Chili Mac

I love the Fall, it's my favorite time of year and growing up in New England we had some of the best Fall seasons around. Trees full of brightly colored leaves, clear blue skies and cool, crisp fresh air. Of course we can't forget that it is also the beginning of Football and Hockey season!

Well now I live in the hot California desert and while it can get quite cold here in the late Fall and Winter months we still have nothing like those beautiful crisp Fall days I remember as a child. Fall or not, I still love to make this dish. Chili Mac is perfect for those cool evenings or just sitting in front of the TV watching a game.

This recipe was originally from Rachel Ray but I changed it slightly to suit our needs. It makes a very large batch so you might want to cut it in half if there are only two of you or you don't want a lot of leftovers. Leftovers for this don't last long around here. If you want to see Rachel's original recipe you can find it here.

CHILI MAC
1 pound Cavatappi or Bowtie pasta
2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion
2 jalapenos, seed & chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce(Tabasco)
pinch coarse salt
2 cans beef broth
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes in juice
chopped scallions, for garnish
cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente. You want it slightly undercooked. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown meat in oil over medium high heat. Coarsley chop the onions (about 1/2 in. size pieces). Add onions, peppers, and garlic to pot. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, Tabasco, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in broth and cook til liquid is reduced by half, 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 2 - 3 hours.

Add pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Cook another 20 to 30 minutes to heat pasta. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions and cheddar cheese.

Madeleines, Simple and Delicious

I love those days when the oh-so-wonderful hubby is bored and looking for something to bake. I quickly browsed through my collection of recipes that I've saved but not tried yet when I remember my shiny new Madeleine pan. I've loved Madeleines ever since I saw them in a movie several years ago and wanted to make them myself. I looked everywhere for one of those pans but soon realized I would have to order one online.

For awhile our local Costco sold mini Madeleines in clear plastic buckets and they were very good but I still wanted to try making my own. Finally, several months ago I broke down and ordered one of the pans from Amazon. I was so excited when I got it, it was so shiny and pretty. Well that's as far as I got, it went up on the shelf and I just never got around to making the cookies until today when my oh-so-wonderful hubby was bored and felt the urge to make something sweet. I have just the thing I told him!

They tasted just like I imagined they would and so much better than the store bought ones. The recipe we used came from A Chow Life and as she says they are best when eaten warm out of the oven but I know these will taste good several days from now - if they last that long.

MADELEINES
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour not self-rising
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
confectioners sugar for dusting

Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush molds with some melted butter.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and foamy, about 30 seconds with a standing mixer or 1 minute with a handheld, then beat in vanilla. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating constantly at high speed, and continue to beat until mixture is tripled in volume, about 3 minutes with standing mixer or 5 minutes with handheld.

Sift flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches over egg, folding in each batch until just combined. Then fold in 3/4 cup melted butter.

Spoon a rounded tablespoon of batter into each mold (they will be about two-thirds full) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven (2 pans will fit on 1 rack), switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden around edges and a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes total.

Invert madeleines onto a rack and dust scalloped sides with confectioners sugar.

Zesty Italian Crescent Pie

I saw this recipe over at Taste and Tell and thought it looked soooo good I had to try it. It's from one of the Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbooks and incredibly easy to make. It is even easier to make thanks to Pillsbury's new Recipe Creations. It's the dough from their Crescent Rolls only in one big sheet so you can make different things with it. Almost like a pastry sheet.

I only changed the recipe a little bit, switching out the ground beef for ground turkey and using reduced fat mozzarella. The original recipe also called for 2 tablespoons of melted butter to mix with Parmesan cheese but I just sprayed butter flavored cooking spray on top of the pie crust and sprinkled 1/3 cup of freshly grated Asiago cheese over it. For the pasta sauce I used Trader Joe's Organic Marinara Sauce as it is low fat and very low sodium.

You will want to let this set up for about a half hour after it comes out of the oven so it doesn't run all over the place. This tasted fantastic and I will definitely be making it again.

ZESTY ITALIAN CRESCENT PIE
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup tomato pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Recipe Creations
1/3 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
Butter flavored cooking spray

Heat oven to 375°F. In large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in pasta sauce; cook until thoroughly heated.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine mozzarella cheese and sour cream; mix well.

Pour hot beef mixture into ungreased 9 1/2 or 10-inch glass deep-dish pie pan or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture over beef mixture.

Unroll dough over cheese mixture, spray with butter spray and sprinkle the cheese evenly over dough.

