Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

 2 lbs cut-up chicken

Sauce mixture

• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup hot sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce, Tabasco might be hotter)

Seasoning blend

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Dredging mixture

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat peanut oil in a large deep pot to 350°F (do not fill more than half full--you don't want a hot-oil spill-over accident!).
2. For sauce mixture: in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the water.
3. Add hot sauce and whisk together well.
4. Pour this mixture into a large plastic zip-top bag.
5. For seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
6. For dredging mixture: In a another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
7. Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel.
8. Cut breast pieces in half across ribs.
9. Sprinkle chicken generously on both sides with seasoning blend.
10. Drop a few chicken pieces of chicken into bag of sauce mixture and squish around to coat thoroughly.
11. One piece at a time, roll chicken in flour mixture and drop into hot oil.
12. Don't crowd chicken pieces--I cook about half the chicken at a time.
13. Fry chicken until brown and crisp.
14. Drain on paper toweling.
15. Dark meat will take about 14 minutes, white meat about 10 minutes.
16. Remember smaller pieces cook faster than the larger ones.
17. You can check for doneness by piercing to the bone in the thickest part with a fork.
18. If the juices run clear, it is done.

Tuna Patties

Ingredients:

2, 5 ounce cans StarKist Albacore Tuna in water
1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (I used Old Bay Seasoning Rub)
1/2 chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 egg whites
1/4 Panko bread crumbs (plain)

Recipe for Chipotle Mayo

1/4 cup Reduced-fat Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lime juice

Directions:

Open albacore tuna and drain the water from the tuna.

In a small bowl, combine albacore tuna, chopped onion, egg whites, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, pepper, and Panko bread crumbs. Mix well and form mixture into 4 equal size patties.

Spray a medium sized skillet with non-stick cooking spray and cook tuna patties over medium heat, turning occasionally to make sure both sides cook evenly.

Chipotle Mayo: 

In a small bowl, mix Miracle Whip, chili powder, and lime juice. Stir ingredients together until well mixed.

To serve, top tuna cakes with Chipotle Mayo.

Glazed Lemon Cookie

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

Lemon Glaze:

Ingredients:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice until smooth.

Cook's Note

Always zest the lemons (preferably with a Microplane tool) before juicing them. For orange- or lime-flavored cookies, substitute the zest and juice of those fruits.

Pork Tenderloin

 Ingredients:

1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Directions:

Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:

Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

Vegetable Pancakes With Basil Chive Cream

Ingredients:

Basil Chive Cream

3/4 c. Greek yogurt
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
salt to taste

Pancakes

2 zucchini, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 egg whites
olive oil



Directions:

Make Basil Chive Cream

In a bowl combine chopped basil, chives and salt. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Make Pancakes

Shred zucchini and carrots into a colander and toss with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes and then take handfuls at a time and squeeze all of the liquid out. Transfer the drained veggies to a large bowl and combine with flour, sugar, and pepper.

Using a stand mixer beat egg whites with salt until they form a stiff peak. Then fold them into the vegetable mixture.

Preheat a cast iron pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Work in batches spoon 1/4 c. mixture into pan and flatten with a spoon. Cook until golden brown about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove and place on paper towels to drain the excess oil and sprinkle with salt. Serve with a dollop of Basil Chive Cream.

Two-Ingredient Homemade Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup whipping cream 

Directions:





Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour and cream in a mixing bowl, stirring just until blended. (The dough will be a little stiff.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch cutter. Place biscuits close together on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

Homemade Blackberry Jam

Ingredients:

5 cups crushed blackberries (do not puree, crush with a potato masher)
7 cups sugar
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin (I use Ball but Sure Jell will work too)

Directions:

Carefully measure out the berries, put them into a very large pot (8qt). 

Carefully measure sugar in a lg bowl. 

Add the pectin to the berries a little at a time, stirring constantly. 

Heat on hi, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a FULL boil.

Add sugar ALL at once, stirring. 

Bring mixture back to a full hard boil, stirring constantly. 

