Low-Point Ricotta and Pecan Samplers

A fun little delicious sampler to enjoy at your next get-together. These satisfying spoonfuls of ricotta and pecan goodness add a cute little savory flare for you to enjoy with friends or family. Prepare these, along with my fantastic "Walnut and Blue Cheese Grape Bites", and your party will be complete! :)

Low-Point Ricotta and Pecan Samplers
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup 1/3-less fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tbs heavy cream
- Red or green seedless grapes
- 6 tsp. finely chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fresh finely chopped parsley
Place the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Chop a handful of grapes rather small. Add grapes to mixture and combine. (NOTE: This mixture only makes 6 or 7 tasting tablespoons of this sampler.) In a separate bowl combine walnuts, sugar, and parsley. Spoon one tablespoon ricotta mixture into tasting spoons or petite goblets or tasting bowls (small, tasting ramekins). Add one teaspoon of the pecan mixture on top of each serving and top with a half of a grape. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 6 (tablespoons)
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 2

"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart." - Mahatma Gandhi

Low-Point Walnut and Blue Cheese Grape Bites

Blue cheese, with walnuts, and grapes? How can you go wrong? These scrumptious appetizers are a big hit at any party, even with people who don't care for the blue cheese flavor (like myself)! Enjoy these along with my wonderful "Ricotta and Pecan Samplers" for ultimate savory satisfaction!


Low-Point Walnut and Blue Cheese Grape Bites
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup blue cheese (I used freshly crumbled blue cheese), room temperature
- 1/4 cup 1/3-less fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tbs heavy cream
- 7 Red or green seedless grapes, halved if they're really big grapes or 13 to 14 whole grapes if they're small
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 to 1 Tbs Splenda or regular sugar
- 1 packed tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Place blue cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl. Place walnuts, splenda or sugar and parsley into a separate bowl and combine well. With clean hands, take the blue cheese mixture and gently form a small ball around a grape. Roll ball into walnut mixture and set on a plate. Continue until blue cheese mixture is all used up. (This made 13 balls for me). Refrigerate balls for several hours before serving. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 13
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 1.5

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world." - Anonymous

Low-Point Ice Cream with Carmeled Bananas

If you forget to add the ice cream, it's completely understandable! These delightfully-sweet carmeled bananas make it difficult to use as a topping. All you need is a spoon and you're good to go! :) However, someone in your family is bound to complain, so place it on top of some creamy fat-free vanilla ice cream and witness the smiles! Very easy and delicious!


Low-Point Ice Cream with Carmeled Bananas
Ingredients:
- 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
- 3 Tbs butter - I used both Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil and also Imperial stick butter. Yes, I've already made this twice! (Both turn out the same amount of points.)
- 3 Tbs light brown sugar
- Breyers Extra Creamy fat-free vanilla ice cream
Heat butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Combine bananas, coating thoroughly. Remove and place on top of ice cream hot or cooled. Amazing both ways! if you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Serving size - 1/2 cup ice cream with 1/4 cup banana topping
Points per serving - 3.5
NOTE: Banana topping total servings is 6, 1/4 cups.

"Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny -- he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally -- you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you." - Osho

Low-Point Baked Swordfish with Fresh Tomato Tapenade

Tomatoes, capers, olives, and pine nuts are just a few of the ingredients that help make this a magnificent and memorable main dish. Perfectly baked swordfish marinated in teriyaki is terrific standing alone, but adding the fresh tomato tapenade makes this dish out of this world!


Low-Point Baked Swordfish with Fresh Tomato Tapenade
Ingredients:
- 3, 5 oz. swordfish steaks
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- pepper
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs capers, chopped
- 10 green olives, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped (all the white and half the greens)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 Tbs pine nuts
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle swordfish with a little pepper and marinate in teriyaki sauce for at least 1 hour. Place swordfish in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, turn down heat, and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove swordfish from oven, spoon tapenade over swordfish and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 3
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 7

"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." - Hugh Downs

Low-Point Chicken with Mango Orange Chutney

Sweet and savory that comes with a little kick. With a little creativity, this mango orange chutney has a wonderful combination of sweet and spice that leaves your taste buds wanting more! Easy and delicious... that's what I do best! :)


Low-Point Chicken with Mango Orange Chutney
Ingredients:
- 4, 4 oz boneless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium mango, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium orange, peeled and chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped small
- 5 Tbs Splenda
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 3 Tbs finely chopped onion
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to desired spice level)
- 1/4 cup Riesling or non-dry white wine
- 1 Tbs White Karo syrup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken and place in a baking dish. Bake chicken for 15 minutes (or until desired doneness). Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add mango, orange, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or so until the garlic softens. Add splenda and the rest of the ingredients, turn down heat, and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes (stirring occasionally). Remove chicken from oven and spoon chutney on top of chicken before serving! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 4
Serving size - 1, 4 oz. chicken with 2 to 3 Tbs chutney on top
Points per serving - 3.5

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's word awaits another voice." - T. S. Elliot