Sugar Cream Pie

A few weeks ago, my hubby watched Paula Deen with me and this sugar cream pie caught his eye. I also thought it looked simple and yummy so I decided to try it. I usually read the reviews before I try a Food Network recipe. To say the reviews of this are mixed would be an understatement. People seemed to be either raving about the pie or slamming it. One of the great controversies was whether or not to whip the whipping cream. The recipe does not say to whip but on the video clip, Paula’s cream does appear to be whipped. There were also comments that the baking time is not long enough and many people wrote that their pie did not set correctly.

After much debate, I decided to follow the recipe as written except that I did add a teaspoon of vanilla and I used cinnamon instead of nutmeg. It turned out wonderfully. Served cold, it’s a very cool and creamy dessert. It is extremely sweet and rich. Hubby wasn’t crazy about it but both of our mothers and I liked it. I would make it again.

Ingredients
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Pinch nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine sugar, flour, cream, and milk in a mixing bowl. Pour into pie shell. Dot butter bits all around top of pie. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for approximately 30 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled.

Cook's Note: If using a glass baking dish, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

Honey Mustard Salmon with Roasted Asparagus-From Men's Health

It seems to me that my hubby's Men's Health magazine has better recipes than my Women's Health. His most recent issue has this yummy recipe that I made tonight. I love salmon but am always a little clueless about what to do with seafood-the drawbacks of living in a landlocked state I guess. This one is a keeper!

Honey Mustard Salmon with Roasted Asparagus
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
4 salmon fillets (6 oz each)

Heat the oven to 400 F. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave until the butter and sugar have melted together, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the Parmesan, and some salt and pepper. Place the stalks in a baking dish and roast until they’re al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, flesh side down. Cook them until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip them, brush on half the honey mustard, and place the pan in the oven. Bake until the salmon is firm and flakes easily ( but before white solids begin to form on the surface), about 5 minutes. Remove fillets from the oven and brush them with honey mustard. Serve the salmon with the asparagus. Makes 4 servings.

Per Serving: 360 calories, 17g fat, 38g protein, 550 mg sodium.

How to Cook Dry Pinto Beans

Pinto beans are a staple food in many parts of Appalachia. (In my neck of the woods, they are "soup beans" and not "pinto beans", by the way.) Beans have suddenly become hip during recession times because they are a cheap source of protein. Many people are intimidated to cook dry beans from scratch but they really are better for you as canned beans tend to be high in sodium. Dried beans are also much more economical since you can buy a pound of beans (13 servings)for a little more than the price of one can (3 servings).

Step 1: Measure out your beans using 1/4 cup per serving as your guide. (I usually plan on two servings per person, to be honest.) After you've measured the beans, inspect them for tiny rocks or bad beans. In the picture below, the rocks are on the left. No one wants rocks in their beans!



Step 2: Pour your rock free beans into a sturdy stock pot. Cover with a couple of inches of warm water.



Step 3: Turn the heat onto medium and bring the beans to a boil. The beans will float to the top. Let boil for 3 minutes, then cover, remove from heat and allow to sit for one hour.

Step 4: After an hour, rinse the beans in a colander. Pour out the dirty bean water and wipe out your pot. Be careful! The beans and the pot will be warm.



Step 5: Now it's time to get serious and start cooking. Return the beans to the pot and cover with a couple of inches of water. Season with salt and if you so choose, with meat flavoring. Baked ham bits are wonderful but I usually use bacon since I always have it on hand. If you want to totally veg out, you do not have to add any meat flavor.



Step 6: Bring the beans to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally just to make sure the beans aren't sticking to the pot. Beans are like pasta in that some people prefer a soft bean while others prefer more "bite". I recommend a taste test after about an hour and half of cooking. The big thing you want to look out for is making sure there is liquid in the pot. If the liquid all boils away, the beans will burn. You can cook these as long as you want as long as you keep adding more water. You will be able to tell when the beans are nearly done because they will take on a "softer" look.



This is the quick method of cooking dried beans. You can also soak the beans (after you've searched for rocks!) over night, rinse then pick up with Step 5 if you choose.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (All You Magazine Recipe)

I try to eat as many whole grains as possible but I don't have much experience in making homemade baked goods using whole wheat flour. My mom has been experimenting with whole wheat flour and shared some with me. When I saw this recipe in All You, I decided to try it.

