Homemade Pretzels

3/4 cups of warm water
1 1/4 tsp yeast
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt

Soften the yeast in the warm water for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the flour and salt and knead well then cover and let rise for 10-15 minutes. Break the dough into small pieces and form into letters, numbers, shapes or pretzels.


Other Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp water
Sea salt

Beat the egg and water together then brush the tops of the pretzels with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Asparagus, Mushroom and Ham Quiche with a Potato Crust

1-2 russet potatoes, sliced very thin
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
7-8 grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup of ham, diced
5-6 asparagus spears, ends removed, cut into thirds
1/4 cup of Swiss cheese, shredded (more if desired)
8 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup of milk
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a pie dish with cooking spray. Layer thin slices of potato all over the edges and bottom of pan, making sure to overlap them. Spray with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat add the onions and mushrooms then season with sea salt. Saute the onions and mushrooms for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and tender

Sprinkle caramelized onions, mushrooms, asparagus, diced tomato, and Swiss cheese on top of the potatoes. Beat the eggs with the milk and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Pour the egg mixture on top of the veggies and ham.


Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the quiche comes out clean - don't overcook. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1-2 tsp olive oil
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup long grained rice (brown or white)
2 cups of water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 large handful of cilantro, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until soft and tender. Add the rice and garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the water and chicken bouillon granules, bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce the heat and simmer, until tender, about 20-25 minutes for white rice and 40-45 minutes for brown rice. Remove from heat and mix with the cilantro, lime juice and zest. Enjoy

Chicken Mushroom Orzo

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 lb of orzo, cooked per instructions
2-3 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the orzo in water along with the chicken bouillon granules, per instructions.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and thyme; sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the chicken, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then sauté 7-8 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through; add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then add the cooked orzo, Parmesan and parsley to the chicken mixture and toss. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if need. Enjoy.

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza crust
1/4-1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese (enough to spread a thin layer over the crust)
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup shredded 2 % monterrey jack cheese (add more, if desired)
1/8 -1/4 cup bacon crumbles


Directions:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, add eggs, milk, salt & pepper to taste. Whisk together to break up eggs. Pour egg mixture in skillet and scramble eggs. Once scrambled, allow to cool about 5 minutes.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a round baking sheet with cooking spray and spread your pizza dough out into a circle about 12 inches or so. Spray dough with cooking spray (preferably olive oil spray) and spread a thin layer of ricotta, leaving about an inch of dough on the outer edge.
Top with scrambled eggs, bacon crumbles, & shredded cheese.
Bake for approximately 13 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Light and Healthy Chicken Salad

Light & Healthy Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2 cans chunk white chicken shredded (or 2 large chicken breasts)
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. fat free mayo
3 tbsp. honey mustard (optional)
3 tbsp. sweet relish
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)


For Sandwich:
Kaiser rolls
Romine Lettuce, chopped
Sliced Tomato


Directions:
Shredd chicken with a fork. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Serve on kaiser rolls topped with romaine lettuce & tomato.

Mini Frittatas with Ham

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped reduced-fat ham (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add ham; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add ham mixture, stirring with a whisk. Spoon mixture into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until set.

Nutritional Information
Calories:39 (30% from fat)
Fat:1.3g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.1g)
Protein:4.4g
Carbohydrate:2.3g
Fiber:0.4g
Cholesterol:32mg
Iron:0.2mg
Sodium:121mg
Calcium:80mg

Serving size: 3 Frittatas

Ham and Swiss sandwhiches

Ingredients:
2 packages of colonial mini dinner rolls (the ones that come in the foil baking dish)
Swiss Cheese slices
Sliced Deli Ham
1 medium onion finely diced or 2 tsp. minced onion (the dried herb)
3 tbsp. mustard
3 tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. worchestershire sauce
2 sticks margarine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice both packages of rolls horizontally, keeping all the rolls toghether in one sheet. Melt the margarine in the microwave. Add poppy seeds, mustard, onion, & worchestershire to butter. Whisk together. Brush mustard mixture evenly on both sides of rolls. On the bottom top the mustard mixture with a layer of ham and then a layer of
swiss. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1 + 1/2 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (dutched/dark)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pinches salt
1 cup (220 g) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) milk or water
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) vegetable oil (flavorless)
2 eggs

1.Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C)
2.Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin.
3.Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.
4.Add milk/water, vegetable oil and eggs.
5.Mix everything together until smooth, either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed. If the batter is too runny you may add slightly more flour.
6.Transfer to bake tin and bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
7.After the cake has cooled, slice the cake through the middle to make two layers (easier if the cake has been in the fridge).

Icing
1 stick (1/2 cup) + 3 tablespoons (160 g) softened butter
3 cups (7.2 dl) powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons lukewarm milk

Frosting
1.Cream the softened butter with powdered sugar in a bowl. Add cocoa, vanilla and 4 tablespoons lukewarm milk, and mix until smooth. Do not over-mix. If necessary, add some more milk.
2.Use one 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake.
3.This cake should have room temperature when served.

Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas *HEALTHY*

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces white button or baby bella mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (10-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas
1 cup shredded 2 % four cheese blend or sharp cheddar
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions:
Prepare chicken ahead of time. Spray chicken with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes, until cooked through. Cool & regfrigerate until ready to use.

For Quesadillas:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, place over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated. Add spinach (if desired), salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface and on one half of the tortilla, sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Spoon 1/4 chicken mixture on top of cheese, then top with an additional 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold the tortillas over into half-moons, pressing down lightly to seal them closed.
Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Carefully place 2 quesadillas in pan, turning once, until lightly browned and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with two remaining quesadillas. Slice each quesadilla into quarters. Place 2 quarters on a plate with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons salsa.

Pasta Salad

bowtie pasta – This was only a 12 oz box. I prefer 16 oz box, just because I end up with more.
broccoli
red pepper
grape or cherry tomatoes

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Chop the veggies. Add the chopped broccoli to the pasta water about 2 minutes before the pasta finishes cooking. This is enough time to make the brocoli a bit more tender, but still crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli and run it under cool water to stop the cooking process. Put it in a big bowl with the other veggies.

For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white or red wine vinegar (I used white this time)
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
black pepper
fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, tarragon etc. or use dried like I did this time

This dressing recipe comes from the New Recipes from Mooswood Restaurant cookbook. Just whisk all the ingredients together, or put them in a container with a tight fitting lid and give it a good shake.

I really like using fresh basil in this, but I didn’t want to pay for it in the grocery.

Stir the dressing into the salad. I added some mozzerella cheese to this that didn’t make it into the ingredients photo. I also like adding shredded parmesan and after cooking with gorgonzola the other day, I think that would taste great in this pasta salad too.

For the grilled chicken, just season it with salt and pepper and grill. Slice or chop it into the salad.

Turkey Sausage and Tortellini Salad

1 package turkey Italian sausages

1 package frozen cheese tortellini

1 can of artichoke hearts (marinated or unmarinated)

small can of sliced black olives

1/2 feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup sliced green onions

6 sundried tomatoes, sliced (packed in oil or soaked a few minutes in hot water)

Fresh spinach

For the dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced

dried or fresh basil to taste

salt and pepper

Cook the sausages on the stove top or grill. When they are cool, slice them up. Cook the tortellin according to the package directions. Drain and run them under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Combine all the ingredients, except the spinach, in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Put the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well and pour over the other salad ingredients. Serve the pasta salad over spinach leaves.

Baked Tilapia

Tilapia fillets
Butter
Creole or Cajun seasoning
Thaw the amount of fillets you need for your family. I thaw them for a while in a bowl of cool water. Place the fillets on a foil covered baking sheet. Pour the melted butter over them and sprinkle with the seasoning. Tony’s seasoning has a nice kick to it, so you might want to go lightly (or heavier if you like it hot). Bake at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes or until you can flake the fillets with a fork.

Teriyaki Meatballs

Teriyaki Meatballs


*Makes about 16 meatballs

Meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef (at least 90% lean)
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

For the sauce, in a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, 1 3/4 cups water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, honey and cornstarch together. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold water. Set both bowls aside.

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until combined. Form ground beef mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and brown on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. The meatballs don't need to be completely cooked through, just equally browned on all sides.

When the meatballs have browned, pour the sauce ingredients over the meatballs and gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce. Heat the sauce until just simmering and add the cornstarch/water mixture, carefully mixing so as not to break apart the meatballs as you combine the cornstarch mixture with the teriyaki sauce. Simmer the meatballs and sauce over medium heat, maintaining a constant simmer but not cooking at too high of a boil, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and smooth (if the sauce becomes overly thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin), about 10-15 minutes, turning the meatballs every two or three minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve over rice or couscous.

Pancit

Pancit

2 garlic cloves
8 oz rice noodles
onion
1 c cooked chicken - shredded
1 small head of cabbage - chopped
1/2 large carrot - julienned
1 celery stick chopped
1 1/2 to 2 c water or stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
pepper

Wash the rice noodles briefly in cold water and drain. Set aside.

In a large pan on medium to high heat, saute the garlic in the oil, The saute the onions and add chicken season with a little pepper. Add the soy sauce. Then the carrots and saute until slightly tender. Season with salt. Add the cabbage and broth. and mix together. Cover the pan and bring the light boil to cook the cabbage. When the broth is boiling, lower the heat and add the rice noodles. Mix thorughly until the noodles ave absorbed the broth and are darker in color.

Note: Do not cover completely after cooking or it will spoil

*****Recipe and Picture from Bread & Butter***** Click Title and you can go over and check out her blog. YUM!!