Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six more recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

BERRY VANILLA SENSATION

This recipe, as well as the next one (Tutti-Frutti Smoothie)are from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. They’re originally from The Editors of Prevention.

This one begins, “Vanilla yogurt adds a touch of sweetness to this tangy fruit smoothie recipe.”

Servings: 2

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cup (8 oz) fat-free vanilla yogurt

Combine the raspberries, strawberries, and pineapple juice. Add the yogurt. Blend until smooth.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 192; Protein: 7 g; Carbs: 41 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Sugar: 35 g; Total fat: 0.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.1 g; Sodium: 86.5 mg

TUTTI-FRUTTI SMOOTHIE

This recipe begins, “A splash of orange juice infuses summer citrus into this healthy and refreshing snack.”

Servings: 2

1/2 cup loose-pack mixed frozen berries or strawberries

1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sliced ripe banana

1/2 cup orange juice

Combine the berries, pineapple (with juice), yogurt, banana, and orange juice in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, in a blender, or in a large measuring cup with an immersion blender. Process for about 2 minutes, or until smooth.

Nutrition Information: Calories (per serving): 140; Protein: 3.5 g; Carbs: 29 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Sugar: 16 g; Total fat: 2.5 g; Saturated fat: 1.5 g; Sodium: 30 mg

S’MORES BLOSSOM COOKIES

This comes from The Food Network, and begins, “Toasted, gooey marshmallows found their way into your peanut butter-chocolate blossom cookies and life couldn't be any better. Enjoy these treats warm or at room temperature -- and be thankful you didn't have to build a campfire.”

Total: 1 hr 45 min; Active: 30 min;Yield: about 2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

12 marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

24 milk chocolate candies, such as Hershey's Kisses

Directions

Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Beat the peanut butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt, in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg.

Put some granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape scant tablespoons of the dough into balls and roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Evenly space the balls on the prepared baking sheets. Press each ball down with the tines of a fork to flatten it slightly.

Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the broiler on.

Top each cookie with a marshmallow, sticky-side-down, and put 1 baking sheet at a time under the broiler until lightly golden, about 30 seconds. While the marshmallow is still hot, press a chocolate candy into it. Repeat with the remaining baking sheet. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

SPICE-RUBBED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “A spatchcocked chicken, also called a butterflied chicken, cooks more quickly and evenly than a whole bird, giving you juicy white meat as well as dark meat in less than an hour. Here the chicken is marinated in a brown sugar and chile spice rub before being roasted until its skin is crisp and deeply flavored. If you aren’t up for spatchcocking your own bird, you can ask your butcher to do it for you.”

Yield: 4 servings

This was featured in “A Chicken-Roasting Method All Good Cooks Know” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, patted dry

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ancho or New Mexico chile powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 bay leaves, torn or cut into pieces

Lime or lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

Spatchcock the chicken by using poultry shears or kitchen scissors (or a sharp knife) to cut along one side of the backbone until the chicken opens. If you like you can cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it, or leave it attached to roast with the rest of the bird. Open up the bird and place it so it lies flat, breast side up. Press hard onto the center of the breast until you feel a pop, and the breast lies more or less flat.

In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, oregano, pepper, allspice and bay leaves. Smear the mixture all over the chicken. Lay chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet (or plate) and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. If the chicken isn’t on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer it to one. Roast chicken until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a fork (an instant-read thermometer plunged into the thickest part of the breast will read 150), 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from oven, cover bird with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side.

5-INGREDIENT LEMON-ROSEMARY GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

This is from Grace Parisi in the Today Show cooking e-newsletter. According to the newsletter, “Grace Parisi is a New York City-based food writer, cookbook author and food stylist. Her book, Get Saucy, was nominated for a James Beard award. Her latest book, Quick Pickles comes out in Fall 2016.”

For this recipe, Grace wrote, “Crispy chicken skin is so delicious, but it's not easy to find boneless breasts with skin in the supermarket. You're more likely to find boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Most butchers will debone a breast for you, but it's easy enough to do yourself and you get to keep the bones for making stock in the future.”

She added this Note: “If you decide to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead, using a meat pounder, gently pound the chicken breasts so they are about 1/2-inch thick all around.” Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2.25 hours or overnight.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves on the bone with skin, 10 to 12 ounces each, or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, plus 2 sprigs

1 lemon, zested and cut in half

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Prepare the chicken breasts:

Debone the skin-on chicken breasts: Using a sharp knife, make a small incision near the wing joint. Leaving the skin intact, slip your finger into the incision, close to the bone. Working your finger back and forth, separate the meat from the bone as best you can. Use the knife to fully separate the meat. (Reserve the bones in the freezer for stock.) Using a meat pounder, gently pound the chicken breasts so they are about 1/2-inch thick all around.

For boneless chicken breasts: Using a meat pounder, gently pound the chicken breasts so they are about 1/2-inch thick all around.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chickens, add the rosemary sprigs and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Light a grill and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, lemon halves, and rosemary sprigs over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and firm to the touch, about 10 to 12 minutes. Squeeze the grilled lemon halves over the chicken and serve.

GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZA

This comes from Al Roker of The Today Show, and begins, “Skip the oven and throw a pie on the grill!” Servings: 2 pizzas.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough (homemade or thawed from frozen)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine to medium cornmeal

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, lightly salted

1 bunch fresh basil

2 cups pizza sauce

Preparation

Place a pizza stone onto the grates of a hot grill, or into an oven heated to 500 degrees F.

