Smashed Potato Gratin

Ingredients
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated Cheddar
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 bunch chives

Directions
Cut the potatoes into quarters and place in a large saucepan with the garlic cloves. Fill the pot with water and season generously with salt. Taste the water, it should taste salty. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat and cook the potatoes until they are fork tender. (A fork, not a knife should slide in and out easily.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the potatoes are tender, drain the water from them and return the potatoes and garlic to the pan. Add the milk and sour cream. Using a potato masher or big spoon, gently mash the potatoes. Stir in the Cheddar, then taste and season with salt, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Combine the panko, grated Parmesan and the cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the top of the potato mixture and bake until hot all the way through and is crispy and brown on top, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Patti’s Notes: The only alteration I made was Fage 0 Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream and I didn’t add the chopped chives. Since I had people at Christmas Eve Dinner at the upper edge of 80 I used a very little pinch of cayenne pepper. I would have liked it with a bigger pinch.
I also doubled the recipe and took the extra pan to my Brother-in-Laws for our Christmas Day meal.
One of the comments on the Food Network web-site said she used the leftovers for potato pancakes. Now THAT’S a great idea!

Health-o-Meter: Well there isn’t any butter added, how’s that? You don’t need butter with Yukon Gold potatoes, they are already buttery tasting. The Greek Yogurt adds more protein and less fat than sour cream. Low fat cheddar would probably work well.

Easy Meter: PDN (pretty darn easy). Easier than regular mashed potatoes since you don’t need to wash the mixer!

~Source, Anne Burrell, Food Network Sorry, I didn’t get a picture of the finished product. Too much going on when dinner was ready.

Cranberry Relish

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw cranberries, washed

2 peeled and cored tart apples 

1 large seedless orange, peel ON, cut into sections 

1 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you would like it)

METHOD 1 Grinder: Set up the grinder with a medium-sized blade on the edge of a table with a large roasting pan or bowl to catch the mix as it grinds. These old fashioned grinders tend to leak some of the juice down the grinder base, so you may want to set up an additional pan on the floor under the grinder to catch the drips. If you don't have an old-fashioned grinder you can use a grinder attachment on a KitchenAid mixer (which is what I used). Run fruit through a grinder. Use the entire (seedless) orange, peels, pith and all. Mix in the sugar. 

METHOD 2 Food Processor: Put apples and orange in food processor bowl and pulse a few times until you have large pieces.  Add cranberries.  Pulse a few times until everything is chopped.  Add sugar and pulse once or twice.  

Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups.

Patti’s Notes: The first time I made it I used the grinder because that was what the recipe called for.  Thereafter I've used the food processor because it is way less messy. I used two different types of apples because I always think that’s a good idea. Usually a red and a green. I start with one cup of sugar which is typically enough unless your fruit was super tart.  Then add a little at a time to your preferred level of sweetness. It was pretty delicious and all that citrus is refreshing.
When I make this on holidays I put it in a crystal bowl in the center of a plate and surround it with canned cranberry sauce for those who prefer it.  It makes a very pretty presentation. 

Healthy Meter: Cranberries are packed full of antioxidants and the entire recipe rates high in the Vitamin C category not to mention the raw craze. Cranberries are normally too tart to eat raw but combined with the apple, orange and sugar the tartness meter would register tangy. I could say its all natural ingredients; however I prefer not to consume that much sugar. Sugar substitutes would probably work just fine but since I’ve give up chemicals as much as possible that’s a bit of a challenge. That being said its a relish so you don't really eat that much of it per serving, therefore the sugar overload probably isn't really all that bad. 

Easy Meter: Pretty easy with the KitchenAid although it does make a bit of a mess as the juice tends to leak. Super easy with the food processor. 

