Weekday Recipes

It's warming up a little (at least here in Florida). If you're living in a snowy area, here's hoping it warms up for you soon. In the meantime, here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

BANANA SPLIT CAKE

I know, I know, we've all been told not to start off a meal with dessert. But this one is nice and easy, and can really be made any time. It came from someone on an emailing list that I was on years ago, so I'm really not sure of its origins. But it's sure to be a winner. Serves 9.

2 1/3 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

1 pint vanilla or chocolate ice cream

1 package (10 ounce) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

2 medium bananas, sliced

1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

1/3 cup chocolate fudge topping, heated

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°.

Stir baking mix, milk, sugar and margarine until soft dough forms. Drop by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Split warm shortcakes. Fill and top with ice cream, strawberries, bananas, whipped topping and fudge topping.

VEGGIE PANINI

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Served warm and oozing with melted cheese, this restaurant-style panini features Mediterranean vegetables like zucchini, peppers and plum tomatoes on whole grain bread. It's easy to make, comforting and delicious." Serves 2; Prep Time: 20 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 slices Pepperidge Farm® Very Thin Sliced Whole Grain White Bread

2/3 cup shredded lowfat mozzarella cheese

2 plum tomato, sliced

2/3 cup sliced mushrooms

2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into slices

4 teaspoons fat free Italian salad dressing

2 roasted red pepper, cut into strips

Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

Top 2 bread slices with the cheese, tomato, mushrooms and zucchini. Drizzle with the dressing. Top with the pepper and remaining bread slices.

Heat the panini maker. Add the sandwiches and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted.

Tip: If you don't have a panini maker you can use a grill pan or a 10-inch skillet. Assemble the sandwich as directed above. Heat the grill pan over medium heat. Add the sandwich and cook until it's lightly browned on both sides and the cheese is melted.

Tip: This recipe can be halved to make 1 serving.

JALAPENO CORN MUFFINS

This comes from Diabetic Gourmet. (I know...today's Tuesday, and I usually post diabetic recipes on Thursdays, but this sounds yummy.) Yield: 12 muffins

Online with Photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1260.shtml

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup skim milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp canola oil

paprika (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F.

In medium bowl, combine cornmeal and milk and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Add flour, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, baking powder, garlic powder and salt to cornmeal and milk, and stir well. Add egg and canola oil, stirring until just moistened.

Spoon into non-stick muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 60; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 1.5 g; Sodium: 110 mg; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g

BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

While I've posted this once before, one of my sons and I love this enough to warrant a repost.

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine.It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking, rather than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

J’s B-B-Q GLUTEN

This is from my oldest son. For the most part, the recipe is included exactly as he wrote it out for me, though I have changed a word or two. (This stuff is definitely good.)

Ingredients:

5 lb. whole wheat flour

2 onions

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

2 bottles of B-B-Q sauce

1 stick butter

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

Huge bowl

Take whole wheat flour, empty into Big Bowl. Add enough water to knead into dough ball. Knead really well. I repeat, knead really well. For at least 10 minutes.

Fill huge bowl with water, put dough ball under water for 2 hours. Pour off water. Knead doughball under cold running water for 10 minutes or more. Water should be clear. You are washing out the starch and bran. You know it’s ready when stringy and it sticks together and is bouncy.

Melt 1 stick butter and fry 2 chopped onions until clear. Dump onto Gluten. Add salt, paprika, and peanut butter. Mix with hands completely.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cooking pan with non-stick spray. Pinch off pieces bigger than a golf ball. Take piece and fold it and twist it and lay it down in pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip over and bake for 10 more. Pour B-B-Q sauce and bake 10 more minutes, then flip and pour more B-B-Q sauce and bake 10 more minutes. It’s done—enjoy.

(Xtra note—be careful when you first mix wheat and water. Don’t add too much water. Make a hard dough ball. It might take 20 minutes to knead it.)

CINNAMON EGG BREAD

I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.

1 cup milk (or soy milk)

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

2-3 eggs

1 cup warm (not hot) water

2 Tablespoons honey

2 packages yeast

6 – 7 cups flour

3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted

2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar

Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.

Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.

Melt ¾ – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.

Wednesday Recipes

It's the middle of the week...if you've made it this far during the work week, you can make it through Friday. (That is, if you have a Monday through Friday work week.) Here are a few recipes to help you out this evening, as well as possibly months to come. Enjoy!

BANANA SPLIT CAKE

I know, I know, we've all been told not to start off a meal with dessert. But this one is nice and easy, and can really be made any time. It came from someone on an emailing list that I was on years ago, so I'm really not sure of its origins. But it's sure to be a winner. Serves 9.

