Ellie Krieger - Mixed Berry Cobbler (Healthy Style)

This cobbler is really tasty and satisfies my sweet tooth without so much sugar. The berries are also really good for you as well. My husband had this with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
which made it all that better for him. :)

Recipe courtesy of http://FoodNetwork.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/mixed-berry-cobbler-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
For the Filling:

Cooking spray
2 (12-ounce) bags frozen mixed berries, thawed (about 6 cups) (I buy these at Trader Joe's $2.99/each. Put them in a strainer overnight so the extra juice leaks out. This helps a lot when cooking with FROZEN berries to avoid the MUSHINESS factor.)
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I used WW Pastry Flour)
1/4 cup sugar (I used more Stevia here as well and less sugar)
1 orange, zest finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
For the topping:
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided (I used a packet of Stevia with 1T Raw Sugar)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss the berries with whole wheat flour, sugar and zest. Transfer the berry mixture to the baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter using 2 knives or a pastry cutter until many small pebble-sized pieces are formed.

In a small bowl or pitcher, whisk together the buttermilk and oil. Add the buttermilk-oil mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Do not over mix. Drop the batter onto the fruit forming 6 mounds. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and top is golden. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Yield 6 servings, serving size 3/4 cup

The BEST HOLIDAY BISCOTTI Ever!!

I make this EVERY YEAR and my husband and son LOVE IT!!!!! as well as myself. :)...I even purchased a serrated knife this year hoping it will cut a little less crumbly. You have to try this. It is not too sweet (if you don't dip it in the chocolate) so you don't feel that guilty eating it (as a meal like I do sometimes :) and goes great with tea, coffee, milk or just ...by itself.
~Note: Just break off small pieces when you are eating it. This way you don't feel like you are eating a lot at one time... psychologically. :)

Giada De Laurentiis ~ Holiday Biscotti
(Recipe from FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped (Trader Joes)
2/3 cup dried cranberries (Trader Joes (I also use Orange Cranberries as well)
12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped (Trader Joes or Whole Foods, both contain no GMO's)
Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish (I don't do this step but it's probably cute.)
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

3 Ingredient Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing

My Dad did this on a salad a few months ago and I did it tonight. YUMMY!! and HEALTHY!! and AMAZING how it can take the place of dressing??

Dad's Version: 4 Ingredient Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing

• Mashed up avocado (Amount depending on how much salad you have to cover)
• 1 T Mayonnaise (to taste)
• Salt & Pepper
• The KEY is to mash it all together and stir to a smooth consistency then, take your hands and use it to COAT the entire salad

My Version: 3 Ingredient Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing

• Mashed up avocado (Amount depending on how much salad you have to cover)
• 1 T Vegannaise (to taste)
• Pinch of Himalayan Salt
  The KEY is to mash it all together and stir to a smooth consistency then, take your hands and use it to COAT the entire salad

America's Test Kitchen - TV on Demand!

This site is only $20 for the entire year and has the BEST recipes and VIDEOS. I totally recommend it. They "Test" all the recipes HUNDREDS of times until they come out PERFECT. What more could you ask for? You can even do a trial for 10 days and not pay but get ideas for the holidays. (I'm sure they would love to hear me saying this. :)

http://www.americastestkitchentv.com/

What To Do With Pumpkins???

The subject of, "What to do with PUMPKINS??" came up in one of the groups I am in and coincidentally, two recipes that seem REALLY HEALTHY and DELICIOUS just came through my email.

This one I got from: hungryvegan.blogspot.com:

PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (I used Original, but you could use Vanilla, too)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or sweetener of choice, to taste)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 ripe banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice -or- 1/4 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use 1/4 tsp, if you are using vanilla coconut milk beverage)

Directions:

Blend all together, pour, and enjoy! Makes 2 12-oz servings plus a little extra to enjoy.

_________________
And.. this one I just got from: SimplyRecipes.com

Suzanne's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin* or from canned pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 good crust (see pâte brisée recipe)
* To make pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin: start with a small-medium sugar pumpkin, cut out the stem and scrape out the insides, discard (save the seeds, of course). Cut into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft. Scoop out the pulp from the skin. Or you can bake whole or halved in a 350°F oven until fork tender. Optional - put pulp through a food mill or chinois to make extra smooth.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 425°F.
2 Mix sugars, salt, and spices, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated.
3 Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
4 Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Adobo Chicken - Cooking Light

This is such an EASY and TASTY recipe for weeknights. It only takes about 15mins to prepare and the longer it sits in the pot the better it gets. I have noted my changes below to make the prep even easier and recipe even healthier.

(Photo coutesy of Cookinglite.com)


http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924726

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I buy the ORGANIC Boneless thighs from Trader Joe's)
2 cups chopped onion (I buy the already cut onion in the bag from TJ)
5 garlic cloves, minced (I buy the ready-to-mince garlic cloves from TJ)
6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (I use the Agave Nectar from TJ)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
**For the Rice to use the 3 Min Brown Rice from TJ
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently.

2. Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 minutes. Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce thickens. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Quick & so Easy "Gourmet" Pasta Sauce

"Hey! - Can I get a little sauce with my pasta?"

Ingredients: (What I use)

Trader Joe's - 1 Jar - Three Cheese Sauce or Organic Vodka Sauce or Bolognese Sauce

• Trader Joe's - Ground Turkey Meat


• Trader Joe's - Already cut onions, about 3/4 of a bag


• Trader Joe's - Ready-to-go Garlic, 3 cloves minced


• Dried Basil & Oregano


• Red Wine (Any - What you like to drink) **This adds a beautiful after taste which the adults taste and kids go along with :)

________________________

Saute onions and garlic in Evvo for a few minutes
Add ground turkey meat and break up while almost cooking all the way through
Sprinkle Basil all over and some oregano to taste,.. along with Salt & Pepper
**You can add some wine now to deglaze the pan or wait to add it at the end, make sure you burn off the alcohol so the taste is just a hint
Add Pasta Sauce
Simmer for 20-30 mins to marry flavors

Dads Meatloaf and Tomato Relish - Tyler Florence

This is the most AMAZING MEATLOAF and the Tomato Relish is to die for!!! This recipe takes some time and preparation but it is TOTALLY worth it. My husband and I were raised on meatloaf so this brought back some really good memories for us.

Here's the VIDEO - From Dads Meatloaf and Tomato Relish - Tyler Florence - GMC Trade Secrets - AOL Food at aolfood

Here's the RECIPE from Foodnetwork.com

Dad's Meatloaf with Tomato Relish
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:1 hr 30 minLevel:
EasyServes:
6 to 8 servings.Ingredients
Tomato Relish:
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•1 onion, finely diced
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 bay leaves
•2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
•2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
•1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
•1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Meatloaf:
•3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
•1/4 cup whole milk
•1 1/2 pounds ground beef
•1 pound ground pork
•2 eggs
•Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 to 4 bacon slices
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns 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!
.

Bon Appetit - R.S.V.P.

I absolutley LOVE this magazine. The pictures are so colorful and delicious.

The R.S.V.P. (Readers Favorite Restaurant Recipes) is my favorite part to read. Being as though I LOVE REVIEWS, especially on anything I am might invest time or money on, this section is AWESOME!

People from all over the country write in to Bon Appetit telling them about an AMAZING food experience they have had. Bon Appetit then goes out and HUNTS DOWN the recipe. (sooo cool)