 ~Source: altered from Simply Recipes 

Cream Cheese and Jelly Cookies (with Apricot Brandy Glaze – not part of original recipe)

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Your favorite jelly or jam

Preparation
Blend together softened cream cheese and butter. Add flour and salt and mix just until smooth and fully incorporated. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight.
Remove from fridge 15-30 minutes prior to rolling out. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll out one piece at a time on a floured surface until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut into square shapes. Place a small amount of jam in the middle of the square and fold over to make a triangle. Seal and crimp the edges by pressing down lightly with fork tines dipped in water.
Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Patti’s Notes: Where to begin? Notice it says “cut into squares” but it doesn’t say what size squares? I figured since they were ‘cookies’ and not turnovers, a 3” square would probably work. Press the dough together slightly by pinching prior to using the fork to seal because if you don’t the jam will try to escape. It’s not necessary to dip the fork tines in water. Also notice there is no sugar in the dough? When they came out of the oven I thought they were very bland and in need of a glaze. I melted a couple of teaspoons of the apricot jam in the microwave, added a couple of teaspoons of brandy (okay maybe a splash more) and about a half cup of powder sugar to form a glaze. I used a pasty brush to paint the glaze on the cookies. That was EXACTLY what they needed. They turned out pretty good.

Easy Meter: PITA (Pain in the @$$)

Health-o-Meter: I made the recipe as is because they were for Christmas but I imagine they could be lightened up by using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter for Baking, light cream cheese and sugar free jam.

~Source: Rachael Ray’s friend Jenn

Lemon Pistachio Wreaths

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
5 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions
Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a generous 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round fluted cutter, cut out wreaths. Reroll scraps, and cut out. Cut out centers of wreaths using a 7/8-inch round cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until just golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
Stir together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Dip surface of each cookie in icing, and sprinkle with pistachios. Let set on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.
.
Patti’s Notes: I was a little nervous about all that cornstarch but Martha knows what she's doing because they came out great. I made them exactly as written except the pistachios I had were salted. The salty, sweet and tart turned out to be a really good combo (IMO). Funny note about the 7/8 inch cookie cutter. I didn’t have one and couldn’t find one in the few stores I checked. I asked Paul if he had anything in the garage that I could use. He looked around and said no. I figured there had to be SOMETHING I could us. Bingo, full drawer of socket sets.

Who knew I’d find such a great assortment of cookie cutters in the man cave?

Easy Meter: Middle of the road with all the cookie cutter, glazing activity.

Health-o-Meter: Real butter and sugar. Proceed with caution.

.

~Source: Martha Stewart

Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen
.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, separated, each part lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted skinned hazelnuts, ground
Strawberry jam, for filling

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. [not until you start rolling the refrigerated dough]

Put butter and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and mix well. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
Stir together toasted hazelnuts and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; dip balls in egg white, then in hazelnut-sugar mixture. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press down center of each ball with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; press down centers again with the end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven. Bake cookies until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Fill each center with jam. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Patti’s Notes: I couldn’t find hazelnuts (at Christmas time, go figure) so I added 2 teaspoons of hazelnut syrup to the dough, no nuts around the edges. Instead of jam I put Nutella in the centers. De-lish!
Martha says they’ll last 2 days but the ones I left out are now 4 days old and just fine. The rest are in the freezer.

Easy Meter: Not difficult, just time consuming.

Health-o-Meter: Not so much. These are fully loaded, not reduced fat, sugar or calories. That being said I’ve seen the Nutella commercial where the mom is giving her children Nutella on toast for breakfast because it’s “good for you”.
Eat at your own risk.

~Source: Martha Stewart

Apple Pie in a Jar

6 Canning Jars (1/2 pint each)

Basic Pie Crust
12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (1.5 sticks)
1/3 Cup Crisco

3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
6 to 8 Tablespoons Ice Water

Cut butter and shortening into cubes and return to the refrigerator while preparing the flour.
Place flour, salt and sugar in bowl and mix together with a wire whisk. Add butter and shortening. Pulse in food processor or cut together with a pastry cutter or two butter knifes. (Food processor is the fastest and easiest way but I don’t have one so I use knives which work well, it’s just a little time consuming). Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to form a ball. The amount will vary depending on how much moisture is in the air.
When not using a food processor, add a tablespoon of water and mix with a fork, pushing the mixed portion over and adding another tablespoon of water and mixing and adding to the previously mixed part until it makes a ball. It will be a little crumbly, not sticky or perfectly smooth. Put pastry dough on floured surface and form a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
In the meantime make the filling.

Somebody’s Mama’s Apple Pie
9 Apples, two different kind, one being Granny Smith.
¾ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Corn Starch
Dash of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Allspice
½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ Cup Apple Juice
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Peel, core and ‘chip’ the apples. See photo below. Chipping makes the apples fit better into the crust. In separate bowl combine sugar, corn starch, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Mix with wire whisk. Add to chipped apples. Add apple juice and lemon juice and mix well.

