(Not Spaghetti) Squash

Cook the squash by cutting it in half and removing the seeds. Put it in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Cover tightly with foil, bake 400 for 1 hour. In a frying pan add 1T olive oil, add 1 chopped onion and cook for a few minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic, cook. Add squash and 1 can of diced tomatoes with liquid. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid reduces, 5-8 minutes more. Yummy! I think it would be even more yummy with a little parm cheese sprinkled on it. Makes 6 servings. 121 cals, 3g fat, 2g protein, 20g carbs, 0 cholesterol, 80mg sodium

Balsamic Chicken

I made Balsamic Chicken tonight and it was a big hit with my family. I super simplified a recipe a friend had posted on a low carb site- 6 chicken breasts, some shakes of italian seasoning, a can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. Throw it all in the crockpot and cook all afternoon. My kids ate theirs over rice but I had mine over green beans and it was awesome! Plus it makes your house smell amazing!

Bean Salad

This bean salad is AWESOME! My parents made this while we were visiting for Thanksgiving and they raved about how good it was and that I had to try it. I was not excited, but after awhile decided I had better give it a try. One bite and I was hooked, I couldn't stop eating it! This recipe makes a big vat of bean salad because each ingredient is 1 can. It will be loved by all, but I wouldn't make it just for 2 people unless you have someone to share it with.

This salad is good after 24 hours, better after 48 hours and perfect at 72 hours.

Ingredients

1 can green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can lima beans
1 can chick peas
1 can green peas
1 can corn
Or any combination of canned beans
1 green pepper, sliced or chopped (I use yellow peppers)
1 onion, sliced into rings
4 celery stalks, sliced or chopped
1 pimento, sliced or chopped (I found a small jar of pimento at the grocery and tossed in a couple tablespoons)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Drain beans and rinse. Drain peas and corn. Combine with green pepper, celery, onion and pimento. In a separate bowl combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Whole Grain and Nut Pancakes

Around here we have pancakes one day a week, on Sunday. I cannot tolerate my children wigging out on white flour and sugar regularly so we started this weekly ritual and the kids really look forward to it. We use to have pancake Saturday because our church was at 8:30 on Sunday morning, but this year church starts at 12:30 so we have extra time on Sunday morning to indulge and then someone else gets to tolerate their wigging out on Sunday :) Just kidding, of course!

Anyway, I cannot eat regular pancakes. Before losing 70 lbs last year I was pre-diabetic and would go into a massive sugar crash after eating pancakes. Between the white flour and sugary syrup I would feel awful! So I stopped eating pancakes and just made them for everyone else.

Well, I've finally found my pancake answer and it is TASTY! These pancakes are made with whole grains and nuts, the only questionable component that I haven't worked out of them is the oil, but I'm okay with that because it isn't the oil that causes problems for me, it's the fluff (white flour and sugar) that makes me feel icky. So here is my new Sunday morning ritual!

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats, ground into flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or read my buttermilk alternative note at the end)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup whole almonds, ground
1/4 cup walnuts, ground

Directions:

1. Grind the oats in a food processor or small grinder like a coffee grinder - this works well for grinding the nuts, too. Mix the dry ingredients - ground oats, flour, ground nuts, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients - buttermilk, oil and egg. Blend well with a wire whisk.

3. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend well with your whisk, but do not over mix.

I found that the pancakes I made towards the end of the batch were fluffier and looked nicer so I would suggest letting your batter rest for 20-30 minutes if you have the time. The first ones were not bad, they just did not hold together as well but this could have also been from using a lower heat setting.

This is one of the last pancakes.

Cook the pancakes in a dry, hot, non-stick pan/griddle on medium heat until brown and slightly bubbling (these will not bubble like regular pancakes do). I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter and this makes for perfect sized pancakes and gave me 9 pancakes. Since I'm the only one eating these pancakes, I let the extra pancakes cool with parchment paper separating them, then placed 2 pancakes per quart sized freezer bag for 3 more Sundays of pancakes!

