Fried Apples Recipe

This is a simple little recipe which is great as a dessert or side for any meal. 

 It makes an especially good treat for Hanukkah!

Ingredients

Apples

cinnamon 

oil/butter

powder sugar

1/2 water

I made this just for myself so its a recipe for one but its easy to adjust for others.  I sliced and cored my apple (1).  I didn't peel because there are so many nutrients in the skin I hate to cut it off.  I do wash the apple with an organic cleaner.  Then in the frying pan I put in two tablespoons of olive oil but you can use butter or Pam.  Brown apples on both sides over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of water and lid to steam apples until crunchy tender.  Remove from stove and add cinnamon and powdered sugar to taste.  Enjoy!

Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe

Recently I found this recipe for homemade fabric softener.  So I thought I'd try and I share it with my readers.  Make sure you don't make the mistake I did with my first batch, by using shampoo.

Ingredient
6 cups boiling water
3 cups of distilled white vinegar
2 cups of conditioner (hair)


1.  In a large bowl, combine all three ingredients together and mix.  Whisk gently or you will get bubbles.

2.  Pour into your container and measure out as you would with store bought fabric softener.

Crustless Quiche GF

Crustless Quiche, gluten free

6 Eggs, beaten
1 cup bacon chopped cooked
1 Onion, chopped & lightly cooked
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 cup Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together & pour the mixture into greased muffin cups. (Fills around 18). Bake at 190’C/375’F, for 30 minutes until done. Allow to cool & then gently remove from cups.  (I greased my muffin tin but they stuck so, next time I will use cupcake papers.)

Other items to add.
sausage
ham
drained spinach
broccoli
left over baked potato, chopped or shedded
taco meat
bell pepper
mushrooms
frozen shedded hasbrown potatoes

Corn Dip Recipe

Yummy corn dip will be the hit at your next party or family gathering.

Ingredients

2 cans of  sweet corn, drained

1 can of hot Rotel tomatoes and chilies, drained

1 can of original Rotel tomatoes and chilies, drained

1 red onion chopped

1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese

Helman's mayonnaise add to taste

Fritos corn chips for dipping

Mix first 5 ingredients in bowl and add mayonnaise to moisten dip.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve with Fritos.  Enjoy.

Electrolyte Water Recipe

The temperatures are already soaring in the triple digits.  Our bodies require plenty of water to prevent dehydration.  Electrolytes also to help in the prevention of dehydration. There are many drinks that already come enhanced with electrolytes but they are full sugar.  I personally am not fond of sweetened drinks so I have found some recipes for electrolyte water.  Before workouts is another time when you need to replenish your electrolytes to prevent dehydration.

Ingredients
1 liter of water
1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 tbsp of agave nectar
1/2 tbsp of sea salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in water bottle and sip during workout as needed, or when ever you are going to be outdoors in this three digit temperatures.

Another version

1 L water

1/4 tsp. salt,

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tbsp. sugar or honey.

Irish Roast with Cabbage

 Original recipe: Cabbage on the bottom, red bliss potatoes stuffed into the nooks and crannies, slab of corned beef on top sprinkled with pickling spices and then one or two bottles of Juengling lager. I use a cast iron dutch oven that's been the family for decades and is well seasoned and slap on the cast iron lid and let it simmer til done...fork tender.

My version since I didn't have all the ingredients  was to use a chuck roast and  just add a can of beer and pickling spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and dill weed and dill seeds, pepper.  I thickened the broth with corn starch for a nice thick gravy.  I also added carrots to my roast too.

Very tasty and different, since my family never made real Irish food or Mexican food from my heritage.  So now as an adult I'm learning to may more ethnic foods.

Thank you Carolyn Brown Sadowski for the recipe!

Citrus Heavenly Juice Recipe

This is a wonderful heavenly juice.

Ingredients

1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 carrot
2 handfuls of spinach
3 cups of water


Wash all vegetables, buy organic when you can.  Chop  carrot in small pieces. Remove rind from orange and grapefruit, try to keep some of the white part of these fruits.  Put carrot in blender first and chop.  Then add peeled orange and grapefruit, puree.  Add 2 cups of water and blend.  Add spinach and another cup of water.  Blender all together until really smooth.  Store left overs in glass in refrigerator for only one day.  This should make about 4 large glasses of juice with pulp.

Enjoy this refreshing juice!

Citrus Delight Recipe

Since starting this quest to get more fruits and vegetables into my diet the healthy way.  I have decided to juice.  I will be sharing my findings with my readers and the recipes I try.

This is the first recipe I tried.

Citrus Delight

1 orange
1/4 grapefruit
1/4 lemon


Chop all ingredients and put into blender, be sure to remove the rind.  Blend on high.  I found the best blender to use is Ninja blender and food processor.  Of course a real juice will work great but are really expensive and why waste the pulp, its all good for you.

This was really tasty but not enough.  I personally don't really juice but puree and then add water so its more drinkable.  This first recipe just drank it as it was juice, pulp and all.  I didn't add water but will next time.

