Raspberry Pretzel Dessert

RASPBERRY PRETZEL DESSERT

2 c. crushed pretzels
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter
1 2/3 c. Cool Whip
1 c. sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. raspberry gelatin
2 c. pineapple juice, heated
16 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries

Mix pretzels, 1 tablespoon sugar and butter. Press into greased 13"x9" pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool.
Mix Cool Whip, sugar and cream cheese. Spread mixture over pretzel mix. Chill until firm.
Dissolve gelatin in hot juice. Add raspberries. Pour gelatin mixture over cream cheese layer. Chill.

Greek Salad

Ingredients
1 head Romaine Lettuce, Chopped
4 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Cut Into Six Wedges Each, Then Each Wedge Cut In Half
1 whole (large) Cucumber, Peeled, Cut Into Fourths Lengthwise, And Diced Into Large Chunks
½ whole Red Onion, Sliced Very Thin
30 whole Pitted Kalamata Olives, Cut In Half Lengthwise
6 ounces, weight Crumbled Feta Cheese
Fresh Parsley, Roughly Chopped
¼ cups Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar (more To Taste)
1 clove Garlic, Minced
6 whole Kalamata Olives (extra), Chopped Fine
¼ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 whole Lemon, For Squeezing

Preparation Instructions
Add chopped lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumber chunks, onion slices, halved Kalamata olives, half the feta, and parsley to a large bowl.
Combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped olives in a bowl. Whisk together until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings (I almost always add a little sugar.)
Pour dressing over salad ingredients, then add salt and pepper. Toss with tongs or clean hands. Just before serving, top with additional feta and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

Layered Salad

Ingredients
SALAD:
2 heads Iceberg Lettuce, Chopped
8 ounces, fluid Baby Spinach, Washed And Dried
Salt And Pepper, to taste
8 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
16 ounces, weight Bacon, Cooked And Chopped
4 whole Tomatoes, Chopped
1 bunch Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
8 ounces, weight Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 bag (10 Ounce) Frozen Peas, Partially Thawed
FOR THE DRESSING:
½ cups (Real) Mayonnaise
½ cups Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Sugar (more To Taste)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/big-steak-salad/

2 whole Rib-eye Or Strip Steaks, Extra Fat Trimmed
_____
FOR THE DRESSING/MARINADE:
¾ cups Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon (additional) Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 cloves Garlic, Peeled
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Lots Of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
_____
FOR THE ONION STRINGS:
2 whole Onions, Sliced As Thin As Possible
2 cups Buttermilk
2 cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 quart Canola Oil
Black Pepper To Taste
_____
FOR THE CANDIED PECAN BITS:
½ cups Pecans, Chopped
1 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Water
_____
FOR THE SALAD:
Lettuce Mix: Romaine, Arugula, Watercress, Raddiccio, Etc.
Small Grape Tomatoes
¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
Preparation Instructions
To make the dressing/marinade, combine all ingredients in a mason jar with the lid. Shake vigorously to combine; taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
Place steak in a plastic zipper bag. Pour in half the marinade and seal. Refrigerate and marinate for at least two hours.
Prepare the onion strings: Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour.
Make the candied pecans: Spread pecans on a baking mat or sheet of waxed paper. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook to 280 degrees, or until dark and clear amber in color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Pour mixture over pecans (may not need all of mixture) and quickly stir/poke with a fork to evenly distribute mixture all over pecans. Allow to cool completely.

Make the onion strings: Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove to a paper towel-lined plate as soon as they are golden brown. Repeat until onions are gone.
Grill (or sautee) the steak over medium-high heat until medium rare, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and allow to rest. Slice steak against the grain in thin slices.
In a large bowl, add lettuce mix, blue cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Add a little dressing and toss to combine. Add more if needed. Add candied pecans at the end and toss to combine.
Heap salad on a plate, making sure to get plenty of blue cheese, tomatoes, and pecans on each plate. Add half a steak to the top of each plate, then top the steak with onion strings.
Serve immediately. Yum!

Quick Chicken with Asparagus and Provolone

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can asparagus, drained
4 slices provolone cheese

Directions
Heat oil in a large 2-inch deep skillet. Dip chicken in egg beat, then coat in bread crumbs. Brown in skillet on both sides.
When chicken is browned, add broth and place asparagus evenly over chicken. Lay a slice of cheese over each chicken piece.
Cover skillet and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

Chicken with Asparagus and Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound boned and skinned chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Heat the broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet.
Cook 15 minutes, until chicken is almost done.
Place asparagus, red peppers and garlic in skillet.
Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear and asparagus is tender.
Place tomatoes in skillet during last 2 minutes of cook time.
Sprinkle with vinegar.
Top with mozzarella cheese to serve.

