Chicken with Dried Plums and Sage/Little Jack Horner would approve

Most of the new recipes I do not create myself, often come from Cooking Light Magazine. It is my "Go To" source for healthy and lighter versions of gourmet dishes.

They will be rapping up a month of Chicken Recipes and this was the Oct 23rd recipe. This month is a goodie....30 Splendid Side Dish Recipes. Check it out!!

The reviews were excellent and I have, as usual, enough chicken in my freezer to feed a small army, a bag of dried plums (always) and a ton of fresh sage in my garden (although it is now under a foot of snow).

Chicken with Dried Plums and Sage
Serves 4
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used a large breast sliced)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
* 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided$
* 2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 1 large)
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 12 pitted dried plums, halved
* 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation
1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1 tablespoon sage, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in wine and broth; bring to a boil. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sage and dried plums to pan; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and vinegar.

Review: This is an excellent 30 minute meal when all you have is 20 minutes. We had no electricity for part of the day and having a well means no pump, so no water. Yes, and no toilet too. We were anticipating a dinner out but the power popped on around dinner time. I had to cook the chicken from a frozen stage but the meal still came together in 20 minutes. I would put this on the stand-by recipe list. The sage could be dried and the prunes already are. This is one of the better "Pantry Meals" to have in your arsenal.
Highly recommended and very Diabetic Friendly.

Happy Halloween/And the winner is....

I have made 5 different versions of this recipe for our Thanksgiving Dinner dessert testing and the winning one was a mistake.

Deja Vu? Yup. Most of my favorite dishes were mistakes of some kind.

Only thing that matters in the end is the result and it is DELICIOUS!!

Yes, that is cheesecake you see but there is no swirling involved and it isn't as dense as most cream cheese cake cupcakes. Both batters, the cake one and the cream cheese one have the same consistency, so it is light and airy and perfect after a huge dinner.

The only reason why I am not making cupcakes is that Thanksgiving desserts just should be more formal and eaten with silverware (stainless to most of us). I am making this in a 9" spring form pan.



The recipe made 24 cupcakes, we each ate a half of three cupcake tests and I sent the rest off this morning with The Nudge. Turns out it's his 27th Anniversary at work and they all thought he brought in treats specially for that. Who needs to know they were tests?

I am more popular at his work then I ever was in 27 years. Sweets talk, babeee.

There are two separate recipes for this dessert. The Pumpkin Cake recipe is actually Martha's Pumpkin Cupcake recipe with a few mi-nute changes.

The Banana Cheese Cake recipe is mine.

Pumpkin Cake
Makes enough for 24 cupcakes

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1 cup Truvia
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

In a stand mixer beat the sugars and the eggs for at least 7 minutes. Add butter and pumpkins. Slowly add dry ingredients until there is no flour showing.

Banana Cheese Cake
makes about 2 cups

* 1 brick cream cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 very ripe banana, sliced

Puree everything in a processor or blender.

If you are looking for a really good cupcake that is pretty healthy, make these.

If you want to wait to see how the cake version comes out, come back on Black Friday and we can talk.

Cubanos/Same shape, better flavor

I don't make these often but when I have all of the ingredients already in my fridge and I have no shopping to do, it is a no-brainer.

Was introduced to these wonderful sandwiches on the PBS show Daisy Cooks!

I have to say I prefer doing them her way vs. the panini press way.

A panini press can make the bread too crunchy and when you bite into it the insides slide out.

Wrapping the sandwich in foil, placing them under a sheet pan weighted with a brick or a cast iron pan and then baked in the oven for 30 minutes, makes the perfect texture for this sandwich.

Cubanos are easy, there is a small list of ingredients so buy the best you can afford.

I bought an Italian loaf and cut it into three portions then sliced them open. You could use steak rolls also.
I spread mustard on one side (bottom) of the bread and mayonnaise on the other.

Starting on the bottom (the mustard side) a layer of the Swiss cheese, then the ham, the fresh pork, pickles and more Swiss (the Swiss is the glue).

I like my homemade zucchini pickles but they call for bread and butter pickles.

I had leftover pork tenderloin, a few slices of really tasty Smithfield smoked ham and for the cheese, Jarlsberg (all leftover from omelette's I made on Sunday.

I just love using up leftovers and turning them into one of the best sandwiches in the world.

Candy Corn Gnocchi/No, your computer is not haunted

I honestly woke up with gnocchi on my mind. I was planning on roasting a butternut squash to make today's gnocchi but for some reason my mind wandered and I started to think of seasonal colors and eventually to candy corn (yes, I am demented like that before coffee).

Well, why not? The squash could be the orange, polenta is definitely the yellow (the original Gnocchi ala Romano) and the basic ricotta recipe is the white.

Yes, I even thought about making each gnocchi with all three flavors/colors but I am not that ambitious today.

Since I am making only enough for 4 small servings, a whole squash would be way too much so I am trading it for a small container of left-over pumpkin I spotted in my fridge and had forgotten about but you could use pureed roasted carrots or even baby food carrots.