Bake at 375°F. for 18 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings

While I love nothing more than making things from scratch, there are times when I am all about the quick and the easy. This recipe kind of developed when I was in a hurry and did not have time to make the dumplings from scratch and cut up all the vegetables myself. This is also one of those meals that is easy to change up in that you can use any kind of vegetable you like.

For this time I used a bag of frozen corn, peas, carrots and green beans but in the past I have used a frozen Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot mix and then added in some frozen corn. Whatever you happen to like or have on hand will work. Instead of the refrigerator biscuits I have also used the frozen kind that come in a bag. Whichever ones you use I learned it is definitely better to pre-bake them a bit before adding to the crockpot. They just take way too long to cook otherwise.

I don't always add the cheese but it does give it a really nice flavor.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
3 cans Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 small onion, chopped
1 can of skim milk - fill an empty soup can
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
1 can of refrigerator biscuits
season to taste

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray.

Place chicken tenders, mixed veggies (you can use whatever frozen mixed veggies you wish), chopped onion and cheese in the crockpot. In a large bowl place all the soup and one can's worth of milk and blend till smooth. Pour over the chicken and veggies in the crockpot.

Cover and set on high for 2 hours. Stir and scrap sides and cover again. Turn down to low and cook another 2 to 3 hours.

Take biscuits out of the can, place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until just barely turning brown. Do not overcook them, you want them just slightly undercooked.

Remove from oven and place 6 of them in a single layer over the chicken mixture in the crockpot. With a large spoon, ladel some of the sauce over the top of the biscuits. Cover and cook an additional 30 min to an hour.

Serves 4 - 6 people.

Meat Loaf With Tomato Relish

Meat Loaf is one of those recipes that everyone makes differently. My kids were always asking me to write down my meat loaf recipe but I found it was hard to put down on paper exact measurements because I don't know that I ever made it exactly the same way twice. Just like Spaghetti Sauce or a good stew, you just throw in a little of this and add a bit of that. Oh I had the basic ingredients that I would add each time but I also experimented a lot over the years too.

This is a meat loaf recipe that I don't make as often as my personal one because it takes a lot of prep work but every now and then when I feel like changing things up a bit I will make this version. It comes from Tyler Florence of The Food Network and I saw him make it a couple of years ago. He said this was his dad's recipe for Meat Loaf. The only thing I changed in this is Tyler's recipe calls for putting a few strips of bacon on top of the meat loaf and baking it until it is crispy. I don't add bacon to mine but everything else is the same.

MEAT LOAF WITH TOMATO RELISH
==== Tomato Relish ====
extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 clove garlic
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, finely diced
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, & diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
3 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
salt & freshly ground black pepper

==== Meatloaf ====
3 slices white bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs or 1/2 Cup egg substitute
leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut crusts off of the bread and tear into chunks.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften.

Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small 'hamburger' patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that it cooks evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!

Banana Bread

Does anyone remember the early days of the Food Network when it was just about cooking and showing us recipes? There were no live audiences or bands or competitions, just a chef or cookbook author showing us a new recipe each day or demonstrating how we could feed our family for just $100 a week. They didn't have many shows so they repeated a couple of times per day but they were good shows and I collected some really good recipes during those times. Recipes that I still use today.

This recipe for Banana Bread is one of them. I think the show was called Chef Du Jour they had a different celebrity on each week and that celebrity would share their own personal recipes. This Banana Bread recipe comes from Comedian Joanne Worley and it's delicious. Very easy to make, super moist and a great way to use up those bananas that are turning black. This bread never lasts very long in our house.

BANANA BREAD
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter
2 eggs (I used 1/2 cup Eggbeaters)
1 cup Sugar
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.

Lazy Sunday Afternoons and a Good Coffee Cake

Finally we had some great weather today. While not cool by any means, the fact that it never got higher than the upper 80's was still a milestone. This has been a very looooong hot summer and today actually felt like the start of Fall. There was a strong breeze and the sky was blue and clear, it seemed like the perfect day to bake a nice coffee cake and relax with the hubby. Ok so the hubby threw out his back and was confined to bed but it's great to have a captive audience!

I found this wonderful recipe at Big City, Little Kitchen and just changed a few things to make it a bit healthier. I probably would have swapped out the 1 cup of sugar for Splenda's baking sugar substitute but I did not have any. For the brown sugar in the topping I used half regular brown sugar and half of Splenda's Brown Sugar.

