Carpaccio of Beef is usually a raw beef appetizer, but here we cook the meat to your desired level of doneness and serve the dish with a lovely vegetable salad topped with yogurt sauce. You will have extra sauce which makes an excellent dip for raw vegetables or a zippy salad dressing. Serve this dish with crusty bread and frozen fat-free, sugar-free ice cream and meringue cookies (October, 1997).

1. Preheat oven to broil or light a grill
2. Salt and pepper the beef. Broil or grill until done to your desired degree of doneness. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Cook the asparagus in 2 tablespoons water in the microwave. Place in ice water to refresh. Drain and place in bowl. Add the chopped tomato and basil.
4. Make a vinaigrette by whisking together the vinegar, oil, water, mustard, and pepper. Set aside.
5. Using a food processor with a metal blade, combine the ricotta, yogurt, vinegar, capers, anchovy paste, shallot, garlic, parsley, basil and pepper. until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the vinaigrette. Place on one side of each of 4 large plates. Toss the tomato and chopped basil with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the vinaigrette. Place on the other side of each plate, leaving the center empty. Toss the lettuce with the remaining vinaigrette and place in the center between the vegetables.
7. Slice the beef against the grain into paper thin slices. Arrange on the plate and drizzle with each serving with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the Anchovy-Caper Sauce. Serve at once.

Panini are a favorite Italian snack food - little grilled sandwiches - sometimes made with focaccia or other Italian breads and often filled with cheese and vegetables. Here, we made panini that would be wonderful for dessert or an evening snack, using our household staple: yogurt cheese. The little sandwiches take only minutes to make, but they're sure to satisfy a need for a "little sweet."

1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt cheese, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and vanilla extract. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto each bread slice.
2. Core and thinly slice the apple, leaving the peel intact. Arrange apples slices, overlapping as needed, on top of the yogurt cheese on two slices of the bread. Lightly sprinkle the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with remaining bread slices, yogurt cheese side down.
3. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Cook the panini, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and cut each panini in half. Arrange on a dessert plate and drizzle each half with 1/2 teaspoon of the honey. Serve hot.

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