Are you trying to slim down? Are you finding it hard to find recipes that are
slimming and taste good?

Well, you’re in luck, longtime chef Virginia Willis has a new cookbook out that
shares her favorite slimmed-down versions of America’s favorite comfort foods.

The Slimmed Down Recipes:
a) Turkey Meatloaf-
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 lb. of ground turkey
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. of low-sodium and low-sugar Ketchup
1 tsp. of low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
To make:
Preheat oven to 400*F.
In cooking spray, saute onion until clear, 3 mins. Add garlic until
fragrant, 45 secs. Let cool slightly. In a bowl, mix veggies, turkey, egg
and salt and pepper to taste. On a lined baking sheet, form a loaf.
Mix ketchup and Worcestershire; brush on the meatloaf. Bake until
meat thermometer registers 165*F, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on
thickness.
Enough for 4 servings.

b) Buffalo Ranch Dip-
Use reduced fat-free cheese to make this dip.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of light cream cheese
1/2 cup of 0% milk-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of reduced-fat cheddar
4 Tbs. of blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles, divided
2 1/2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast
2 greens onions chopped, divided
To make:
Combine cream cheese, yogurt, cheddar, hot sauce and 2 Tbs.
blue cheese. Fold in chicken and half the green onions. Spoon into a
baking dish and top with remaining blue cheese and green onion.
Bake at 350*F until hot and bubbly, about 15 mins. Enjoy with
gluten-free chips or crackers. Or slice and dice some vegetables
and enjoy or even use it as a sauce for tacos, or chicken or fish dishes.
Makes 4 cups.

c) Charred Cauliflower Tacos-
Reduce the calorie count in this taco dish by using cauliflower and
not meat,
turkey, fish or chicken.
Ingredients:
2 cups of Cauliflower, chopped
2 tsp. of chili powder
1 tsp. of ground coriander
1 tsp. of ground cumin
8 corn tortillas or any other healthy tortillas
Toppings, radishes, chopped onions, tomato slices, sliced
peppers, cilantro, lime juice, shredded cheese and light sour cream.
To make:
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until darkly charred and tender, about
15 or 20 mins. Add spices and season with salt and pepper, stirring
until cauliflower is well-coated. Spoon into tortillas and pile on any
toppings you desire.
Enough for 8 tacos.

d) Low-Calorie Peanut Butter Cookies-
Thought peanut cookies were a thing of the past?
Not so, enjoy these slimmed down gems.
Ingredients:
1 cup of crunchy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
Heat oven to 350*F. Combine all ingredients. Roll into 24 balls.
Place 2″ apart on a lined sheet, flatten each with a fork. Bake until
browned and set, about 10 mins. Set sheet on a rack to cool. Enjoy
with fruit. Enough for 12 servings.

Sources:
* Virginia Willis, Chef and Instagram Star
* MyFitnessPal.com, App
* Tufts University, Research Dept.
* Caroline Apovian, M.D.
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