Zucchini Fritters with a Spicy Garlic Aioli

This is the best way to enjoy your vegetables!

For the aioli (make first, then cover and refrigerate while you make the fritters):

-Juice of 2 large lemons
-3 or 4 good-sized garlic cloves
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp cayenne (or less if you don't want it too spicy)
-1/2 c mayonnaise (low fat is ok)

Mix everything in a food processor or with a hand blender until it forms a thick sauce. This will keep in the fridge for several days.
 
For the fritters:

-2 c shredded zucchini
-1 c panko
-2 eggs
-1 tbl dried or fresh oregano
-1 tbl dried or fresh parsley
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1 tsp ground pepper
-1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
-Frying oil of your choice (not olive oil)

The first thing you need to do is preheat your skillet over medium heat until it is very hot, then turn the heat down to medium-low and add your oil.

Next, wring out the excess moisture from the zucchini.  This is best achieved by taking a clean kitchen towel (flour sack towels work best), piling up the zucchini in the middle, picking up the four corners and squeezing the life out of it.  Then, dump the zucchini and all of the other ingredients into a large bowl and stir until it is well mixed.  The mixture should be damp and sticky.  If you feel that it is too dry, add another egg.  Form into patties, any size is fine but be sure to make them kind of flat-ish.  If they are too thick, you don't get a good crispy-outside-to-mushy-inside ratio.

Once your oil is a good and hot, add the patties (don't crowd the pan! Give them room to breathe!) and cook until each side is "GB&D" (as Alton Brown says, Golden Brown and Delicious).  Transfer to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.

Dip in the yummy sauce and enjoy!

Amazing Flourless Oatmeal Pancake

Doesn't it look yummy? And it's so filling! One of these suckers will last me 'till lunch (which isn't until 2 pm!).

The original idea for this "pancake" came from a client - her version was pretty tasty, but I knew I could make it better!

You will need:

-1/2 old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
-1 egg or 1/3 c egg substitute
-Splash of milk (it's an arbitrary measurement, yes, but I will explain below)
-1 tablespoon of sugar, or a packet of artificial sweetener
-Cinnamon (to taste)
-Pinch salt
-1 cup of fresh or frozen berries, sliced banana, peaches, etc

Put a small skillet on medium heat and let the pan get nice and hot.

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients - save the milk for last and add just enough to make sure the oats are wet and that everything will get nicely coated.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the oats. Use a fork or spoon to help create a nice, even pancake.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the bottom is set. Flip it over, turn the heat down to low, and cook another 3-5 minutes.

How easy was that? 

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers is one of those dishes that I would never eat as a kid (blasphemy, since I lived in the Italian capital of the North), and I can't live without as an adult.

This recipe is easy enough for weeknight cooking, relatively healthy, and super tasty!

You will need:

-4-6 green bell peppers (one for each serving)
-1 pound ground turkey
-2 tbs olive oil
-1 small onion, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 prepared servings of instant brown rice
-2 cans of tomato paste + 1 can's worth of water
-1 tbs dried oregano
-1 tbs dried basil
-1 tsp salt
-2 tsp ground pepper
-1/2 c low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 350, and put a large skillet over medium heat to warm.

While you are getting the stuffing ready, prepare two servings of instant brown rice, following package directions.

Cut the tops off of the green peppers and remove the seeds, then set aside. Pop the stems off of the tops, then dice the pepper tops. Sautee the peppers, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in the olive oil over medium heat. When the onion starts to soften, add the ground turkey and brown it all together. Drop the heat to low. Stir in the tomato paste and water, then seasonings. Finally, stir in the cooked rice. Cover your pan and let everything cook together for 10 minutes.

Scoop out equal portions of the filling into your green peppers, then top with mozzarella. Bake in a casserole dish for 20 minutes, or until the peppers look soft and the cheese is beginning to brown.

Lentils with chickpeas, black beans and a bacon vinaigrette

Talk about a protein powerhouse! Still-warm lentils, chickpeas, carrots and black beans are tossed with a light bacon vinaigrette and topped with crispy bacon crumbles.

First, fry 6 slices of center-cut bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to cool. Reserve bacon drippings.

Vinaigrette:

-1 tbs bacon drippings
-3 tbs olive oil
-2 tbs red wine vinegar
-2 tbs balsamic vinegar (try white balsamic for a twist)
-2 tbs "good" mustard (no fake yellow stuff!)
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp dried parsley

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (through mustard) until well blended. Stir in oregano and parsley.

