It's that time of year again! Thanksgiving! This is my all time favorite stuffing recipe - the recipe I grew up with as a child, and looked forward to every year on Thanksgiving.
My FAVORITE part of this recipe is using the leftovers to make stuffing waffles, and putting a poached or fried egg on top :) All you have to do is put the left over stuffing in a greased waffle iron. Hope you enjoy this delicious tip :)
My Childhood Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
I use two bags of Pepperidge Farm or Arnold Stuffing - I usually mix - one cubed/one crushed, one cornbread and one country style.
2 - 4 Vidalia onions, depending on the size, coarsely chopped
2- 8 oz. packages of white mushrooms, chopped
celery is optional, I happen to despise celery so I leave it out
1 tube of Jones sausage - in the frozen aisle
1 carrot - coarsely grated
about 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
about 1/2 cup Craisins, depending on your preference
2 - 3 eggs
parsley, salt, pepper to taste - be careful with the salt, you don't want it to be too salty
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
++oil or butter for greasing the pan
Directions
In an extra large sauce pot, melt the stick of butter and add about 1/4 cup canola oil - keep in mind, you are cooking a lot of veggies
Sautee onion until translucent, and then add mushrooms
Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the carrot
Crumble the sausage into the vegetable mixture and cook until browned
Once the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are soft, add the chicken broth
Heat the chicken broth, and once heated, add the bread
Take it off the heat and mix and allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
The bread should be moist - if need be, add a little more broth
When it is mixed and not too hot, scramble about 2 - 3 eggs and mix them in
Add Craisins
season with salt, pepper, and parsley to taste - be very careful with the salt. you don't want to make it too salty and ruin all your hard work! Keep in mind the bags of bread probably have some salt in them.
Put in a large greased casserole dish and bake on 350 for about 45-60 minutes. the top should be brown and it should be cooked through. Sometimes I mix it after about 15-20 minutes and then I leave it alone to brown.
Most importantly, enjoy!
*For vegetarians, you can leave out the sausage, or substitute vegetable sausage, but I don't know how this will change the flavoring. You can also replace chicken broth with vegetable broth, but again, I don't know how this will change the flavoring, so keep in mind you might have to alter your seasonings.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Unbelievably Delicious Healthy Low-Carb, Flour-free, Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese 2% fat small curd
6 egg whites
1/2 - 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F so that you can keep your pancakes warm while you are cooking. I place mine in a glass baking dish.
I like to make the pancakes thin like crepes, so I use a small pan. I spray it with cooking oil spray between each pancake, but don't worry because there is VERY little fat in the pancakes. I spoon about two tablespoons into a hot pan and twirl the pan so the batter spreads evenly. When the pancake bubbles or the edges look crisp, it is ready to flip. It cooks for about three minutes on the first side, and two minutes on the second side.
You can top with whatever you like. If I want to splurge, I top with strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. Sometimes I make strawberry sauce with chopped strawberries, water, and a little bit of sugar boiled in a pot on top of the stove. You can also top with maple syrup, or orange marmelade, or blueberries, applesauce, or even chocolate chips. If you prefer savory over sweet, sometimes I even put scrambled eggs, Morning Star vegetable sausage, and a little bit of maple syrup inside the pancake and roll it up. The possibilities are endless!! Enjoy!! :)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese 2% fat small curd
6 egg whites
1/2 - 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F so that you can keep your pancakes warm while you are cooking. I place mine in a glass baking dish.
I like to make the pancakes thin like crepes, so I use a small pan. I spray it with cooking oil spray between each pancake, but don't worry because there is VERY little fat in the pancakes. I spoon about two tablespoons into a hot pan and twirl the pan so the batter spreads evenly. When the pancake bubbles or the edges look crisp, it is ready to flip. It cooks for about three minutes on the first side, and two minutes on the second side.
You can top with whatever you like. If I want to splurge, I top with strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. Sometimes I make strawberry sauce with chopped strawberries, water, and a little bit of sugar boiled in a pot on top of the stove. You can also top with maple syrup, or orange marmelade, or blueberries, applesauce, or even chocolate chips. If you prefer savory over sweet, sometimes I even put scrambled eggs, Morning Star vegetable sausage, and a little bit of maple syrup inside the pancake and roll it up. The possibilities are endless!! Enjoy!! :)
Honey Dijon Baked Salmon
Ingredients
(serves two, you can double the recipe to serve four)
- four 6 to 7 ounce wild salmon fillets, skin on
-1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup Dijon mustard (I like Whole Foods 365 dijon mustard much better than any other brand I've tried)
- 1/8 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion (green part)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray lightly with cooking oil spray to avoid sticking. Place the salmon on the foil, skin-side down.
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and scallions in a medium bowl and stir together. Salt and pepper the top of the salmon, and then spoon about half of the sauce, or slightly more than half, on top of the salmon until it is covered in a medium/thin layer. Save the remainder of the sauce for dipping.
