Cold weather food

When the weather turns cold, most of us want something warm and filling to eat. Here are a few (mostly) healthy goodies to get you started. Enjoy!

BEST MAC AND CHEESE

Okay, this might not be the healthiest recipe...but let's face it: who doesn't like mac and cheese?

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cup (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. low-sodium Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. hot sauce

4 cups hot cooked medium elbow macaroni

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheeses and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheeses melt. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni in a bowl; stir well. Serve immediately.

Ready in 20 min. Makes 6 servings

From My Daily Moment

STUFFED PEPPERS

Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/238.shtml

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, any color or combination

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium crookneck squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced onion (1 medium)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 to 2/3 cup uncooked)

1/2 cup grated fat-free or low-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (2 ounces)

1 cup no-salt-added tomato juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems, ribs, and seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Saute tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until zucchini is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cheese, and water chestnuts. Gently stir into skillet. Stuff pepper halves with vegetable mixture. Place in 9-inch round or square casserole dish, then carefully pour tomato juice around peppers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 119 ; Protein: 5 g ; Fat: 1 g ; Sodium: 68 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg ; Carbohydrates: 23 g Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Vegetable



LOW-CALORIE, ALMOST FAT-FREE VEGETABLE CHILI RECIPE

Jolinda Hackett of About.com's vegetarian channel writes, "Using extra vegetables, tomato juice and tomatoes with fewer beans keeps this vegetarian chili lower in calories. Though meatless chili is already a healthy and low-fat choice, this version is extra low-cal. It's really more like a chili-spiced tomato soup than a hearty chili." She added, "This was one of those recipes that came about purely because of what I had on hand in my kitchen, which happened to be lots of veggies, and not so many beans. But I really wanted chili." (For more of her wonderful vegetarian recipes, click here.)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp water

1 large carrot, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, chopped small

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 12-ounce can tomato juice or V8

water

1 jalapeno or other small spicy pepper, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

green onions for garnish, optional

Preparation:

In a large non-stick pot, heat the garlic and onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and carrots and heat, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and soy sauce, stirring to combine well. Heat for just another minute or two. Reduce heat to medium low and add all the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions. Cover and allow to slowly simmer for at least 25 minutes and up to 40 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings to taste, garnish with some green onions or even a bit of cheese or sour cream if you're not eating vegan.

Nutritional information, via CalorieCount 3:

Calories: 195; Calories from Fat: 10; Total Fat: 1.1g, 2% daily value; Trans Fat: 0.0g; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 614mg, 26%; Total Carbohydrates: 38.0g, 13%; Dietary Fiber: 9.6g, 38%; Sugars: 9.5g; Protein: 11.2g; Vitamin A 80%, Vitamin C 159% Calcium 5%, Iron 32;