Lentils:

-1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked through
-3 cups water
-1 cup carrots, baby or regular, cut into small pieces
-1 bay leaf
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Combine the first six ingredients (through pepper) in a medium or large sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop heat down low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until water is fully absorbed. Turn off heat, leave on the warm burner. Remove the bay leaf and add beans. Toss in the vinaigrette while still warm. Top with bacon crumbles right before serving.

Try serving it over rice, a small-grain pasta or couscous!

Feeling Crafty: Fun artwork for a kid's room

When a good friend was expecting her second child a few years back, she had to move her then-toddler into her "big girl room". I made these to hang on her wall, then made others for several other children in my life.

You will need:

-Large wooden craft letters
-A package of wooden craft circles
-Several yards of ribbon
-Craft paint in two colors, one light and one dark
-A drill with a 1/8" drill bit
-Medium sandpaper
-Wood glue (I prefer Gorilla Glue because it is pliable)
-A level
-Scissors

Drill holes in the top of the letters to thread the ribbon through - one hole for narrow letters and two for wide letters. Try to make them as even as possible!

Sand the area around the holes until they are smooth, check the letters for any rough spots and sand them as well.

Paint the tops and sides of the letters and let them dry for at least 4-6 hours. Same goes for the wooden circles.

Arrange the wooden circles around the letters in whatever pattern makes you happy. Glue them into place and let dry overnight.

Now for the tough part: making it all level. This is totally trial-and-error. Decide the distance you want between the hook on the wall and the top of the letter. Spool the appropriate length of ribbon so that you are looping it through the hole, then cut and tie so that the bow is on top up by the hook. It's important that you not cut the ribbon until you know how much you will need! Repeat for each letter, starting from the center and working your way out. Use the level to be sure that the letters with two holes hang evenly.

Feeling Crafty: Wine Bottle Lamp

How fun is this lamp? I was inspired to make it by a client who gave me a decorated version last year.

You will need:

-Wine bottle (the one pictured above is a magnum-sized bottle from Sam's Club that used to contain Riesling)
-Short string of Christmas lights
-Drill
-Glass drill bit (use one wide enough that you can string the lights through it)


Wash the bottle well and remove the label (or leave it, if it floats your boat).

Using the glass drill bit, drill a hole towards the bottom of the bottle (make sure it isn't at the very bottom, because the glass will be thicker and more difficult to work with). This process can take awhile, because you have to stop and let the glass cool down periodically.

Leaving the male and female plugs on the outside of the bottle, thread the lights up through the hole and up into the bottle. You can help arrange them in the bottle by uncoiling a wire clothes hanger, leaving a tiny hook at one end, and reaching down through the neck to pull the lights up.

Wipe down the outside of the bottle to remove finger prints and voila!

For those of you out there who are comfortable working with electrical wire:

Remove the female plug from the string of lights with wire cutters and cap off the ends with parts you can buy from any hardware store. Then, install a rocker switch along the cord so you can flip it on and off, instead of having to unplug and plug it into the wall.

cold cucumber and avocado soup

blend together,
2 peeled cucumbers
2 avocados
3/4 of an onion
5 dashes of tabasco
5 dashes of worcestershire
1 can cream of celery soup.
refrigerate several hours

spicy green beans

i can't get enough of these.

1 pound fresh green beans,
snap ends off.
cook in extra virgin olive oil until slightly wilted.
add 1 T minced garlic from jar
add 1 t. asian chili garlic paste
stir and cook on lower heat
add garlic salt
soy sauce.
turn heat to warm.
let sit and toss several times.

"Accidential Vegan" recipe

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I AM lactose intolerant. That being said, sometimes I wind up making a dish that is meat, dairy, animal by-product free.

Coconut rice pudding:

-2 cups water
-1 cup brown rice
-1 pinch salt
-1 can light coconut milk
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins

In a small-ish saucepan, bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice, turn the heat to low and cover the pan without stirring. Let simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried fruit. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes uncovered.

It should be slightly soupy. Serve warm.

Slow-Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

A new take on the pumpkin oatmeal from this past fall!

-1 c steel-cut oats
-4 c water
-1/2 c no sugar added applesauce
-3/4 c agave nectar (you can use honey as a sub)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-2 small apples, peeled cored and diced into small pieces

Combine all ingredients in your crock pot, and set it for 8 hours on low. Cook overnight and enjoy!

