Festive Lowfat Torte

One of my go-to recipes for the holidays is a white chocolate torte served with a raspberry sauce.  You can't beat it for the Christmas colors.  It can be dolled up for company with some greenery.  I originally got the recipe from a cooking class, but changed it up to make it more heart healthy.  When buying an Angel Food cake mix, go for the plain white cake.  I must have been in a catatonic state when I went to the store.  I thought I bought the plain mix, but when I got home, I had the funfetti flavor in my bag.  It must be perimentalpause perimenopause .

White Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce

1 box Angel Food cake mix
1 large container Cool Whip
4 ounces White Chocolate
12 ounces frozen raspberries
Sugar or sweetener to taste

Mix angel food cake according to package directions.  Line a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool in pan on wire rack.

Meanwhile, melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over low heat.  Mix into Cool Whip.

Loosen edges of cake from pan with a knife.  Cut cake into thirds with a serrated knife.  Invert one layer onto serving platter.  Spread layer with Cool Whip mixture.  Repeat procedure with remaining layers.  Frost top and sides of cake with remaining Cool Whip mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

For raspberry sauce, puree raspberries in a food processor.  Strain raspberries to remove seeds.  Add sugar to taste.  Serve sauce with cake.  Enjoy!

Not Your Mother's Meatloaf

I normally am not a fan of meatloaf.  But years ago, I found this little gem and have made this recipe several times every year since.  Even my kids liked it when they were growing up.

Pizzaburger Meat Squares

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1    (15 ounce) can pizza sauce
3/4 cup fine Ritz cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1    egg, slightly beaten
      salt, to taste
4    ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix 1 cup of pizza sauce, ground beef, cracker crumbs, egg, and salt in large mixing bowl.  Pack firmly into 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Bake 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Drain grease.  Spread remaining sauce on top of meat.  Sprinkle cheese over sauce.  Bake for 10-15 minutes more or until cheese melts.  Cool 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Serves 4-6

Thanksgiving Rehash

This was my second year to host Thanksgiving.  Last year, my mom handed off the baton to me, but last year I had a secret weapon--my son.  He's a really good cook and he helped a lot--especially with the gravy.  He couldn't come home this year (bummer), so I was on my own.  Thankfully, I found a little book tucked away that I had totally forgotten about.  It's from Cook's Illustrated on sauces and gravies.  I followed the instructions and my gravy came out pretty tasty.

Also this year, I used a cooking bag for the turkey and I'm sold on it.  The turkey was moist and so flavorful.  And it produced enough juice so that I didn't need to use any canned broth for the gravy.

But the best thing on the menu was the sweet potatoes.  It was a new recipe and everyone raved about it.  It was so simple and I was able to make it the day before, store it in the refrigerator and just pop it in the oven.  The orange juice is what made it.  Although my husband and brother would say it was the praline topping.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

1 (16 ounce) can sweet potatoes or yams, drained
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons orange juice
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lightly grease a 1-quart glass baking dish; set aside.  Mash the sweet potatoes.  Add the melted butter and orange juice; blend thoroughly.  Spoon into the casserole.  Combine the brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon; mix well.  Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes 4-6 servings.  [They must be really small servings, because I more than doubled the recipe (we had 8 people) and it was gone.  Either that or we're a bunch of gluttons.]

If you make this ahead, you may need to bake it longer since it will start out cold; bake approximately 45 minutes.

Guilt-Free Pumpkin Dessert

Since I decided to join the HEART Center team for "Holding it Through the Holidays", and have to weigh in every week between now and New Year's, I thought I'd better pull out some low fat recipes.

Here's one for a pumpkin ice cream dessert.  When I first made this (back in the stone age), I don't believe I had ever seen pumpkin ice cream in the store.  Well, now they have it.  But I haven't seen low-fat pumpkin ice cream, so maybe my recipe isn't obsolete.

I whipped this up last night.  The beauty of this recipe is you can make it days ahead of the holiday and throw it in the freezer until you need it.  It's really quite scrumptious, aside from the brain freeze I always get from inhaling eating it too quickly.