For two thin-crust pizzas, about 10”- 12”, divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place on lightly floured surface and cover with a light towel. Let sit and rest for about 10 minutes. [Alternately, use 1 pound dough to make 1 large thick-crust pizza.]

Mix the flour and cornmeal together and set aside.

Slice mozzarella thinly, about 1/8” to 1/4” thick.

Wash basil and pull off leaves. Blot them dry on paper toweling. Discard stems.

Sprinkle a pizza paddle or the back of a baking sheet with some of the cornmeal mixture and place 1 ball of dough in the center. Using floured hands, press the dough out into a flat circle, beginning in the center and working outwards while turning the dough to get an even thinness. Leave the outer edge a little thicker to form a crust.

Spread 1 cup pizza sauce over the dough but not on the crust edge, then top with half the mozzarella slices and half the basil leaves.

Using a fast back and forth motion, slide the dough to the edge of the paddle or baking sheet. Lean it toward the pizza stone and quickly slide the paddle out from underneath the pizza so that the dough is sitting directly on the pizza stone. Close the lid to the grill and cook 5-8 minutes, checking frequently for rapid browning. Depending on the heat of the grill, the pizza may be ready sooner or take a little longer. The oven should take about 8-10 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

Double-Post Thursday - Cookies

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday.

Today's double post deals with cookies! Yum! Is there anyone who doesn't like/love homemade cookies? Here are six cookie recipes to get you through the day, including Glazed Pineapple Cookies and S'mores Blossom Cookies. Enjoy!

GLAZED PINEAPPLE COOKIES

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

Cookies:

1 can 8 3/4 ozs. crushed pineapple

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 tbsps. liquid from pineapple

Drain pineapple, reserving liquid.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, with wooden spoon, or portable electric mixer at medium speed, cream shortening with sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add drained pineapple; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well combined.

On a prepared cookie sheet drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove to wire rack; cool partially.

Meanwhile, make Glaze:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar with pineapple liquid; stir until smooth. Spread tops of cookies with glaze while they are still slightly warm.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

LEMON OATMEAL COOKIES

Servings: 36

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=31

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/31.shtml

Ingredients

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup egg whites

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated fresh, or finely chopped, dried lemon rind

1 teaspoon lemon flavoring

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cup crispy rice cereal

Directions

Place oil and brown sugar in a mixer bowl in a mixer bowl and mix at medium speed until creamy.

Add egg whites, lemon juice, rind and flavoring, and mix at medium speed until well blended.

Stir flour, oatmeal, baking powder, and baking soda together to blend well; add to creamy mixture while beating at medium speed.

Stir in cereal.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets left ungreased, or lined with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.

Remove cookies to a wire rack and cool.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 87; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Exchanges: 2/3 Bread and 1 Fat

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICEBOX COOKIES

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “These icebox cookies are filled with ground chocolate chips. Use a small food processor or chopper to grind or chop the chocolate chips for these cookies. The dough is chilled slightly and then it's rolled into logs and thoroughly chilled until it's very firm. Plant to let the dough logs chill for at least four hours, or leave them in the refrigerator overnight.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 11 minutes; Total Time: 26 minutes; Yield: About 3 dozen

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup butter (8 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour, 13 1/2 ounces

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ground or finely chopped

Preparation

In large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars together until light; add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Stir in the ground chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm enough to shape.

Divide dough into 2 portions; form each portion into a log and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Refrigerate the dough logs for at least 4 hours, or until very firm.

Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease the pan.

Cut a log into 1/4-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.

GRANDMA'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This was one of my grandmother's recipes, along with the oatmeal cookie recipe that follows. You can find them in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.





1/2 C butter

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1 1/4 C flour

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter & peanut butter together. Add sugar gradually & cream thoroughly. Add egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Sift flour, soda, baking powder & salt together & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough well, then form into balls the size of walnuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour, making criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES



Another one of my grandmother's recipes. When it came to baking, cookies were her specialty. You can also find these in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking

1 C flour

1 C brown sugar

3 C quick cooking oatmeal (NOT the instant oats!)

1 C butter or margarine

1/4 C boiling water

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour & brown sugar. Add oatmeal; stir. Melt butter; add to dry ingredients. Mix baking soda into boiling water; add to other ingredients, stirring well. Place batter into loaf pan, lined with aluminum foil & place in freeze for several hours. Slice & bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookie dough, taken from the freezer; showing first cuts before baking



Then cut down the center, like so:



Placed on parchment paper-covered baking sheet, for easier handling



S’MORES BLOSSOM COOKIES

This comes from The Food Network, and begins, “Toasted, gooey marshmallows found their way into your peanut butter-chocolate blossom cookies and life couldn't be any better. Enjoy these treats warm or at room temperature -- and be thankful you didn't have to build a campfire.”

Total: 1 hr 45 min; Active: 30 min;Yield: about 2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

12 marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

24 milk chocolate candies, such as Hershey's Kisses

Directions

Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Beat the peanut butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt, in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg.

Put some granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape scant tablespoons of the dough into balls and roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Evenly space the balls on the prepared baking sheets. Press each ball down with the tines of a fork to flatten it slightly.

Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the broiler on.

Top each cookie with a marshmallow, sticky-side-down, and put 1 baking sheet at a time under the broiler until lightly golden, about 30 seconds. While the marshmallow is still hot, press a chocolate candy into it. Repeat with the remaining baking sheet. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.