The muffins were good but a little dry which can be expected since there is very little fat in them. But they were good with my morning coffee and made for a quick, easy to grab breakfast choice. I would make them again.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 dried banana chips, optional

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°F; mist a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour with baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, mix bananas with eggs, sugar, milk, butter and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Fold banana mixture into flour mixture just until combined and batter forms; do not overmix.

3. Spoon batter into muffin cups; place a banana chip on top of each one, if desired. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Information
Calories:189
Fat:4g (sat 2g)
Protein:4g
Carbohydrate:35g
Fiber:3g
Cholesterol:44mg
Sodium:102mg

All You, MARCH 2010

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I stumbled across a copy of Eating Well magazine during my recent doctor's visit. I'd never heard of the mag but it had some good looking food in it. I checked out their website and found this recipe for broccoli cheese chowder. I love a good broccoli cheese soup and was skeptical that a healthy version would be good. I was very surprised by how tasty this soup is. It has that delicious rich taste of broccoli and cheese soup and is very filling. Would be excellent with some crusty homemade bread. I confess I used real cheddar not reduced fat because that's what I had on hand and I don't care for reduced fat cheese. According to my calculations, that adds 20 calories per serving.



Broccoli-Cheese Chowder
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/broccoli_cheese_chowder.html


6 servings, 1 cup each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
•1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 large carrot, diced
•2 stalks celery, diced
•1 large potato, peeled and diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
•8 ounces broccoli crowns, (see Ingredient Note), cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
•1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
•1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2.Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.

3.Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Nutrition
Per serving : 205 Calories; 9 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 21 mg Cholesterol; 23 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 508 mg Sodium; 436 mg Potassium



Tips & Notes
•Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
•Ingredient note: Most supermarkets sell broccoli crowns, which are the tops of the bunches, with the stalks cut off. Although crowns are more expensive than entire bunches, they are convenient and there is considerably less wa

Chocolate Lava Cakes: Link is NOW working

I've seen Chocolate Lava Cakes (also known as Molten Chocolate Cakes) in several magazines but never tried them. I decided to take the plunge this year for Valentine's Day. I just googled "Chocolate Molten Cakes for Two" and found this recipe. It's super easy and the cakes are oh-so-good. They look very fancy and would make an impressive dessert for guests. You can buy mixes now for lava cake but I'm not sure why you would want to since this recipe is so simple. I cut this recipe in half and it was fine. I also took the author's suggestions and dusted my ramekins with cocoa instead of flour.

PS. I found adorable ramekins at TJ Maxx for under $4 for a set of 4. And it says they are safe for "oven, microwave, dishwasher and blow torch". Ha!

Recipe is here.

Recipe Review: Rachael Ray's Chicken and Spinach Tortilla Bake

This recipe ran in the November issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. It caught my eye because I love Tex-Mex type foods.

Chicken and Spinach Tortilla Bake

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 large flour tortillas, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach (about 1/4 pound)
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese


Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then shred the meat.


2.Whisk together the salsa verde and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In a greased 9-inch square baking dish, layer one-third of the salsa mixture, tortillas, chicken, onion, spinach and pepper jack; repeat twice. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Magazine suggestions:
Swap in 3 cups crushed tortilla chips for the flour tortillas for added crunch.
Try monterey jack instead of pepper jack cheese for a mild, less spicy dish.
Use a 15-ounce can of your favorite beans in place of the chicken for vegetarians.

My comments:
Great recipe! I admit that this dish looked like a trainwreck when I was putting it together and I honestly had no idea how it would turn out. I used a more curly leafed spinach and it was bulky. But never fear, it cooked down well and ended up looking like the magazine picture.
My chicken was a bit tough but I think I overcooked it. The next time I will use cooked chicken or make the vegetarian alternative and use a can of pinto beans.
The dish re-heats wonderfully and was probably even better the next day.
Will definitely make again.

Hurry Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

I will admit when it comes to baking bread that with the exception of cornbread, I believe a suitable replacement can be found in the grocery aisles. I figure as long as Pillsbury makes biscuits in a can there is no reason for me to whip some out from scratch. Hubby prefers canned biscuits over the much better frozen ones. However, as I’ve gotten older, the lure of baking has drawn me in and I’ve been willing to experiment with homemade bread.

