Cucumber Sandwiches

  These cucumber sandwiches are delightful. They remind me of the appetizers that were served at weddings when I was a child, and I love going to weddings. They're also a great way to enjoy the fresh cucumbers in abundance throughout the summer, and the leftover cream cheese spread can be used as a dip for other seasonal vegetables. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1 8-oz. package 1/3 less fat neufchatel cream cheese

3-4 Tbsp. dried chives

1 medium cucumber

4-6 slices dense texture whole grain bread

Directions:

Mix the cream cheese and dried chives by hand in a small mixing bowl. Use 3-4 Tbsp. of dried chives, depending on your taste preference. 

Use a whole grain bread with a dense texture so it doesn't fall apart with all the cream cheese and cucumber slices on it. Bakery style breads work really well for these sandwiches. 

Cut the cucumber in half and then slice it longways. It can be peeled or unpeeled, depending on your preference. 

Spread some cream cheese mixture on 2 pieces of bread. Then place the cucumber slices. 

Sandwiches can be served whole or cut into halves or thirds. 

Save any leftover chive cream cheese to use as a dip for tomatoes, carrots, or any of your favorite seasonal vegetables.  

Tomato Pie

  Look at this pretty tomato pie! I decided to make this today because I had a yellow and a red tomato, and I thought it would look really pretty. It tastes amazing, too, and is low in saturated fat, with an oil pastry crust and vegetable oil topping. 

  Some of the ingredients are a little flexible. You can use your favorite oil for the topping or a few pats of butter. Remember, everything in moderation! An Italian seasoning blend can also be used in place of the dried basil. 

  Tomato Pie can be served alone or with soup or salad, similar to how you would serve a quiche.

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie crust (I used the recipe for Oil Pastry from the Southern Living cookbook.)

2 large tomatoes

1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup shredded or 2 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

I bought this cookbook in college for a food composition class, and it's now a staple in my kitchen. I use the Oil Pastry recipe on page 355 anytime I need a pie crust.

Directions:
Slice tomatoes and place in colander to drain. 

Prepare pie crust, but don't bake it yet.

Layer the sliced tomatoes, you should have 2 layers. 

Drizzle with oil. 

Sprinkle with basil and then with pepper. 

Top with cheese. 

Bake according to pie crust directions. (I did 450 F for 14 minutes.)

Serve immediately.

Breakfast Bread or Biscuits

   Homemade bread is wonderful, but yeast breads can be exhausting to make and bread machines are kind of expensive. I developed this recipe to be a quick bread with the taste and texture (soft inside, crunchy outside) of good homemade bread. It is ideal as a breakfast bread as it is a little too sweet and crumbly for sandwich bread. The consistency of the dough also makes it great for biscuits. Plus, it has a boost of healthy whole wheat flour.

Breakfast Bread

   I have baked with whole wheat flour in the past and had products that turned out bitter. I wasn't sure if it was just the taste of the flour or if there was something wrong with the bread, so I googled bitter whole wheat bread and found the answer. The top search results, including a post by Cooking Light magazine, said that whole wheat flour spoils faster than white flour because the oils in it go rancid quickly. The fact that grocery stores often don't sell as much whole wheat flour can also mean that it has been setting on the shelf longer. 

   There are a few things you can do to remedy this problem. First, always check the expiration dates on the flour. Don't buy anything that is close to its expiration date and throw away any flour you may have at home that has reached its date. Second, if you can, buy whole wheat flour from a store that keeps it in a cooler, and store it in the refrigerator once you get it home. These tips should ensure that you have fresh, good tasting flour to work with. 

   Another noteworthy thing about this dough is that it contains sorghum molasses. The main difference between sorghum and regular molasses is that sorghum is the delicious stuff that you buy from farmers at roadside stands. It’s viscous like honey. You can eat it on toast or use it in baking. Molasses is the runny, slightly bitter stuff that you buy in major chain grocery stores. If you can't find real sorghum molasses, honey is an acceptable substitute.

