30 min.

Yield: 6 servings, 5 points each

Sausage Skillet Casserole

This is always one of my family's favorites:

• 6-oz package long grain and wild rice, such as Uncle Ben's
• 10.5 oz package 97% fat free ground sausage
• 8 oz package presliced mushrooms
• 2/3 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped green onions
• 2 1/2c water
• 1 pouch chicken noodle soup mix
• 1c (4oz) preshredded 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese

1) Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat

2) Cook mushrooms, celery, and green onions over medium heat in a large skillet. Add sausage, and cook until veggies are tender and sausage is browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

3) Stir in cooked rice, water and soup mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 min. Once most of liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 5 min until cheese melts.

Yield - 7 servings, 1 cup, 5 points each