Boil for 1 minute. 

Remove from heat and ladle into clean, hot 8oz jars, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. 

Wipe the rim of the jar and put canning lids and rings on fingertip tight.

Place in canner with very hot water, make sure water is 1 inch above jars.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. 

Remove and set them upright on a towel to set for 12 hours.

Old Fashion Pickled Peaches

Ingredients:

1 qt. of white vinegar
6 lbs. of white sugar
1 tbsp. of ground cloves
4 whole cinnamon sticks
6 qts. of small whole peaches (peeled)

Directions:

Cook vinegar and sugar together to make syrup.  Tie cloves in muslin bag and drop in syrup. Add cinnamon sticks.  Cook peeled peaches, a few at a time, in hot syrup until tender, remove. Repeat until all fruit is cooked.  Bring syrup to a boil;  remove from heat.  Add cooked fruit.  Cover and let stand overnight. Next day remove and discard muslin bag, pack peaches in clean quart jars to 1/2 inch from top of jar. Cover with syrup, put on lid and process in water-bather in simmering temperature (180 degrees) for 20 minutes. Makes about 4 quarts.  You can use whole cloves instead of ground cloves.

Pickled Avocados

 
Makes: 1 quart jar
 
Ingredients:

3 medium avocados
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon non-iodized sea salt, or kosher salt



Directions:

1. Cut the avocados in half, and remove the pits, then carefully peel away the skin from the fruit. Cut the avocados into large chunks and gently pack them into a clean glass quart jar.

2. Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

3. Pour the brine over the avocados in the jar. Wipe any vinegar spills from the jar rim with a clean towel or paper towel and gently screw the lid onto the jar.

4. Let the jar sit until it has cooled down. Once the jar is fairly cool, it should be put into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating to give the flavors time to meld. The avocados will keep, tightly sealed in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel

Ingredients:

1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

Just remove the label off the can and put into your slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water until it covers the can. Cook on low for 8 hours. Open can and you have yourself some pretty tasty caramel!

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

(Makes about 7 cups)

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced, frozen bananas
2 cups frozen, unsweetened strawberries
1/2 cup rice, almond, light coconut or regular milk (any milk will work)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until you have a “soft serve” consistency in your ice cream.

Note: You will have to take the lid off and scrape/move things around with a spatula several times through this process. It WILL get smooth, so don’t give up. Just keep blending and scraping.

Nutritional Content:

(Data is for 1 cup)
Calories: 94
Total Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 15 mg
Carbohydrates: 24 gm
Dietary fiber: 3 gm
Sugars: 12 gm
Protein: 1 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 8

Turkey Lasagna Cups

Ingredients:

6 egg roll wrappers
12 tablespoons canned Muir Glen® organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
6 tablespoons chopped cooked turkey
12 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 6 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

Line each muffin cup with 1 egg roll wrapper. In each wrapper, place 1 tablespoon each tomatoes, turkey and cheese. Fold excess egg roll wrapper over (like you would wrap a package). Top each with 1 tablespoon tomatoes and 1 tablespoon cheese.

The Best Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced into small bite sized pieces
1/2 regular package uncooked bacon, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 bunch celery, diced
8 cups milk
4 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes (use a cup of the hot potato water to dissolve, then use the cup of hot water in place of one of the above cups of water)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 bunch freshly chopped parsley
1 cup whipping cream

Garnish:

Shredded cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onions

Directions:

In large pot, boil potatoes in water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon fat and place on paper towel over plate to drain more. Add onion and celery to bacon pan over medium-high heat until celery is tender, about 5 minutes. To the large potato pan, add milk, water, bullion, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is very hot, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Do not let mixture boil. In small, heavy saucepan melt butter. Add flour and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture bubbles, stirring 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. While constantly stirring soup, add roux slowly until soup is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserved potatoes, and cream. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, onions or all three. Serve hot!

No Dough Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Topping:

1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers
Garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.

Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with cheese and toppings. Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Grilled Corn, Avocado And Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

•1 pint grape tomatoes
•1 ripe avocado
•2 ears of fresh sweet corn
•2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Honey Lime Dressing

•Juice of 1 lime
•3 tbsp vegetable oil
•1 tbsp honey
•Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
•1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool. Slice the tomatoes in half. Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

1. Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn and honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the avocados. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Enjoy.

Cheesecake Cake Batter Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white cake mix
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sprinkles
Graham Crackers for dipping

Directions:

Place cream cheese in your mixing bowl and beat on medium high speed for 3 minutes, or until it becomes light and whipped.

Bring speed down to medium and add the sour cream and vanilla, mix until incorporated. Slowly add the powdered sugar and cake mix to the bowl and mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then gently fold in the sprinkles.

Serve cold with graham crackers, pretzels, or fresh fruit slices.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

This is the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. oil
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Rainbow Layer Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

2 boxes Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® vanilla cake mix
2 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
6 eggs
2 packages (2.7 oz each) Betty Crocker® classic gel food colors

Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup shortening
1 cup butter, softened
1 bag (2 lb) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk


Directions:

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.

2 In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among 6 small bowls, about 1 1/3 cups each.

3 Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red, 1 bowl green, 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red).

4 Refrigerate 3 colors of batter until ready to bake. Pour remaining 3 colors of batter into cake pans.

5 Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center and begins to pull away from side of pan. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; cool completely.

6 Wash cake pans. Bake and cool remaining 3 cake layers as directed.

7 In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light yellow. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until frosting is smooth. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

8 Trim rounded tops off cakes to level, if needed. On serving plate, place purple cake layer. Spread with frosting to within 1/4 inch of edge. Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange and red cake layers. Spread light coat of frosting on top and side of cake to seal in crumbs, then frost with remaining frosting.

Expert Tips:

For a deeper red color, add a teaspoon or two of unsweetened baking cocoa to the red batter

If you only have two 8-inch cake pans, bake the cakes in three batches instead.

For even better protection against cakes sticking to the pans, line pans with cooking parchment paper cut to fit the pan.

Chicken Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

2 cans of low fat refrigerator crescents
1 can of healthy low sodium cream of chicken soup (26oz)
1 cup fat free cheddar cheese
2 boneless skinless chicken breast



Directions:

Boil the chicken breast then shred, roll out each individual crescent, place about a Tbsp of shredded chicken in center and roll it up.

Bake on 350 for about 5 minutes until just starting to turn golden. Pour Cream of chicken over the top bake an additional 10 min top with cheddar cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.

Pesto-Stuffed Portobello Pizza

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushroom caps
1/2 cup basil lemon pesto (recipe below)
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 campari tomatoes or other vine-ripened tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Using a soup spoon, scrape out gills from the underside of portobello caps and discard. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto in each mushroom cap. Top with mozzarella and tomato slices, enough to cover the top of each mushroom.

Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the mozzarella is melted and mushrooms are cooking but still hold their shape (about 10 minutes).

Basil Lemon Pesto

Ingredients:

3 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cups fresh basil leaves
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse garlic and pine nuts until chopped. Add the basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped.

While the processor is running, stream in olive oil until the pesto is blended and fairly smooth. Add Parmigiano Reggiano and pulse until combined. Pesto can be refrigerated covered for up to a week..

Low Fat Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix (any kind)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups Cool Whip, thawed (8 ounce container)
½ to 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and Cool Whip. The batter will be sticky!

Form dough into tablespoonfuls and roll in powdered sugar.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow to cool 1 minute on baking sheet; then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Prepare a 9x11 glass dish by buttering the bottom.
2. In heavy bottom sauce pan combine sugar and milk.
3. Measure and set aside remaining ingredients.
4. Cook over MEDIUM HEAT (temperature too high will cause it to reach temperature sooner and lead to overcooking) stirring occasionally till it comes to a boil then stir constantly.
5. Let boil for 4 minutes EXACTLY, over cooking leads to crumbly fudge as it has moved past softball stage and into softcrack (measure from the first sight of littlest bubbles or use a thermometer - softball stage) I use a stop watch. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in remaining ingredients till all melted and smooth.
7. Pour into prepared dish and refrigerate until firm.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
48 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. Beat together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another minute or so to combine. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Give the dough a final mix with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the flour is incorporated.

4. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (about 2 teaspoons worth of dough) and place in the cups of a miniature muffin pan (keep the dough in balls - do not press into the pan).

5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown and slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and immediately press a miniature peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie, pressing down so that the top of the peanut butter cup is even with the top of the cookie. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans, and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Mini Lasagnas

Ingredients:

12     oz ground turkey
1       medium onion, chopped
1/2    cup chopped mushrooms
1/4    teaspoon salt
1/4    teaspoon pepper
1       (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2       garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2    teaspoon dried basil
24     wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the ground turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper to a large skillet set over medium to medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, break the turkey up into small crumbles and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey has browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon of the oregano, and the red pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, the basil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

To assemble: Press 1 wonton wrapper into each well of the muffin pan - be sure to press them into the bottom and sides of the pan. Working with half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the wells of the pan evenly, pressing the ricotta into an even layer. Working with half of the tomato sauce, divide it among the wells of the pan, spreading in an even layer rather than mounding. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the mozzarella over the top of each mini lasagna. Press a second wonton wrapper onto each mini lasagna then repeat the process of layering using the second half of the ricotta mixture, the remaining half of the tomato sauce and finally two more teaspoons of the mozzarella per cup.

Bake the mini lasagnas for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack and let the mini lasagnas cool for a few minutes before removing them. Garnish with fresh basil before serving, if desired.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizza

That muffin pan is not just for cupcakes. Make these mini deep-dish pizzas using homemade or store-bought dough and your favorite toppings.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, for muffin pan
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Cook's Note

Standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. Nonstick pans are nice but not essential. Beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. Place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

Kale Cups

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped (8 to 10 cups)

1/2 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon miso, preferably white or yellow (optional)

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon lemon zest 

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, pulse kale until finely chopped. You’ll probably need to do this in two batches. Add kale to a large bowl along with ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, shallot, garlic, miso, thyme, lemon zest, nutmeg and chili flakes. Mix well until all the ricotta has blended in with the kale. Divide among 10 medium-sized muffin cups and bake 20 minutes. Let cool several minutes before unmolding.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and toast sesame seeds until golden, about 3 minutes. Serve kale cups with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds on top.

Switch Hits:

• Replace ricotta cheese with cottage cheese
• Use spinach or Swiss chard instead of kale
• Try using hemp seeds as a garnish

Edible Food Art

 

How about a Duck shaped Tomato?

 Healthy Bouquet

Banana Porpoises

Bassinet Fruit Basket

Apple McFries

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions:

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

White House Salad

Ingredients:

1 Head of Lettuce ( I prefer romaine lettuce)
1 cucumber
2 in season tomatoes
1 /4 Red Onion
1 bunch of basil
1/ 3 cup of Olive Oil (for dressing)
4 tbsp of lemon juice (for dressing)
1 tsp of honey (for dressing) 


Directions:

*Wash and dry the lettuce. Tear it into bite-size pieces. Peel the cucumber and cut it into bite-sized bits ( I like to keep the peel on for extra fiber). Wash the tomatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces. Peel the onion and slice it as thin as possible. Wash and chop the basil into large pieces.

*In a large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and basil. Toss together so the ingredients are well mixed.

*For the dressing: place the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the container and shake vigorously.* Add the dressing to the salad and toss. Serve right after tossing.

Sugar Free Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups blanched almonds (Optional)
3 (8 ounces each) packages of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar substitute
4 individual size packets of Stevia
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups light sour cream
Sugar free chocolate sauce
Sugar free caramel sauce
Macadamia nuts


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a spring form pan with cooking spray.

2. Optional: Finely chop almonds either in a food processor or place in a plastic storage bag and crush nuts with a kitchen mallet. Press nuts in the bottom of the pan to make a crust. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Nuts will be lightly browned when cooked. Remove from oven and cool.

