Weekday Recipes

We're half-way through the work week...Here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY PEACH CRISP

This yummy recipe is from Kathy Kingley, About.com's American Food expert. She writes, “This version of a truly American dessert consists of ripe, juicy fruit and a crunchy sweet topping. The dessert takes it name for the crumbly mixture that bakes over the fruit into a crisp topping. To my mind, few things are as wonderful to eat than this blueberry peach crisp warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I think you'll agree.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pint fresh blueberries rinsed and picked over

2 pounds ripe fresh peaches (about 6 medium), peeled, pitted and sliced (see note below)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned or instant rolled oats

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Put the blueberries, peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon in an 1 and 1/2 quart baking dish. Toss to mix and then spread the fruit mixture evenly in the dish.

o make the topping, put the brown sugar and flour into a medium bowl and stir to mix well. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats with a fork.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit, then press down gently.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and lightly browned.

Remove the crisp from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Note: To easily peel peaches, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse the peaches in the boiling water for about a minute, then remove them with a slotted spoon and cool under cold running water. Use a paring knife to slip off the skins.

Berry Ideas

What could be more wonderful than a bowl of unadorned and perfectly fresh blueberries? Well that is hard to beat, but here are some ideas for a few ways to enjoy them at their best:

• Combine blueberries and fresh melon chunks and top with chopped fresh mint.

• Slice bananas and blueberries with a dash of orange juice and sprinkled with some cinnamon.

• Fresh pineapple chunks and blueberries tossed with finely chopped crystallized ginger.

• Spoon fresh blueberries over rice pudding.

• Fill a ready to serve cookie pie crust with ice cream and top with a mixture of fresh blueberries and raspberries.

• Mash some fresh blueberries over vanilla stir into slightly softened ice cream.

• Mix blueberries into a bowl of vanilla yogurt and top with crunchy granola.

QUICK BANANA FROZEN YOGURT

This easy recipe comes from Kimberly Kunaniec, About.com's Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts expert. She writes, “Frozen bananas are great for making frozen desserts. Not only can you dip them in chocolate and eat them as-is, but you can give them a quick spin in your food processor or Vitamix and make instant banana sorbet. This recipe adds some plain yogurt and honey to produce a creamy frozen yogurt. If you keep frozen bananas on hand (see step one of the directions), you can put this recipe together in just a few minutes whenever you want fresh frozen yogurt.” Prep Time: 2 minutes; Cook Time: 2 minutes; Total Time: 4 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 bananas

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Preparation

Peel the bananas and slice them into rounds. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. At this point, you can store the bananas in zip-top freezer bags or make the frozen yogurt immediately.

Pulse the banana and honey in the work bowl of your food processor until the bananas are finely chopped and starting to break down into a paste.

Add the frozen yogurt, blend until thoroughly combined. Give the frozen yogurt a taste and add more sugar as necessary.

Serve immediately for a texture that is like soft-serve, or put the frozen yogurt in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm it up a little more.

Tips:

Because this is a simple base, you can always add ingredients to spice it up. A half teaspoon of cinnamon will give a warm spice to the finished yogurt, but be careful not to overdo it. Or, grate a small amount of fresh nutmeg into the dish. Just a pinch will add a little bit of something extra without becoming too overpowering.

You can substitute Greek yogurt for the regular yogurt. Because it has a more tart flavor, you may want to add more sugar. Luckily, this is an easy recipe to do so. Simply taste the frozen yogurt once the yogurt has been added and decide if you want a little more. If you don’t want to add too much honey, try using superfine or confectioner’s sugar to up the sweetness a little. These will leave less of a grainy texture than a regular granulated sugar will.

This recipe is great with walnuts. Sprinkle toasted nuts over the top or stir some in after the ice cream is finished. The flavor of walnuts is perfect with bananas. Add some fresh whipped cream and you have a perfect and non-traditional ice cream sundae.

GRILLED BRUSCHETTA

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, “This delicious tomato bruschetta is enhanced by serving with grilled Texas toast. It's a simple way to make an easy appetizer really special.” Serves: 8 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 2 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 package (11.25 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Parmesan Texas Toast or Garlic Texas Toast

Directions

Stir the oil, vinegar, garlic, black pepper, parsley and tomatoes in a medium bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat the grill to medium. Grill the toast slices for 2 minutes or until they're browned on both sides and heated through.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly among the toast slices and serve immediately.

Ingredient Note:

Omit the garlic if using Garlic Texas Toast.

ITALIAN SPINACH PIE

Makes: 8 servings

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/626.shtml

Source: Kraft

Ingredients

1 container (16 oz.) Breakstone's or Knudsen 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 cup Kraft Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers, well drained, chopped

1/3 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Options: Substitute 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers for the roasted peppers.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.