The following recipe was in the December issue of Southern Living. It looked easy so I tried it. My rolls did not rise to double their size as the recipe says. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if it’s just too dang cold to get a rise out of them. I will warn you that the consistency of these rolls are more like a biscuit than a traditional canned crescent roll. That’s not a bad thing but it might shock you if you are expecting a true Pillsbury-esque roll. I would make these again. Also, I used a heavy stand up mixer as described in the note below.

Hurry Up Homemade Crescent Rolls


Hands-on Time: 25 min.; Total Time: 1 hr., 40 min.
Yield: Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients
1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
All-purpose flour

Preparation
1. Combine yeast and warm water in a 1-cup measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 3 cups baking mix and sugar in a large bowl; gradually stir in yeast mixture.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead, adding additional baking mix (up to 1/2 cup) as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
3. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle; cut circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, starting at wide end, to form a crescent shape; place, point sides down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 425°. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Note: To make rolls in a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, prepare as directed in Step 1. Beat dough at medium speed, using dough hook attachment, about 5 minutes, beating in 1/2 cup additional baking mix, if needed, until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and pulls together, becoming soft and smooth. Proceed with recipe as directed in Step 3. We tested with Bisquick All-Purpose Baking Mix.

To Make Ahead: Rolls may be frozen up to 2 months. Bake at 425º for 5 minutes; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Wrap in aluminum foil, and freeze in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature on a lightly greased baking sheet; bake at 425° for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden.

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2009

Hot Dog Chili

Growing up, my mom made this chili recipe. It was tasty but I really prefer a more "soupy" chili with beans that you can load down with cheese and crackers. This chili works great as a hot dog topper or in a taco salad or nachos.

My famously picky husband loves this chili. And since he does not eat burgers or dogs on the grill, I have to make a pot wheneve we have a cookout because he won't eat the "cooked out" food. I made a pot last weekend for tailgating. Someone at our tailgate party called it "hot dog sauce".

Whatever you call it, it is quite good. Although I do admit, my mom's is better and since we make it the same way, that puzzles me.

Hot Dog Chili

2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt
Dash of sugar

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Chop onion and process in food processor for about 15 seconds until it’s beat up pretty well. Add the can of tomatoes and process for another 15 or 20 seconds.* Combine ground beef and onion/tomato mixture in a heavy pot. Add chili powder and cumin, and a dash of salt and sugar. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours until desired consistency.
*The food processor step is optional. I do it to “hide” the onions and tomatoes. You can also just finely chop the onion and use the tomatoes as they are from the can.

How do you top your dog???

Recipe Swap-Ramen Noodle Slaw

I'm sharing this recipe as part of Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap. Please check out this great blog!

It's Labor Day weekend and time for one more cookout to close out summer. I wanted to share a new side dish that I tried for my Memorial Day weekend cookout that was a big hit. It's called Ramen Noodle slaw. It's tasty and lighter than traditional slaw. It also does not contain mayo so you don't have to worry about letting it sit out for an extended period. If you grew your own cabbage, you can swap that for the slaw mix and it's a really inexpensive dish. Enjoy! And have a great holiday weekend.

RAMEN COLE SLAW

In Bowl mix:

¾ C. olive oil
½ C. sugar (I use about 8 packs of Splenda)
1/3 C. white vinegar
2 packs of seasoning from Ramen noodles (I use chicken flavored)

In larger bowl mix:
16 OZ bag of cole slaw mix
2 bunches of green onions

In plastic bag mix:

1 C. sunflower seeds (I do not use these but I'm sharing the recipe as given to me)
2 packs of Ramen noodles
Smash up in big until noodles are bite size

15 minutes before serving mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Saturday was one of those days when I should have gone to the grocery story but really wanted to stretch it out another day. Using what I had on hand, I could still make Hubby's favorite meal: pinto beans, fried potatoes and corn bread. My sweet tooth was a callin' so I tried to think of things I could make with very few ingredients. That's when it hit me: flourless peanut butter cookies.

The first time I heard of this recipe was at a Pampered Chef party. I never tried it. A few weeks ago, my elderly great aunt mentioned to my mother that you only need 3 things to make peanut butter cookies: peanut butter, an egg and sugar. (This is also the aunt who supplied the fab apple dumpling recipe, by the way.) Using the power of google, I found that there are lots of people making their cookies this way. It's so simple.