As the original poster from Big City, Little Kitchen stated, this cake has a dense, moist interior and lot's of streusel. This one is definitely a keeper!

♦

CINNAMON-CRUMBLE COFFEE CAKE
==== cake ====
1 stick unsalted butter, softened ( I use Smart Balance's Butter Blends Unsalted Butter)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fat free sour cream

==== topping ====
2/3 cup light brown sugar (part Splenda Brown Sugar and part regular Brown Sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

To make cake: cream butter and sugar. Lightly beat eggs, vanilla, and our cream, then add to butter mixture. Whisk together dry ingredients, then add to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.

To make topping: whisk together the 3 ingredients; set aside.

Pour half of batter into bundt pan, smoothing with a spatula so that it covers the bottom of the pan. Distribute half of the topping mixture over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan, carefully smoothing with a spatula so that it covers the topping. Sprinkle remaining topping over the batter, then bake for 45 minutes.

Let cool for 15 minutes, then carefully reverse onto a plate. Place another plate on top (which is actually the bottom of the cake), and reverse again, so that cake is, finally, facing up on a plate.

Ortega Fiesta Bake

I thought I would make something a little spicy tonight and this is an old favorite of ours. I can't even remember where I found the original recipe but I have been making it for years. I lightened it up a bit by using turkey meat and low fat cheese and when making the cornbread mix I used egg substitute and skim milk.

I apologize for the horrible photo, but I am limited in space so I have no camera angles or lighting to choose from and all my dishes are packed away.

ORTEGA FIESTA BAKE
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup onion; chopped
3/4 cup mild salsa
2 T. taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
1 can whole kernel corn; drained
3 whole canned jalapenos; chopped
1 8 1/2 oz.pkg corn muffin mix
2 cups low fat cheddar cheese; shredded
1 4oz. can diced green chilies

Preheat oven to 350°F

Brown meat in skillet and drain. Add onions, taco seasoning, water, salsa, jalapenos and all but 1 cup of the corn. Cook for 10 minutes. While that is cooking make the muffin mix according to package. The cornbread mix I use calls for one egg and 1/3 cup of milk. I use egg substitute for the egg and fat free milk. Then add one cup of the cheese, the remaining 1 cup of corn and the can of green chilies, mix well.

When meat is done spread evenly on the bottom of a square or small rectangle baking dish. Sprinkle on remaining 1 cup of cheese and add the cornbread mixture, spreading evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Vegetable Beef Soup

My mother-in-law has been making this recipe for years but I could never get her to write it down so tonight I sat and made it with her and wrote down everything she put in it so I could preserve the recipe for myself and my kids.

It's very easy to make and tastes sooooo good. This is perfect for a cold rainy day but since we have rain about 1 day a year out in this horrendous desert we have to settle for a cold windy day, those we have plenty of in the winter.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1 lb stew meat
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can peas
1 can green beans
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
3 medium red potatoes
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 cup baby carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 cups frozen broccoli cauliflower mix
1 tablespoon parsley
4 1/2 cups Water
pepper and garlic powder to season
oil for browning the meat

In a 5 qt dutch oven or pot, brown the stew meat in a little bit of oil. After it is brown add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook until they are tender.

Wash and cube the potatoes, about 1 in chunks, do not peel the potatoes first. Add to the pot.

Open and drain the cans of peas and green beans, add to the pot.

Add the remaining ingredients except the water and bouillon.

In 2 cups of the water, break up and dissolve the bouillon cubes. Add to the pot along with the rest of the water. Stir just to mix everything and cover. Let simmer on low heat for a couple of hours at least. You can also add this to a crock pot and let simmer on low for several hours.

Simple Turkey Burger

For my lunch today I made something quick, easy and healthy. I keep lean turkey patties in the freezer for whenever I am in the mood for a quick simple burger.

SIMPLE TURKEY BURGER
1 lean ground turkey pattie
1 slice of pepper jack soy cheese
2 slices of tomato
1 T light mayo
1 double fiber whole wheat English muffin
Thin slice of onion (optional)
Seasoning of your choice

In a small skillet sprayed with cooking spray cook your turkey pattie until it is no longer pink inside. Turn it once to cook each side and season however desired. (I like spicy so I use red pepper flakes and garlic powder). Flip one more time, place your cheese on top and turn off the heat.

While the cheese is melting lightly toast your English muffin and spread with the light mayo. Place your pattie on one half and top with the tomato slices and the other half.

You can add ketchup, mustard or any other condiment if you wish.

