Banana Bread (Diabetic)

I am still playing around with some desserts and trying to make them more Diabetic friendly. This recipe is the same Banana Bread recipe I posted a couple of months ago only I made several substitutions to make it a healthier dessert.

I have to say it didn't turn out bad at all. It was surprisingly moist and had very good flavor. The original banana bread is very moist and has a just a touch more intense banana flavor but this one is very close in flavor and moistness. Overall I was quite pleased with the results and even the hubby liked it and as a rule he hates any kind of diet food.

BANANA BREAD (DIABETIC VERSION)
1 1/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Smart Balance Low Sodium Butter Spread
1/2 Cup Eggbeaters
1 cup Splenda (regular, not the baking kind)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease loaf pan.

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl cream together the butter and bananas and whisk in the eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour into loaf pan and bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure toothpick comes out somewhat clean in the center.

Cool and slice.

Apple Praline Pie (Diabetic)

I saw this recipe for Apple Praline Pie on the Pillsbury website and thought it looked so good but being Diabetic I really have to watch my sugar so I decided to try and make this as carb friendly as I could without losing its taste. Since my dear husband is the dessert maker in this house I asked him if he would make it for me but with a few substitutions which he was happy to do.

It came out delicious and was enjoyed by all even though I am the only one watching my sugar intake. If you want the full sugar version you can find it on the Pillsbury website.

APPLE PRALINE PIE (DIABETIC VERSION)

***crust***
1 box Pillsbury pie crusts

***filling***
6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
3/4 cup Splenda (regular, not the baking kind)
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbl Smart Balance Low Sodium Butter Spread

***topping***
1/4 cup Smart Balance Low Sodium Butter Spread
1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 Tbl Skim Milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie, using 9-inch glass pie plate.

In large bowl, mix apples, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt; toss lightly. Spoon mixture into crust-lined pie plate. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of bake time to prevent excessive browning.

In 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in brown sugar and half-and-half. Slowly heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in pecans; spread over top of pie. Place pie on cookie sheet.

Bake 5 minutes longer or until topping bubbles. Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

We had this the other night and it was SO good. I saw the recipe from Full Bellies, Happy Kids and had to try it. It is so easy to make and tastes delicious. The bacon keeps the chicken nice and moist and the sweetness of the brown sugar offsets the salty bacon perfectly. To make this healthier I would use turkey bacon. I did not have any on hand when I made this so I had to use regular bacon but next time I will definitely make it with the turkey bacon.

The best part of this recipe, apart from the taste that is, it it's so easy to make!

SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
bacon (uncooked) Turkey or regular
chili powder (I used Taco Seasoning)
salt and pepper
garlic powder
brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 400

Spray a shallow casserole dish with cooking spray.

Cut each breast into 3 or 4 pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili or taco seasoning over the pieces and toss. Be sure each piece is seasoned.

Wrap each piece with a slice of bacon and roll the whole thing in the brown sugar. Place it in the baking dish. Repeat this process with the rest of the breast pieces being sure to only make a single layer of chicken pieces in the baking dish.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the bacon is brown and crispy.

Enjoy!

Easy Cranberry Pork Roast

I don't remember where I originally got the idea for this dish and I had forgotten all about it until my son mentioned it to me the other day. I couldn't even find the original recipe which tells me I must have just gotten the idea from somewhere and then did my own thing.

This is a dish you make in the crockpot and let sit all day but the end result is out of this world. The pork just falls apart and the sauce ends up sweet and savory and tastes delicious served over hot buttered noodles. You can use any small pork roast or those small long round pork loins work good too.

EASY CRANBERRY PORK ROAST
1 small to medium Pork Roast or 2 of those small pork loin tenderloins
2 cans of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large onion
1 cup of orange juice
Garlic Powder
Cracked Pepper
Noodles

Coat your pork roast or tenderloin with flour and brown in a skillet with 2 T. of oil on medium to high heat until brown on all sides.