NOTE: Butermilk alternative. I love buttermilk pancakes, but I rarely use buttermilk and never have it on hand. I learned a little buttermilk trick years ago and use it regularly in all kinds of recipes. Add 1 1/2 tsp of cider vinegar to the 1 1/2 cup of milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

A New Diet

The middle of August found my wife and myself checking into a new diet, well actually an old diet just not one we had done. It's called counting calories. Well needless to say I just had to have a new cookbook (any excuse I can find) we looked and settled on the "Weight Watchers in 20 minutes" following is just a few recipes that I have used and have found to be wonderful. Since "Weight Watchers" included the nutritional values I thought I would pass them along as well. Some of the recipes I do as is and some I change after I have made it at least once their way.

Feel free to experiment with them as you see fit,I am sure you will enjoy.

NORTH AFRICAN-STYLE BURGERS

1 pound lean ground beef (7% fat or less)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 whole wheat hamburger buns (split)
4 tomato slices
4 sweet onion slices
4 green lettuce leaves

1. Combine the beef, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a bowl. With damp hands shape the mixture into 4 (½-inch-thick) patties.
2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted into the side of a burger registers 160 degrees, about 4 minutes each side.
3. Put a burger on the bottom half of each bun and top with 1 tomato slice, and 1 lettuce leaf. Cover with the tops of the buns.

Per Serving (1 garnished burger): 280 calories, 8 g Fat, 3 g sat fat, 1 g trans fat, 64 mg chol, 735 mg sod, 22 g carbs, 4 g fib, 29 g prot, 79 mg calc.

We enjoy the burgers as is but have found that if you add a few chopped mushrooms and a little chopped onion to the mixture, it adds a whole new dimension. Hope you enjoy


BUFFALO-STYLE CHICKEN STRIPS

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch wide strips
3 carrots cut into ¼ inch matchsticks
4 celery stalks cut into ¼ inch matchsticks
½ cup fat- free blue cheese dressing

1. Combine the pepper sauce, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of the butter, stirring until melted.
2. Melt the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, 8 – 10 minutes. Add the hot sauce mixture and cook, tossing, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and serve with the carrots, celery, and blue cheese dressing.

Per serving (1 chicken breast half, about 1/3 cup carrot sticks, and ½ cup celery sticks, and 2 tablespoons dressing); 231 cal, 7 g Fat, 3 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 77 mg chol, 805 mg sod, 15 g carb, 3 g fiber, 26 g prot, 71 mg calc.

We enjoy as is but feel free to adjust for yourself.


FRUIT AND CHEESE- STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

2 tablespoons light cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry all-fruit spread
1 large egg
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons fat free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup hulled and sliced strawberries

1. Spread the cream cheese evenly on 2 slices of the bread, leaving a 1/8 inch border. Spread the strawberry spread on the remaining slices of bread, leaving 1/8 inch border. Put the slices of bread together to make 2 cream cheese-fruit sandwiches.
2. Beat the egg and egg whites in a large shallow bowl or pie plate; whisk in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add 1 sandwich to the egg mixture; let stand until evenly soaked, about 20 seconds each side. Repeat with the other sandwich
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium high heat. Add the sandwiches to the skillet and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with the berries.

Per serving (1 sandwich and ½ cup strawberries) 321 cal, 96 g fat, 0 g trans fat, 118 mg chol, 427 mg sod, 44 g carb, 7 g fib, 17 g prot, 141 mg cal.

My wife and I love this, and I am not a big fan of French toast, we do not even have the strawberries with it and it is great as is. Be sure to experiment with other flavors of fruit spread.

Grilled Portabello Mushroom Burger

I use these in place of hamburger meat when our family grills burgers and dogs. My husband prefers the beef, but I'm happier not having it.

Remove the stem and lightly drizzle or brush olive oil on both sides of the mushroom. To the underside of the mushroom, I sprinkle salt, onion powder and garlic powder then grill top side down to start. You're looking for the mushroom to start releasing it's liquid, which will take some time....but wait for it! If you take it off before it's had a chance to get soft and juicy it won't taste good and the center, where it's thickest, may not be cooked through. I give it a good 6-7 minutes per side and maybe more if it's thick. Add a slice of cheese before you take it off the grill and stack it on a bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo (or your favorite burger toppings).

It's meaty, without all the fat and the heavy feeling in your gut after a burger.

