Boiled Cabbage

For Christmas dinner we always have ham and cabbage. I don't cook them together like some people do. I don't like the cabbage taste in my ham or the ham taste in my cabbage. I make a really quick and simple boiled cabbage that tastes really good.

Growing up my family always did turkey and homemade noodles at Chirstmas. My husband's family did ham and cabbage. Since we have turkey and noodles at Thanksgiving I decided to go with the ham and cabbage for Christmas. My mother-in-law did cook her ham and cabbage together, so I did make a change from what my husband had grown up with, but he enjoys the way I make it.

1 Head of cabbage
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 beef bouillon cube

Cut or shred cabbage to desired size pieces. Place in large pan and cover halfway with water. Add bouillon cube, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir occaisonally over medium heat. I generally only cook this for about 5 minutes on medium heat, then lower heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. This gives the seasonings time to infuse the cabbage with their flavors, but not get the too mushy. I like mine with just a bit of the crispness left to the cabbage. Cooking time will vary for everyone depending on how you like your cabbage (crisp or mushy).

Sugar Cookies and Icing

With the holidays coming up, it's time to think about all the yummy snacks that come with this time of year. One of my faves is iced sugar cookies. Here is a simple, but tasty recipe for sugar cookies and icing.

Sugar cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix until just combined. Add flour and baking powder in intervals. Dough will seem as if doesn't have enough moisture but continue to mix with mixer until combined (it will come together when chilled). Divide the dough into four equal parts, shape into four disks, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate about an hour or until firm. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, about 1/4 inch thick for crispier cookies and 1/3 inch thick for softer cookies. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges just start to turn a golden color. For softer cookies, do not allow the cookies to take on color. Remove from oven, let cool for one minute and then transfer to wire rack. Allow cookie sheet to cool thoroughly before placing uncooked dough on it.

Cookie Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Stir sugar and milk together in a bowl until icing mixture is smooth; beat in corn syrup and vanilla until icing mixture is smooth and glossy in appearance. Add food coloring to desired shade. Ice cookie and set aside for the icing to harden.

Crockpot Chicken Supper

This is a really hardy dish that makes the most of flavor and fills you up. You can change they type of cheese to alter the flavor of this dish a bit if you like. Unlike a typical crockpot meal this is not a dish that you leave and let cook all day. Some of the steps require different cooking methods.

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
10 oz. jar four cheese Alfredo sauce
4 oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced Swiss cheese

Preparation:
In large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon and set aside in refrigerator.
In bacon drippings in skillet, cook chicken over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until light brown, turning once. Place in 4-6 quart slow cooker. Top with mushrooms. Pour alfredo sauce over mushrooms and chicken. Cover and cook on low setting for 4-5 hours, or until chicken registers 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
Top chicken with cheese slices and sprinkle with bacon. Cover and cook on high for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 servings

Egg Salad

I decided I was taking the fall thing too seriously. The ingredients didn't necessarily have to be related to fall or Halloween, just the overall presentation. So with that in mind I went with a classic. The egg salad sandwich. While most people think of egg salad as a lunch food, in our house it is a breakfast favorite.

My twist for Halloween was simply to use the Halloween cookie cutters to cut the finished sandwiches into fun, halloween shapes. I had thought of doing that sooner but I figured my kids might be a bit old for it at 12 and 14. They enjoyed it though because it brought back memories of when they were younger and I would do this for them all the time.

This is a really basic egg salad recipe. Sometimes it's best not to mess with a classic though.

INGREDIENTS:
4 Hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ cup Light Miracle Whip (you can use mayo if you prefer)
1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Onion, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons Lemon Juice
To taste: Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper (about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of each)

DIRECTIONS:
Gently toss the eggs and celery together in a medium-size bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper. Fold into the eggs and celery. Season to taste with salt & the ground black pepper. Chill for an hour or so before eating.

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Sweet Potato Pie

I got to have another lazy morning. I made Sweet Potato Pie yesterday afternoon and served it for breakfast this morning. I also served the kids vanilla yogurt on the side so I could at least pretend I wasn't giving them dessert for breakfast again.

I've noticed that most breakfast foods are packed with sugar or grease anyway so I don't think they are any healthier than this particular kind of pie. Anyway, sweet potato pie says fall to me. Now I just have one more day to get through of this crazy fall breakfast theme I have placed upon myself.

