Olive Oil Roasted Brussels Sprouts By: Linda Robeson 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half 1½ T olive oil 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/8 tsp. sea salt Preheat Oven to 425. Toss all ingredients together on a rimmed baking sheet and roast. Stir occasionally until the sprouts are golden/crisp and tender. Approximately 15 minutes. (1 cup: 78 calories)
Banana Bon Bons By: Linda Robeson 2 bananas 1½ oz. semi sweet chocolate chips 1 tsp. olive oil 2 T fine chopped peanuts Line a small pan with wax paper. Cut bananas into 6 or 8 equal pieces and stick a toothpick in the end of each piece. Place in pan and into the freezer to freeze solid. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each until melted. Add oil and stir until very smooth. Place peanuts in small bowl. Dip banana pieces halfway into the melted chocolate and then dip the chocolate end into the peanuts. Return to freezer for 15 minutes, then store in air tight container. (3 or 4 pieces: 145 calories)
Hamburger Cornbread Casserole By: Karen Bourne 1½ pounds ground beef Onion to taste ¼ cup sliced black olive 1 can tomato puree 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix Layer the beef, onion, olive and tomato puree in that order. Top it with cornbread mix. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.
Power Bars By: Kathy Addison 1.5 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups whey protein powder 1 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1.5 cups low fat cottage cheese 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup canola oil 1 egg 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and blend with a fork. Add wet ingredients and mix with a fork. Mix in oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. You might need to add a couple tablespoons of water to make it easier to mix. Flatten them out in a 13x9 pan and back for approximately 20 minutes. You can also roll them into balls and bake into cookies. Yields 24 bars. (Per serving: 160 calories)
Chocolate Covered Cherries By: Deb Sadler 1½ jars maraschino cherries (drained and dried on a paper towel) ½ cup softened butter or margarine ¼ cup light corn syrup 1 tsp. vanilla 3 ½ cups powdered sugar 12 ounce chocolate chips Cream together butter and syrup. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Refrigerate 1 hour. Work a small lump of the powdered sugar mixture around a cherry. Make into walnut sized balls.place on wax paper lined cookie sheet, insert a toothpick in each and refrigerate for about an hour. Melt 12 ounces of chocolate chips. Dip each cherry into the chocolate. Remove toothpick and fill holes.
Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken By: Janyce Woodard 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1½ cup buttermilk 22 saltine crackers 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley 1 T Cajun seasoning 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. salt Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken in shallow baking pan and pour buttermilk on top. Turn twice to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning twice. Crush saltines into coarse crumbs. Combine crumbs with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Remove chicken from buttermilk and let excess drip off. Coat chicken with seasoned crumbs, place on rake in shallow baking dish. Bake until crispy. Approximately 40 minutes. (Per serving: 264 calories)
Grilled Shrimp Skewers By: Julie Wondergem 2½ T light mayo 2 T scallions- chopped fine 1½ T Thai sweet chili sauce 1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce Wooden skewers 40 large raw shrimp Fresh cracked pepper Oil spray Combine mayo, scallions, chili sauce and hot sauce. Set aside. Soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes. Season shrimp lightly with pepper and place 5 shrimp on each skewer. Heat a lightly oiled grill to medium heat, when hot add the shrimp. Grill on both sides- 8 minutes total. Set shrimp aside and brush sauce on to shrimp. Serve immediately.
Pork Chop Spanish Rice By: Jackie Levich 5 pork chops ½ thick 2 tbs butter 1/2 tsp chili powder 3/4 cup rice 1/2 cup onion (diced) 1/4 cup green pepper (diced) 1, 12 oz. can tomatoes 2 oz. American cheese 5 green pepper rings Prepare all vegetables and don t worry too much about exact measurements with this recipe. I usually omit the pepper rings and just chop the whole thing. Melt butter in pan over med/high heat and brown chops (15-20 minutes turning once). Watch as you might have to turn heat down a bit. Drain fast. Sprinkle chili powder over meat. Add rice, onion and peppers. Pour the tomatoes over. Cover and cook on low heat for 35 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pepper rings on top (if using) and cook 5 minutes longer (make sure rice and meat are tender). Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!
Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans By: Anne Kirby 1 tbs plus 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 16 oz. package shelf stable gnocchi 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup water 6 cups chopped chard leaves or spinach 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup shredded part- skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese Heat 1 tbs oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often until plumped and staring to brown. 5-7 min transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining tbs of oil and onion to the pan and cook. Stirring over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the union is soft, 4-6 min. Add chard (spinach) and cook, stirring until staring to wilt, 1-2 min. Stir in to tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling for about 3 min.
Layered Christmas Gelatin By: Karen Bourne 1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin 1 cup boiling water 1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained Cream Cheese Layer 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 2 tablespoons cold water 1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 1/3 cup milk Berry Layer 2 packages (3 ounces each) strawberry gelatin 2 cups boiling water 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberries sauce Whipped topping -- optional Dissolve lime gelatin in boiling water; stir in pineapple juice. Stir in pineapple. Pour into an 11 x7 dish; refrigerate until set. In a small saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl. Beat in cream cheese and milk until smooth. Spread over lime layer; keep refrigerated until set. Dissolve strawberry gelatin in boiling water; stir in cranberry sauce. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully spoon over cream cheese layer. Keep refrigerated until set. Cut into squares. Garnish with whipped topping if desired. Yield: 10 servings. Nutritional Facts: 1 piece (calculated without whipped topping) equals 267 calories.