Crispy Garlic Chicken

Well although my adventure with Tofu noodles was a disaster this chicken recipe was not. Very easy to make and the chicken comes out so tender and moist.

CRISPY GARLIC CHICKEN

1 envelope Lipton Garlic Mushroom Soup mix
1/3 cup light or fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh finely grated Asiago cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 tbsp. plain dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400°.

In medium bowl, combine garlic mushroom soup mix and mayonnaise; set aside. On baking sheet, arrange chicken. Be sure to pat your chicken as dry as possible so that it is easier to spread the topping on. Evenly top chicken with soup mixture, then evenly sprinkle with bread crumbs and then the cheese. Bake 20 - 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. If using the chicken tenders then definitely no longer than 20 minutes.

If you want the topping to be a little crispier then bake it under the broil for a couple of minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Trying Out Tofu Shirataki Noodles

Tonight I decided to try those Tofu Shirataki Noodles that everyone has been raving about. I thought maybe this is the answer to my prayers, a pasta that is completely guilt-free! Could these be a Diabetic's pot of gold?

I got myself some Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles and set about making the recipe I found on Hungry Girl, Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo!

First of all when she tells you to rinse these noodles well she means WELL. They smell very fishy and take a lot of rinsing to get rid of that odor.

The recipe is very easy to throw together and the cheese sauce it makes is very tasty but the noodles were not what I was hoping for. Believe me they look and feel just like noodles until you bite into them. The texture was very hard for me to get used to, tender but yet rubbery at the same time. Hard to describe but I just could not get past that feeling when you bite into them. Alas my hopes and dreams were dashed, they were not the answer to my prayers.

I have a package of the Angel Hair style also so I may get brave and try a traditional spaghetti recipe with them but as a rule I like my pasta a little al dente and these have the feel of overcooked pasta.

If anyone is feeling brave or does not mind the texture, here is the recipe.

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo

1 package of Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles
1/2 Wedge of Laughing Cow Light Cheese
1 t. fat free sour cream
2 t. low fat parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper if desired

Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well. Microwave them for one minute, then drain them and pat dry. Add cheeses and sour cream. Mix thoroughly. Microwave to help melt cheese further, and mix some more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy. Serves 1.

Slow-Cooker Lasagna

I love pasta! All kinds of pasta cooked all kinds of ways. When I was a kid one of my favorite snacks was just a bowl of cold plain elbow macaroni sprinkled with just a bit of salt. Yummy! Of course now that I am Diabetic I have to limit my cravings but that still does not stop me from making pasta dishes and trying out new ones.

I got this recipe from one of my mailing lists that I belong to and of course I had to tweak it to see if I could make it healthier. Crock Pot recipes are great as I can just assemble the ingredients, turn it on and forget it for a few hours.

For the lasagna noodles I used whole wheat oven ready noodles. These are great lasagna noodles I found at Target. It's made by their own food brand, Archer Farms. You don't have to pre-cook them and they taste great. You can't even tell they are whole wheat. You don't have to use the oven ready type of noodles to make this so any kind of lasagna will be fine.

For the marinara sauce I use Trader Joe's Organic Marinara Sauce. It's low fat and no salt added so very low in sodium. Plus it tastes great!

SLOW-COOKER LASAGNA

1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce - no salt added
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
8 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles; broken up
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 15 oz. containers low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 C egg substitute
1 26 oz jar marinara sauce

Brown the turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray until meat isn't pink any longer.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, marinara sauce, water, salt and oregano, mix well until heated through. Spread one-quarter of the meat sauce in an ungreased crock pot; arrange one third of the noodles over the meat. Combine the cheeses and the egg substitute and arrange one third of the cheese mixture over the noodles.

Repeat these layers two more times; top with the remaining meat sauce. Cover and cook 4 to 5 hours on low heat or until noodles are tender.

Potato Parsnip Hash, Pork Loin on the BBQ & More

Tonight was a night to try out new recipes. Everything the hubby and I made was a new recipe we had not tried before. I think overall everything was a complete success!

The main dish was Pork Loin Roast with a nice spice rub, wrapped in foil and cooked on the barbecue. Then I made a Potato and Parsnip Hash and the hubby cooked some sweet potato and butternut squash on the grill as well.

For the squash and sweet potato he just sliced them down the middle lengthwise scooping out the center of the squash. Then he coated all the slices with a brown sugar, salt and pepper mixture and wrapped them in foil. He cooked them on the barbecue for about 30 to 45 min or until tender. You need to turn them once or twice while they are cooking.