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup Mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
3 lightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie shell, Unbaked


Cream butter and brown sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in sweet potato and eggs. Add corn syrup, milk, salt and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until well set.

Apple Cider Syrup

I managed to come up with a fall breakfast that didn't involve pumpkin. The kids were thrilled about that. This was actually a pretty lazy breakfast for me. I served them frozen waffles. Yes, totally lazy and not great... I know. I almost never buy frozen waffles because they're... well, let's face it, they're not that good. They were on sale last week and there was a coupon and since they were practically free after that I couldn't pass up the deal. Since we had them I figured we might as well use them.

I did make the syrup though. This was my first ever attempt at making syrup. I was a bit nervous, but it was a success. It even made those frozen waffles taste good. Fitting with the fall theme for the week, I made Apple Cider Syrup.

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cup unsweetened apple cider

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

10 whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until thickened. It will have reduced to about 3/4 cup. Discard cloves and cinnamon stick. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Today's breakfast treat was pumpkin fluff dip. At first I thought it might be a little too dessert like to serve the kids for breakfast. Once I thought about it though I decided it was probably better for them than most breakfast cereals anyway. I served it with sliced apples and graham crackers to dip. This stuff is wonderful.

INGREDIENTS:
1 - 16oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 - 4oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 - 15oz can pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving. Serve with fruit or crackers.

Things were hectic this morning so I didn't get a chance to take a photo. I thought there would be some left and I could get a good shot after the kids had left for school. I was wrong. They gobbled it all up. I do think they are getting a bit tired of pumpkin though. I am going to have to find an alternative Halloween/fall themed breakfast for the next two days.

Pumkin Smoothie

I'm keeping with the whole Halloween/Fall theme this week at our house. Since I have two kids that are in school I can't do lunches and dinners are hit and miss with activities like hockey and school plays. So I make sure to do something good for breakfast each morning, even if it's something simple. This morning it was pumpkin smoothies.


I wasn't real sure about trying this one. The idea of a pumpkin smoothie was a bit odd at first but I thought what the heck. It turned out to be very tasty. A pleasant surprise.


INGREDIENTS:
1 banana
1 apple, peeled and diced
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk or low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinammon
(you can also add 4 graham cracker squares if you like a thicker smoothie or fiber one cereal for a thicker, healthier smoothie)


DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

I make these pancakes lightly spiced because of my young son. If you like, you can increase the spices or add others. I use whole wheat flour and skim milk in an attempt to make a healthier pancake. I made these for the first time this morning in honor of the start of Halloween week. They were a big hit.


INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 tsp baking pwder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups skim milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 TBSP apple butter
3 egg whites


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolk, pumpkin, brown sugar, and apple butter. Stir in milk until well-blended.
3. All at once, add milk mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Fold egg whites into batter.
5. Ladle batter by 1/4 cup amounts onto a preheated nonstick griddle lightly sprayed with cooking spray, Cook until evenly browned on both sides.


Recipe makes 20 pancakes (when the 1/4 cup measure is used).

Lagman

While we were in Kazakhstan adopting our son we got to try some really amazing foods. Our favorite of these was Lagman. It is a wonderful noodle dish that is a bit like spaghetti and yet completely different than spaghetti. Confused yet? It is like spaghetti in that it is a noodle dish with what we thought was a tomato based sauce on top of it. While the sauce does contain tomatoes they are really not the main ingredient.

The noodles in Lagman are much thicker than sphaghetti noodles. They are more of an egg noodle like you would find in chicken and noodles. I have heard of people trying to make lagman using packaged sphaghetti noodles but that is completely the wrong way to go. The noodles are what really make this dish what it is.

In the past year and a half I have tried a few Lagman recipes but none of them were quite like what we had in Kazakhstan. So I combined a few different recipes adding and removing ingredients until I came up with the following recipe. This makes a wonderful Lagman that was just like what we had in Kaz.

Lagman Recipe

Noodle dough:

4 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

Tudzuk (stew):
1/2 cup butter

4 cups thinly sliced onions

2 lbs. meat (lamb or beef)*

4 cups cubed potatoes

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

4 cups sliced tomatoes

1/4 cup minced garlic

2 cups red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

6 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 tbsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

16 cups (1 gallon) water

To make the dough, stir together the flour and salt, then make a well in the center. Whisk together the water and eggs, then pour this into the center of the flour. Stir the dough until a thick mass is formed, then turn out onto a smooth surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and pliable. Divide the dough into two pieces, then cover one of the pieces while you work with the other. Let the dough dry. Once dry, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, then cut into thin strips.

