16 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce, several drops or to taste
1 medium tomato (s), chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, bell, seeded and chopped
1 cup salsa
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3 oz low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded
4 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced
10 gm olive(s), black, pitted, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the beans, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons water. Transfer to a 12-inch serving platter; spread in a thin layer on the platter.
2. Leaving a 1-inch border, top the bean mixture evenly with the tomato, bell pepper and salsa. Leaving a 1-inch border, top the tomato layer evenly with the sour cream and cheese. Sprinkle with the scallions and olives.
   

1 serving olive oil cooking spray (5 one second sprays)
2 oz light cream cheese
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
8 medium jalapeno pepper(s)
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise; mix well and set aside. Halve jalapenos lengthwise and remove seeds. (Oil and seeds from the peppers can be irritating — wear gloves or put plastic bags over your hands. And don’t rub your eyes.) Stuff jalapeno halves with cream cheese mixture.

1. Place egg substitute in a shallow dish. Place cereal crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Dip stuffed jalapeno halves into egg substitute and then roll in cereal crumbs to coat.
2. Transfer jalapenos to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
3. Bake until filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Yields 2 poppers per serving.

3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese

1 Tbsp. Flour

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1/8 tsp. White pepper (regular pepper works fine)

1/2 tsp. Crushed garlic

1 10oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or 1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Grated nonfat or reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

Put cottage cheese, flour, lemon juice, peppers, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add the artichoke hearts and all but 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Process until the mixture is slightly chunky. Coat a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the artichoke mixture in the dish, top with the remaining Parmesan, and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot with whole grain crackers, chunks of sourdough bread, or Pita chips.

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups cheerios

3 cups pretzels

Butter cooking spray

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2-tsp. butter flavored sprinkles

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or more)

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder (or more)

In 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan, combine cereals & pretzels. Lightly coat with a butter spray, drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. Combine remaining ingredients & sprinkle over cereal mix. Bake at 200 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container.