Macaroni and Four Cheeses

I got this recipe from Eat Smart with Ellie Krieger. It's a little cookbook magazine thing from Fine Cooking. Anyway, it's a healthier version of Mac and Cheese and it was super easy and pretty tasty. Since it's a healthier version it doesn't use as much cheese - next time I make it I might throw in a bit more.
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Cooking spray
One 16-oz box elbow macaroni
Two 10-oz packages frozen pureed winter squash (yep - that's right!)
2 cups low fat milk
1 1/3 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp plain dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil
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Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

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Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
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Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.
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Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.
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Serves 8, serving size 2 cups.
Per serving:
390 calories
11 grams fat: 1 mono, .5 poly, and 6 saturated
18 grams protein
56 grams carbs
3.5 grams fiber
35 mg cholesterol
547 mg sodium
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*** I could not find frozen squash for the life of me! So I bought two butternut squash, cut them in half, and baked them until they were soft (about an hour). Then I scraped the pulp out and mashed it up. This worked great.

Sesame Orange Chicken

This is my new favorite dish. It is absolutely delicious and MUCH lower in calories and fat than most Chinese restaurant versions. I got the recipe from the Nov/Dec. '09 issue of Eating Well magazine. The recipe actually calls for shrimp but I rarely buy shrimp so I just substituted the shrimp for chicken, which probably changes the nutritional info below but probably not by much. Feel free to use shrimp if you want ... and eat up!

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch chunks

- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation
1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl (I also add garlic powder too). Add chicken and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (if it isn't non-stick, the chicken will get stuck and it won't work). Add the chicken (one by one, don't dump the whole thing or there will be too much batter) and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan (I just use the cooking sherry from the grocery store, but beware, it adds more sodium. I also add some orange zest and fresh grated ginger for extra flavor). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, over rice if you wish.

Nutrition:

232 calories

10 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono)

168 mg cholesterol

12 g carbohydrates

21 g protein

1 g fiber

488 mg sodium