Begin to prepare the stew. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then saute the onions for ten minutes, until they turn light gold. Add the potatoes. Add the meat and fry until it gives off its juices. Add the carrots, tomatoes, garlic and red bell peppers; mix well and fry, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are half-cooked. Stir in the cabbage, salt and pepper, then cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are cooked through.

Boil the noodles for two minutes, then transfer them from the water to a colander. Drain the noodles, spoon a layer into each serving plate, and pour the stew on top of them; if you wish, you may add a second layer each of noodles and stew. Serve hot.

*I used flat iron steak to make my lagman and it worked wonderfully. I personally do not care for lamb but many traditional versions of lagman do use lamb.

This is not the best quality photo but it gives a good idea of what lagman should look like. (i need to work on my food photographing skills)

Photos

I haven't been posting photos of my recipes. I first started this blog simply for myself as a place to keep the recipes I love the most so I don't have to go digging through my recipe box or trying to remember which recipe was in which cookbook.

I want to start using this blog as a way to share my recipes. So.... I am going to start posting photos with the recipes. I may do a few posts of photos of foods I have already posted the recipe for and link back to the recipe.

I will probably also start adding some commentary to the posts and not just the recipe as well.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes

cilantro lime salsa

1 big ripe juicy tomato, or two medium, or three small.
About 2 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion.
1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro.
A little bit of chopped fresh chile. (Add a little and taste, if you want it spicier, add more.)
1/4 of a lime.
Salt

Chop the tomato and add it--juice skin and all--to a mixing bowl.
Add the chopped onion, chile and cilantro.
Squeeze your lime quarter into the mixture.
Add a pinch of salt and taste,

This salsa is all about balance, so taste it and think about whether the sour and the spicy and the savory are all in balance. You can add more lime juice, salt or chile to harmonize the flavors.
That's it. A very simple yet tasty salsa.

Home made tomato soup

TOMATO SOUP
14 quarts ripe tomatoes
14 tablespoons flour
7 medium-sized onions
14 tablespoons butter
1 stalk celery
3 tablespoons salt
14 sprigs parsley
8 tablespoons sugar
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons pepper
WASH; cut up tomatoes. Chop onions, celery, parsley, bay leaves. Add to tomatoes; cook until celery is tender. Put through sieve. Rub flour and butter into smooth paste thinned with tomato juice. Add to boiling soup; stir to prevent scorching. Add salt, sugar and pepper. For smoother consistency put through sieve again. Fill clean jars to within one inch of top of jar. Put on cap, screwing the band firmly tight. Process in water bath 15 minutes.

Six Layer Dinner

Ingredients:
2 - 3 medium sliced potatoes
2 cups sliced carrots
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 pound browned and drained ground beef
1 1/2 cups green beans
1 can tomato-soup

Instructions:
Lightly oil or spray baking dish with cooking spray. Layer ingredients in order given. Cover. Bake at 350 degree for 45 minutes or until tender and thoroughly heated. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

Note: For variation, use peas or corn instead of green beans. Use your favorite cream soup instead of tomato soup.

Nutrition Facts:
calories = 230
calories from fat = 60
total fat = 6grams
sat fat = 2.5g
trans fat = 0g
cholesterol = 65mg
sodium = 580 mg
total carbs = 17g
dietary fiber = 4g
sugars = 9g
protein = 25g

Egg Salad Recipe

This is an Indian twist on the deviled egg.

Ingredients:
6 eggs (fully boiled)
2 boiled Potatoes
1 Capsicum 1 onion (thinly sliced into rings)
1 Tomato (thinly sliced into rings)
2tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Finely Chopped coriander leaves

Directions:
Cut eggs into halves. Take out the yolk and mash with boiled potatoes. Mix salt, pepper, lemon juice and chopped coriander. Fill egg whites with the mixture. Serve the egg salad on a tray garnished with onion, tomatoes, chopped capsicum and coriander.

