Ever try something that is so perfectly ready for adaptation that you instantly begin dreaming of ways to make it better?  A chocolate chip cookie leads you to a dark chocolate cherry cookie.  Or a piece of pumpkin pie leads you to spiced sweet potato pie.  Well, that was my experience with zucchini boats.  So versatile.  So healthy.  So easy.  So many possibilities!

Zucchini makes a perfect vessel for a variety of fillings.  The insides of the zucchini are easy to scoop out, leaving a sturdy shell that is just asking to be heaped full of delicious goodness.  Choose from an Italian filling with tomato sauce, peppers and topped with mozzarella cheese or a Southwestern filling with black beans, green chilies and topped with cheddar cheese (and sour cream!).  With all these flavor combos, you will never again be screaming “What can I do with all this zucchini?!?!”

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Meet my new favorite side dish.  In case I haven’t mentioned it lately, I’ve been a little short on time these days.  An elaborate side dish that requires lots of dicing and chopping and stewing is beyond my realm of thinking at the moment.  Give me something fast, deliciously creamy and oh, can it please be relatively healthy too?  Awesome.

A simple side dish that is packed with protein, fiber and happens to be incredibly flavorful, this will quickly become a staple in your recipe arsenal.  The sauteed garlic and rosemary paired with the smooth, creamy white beans create a dish that will rival plain ol’ mashed potatoes any day.  I hate to say it, but this may be the mistress that breaks up the eternal marriage of Steak and Potatoes! Gasp! Oh, the horror!

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I know that my calendar says that it’s going to be March tomorrow, but that can’t be right … can it?  What happened to February?  I distinctly remember having a conversation with a co-worker near the end of January commenting on how I predicted that my February was shaping up to be nothing but a giant blur.  Looking back on the past four weeks, I remember (1) work, (2) snow, (3) eating things that can be made in 30 minutes and (4) more work.  Everything else is a blurry haze.

Blurry haze aside, I do remember making this Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake in my favorite mini-springform pan and, given it’s low-guilt factor, wishing that I had made two more!  A crust made from low-glycemic whole wheat crackers is filled with a luscious (sugar-free!) cheesecake filling swirled with raspberry preserves.  Even in the midst of a month that was a complete blur, this cheesecake is utterly memorable.

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Consider these clementine cakes my apology for throwing that heaping pile of indulgent deliciousness in your direction last week.  When I tell you that these mini cakes are guilt-free, I mean they are completely guilt free.  They also happen to be gluten-free, refined sugar-free and flour-free (ok, flourless but I was on a roll there!). Did I forget to mention that they are also packed with protein and fiber?  I know, it’s too good to be true.

These mini beauties are adapted from a recipe made famous by the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella.  As strange as it sounds, you puree whole clementines (after boiling the heck out of them!), mix that with ground almonds, a couple other baking staples and you have the most incredibly moist, flavorful mini cakes around.  Dip them in dark chocolate (packed with antioxidants!) and you have all the indulgence without the waistline impact.  Like I said: Guilt. Free.

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Let’s face it, lentils are not sexy.  If all the cool foods like Dulce de Leche and Creme Fraiche got together for a party, Lentils would not be invited.  They are boring looking and even the name lentils sounds like the weird girl in the corner that no one wants to be seen talking to. Lentils are the nerdy, socially awkward, bowling ball-shaped runts of the food world.

To make up for their lack of social prowess, lentils are forced to bring many health benefits to the table in order to get noticed.  They are high in fiber, low in calories (and on the glycemic index!), extremely filling and will soak up the flavors of whatever liquid you decide to cook them in.  Paired with fresh spinach, smoky kielbasa and a mix of fresh mushrooms this lentil soup will quickly become your best friend while helping you stick to your new, healthful resolutions without having to sacrifice flavor!

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I don’t think I can remember a time when some form of spinach artichoke dip didn’t appear on every restaurant menu.  It seems to have become a standard American pre-meal munchie, a quintessential appetizer.  Not that I mind.  Who doesn’t love the thought of eating something healthy (spinach and artichokes) wrapped in mounds of cheese, butter and heavy cream?

This recipe is a healthier version of the restaurant stand-by that you can feel good about serving to friends and family.  Instead of pounds of butter and heavy cream, this recipe uses reduced-fat sour cream and ricotta, plus it ads in some cannellini beans (my current favorite) which ups the fiber content.  Truly a perfect party dish, this guilt-free dip lets you save some calories for where it counts … dessert!

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People, I have to apologize in advance about this dish.  I have been making this bowl of deliciousness every week for the past month and it’s taken me this long to share it with you.  I’ve been a recipe hog.  If we were in kindergarten I’d be given a time-out for not sharing.  Don’t worry, my guilt over keeping this truly perfect weeknight fall/winter dinner recipe to myself is punishment enough.

I hope that after diving into a bowl of this warm, comforting Italian stew you will find it in your heart to forgive my selfishness. If that isn’t enough, hopefully after you discover that it takes literally 30 minutes to make this entire, one-pot meal (30 minutes including the time it takes to chop the onions and the peppers!!) you will begin to understand why I’ve been making it every week. If even that isn’t enough, I suspect that after your family begins to ask for this stew every week without fail, you will come back and thank me.

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