Sorghum Molasses

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups self-rising white flour (White Lily is the best)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sorghum molasses

1 cup skim or 1% milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, leaving out 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil to use to coat the pan. 

Knead dough until mixed well. 

-For bread, add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to a loaf pan. Shape the dough into a loaf shape, roll it in the oil in the pan, and bake for 20-30 minutes. 

-For biscuits, lightly coat a baking sheet with oil, drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

Links to Splenda.com

Here are some links to the Splenda website for tips on using their products in baking and cooking.

This one is for the sugar substitute for baking.
http://www.splenda.com/cooking-baking/granulated

This second link is for the sugar and Splenda blend. 
http://www.splenda.com/cooking-baking/sugar-blend

And this is the FAQ. 

http://www.splenda.com/faq/cooking-baking

Flexible Ice Cream recipe

  I'm calling this ice cream flexible for a few reasons. First, the ingredients are flexible. You can basically use any fatness of milk and cream because I've found that the egg yolks are really the key to a good texture. Of course, if you use whole milk and whipping cream, you will get the creamiest, dreamiest texture, but skim milk and half and half work just fine, too. I haven't tried to make this with soy milk, so I can't really say if that would work out well or not. The add-ins are also flexible-add melted chocolate (white, dark, or milk chocolate), fruit, caramel, etc. The vanilla ice cream is perfect on its own and ideal as a base for other flavors. 
  The preparation is also slightly flexible because, if you choose to use whipping cream, you can whip it and add to the mixture to make it even smoother and dreamier. 

This is the base recipe to start out with:

Ingredients: 

2 cups half and half

2 cups skim milk

2 cups store brand Splenda for baking

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

Directions: 

1. Add the half and half, milk, salt, vanilla, and 1/2 of the Splenda in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, use a mixer with a whisk attachment and mix the egg yolks and the other 1/2 of the Splenda. Blend well. 

3. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk blend, whisking constantly with the mixer. Mix at low speed, then whisk on high until soft peaks form. 

4. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill. 

5. Transfer to ice cream maker and mix about 20 minutes. 

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Cherry Ice Cream

Flexible option 1: Use any fatness of milk-skim, 1%, 2%, or whole. 

Flexible option 2: Use any fatness of cream-half and half, heavy cream, whipping cream, etc. 

Flexible option 3: Add in fruit, cherry pie filling (my favorite), melted white chocolate, dark or milk chocolate chunks, or swirled caramel to taste. 

Flexible option 4: If you are using whipping cream in the recipe, save it out for the very last. Whip it into soft peaks with a mixer, then fold into the ice cream before transferring to the ice cream maker.

Cherry pie filling is one of my favorites, and it's so good with ice cream.

7-1-12: Coconut would be really good in this recipe, too! Just thought of this today, wanted to share. :)

Grapefruit Jalapeno Fish

  This recipe was inspired by an article I read in the September 2011 issue of Vogue magazine. The author had traveled to Mexico and wrote about a chef that used grapefruit with chili peppers. A lot of spicy Mexican dishes use lime to balance the heat from the peppers, so grapefruit seemed like a nice change up on the usual citrus fruit. I kept this idea floating around in my mind for a few months trying to figure out the best base for the sauce. Then a Foodista fish recipe caught my attention. It was a more typical lime and pepper recipe, but it had mayonnaise as the base. Mayonnaise is used more frequently in actual Mexican cooking, as opposed to the Tex-Mex that most Americans are used to. The taste of this dish is phenomenal, even if I did make it!

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup lite mayo

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 red grapefruit

1/4 cup sliced, pickled Jalapeno peppers with the juice

12 ounces of Pollock fillets

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Combine the first 4 ingredients to make the sauce. Be sure to remove the juicy grapefruit segments from the tough membranes. Also, there's no need to chop the peppers, the slices from the jar are perfect! 

Stir together the ingredients for the sauce, mashing grapefruit with the spoon.  

Place fillets in a glass baking dish. 

Cover with sauce. 

Bake 9 to 11 minutes.