Caponata

Tonight was cultural cooking group and our theme was Mediterranean Cuisine so I grabbed my favorite Sicilian recipe and hit the store...well, my husband went to the store for me as he was already out and he'd much rather be out shopping than taking care of our 4 rambunctious kiddos at dinner time :)

The recipe calls for a zucchini so my husband calls me to say there is no zucchini at the store. So I asked for yellow/crookneck/summer squash instead and the light bulb went off and he says, "Oh, is zucchini green squash?"

"YES! get the green squash," I request.

When he arrived home, he actually had a cucumber so this was made without squash which is no big deal, this recipe is one of those refrigerator specials...clean out your need-to-use produce for this dish.

2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Medium Eggplant, diced (peeling is optional)
1 Zucchini, diced
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed & drained
1 3.8oz can sliced black olives, rinsed & drained
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (place in palm of one hand and use thumb of other hand to rub flakes together. Releases oils and flavor! Just be sure to scrub hands immediately afterward.)
2-3 sprigs of fresh Thyme

Heat a deep 12" skillet to medium setting add olive oil and saute garlic and onion for about 2 minutes. Add red pepper and saute for about 5 minutes more. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Turn up the heat a little and cover. Stir often to combine flavors. After about 20 minutes, bring heat back down to medium or a little lower. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Serve over toasted baguette slices, pasta or by itself. Top with grated Parmesan and enjoy!

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow...I had to rush out the door to get to cultural cooking on time :)

Raw Applesauce

My friend Wendy had this recipe listed on her blog and I had to try it!

5 small apples, cored and sliced - peeled or not (your choice - I peel some and leave the skins on some)
1/3 c pineapple juice - or you could use lemon juice...just use less
2 T honey
1 t cinnamon

Blend it all together on a really low setting. I use "2" on my blender, you could pulse it on a food processor. You want there to be really tiny chunks, not liquefied.

My Version
I used 3 medium golden delicious apples, 1 of which I left the skin
1/3 cup pineapple juice
no honey
2 shakes of cinnamon, maybe 1/2 tsp

I added this to my blender and used the ice crusher setting and left the apples just a little chunky. This is super delicious and you don't lose ANY nutrients through the cooking process.

The apples were really sweet naturally so I wanted to taste this before adding honey and there was no need for it!

Stir Fry Chicken with Snow Peas

Here is another single serving meal using my frozen chicken chunks to create a fast and filling healthy meal.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup snow peas
1 cup spinach, fresh
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/4 cup kidney beans
1-2 oz chicken chunks
1.5 tsp safflower oil
1 clove minced garlic

Optional
Cooked brown rice

Chop veggies and set aside in a bowl.

Add oil to skillet, saute garlic and onions for 1 minute, then add all other ingredients and simmer until everything is hot. Serve over brown rice.

NOTE: I forgot to mention, I have high blood pressure and usually avoid adding salt to most dishes so please feel free to add in favorite flavorings and spices. I think this would be great with some crushed red pepper flakes or spicy szechuan sauce, but my husband would never touch it as black pepper is too spicy for him.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Another super simple and refreshing salad! It's also healthy, which is a bonus when it tastes so good :) This recipe is for a single serving salad.

1-2 oz chicken
2 cups lettuce
1/4 cup mandarin oranges
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp safflower oil
1 tbls slivered almonds
1/4 cup bean sprouts

Optional croutons - 1 piece of rye or pumpernickel bread twice toasted and cut into pieces.

I love to buy those super huge packs of chicken breasts when they go on sale (I'm a thrifty cook!), cut the entire package into approximately 1 inch cubes, cook in a non-stick skillet with a squirt of Pam and a heavy layer of Mrs Dash Herb & Garlic seasoning. Once the chicken pieces are cooked through, I drain off any excess liquids that did not cook out and then place in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer. This way I can pull out small quantities of cooked chicken as needed for various recipes (and the Mrs Dash seasoning goes well in so many of my recipes).

So for this salad, I would snag 1-2 oz of frozen chicken pieces from the freezer place in the microwave for 30 seconds and my salad is well on it's way to being made in less than 5 minutes.