Flour your work surface and cut pie dough into three pieces* (each piece to cover the insides of two jars). Using the lid of the jar as a cookie cutter, cut out dough for the bottom of the jar. Cut dough into strips and line the sides of the jars. Pinch edges together to form a seam. Don't squish it too much because you want the crust to stay flaky when it bakes.
Fill jars with apple mixture leaving about ½ inch at the top and add crumb topping.
*ETA- if using this recipe for regular pie crust, cut in half and roll out two crusts (one bottom crust and one top crust).

Crumb Topping
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Oats
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Cold Butter

.

Mix sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Cut in butter.

Put lids on and freeze.

To bake, remove lid and place jar on cookie sheet. Place in cold oven and turn oven temp to 375°. Bake 55-60 minutes. Eat directly from jar.

Patti’s Notes:
Pie Crust: the trick is to use really cold butter, shortening and water. When handling the dough work quickly so the heat in your hands won’t warm it up.
Apple Filling: I used 5 Granny Smith and 4 Honey Crisp Apples. I didn’t have apple juice so I used unsweetened applesauce.
Topping: I used crumb topping but you could make pie crust toppings with a vent for steam. See pictures of ideas in link below.

Baking: the Our*Best*Bites lady says she puts them directly from the freezer into a pre-heated oven. Comments from people worried about shattering. O*B*B says she’s made over 100 and has never had one break, however if you are nervous about it, put them in a cold oven and bring the oven and the jars to temperature. If you are super nervous than defrost them first and reduce the baking time to about 45 minutes. I like the cold oven idea.

I’ve giving them as Christmas gifts.
2 frozen pie jars and one pint vanilla ice cream.

Easy Meter: not quite easy as pie, but cute as pie, that’s for sure.

Health-o-Meter: Not so much. These are fully loaded, not reduced fat, sugar or calories. But hey, apples are good for you, right?

~Source: (of the idea but not the recipes for the crust or the filling):
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/single-serving-pie-in-jar.html
This also works for other kinds of ‘crust pies’ like berry, cherry, peach, etc. even pot pies.
Have fun with it.

Pasta Al Forno

1 lb rigatoni pasta
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large eggplant, cubed
15 infornate olives, pitted and chopped
10 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 dried chili pepper, crushed (optional)
1 (25 oz) jar of tomato puree
12 oz freshly grated mozzarella
smoked scamorza cheese, as much as desired, roughly chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°
While the rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan heat up olive oil and sauté garlic, eggplant, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and chili peppers for a few minutes. Add tomato puree and salt. Let cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat.
Drain rigatoni, add to the saucepan and cook for another 30 seconds.
Place half the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding a layer of half of the mozzarella, half of the scamorza over the pasta.
Add the remaining rigatoni, and follow with a final layer of all the cheeses. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

~Source: David Rocco, Cooking Channel

Patti’s Notes: I used penne instead of rigatoni, less EVOO, more garlic (4 cloves instead of 2). I have no idea what infornate olives are so I used kalamata. I couldn’t find scamorza cheese at my market so I used provolone. I was fortunate to have a jar of tomatoes from Kristie (and they were fantastic). I didn’t have dried chili peppers so I used red pepper flakes. Next time I’ll use a little more.
The recipe says “serves 4”, however that must be 4 linebackers. It made a huge pan. We had leftovers twice and I still froze about half of it. This was good however I think next time I would add cooked ground beef or sausage.

Tip of the Day: I buy olives at the olive bar in my market. That way I can buy exactly the amount I need for the recipe and not a whole jar.

Pumpkin Muffins

Recipe as found on Cooking Light:
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Makes 18 muffins.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.
Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.
Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 164, Fat: 3.5g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.9g), Protein: 3.5g, Carbohydrate: 29.7g, Fiber: 1g.

Patti’s Notes: The reviews were good but many comments about them not being spicy enough so I increased spice.
I’m not opposed to using eggs but I didn’t have any and I don’t want to buy any until the produce farm opens again in November where I can get them straight from the chickens. I searched for substitutes and these three sounded the most interesting to me:

½ banana and ¼ teaspoon baking powder
or
2 tablespoons applesauce
or
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

They also said not to sub more than 2 eggs when baking.
I decided not to use mayo because I didn’t want to increase the fat content. I ended up with a combo. I used 2 T unsweetened applesauce for the whole egg and 1/4 banana with 1/8 t baking powder for the egg white. I did it that way because they already had baking powder in the recipe. They came out great!