  Here is a picture of the feast I served with the fish. Fresh corn on the cob with tub margarine, a scoop of fat-free vegetarian refried beans with shredded mozzarella cheese, a cucumber, tomato, and buttery red leaf lettuce salad, and some chips and salsa for good measure.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

  They've created a monster. The same day that I bought my manual ice machine, I also got an electric ice cream maker, which I've been wanting for at least a year. I got to play around with it this morning and tried out my idea for frozen yogurt, yum. This recipe is so good, it has some nice flavors from the strawberry jam and the vanilla, and also has that great yogurt flavor and bite to it from the plain yogurt. Of course, it's low in sugar and fat. Enjoy! 

 

Ingredients: 

3 cups plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup sucralose (Splenda) store brand sweetener

1/4 cup strawberry jam

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients and stir together with a spoon. 

Transfer the ingredients to an ice cream maker and mix for 15 minutes until thickened and frozen. 

Put the finished fro-yo in a container with a lid and and store in the freezer. 

My New Manual Ice Shaver

  With the warmer weather coming up, I had been thinking about all the frozen drinks I could make with finely crushed or shaved ice-iced coffees, teas, fruit punches, the list goes on and on. I finally went out and bought one. You can get a manual ice shaver for about $10. It was a little challenging to use with ice cubes, and you'll definitely use some muscle. If you have the extra money for an automatic ice shaver it might be worth it, but I haven't tried to use one.

  Today I made iced drinks with Diet Pepsi and with Wyler's Light raspberry drink mix. I can't wait to try iced juices and margaritas, too. Specialty drinks like iced coffees can be expensive at restaurants, so this is an economical way to enjoy some nice, cold drinks throughout the spring and summer. The drinks in the photos are just sample size, so I would recommend larger cups and either a straw or a spoon for an actual drink.

Iced Diet Pepsi

Iced Fruit Drink

Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms

  This recipe takes just a few minutes and only 4 ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. The portabella mushrooms have a meatier texture than regular mushrooms, and they hold flavors better and maintain a firmer texture when cooked.

 

Ingredients:

1 carton baby bella mushrooms

olive oil

garlic powder

dried basil

Directions:

Wash mushrooms thoroughly and drain to dry.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add whole mushrooms. Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil.

Saute mushrooms evenly on both sides. 

Serve immediately.

Soup Beans and Cornbread

  Whether you call them pinto beans or soup beans, beans really are a healthy food, especially when they're made without greasy fatback or loads of salt. This recipe uses plenty of flavor from lean ham and seasonings, and leaves out the hot mess of saturated fat and sodium in some traditional recipes. Enjoy this delicious fiber and protein rich food with Regular Cornbread or Hot Mexican Cornbread.

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound dried pinto beans

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1-1 1/4 pound ham, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Rinse beans well. Soak overnight. 

Drain water. 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Add fresh water, adjusting the amount according to how soupy you want the beans to be. 

Bring to a boil, then cook over low-medium heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serving size should be 1/2 to 1 cup. 

I like to eat my beans with ketchup, but chow chow, sauerkraut, hot sauce, or jalapeno peppers would all taste wonderful. The sauerkraut, some varieties of chow chow, ketchup, and jalapenos will add sodium, so use them sparingly. Hot sauce is actually a low sodium seasoning!

Broccoli Salad

  This is a really good broccoli salad recipe from the store brand broccoli mix. It's easy to make, and the slaw mix was super cheap.

I  

Ingredients: 

10 slices bacon or 1 package pre-cooked bacon pieces

1 - 12 oz. package FS Broccoli Slaw

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sunflower seeds, shelled

(Note: I prefer to make it without the raisins, but it's just a personal preference.)

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli slaw, onion, and raisins. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli slaw mixture, and toss until well mixed. 

Refrigerate for at least two hours. 

Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds. 

Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Pretzel Chicken

  These yummy pretzel breaded chicken tenders are so good they can be eaten alone or dipped in honey mustard. Since the pretzels are used as a coating, this recipe is really not too high in sodium. I also baked them instead of frying, which I prefer because it is not as messy, but you still get good flavor from the healthy oil used to coat the pan. 