You need: one cup of peanut butter, one cup of sugar and an egg.

That's it! Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Drop by teaspoon fulls onto a baking sheet. I used parchment paper. Take a fork and flatten the cookies out. Bake for about 8 minutes. It makes a very chewy and delicious cookie. It's just as easy as using store bought dough and there's no flour!

Good Memories of a "Bad" Food or How to Make Your Own Hamburger Helper

Flavor of Kentucky has a blog post today about the increased popularity of Hamburger Helper during these tough economic times.

I confess I used to love Hamburger Helper. It was one of the first "meals" I ever made growing up. When I was a teenager, I would make a box of this, heat up some rolls and maybe nuke some frozen peas and have dinner ready for my mom when she got home from work. (Dad always worked second shift and missed out on dinner.) I also made Hamburger Helper and its Chicken and Tuna siblings when I lived on my own. One skillet could stretch into a few meals for me.

Now, I can't remember the last time I made it. My husband doesn't like it and I just haven't been inclined to make any. Plus, it's full of sodium and not exactly the healthiest food going. But to be honest, now that it's on my mind, nothing sounds better than a big skillet of Cheeseburger Macaroni.

If you'd like to try your own Helper mix, check out the Flavor of Kentucky post here.

Healthy Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A couple of weekends ago, I watched Devin Alexander on FitTV do a recipe makeover of our grandma's zucchini cake. I'd never had zucchini cake although my mother makes zucchini bread often especially in summer. I tried this recipe last weekend and really liked it. It's a also a good way to sneak some veggies in to your diet!

You need:

Butter-flavored cooking spray

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

2-1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass dish or cake pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium measuring cup, stir together the milk and the vinegar.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with beaters, mix the egg whites with the sugar on low speed until they are well combined.

Beat in the yogurt, vanilla and milk mixture until they are just thoroughly blended. Gradually add the sifted flour mixture, stirring it in until it is blended. Then using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix in the zucchini until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are OK).

Remove the cake to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes and cut it into 24 equal pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes 24 servings.

Calories: 135 calories (the traditional recipe has 232 calories)

Protein: 3 grams

Carbohydrates: 28 grams

Fat: 2 grams (traditional recipe has 14 grams)

Saturated fat: 1 gram (traditional recipe has 4 grams)

Fiber: Less than 1 gram

Sodium: 121 milligrams

You save 97 calories, 12 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat and 25 milligrams of cholesterol.

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

Last week, I ended up with leftover ground beef and decided tacos would be good. I thought to myself, better add taco seasoning to the grocery list. But then I thought, why? I have chili powder and cumin and really what else could be in there. So I surfed the web for a while and came up with several variations of a taco mix. I adapted it to fit what I had on hand and came up with this:

Taco Seasoning
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

The verdict? Good! It had the same taste of the store bought except the red pepper flakes gave it more kick. I don't think I'll be buying the packets anymore.

Recipe Review: Sandra Lee's Black Bean Burgers

I've never been a big fan of Sandra Lee and her Semi-Homemade Show. The tablescapes and the cocktails are just a little too much for me. But I watched an episode of a new show she's currently got going on Food Network and was pleasantly surprised. It's called Money Saving Meals. I was really intrigued by the black bean burgers and tried them the next day. They are actually very good. You have to be careful when you flip them (she recommended using two spatulas) because they are rather fragile. But all in all, they were very filing and tasty too.


Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 hamburger rolls
Optional Toppings:
1 tomato, sliced
4 small Romaine lettuce leaves, or any other type you have on hand
1/4 cup ketchup
Directions
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat.

In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add 1 can black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix until well combined.

Reserve 1/3 of the black bean mixture for Round 2 Recipe. Divide remaining mixture into 4 portions and form into patties. Place on hot oiled grill over medium-low heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through. Toast hamburger buns on a grill. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve.

Recipe Swap: Light Chocolate Mousse

For this week's recipe swap hosted by Grocery Cart Challenge, I'm offering a repeat recipe. It's a repeat in two ways actually. First, I posted it on my blog last year. Two, once again it's a Patti LaBelle recipe from Patti LaBelle's Lite Cusine. I'm not repeating because I'm lazy but rather because I've been making this recipe lately as a cool summer treat and it rocks! Also, I received favorable comments on my last low fat recipe so I wanted to offer up another one that is tried and true. If you're the only person in the house watching calories, don't worry. No one would ever guess this is low fat!