Turkey and Lentil Meatballs

Nothing says cold-weather cooking like "balls n sauce"!

I like to bake these until the they start to form almost a crispy crust on the outside, then finish them in a large pan with sauce.

Very low-calorie, they work out to be about 1 point each on Weight Watchers. It seems like a lot of work just for meatballs, but if you cook the mushrooms while the lentils simmer and assemble the rest of the ingredients while the they cool, then it doesn't take that long.

3 whole bay leaves
1 whole clove garlic, gently smashed
1 1/2 dry lentils, rinsed and picked through
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup mushrooms, finely diced
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 pound ground turkey, extra-lean

Add the lentils and spices to a medium-sized saucepan and add water until they cover the lentils by an inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove garlic clove and bay leaves, let cool, then mash with a potato masher.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a smaller saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, sweat for several minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and sautee over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until very soft. Let cool.

In a large bowl, assemble your meatballs! Combine lentils, mushrooms and all remaining ingredients and mix well with gloved hands. Form into approximately 30 meatballs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

These freeze really well, too, just let them cool at room temperature for at least an hour before sealing in an air-tight baggie.

Southern Tomato Pie

{photo above is pre-cooked}.

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 cup mayo
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sliced scallions
8 to 10 medium plum tomatoes or roma tomatoes


heat oven to 350, place one oven rack on the very bottom shelf of oven.

line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust and crimp the edges with a fork. prick bottom and sides of dough with a fork.

bake 10 to 12 minutes until crust looks slightly puffed and dry.

meanwhile in a bowl mix mayo, 1 1/4 cups of cheese and the black pepper.

sprinkle bottom of partially baked crust with 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese.
top with a layer of tomatoes.
sprinkle with scallions.
spoon some of the mayo mixture on next in dollops, you don't need to spread it, just drop it in clumps.
do another layer of the above tomatoes, scallions, and mayo mixture.
(recipe calls for several layers. we only did 2).

sprinkle top with cheese.

bake 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling.
cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

(good with a side salad).

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I'm pretty excited to try this tonight. You cook it on low heat in the crock pot overnight!

-1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 c honey
-1 1/2 c steel-cut oats
-3 c raw pumpkin, cut into cubes (use sugar or pie pumpkin)
-6 c water

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Edit:

I re-made this last night (11/1) using an additional 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and I shredded the pumpkin with a food processor instead of cutting it into cubes. MUCH BETTER this way!

Flatbread Pizzas

Easy to make, easy on the diet! One of the reasons that my posting has slowed way down is because I joined Weight Watchers about 4 weeks ago. 12 pounds down and I'm convinced the plan works. Of course, this means I will have to say goodbye to about 90% of the recipes on my blog (sigh)...

Hopefully, this means I'll be gathering up, testing and sharing lots of healthy alternatives!

Flatbread Pizza

-Several small or medium tomatoes, sliced thick and seeded (I used 6 small heirloom)
-3 small zucchini, sliced thick
-5 or 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thick
-2 tbs olive oil
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-2 cups sliced mushrooms
-1 tbs butter or butter alternative
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-4 large pieces of flatbread (I used Flat-Out Light)
-1 cup fresh basil leaves
-1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free mozzarella

Toss together the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into an oven-safe baking dish, and roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Set aside.

(Mushrooms optional!) In a medium sautee pan, combine the butter, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Sautee for 5-10 minutes, until soft, add to tomatoes.

Lower heat in oven to 400 degrees, pre-heat pizza stone for 10 minutes. Add the flatbreads and heat for an additional 5 minutes.

Assemble your pizzas! Load up with the veggies, top with basil leaves and cheese. Add grated parmesan if you feel like it.

Bake on the pizza stone for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

(I estimated about 6 points per pizza, if you keep count)

Pumpkin Butter Spice Cake

I would share a photograph, but we've managed to eat half of it already.

The secret ingredient is something that Ina would approve of...Williams-Sonoma Organic Pumpkin Butter, left in my pantry for at least a year and a half. Martha would NOT approve, since I didn't make the pumpkin butter myself. Or, you know, slap around my staff for not making it right.

This is the perfect experimental recipe - as long as you don't mess around with the key cake-making ingredients (butter, eggs, sugar, baking soda and powder, flour, salt), you can really play with the flavor and texture. Keeping the proportions the same, try other flavors of fruit butters, different spices mix up the sour cream and yogurt, maybe sub in some applesauce...have fun with it!