First I will make a basic flour dough base, divide it into three equal portions and then mix in the respective vegetables. I will use instant cornmeal instead of the flour in the "yellow" gnocchi, and of course the pumpkin for the "orange" ones.

The "white" ones will be the ricotta.

You have to have fun with your food and since The Nudge will be away on Halloween and can't eat them next week, I thought these would be a fun dinner tonight.



I made about 155 gnocchi. Took me all of 30 minutes to cut and shape them.

Basic CandyCorn Gnocchi Dough
makes about 150
* 2 cups of ricotta cheese
* 2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters
* 1 cup grated Romano cheese
* 2 cups garbanzo flour
* 3/4 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup pumpkin
* 1/2 cup instant polenta

In large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups ricotta, 1/2 cup Romano with the two eggs.

Divide mixture into 3 smaller bowls.

In first bowl add pumpkin and 1 cup garbanzo flour and 1/4 cup AP flour.
In second bowl, add polenta and 1/4 cup AP flour.
In third bowl add 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup Romano cheese, 1 cup garbanzo flour and 1/4 cup AP flour.



Mix each bowl, adding additional AP flour, until they no longer stick to your fingers. Remove and form into three balls. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Cut each ball into 4 slices and roll each slice into a 3/4" wide roll. Cut each roll into 1" nuggets. Flour lightly and with the back of a fork, roll each one and place on a floured towel to dry.

I plan on serving these with a Hazelnut Goat Cheese Sauce.

Hazelnut, Goat Cheese and Port Sauce
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1 shallot, minced
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
* 2 tablespoons cream
* 1/4 cup Port wine
* 5 fresh sage leaves minced
* 1 tablespoon goat cheese

Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree and return to pot and simmer another 30 minutes.
Strain and add another 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts and goat cheese to sauce before serving. Stir to combine. Additional tablespoon of butter is optional.



Review: I think I am in love with the polenta gnocchi. Light and airy and it has a nice texture. These I will definitely be making again, my new "Go To" recipe. The other two gnocchi were good but basic good. Polenta gnocchi, very special. I wonder how flavors will work in a base made from them?
Next week I think I will branch out into that direction.

Genoise with Cherry Sauce

A génoise cake is an Italian sponge cake named after the city of Genoa and closely associated with Italian and French cuisine that does not use any chemical leavening, instead using air suspended in the batter during mixing to give volume to the cake, similar to a sponge cake.

Usually the yolks are beaten with the sugar to a ribbon stage and then the whites are beaten and folded in.



This recipe had you beat whole eggs with the sugar and it worked fine. I made a luscious cherry sauce, spiked with Cointreau, an orange flavored liquor (recipe to follow).

Genoise with Cherry-Cointreau Sauce
makes 12 servings
Adapted from Diabetic Living Weekly

* 6 eggs
* Granulated sugar
* Cake flour or all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup light olive oil (do not use extra virgin olive oil)(I used Blood Orange Olive Oil)
* 1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour or 1-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* Sifted powdered sugar

Sauce:
* Canned cherries with no sugar added
* 2 tablespoons Cointreau

Blend in processor and sieve to remove the skins.

Directions:
1. Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan then sprinkle everything with granulated sugar (just like preparing a ramekin for a souffle). Line bottom with parchment paper; grease paper and repeat with the sugar. Because the parchment would have fallen out while removing the extra sugar, I left it in the pan. It created a crusty crunch to the side and bottom of the cake, which, once I inverted onto a plate became the top. The Nudge especially liked that crust.
Dust entire pan with flour (I have a shaker filled just with flour). Set pan aside.
2. In an extra-large mixing bowl combine eggs and the 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 15 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream (this should take about 2 minutes). Turn off mixer immediately after all of the oil has been added. Sift the 1-1/3 cups cake flour or 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour over egg mixture; fold in until no lumps remain.
3. Pour into prepared pan; place pan on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake thoroughly in pan on a wire rack.



4. To serve, remove cake from pan; remove and discard parchment paper. Cut cake into wedges. Spoon sauce onto dessert plates. Place cake wedges on top of sauce. Dust each serving with powdered sugar. If desired, garnish with cherries.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Calories: 220
Protein(gm): 4
Carbohydrate(gm): 30
Fat, total(gm): 9
Cholesterol(mg): 106
Saturated fat(gm): 2
Monosaturated fat(gm): 5
Polyunsaturated fat(gm): 1
Dietary Fiber, total(gm): 1
Sugar, total(gm): 19
Sodium(mg): 36

Diabetic Exchanges:
Starch: 1
Other Carb: 2
Medium-Fat Meat: 1
Fat: 1

Review: The Nudge said it tasted just like a sponge cake. Not folding in the egg whites separately did not change the texture at all. He liked that is was not too sweet and it was very light. The perfect bite at the end of a pretty creamy pasta dinner. Tomorrow night he has requested ice cream on the side.