Chocolate Mousse

1 1/2 cup fat free half and half
1 small box of sugar free chocolate pudding
1 container fat free frozen whipped topping

Whisk together half and half and pudding mix until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping reserving about a quarter cup for topping. Gently stir until well blended. Divide into 4 dessert bowls and chill for at least 20 minutes before serving. Top with a dollop of whipped topping before serving.

Makes 4 large servings with only 70 calories each!

Recipe Swap: Patti LaBelle's Oven Fried Chicken

I tried this great recipe last week and I thought I'd share it in today's recipe swap hosted by Grocery Cart Challenge. It's from Patti LaBelle's Lite Cuisine cookbook. I've had the book for a while and honestly haven't tried many recipes. What I have tried though have been wonderful and this one is no exception. Try it! And be sure to check out Grocery Cart Challenge for my recipes today!

Patti's (Tastes Like) Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:Makes 4 servings


1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt , such as Lawry's
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the chicken and enough cold water to cover the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with fat-free cooking spray. Drain the chicken and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk

In a large resealable plastic bag, mix together the bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, black pepper, salt, seasoning salt and red pepper.

Dip the chicken, one breast at a time, in the buttermilk mixture, then place in the bag with the bread crumb mixture. Shake well to coat, then transfer to a rack. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Put the baking sheet in the oven until smoking hot, about 2 minutes.

Coat both sides of the chicken with fat-free cooking spray and place on the hot baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in a breast and the juices run clear, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Turn on the broiler and broil 4 inches from the heat to brown the top, about 5 minutes.


Nutritional Information:310 calories, 5 grams fat

Sweet Potato Fries

One of the challenges I face in eating healthier is that there aren’t a lot of vegetables that I like. Actually, I guess I like a fair amount of vegetables, it’s just the style of preparing them that I prefer isn’t so healthy. Broccoli is so much better with cheese, and zucchini and okra are definitely tastier fried at least to this Southern girl. I’m always on the lookout for a way to include more veggies in my diet. One veggie I often overlook is that humble sweet potato.

If you read me regularly, you know my hubby loves potatoes. His affection does not extend to sweet potatoes though and I tend to forget about this sweet spud. Earlier in the week, wandering around the produce aisle I spotted sweet potatoes and threw a couple in the cart.

I ended up making oven baked sweet potato fries. They were terrific!

Here’s what I did:
Preheated oven to 400 degrees.
Sliced one medium sweet potato into fries/wedges. Tossed the wedges with a tsp or two of canola oil.
Spread fries/wedges on a sprayed cookie sheet. Salt generously.
Bake for about 20 minutes until crispy, turning the fries/wedges over after 10 minutes.

I like my "normal" potato wedges crispy to the point of being burned. When you prepare sweet potatoes like that, it makes for a very sweet burned sugar taste.

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C and vitamin B6 and are just all around good for you. But you’d never know it by the great taste.

Lasagna In a Flash

My husband loves spaghetti. To be honest, I've gotten a little tired of it. But since he is so picky, I do make spaghetti once or twice a month using his special recipe. A few months ago, I came up with a great idea. Why not make lasagna with some of the sauce?

Here's what I do.

Spray a loaf pan with oil.
Ladle a hearty helping of meat sause into pan.
Spread a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on one no cook lasagna noodle.
Place the noodle cheese side up in pan.
Cover with another ladle of sauce.
Add a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat as desired.

Since it's just me eating it, I only do two layers. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 375.

Easy King Ranch Chicken

I saw this recipe in Southern Living and had it on my mental list to try. I ended up making my own shortened down version.


I used:

2 small cans of Swanson canned chicken breast
1 can of reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
tortilla chips
shredded Mexican blend cheese

I preheated the oven to 400. Sprayed a casserole dish with oil. Crumbled up tortilla chips to cover the bottom of the pan. I mixed the chicken, soup, and Rotel together with a dash of chili powder and cumin. I poured half of the soup mixture over the chips then spread a layer of cheese. Repeat this and bake for about 20 minutes. It's like a big nacho casserole. Very tasty, quick and easy.