My substitutions:
Instead of 1 cup sugar I used ½ cup sugar and ½ cup Splenda Granulated;
Increased spice to 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice;
Instead of ff sour cream I used Fage 0 Greek Yogurt;
Instead of ff milk I used unsweetened Almond Breeze;
Instead of veggie oil I used canola;
I increased the vanilla to 1 ½ teaspoons;
See above for egg substitutes;
I added about a tablespoon of flax seed (I didn’t measure);
I had to add a splash of almond milk (maybe 2 tablespoons) because the matter seemed a little too firm;
For the topping I used 1 tablespoon each white and brown sugar plus I added about ½ cup chopped pecans to the sugar mix before topping the muffins.

They were perfectly done in the 25 minute suggested time frame.
These came out nice and fluffy, like a cross between a cupcake and a muffin.
Very delicious.

~Source: Cooking Light

I use the foil muffin cups instead of muffin pans.

Above: All dressed up and ready to bake.

Below: fresh out of the oven.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup with Short Ribs

Ingredients:

2 pounds Short Ribs
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
½ White Onion, diced
1 can (35 oz) Tomatoes (diced, stewed, whatever you have)
I small head of Cabbage, shredded
1 ½ to 2 quarts of Water
4 oz Unsweetened Applesauce
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Lemon Juice

Instructions:

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and place in pot over medium-high heat. Sear until browned on both sides. Remove meat. Add oil and sliced onion to hot pot. Sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes to onions and stir a few minutes until juices start to boil. Add half of the cabbage. Place meat on top of cabbage. Add remaining cabbage, applesauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add water to the top of the veggies. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and let cook about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Remove meat with a slotted spoon. It should be falling off the bone. Let the meat cool. Adjust seasoning by adding a little brown sugar or lemon juice depending on if you like it more sweet or more sour. When the meat is cool, remove the bones and pull the meat off of the cartilage (I just roll it between my fingers). Discard cartilage and return the meat to the pot.

The three yellow cubes at the top of the pot are frozen lemon cubes. My lemon tree is still in the process of producing lemons so those are frozen lemon cubes I made over the summer by juicing lemons and freezing the juice in ice cube trays. I still have a big ziploc bag of frozen lemon cubes which work great in recipes.

Look how the meat just falls right off the bone.


I think it’s actually better the next day. It also freezes well.

Source: I searched high and low for a recipe and ended up doing my own thing. Some call for beef broth, some add raisins, some use regular sugar for sweetness and vinegar for sour. I wanted to cut the sugar content so I used part unsweetened applesauce and part brown sugar. You can use white sugar but I prefer the maple-y flavor of brown sugar. Personally I like it more sour than sweet. I also prefer it less soupy and more like the consistancy of stew. If you like it soupy you can add more water.

Generic Soup

Michael Symon has a saying on his new show ‘Cook Like an Iron Chef’: “learn a recipe and you can make a great dish, learn a technique and you can make 100”. I kind of feel like this perfectly describes my generic soup. I start with the base of sautéed onions, add garlic, add chicken stock and whatever veggies you want. Add any seasonings that work well with those veggies.

Regular Chunky Soup: Add whatever protein you like (chicken, meatballs, etc.), bring to boil, reduce to simmer about one hour.

Creamed Soup: Skip the protein, bring to boil, reduce to simmer about one hour. Add one can of fat free evaporated milk and blend with an emersion blender.

You could also add rice, pasta, potatoes or beans. If you use potatoes add them when you start the veggies. If you add pasta, cook it first and add it at the end. It has a tendency to soak up a lot of the broth. Rice can either be cooked first (good use of leftovers) or you can add uncooked rice when you start the boil. Same with canned beans. Drain, rinse and add prior to the simmer.