Meatless Monday Clean Out The Fridge Soup Day/A mouthful in more ways then one

Meatless Monday Clean Out The Fridge Soup Day. This is now my favorite soup for the cooler months.

Yes, I am afraid I made this for dinner Monday night and did not get around to taking a pic until today. I swear I loose a day a week lately.

It was so good I want everyone to tuck this recipe into their box. This will be your new 'Go To" bean soup that kids will love (and adults too)!!

I have accumulated way too many containers of a little of this and a little of what is that? in my fridge and soup is the best way to use them all.

A creamy, thick, hearty bean soup is the order for the day (which will be rainy by dinnertime).

I thought about Minestrone but I really wanted Pasta e Fagiole.

Difference? One has a puree of bean base and the other uses just stock.

I am not above myself to use canned soups, especially the heart healthy-types they have nowadays.

Upon opening the door to my refrigerator this morning I immediately found:
1 cup container of Healthy Request Tomato Basil soup
Assorted pieces of red, yellow and orange peppers
A half box of chicken broth
2 fresh tomatoes
A container of celery and carrot sticks

Everything will be processed, along with the carrots, celery, garlic and a can of crushed tomatoes (we are making a minestra, the word from where minestrone got it's name).

The soup cooks in one stockpot and you can probably even do this in a Crockpot.



Pasta e Fagiole
makes 4 servings

* 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 2 cans cannellini, navy or white beans (drained and rinsed well)
* 1/2 can Healthy Request Tomato Basil soup
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups chicken stock
* bay leaf
* cheese rind
* Palmful Italian Seasoning Blend
* carrots, celery and onions - diced into 1/2" pieces
* 1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked
* 1 large or 2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup red pepper (or orange or yellow)

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot. Saute onions, celery, peppers, carrots and garlic until caramelized. Add stock tomato soup, tomatoes, bay leaf, cheese rind, 1 can beans and water. Simmer for 45 minutes.
2. Remove bay leaf and rind, reserve.
3. Puree stockpot ingredients. Press through a sieve to remove the solids.
4. Return pureed soup to pot with bay leaf and cheese rind.
Add 2nd can of beans and simmer another 45 minutes. Stir frequently. Anything thick with tomato will stick to the bottom and burn quickly.
5. Remove rind and bay leaf and discard. Add pasta.
6. Serve with dinner rolls or a good quality bread.

Review: This was fantastic and so easy to make and even the kids will love this soup. Freezes well.

Linguine with Chicken & Asparagus in a Creamy Carbonara Sauce

I know creamy and Carbonara is not the norm but a few years ago I remember watching Jamie Oliver make a dish where he sauteed bacon in a pan, mixed egg yolks with cream and poured that in with the bacon, immediately tossed with steaming hot fresh pasta and then he grated a ton of Locatelli and Parmesan in, right before serving.
It looked yummy and it is yummy.

I have made this a few times with tortellini.

Tonight I am using linguine and bumping it up with the addition of a chicken breast and white asparagus.

After I made this dish I realized it was all white foods, so the parsley was added for color.

Every once in a while we all need a little cheesy creaminess in our pasta.

Creamy Carbonara with Chicken and Asparagus
Makes 4 servings

* 1 chicken breast, sliced thinly on the diagonal
* 1 bunch asparagus, sliced into 1" pieces
* 2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup cream
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup Locatelli Romano cheese
* Lots of freshly grated black pepper
* Pinch of nutmeg
* 2 slices of pancetta or 4 slices of bacon, sliced
* 2 garlic cloves, smashed
* Olive oil
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 pound linguine
* Chopped parsley for garnish

1. Fill a stockpot with salted water and set to boil.
2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Place garlic cloves in oil and saute until they start to turn brown. Remove with slotted spoon and discard, they have done their job.
3. Saute pancetta in oil and remove to a paper towel, reserve.
4. Add chicken and saute until no longer pink, add asparagus, wine and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
5. Mix eggs with cream, nutmeg, and pepper. While whisking, slowly pour cream & egg mixture into chicken and wine and stir until it thickens.
6. Boil pasta according to box directions. Save 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
7. Add chicken mixture to serving bowl, top with drained pasta and cheeses and toss until combined. If too thick add some pasta water.
8. Add parsley right before serving plus more cheese if you please.

Enjoy!!

Kashi 7-Grain Nugget Bread

With all the cereal in my house, I will be creating recipes using them all for at least a month, and what better way to start than with a heart healthy, 7-grain bread?

I baked this today to eat with the Pasta e Fagiole we are having for dinner.

After looking at other grain bread recipes, I decided to create my own. It may not look like the most perfect loaf of bread but it's mine and it tastes amazing.

I measured out 1 cup of the Kashi 7-Grain Nuggets and a cup of water. Into the microwave, on high, for 2 minutes. I will let it soak up the water and then when it cools to 110F I will add it to a basic whole wheat bread recipe I have used for years.