The pork loin roast was very easy to do. We used a small pork loin roast that was about 2 lbs and very lean. You can get whatever size you want, just be sure to test the center with a meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly.

We took the pork loin and rubbed it with a pork seasoning (you can use any seasoning you wish) and then wrapped it in foil and placed it on the barbecue. I believe it took about 45 minutes but be sure to use your meat thermometer. You want it to reach the temp for rare to medium. It comes out extremely tender! Great with applesauce!

The last thing we made was Potato Parsnip Hash. I saw this recipe on Rachel Ray’s show on the Food Network and wanted to try it. It was delicious! I had never tried parsnips before but with the potatoes and onions they tasted very good.

POTATO AND PARSNIP HASH

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed clean, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced into half moons
2 large parsnips, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced into half moons
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, finely minced
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. Add the potatoes, parsnips, thyme and season with salt and pepper, stir frequently and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes and parsnips are nice and tender and lightly browned. Add the minced onion and continue to cook until they are tender and the potatoes are nice and brown. Once the hash is cooked add the chopped parsley. Stir to combine and transfer hash to a serving platter. Serve it up.

Fudge Brownie Pudding Cake

My Oh-So Wonderful hubby made this tonight and once again it was a big hit, especially with the in-laws. You pour boiling water over the batter just before putting it in the oven so it makes this thick chocolate syrup when it’s done.

I think this would be perfect served with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. It would be like a brownie fudge sundae!

I was a good girl and resisted having more than just a taste as it would have put my blood sugar through the roof. It tasted soooo good! I may try making it another time and see what I can do to lighten it up.

FUDGE BROWNIE PUDDING CAKE
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powde; r
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk
2 1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp black coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 375°F. Have ready an 8-in. square or other 2-qt, 2-in.-deep baking dish. Whisk flour, 1?2 cup cocoa powder and next 3-ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. In a 1-cup glass measure, combine milk, oil, liqueur and vanilla; stir into flour mixture until blended. Spread in ungreased baking dish.

Mix brown sugar and remaining 3 Tbsp cocoa; sprinkle evenly over batter. Slowly pour boiling water evenly over surface of batter—don’t stir. Carefully place in oven.

Bake 30 minutes, or until top is just set and a wooden pick inserted halfway into center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar. For a decorative design, place a paper doily on pudding cake before dusting with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully lift doily straight up. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped topping.

* Nutrition Facts * Yield 9 servings * Amount Per Serving * Calories 206 * Total Fat 5g * Saturated Fat 1g * Cholesterol NA * Sodium 184mg * Total Carbohydrates 41g * Dietary Fiber 2g * Protein 3g

Apple Walnut Cake

I found this in a magazine and my ever so wonderful hubby whipped it up last night. Needless to say it was a big hit!

Sorry these are not the best pictures in my blog but as we have been living with my in-laws until our house sells I am limited in my resources. The kitchen is very small and my photo box and all my lighting is packed away :( This will have to do!

We cut back a bit on the walnuts as we don't like a lot in our cakes and brownies but the recipe originally called for 1 1/2 cups so if you really like nuts then add as much as you wish. This was a really moist cake and would probably taste great with a dab of whip cream or maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

APPLE WALNUT CAKE

2 cups sugar
1 cup + 2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 cups flour
2 large granny Smith apple; any apple is ok
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F

Peel, core and slice the apples.

Coat a 10 in. tube pan with cooking spray.

Whisk sugar, oil, apple cider (juice), eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until blended.

Stir in flour until blended. Stir in apples and walnuts.

Scrape mixture into the prepared tube pan.

Bake 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for about an hour before removing from pan.

Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.

Nothing Like Warm Blueberry Muffins for Breakfast!

Today’s breakfast consisted of homemade blueberry muffins. YUM. I lightened them up a bit by using fat free sour cream and eggbeaters instead of the egg. Every little bit helps right?

BLUEBERRY SOURCREAM CORNMEAL MUFFINS
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup eggbeaters
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/3 cup thawed unsweetened apple juice
1-1/2 cups frozen unthawed blueberries

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Grease 12 medium-sized muffin cups or line with paper liners, you might want to spray the paper liners with cooking spray. The muffins tend to stick to the paper; set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add combined egg, sour cream and apple juice concentrate; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand in pan on wire rack five minutes. Remove from pan; cool slightly.

Recipe makes one-dozen muffins. These are the only totals I have for these:

Calories: 166 Fat: 4g Protein: 4g Carbohydrate: 23g