3. Combine cream cheese, sugar substitute, and 2 packets of Stevia in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and whipping cream. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. The filling will be the consistency of pancake batter at this point.

5. Pour batter into the spring form pan. Place the spring form pan into a larger pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to come halfway to the side of the spring form pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

6. Remove cheesecake from the oven and cool while making the sour cream mixture.

7. Combine sour cream, 2 packs of stevia, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over the top of the cheesecake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Turn off oven. Slightly open the oven door and leave the cheesecake inside the oven for an hour.

8. Remove cheesecake from oven, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

9. Right before serving, heat chocolate sauce and caramel in separate bowls in the microwave. Chop macadamia nuts. Drizzle chocolate and caramel over the top of the cheesecake, then sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts. Release sides of spring form pan and place on a pretty serving dish.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained
4 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 t. black pepper
3 T. chopped green chilies
1 t. jalapeno peppers, diced (if desired)

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl.
2. Fold in other ingredients.
3. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve.
4. For a warm dip, heat in a baking dish at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and serve.
5. Makes 5 servings.

Five Cup Fruit Salad

 Ingredients:

1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup coconut
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Maraschino Cherries 

Directions:




Stir and chill about one hour

Low Fat Baked Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

12 square saltine (soda) crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons low fat plain yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from the jar)
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
hot pepper sauce to taste
salt to taste
1 pound fresh crab meat, picked over for shells & cartilage
2 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together saltines and parsley. Stir in the yogurt, red pepper, water, lime juice, 2 to 3 dashes of hot sauce, salt to taste, and the crab meat. Lightly mix the egg whites with a fork and stir them in. It is important that the mixture be thoroughly combined.

3. Using your hands, form 16 crab cakes and arrange them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning the crab cakes with a spatula after 6 minutes. The crab cakes are done when they are browned and cooked through.

Nutrition Facts (for two crab cakes)-Amount Per Serving of 2 crab cakes

Calories 146, Calories From Fat (17%) 25, Total Fat 2.8g, Sat Fat .5g, Cholesterol 33.7mg, Sodium

452mg, Carbohydrates 16.25g, Dietary Fiber 0.7g, Sugar 0.38g, Net Carbs 15.5g, Protein 13.39g

WW POINTS per serving of 2 crab cakes:

Points Plus Program: 4 Old Points Program

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped chicken, 
3 Tbsp Fuji apples chopped, 
2 Tbsp red grapes chopped, 
2 tsp honey, 
2 Tbsp almond butter. 

Directions:

Mix and wrap in a Romaine lettuce leaf.

Hash Brown Egg Nests

Ingredients:

1 box (5.2 oz) Betty Crocker® Seasoned Skillets® hash brown potatoes with hot water, salt and margarine called for on potato box
1/4 cup crumbled bacon or ham, if desired
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper 

Directions:


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 6 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

Make potatoes as directed on box. When done, place in medium bowl. Stir in crumbled bacon. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake about 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown on edges. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Crack 1 egg over each muffin cup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F about 18-20 minutes or until egg whites and yolks are firm, not runny. Cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin cups.

Broccoli And Cheddar Quiche With A Brown Rice Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
5 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces and blanched
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 green onions, sliced
1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
  
Directions:

Mix the rice, finely grated cheese and one egg in a bowl. Press the rice mixture into a pie plate, about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake in a preheated 180 (450 degree F) oven until the edges and bottom just start turning golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix the remaining eggs, milk, broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese and green onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Weight Watchers Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

¾ c. flour
¼ c. powdered sugar
3 T. chopped pecans
⅛ tsp. salt
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
2 T. canola oil
¾ c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
½ c. fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 T. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 inch square pan with nonstick spray.Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the butter and canola oil and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of the 8 inch pan and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce oven temperature to 325.

Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients ( through egg white) in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour over crust and bake for 20 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle squares evenly with 2 T. powdered sugar