Place the salmon in the oven and roast for about 7 minutes. Then, turn the oven to a broil, and broil the fish for about 4 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the salmon so it does not burn or over cook. Timing can vary between gas and electric ovens so be mindful of this.
Serve with remaining sauce and enjoy :)
**This recipe is from Valerie Bertinelli and The Food Network**
(serves two, you can double the recipe to serve four)
- four 6 to 7 ounce wild salmon fillets, skin on
-1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup Dijon mustard (I like Whole Foods 365 dijon mustard much better than any other brand I've tried)
- 1/8 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion (green part)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray lightly with cooking oil spray to avoid sticking. Place the salmon on the foil, skin-side down.
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and scallions in a medium bowl and stir together. Salt and pepper the top of the salmon, and then spoon about half of the sauce, or slightly more than half, on top of the salmon until it is covered in a medium/thin layer. Save the remainder of the sauce for dipping.
Place the salmon in the oven and roast for about 7 minutes. Then, turn the oven to a broil, and broil the fish for about 4 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the salmon so it does not burn or over cook. Timing can vary between gas and electric ovens so be mindful of this.
Serve with remaining sauce and enjoy :)
**This recipe is from Valerie Bertinelli and The Food Network**
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Peach, Plum, and Berry Crisp - Healthy Dessert Treat!
Delicious Healthy Fruit Crisp- Yum!!!
Ingredients:
For the Fruit:
-4 peaches and 3 plums - peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces
-the fresh juice squeezed from one orange
-1/4 cup blueberries
-1/8 cup raspberries
-1/8 cup sliced strawberries
-1 tablespoon sugar
-4 peaches and 3 plums - peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces
-the fresh juice squeezed from one orange
-1/4 cup blueberries
-1/8 cup raspberries
-1/8 cup sliced strawberries
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use organic)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use a heaping 1 teaspoon)
-4 teaspoons white whole wheat flour
For the Crumble:
-1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
-2 cups oats
-1 cup finely chopped almonds
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping if you like cinnamon)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-6 tablespoon brown sugar
-8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature cut into small cubes
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
For the Fruit: In a medium to large bowl, toss together the fruit, orange juice, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of sugar, vanilla, and 4 teaspoons of the flour. Pour the mixture into a round glass pie dish.
For the Crumble Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the white whole wheat flour, the oats, almonds, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Add the butter, and incorporate into the dry ingredients using your fingers (clean hands!). Squeeze the mixture into clumps. When all of the butter is incorporated into the mixture, spread it evenly over the pears to cover them all.
Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Check at 25 minutes and depending on how golden brown and crispy you like the top, add anywhere from 3 - 8 more minutes. The crumble should be golden brown and you can check the fruit with a fork. If the fruit feels soft, remove the crisp from the oven. Serve warm and enjoy!
If you are not watching your calorie intake, this will be delicious with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, or even the light vanilla ice cream from Trader Joe's! Enjoy!!!
Friday, January 8, 2016
Rachel's Rugelach
Rachel's Rugelach - one of my family's favorite Holiday Cookies
Ingredients:
For the dough:
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup (heaping) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
For the filling:
6 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 - 1 cup apricot preserves
For the top:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Cream the cream cheese and the butter with an electric mixing bowl with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, the salt, and the vanilla. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Flour a large wooden cutting board and roll the dough into a ball on this board. Cut the ball into four quarters and wrap and refrigerate each piece in plastic for at least one hour.
While the dough is cooling, make the filling. Combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the almonds in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Like a baking sheet with parchment paper. Re-flour the large wooden cutting board. Take the 4 balls of dough out of the fridge one at a time, as needed. Keep the dough you are not using in the fridge to keep it cool because it is easier to work with colder dough. Roll each ball into about a 9-inch circle (one at a time) and spread each circle with approximately 2 - 4 tablespoons of apricot preserves, depending on how sweet you like your rugelach. The more preserves you use, the moister and sweeter they will be, but be warned, the preserves may run and cause the rugelach to stick. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the filling over the preserves and lightly press the filling into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges by cutting it into quarters, and then cutting each quarter into thirds. Roll each of the 12 wedges by starting from the wide outer edge. Once rolled, place the cookies with the points tucked under on the bottom on the baking sheet that you lined with parchment paper. Put the baking sheet with the cookies into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. While they are chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the egg wash mixture and the cinnamon sugar mixture. After 30 minutes of cooling in the fridge, brush each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle the combined mixture of 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over all of the cookies. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, checking the cookies to make sure they do not burn. Cookies are done when they are lightly browned on the top. Immediately remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to let them cool. Once they are cool, store them in a plastic tupper ware contained to keep them fresh. You will notice in my picture the rugelach are upside down in the plastic container to keep them from sticking. Most importantly, enjoy!!!!!!! These are delicious and will go fast! I had to make this recipe twice because the first batch was eaten before Christmas!