Once chicken is warmed, you mix the oil, vinegar and soy sauce to make your dressing. Place lettuce in your serving dish, layer all other ingredients, drizzle with dressing and VIOLA - quick, healthy, delicious salad.

Raisin Nut Bar

As I am preparing for our new baby to arrive (nesting), I found a stack of recipes I've not used in awhile and decided to share them. This is a healthy snacking favorite! My father-in-law loves how filling (and LARGE) these are and I like how quickly they can be made. This is a single serving size but is really large enough for 2 snacks, in my opinion.

1/4 tsp vanilla
5 tbls uncooked oatmeal
1 tsp raisins
4 egg whites
1 tsp safflower oil
1 tbls slivered almonds
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon, to taste

You could add a packet of splenda or use sweetened applesauce if you wanted to make a bit sweeter. I use homemade unsweetened applesauce and my applesauce tends to be sweeter than store bought unsweetened applesauce.

Combine all ingredients, spray microwave safe bowl with cooking spray and add mixture. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Continue cooking in 30 second increments until done. Let cool and eat. I would make larger batches and store in the refrigerator.

Please remember, this is health food...not a decadent dessert :)

Balsamic Chicken

This goes right along with the Dijon chicken as it is super simple and quick with minimal ingredients.

Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Cut chicken breasts into 4oz portions (a lot of chicken breasts found in the grocery are 11-12oz which is 3 full adult size portions per breast). Salt and pepper each chicken piece. Spray saute pan with cooking oil and and heat over medium high heat. Once pan is hot, add chicken pieces and cook until brown on each side and almost cooked through. Add balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and reduce. Careful not to over cook the chicken while the broth is reducing, if necessary remove the chicken from the pan and return to sauce once thickened.

I also double this sauce as my family loves the sticky sweetness of the balsamic.

Dijon Chicken

Super simple and quick with minimal ingredients.

Chicken breasts or tenderloins
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chicken broth
salt & pepper

Cut your chicken breast into 1-2 inch strips or use tenderloins as is. Salt and pepper each chicken piece. Spray saute pan with cooking oil and heat to medium high. When pan is hot, add chicken pieces and cook on both sides until chicken is brown and almost cooked through. Add chicken broth and Dijon mustard to saute pan with chicken. Stir until smooth and reduce until sauce thickens.

I actually double the sauce as my family loves this served over rice. This is a basic recipe that has good flavor but you can add your favorite herbs and spices to dress it up for your taste buds.

Mock BBQ Chicken Breasts

I used this recipe a couple years ago while I was cookig for a client who was on a diet called The Fat Flush. I truly love this diet and really enjoy the food, as well! This recipe is for Chicken breasts, wonderfully spiced, minus the ketchup, brown sugar, corn syrup, etc found in most BBQ sauces. So once again, a healthy alternative with all the flavor!


Chicken breasts, skinless (and possibly boneless)

Chicken broth

Cayenne, cumin, garlic and onion powder (I mix these in a small bowl rather than applying each one individually, but play with the mixture to suit your tastes, we don't do spicy so I have to go psaringly with the cayenne and light on the cumin). I would also add in some smoked paprika for a sweet smokey flavor (this spice wasn't available when I first started making this dish).


Sprinkle the cayenne, cumin, garlic and onion powder on both sides of the chicken. Place chicken in non stick pan, add broth to the pan until the breasts are half covered. Cover with a tight-fitting lid on medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Turn chicken pieces, cook until done.

Sometimes I have to add more broth to keep from burning the chicken if the pan gets dry. If you're not counting fat and calories, you could certainly use some olive oil.

Lamb and mashed root veggies

This is not a regular dinner for us as lamb is pretty expensive, but it is my husband's favorite and this is such a yummy and simple way to prepare lamb!

1 (3-4 pound) boneless leg of lamb
3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
3 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Puncture the leg of lamb with the tip of a knife just far enough to insert slivers of garlic into the holes. Mix together the dill, salt and rosemary, and rub over the leg of lamb. Place the lamb, fatty side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
Roast uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) for medium. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. The lamb will continue to cook a little bit, and the juices will set up better for carving.

