{ Pecorino-Black Pepper Breadsticks }

Offered with Creamy Artichoke Dip, this savory snack satisfies peckish guests while dinner cooks. You can bake these ahead of time, cool completely, and store at room temperature for up to two days.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 1 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, cheese, baking powder, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and oil; stir until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times. Divide dough into 18 equal portions, shaping each portion into an 8-inch rope. Place ropes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack.

Serves 6

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{ Spicy Potato Wedges }

This simple side dish is mostly hands-off, which lets you cook other dishes on the stovetop at the same time.

2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine potatoes and oil in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Combine salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle salt mixture over potatoes, tossing well to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Turn potato wedges over, and rotate pans; bake an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6

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{ Creamy Artichoke Dip }

Serve with Pecorino-Black Pepper Breadsticks. To make this the night before, combine dip ingredients, spoon into the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (about 2 cups), thawed and chopped
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Stir in artichoke hearts. Spoon artichoke mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until artichoke mixture is hot and begins to brown. Serve warm.

Serves 6

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{ Chicken Breasts with Gorgonzola-Tomato Salsa }

Combine the ingredients for the salsa--except the cheese--up to a few hours before dinner, and store at room temperature; pound the chicken ahead of time, and keep chilled.

2 cups chopped tomato
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Combine tomato, onion, basil, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 3 chicken breast halves to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned and done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 chicken breast halves.

Stir cheese into tomato mixture. Place 1 chicken breast half on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1/3 cup salsa.

Serves 6

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{ Haricots Verts with Shallots and Pancetta }

Chill the pancetta to make it easier to mince. Add 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to finished beans, if desired.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup minced pancetta (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound haricots verts, trimmed
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pancetta and shallots to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp and shallots are tender and lightly browned. Add broth and vinegar to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add beans to pan, tossing to coat. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in salt.

Serves 6

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{ Mashed Potatoes and Turnips }

Turnips, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream enhance this twist on mashed potatoes. If peeling and chopping the potatoes in advance, keep them covered with cold water so they don't turn brown.

2 cloves
1/2 onion, peeled
1 pound peeled baking potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound peeled turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Push cloves into onion. Place onion, potato, and turnips in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato and turnips are tender; drain. Discard onion and cloves. Return potato mixture to pan.
Add cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper to pan; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Serves 6

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{ Sautéed Broccoli and Mushrooms }

Because this dish cools down swiftly, prepare just before serving.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup sliced shallots (about 1)
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 bunch)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir in sherry; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently.

Add broccoli and salt to pan; stir well. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Stir in pepper.

Serves 6

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{ Braised Lamb Shanks with Orange and Olives }

While this dish takes more than three hours to complete, it can be left unattended much of the time. Nestle the lamb shanks in the pan so they're surrounded by cooking liquid. The long, slow braising process yields fork-tender, succulent meat.

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 (12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
4 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour. Add 2 shanks to pan; cook for 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining lamb shanks.

Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Add orange juice, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in wine; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in beef broth, thyme, and tomato paste; return to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add lamb to pan; cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours. Stir in rind and olives; bake an additional 30 minutes or until lamb is very tender. Place lamb on a platter; keep warm.

Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain cooking liquid and olives into pan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 20 minutes).

Serves 6

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