Guilt-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Filling:
1/3 cup honey
1    cup canned pumpkin
1    teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 quarts fat-free vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Crust:
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Mix crust ingredients together.  Press into 9-inch pie pan.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Cool

For filling, combine the honey, pumpkin, spice, and salt in a saucepan and mix well.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Cool completely

Add pumpkin mixture to the ice cream and mix well.  Spoon into the pie shell.  Sprinkle with the pecans.  Freeze until firm.

I Love Pasta

My husband gets so excited when I make this pasta recipe.  If he was keeping track of his daily "three good things" (see blog from yesterday), this would definitely make the list.  Unfortunately, we don't live near the ocean, so I use canned clams instead of fresh, but it still tastes great.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

1     clove garlic, minced
2     tablespoons butter
2     tablespoons flour
2     cups bottled clam juice
1/4  cup minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4  teaspoon salt

       pepper to taste

2    cups fresh minced clams or 2 10-ounce cans clams

12  ounces linguine, cooked al dente and drained

In large skillet, saute garlic in butter over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

Whisk in flour until smooth.

Add clam juice.  Whisk until mixed. Add parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced by 1/3.  Add clams and heat through.  Place warm linguine in heated serving dish.  Pour sauce over linguine and toss gently.  Serve immediately.

4-6 main dish servings

Summer Grilling

Today's Blessings:

1. Six out of seven green lights on the way to work this morning
2. My dad stopped in to see me at work and brought Starbucks.

I love grilling in the summer.  Not only does it taste great, it's healthier and there's less clean-up.  I tried this new pork tenderloin recipe and my husband and I both loved it.

Sesame-Garlic Pork Tenderloin

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon dry sherry
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
3 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Combine all ingredients except pork in a plastic zip lock bag.  Add pork and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Take pork out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Preheat grill.

Grill pork over medium-hot coals for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads at least 160 degrees.

Remove pork from grill.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into medallions.

Colorful Black Beans?

Colorful black beans--sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?  This recipe is a great side dish.  And it's healthy.  What more could you ask for?  How about quick?  It takes less than 15 minutes to throw together.  You must try this one and let me know what you think.

Hmm.  I put my reading glasses on, but it still looks blurry.

Savory Black Beans

2 15-oz. cans black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium avocado
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small tomato

Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans.  In a medium saucepan, combine both drained and undrained black beans, garlic, and cumin.  Heat through, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, peel and cube avocado.  Seed and chop tomato.

Just before serving, sprinkle with avocado, cheese, and tomato.

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Vegetables

I tried a new vegetable recipe tonight.  They smelled so good while they were baking.  I would do a couple of things differently next time.  The recipe called for the potatoes to be cut in 1- inch pieces.  They should be cut smaller in order for them to be done when the rest of the vegetables are done.  Also, the recipe definitely needed salt.

Herb Roasted Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeded, and cut into triangles
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered, seeded, and cut into triangles
2 medium-sized sweet onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
5 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 small zucchini squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

Marinade

4-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons each dried

Topping
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, optional

Place vegetables in a 9x13-inch roasting pan.  Combine marinade ingredients and toss with vegetables.  Let stand for up to 2 hours. Sprinkle with salt to taste and then bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring 3 to 4 times.  Toss with Parmesan, if desired, and serve immediately.

Tofu Phobia

Last night, I made a new recipe with tofu.  I haven't done a lot with tofu in the past, but this recipe looked good.  Unfortunately, I told my husband ahead of time about the tofu, so when he sat down at the dinner table last night, he looked at his plate and wrinkled up his nose.  Then he went to the cupboard and pulled out the Tabasco sauce.  (I guess he likes Tex-Asian.)
Had I not told him, he would have thought the tofu was cheese and gobbled it down.  Next time.

Cubed Tofu

Chicken-Tofu Stir-Fry

2 T. olive oil
2 T. orange juice
1 T. soy sauce, reduced-sodium
1 T. Worcestershire  sauce
1 T. ginger, fresh
1 t. mustard, dry
1 t. turmeric
8 oz. chicken breast, cooked and cubed
8 oz. tofu, tub-style extra firm, cubed
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. mushrooms, fresh, sliced
3 c. brown rice
3 scallions, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 c. bok choy, baby, chopped

Baby Bok Choy

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of olive oil, orange juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, mustard, and turmeric.  Add cooked chicken and tofu cubes; stir to coat.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
2. In a very large nonstick skillet, or wok, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.  Add carrot and celery; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add bok choy, green onions, and sweet pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add undrained chicken mixture; heat through.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle with soy sauce to taste.  Serve with hot cooked rice.  