In your crockpot add the cranberry, orange juice and seasonings. Cut you onion in half and slice each half into thin slices. Break apart the slices and add to the crockpot. Stir all the ingredients in the crockpot until blended.

Add your pork and spoon some of the cranberry mixture on top.

Cook on high for about 2 to 3 hours and then turn down to low for at least another 3 hours or until meat just falls apart.

Serve pork on hot buttered noodles and spoon the cranberry sauce mixture over the top.

Enjoy!

The leftovers are great for shredded barbeque pork sandwiches the next day!

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, I have been super busy with baby showers, births(my first grandson!), family get-togethers and other such time consuming events! I have been taking pictures here and there so I finally sat down today and posted all of them as you can see from all the posts below dated today :)

I found this recipe in a Kraft Foods Magazine and only made a couple of small changes. I love the creamy chicken filling and using the soft flour tortillas. I apologize for the crappy picture but I could not find a place with the proper lighting. This picture was also taken the next day after heating them up in the microwave.

FIESTA CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked large chicken breasts; , shredded
3 cups thick 'n chunky salsa, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 -14 flour tortillas

PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

Heat large skillet spayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and taco seasoning; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.

SPOON about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 2 1/2 cup salsa and remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Almond Green Beans

This is a super easy side dish but has loads of flavor. If you are anything like me and need a little something extra to eat your veggies then this is one option. It is best to use fesh or frozen green beans as the canned just would not taste the same.

ALMOND GREEN BEANS
Fresh or frozen Green Beans (about 4 cups worth or whatever amount you need)
1 - 2 tbl of butter or margarine
1/4 cup of slivered almonds.
French's French Fried Onions

In a large skillet place frozen or fresh green beans. If they are fresh then be sure to wash first and snip the ends off. Cover with water and cook on med heat until cooked the way you want them.

Drain the green beans and remove from skillet. With the burner still set to med, add the butter and almonds. Saute until a light golden brown.

Add the green beans back in and stir until well coated with the butter and almonds. Cook until heated through.

Serve with some of the french fried onions sprinkled on top.

Creamy Delicious Macaroni and Cheese

There is nothing really fancy or unique about this mac and cheese but it has always been a family favorite and tastes SO much better than the box stuff. It's creamy and delicious and the perfect comfort food.

As a rule I prefer to use White American cheese as it seems to be the creamiest but you can of course substitute any cheese you like ie: Yellow American, Cheddar or a mixture of both. I usually get a block (1 to 2 lbs) of it at the deli counter in my grocery store and then just shred it myself at home. At the moment Wal-Mart has their White and Yellow American cheeses on sale for 2$ a pound so this is a good time to stock up if you live near a super Wal-Mart. I also add about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes because I like a little kick to it but this is completely optional. The cracked pepper gives it a bit of a bite so the red pepper flakes are not necessary unless you really like kick.

For the pasta I prefer the large elbow macaroni but I have used other shapes in a pinch.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
4 Cups uncooked large elbow macaroni
4 Tbl. butter or margarine
4 slightly rounded Tbl of flour
4 Cups shredded White American Cheese (approx)
4 Cups of Warm Skim milk
1 1/2 teas. of Brown Deli Mustard
1 teas red pepper flakes (optional)
Cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Cook pasta according to package leaving it slightly al dente. Drain and place in a greased casserole dish.

In a large sauce pan melt your butter over medium high heat. When melted add the flour and whisk for about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk and whisk constantly until well blended. Keep the heat near high and whisk continuously until the milk starts to thicken and bubble. Add your pepper and mustard and Red Pepper flakes (if desired) and continue to whisk. When the mixture is pretty thick, remove from heat and add the shredded cheese. Keep whisking until the cheese is melted and nice and creamy.

Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta in the casserole dish using a spoon to make sure the pasta is well coated and evenly blended. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. The top should be slightly brown and the sides bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top if desired.