My favorite addition to this lamb is mashed root veggies, as opposed to mashed potatoes. These root veggies are so healthy and do not scream for cream and butter like starchy mashed potatoes.

2 medium celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
4-6 large cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 of medium onion, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 T. parsley

1) Bring broth to boil in sauce pan. Add in everything but the parsley and cover. Simmer for 25 minutes or until veggies are soft.

2) Pour off any broth and hold onto it. Mash the veggies until they are consistency of mashed potatoes. Add back a little broth if veggies are too thick to mash well.

3) Garnish with parsley. Enjoy

Roasted Asparagus

This is sort of the same story as my Brussels Sprouts...I never thought I'd get my husband to eat this, but now he loves it! This veggie is simple, very quick and presents well!

You can use fresh or frozen asparagus. If using fresh asparagus, select spears that have purple tips and thin stalks; the thicker the stalk the woodier the texture. Cut or snap off the woody ends. If using frozen, I would suggest petite, whole spears and there is no need to thaw the small spears, they'll cook super quick in the oven.

Spread asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands, massaging the oil onto the asparagus to ensure even coating all around. Place in a 400 degree oven. Time with vary depending on size of stalk. Watch closely as thin and petite spears can take as few at 5 minutes while thicker stalks could take 10-15 minutes. You're looking for a tender stalks but not limp so don't overcook!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Kids and adults alike love these sweet potato fries! My mom buys sweet potatoes every time I visit so I can make these for her.

Peel your sweet potatoes and cut into wedge-type fries. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil. I use my hands and massage all the potatoes with the oil to ensure they're coated on all sides. Position potatoes in a single layer again and cook in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn all the potatoes, return back to the oven and finish roasting until potatoes are tender.

This roasting process really brings out the natural sweetness of the potato and couple with the oil you get a crispy outer with a soft inner and they're just wonderful!

Edamame

You an purchase these so there is no prep work, whatsoever. However, not all edamame are the same so pay close attention when purchasing. Edamame is green soy bean (literally in Japanese). You can purchase in the pod or shelled, (we prefer in the pod) fresh or frozen (we prefer frozen).

The reason I prefer frozen is most of what's available frozen has already been cooked (not all so read the package!!!). So preparing frozen, in the pod edamame is as simple as thawing (a microwave or rinsing in warm water can make quick work of this process), sprinkle with kosher salt and serve. My kids would prefer eating these to potato chips. You cannot eat the pod so use your teeth to rake the beans out of the pod and you get a tiny hint of salt from the outside of the pod.

If your edamame are not pre-cooked (whether fresh or frozen), simply toss them in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Salt and eat.

Buttercup Squash

OK, this has NOTHING to do with prep and everything to do with buttercup squash just being delicious! I do find it hard to locate in most grocery stores, but if you ask your produce guy or gal, I'm betting they can order it for you. Buttercup looks like an acorn squash but has a mottled looking skin rather than just the solid green-black skin.

Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and gunk. Turn upside on microwave safe plate and nuke until soft. Scoop from skin, pile into a bowl, add a bit of butter and tiny bit of salt to serve! You can also try it with a dash of ginger or cinnamon and brown sugar, but my family just prefers it plain. And since this is a winter squash it will store for a longer period of time than summer squashes. So when you find it in the store, don't hesitate to buy a couple and store in a cool, dark place.

Sauteed Spinach

This works for any greens. However, the tougher the green, such as a collard, the longer you would need to cook them. A soft green like spinach or beet greens cooks quickly. Spinach is especially nice because you can purchase baby spinach and never have to prep the greens, just open the bag and dump in the pan. If using a green with a tough spine, remove the spine and cut leaves into small strips.

In a saute pan over medium heat, bring olive oil to medium - medium high temperature, add minced garlic for 30 seconds then pile in the greens. If you have more greens than pan space, be patient and work them in as the greens begin to wilt. Add salt to taste, toss and cook just until wilting begins (just a minute or two). If you're cooking a heavier green, you may need to add a couple teaspoons of water and cover with a lid to cook until tender. Remove from pan and top with some fresh grated parmesan or I like vinegar on my greens.

This is a great way to try new greens to see which one you prefer. Greens have such varying flavors and I must say, I haven't found one I don't like.