Kashi 7-Grain Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 1 loaf (16 slices) or 16 small dinner rolls)

* 2 cups of flour (all-purpose or bread flour)+ extra for the board
* 1 cups white whole wheat four
* 1/4 cup cornmeal
* 2 teaspoons instant yeast
* 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup agave nectar
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup buttermilk
* heated Kashi mixture at 105-110F

Using the dough hook, measure all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.
The heat of the nuked Kashi will bloom the yeast.

After 5 minutes if the dough seems too moist add AP flour 1 tablespoon at a time till the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer bowl.

Knead for 10 minutes total and in an oiled bowl, scrape the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at least 2 hours (remember this is a very dense dough) or overnight in the fridge.

When the dough has risen to twice it's size, knead it for a few minutes on a floured board to deflate the dough. Using your fingers, flatten the dough to about a 12x9in rectangle. Roll up and pinch the seam shut. Place seam side down into a loaf pan, tucking the sides in to fit the pan, cover with wrap again and let it rise for another hour.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Loaf is done when top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when you tap it with a fork. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then remove loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.

Review: The Nudge couldn't stop buttering. He was extremely surprised a 7-Grain bread could taste good, be so tender and moist. I will be making this bread many times, probably tweaking it here and there. Maybe less eggs and more buttermilk.







One nice slice of this bread is loaded with very good nutrition. The Kashi nuggets are made with 7 grains and I added cornmeal!!

This is one bread Diabetics can eat with no worries.

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate

Spanish Style Pork Tenderloin

Two reasons I chose this recipe, the vinegar and the pork.
Vinegar is excellent for glucose control and the pork tenderloin is lean and moist, it is hard to overcook this cut of meat.

I like that it includes vinegar in the brine for extra flavor.

I am also throwing a handful of halved Brussel sprouts into the same pan. They will both cook to perfection at the same time.

Sherry vinegar and paprika give this pork a traditional Spanish flair. Adding vinegar at the end brightens the flavors of the dish.

Spanish-Style Brined Pork Tenderloin
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces pork)
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients
* 3 1/2 cups water
* 1/4 cup kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
* 1 cup ice cubes
* 1 (1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
* 2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* Cooking spray
* 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour salt mixture into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add ice and pork; seal. Refrigerate 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.
2. Combine paprika and next 5 ingredients (paprika through garlic).
3. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-high and leaving one side with no heat.
4. Remove pork from bag, and discard brine. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Brush oil evenly over pork; rub with paprika mixture. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; grill pork 6 minutes, browning on all sides.
5. Grilling: Place pork on grill rack over unheated side. Close lid, and grill pork an additional 20 minutes or until thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 155° (slightly pink), turning the pork occasionally. Place pork on a platter. Cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and drizzle pork with 2 teaspoons vinegar.
Oven Roasting: Brown pork on all sides, place in a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes or thermometer reads 155 degrees. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Uncover and drizzle pork with 2 teaspoons vinegar.



Nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 169
Calories from fat: 30%
Fat: 5.7g
Saturated fat: 1.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.9g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g
Protein: 24.2g
Carbohydrate: 4.5g
Fiber: 0.6g
Cholesterol: 74mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 343mg
Calcium: 18mg

Review: I think the next time I will use more garlic and only 2 teaspoons of paprika in the rub. The paprika overpowered the thyme and sage also, so I think it might have been a typo.
The meat was extremely moist and perfectly roasted. I think every time I brine pork I will add the vinegar.

I am sending this post over to Cream Puffs in Venice for Magazine Mondays wrap-up.

Oven Fried Coatings - I did all the work so you don't have too

I would have to say besides really over the top sweet pastries, bread (especially white bread) is at the top of the list for things a Diabetic should seriously eat in moderation. A sad thing indeed, I have not met anyone who does not LOVE those foods, including me.

I just mastered the art of bread making and then am diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes, how sad it that?

After some Internet research I jotted down breakfast cereal, grains and snack foods that are the lowest GI in all those categories. Then I went shopping.

I have decided to take a full day, create a few different coatings, all diabetic friendly and healthy and test them on Oven Fried Chicken Fingers.

I have seen a lot of recipes that use corn flakes and they are a good source of crunch but not all that healthy for Diabetics. When you read the ingredient list, white flour in still the #1 ingredient and the starch in cornflakes is very rapidly digested and absorbed (it's been fully 'gelatinised' during processing), giving the product its high GI.

We all know kids affinity for cereal, so I went armed with a list and a cereal sale at my store. Imagine the cost of 8 boxes of cereal when all you need to test them is a 1/2 cup?

First thing I do is toast all the nuts in the oven. I then process or grind all the cereals, placing them in small bowls when done. I am only doing 1/2 cup of each one.

Once the nuts toast, let them cool and then process or finely chop them. Do not chop them hot, they will mush (not a good thing).

I made 2 mixtures but only baked off the Tex-Mex mixture. The others will come later in the week.

Up the oven to 450F. Dip the chicken into the glue then into the nut and cereal mixture, pressing the coating onto both side.