I like to cook my rice in chicken broth.  It makes it so much more flavorful.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Every month, our dietician at work puts four new healthy recipes on the bulletin board for our patients to take home and try. This month, she outdid herself with this recipe for peanut butter cookies. These are great! Note: I don't have a nonstick baking sheet so I used a Silpat baking sheet liner.

Low Carbohydrate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, egg, and baking soda until well combined. Stir in peanuts.

Place dough by teaspoonfuls on a nonstick baking sheet.

Press down with a fork (dipped in water to prevent sticking) to form ridges.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 30 cookies.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Carbohydrate: 8 grams

Calories: 75

Protein: 2 grams

Fat: 5 grams

Sodium: 60 mg.

New Pork Tenderloin Recipe

I tried a new recipe for pork tenderloin this week. It was so good, my husband made yummy sounds. This recipe has only 11 grams of fat, so not bad.

Cran-Orange Pork Medallions

1 pork tenderloin cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. ground coriander

pepper to taste

2 T. olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1/4 c. orange juice

1/4 c. dried cranberries

2 T. balsamic vinegar

Combine salt, garlic powder, coriander and pepper (optional). Sprinkle over both sides of pork.

In a large skillet, saute pork in oil for 3 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In same skillet, saute onion in pan juices for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in marmalade, orange juice, cranberries and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; return pork to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

4 servings

Derby Pie Makeover

A friend gave me a recipe for Derby Pie a few years ago and it has become my "go to" dessert when I need something quick. I usually have a pie crust in the freezer (I haven't made one from scratch since home economics in 9th grade), and the other ingredients are always in my pantry.

If you look at the ingredients, Derby Pie isn't that bad for you, especially if you leave out the crust. (A typical 9" frozen pie crust has 650 calories and a whopping 42 grams of fat.) I don't really like pie crust all that much, so I decided to try baking it without it. With a little modification, it turned out great. I don't even miss it. Give it a try.

Derby Pie

6 T. butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 c. flour

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. coconut

Spray 9" pie tin with cooking spray. Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in flour, add chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut. Pour into pie tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream (low fat, of course).

If you want to use a pie crust, increase baking time to 40 minutes.

Soybeans

We all know that soybeans are good for us, but how exactly do they help? Soybeans are a great source of protein. Also, they are a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus and fiber. They help lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein or our "L"ousy cholesterol, as opposed to our HDL or "H"appy cholesterol) and also triglycerides. Soybeans are also thought to lower the incidence of breast and prostate cancer, and they reduce coronary artery disease.

Since these little puppies are such a miracle food, I've been looking for some good soybean recipes. Here's one that's worth trying:

Colorful Vegetable Saute

1 T. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. frozen edamame, shelled

2 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

3 T. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 c. fresh basil, sliced

1 T. fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the edamame. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add the corn and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Stir in grape tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

4 servings

Favorite Pasta

I know I've probably posted my current "favorite pasta" recipe before, but this really is my favorite pasta. I alter the recipe according to what fresh vegetables I have in the fridge, so play with it and make it your own "favorite pasta".

Bow-tie Pasta with Chicken and Spinach

2-4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8-12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli (asparagus works well, too)

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 t. dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 T. butter

8 ounces bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained

Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

Saute the garlic for about 1 minute, until golden, stirring constantly.

Add the chicken and saute until white and almost completely cooked.

Add the broccoli and spinach; saute until the broccoli is crisp-tender and the spinach is wilted. Then add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Add the wine, then add the broth and butter. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Toss the freshly cooked pasta with the chicken mixture. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Fresh Baked Cookies at a Moment's Notice

I love homemade chocolate chip cookies. I especially love them warm from the oven. Actually, as I think about it, I love them any way I can get them--warm, room temp, frozen, and even raw (as in dough form). I have a recipe that I've used for over twenty years that is the ultimate. It has oatmeal in it which, technically, makes it heart healthy. This recipe makes a huge batch (7-8 dozen), so I like to bake a dozen or so. I then scoop the rest of the dough out by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and freeze them.