Bake 40 min. or until center is set.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 150; Protein: 15 g; Fat: 8 g; Sodium: 450 mg; Cholesterol: 125 mg; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable + 2 Lean Meat

SUMMER GUMBO

This comes from the June 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 34. It begins, “Rather than use meat substitutes, we turned to pecans to give this gumbo its 'meaty' heft and a hit of protein. As they cook, the pecans become tender and chewy while lending the sauce a hint of nutty flavor. Feel free to spice things up with extra Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup glutinous rice flour

1 small green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1 cup diced celery

2-3 Tbs. Cajun seasoning

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 cup raw pecan halves

2 small yellow squash or zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups halved radishes

6 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch lengths (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup frozen cut okra or 1 1/2 cups fresh okra pods, cut 1/2-inch thick

3 cups cooked brown or white rice

6 green onions, thinly sliced (2/3 cup)

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in glutinous rice flour until smooth paste forms. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until roux is caramel-colored, stirring constantly.

Add bell pepper, onion, and celery, and stir to coat with roux. Stir in 1 cup water and Cajun seasoning, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any stuck-on bits from bottom of pot. Stir in broth, 2 more cups water, tomato paste, and garlic, and season with salt, if desired. Add pecans. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add squash, radishes, carrots, and okra. Cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thick and glistening. Serve gumbo over rice, and sprinkle with green onions.

nutritional information per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calaories: 394; Protein: 7g; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 43 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 779 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 7 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

CITRUS CHICKEN AND RICE

This is from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, "A simply delicious combination of orange juice, chicken broth and onion simmer together to flavor this delicate chicken and rice skillet dish." Serves: 4; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast half

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook the chicken in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the broth, orange juice, onion and rice in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked though and the rice is tender. Stir in the parsley.

Serving Suggestion: For a special touch, cook orange slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they're lightly browned. Serve over the chicken.

Ingredient Note: We develop our recipes using a 4-to 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast half per serving. However, there are a range of sizes available in-store, from the butcher counter to the meat case and the freezer section. Use whichever you prefer- just follow the recipe as written above for the best result. If you're using larger chicken breasts they may require a little longer cooking time.

Weekend Meals

Brrrr...It's still cold, even in Florida. Hopefully, you're staying warm, wherever you live. Meanwhile, here's your weekend recipes. (And I'll try to make up for Wednesday's missing blog before Monday.) Enjoy!

CITRUS CHICKEN AND RICE

This is from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, "A simply delicious combination of orange juice, chicken broth and onion simmer together to flavor this delicate chicken and rice skillet dish." Serves: 4; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast half

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook the chicken in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the broth, orange juice, onion and rice in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked though and the rice is tender. Stir in the parsley.

Serving Suggestion: For a special touch, cook orange slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they're lightly browned. Serve over the chicken.

Ingredient Note: We develop our recipes using a 4-to 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast half per serving. However, there are a range of sizes available in-store, from the butcher counter to the meat case and the freezer section. Use whichever you prefer- just follow the recipe as written above for the best result. If you're using larger chicken breasts they may require a little longer cooking time.

TART CHERRY PIE

This comes from Diabetic Connect, and starts off, "Tart cherries in a sweet, creamy filling make this a pie that's sure to please."

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) cans pitted tart cherries (in water - no syrup)

1 large box cook & serve sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

1 small box sugar-free cherry gelatin

Sugar substitute to equal 4 teaspoon sugar

1 baked 9-inch almond flour pie crust (recipe below)

1 1/4 cups almond flour

3 packets of Splenda

4 tablespoons softened butter

Directions

Drain cherries, reserving juice. Set cherries aside.

In a saucepan, combine cherry juice and dry pudding mix. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin powder and sweetener until dissolved. Stir in the cherries; transfer to pie shell. Cool completely. Store in refrigerator.

Pie Crust: Combine almond flour, splenda, and butter to form a pastry dough. Evenly spread dough in pie tin and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until browned.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Calories 176; Sodium 293 mg; Cholesterol 0; Carbohydrate 24 gm; Protein 3 gm; Fat 8 gm; Diabetic Exchange1 starch; 1/2 fruit

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking expert. She wrote, "As the mercury plunges I'm increasingly in the mood for comfort food, but want to resist the temptation to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie fare. Checking first to see what vegetables I had on hand I decided to make a nourishing winter vegetable soup. My favorite way to enjoy a vegetable-based soup is to puree it, making a velvety blend of goodness, without the need for cream or butter. While I use chicken broth in this soup, feel free to use a vegetable broth instead for a real vegetarian soup." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Serves 6-8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped leeks, white parts only

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced

1 cup rutabaga or turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into pieces

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth, divided

Salt and pepper as desired

Preparation

Heat oil on medium heat in a large pot. Sauté garlic, celery, leeks and carrots for 5 minutes.