Asparagus and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and black pepper to taste
8 asparagus spears, trimmed - divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
Place each chicken breast between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface.
Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
Place 4 spears of asparagus down the center of a chicken breast, and spread about 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese over the asparagus.
Repeat with the other chicken breast, and roll the chicken around the asparagus and cheese to make a tidy, compact roll.
Place the rolls seam sides down in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven until the juices run clear when pricked with a fork, about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Nutella Mug Cake

Oh this is good, easy and FAST!!

4 tablespoons self rising flour
4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Whisk well with a fork until smooth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 3 minutes. (Time depends on microwave wattage. Mine took 2 1/2 minutes.) Top with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce if desired. (we were out of whipped cream so we drizzled caramel over it!!)

Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Enjoy!

Note: Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you may have to increase cooking time.

Makes 1 very large serving.

This is where I found the picture and recipe! Enjoy!! :)

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza with White Chocolate




Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
For the crust: Cream together butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar with electric mixer. Beat in eggs. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture to form a stiff dough. Press dough into a rectangle as large as the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown.
For the filling: In medium microwave safe bowl, microwave vanilla chips and cream on high 60 to 90 seconds, or until chips are melted and smooth after stirring. Beat in cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy. Spread on cooled cookie crust.
For the topping: Arrange sliced fruit decoratively over filling. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, pineapple and lemon juices. Stir and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens. Pour over fruit. Refrigerate until serving.

PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese~Fruit Pizza

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sliceable sugar cookies, sliced
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups assorted cut-up fruit (kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, drained canned mandarin oranges)
1/4 cup apricot preserves, pressed through sieve to remove lumps
1 Tbsp. water
Make It
HEAT oven to 375°F.
LINE 12-inch pizza pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. Arrange cookie dough slices in single layer in prepared pan; press together to form crust. Bake 14 min.; cool completely. Invert onto plate; carefully remove foil. Turn crust over.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Spread over crust.
TOP with fruit. Mix preserves and water; brush over fruit. Refrigerate 2 hours.

To Soften Cream Cheese
Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese on microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH for 10 to 15 sec. or until slightly softened

JELL-O Pudding Fruit Pizza

Instead of cool whip or cream cheese use pudding!

Cool Whip~Fruit Pizza

1 pkg. (18 oz.) refrigerated sliceable sugar cookies

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 cups assorted fruit, such as sliced bananas, strawberry slices, grapes, nectarine slices, peeled kiwi slices

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Press dough evenly into 12-inch pizza pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

REMOVE crust from pan; place on serving plate. Spread with whipped topping; top with fruit.
SERVE immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 16 slices to serve. Store leftover pizza in refrigerator.

You can decorate it so many ways!!

~Variation~

Prepare as directed, substituting 1 pkg. (20 oz.) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough for the sugar cookie dough. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

~Great Substitute~

Prepare as directed, substituting chopped candy bars for assorted fruit.

You can use regular pizza dough or sugar cookie dough or chocolate chip dough or a cake mix! Cool Whip or Cream cheese or white chocolate or frosting for the frosting.

Dessert Pizza Recipe

Nonstick spray
3 Tbsp butter
10 oz mini marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 quart raspberry or strawberry sherbet, softened
Fruit of choice

Spray a metal or tinfoil pizza pan with nonstick spray, set aside.

In a glass bowl (microwave) or large pot (stove top), melt butter and marshmallows, stirring until completely melted and well combined. Add cereal, stir until well coated.
Press mixture into bottom of pizza pan to form a “pizza crust” – keep the middle relatively even, and build up a bit of a “crust” around the outside. Cool until set.





Spread with softened sherbet:

Wrap with plastic wrap, freeze until ready to serve. Just before serving, remove from freezer, top with fruit! Slice and serve like you would any other pizza

Smothered Chicken

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded up how you like it.
1~ 8oz package of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom and garlic soup
1 can/jar (10 oz) white or bechamel sauce ( We like roasted red pepper alfredo sauce)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp crushed garlic
Noodles to serve over (We use wide egg noodles)

Heat oven to 375.  Place chicken in a 9x13 baking pan. Cover with sliced mushrooms and onions. Set aside.
In bowl, mix cream of mushroom and garlic soup, white sauce, lemon juice, and garlic. Pour over chicken and vegetables in baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve over noodles!!

Flour Tortillas

I have wanted to make flour tortillas from scratch. I found this recipe at The Pioneer Woman!!



All you need is Flour, Lard, Baking powder and Kosher salt! And a hot pan of oil!


2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
2-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ cups Lard Or Vegetable Shortening
2 Tablespoons (additional) Lard Or Vegetable Shortening
1 cup Hot Water

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large wooden bowl. Stir together.