2 1/3 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

1 pint vanilla or chocolate ice cream

1 package (10 ounce) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

2 medium bananas, sliced

1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

1/3 cup chocolate fudge topping, heated

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°.

Stir baking mix, milk, sugar and margarine until soft dough forms. Drop by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Split warm shortcakes. Fill and top with ice cream, strawberries, bananas, whipped topping and fudge topping.

TUSCAN KALE AND CARROT SOUP

This was in the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 74. It starts off, “This recipe calls for steaming the kale in a steamer insert placed over the soup's brothy base to keep the greens brightly colored and crisp-tender.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

The recipe can be viewed online here.

This recipe calls for steaming the kale in a steamer insert placed over the soup’s brothy base to keep the greens brightly colored and crisp-tender.

2 bunches multicolored carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks (4 cups)

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice

2 12-oz. bunches Tuscan kale, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus 6 whole leaves, divided

2 Tbs. chopped chives, plus handful whole chives, divided

1 15-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Bring carrots, broth, tomatoes with juice, and 2 cups water to a simmer in large stockpot with steamer insert over medium heat.

Place kale, whole basil leaves, and whole chives in steamer insert. Set steamer inside stockpot, cover, and steam 5 to 7 minutes, using tongs to stir halfway through. Remove and discard basil and chives. Add kale, beans, and vinegar to soup, and return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in chopped basil and chives just before serving.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 128; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 358 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 6 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

CRANBERRY CABBAGE SLAW

This recipe yields 10 1-cup servings, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 cup halved cranberries

1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 large apple - peeled, cored and chopped

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise

Directions

In a small bowl, toss together the cranberries and Splenda Granulated Sweetener. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large bowl, toss together the oranges, onion, cabbage, apple and mayonnaise until evenly coated. When ready to serve add cranberry mixture and toss again.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories: 50; Protein:1 g; Sodium: 50 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g

BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

While I've posted this once before, one of my sons and I love this enough to warrant a repost.

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine.It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking, rather than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PIE - Vegan tofu cherry "cream" pie recipe

Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian blog guide, writes, "Chocolate cherry pie - Vegan tofu cherry "cream" pie recipe - delicious! I'd love to try this same method with strawberries or perhaps even Elvis-style, with bananas."

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) box firm silken tofu

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 prepared vegan graham cracker pie crust

1 (12 oz.) package frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed and drained

1 cup non-dairy whipped topping

Preparation:

First, prepare the cherries. Slice them in half and remove the pics, if needed. Set a handful of cherries aside to use as a garnish on top of the pie.

Next, prepare the chocolate "cream" filling. Process the tofu in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, melted chocolate chips, and almond extract. Process again until mixture is smooth.

To prepare the pie, place about 1/3 of the chocolate tofu mix in a single layer in the prepared pie crust. Next, place the cherries in a single layer on top of the chocolate tofu mixture and spread the remaining chocolate tofu on top.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish each slice with whipped topping and reserved cherries.

This recipe makes one pie of 8 servings.

Nutritional information, per serving: Calories: 270, Total Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 100mg, Carbohydrates: 36g, Dietary Fiber: 2g. Sugar: 24g, Protein: 6g

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food blog's guide, writes, “A true American classic, this recipe for baked macaroni and cheese couldn't be easier or more comforting. It's also a a very versatile dish, lending itself to many variations. For example, no reason to stick to elbow macaroni for the recipe, try it with penne, rigatoni or rotini. And you can mix-up the cheese you use, too. How about a mixture of cheddar and Monterrey Jack, or Gruyere and fontina? The variations on the dish are only limited by your imagination.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients:

12 ounces elbow macaroni (3 cups)

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

1/2 cup finely minced onion

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups whole or 2-percent fat milk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups)

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, or 1/2 cup dried

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 6 minutes. Stir in the mustard and cayenne pepper.

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to coat. Scrape the mixture into a 9 - by- 13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake the casserole until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

You can mix-up the recipe some by adding 1 cup of chopped ham and/or 1/2 cup of thawed, frozen peas.

Another variation for this macaroni and cheese is to use Fontina cheese and add some sauteed, chopped mushrooms and spinach, or use some Monterrey Jack cheese and add some canned chopped green chilies and a little chili powder.

Make individual servings of mac and cheese: Spoon the macaroni and cheese into 1 to 2 cup-size ramekins, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

To ensure that the sauce is smooth, add the cheese in small batches, stirring until smooth before adding the next batch.