***Note - you will also see in the picture that some of the rugelach were made with raspberry preserves and chocolate chips. You can change the fillings as you wish!
***Note - this recipe is based on Ina Garten's rugelach recipe. Thank you Ina!!
Ingredients:
For the dough:
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup (heaping) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
For the filling:
6 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 - 1 cup apricot preserves
For the top:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Cream the cream cheese and the butter with an electric mixing bowl with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, the salt, and the vanilla. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Flour a large wooden cutting board and roll the dough into a ball on this board. Cut the ball into four quarters and wrap and refrigerate each piece in plastic for at least one hour.
While the dough is cooling, make the filling. Combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the almonds in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Like a baking sheet with parchment paper. Re-flour the large wooden cutting board. Take the 4 balls of dough out of the fridge one at a time, as needed. Keep the dough you are not using in the fridge to keep it cool because it is easier to work with colder dough. Roll each ball into about a 9-inch circle (one at a time) and spread each circle with approximately 2 - 4 tablespoons of apricot preserves, depending on how sweet you like your rugelach. The more preserves you use, the moister and sweeter they will be, but be warned, the preserves may run and cause the rugelach to stick. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the filling over the preserves and lightly press the filling into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges by cutting it into quarters, and then cutting each quarter into thirds. Roll each of the 12 wedges by starting from the wide outer edge. Once rolled, place the cookies with the points tucked under on the bottom on the baking sheet that you lined with parchment paper. Put the baking sheet with the cookies into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. While they are chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the egg wash mixture and the cinnamon sugar mixture. After 30 minutes of cooling in the fridge, brush each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle the combined mixture of 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over all of the cookies. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, checking the cookies to make sure they do not burn. Cookies are done when they are lightly browned on the top. Immediately remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to let them cool. Once they are cool, store them in a plastic tupper ware contained to keep them fresh. You will notice in my picture the rugelach are upside down in the plastic container to keep them from sticking. Most importantly, enjoy!!!!!!! These are delicious and will go fast! I had to make this recipe twice because the first batch was eaten before Christmas!
***Note - you will also see in the picture that some of the rugelach were made with raspberry preserves and chocolate chips. You can change the fillings as you wish!
***Note - this recipe is based on Ina Garten's rugelach recipe. Thank you Ina!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Blueberry Coffee Cake - A Healthier Version
Blueberry Coffee Cake - A Healthier Version
Ingredients:
-cooking spray
-2 cups white whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3 tablespoons sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped almonds
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-2 large eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
-1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh cleaned blueberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray (I used glass pan).
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and almonds. In another large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, butter, and oil. Make sure to smooth out any lumps from the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, adding in one egg at a time. When fully combined, beat in the vanilla and the yogurt. Next, add the flour mixture half at a time, and stir until just combined.
Spread half of the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries. Gently press the blueberries into the batter without smashing them. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle the rest of the nut mixture over the top. Gently press the nut mixture into the top of the cake.
Insert the cake into the 350 degree F oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:
-cooking spray
-2 cups white whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3 tablespoons sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped almonds
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-2 large eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
-1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh cleaned blueberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray (I used glass pan).
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and almonds. In another large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, butter, and oil. Make sure to smooth out any lumps from the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, adding in one egg at a time. When fully combined, beat in the vanilla and the yogurt. Next, add the flour mixture half at a time, and stir until just combined.
Spread half of the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries. Gently press the blueberries into the batter without smashing them. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle the rest of the nut mixture over the top. Gently press the nut mixture into the top of the cake.
Insert the cake into the 350 degree F oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. Enjoy!!!
Delicious Healthy Pear Crumble
Delicious Healthy Pear Crumble - Yum!!!
Ingredients:
For the Pears:
-3 firm pears - I use the green pears - peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized cubes (about 1/2 inch)
-the juice of half a lemon
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use organic)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon)
-2 teaspoons white whole wheat flour
For the Crumble:
-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
-1 cup oats
-1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
-1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon depending how much you like cinnamon
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-3 tablespoon brown sugar
-4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature cut into small cubes
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
For the Pears: In a medium to large bowl, toss together the pears, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of the flour. Pour the mixture into a round glass pie dish.
For the Crumble Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the white whole wheat flour, the oats, almonds, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Add the butter, and incorporate into the dry ingredients using your fingers (clean hands!). Squeeze the mixture into clumps. When all of the butter is incorporated into the mixture, spread it evenly over the pears to cover them all.
Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Check at 25 minutes and lower temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for approximately another 8 minutes, depending on how soft or firm you like your pears. The crumble should be golden brown and you can check the fruit with a fork. Serve warm and enjoy!
If you are not watching your calorie intake, this will be delicious with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, or even the light vanilla ice cream from Trader Joe's! Enjoy!!!
**This recipe is adapted from Valerie Bertinelli and The Food Network**
**This recipe is adapted from Valerie Bertinelli and The Food Network**
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