• 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbs. cilantro or parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 1 lb. canned white kidney beans, drained

Place squash in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cover skillet and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in squash, remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5-10 minutes, adding enough reserved liquid to keep mixture from drying out.

Per serving: calories 203, fat 3.7g, 15% calories from fat, cholesterol 8mg, protein 8.2g, carbohydrates 37.8g, fiber 9.3g, sugar 8.1g, sodium 130mg, diet points 3.0.

The recommended wines are: Chianti, Fumé Blanc, or Chenin Blanc.

• 1 tsp. salt (optional)
• 3/4 lb. linguine
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta in boiling salted water 8-10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. While pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring 2 minutes until heated throughout. Remove from heat and add bell peppers. Drain pasta and transfer to serving bowl. Add peppers and garlic mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss before serving.

Per serving: calories 659, fat 10.6g, 15% calories from fat, cholesterol 4mg, protein 21.8g, carbohydrates 117.1g, fiber 4.0g, sugar 4.1g, sodium 118mg, diet points 13.8.

The recommended wine is: Chianti.

• 2 cloves garlic, bruised, optional
• 1 lb. european salad (or other packaged salad mix), or other salad greens
• 4 radishes, trimmed and sliced
• 1/4 lb. red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup nonfat Italian dressing, or other dressing
• 1 cup croutons, plain or seasoned

Rub garlic cloves around inside surface of salad bowl (optional). Discard garlic. Add next 5 ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing and toss. Serve with croutons.

Per serving: calories 82, fat 1.0g, 10% calories from fat, cholesterol 0mg, protein 3.7g, carbohydrates 15.6g, fiber 3.7g, sugar 5.2g, sodium 212mg, diet points 1.5.

• 2 eggs
• 3 bananas, mashed thoroughly
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer or food processor, combine eggs, bananas and vanilla. Add next 4 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add nuts and mix again. Pour into a buttered loaf pan and bake 1 hour.

This recipe serves 8 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 8 only.

Per serving: calories 303, fat 6.1g, 18% calories from fat, cholesterol 47mg, protein 7.0g, carbohydrates 57.2g, fiber 2.7g, sugar 31.5g, sodium 148mg, diet points 6.5.