A hole-some meal: make an easy Southwestern-inspired meal around a bagel - Low-Fat and Fast - includes recipes

The bagel has come a long way. The first one was made in Vienna in 1683 as a gift to the king of Poland. It was shaped to resemble a stirrup (called bugel in German) because horseback riding was the king's favorite sport. Today, Americans spend over $800 million per year on bagels, with plain rating as the number one flavor, followed by cinnamon-raisin.

However, there's more to a bagel than a roll with a hole in the middle. Being the only bread that is boiled before it is baked, it has the distinguished quality of being crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. They are a natural low-fat snack and breakfast, but also make a hearty and healthful dinner with the right topping and side dish. Here's a menu that showcases the bagel as a base for pizza, with a choice of side salads and a light dessert -- it's a meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

The pizza topping, made of mild green chilies and a combination of pizza sauce and salsa, tastes best on onion, wheat, rye or sesame bagels. Make the salad of your choice first (a layered spinach salad or mixed vegetable and bean salad), then assemble the bagel topping. Prepare the dessert sauce while the bagels broil. The salad and sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time; just warm the dessert sauce before using.

Southwest Pizza Bagels

These easy pizzas will quickly become a favorite of adults and children alike.

4-whole grain bagels, split
4-oz. can chopped mild green chilies, drained
1/2 cup nonfat cream cheese
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup medium salsa
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella or Monterey
   Jack cheese

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