^^ Veggie Soup with Chicken ^^
I started with sautéing a diced onion then added a couple of cloves of chopped garlic. Next went in the chicken broth and one boneless, skinless chicken breast. Once the chicken was cooked I removed it and added chopped celery and carrots. I let the firm veggies cook about 15 minutes and then I added cut up fresh green beans, sliced zucchini and grape tomatoes (cut in half) with plenty of basil and oregano, black pepper and just a smidgeon of salt. Bring to boil, diced the chicken breast and put that back in, reduced to simmer for about 45 minutes. Took half a bunch of kale (you could use spinach but I like kale because it doesn't get a mushy), stripped it from the stalks and added it to the soup to wilt. Simmered an additional 15 minutes.
M-M-Scrumptious.
^^Cream of Broccoli Soup^^

I sautéed onion and garlic, added broccoli, chicken broth, basil, a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper, a few red pepper flakes for some zip. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer for about an hour. Add a can of fat free evaporated milk, hit it with the emersion blender and wah-la. A big pot of deliciousness ready to enjoy.

Health-O-Meter: These are both very low cal. Notice I didn’t start with butter or oil to sauté the onion. I don’t think it’s necessary. The onions will start to sweat which adds a little moisture. Stir them while they are cooking down and they won't ‘fry’.
I can’t do the calorie count because it depends on what you add. Obviously the protein you use will change the nutritional value and so will pasta, rice, potatoes or beans.

I normally don’t post recipes that I haven’t tried but since my bestie Sandi asked about French Onion Soup, I’ve been wanting to try Anne Burrell’s French Onion as seen on the Food Network. It looks easy but takes time. It also has great reviews. Some recommend beef stock instead of chicken or half beef/half chicken. I think I would do the half and half.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/french-onion-soup-recipe/index.html
This is going to be a little higher in calories due to A) the olive oil; B) the baguette; C) the Gruyere cheese. Still, I don’t think it will be hideously bad. You control the amount of olive oil, the size of the slice of bread and how cheesy you make it. I personally will use very little oil, a thin slice of bread and lots of cheese ;-)

Zucchini Spice Muffins

First here’s the original recipe from the book Low Fat Living

Zucchini Spice Bread
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs (or 4 egg whites or ½ cup fat-free egg substitute)
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or canola oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°
Lightly coat two 8” x 4” loaf pans with no-stick spray.
In a large bowel mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs, add zucchini, honey, butter or oil, applesauce and vanilla. Mix.
Pour into the flour mixture and mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients.
Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly moist but not wet.
Cool slightly in pans, remove from pans and cool on a rack.
Makes 20 slices.
Nutritional information per slice: 157 calories, 2.1 g fat, 3.3 g protein, 33.1 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber

Here’s my tweaked version.

Zucchini Spice Muffins
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup Spenda granulated
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
About a teaspoon or so of ground flax seed (I didn’t measure, I just sprinkled it in)

Spray muffin pan or foil muffin cups with Pam.
In a large bowel mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl beat eggs, add zucchini, honey, butter or oil, applesauce, vanilla and flax seeds. Mix.
Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients.
Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way to the top.
Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly moist but not wet.
Cool slightly before removing from pans/cups and cool on a rack.
Makes 20 muffins
Nutritional information per muffin: 126 calories, 2 g fat, 3 g protein, 24 g carbs, 3 g fiber.

Patti’s Notes: I basically subbed half the sugar for Splenda granulated, used canola instead of butter, decreased the honey to ½ cup and increased the applesauce to ½ cup. I buy unsweetened applesauce in the individual serving cups. They are ½ cup each. Even though they are unsweetened, they are still naturally sweet. I used the whole container to add moisture from decreasing the honey and a little sweetness that was removed by only using half of the honey. I added ground flax seed which I always think about doing but usually forget.
I decided to make muffins so I can freeze them for a good grab, nuke and go breakfast.
I shaved about 30 calories and 9 carbs per serving and they taste pretty darn good.

Easy Meter: Not too bad. Be careful when using a box grater. They tend to want to bite your knuckles. Just sayin'...

Tip of the Day: Spray your measuring cup with Pam before adding the honey. It will pour right out.

Added Bonus: It took 1½ zucchinis to make 2 cups of shredded. What to do with ½ leftover zucchini? Zucchini Chips. Why not? I sliced the remaining half zucchini as thin as I could. Put them out on a baking sheet, drizzled with EVOO, sea salt and ground pepper, tossed and put them in the oven (single layer on baking sheet) til crispy. About 20 minutes or so.

M-M-Good.