Add chopped rutabaga, and potatoes, followed by canned tomatoes and 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

In two or three batches, puree soup with in a blender, or use an immersion blender. Add extra cup of broth to thin the soup a little.

Per 1 1/2 cup serving: Calories 113, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 168mg, Carbohydrate 20.2g, Fiber 4.1g, Protein 4.1g

BLACK BEAN AND CHORIZO SOUP

This hearty Black bean soup will warm you up on a cold day.

Yield: 10 servings. 1/2 cup per serving.

Photo/Print: http://diabeticgourment.com/recipes/html/1204.shtml

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 onion, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tomato, deseeded and chopped

1 ancho chile, seeded, soaked in hot water

1 pasilla pepper, seeded, soaked in hot water

1 (19 oz) can black beans

1 bouquet garni (1 Tbsp each dried cilantro, oregano, marjoram wrapped in cheesecloth)*

1 lime, halved

4 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp mezcal or tequila

Salt to taste

6 Tbsp chorizo, fried and crumbled

6 Tbsp low-fat buttermilk

* Bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs used to prepare soup, stock and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with other ingredients, but removed prior to consumption. To make the bouquet, use 1 Tbsp each of dried cilantro, oregano and marjoram and place in cheesecloth to form a bundle.

Directions

In deep pan or pot, heat canola oil at high heat and add onion. Saute until brown and add garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomatoes and peppers. Cook 15 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Combine black beans, bouquet garni, limes and broth with mixture. Cook 5 minutes. Add mezcal or tequila, salt and discard lime halves and herbs. Cook 10 minutes. Blend and season to taste.

Garnish with buttermilk and chorizo.

Tip: If too thick, add more broth

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 180; Protein: 10 g; Fat: 7 g ; Sodium: 310 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g

CHICKEN DINNER IN FOIL

Left to my own devices, I'm a vegetarian. However, I know many people love meat, which is why I've included this, as well as other meat recipes on occasion. This one comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com's Home Cooking expert. She writes, "Cooking meals in foil packets is nothing new to campers. The method also works quite well in your home oven. This particular version is one of the most flavorful you'll ever taste, although there is nothing exotic about it. Measurements, ingredients, and serving sizes are all easily adaptable, and it's easy enough for even the most basic cook." Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Non-stick aluminum foil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed clean or peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen broccoli florets, unthawed

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1-1/2 to 2 cups fine-shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)

1/4 cup bacon bits

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 F. Tear off 6 sheets of non-stick foil, approximately 15- x 12-inches.

Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise so they are about 1/2-inch thick. Season on both sides with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, sage, paprika, and black pepper. Set aside.

Slice potatoes into rounds about 1/4-inch thick (see Notes). A mandoline slicer works perfectly for this chore, and it goes fast. Have the remaining ingredients opened and ready to go.

Set up a production line by spreading out each square of foil next to each other. Spray the centers of the squares with butter-flavored oil. Place potato slices in the center, with each slice overlapping halfway, to the length of the chicken breasts. This will be your base to build upon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned chicken breast halves on top of the potatoes and follow with the broccoli. Spoon the cream of mushroom soup evenly over the broccoli. Top broccoli with Cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon bits.

Fold up the foil sides and fold the edges down to make individual sealed packets, leaving about 1 inch of air-space at the top. Place the packets on a heavy rimmed baking tray (jelly roll pan).

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the chicken breasts. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the packets on a plate and let guests open them at the table. Alternatively, you can remove the foil and slide the stacks onto a plate to serve.

A side salad and artisan bread make perfect accompaniments.

Notes:

• It is important that the potatoes be sliced evenly and thin. Otherwise, they will not cook through.

• Cream of celery, chicken, or cheese soups may be substituted for the cream of mushroom soup, as well as low-fat and low-sodium varieties. Spoon the soup on straight from the can.

• You may substitute skinless, boneless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. Increase the baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.

• Frozen mixed vegetables of your choice may be substituted for the broccoli.

• Prepared stuffing may be substituted for the potatoes.

• I do not recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for this recipe. Although I normally prefer skin-on, bone-in chicken for flavor and moisture retention, this method and cooking time will not be long enough to render the fat and cook the chicken completely. If you increase the cooking time, the vegetables will lose texture integrity and become mushy.

• As you can tell from reading the method, this recipe is easily multiplied. The ingredient amounts are easily adjustable to suit your own tastes.

• The foil packets work just as well in a covered grill.

• Be careful of steam when you open the packets. If you use commercial chicken, you will notice it releases a lot of water. This is because commercial chicken is enhanced. You may wish to open one end of the packet and drain any excess liquid before serving.

CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP

This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes."

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth, (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.

Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.