NAAN BREAD (Indian recipe)

Ingredients:

4 cups White Flour (Maida)
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Milk
1 tbsp Sugar
1 Egg
4 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Nigella seeds (Kalunji)

Directions:

• Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Mix the sugar, milk, eggs 2tbsp of oil in a bowl.
• Pour this into the center of the flour and knead adding water if necessary to form soft dough.
• Add the remaining oil, knead again, then cover with damp cloth and allow the dough to stand for 15 minutes. Knead the dough again and cover and leave for 2-3 hours.
• About half an before the naan are required, turn on the oven to maximum heat.
• Divide the dough into 8 balls and allow rest for 3-4 minutes.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet with nigella seeds and put it in the oven to heat while the dough is resting.
• Shape each ball of dough with the palms to make an oval shape.
• Bake the indian bread naan until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot.

I do not have nutritional info for this recipe

Strawberry Apple Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients
Salsa:
2 medium apples (Fuji or Gala preferred), chopped and peeled
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 medium Kiwi Fruit, peeled and chopped
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 Tbsp Splenda (or to taste)
2 Tbsp sugar free Strawberry preserves

Tortillas:
8 whole wheat tortillas
2 Tbsp melted Light butter or buttery spread
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
Pam buttery spray (optional)

Directions

Mix the fruits together with the Splenda and blend in food processor or chopper until consistency of salsa. Add the sugar free jam and mix. Chill.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the butter, honey, & cinnamon together.
Spray the tortillas with Pam spray if desired, and spread the buttery mixture on each tortilla and stack in 4's. Cut both stacks into 8 sections each.
Place carefully on cookie sheets which have been greased or sprayed with Pam spray.
Bake for about 4-6 minutes or just until slightly crisp. Watch very carefully so they don't get too crisp.
Cool slightly before serving with the chilled salsa.
Makes about 8 - 10 servings.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 91.5

• Total Fat: 2.2 g
• Cholesterol: 5.0 mg
• Sodium: 76.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 20.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g
• Protein: 1.0 g

Gatorade Smoothie

• 1 4 oz. container of strawberry nonfat yogurt
  
  
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
  
  
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
  
  
• 1 cup frozen cherries
  
  
• 2 cups orange juice
  
  
• 1 cup fruit punch Gatorade
  
  

Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO
Calories 138.4
Fat .7 grams
Carbohydrates 32.4 grams
Protein 2.5 grams

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
18 corn tortillas, medium
3 cups enchilada sauce
5 cups colby and monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the chicken in water until done. Drain & chop into small pieces.
Chop onion.
Spray a 13x9" pan with cooking spray.
Dip tortillas in the enchilada sauce one at a time, making sure they are completely covered with sauce.
Layer covered tortillas in the bottom of the pan, it should take six.
Add a layer of chicken, onion & cheese. You don't want the tortillas to be completely covered with any one of the ingredients but you should put about half of the chicken & onion & about 1/3 of the cheese.
Add a another layer of the tortillas dipped in sauce.
Press down gently all over the pan.
Add the remaining chicken, onion and cheese mixture.
Add remaining layer of tortillas dipped in sauce & press down gently again all over the pan.
Add the remaining cheese on the top.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, starting to brown and the casserole is hot all the way through.

Number of Servings: 16

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 16
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 268.7

• Total Fat: 10.7 g
• Cholesterol: 69.4 mg
• Sodium: 731.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 17.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
• Protein: 25.8 g

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1 medium banana, quartered
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup non-fat milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
serves 2

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 229.9
Fat: 9.4 g
Carbohydrates: 30.3 g
Protein: 9.7 g

Slow Cooker Fiesta Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
6 cups of Chicken Broth (Low Sodium & Fat Free)
3/4 lb Potatoes, peeled and diced
16 oz of Black Beans, drained
12 oz Corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 lb ham, diced
1/2 of an onion, diced
4 oz of chopped Jalapeno Peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp dried cilantro leaves
1 and 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
sour cream for garnish
diced green or red peppers for garnish


Directions
Throw all ingredients together (expept for garnish) in a crock-pot. Cover on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours. Garnish if desired.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 164.0

• Total Fat: 2.2 g
• Cholesterol: 10.8 mg
• Sodium: 899.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 26.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.7 g
• Protein: 11.8 g

Cream Chesse and Salsa Pinwheels

Ingredients

4 fat free white flour tortillas
8 tbsp light cream cheese
8 tbsp salsa

Directions
Let cream cheese sit out until room temperature. (For a quickie, you can put it in the microwave for a couple seconds until soft)
Mix cream cheese and salsa together until easily spreadable.
Place 2 tbsp of mixture on each of the 4 tortillas and spread across each entirely.
Secure with toothpick, place in refrigerator, and let chill. (the chilling may be omitted if preferred)
Remove rolls from refrigerator and slice to 1 inch thickness.
Makes 24 slices, serves approximately 4.


Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 125.0

• Total Fat: 3.3 g
• Cholesterol: 7.5 mg
• Sodium: 475.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 20.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
• Protein: 4.5 g

Light Coleslaw

Ingredients

3 cups finely shredded crisp green cabbage
1/4 cup minced onion
1 small carrot, shredded
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed

Directions

Put cabbage, onion and carrot in a bowl.
Prepare the dressing with the remaining ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Pour over cabbage and toss lightly. Serves 6

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 71.7

• Total Fat: 4.5 g
• Cholesterol: 3.4 mg
• Sodium: 299.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
• Protein: 0.8 g

Grilled Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Packets With Rice

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1/2 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 medium yellow pepper, cut into strips
1/2 medium red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small onion, cut into small wedges
1/2 cup (dry) white rice
1/2 cup (dry) brown rice

Directions
1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut four 18x12-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil; spray with cooking spray.
2. Cook rice according to directions.
3. On one side of each foil piece, place 1 chicken breast. Top each with 1 tablespoon sweet-and-sour sauce and one-fourth of the pineapple, bell pepper and onion. Top with remaining sauce.
4. Fold foil over chicken and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for heat expansion. 5. When grill is heated, place packets on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, rotating packets 1/2 turn after 10 minutes, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Place packets on plates. Cut Fold back foil. Serve over rice.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 541.3

• Total Fat: 3.6 g
• Cholesterol: 136.9 mg
• Sodium: 289.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 61.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 58.8 g

Seared Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 2 pork chops, about 3 oz. each (not including bone)
  
  
• olive oil
  
  
• salt
  
  
• pepper
  
  
• spices of your choice

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 450 F.

2. Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy, ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Lubricate your pork chops with the oil all over. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. Some good ones to try: cumin, coriander seed, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and chipotle pepper powder.

3. Sear the chops on each side in the pan until golden, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Then, put the skillet in the oven until the chops are cooked through.

4. Allow to rest for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 2.

Sweet Potato Custard

Serves: 6

Sweet potatoes and bananas combine to make flavorful, low-fat custard.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 2 small)
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 beaten egg yolks (or 1/3 cup egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, stir together sweet potato and banana.
2. Add milk, blending well.
3. Add brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt, mixing thoroughly.
4. Spray a 1-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer sweet potato mixture to casserole dish.
5. Combine raisins, sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over top of sweet potato mixture.
6. Bake in a preheated 325º F oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

NUTRITION INFO (per 1/2-cup serving)
Calories: 150.2
Fat: 5.3 g
Carbohydrates: 21.8 g
Protein: 4.4 g

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup salsa 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream Directions Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Pour salsa and soup over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve with rice. NOTES: You may use half the packet of taco seasoning (I have started doing this to reduce sodium content myself) Some slow cookers cook faster than others. Mine is a true slow cooker (have had it over 10 years.) The newer ones cook a bit faster and you may have to adjust your cooking time based on that! Number of Servings: 6 Nutritional Info Servings Per Recipe: 6 Amount Per Serving Calories: 157.2 Total Fat: 3.3 g Cholesterol: 63.4 mg Sodium: 654.2 mg Total Carbs: 6.7 g Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g Protein: 24.3 g

Banana Walnut Protein Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup white flour 1/2 cup wheat flour 1/3 cup vanilla protein mix 2/3 cup Splenda 1 cup milk 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup walnuts 2 tsp baking powder 1 beaten egg 2 bananas, mashed Directions Peel bananas, mash with fork. Mix ingredients and pour into muffin tin. Do not use paper muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Number of Servings: 12 Nutritional Info Servings Per Recipe: 12 Amount Per Serving Calories: 218.0 Total Fat: 13.8 g Cholesterol: 24.0 mg Sodium: 104.1 mg Total Carbs: 20.2 g Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g Protein: 5.5 g