Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding


6 cups whole milk

3/4 cup uncooked rice....regular white rice

Bring milk just to boil...watch carefully, do not let burn. 

Add rice reduce heat and simmer for 45 mins.

When rice is at about 35 mins, whip together 1/2 pint heavy cream, 3 egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp. Vanilla.

Whip until thick. 

After 45 minutes of cooking.....

Temper it with some rice mixture (take a little bit of the rice and add it to the whipped mixture) and then add it back to the pot...mix and cook an additional 10minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Carrot Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt)

In a separate small bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Slowly incorporate the wet mixture into the dry until just mixed together. Fold in the carrots and zucchini.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top bounces back when touched.
*Baking time varies between ovens. Can take up to 1 hour. Also, it takes longer to bake in clear glass bread pans. Bakes quicker in darker pans.

Coconut Custard Pie

Ingredients

1 unbaked pie crust
1/2 stuck unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup of half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the pie crust for about 13 minutes before adding the custard. Make sure to poke holes with a fork and to cover the whole crust with foil and weigh it down with beans. Cool the crust for a few minutes before adding the custard.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Let the melted butter cool a little bit before adding in to avoid cooking the eggs.
Pour into the pie shell and bake until firm, for about 45 to 60 minutes.

Healthier Flourless Peanut Butter Cup Style Muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons oat flour or blended oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy all natural low sodium peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vanilla fat free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey
1 large egg
5 tablespoons chocolate chips of your choosing

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the 9 spots of a muffin tin with non stick oil spray and fill the remaining 3 spots halfway with water to allow for even baking.
Don't use muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
In another large bowl, mix together the peanut butter (don't heat), applesauce, yogurt, vanilla, and honey.
Mix together these ingredients. One mixed, stir in the egg, and mix until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips. If you want a little extra chocolate, you can top each muffin with a few chips before putting in the oven.
Fill the 9 spots of the muffin tin and put into the oven to bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
Enjoy!

BLT Restaurant Popovers Recipe

Makes 12 popovers

Ingredients:

- 4 cups milk, warmed
- 8 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons salt
- 2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
- popover pan
- non stick oil spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven, with popover pan inside, to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk. Set aside.
Sift the flour and the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine until mostly smooth.
Remove popover pan from oven. Spray with nonstick oil spray. While the batter is still slightly warm, or room temperature - not cool, fill each popover cup 3/4 full. Top each popover with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the grated gruyere cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes of baking.
Remove from the oven, remove from the pan, and serve immediately.

Zucchini Quiche

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease large glass baking dish.

Ingredients:

- 3 zucchini: 1 sliced thinly, 2 finely grated
- 1 cup of the low fat heart smart Bisquick
- 1/2  sweet onion finely grated
- 1/2 cup grated Locatelli cheese
- 2 tablespoons parsley - dry or fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon orregano
- dash of black pepper
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs slightly beaten

Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Toothpick should come out dry. Enjoy!

Deliciously Healthy Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F and grease a large glass baking dish.



Dry Ingredients:

- 2 cups of old fashioned oats
-1 - 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar - depending on how sweet/healthy you want it
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon - the less sugar you use, the more cinnamon you want to use to replace the sweetness
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix together all dry ingredients and then add the wet to the dry. 

Wet Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup of egg whites
- 2 cups of milk: you can either use skim milk, skim plus, or unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- one 3.9 ounce container of unsweetened apple sauce (this is an oil replacement)

After all ingredients are combined, pour into greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 - 25 minutes. Enjoy! 

Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes

Yummy Healthy Overnight Oats

Yummy Healthy Overnight Oats

Ingredients for a single serving

1/2 cup oatmeal - I use Trader Joe's old fashioned oats
slightly less than 1/2 cup coconut water - I use Zico, no sugar added
splash of Coffee Mate all natural cinnamon coffee creamer
splash of maple syrup - I use Kirkland Organic 100% grade A amber
several dashes of cinnamon

Instructions

Add the oatmeal to a small glass bowl.
Using 1/2 cup measuring cup, pour in slightly less than 1/2 cup coconut water, and fill the rest with the creamer. add to the oatmeal. Add a splash of maple syrup - the amount depends on how sweet you like it, but keep in mind that it will be sitting over night and absorbing all the sweetness. Add several dashes of cinnamon, depending on how much you want. Mix well! cover and refrigerate overnight. You can eat cold. I chose to microwave for 30 - 35 seconds and eat warm. That's why I kept it in a glass bowl. If you plan on eating it cold, you can obviously store it in a plastic container. You can add any fruit of your choosing. I would recommend blueberries. You can also add unsweetened shredded coconut if you like. The options are endless! Most importantly, enjoy! :)







It's the "nom dot com" :-P ;-)