Line them up on the heated rack and spray them with the release agent.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before removing.
Serve with dips or on a salad.

I made a homemade honey mustard dressing to dip these into.

Make lots and keep in the freezer.

Tex-Mex Coating
makers enough for 12 fingers

* 1/2 cup ground Trix (or any puffed corn)
* 1/2 cup ground Fiber One Regular (or bran cereal)
* 2 teaspoons Fajita Seasonings
* Ground pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and pistachios
* Egg Beaters and Low-Fat Mayonnaise

Honey Mustard Dip
* Equal parts Dijonnaise and organic honey



Review: This batch was crunchy but also tender, moist and extremely tasty. Although it required some preparation time, your oven is on anyway, might as well toast some nuts (they are just so good for you).

Once you get an assembly line going (get your kids to help) these are easy enough to make a whole pan full for a party, Superbowl Sunday or just to freeze for later in the week. You will blow them all away with the flavor. Just don't tell them they are uber healthy until after the platter is clean.

I almost ate all of them before I realized I did not take a picture.

Now, can someone tell me what to do with 8 large-size opened boxes of cereal?!?!

Get the Ingredients for My Recipe from Swanson Health Products:

I am entering this in the Swanson's 2012 Blogger Recipe Contest.

Banana & Pumpkin - I'm testing this years Thanksgiving dessert

Time of year to start perfecting my Thanksgiving dessert. I listen to Ina when she says "Never use a recipe you have never made before to test out on guests".

In this case she was totally right.

One of my favorite fruits is bananas. I love that you can get them any time of year.

When I do treat myself to one of those huge muffins, I always pick the Banana Walnut one. Way too good.

I usually make something unique for Thanksgiving Dessert and this year I might just have a winner.

Last year I made Impossible Cakes with pumpkin cake and flan in individual ramekins. Was a BIG hit.

Last week at BJ's Warehouse you got a 3lb bunch of Chiquita bananas when you bought a box of Nilla Wafers which by the way is The Nudge's favorite snack.

I tried to eat as many as I could but they ripened faster than I chewed. I needed to do something with quite a few of them and quite frankly was tired of banana bread.

I always wanted to make a Banana Cream Pie but with The Nudge in Sweden this week it would go bad before we could eat it.

I thought about muffins but I wanted something more. I wanted to challenge myself to create a recipe from scratch (that's right, me & a baked sweet) using the bananas and something that a child would like (like a cupcake) for the single father neighbor next door.

I opted for Pumpkin Banana Cheesecake Walnut Mini Cakes.

Some mouthful, eh?

I am using a blueberry ricotta cake recipe as my inspiration. I thought about making pumpkin banana cream cheese cakes in a muffin tin using the Nilla wafers as the crust (you've seen those muffin cheesecakes), but I really didn't want to use the bananas and pumpkin in the same batter so by making a pumpkin cake with a banana cream cheese center I can keep the flavors separate.

That appealed to me.



I will make a puree of baked bananas and add that to a basic cheesecake recipe. Make a pumpkin cake mixture and pour that into a pan and spoon the cheese mixture in the middle leaving at least 1" of cake mix around the edges. The cake will bake up around the cheese and cover most of it so there is a nice surprise when you portion a slice.

I am hoping it will be as good as it seems in my head.

First we start by roasting 6 bananas in their skins for 20 minutes at 325F. I will only use 1 banana for this recipe. The rest I will freeze for another use (which will be another test).

When you need a tried and true recipe I hit Martha. A great beginning when you are developing new recipes.

I used her recipe for pumpkin cupcakes and my cheesecake....

For the cake:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1 cup Truvia
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

For the cheesecake:
* 2 bricks cream cheese
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 baked bananas
* 1/2 cup Truvia

Mix wet into dry for the cake layer.
Process the cheesecake layer.
Spread the cake mixture into a 9" springform pan and scoop the cheesecake mix right on top.

Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350F.
Remove, cool and refrigerate.



Review: The taste and consistency of this recipe is excellent but it needs tweaking. I will make this again in mini cheesecake pans and change the assembly of the layers. I think a base of cake (about 1 "), a spoonful of cheesecake (about 2") and then a topping of another inch of cake mix. It should bake up like a cream filled cupcake. Maybe a streusel topping made with walnuts?

Oh, yes. I can see them now. Maybe next week. I have other things to test out first.

Rice for a Diabetic

I have always preferred Uncle Ben's Converted Rice over the others. For years up until last year when I read an article in a magazine, I actually preferred the rice that doesn't break open or have a lot of starch. Little did I know that starch was my enemy all along.

I just found out that converted rice is way down on the GI list at 44. That's almost too good to be true.



I went out and bought a warehouse-sized 10 pound bag. I did "the happy dance" all the way to the store.

OMG, here I thought I was eating the wrong "foodie" rice so I went out and I bought Basmati, Jasmine and unconverted rice and all along I was eating the "RIGHT" rice that a diabetic CAN eat.

