Egg White Omelet with Cheese

Yield: 1 serving
     Canola oil nonstick cooking spray
     3 egg whites
     2 slices Veggie Slices mozzarella flavor soy cheese

Coat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray and bring to medium-high heat. In a bowl, whisk egg whites until slight foam forms. Pour egg whites into preheated skillet. Cook egg whites until firm, and place cheese slices in center of omelet. Fold egg whites over with a spatula and flip. Cook until omelet is desired consistency. Serve immediately with 2 soy sausages, 100 percent whole-wheat toast, and Take Control Light margarine.

Nutritional information per serving (one omelet):
Calories: 134, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg,
Sodium: 686 mg, Carbohydrate: 3 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g,
Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 19 g

Vanilla Soy Smoothie with Flaxseeds

Can't seem to get those flaxseeds in? Try this delicious smoothie to help the medicine go down!

Yield: 1 serving
     8 ounces "light" vanilla soy milk
     2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
     ½ cup frozen peaches (no added sugar)
     2 tablespoons sugar

Add all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

Nutritional information per serving (approximately 13 fluid ounces):
Calories: 285, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 100 mg,
Carbohydrate: 50 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 28 g, Protein: 7 g

Spinach Salad

This nutritious salad makes it simple to get some apples and nuts into your day.

Yield: 4 servings

Dressing:
     ¼ cup red wine vinegar
     ¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
     Juice from 1 lemon
     Dash pepper
     1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
     ¼ cup 100 percent pure maple syrup
     ¼ cup canola oil

Salad:
     ½ cup chopped walnuts
     6 cups organic baby spinach leaves
     1 green apple, cored and thinly sliced
     1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
     4 teaspoons gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat a toaster oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on an aluminum foil - covered baking pan. Toast walnuts for approximately 3 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to prevent scorching. Place spinach, apple and pear slices, and walnuts in a salad bowl and toss. Serve salad in salad bowls and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon gorgonzola cheese and 1 tablespoon dressing and serve.

Nutritional information per serving (¼ of salad plus 1 tablespoon of salad dressing):
Calories: 208, Fat: 15 g, Cholesterol: 2 mg, Sodium: 155 mg,
Carbohydrate: 21 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 4 g

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Here is my adaptation of a James Beard classic.

Yield: 8 servings
     2½-3 pounds skinless chicken parts (preferably
               free-range chicken raised without antibiotics
               or hormones)
     3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
     1 teaspoon salt
     1 teaspoon pepper
     40 garlic cloves
     12-ounce package of sliced white mushrooms
     1 pound red potatoes, washed, scrubbed,
        and halved
     2 whole medium onions
     2 cups burgundy cooking wine
     2 cups organic chicken broth
     1 sprig fresh rosemary
     3 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken parts and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Sauté chicken on both sides until just brown and remove chicken from skillet and set in a large baking dish suitable for cooking in the oven. In the same skillet, add the 40 cloves of garlic and cook in the oil and juice from the chicken until brown on both sides. Add garlic to baking dish. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until much of the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are brown. Remove mushrooms and add to the baking dish. Add one tablespoon olive oil into skillet, add potatoes, and cook over medium-high heat until both sides are brown. Add potatoes to baking dish. Add onions, burgundy wine, chicken broth, rosemary, and thyme into baking dish. Cover and place in oven. Cook for 60 minutes, basting once during cooking.

Nutritional information per serving (1/8 of recipe, 448 grams or approximately 2 cups):
Calories: 376, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 100 mg, Sodium: 915 mg,
Carbohydrate: 29 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 43 g

Barley Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms

This side dish is a delicious way to get in barley, the LDL - lowering alternative to oats.

Yield: 6 servings
     1 container (32 fluid ounces) of free-range organic chicken broth
     1 bay leaf
     ½ teaspoon thyme
     1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
     1 cup chopped onion
     2 garlic cloves, minced
     1 cup whole-grain barley
     1 package (10 ounces) frozen shiitake mushrooms, defrosted (I use Woodstock Farms organic shiitake
        mushrooms, available in the frozen foods section of your local health food store)
     ½ teaspoon salt
     ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
     1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, heat chicken broth, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Let simmer while preparing barley. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add barley and package of mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and simmer, covered, for approximately 45 minutes until most of the broth has evaporated and the barley is tender. Season with salt and pepper, add in the Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving (1/6 of recipe, 277 grams or approximately 1¼ cups):
Calories: 128, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 6 mg, Sodium: 577 mg,
Carbohydrate: 17 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 6 g