Sauté zucchini with tomatoes, onion and fresh basil

Yesterday I made my first farmers' market run of 2008. It's early in the summer-- pickings were a little slim. But I bought zucchini, hothouse tomatoes, onions and a fresh basil plant to put in a pot on the patio.

Still trying to eat as right as I can, tonight I used those ingredients to cook up a veggie dish that I figure has three Weightwatcher points per serving. We had this with a nice spinach salad for dinner:

Zucchini, tomatoes and onion sauté

2 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup diced onions
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 thin slices Italian dry salami

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan. Cook onion with crushed garlic clove until onion pieces are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Cut salami slices into small pieces, add to pan. Heat 7 minutes longer. Toss with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 3.

Summer diet calls for abundance of strawberries

Sorry I've been remiss about my food blog. I've been watching what I eat for about three weeks, just trying to lose a bit of weight, and it's working, though I miss bread, brie, potatoes and Tootsie Rolls.

Fortunately, I can eat all the strawberries I want. Last night for dinner I had a spinach salad with green onions, carrots, cucumber slices, a spritz of fat-free dressing, a handful of imitation crabmeat and a generous pile of strawberries. All of two Watchwatchers points. Summer's a good time to diet. Grilled vegetables with chicken, turkey burgers, salads, salads, salads, all easy to do this time of year.

A few other things I've come to enjoy -- Sargentos 50-calorie low-fat string cheese, 4-ounce containers of Dannon's fat-free yogurt, Propel flavored water, Special K 90-calorie breakfast bars. And strawberries.

You can join Weight Watchers these days without signing on for meetings. The Web site provides recipes, and allows me to keep track of daily menus and exercise. The system provides good motivation to exercise-- going to the gym or taking Bella for a long, long walk is the only way I can rack up extra food points. http://www.weightwatchers.com/.

Quick quesadillas provide meat-free protein

Dave's been cooking a lot lately, and making really delicious, healthy dinners. I'm so grateful; I'm trying to hit the gym before I come home from work, and it is so nice to arrive home after some treadmill time to find something righteous for dinner. One night this week he made pork chops with apricot glaze, and couscous with spinach. Another night he made these excellent quesadillas, which are only about 420 calories per serving. Corn and beans provide plenty of protein and a few minutes under the broiler make these nice and crunchy.

Quesadillas with black beans and corn

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro (I love cilantro.)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 cup frozen corn
Commercial picante sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, cilantro, beans and corn. Cook five minutes. Place tortillas on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Top each tortilla with 1/4 of the bean mixture and 3 tablespoons cheese. Fold in half. Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes, until tortillas begin to brown. Let cool about 3 minutes before cutting each tortillas into three wedges.

Top with a dollop of salsa. Mmm.

Cheese strata with spinach is easy brunch fare

Sunday brunch is an easy party to have. You have Saturday to shop, Sunday morning to get everything ready. I invited friends from church for brunch today and made blueberry lemon muffins in mini-muffin tins (perfectly bite-sized!) along with this cheese and egg casserole. Very tasty.

Cheese strata with spinach and red pepper

6-8 slices high-fiber whole-grain bread
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese (a combination of Colby and Monterrey Jack works well)
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1-1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup uncooked spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim crust from bread; place bread in a buttered 11-by-13-inch casserole to cover the bottom of the dish. Brown sausage; drain fat. Add onion and red pepper to skillet with sausage; cook an additional 5 minutes, 'til vegetables are soft. Stir in mustard. Spoon evenly over bread. Top with spinach leaves. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Serves 8.