3 slices turkey bacon, cooked drained and chopped
1/3 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/3 cup coarse soft whole wheat bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium plum tomatoes
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. acceptable mayonnaise
Cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In medium bowl combine bacon, lettuce, crumbs, cheese, and olive oil; mix well. Set aside. Halve plum tomatoes lengthwise. Scoop out insides leaving 1/4- to 1/2-inch shell. Sprinkle inside of each tomato half with pepper. Brush with some of the mayonnaise. Mound bacon mixture in tomatoes; transfer to baking pan.

3. Roast tomatoes, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes or until tomatoes start to wilt. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Makes 2 servings.

1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
6 cups assorted cut veggies

For the dip:
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Recipe Directions
To prepare dip, in a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine spinach and sour cream. Process until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, onion flakes, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.

Transfer spinach dip to a small serving bowl. Place dip in the center of a large serving platter. Arrange veggies around dip and serve immediately.

1/4 lb smoked turkey bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped bell peppers (any color)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups brown rice
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (14.5 ounces)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lb shrimp- peeled, deveined

Recipe Directions
Heat oven to 350 F. Heat large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook about 2 minutes. Stir in onion, peppers, garlic; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir well. Add tomatoes, broth, wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in spices. Place skillet in oven; bake uncovered until liquid is nearly absorbed, 15-18 minutes. Mix in shrimp. Return to oven; bake until cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Makes 20 hors d’oeuvre portions

1 pound mild cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Recipe Directions
In food processor, combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, bell pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Pulse until blended. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. Line 2-cup bowl or mold with plastic wrap and fill with cheese mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Makes 2 cups

1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon sugar substitute
2 whole chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame seed, toasted

Recipe Directions
Combine teriyaki sauce and sugar in small bowl. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; stir into teriyaki sauce mixture. Marinate 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken; reserve 2 tablespoons marinade. Combine reserved marinade, cornstarch and water in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in hot wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sesame seed; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens and chicken is tender, about 1 minute. Turn into chafing dish or onto serving platter. Serve warm with wooden picks.

Makes 6 appetizer

2-1/4 pounds chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
5-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
3/4 teaspoon sugar substitute
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions and tops
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley
8-10 butter or iceberg lettuce leaves

Recipe Directions
Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 3 teaspoons garlic and sugar in small bowl; stir in chicken. Let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine water, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in hot wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 4 minutes; remove. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pan. Add remaining teaspoon of garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add green onions; stir-fry 1 minute longer. Stir in chicken and soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and cilantro. To serve, fill each lettuce leaf with about 1/4 cup chicken mixture. If desired, fold lettuce around filling to enclose.

Serves 8-10 for appetizers

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions and tops
2 tablespoons sugar substitute
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2-1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak

Recipe Directions
Blend soy sauce, green onions, sugar, oil, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger in small saucepan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute; cool. Cover and set aside. Slice beef into 1/8-inch-thick strips about 4 inches long and 1-inch wide. Thread onto bamboo or metal skewers keeping meat as flat as possible; brush both sides of beef with sauce. Place skewers on rack of broiler pan; broil to desired degree of doneness.

Serves 10-12 for appetizers

24 medium mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Cooking spray
1/4 cup chopped leek
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup clam juice
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Recipe Directions
Preheat oven to 500°.
Arrange mussels in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 500° for 8 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Remove mussels and cooking liquid from dish. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Remove meat from mussels. Reserve 24 shell halves. Discard remaining shells. Arrange reserved mussel shells on a jelly roll pan; place 1 mussel in each shell.

Heat a small saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add leek; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in cooking liquid, clam juice, and half-and-half; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Stir in rind and juice.

Preheat broiler.

Place bread in a food processor, and process until fine crumbs measure 3/4 cup. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, oregano, oil, pepper, and bacon. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon sauce over each mussel. Lightly pack 2 teaspoons breadcrumb mixture into each shell. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed shells)

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar substitute
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons water
2 pounds medium-size raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Recipe Directions
Blend soy sauce, sugar, oil, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and water in small saucepan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute; cool. Coat shrimp with sauce; drain off excess. Place on rack of broiler pan. Broil 5 inches from heat source 3-5 minutes on each side, or until shrimp are opaque and cooked. Serve immediately with wooden toothpicks.

Makes 10 appetizer servings

2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 cup tahini
1 cup garbanzo cooking water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 4 cloves of garlic
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
Paprika or hot red chili powder
cumin and olive oil

Recipe Directions
Soak cleaned and sorted garbanzo beans (chick peas) in water to cover overnight. Cook in soaking water until tender. Reserve about 1-1/2 cups of cooking water and 1 cup of beans, drain the beans. Put drained beans in processors or mash with potato masher. Add tahini and mix well, stir in 1 cup of cooking water, 1 cup lemon juice, garlic and salt. If the hummous seems too thick, slowly add water until you have the consistency that you like.

Pour into flat bowl, decorate with reserved beans, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cumin and paprika or red chili powder. Serve with fresh whole wheat pita bread or raw vegetables.