Source: fernsnutrition.com

Happy Juicing!

Sofrito Recipe

Sofrito is the secret ingredient in many Latin Caribbean dishes and it's so easy to make. It's a versatile, aromatic puree of  peppers, cilantro, onions, and garlic. You may use a food processor or blender for desired reults. This recipe makes about 1 quart of sofrito.  (this is the Puerto Rican version)
Ingredients

• 2 medium green peppers, seeds removed
• 1 red sweet pepper, seeds removed
• 2 medium onions, peeled
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves

Peel garlic and chop ingredients into sizes that are small enough to fit into a food processor or blender.  Place the chopped ingredients into a food processor or blender.

Tip: If you find it necessary to add liquid, you may add water or oilive oil a tablespoon at a time
Blend together all ingredients well.  For immediate use, store in a glass container. Plastic containers are not ideal because plastic will absorb the odor of garlic and onions.
For future use, freeze sofrito in 1/4 to 1/2 cup portions for use at any time; I put it in ice cube trays and use about 2-3 cubes for recipes.

I use it in taco meat, meat dips, meat balls, meatloaf, eggs, etc.  It's great in just about every dish.

source: About.com

The Best Homemade Popcorn

Apparently, my family thinks I make the best homemade popcorn in town. 

So I thought would share my recipe with my readers.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons oil

1/3 cup corn kernels

sea salt, season to taste

parmesan cheese,  dried in shaker bottle

I pop corn on the stovetop and use 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of canola oil.  I add 1/3 cup of pop corn and cover with lid and use the hightest heat. When they start to pop, then shake pan vigorously back and forth on burn until the popping dies down.  As soon as it stops popping I pour it into a bowl.  But only half of the batch I pour into a bowl and sprinkle sea salt and parmesan cheese over the pop corn in the bowl.  Add the rest of the pop corn and sprinkle sea salt and parmesan cheese on the rest.  Shake lightly and serve.

Shortbread Cookies- GF

Going gluten free during the holidays can be hard  to do and  we need to have tasty substitutes too.

 Here is a good recipe just in time for the holidays.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing confectioners' sugar
1 cup rice flour
3/4 cup butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Sift cornstarch, sugar and rice flour together.  Add in the butter and mix with hands until soft dough forms. Refrigerate for one hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1-1/4 inches apart on greased cookie sheet; flatten with lightly floured fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Variations:
Form balls as above. Roll in finely crushed corn flakes or crushed nuts. Press top of ball with thumb. Add a dab of jelly.

Mix in 2 tablespoons finely chopped peel and/or 2 tablespoons finely chopped nuts. Flatten with lightly floured fork.

Source: glutenfreeclub.com

Gluten Free Pecan Crust Recipe

This is pie crust is great for pumpkin pie, but it can be used for other custard/pudding fillings. It really helps to start out with pecans from the freezer, because then the butter blends through but quickly sets up so the "mass" is pliable.

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup pecan pieces (frozen)
2 T melted butter
2 T sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener of your choice

Preparation:
1. Take pecans out of the freezer and measure them into a food processor (you can use a blender, but be careful not to blend them down too small). Pulse the processor until the largest pieces are as big as lentils or split peas.

2. Add the butter and the sweetener . Blend until it's mixed evenly.

3. Dump it into a pie pan, and push with your fingers to cover the bottom and sides. It should be the right consistency to mold the crust to the pie pan evenly.

Nutritional Analysis: Whole crust is 4.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 10.5 grams fiber, 10 grams of protein, 101 grams fat, 950 calories.


Source: about.com/lowcarbdiet

Chinese Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 green onions, as desired
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed (olive or canola)
• 4 cups cold cooked rice
• 1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce , as desired
• frozen peas and carrots or mixed vegetables.

Preparation:

Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons oil.  Add green onions and vegetables and cook until ligthly cooked and still crisp. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce  as desired.  Add lots of garlic powder and onion powder to taste.

When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

Add optional : turkey bacon or pork bacon  cooked  and broken into pieces and  cooked chicken cubed or beef. Then this will be come a whole meal. 

Puerto Rican Hamburger Dip Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
Adobo  (seasoning)
Sofrito  (vegetable paste)
Sazon ( seasoning, use  if you have it)
onion, chopped
sour cream
 2 avocados , chopped

The sofrito will be the first thing you put on the pan, then you add the meat and seasoned the meat with adobo. Once is done I add the onions, sour cream and avocado. thats it! If you want you can add a little bit of tomato paste but is not a necessity. If you don't  avocado its still great with just the other ingredients.
Adobo has salt so be careful to not add too much.  But if you want extra flavor you can add garlic powder, onion powder and pepper, all of these are in Adobo but with out the extra salt.)

Serve with chips, tortilla chips are the best but potato chips are good too.


Many grocery stores carry these items in the big cities, if not look at International  Food Stores, which is where I found mine.  

Squash Fries?

Now the idea of squash fries sounds gross but its really tasty.  My daughter is doing Weight Watchers and learning about all these great recipes.  I love squash but have not tried all of the varieties.  Recently I've had acorn, spaghetti and now butternut squash.