Ingredients:

3 handfuls pretzels

3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1 pound chicken tenderloins

2 eggs

Honey mustard dressing

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Put pretzels in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin. 

Add oil to a baking dish. 

Beat the eggs. Dredge chicken in eggs first, then in the crushed pretzels, coating thoroughly. Place in oiled baking dish. 

Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Serve with honey mustard dressing, if desired. 

Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans

  Today I have another meal that fits the MyPlate model. It's based around oven fried chicken made with Kentucky Kernel flour. Sweet potatoes really taste good with chicken, and green beans go with everything. Kentucky Kernel flour is a bit salty at 544 mg. of sodium in 4 tsps. and has a strong flavor, so I blended it with whole wheat flour. 

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients: 

Vegetable oil

1 pound skinless chicken

1/2 cup Kentucky Kernel flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup skim milk

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Pour enough oil into a baking dish to keep the chicken from sticking.

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl.

Combine the 2 flours on a plate.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture first, then coat in flour. Place them in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes on each side, turning once. 

Sweet Potatoes

Wash and place desired number of whole sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake while the chicken is cooking. It should only take around 30 to 40 minutes for the potatoes to bake. 

Top the finished sweet potatoes with some tub margarine and cinnamon. 

Green Beans

Open a can of Shelley Green Beans and drain to reduce the sodium. Place in a saucepan and add water, a generous sprinkling of black pepper, and one thick slice of onion, chopped. Cook on stove-top over medium to medium-high heat while the chicken and sweet potatoes are baking.

Tomato and Okra Vegetable Soup

  It's cold outside today, and this healthy soup is the perfect meal for warming up. The base of the soup is corn and tomatoes. I used a combination of no added salt and regular canned vegetables, simply because the grocery store didn't have everything I needed in the no added salt variety. This soup contains primarily canned and frozen vegetables, with the exception of a fresh onion and a green pepper, making it ideal for late fall and winter. A little bit of sugar and white vinegar add a boost of flavor.

 

Ingredients: 

2 cans no added salt whole kernel corn

2 cans no added salt diced tomatoes

1 can shellie beans

1 can sliced carrots

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 12 oz. bag frozen okra

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  Serve soup with hot, fresh cornbread.

 

Shrimp & Grits

  This recipe is inspired by a lighter version of the traditional shrimp and grits that I had in Charleston, South Carolina this summer. Shrimp and grits is usually served with kielbasa sausage and enough butter and cream to make you smack your mama, but I've substituted with skim milk and part-skim mozzarella cheese, reduced the amount of butter, and added some vegetables while keeping all the delicious flavor. 

 

Grits

Ingredients: 

Quick grits, 4 servings prepared as directed with salt

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 green onion, chopped, to garnish

Directions: 

Prepare grits according to instructions on container. 

Over medium-low heat, add butter and stir until melted. 

Add milk and cheese, and stir until cheese is melted and well blended. 

Add pepper and salt and stir. 

Serve grits and garnish with chopped green onion. 

Shrimp

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 chopped tomato

3/4 pound large 26/30 count shrimp, peeled, ready to serve

1/4 tsp. salt

The tomato in this recipe will cook down quite a bit, but it adds to the flavor and color of the dish and helps the shrimp to cook. I used a yellow tomato because that's what I had on hand, but red will work just fine. 

Directions: 

Over medium heat, melt butter in a skillet. Add garlic powder and immediately add shrimp. Stir well. Add chopped tomato and continue to stir often for about 10 minutes. Add salt, stir, and serve.

Corn

Ingredients: 

1 can low-salt whole kernel corn

1 Tbsp. tub margarine

Directions: 

(This one is easy.) 

Cook corn and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat until margarine melts. Stir often. It should only take a few minutes for the corn to get hot enough to serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I love pumpkin in the Fall. The smell, taste, and lovely orange color really make the season. Pumpkin for breakfast in the Fall! Now that's a great start to the day. 