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
4 Slices Prosciutto
4 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
4 Tablespoons Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
4 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Italian Spice Blend
1 Cup Patti's Marinara Sauce (see recipe June 21, 2010)

Preheat oven to 350º
Butterfly chicken breast (slice towards the meatier edge) to open up. On each breast put one slice mozzarella, one slice prosciutto, spread 1T ricotta over the prosciutto and top with 1T parmesan. Sprinkle with Italian spice blend, salt and pepper to taste. Roll up and secure with kitchen twine (or toothpicks). Place in baking dish and top each chicken bundle with 1/4 cup marinara sauce. Bake about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way thru.

~Source: I made this one up myself ;-)

Patti’s Notes: You could use store bought marinara sauce, but my sauce is so quick and easy to make and has no added chemicals or preservatives. Instead of butterflying the chicken, you could pound the chicken between pieces of plastic wrap but I’m not a fan. Don't forget to remove the twine (or toothpicks) before serving.
Tip of the Day: Deli Counter. I got the prosciutto and mozzarella at the deli counter. That way I only had to buy 4 slices instead of an entire package of each.

Healthy Meter: for a 6 ounce chicken breast: 227 cal; 6g fat, 6 carbs, 39g protein.
Note to Aaron: I even got out the food scale and weighted the raw chicken just for you. :xoxo:

My plate as shown above: just under 300 calories for 1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta with marinara, roasted Brussels sprouts (with EVOO S&P). Paul's plate as shown below, around 500.

Easy Meter: Not difficult but assembly required. I’d say on a scale of 1-10, 1 being easiest, this would be about a 3.5.

Mushroom-Herb Chicken

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
3 large shallots, peeled
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation
1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/3-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; coat with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until browned.
2. While chicken cooks, cut shallots vertically into thin slices. Remove chicken from pan. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; coat vegetables with cooking spray. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sherry and marjoram. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and chicken is done. Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour mushroom mixture over chicken; sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

~source – Cooking Light

Patti’s Notes: I made a few changes to this recipe. First, I don’t pound chicken. I handle raw chicken as little as possible. I didn’t use cooking spray; I put a little olive oil in the pan instead which only added 30 calories per serving which was worth the flavor (IMO). I bought whole mushrooms and sliced them myself because they were much cheaper. I used marsala wine instead of dry sherry because that’s what I had. After I sautéed the mushrooms and shallots and added the chicken back to the pan and put the fry pan in the oven at 350º until the chicken was done, about 10 minutes. (That probably wouldn’t be necessary if you pounded the chicken however the entire meal only took about 40 minutes so it wasn't much of an investment in time.)
Serving suggestion was mashed potatoes and broccoli. I made Brown & Wild Rice and fresh Green Beans.
Healthy Meter: Here’s the info from Cooking Light (from original recipe):
Calories 226 (10% from fat); Fat 3g, Carbohydrate 5g; Protein 41.6g
My version upped the calories and fat a smidgeon with the olive oil to about 256 calories per serving.
Easy Meter: Easy schmeasy.

ETA: alcohol cooks out of food so don’t be afraid to serve this to children. If you are totally opposed to cooking with wine you can sub apple juice or grape juice.

Corn & Basil Cakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears) or frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation
Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in corn and basil.
Brush a large nonstick skillet lightly with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking). Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about 1/4 cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide. Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

Nutrition: Per serving : 180 Calories; 9 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 86 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 7 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 329 mg Sodium; 250 mg Potassium

ETA: Recipe makes 10, serving size is 2 pancakes. I only ate one which was plenty, so 90 calories each.

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~Source: Eating Well

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Patti’s Notes: I cut the oil in half by using the tablespoon as recommended in the batter but used Pam instead of oil in the pan. I used AP flour, fresh corn and instead of low fat milk I used unsweetened almond milk to almost the ½ cup mark and topped it off with a splash of cream to add a little fat back in. I would not recommend using dried basil. The fresh basil really made the cakes special with that pop of flavor. When I read the recipe I thought they might need some type of sauce but they didn’t need anything at all. They were nice and moist and had an interesting texture with the crunch of the corn and great flavor from the basil. Paul said “don’t lose this recipe”.

Serving suggestion was steak or BBQ chicken. I made steak but I think these would also go great with pork chops.

Easy Meter: I’d say bordering intermediate because of removing the fresh corn from the cob but would bump it down to average if you used frozen corn. There is also that turning before burning but not before the batter is cooked thing that comes into play.