This recipe is easy.  Just wash your butternut squash and then peel the skin off like a potato with a peeler.  Then cut them up like french fries.  Bake them in the oven 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Spray pan and fries with PAM, (low calorie spray oil).  They taste like regular fries and are great dipped in ketsup.

Mini Salmon Loaf

Ingredients
1 egg OR 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons fat-free milk
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 cup soft multi-grain or whole wheat bread crumbs (about 2 slices bread)
1 can (14.75 oz.) or 2 cans (7.5 oz. each) traditional pack Alaska salmon OR 2 cans or pouches (6 to 7.1 oz. each) skinless, boneless salmon, drained and chunked
1/2 cup favorite salsa, catsup, or Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F. Spray-coat a shallow baking dish. In mixing bowl, blend egg, milk, dried onion, dill weed, and lemon pepper. Blend in bread crumbs, then salmon. Divide salmon mixture into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a 4 x 2-inch mini-loaf. Place loaves in dish and lightly spray tops with cooking spray to aid browning. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm loaves with 2 tablespoons favorite sauce for dipping or topping.

Makes 4 servings (4 loaves).  (40 Minute Meal)

Nutrients per serving: 254 calories
Source:  Alaska Seafood

Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe - WW 0 pts.

Pico de gallo is a condiment like a salsa that is made with fresh chopped tomatoes, onions and chilies. It can be used just like a salsa for dipping tortilla chips into or as a side dish or a condiment. One advantage that it has over salsas is that there is less liquid and that makes it a perfect filling for tacos and burritos etc.
I just love Pico and put lots on all my foods, just can't get enough.  For those of you who don't like hot  spicy foods just leave off the chile peppers, it will still be really good.


Ingredients:

- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped

- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

- 2 chile peppers, mild or hot, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalapeno)

- 2 tbsp chopped bell pepper

- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (no stems)

- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

- salt and pepper, to taste



Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients.


Entire recipe makes 4 servings, Serving size is approx 1/2 cup, each serving = 0 point value

Source: Closet Cooking

Egg Salad Sandwich WW 2.5 pts

Just the other day I wanted to do something with all those left over Easter eggs. I wanted to make egg salad but all the recipes were for more points than I wanted to have just in my sandwich. I have limited amount of points on weight watchers because I'm not really big just 15 pounds over my ideal weight. So my meals need to be very low points so I could loose weight. I decided I would make my own recipe and count up all the points for a total. Also for more quantity of food I have a green salad with low fat dressing. My favorite is 1 TBS. of Balsamic Vinegar and 1 tsp. of Olive Oil.

Egg Salad

3 hard boiled egg whites
1/2 stalk of celery chopped
1 TBS. of pickel relish or half of pickle dill (chopped)
1 green onion chopped
1/2 TBS. low fat mayo
1 TBS. mustard

2 slices of bread whole wheat low calorie

Chopped all the ingredients first before mixing. Then mix all your ingredients in a bowl and put on your bread. You will have more than enough for your sandwich just I just eat the rest.



(I use Nature's Own whole wheat, 2 slices = 100 calories and 4 fibers = 1pt or use Wonder Bread light which equals 2 slices for 1 pt. The mayo I use is Helman's Canola. I used spicy mustard, same calories but more flavor.)

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies, 45 Cal. 1pt.

Yesterday on the Dr. Oz show they had this yummy recipe.  Everyone who tried it just loved it.  So I've included it in my recipes.

Makes 20 cookies

1 serving: 45 calories

Ingredients

½ tsp vanilla extract
¹⁄³ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp light agave syrup
3 large egg whites
1½ cups granulated artificial sweetner
¼ cup dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs
¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine vanilla, cocoa, cannellini beans, and the agave syrup, and blend the mixture until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl halfway through blending.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the artificial sweetner. Continue to beat the whites until they are creamy and nearly stiff. Add 1/3 of the egg-white mixture to the cocoa bean mixture in the food processor. Blend to combine, for about 30 seconds. In 2 batches, fold the lightened cocoa mixture into the egg whites until they are almost fully combined. Add cacao nibs to the batter. Fold batter until cacao nibs are evenly dispersed and cocoa mixture is completely incorporated.

Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form cookies about 2½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one turn halfway through baking. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool
1.4 g fat, 2 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 32 mg sodium

by Rocco, and his new book is called Now Eat This!

WW Brownies 1 pt.

Ingredients

1 box duncan hines brownie mix

1 15.5 oz can of black beans

Instructions


Puree beans in blender or processor then add them to dry mix and blend well. Pour batter into pan and bake for 26-28 minutes on 350 degrees...don't add anything but the beans to the dry mix. Cut into 24 pieces for one point each.  

If you make them in mini muffin tins and make 48 they will be 1/2 pt. each.  These are good and my grandkids even like them.  Also any brownie mix will work.  This works best if you rinse the beans in the can and fill the can up with water before you grind them up.

Source: Weight watchers.com