I LOVE RICE.
Yes, more than pasta.
Ask The Nudge.

Sometimes being in the loop is not in the cards.
I really don't care if someone frowns at my love of Converted Rice, my health is more important than being "in the know".

So be like me and go out and buy a huge bag of Uncle Ben's Converted Rice and enjoy every one of them.

Enough said.........have a good night!

Spinach and Ricotta Nudi with Rao's Sausage and Cabbage Sauce

I am posting about a recipe I made last year. I'm sorry but my time is promised elsewhere.

I am visiting my Dad and have been cooking for him.

Doesn't mean this is a so-so recipe. I have seen people cry over nudi making.

You must try these Spinach and Ricotta Nudi.

They stay together perfectly, are light, fluffy, flavorful and the sauce is to die for (after all it is a Rao's creation).

Although Nudi's are slightly different than gnocchi, they are considered a dumpling nevertheless.

Enjoy!!!

Kung Pao Shrimp and take-out to Toms River

It really is getting cold around here now. When I let the cats out this morning the thermometer dipped below 50.....brrrr!

I started my day with a hot cup of coffee, a pad for a list and the morning news.

This summer I discovered Frappuccino and I forgot how good a steaming hot cuppa Joe can be on a cool morning.

The house is quiet, The Nudge being in Sweden all week. The deal with the devil was if I wanted to take his car to South Jersey I had to sit in the Nissan Dealer and get an oil change.

Was OK, I used the time to make a shopping list and a list of things NOT TO FORGET for my Dad.

I am thinking about a stir-fry for dinner. I already bought extra large fresh shrimp (from the US of course) and just needed the vegetables for Ming Tsai's Kung Pao recipe. Time to stop at the produce market on the way home. A good dish to bring to my dad, just not as hot for him.

Off to the Asian Market to see what I can find.....



I found some really gorgeous vegetables. I broke them down into meals.

Kung Pao vegetables: Baby bok choy, orange and yellow peppers, pea pods and carrots and onions.

Radishes for roasting along with grapes and Italian Chicken Sausages inspired by Ina.

I always bring containers of home cooked meals to my dad. Once the visit is set, I start making twice as much food and tuck a serving away. Although he tells me he is eating well, I know he is not and he loves when I cook for him and fill his freezer.

This time it's only 3 meals but I bought cans of tuna on sale, packages of grains and chicken sausages, turkey bacon and all kinds of goodies I hope he will like.

I started my cooking odyssey with a traditional Italian one pot roast of Sausages with grapes.



I cut 3 Italian-Style Chicken sausages in half on the bias, along with 2 cups of red grapes (left whole), a handful of halved radishes and a small onion, sliced. Placed them in a baking pan with olive oil, salt & pepper.
I added 4 tablespoons of Chianti (or any good red) and they roasted in a 400F oven until they started to brown and the grapes started to split (about 30 minutes).

Remove the meat and vegetables to a plate and to the baking dish, add a splash of good Balsamic vinegar to deglaze and then a tablespoon of butter to round out the flavors. Arrange sausages, grapes and radishes on a platter and pour pan sauce over. Can be served with rice, mashed potatoes or polenta.

Two containers (I packed a stuffed pepper) ready to travel and now to make that stirfry:



The first thing you need to do is clean the shrimp and slice the chicken.
Place about a cup of rice flour in a zip bag, drop the shrimp and chicken pieces into the bag and shake, shake, shake to coat.

In a screaming hot stainless steel pan (no nonstick please), place a tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl to coat. We want just a coating, if there is too much oil, pout it into a glass container.

Once the oil is hot, dump the shrimp and chicken into the pan and toss quickly. Continue to saute until the edges start to brown.



Remove to a platter and add another tablespoon of oil and put the peppers and carrots into the pan. Saute for 3 minutes on high heat and then add the rest of the vegetables. Add a few tablespoons of water and simmer for another 3 minutes. Lower the heat, add the sauce, cover the pan and let the vegetable steam for a minute or two.


Add the shrimp and chicken into the vegetable mixture, stir and serve immediately.

Kung Pao Chicken and Shrimp
4-6 servings

* 1/2 pound large shrimp
* 1 chicken breast
* 3 tbls minced garlic
* 2 tbls minced ginger
* 2 tbls samal oelek
* 1 cup Tamari
* 3 tbls sugar
* 1/2 cup naturally brewed rice vinegar
* 1 tbls cornstarch
* 1 tbls water for a slurry
Grapeseed oil or canola oil for cooking.

In a wok or saute pan coasted lightly with oil over high heat, add garlic & ginger and saute for 1 minute, just to soften.
Add sambal, taking care not to inhale the chile, and saute until well-blended.
Add soy to deglaze, then sugar and rice vinegar.
Bring to a boil and slowly whick in slurry to thicken.
Keep warm to use or cool and store in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

I will cut chicken into 1/2" strips and along with the shrimp, coat in egg whites, drop them in a zip bag with rice flour, shake, shake and in a screaming stainless steel pan (NOT non-stick, you can't get it hot enough for the crispy edges to form) that was heated then coated with peanut or canola oil. This is the key to really good Chinese or quick fry chicken. The egg whites coat the chicken and shrimp with a silkiness and the rice flour makes the outsides crispy good. Do not skip this step.

