• 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms, or other dried mushrooms
• 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1-1/4 lbs. chuck steak cubes, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 3/4 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
• 6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1-3/4 cups Italian style peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup beef stock
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3/4 tsp. rosemary
• 1 Tbs. all purpose flour
• 2 Tbs. cold water
• 10 ounces frozen French cut green beans, thawed
• 4 white pitas, warm

Cover mushrooms with hot water and let soak 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Set mushrooms aside. In a large, heavy non-stick skillet, heat half the oil over medium high heat. Sauté beef 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until browned. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside. Add remaining oil to skillet and sauté onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender. Add meat, tomatoes, stock, garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Combine flour and cold water in jar with tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously to mix. Stir into stew. Bring to a boil. Add green beans. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with pita bread.

Per serving: calories 829, fat 34.5g, 37% calories from fat, cholesterol 106mg, protein 45.2g, carbohydrates 85.6g, fiber 13.0g, sugar 14.1g, sodium 738mg, diet points 17.4.

The recommended wines are: Fumé Blanc, Chablis, or Sauvignon Blanc.

• 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup couscous
• 3/4 cup canned peas
• 3/4 cup canned corn
• 1/2 cup radishes, coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Bring stock to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat and cover. Set aside 15 minutes. Combine peas and corn in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring just to a boil. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, including couscous, until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving: calories 223, fat 6.0g, 24% calories from fat, cholesterol 0mg, protein 6.7g, carbohydrates 36.4g, fiber 4.1g, sugar 3.0g, sodium 291mg, diet points 4.7.

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• paper baking cup
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa and set aside. Combine next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Add butter mixture, flour, cinnamon, and chopped pecans, stirring just until blended. Place paper baking cups in muffin pans, and coat the cups lightly with cooking spray. Spoon muffin batter into cups, filling each 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin with a few chocolate chips. Bake 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pans immediately.

This recipe serves 10 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 10 only.

Per serving: calories 257, fat 14.2g, 48% calories from fat, cholesterol 81mg, protein 3.5g, carbohydrates 31.4g, fiber 1.5g, sugar 22.9g, sodium 19mg, diet points 6.5.