A simple tomato and cucumber salad with a fresh and vibrant dressing.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes (red, orange, and yellow), cut in half
1 large hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh dill

In a large bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Add tomatoes and cucumber; toss well and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, add dill and toss again. Strain salad in a colander; serve cold.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced onions
1 stalk celery, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 quart vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned)
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 cups quartered mushrooms
2 cups diced zucchini
Salt and pepper

Heat a medium heavy-bottom pot over medium heat until hot. Add the oil, then add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, thyme and barley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown, about 18 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable broth, chopped tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook until the barley is al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and zucchini, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and continue to simmer until the mushrooms and zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add some water if desired, and season again to taste. Serve.

Serves 8-10

1. In medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add half the onions and cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat 2 non-stick baking sheets with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 tortillas on baking sheets. Divide potato mixture among tortillas and spread evenly. Top each with 1 tortilla.

3. Coat tops of quesadillas with nonstick spray. Bake, turning once, until lightly browned and heated through, about 10 minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges. Arrange sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeno and remaining onions in separate serving bowls. Serve with quesadillas and pass at the table. Makes 24 wedges.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Spray a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange chicken in dish. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pan heat water & milk to almost boiling. Remove from heat & stir in next 5 ingredients. Spread potato mixture liberally over chicken pieces, and sprinkle with paprika. Return to oven and bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes or till chicken is tender & no longer pink.

Serves 4

Per serving: 176 Calories; 2g Fat; 23g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 54mg Cholesterol; 190mg Sodium

Peel and slice potatoes thinly. In a saucepan, combine milk, flour, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper and cook over
medium heat until sauce thickens. Layer casserole dish with potato slices. Spoon half of sauce over slices and repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce. Cover and bake in oven preheated at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour.

1. In resealable plastic bag, combine lemon juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and pork chops. Seal. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

2. Prepare and heat grill until coals turn gray, or follow directions for gas or electric grill.

3. Remove chops from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill chops about 5 inches above medium-hot coals 12 to 15 minutes, turning once and brushing with remaining marinade.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving:  About 207 calories, 12 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 39% calories from fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 151 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

1 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp back pepper
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
4 boneless turkey breast cutlets.
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped lean ham
1 onion, chopped
2 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut in half
1/4 cup canned pimientos, julienned

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8-inch baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large zip-lock bag, combine the flour, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add the turkey cutlets and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the turkey and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to the baking pan.
In the same skillet, add the mushrooms, onion and ham. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes. Spoon evenly over the turkey then top each cutlet with a slice of cheese. Bake until the turkey is cooked through, about 15 minutes depending on how thick the cutlet is.
Garnish with the pimiento strips.

1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3 teaspoon rosemary
1/3 cup orange juice
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the skin from the chicken. Rub each piece of chicken with garlic then rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary. Place into a baking dish. Pour in orange juice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Flip chicken and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes longer or until cooked through.

Serves 4-6

Nutrition Facts: 165 calories; 5 g fat; 86 mg cholesterol; 80 mg sodium; 28 g protein

1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, saute the zucchini, onion, garlic powder and basil in butter for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cheese. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serves 2

Nutrition: 75 calories, 3 g fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 141 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein

Earlier this week I shared a recipe for Chicken Portobello which called for some pesto. A few of my readers have asked for a healthy pesto recipe, so here it is!

1 cup fresh basil, firmly packed
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 Tbs pinenuts
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tomato, seeded
2 Tbs chicken broth

1 Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend to desired consistency (either chopped or smooth). Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

2 One generous serving is 1/4 cup. Mix into hot pasta or spoon onto grilled fish or chicken. (Lemon juice may be added to taste).

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories 100; Fat 9 g; Cholesterol 2 mg; Sodium 155 mg; Protein 2 g; Carbohydrate 2 g; Fiber 2 g.

Servings: 8