Remove. Add peppers, carrots, bok choy, snow peas and saute until crispy cooked. Add sauce, chicken, shrimp and serve, sprinkled with peanuts for garnish (optional).



Make a pot of Basmati rice (better than Jasmine for a Diabetic) and serve with the Kung Pao.
My Dad is going to love this. I was able to make two containers of this.

Stuffing Peppers with Leftovers

I am always looking for healthy ways to use up leftovers that are unique enough that The Nudge won't realize he ate most of the same thing a few nights before.

When ever I make a large batch of bolognese sauce, half ends up in the freezer where it sits for months, gets pushed further and further to the back when new things get put in and then eventually has to be thrown away.

Not this time. I took 2 large spoonfuls and loosened it up with a small can of tomato juice, strained and used as the base for stuffed peppers. The rest will grace a bowl of rigatoni for dinner tonight.

I think that stuffed peppers are not eaten enough. Red peppers are full of vitamin C (which you need in the winter) are the perfect one pot meal, can be stuffed with virtually anything and always tastes great. Even kids will eat stuffed peppers.
It is a casserole baked in a vegetable container. What fun!!

I admit I watch Hungry Girl on Sunday mornings, she has good ideas that I pick and choose from. Her use of frozen broccoli and cheese is genius and this week Birds-Eye frozen veggies were on sale and I nabbed a few boxes of their frozen broccoli and cheese sauce.

I probably should have use bulgur instead of rice but I like rice in this dish and the rice is used more as a binder then an ingredient.

Like most baked dishes, they taste better when allowed to sit a day or two. I am bringing two down to my dad's and the other one will be my dinner when I get home after a 2 hour drive. Will be a welcome meal that all I have to do is reheat.

Stuffed Red Peppers
Makes 4 medium or 3 large peppers

* 3/4 cup bolognese sauce
* 1/2 cup jasmine rice, parboiled
* 1 package frozen broccoli and cheese sauce
* 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
* 1 small can tomato juice
* 3 large or 4 medium red peppers, tops cut off about 1" down and insides cleaned out. Remove the stem. Rinse and dry.

Add tomato juice to bolognese sauce and strain through a sieve, reserving liquid.
Add parboiled rice to meat mixture along with half the reserved liquid.
Cook broccoli in microwave according to package directions and add to rice and meat mixture.



Add additional grated cheese and spoon into hollowed out peppers which have been evenly cut on the bottom so they stand even and flat. Place tops back on and pour the remaining reserved juice into bottom of baking pan.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375F.
Remove foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until tops are lightly browned.



Serve with extra sauce and Parmesan cheese or cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

If you are worried the kids won't eat these, rest assured....the broccoli taste barely shows, so I know the kids will eat these. With the extra sauce they won't even see it in there.

Spanish Bar Cake

A Spanish Bar Cake from A&P. I never had the honor but according to many men out there (and yes, it seems to be a runaway of men) around the ages of 55 and up, have fond memories of this cake.

Not a one time great dessert in a restaurant but a cake that most houses (according to the masses) had every week.
You went shopping at the A&P, chances are your Mom bought a Spanish Bar Cake home. It was as much an everyday counter cake as cereal was for breakfast.

I made the mistake of Googling and got caught up in the recipes and stories from all the '55 something' men out there who's daughters are trying to replicate that darn ole cake.

Turns out my SIL was a greater fan then her brother, The Nudge was.

A couple of years ago she thought she had found "THE" cake. She cut each of us a piece and waited for, what she thought would be exclamations of positive cheers and hoots, only to hear...."it's good, but it just doesn't taste quite the same...and the color was darker".

I thought it tasted like a really good carrot cake.

This cake has become the obsession of the women in The Nudge's family. This weekend I made the mistake of telling them I had made an attempt to re-create the recipe and for the next thirty minutes that's all they talked about.

Ask The Nudge and he will tell you, it really doesn't matter to him eating the exact cake again, but he won't tell them that. He thinks it's funny and says it gives them something to do (or else they would obsess over something that doesn't include sugar or him).

I was cleaning out my cookbook cabinet and found a photo album marked "Desserts" in which I used to place cut-out recipes from magazines I subscribed too. We are talking about well over two hundred dessert recipes from 25 years ago, some of which will never be found over the Internet.

I found a recipe for a "Old Time Spice Cake" made with tomato soup.

Now I bet some of you remember having one like that as a kid?



This recipe, originally made with canned tomatoes, became a family favorite when the first condensed tomato-soup recipe appeared in a 1925 Campbell Soup Co. pamphlet.

The color of the cake is extremely important to the mysteriousness of this recipe. First thing always said is "it is a dark brown......with a cream cheese frosting". I have seen recipes with cocoa powder, like you would use in a red velvet cake.

