Long Grove woman's group keeps rolling out the recipes

Nine years ago when Lori Mihahly tried to start a cooking club in Long Grove she struggled to find enough women who loved to cook.

That might have stopped a less-motivated foodie, but not Lori, a woman who feeds her imagination with the Food Network and cookbooks and feeds her family and friends easy, uncomplicated recipes.

Lori put together a group of good friends who didn't like to cook very much, and through additions and subtractions she ended up with a group of seven kindred spirits. Friendship grew around their once-a-month, themed luncheons.

"It is one of the most enjoyable things I've done in my life," she says. "Our lives have intertwined."

The ladies meet at a different house each month and everyone contributes a dish or two based on a theme. The hostess typically creates a "tablescape" to match the theme, provides a couple of dishes and a token gift to each guest.

Once Lori developed a spa theme, handing out flip-flops to each guest as they arrived. Her centerpiece blended sand, seashells and candles. One of the main dishes was roasted salmon with mustard herb topping. For the take-home gift she offered lucky bamboo in a vase.

The volume of food is always awesome.

"Afterward we take out containers and bags and everybody packs up food," says Lori. "The kids and husbands have gotten really excited about that day. This is not healthy cooking."

Aside from that once-a-month feast, Lori serves up mostly nutritious meals at home to her husband, Keith, and daughter, Stephanie, 18, who is now at Indiana University. Dinners always include a vegetable and sometimes salad, too, plus a fruit, grain and protein.

Breakfast is simple. Her husband pours a bowl of whole-grain cereal while Lori whips up a couple of fresh-fruit smoothies.

Individual cottage cheese containers and yogurt serve as snacks.

"People treat their cars better than their bodies," she says. "They put premium gas in their car and are meticulous about taking it in for service, but they put garbage in their bodies."

Though not a dietitian, Lori often counsels people with health problems in how to eat better.

Among her basic advice: avoid fast food and prepared foods, and cook extra at dinner, such as chicken or turkey, to eat at lunch.

She is fascinated by the notion of food as medicine. Ginger is reportedly good for relieving nausea and reducing inflammation, she says; garlic and broccoli are full of antioxidants.

"When I gave up artificial sweeteners it was like the awakening," she says. "It absolutely made a difference."

Still, Lori assures us, "I am not crazy, I use processed foods." She struggles to add whole grains to her diet and battles against eating too much, even of healthy foods. But she is moving in the right direction.

For our meal planning this week Lori offers a complete menu made with healthy, garden-fresh produce like zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage and apples. You'll find everything you need at your favorite supermarket.

Sherried Artichoke Chicken

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (14½ ounces) artichoke hearts, quartered, packed in water, rinsed and drained

½ pound mushrooms, sliced

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

¼ teaspoon tarragon

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup sherry

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt and pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken.

In large, nonstick skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter. Brown chicken on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to casserole dish and top with artichokes.

In same skillet melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir in broth and tarragon; bring to boil.

Whisk flour and sherry in separate bowl until smooth; add to skillet and return to boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until mixture thickens; pour over chicken. Cover and bake 25-35 minutes or until juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 280 calories, 9 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 13 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 32 g protein, 95 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups zucchini, grated

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, sugar, oil, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and zucchini just until all ingredients are moist. Batter will be very thick.

Turn batter into prepared pan and bake about 1 hour or until loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 12 to 16.

Nutrition values per serving: 320 calories, 15 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 44 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 40 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium.

Mixed Greens with Apples and Almonds

3 tablespoons undiluted apple juice concentrate

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

7 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 Red Delicious apples

5 ounces mixed baby greens

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

½ cup toasted sliced almonds

Mix apple concentrate, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in mini food processor glass jar.

Peel, core and slice apples; place in bowl and coat with small amount of dressing to prevent browning.

In a large bowl, toss greens with cabbage and drizzle with dressing to taste. Top with apples and almonds just before serving.

Serves four to six.

Nutrition values per serving: 240 calories, 21 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 14 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 210 mg sodium.