Once frozen, I but them into a ziplock bag and leave them in the freezer. I can then pull out a few, place them on a cookie sheet, let them thaw, and then bake them whenever I want or need them.

There is one caveat. If my husband knows they are there, he will eat them raw and frozen until they are gone. I try to only make them when he is gone. I then hide the frozen dough in one of the freezers. Unfortunately, he has a sixth sense about the it. He can sniff out the dough no matter what. He recently ate about three dozen raw cookies in a little over a week. I keep trying to outsmart him, but it's no use. Maybe next time, I'll try disguising them in a frozen brussel sprout bag.

Big and Luscious Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pound butter (no substitutes)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup oatmeal

4 cups (24 ounces) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and both sugars well.

Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture.

Stir in oatmeal, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (Dough should be the size of golf balls. Flatten slightly.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Versatile Risotto

Pasta, pizza, risotto--if it's Italian, I love it. Risotto can be time consuming, but it's worth the effort. I like to make enough for two meals. The first night, we have it as a side dish. The next night, I add chicken or shrimp, and it's a main dish. (I usually add a little extra chicken broth to it the second night as it tends to get a little thick as the moisture evaporates.)

Tomato and Basil Risotto with Mozzarella

1 1/2 c. diced plum tomato (may used canned if tomatoes are out of season)

2 T. chopped fresh basil (or 1 t. dried)

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1 garlic clove, crushed

42 oz. chicken broth

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

2 t. olive oil

1 1/2 c. uncooked Arborio rice

1/3 c. dry white wine

1/2 c. diced mozzarella cheese

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Combine tomato, basil, oil, salt, and garlic in a small bowl; set aside.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm over low heat.

Saute onion in 2 t. hot oil in a large saucepan over high heat 3 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Add wine to rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until each portion is absorbed before adding more.

Add tomato mixture to rice mixture, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in mozzarella.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serves 4-6

Black Bean Soup

There's nothing like a hearty soup on a cold winter night. When our children were growing up, we had a tradition of soup and homemade bread (using a bread machine--otherwise yeast scares me) on Sunday evenings during the fall and winter. The kids looked forward to the warm bread with jam. With an empty nest, we still do soup on occasion, but skip the bread and have a salad instead. Years ago, I found a great black bean soup recipe. It's definitely worth the effort.

Black Bean Soup

12 ounces black turtle beans

6-8 cups chicken broth

2 T. butter

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. shredded carrots

1 c. shredded potatoes

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. dried oregano

3 T. fresh lemon juice

Sour Cream (low fat)

In a large stockpot, cover beans with water and soak for 20 hours. Drain beans and return to stockpot.

Add chicken broth and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 3-4 hours.

In large skillet, melt butter and saute onion, celery, and carrots for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Add to beans along with potatoes, bay leaf, garlic, and oregano.

Stir well and simmer covered for an additional 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir lemon juice into soup just before serving. Pour soup into individual bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

We also had another tradition. Whoever found the bay leaf in their bowl got a prize (usually a kiss from Mom).

Happy Birthday, Jason

Today is our son-in-law's birthday. I asked our daughter what he wanted for a birthday cake. He requested plain cheesecake with strawberries. I discovered this recipe over 20 years ago and I've never found a cheesecake recipe that I like better. This is definitely NOT heart healthy. What's the old saying...everything in moderation?

Mile High Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

6 T. butter, melted

Filling:

40 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 c. sugar

3 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. pure vanilla extract

6 large eggs

3/4 c. heavy cream

In a small bowl, mix together crumbs and butter and press into bottom and partially up sides of 10-inch springform pan. Chill while preparing filling.

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Add sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla.

Beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in cream.

Pour into crust. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes and 225 degrees for an additional 70-80 minutes. Filling will be almost set. Cool in a cool oven or a small enclosed space (this will prevent cracking). Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving.

Serves 12-16