Other recipes include molasses or dark brown sugar and others, who are using an applesauce cake as the base recipe, use apple butter in place of the fat, which we all know is always dark brown in color. No one ever thinks of using tomato soup.

I have not made this before and I am doing this a la minute (instead of testing a few before posting).

I am not saying "this is the cake" but I will let you know when The Nudge gets home from Albany and tastes it.
I do know that it was a 2-layer frosted cake cut from a large sheet cake, into the bar in the title.

I will be using two round 8" cake pans. Easier for the home cook. What we don't consume will be making a trip to PA this weekend for a family reunion of sorts.

I am hoping that maybe, with some luck, I hit the Mother Load of cakes and can finally deem this challenge over.....

....and next year they will have to find something else from "back then" to obsess about. It is always something done with great humor and love.



I turned around to get my camera to take a shot of the slice I served The Nudge and it was half gone. I guess he liked it.

When I make this again, and I will, I think that cocoa powder is a good idea because, mine had just such a darn "tomato soup" color about it.

We each ate a piece, The Nudge said it was very good (not quite the same taste or color) but I sure did nail the icing...sigh, and I sent the rest to work with him the next day.

And as for those exclamations of positive feedback?

All his co-workers said "it tasted just like a very good carrot cake!!

Old-Time Spice Cake
makes 10 servings

* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
* 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
* 2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1/3 cup dark seedless raisins
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Raisins and whole pecans (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9inch round baking pans.
2. In medium-size bowl, with mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Beat in soup.
3. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and cloves. Add soup mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in raisins and chopped pecans.
4. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cake layers 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
5. Prepare frosting. Assemble cake on serving plate and frost with cream cheese frosting. Decorate with walnuts and raisins if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
In medium-size bowl, beat together one 8oz brick cream cheese, softened, one pound package confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1-2 teaspoons milk.

Denver Ham Hash with Poached Eggs

When a company needs to introduce a new product, they usually blitz the TV with commercials and entice the food markets to run a big sale.

Such was the case last week, when I got 3 different style of prepared potatoes for $.99 each.

The information looked promising so I bought a Garlic Mashed, a Mashed Sweet Potato and Southwestern Hash Browns.

We ate the mashed with Brasciole and the leftovers were the base for my Blue Cheese Stuffed Gnocchi. So far so good.

This morning I broke open the hash browns. I nabbed a few nice slices of spiral sliced baked ham my SIL made last night to make a Denver Hash (named after the omelet with the same ingredients) for brunch.

Denver Ham Hash
makes 4 servings

* 1 package Southwest Style Hash Browns
* 1/2 small onion, diced
* 1/2 half roasted red pepper, diced
* 3 slices ham, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* Canola Oil
* 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
* Salt & pepper to taste
* Frank's Hot Sauce
* 8 poached eggs

Heat oil in saute pan. Saute onions, garlic, red pepper and ham until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add potatoes and cook on high heat to form a crust. Once the crust is formed, add the vinegar to deglaze. Scrap the mixture from the bottom of the pan (it will release with the vinegar and the heat, give it time). Add salt & pepper to taste and hot sauce.

Serve a portion with 2 poached eggs on top.



This was delicious and very easy. Perfect for a Sunday lazy brunch.

I thought I was making Parker House rolls

I am the "official roll lady" for all the family get togethers. I got the email on Friday requesting "those wonderful rolls with the salt on top". I love making and serving these right out of the oven. I was told by the recipe creator that these were 'Parker House Rolls'.

Parker House Rolls have a long and colorful history. They were created at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the 1870s, and were greatly appreciated by its patrons, which included famous ones such as Offenbach, Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. They have been popular ever since.

A "True" Parker House roll is flattened in the middle with a rolling pin and then folded in half and baked.

I thought that was what I was making all these years but what I really was doing was making just a basic butter dipped dinner roll. How embarrassed am I?

I say the shape doesn't really matter as long as they taste good and you use the same dough recipe.



It is an easy dough to work with, very lively and airy.
After letting it rise the first time.......



.....I divided them into 8 equal portions.



In two baking pans, I brushed them with butter and divided the 8 portions into 16, rolled them into the butter and let them rise another hour.



Brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sea salt, they bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and oh so delicious.

The salt really brings them over the top!!

Parker House Style Rolls
makes 16 (2") rolls

Ingredients
* 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 large egg yolk
* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher

Directions

Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast together in a glass measuring cup and let yeast ferment until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, add 1 of the eggs and 1 yolk into the well and slightly beat Add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let dough rest for 10 or 20 minutes. Remove dough from the bowl, divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a long 1 1/2-inch wide snake shape. Cut into 20 pieces and shape each into a ball.

Coat a 9-inch glass pie dish the melted butter, then toss the dough balls in the butter until coated. Cover with a kitchen towel and sit in a warm place, until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining egg and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 30 minutes but serve warm.