-1/2 c butter, room temperature
-1 c sugar
-2 eggs, room temperature
-1 jar (8 oz) apple butter
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 c sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
-2 c flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/2 tsp allspice
-1/2 tsp salt

With your mixer on medium-high speed, whip together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Turn speed down to low and add the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Add the pumpkin butter, vanilla and sour cream (or yogurt), mix for another 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift the next 7 ingredients together (flour through salt). Add to wet mixture, a little at a time, until just mixed.

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Crab stuffed mushrooms

This is beyond tasty! Ryan and I had a similar dish as an appetizer a few weeks back, and I just had to try and make it for myself. It still needs some tweaking - the dish we ordered at the restaurant had more of a sauce thing going on.

-1 large package of mushrooms
-2 shallots, finely diced
-1/2 c butter, divided
-12 oz lump crab meat
-3 tbs fresh lime juice
-1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
-1/4 c mayonnaise
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1/2 c bread crumbs, divided
-1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Clean and de-stem the mushrooms, saving the steams. Finely dice the stems and sautee in a small pan with 1/4 c butter and the shallot.

In a large bowl, combine the crab meat and the next 5 ingredients, through breadcrumbs (use 1/4 c in the mix). Add the onion mixture, stir well.

Spoon the crab mixture into the mushroom caps and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/4 c breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, sprinkle over the mushrooms. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 c melted butter. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Polynesian Salad With Ramen

1 small to medium head of cabbage, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
{set aside}

2-3 Tablespoons of butter
2 packages of crushed Ramen noodles (set aside seasoning pkg. buy the oriental ramen)
1 package of thinly sliced almonds
2 to 4 Tablespoons sesame seeds
saute these ingredients until golden brown. can burn quickly, watch carefully.

dressing:
3/4 c veg oil
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 seasoning packages from the ramen noodles
let come to a boil. turn down and boil 1 to 2 minutes. let cool a bit.

mix all ingredients together right before serving.

Texas Sheet Cake

Click here for recipe. We add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry cake mixture. The cake is best served warm. It will melt in your mouth!

Brownies with cream cheese - blackberry filling

This is a decadent dessert that is actually lower in fat and calories, thanks to cutting back on ingredients like butter and eggs. The result is a cakey brownie that has pockets of sweet-tart preserves and swirls of creamy goodness. It's easily doubled, which I recommend if you are making this for a crowd.

Feel free to substitute other kinds of preserves instead of the blackberry - honestly, it was was just what I happened to have in the pantry.

Brownies:

3/4 c flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c sugar

1/4 c butter, melted

1 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 egg whites

Sift together the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. (Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder). Set aside.

In your mixer, combine the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes (Sugar, butter, water, vanilla extract, egg and egg whites).

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing only until everything is incorporated. Pour 2/3 of the batter into an 8 or 9" baking dish that is greased and floured. Set aside the rest.

Filling:

1/3 c sugar

8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white (you can add the yolk to the brownies if you don't want to waste it)

In your stand mixer, whisk the above ingredients together on med-high speed for 5 minutes.

Dollop the cream cheese filling on top of the brownie batter. Swirl through with a knife. Then dollop the remainder of the brownie batter on top of the cream cheese, and spoon on several teaspoons of the blackberry (or whatever you have) preserves. Swirl again with a knife, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely before cutting.

French Onion Soup

You will need:

-4 tbs butter
-1 tsp salt
-4 onions, thinly sliced
-48 oz chicken stock
-16 oz beef stock
-1/2 c red wine
-1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
-2 tbs parsley
-1 tbs thyme
-1 bay leaf
-Day-old baguette
-Slices of Gruyere or Swiss cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the butter, salt and onions over medum heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring often. When the onions have reduced and begin to caramelize, add the stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce. Bind the herbs together with twine and add to the pot. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. When the soup is done, remove the herbs.

While the soup cooks, preheat the broiler. Slice the bread into 1 1/2" slices, place on a baking sheet. Broil on one side for 45 seconds, flip and broil the other side for about 30 seconds.

Pour the soup into oven-safe bowls and top with the baguette slices. Add a few slices of the cheese and place back into the oven. Broil for about 1 minute, or until cheese bubbles. Enjoy!