This recipe comes from Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During & After Pregnancy by American Dietetic Association. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1-2/3 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup skim or 1% milk

2 Tbsp. tub margarine, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Directions: 

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with 1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. sugar with the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk, egg, pumpkin, and yogurt-sugar mixture, stirring well. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Stir until it is moist and free of lumps. 

Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and heat to low-medium heat. 

Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until the bubbles begin to burst, then flip and cook until golden brown. 

Makes 6 servings, one serving is 3 pancakes. 

Nutrition Facts per serving: 282 calories, 0 g. trans fat, 45 g. carbohydrates, 6 g. fat, 42 mg. cholesterol, 3 g. fiber, 3 g. saturated fat, 198 mg. sodium, 12 g. protein

Fish Dinner

  Continuing with the MyPlate meals, this is a quick and easy dinner with baked fish, steamed vegetables, and a baked potato. All the ingredients for this meal are added to taste, so no measuring or strict recipes are required.

 

  To prepare the fish and potatoes, first preheat the oven to 350F. Scrub the potatoes, poke holes in the tops, and place them in the oven for about 40 minutes, they may need to bake longer if you prefer softer baked potatoes. 

  While the potatoes are baking, prepare the thawed fish. I used frozen whiting because it was on sale, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the fillets in a glass baking pan and add olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of paprika. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork. This fish was delicious, and had a meatier texture. 

  While the fish and potatoes are baking, cook the vegetables on the stovetop. I used fresh broccoli and frozen mixed vegetables. Just cook them in some water in a pan until the broccoli is lightly cooked (no mushy broccoli) and the frozen vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Then empty most of the water. Sprinkle cheese on the broccoli. The best and healthiest type of cheese to use for broccoli is the Mexican blend with reduced fat cheeses. It's available in a store brand and isn't any more expensive than the other types. Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt. The little bit of water left in the pan keeps it from burning. For the mixed vegetables, add some tub margarine like Country Crock Light, and stir it in thoroughly. 

  When the potatoes are finished baking, add tub margarine, reduced fat sour cream, and pepper. No salt is needed because the flavor is so good. Remember to eat the peel on the potato for a boost of fiber.    

Friday Night MyPlate

  I love to cook, obviously, but I also enjoy dining out, especially on the weekends. Restaurant meals, even pizza, can be healthy if you keep in mind the MyPlate model and Dietary Guidelines. Tonight I had carry-out veggie pizza and added a salad to make half my plate vegetables. A few olives and the salad dressing added heart healthy polyunsaturated fats. It was delicious! 

Not gonna lie, I had 2 pieces. 

MyPlate Complete Meals

  Since this blog is about healthy eating, I want to start featuring more full meals that match up with the MyPlate model and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The MyPlate model is a quick and easy way to think about meal planning. Just fill half of the plate with vegetables or fruits, one quarter with grains (preferably whole grains), and the last quarter with a lean protein (animal or plant). Top it off with low-fat milk, yogurt, or soy milk. 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov

A well balanced meal.

  Four of my recent posts are featured in this photo. Lean meatloaf, cornbread with a heart healthy fat source, a few slices of fried green tomatoes, and fresh, sliced heirloom tomatoes make a healthy, delicious, and filling meal. Have an 8 oz. glass of milk, or some yogurt or sugar-free pudding for daily calcium.

Cornbread

  This is a recipe for regular cornbread. It's adapted from a Martha White recipe, and, like my Jalapeno Cornbread, it can also be filed under "How to Make Cornbread Without Grease". 

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 1/3 cups skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups corn meal

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Spray a 9-inch iron skillet with non-stick spray, and place it in the oven. 

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. 

Remove the skillet from the oven, and pour batter into skillet. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

Variations: 1 3/4 cups buttermilk may be substituted for the skim milk. 

Buttermilk adds a lot of sodium, though.

Did you know? Buttermilk is good in recipes because it is more acidic than regular milk. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill the rest of the way with plain milk. This is a much lower sodium version of buttermilk, too. Vinegar is also great as a seasoning on vegetables or meat because it adds flavor without adding sodium.