Healthy Crustless Cauliflower Quiche

Healthy Crustless Cauliflower Quiche

Ingredients

16 oz riced cauliflower
4 eggs
about 1/8 cup skim plus milk
grated Locatelli cheese - about 1/3 cup
1/8 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 small sweet vidalia onion
1 small red pepper
olive oil
cooking spray canola oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
parsley
part skim grated mozzarella
whole wheat unseasoned panko bread crumbs

Directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees F
in large sautee pan, sautee onion and pepper in olive oil until onion is clear and lightly browned.

in large mixing bowl, mix together eggs, milk, locatelli cheese, cauliflower, and flour. mix well. let the onion mixture cool slightly before mixing it with the raw egg mixture, and then add it to the bowl. mix well. season with salt, pepper, garlic power, and parsley - be careful with the salt, you can always add, but you can't take away. keep in mind, we will be adding salt to the bread crumbs on top.

use cooking spray to grease large rectangular glass baking pan/ casserole dish. pour mixture from bowl into dish.sprinkle the top with the mozzarella. then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. next, on top of the bread crumbs LIGHTLY sprinkle a little salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. So that the breadcrumbs don't burn and get crispy, spray the top lightly with the canola oil cooking spray.

bake in the oven until all of the liquid is absorbed and the top is golden brown. check after 20 minutes  - depending on your oven, you might have to rotate the dish - but it should take about 30 - 40 minutes.

let sit outside the oven for 5 minutes before cutting. enjoy! :)

Thanksgiving Stuffing

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.

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!! :)

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**

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

-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!!!

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!! 

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!!!

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**

Asian Style Chicken and Green Vegetables

Asian Style Chicken and Green Vegetables

Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade:
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders (I used organic, but this isn't required) - cut each tender into thirds
1 small shallot - finely minced
about 4 tbs Worcestershire
about 4 tbs Tamari or soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1/4 cup dry white cooking wine
3 tbs olive oil
2 medium cloves of garlic - grated or finely minced (I grated)
freshly ground black pepper - pinch
Combine all above ingredients in bowl or zip lock bag and marinate in refrigerator for anywhere from one hour to four hours

one medium zucchini - 3/4 inch slices cut into quarters
one head of broccoli - cut into small pieces, stems and florets (cut stems small so they cook fully)
10 oz. baby bella mushrooms (I used whole, but then I sliced them thinly, so you could buy whole or sliced)
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 medium clove garlic finely minced
more olive oil
you will need more olive oil to sauté the vegetables in a pan on the stove
first, saute the mushrooms in about three tablespoons (tbs) olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper, cook until brown and then remove and place in separate dish. remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the oil for the other vegetables.
next, cook the zucchini. if needed, add more oil. cook until zucchini is al dente. add a little salt and pepper. remove zucchini
now add the broccoli and saute with garlic, stirring frequently. add a little salt and pepper. you may need to add more olive oil to the broccoli. saute the broccoli and garlic, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until garlic starts to brown. then, add 1/4 cup of chicken stock or chicken broth. cover, lower heat, and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until broccoli is softened. remove lid until all the liquid is absorbed. be careful not to over cook the broccoli. remove broccoli (discard any liquid if the broccoli fully cooks before all the liquid is absorbed).

Add about 3 tbs olive oil to the pan and let heat up. add the marinated chicken. cook on one side until brown then flip over and cook other side. (about 3 minutes on each side) (cut a piece to make sure chicken is fully cooked)
once the chicken is fully cooked, add all of the vegetables and toss together and you're done! enjoy!

Artichoke hummus

          ​Artichoke Hummus

INGREDIENTS

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

1 clove fresh garlic

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, reserving liquid

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP oil(any type is fine)

1/4 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS 

In a food processor, mix  garlic, beans, salt, pepper, lemon juice,  and oil. If too dry, add, small amounts at a time, artichoke can liquid, until it blends easy. Mix until smooth. Add in artichokes, and combine until smooth (if you prefer more texture, you can leave artichokes chunky). Serve with pita chips, crackers, or veggies. 

 

Orange ricotta pancakes

1cup flour

 1&3/4 cup part skim Ricotta

1/3 cup sugar

1teaspoon baking  powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Rind and juice of 1 orange

1/4 cup milk ( I used skim)

2eggs separated

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Beat together ricotta with sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, orange rind.

Mix flour, salt and baking powder.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating with orange juice and milk.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture.

Pour 1/4 cup batches on pan or griddle greased with canola and butter. Cook until brown , about 4-5 minutes per side. Garnish with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion

Olive oil

Low sodium chicken broth

1 butternut squash

Cream/milk (optional) 

Salt

Pepper

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Directions:

Peel and deseed butternut squash and cut into .5-1 inch cubes

Sautée onion in olive oil in big soup pot until onion is see through

Pour six cups of broth into the pot and let simmer

Add in cubes of squash and let cook in the broth until soft

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth

Depending on how healthy you want it, you can add a little skim milk or half and half or cream to the soup at this point. Sometimes the soup is so good I don't add any!

Season to taste with salt pepper nutmeg and cinnamon.