Add spoonfuls of lard or shortening (use 1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons), then use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients. Cut mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Slowly pour in hot water, stirring to bring mixture together. Lightly knead dough 30 to 40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky. Cover with a tea towel and allow dough to rest for at least an hour.

Roll into ping pong size balls, place on a tray, cover with a tea towel, and allow to rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to make the tortillas, head a dark or cast iron griddle to medium/medium-high heat. One by one, roll out balls of dough until very, very thin. Throw tortillas (one by one) onto the griddle. Cook on each side for 20 to 30 seconds, removing while tortillas are still soft but slightly brown in spots. Remove and stack tortillas, and cover with a towel to keep warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing tortillas in a container. To warm, nuke tortillas in the microwave, or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.

To summarize, keep these tips in mind:
* Make sure the water you pour in is very warm.
* Allow the dough to rest, both after kneading and after forming into balls.
* Roll out very thin.
* Get the heat right on your stove: Too hot, and the tortilla will burn in spots. Not hot enough, and the tortilla will begin to crisp before you can get it to brown. I get my stove between medium and medium high heat; that seems to do the trick.
* Use a dark griddle or cast iron skillet to brown the tortillas.
* Cook just long enough to lightly brown the tortilla in spots; don’t cook too long or tortillas will crisp. You want them to be soft and pliable when you serve them.

Eating Healthy

This Isn’t Swanson’s Chicken Pot Pie



INGREDIENTS
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed (pleeeeze don’t use canned peas!)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed baking potato (I leave the peel on, but do as you please)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed sweet potato (again, I like the peel for the extra fiber, but peel them if you choose)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed celeriac (celery root)
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick)slices parsnip
1 (10 ounce) package frozen pearl onions (thawed)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces) divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk (skim milk)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (if using dried, see Substitution Solutions)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°
Bring broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven.
Add peas and next 5 ingredients (through onions) to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes.
Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
Remove chicken and vegetables from broth with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.
Increase heat to medium.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Place all but 1 tablespoon flour in a medium bowl; gradually add milk to bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
Add milk mixture to broth; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
Stir in chicken mixture, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Spoon mixture into an 11×7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon flour on a work surface; roll dough out and place over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of dish.
Cut small slits into dough to allow steam to escape; coat dough lightly with cooking spray.
Place dish on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.
Note: You can substitute the frozen puff pastry with 2 or 3 sheets of Phyllo dough (add one quick spray of non-stick spray between sheets and to the top sheet). Your results will be more like the pie pictured above.
YIELD: 8 servings
CALORIES 388 (30% from fat) / FAT 13 g / CARB 45.7 g / FIBER 4.4 g

Mashed Potatoes: Canyon Ranch Lime Cilantro

CANYON RANCH LIME CILANTRO MASHED POTATOES



When trying to lose weight, many people shy away from potatoes. That’s a crying out loud shame because potatoes pack lots of nutrition, very little fat, oodles of versatility for flavor profiles, and they make you feel full and satisfied. Put the potatoes back on your plate and you can start with these delicious Lime Cilantro Mashed Potatoes from Canyon Ranch Spa.

INGREDIENTS
3 medium Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or ½ teaspoon minced chipotle pepper (how to store leftover chipotle peppers)
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper

PREPARATION
Place potatoes in 6 cups of boiling water. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and drain water. Place saucepan back on burner for 30 seconds to dry potatoes.
Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a potato masher until all ingredients are mixed well. Potatoes will be slightly lumpy.
NOTE: For smoother potatoes peel before cooking and beat with an electronic mixer on a low setting until smooth. I prefer to leave the skins on for a heartier flavor, more interesting texture and better nutrition.
YIELD: 4 servings (each 1/2 cup)
CALORIES: 105 / FAT: 3 g / CARBS: 17 g / FIBER: 2 g

Pineapple Coconut Salad

HEALTHY PINEAPPLE COCONUT SALAD



Great salads to serve with BBQ or oriental flavored foods.

If you’re not familiar with Coconut Secret products, I bet you’ll thank me for introducing you to them! All of their products are ONE INGREDIENT products — coconut!! Amazing!
Raw Coconut Crystals: First of all, the raw coconut crystals are a low glycemic sweetener. I don’t even feel guilty using this palm sugar in my recipes because it actually has a very low glycemic index of just 35 (compared to honey with a GI of 55-83, and sugar with a GI of 65-100) and it has a wonderful brown sugar flavor.
Raw Coconut Flour: And then the Coconut flour is a great thickener (yes, you can use it in gravies and baking, too), it’s adds fiber to your diet. rivaling other fiber sources such as psyllium, wheat bran, oat bran, and rice bran. Coconut supplies an impressive 61% dietary fiber! Foods contain two types of carbohydrates – digestible and non-digestible. Digestible carbohydrates (soluble fiber) consists of starch and sugar and promote calories. Non-digestible carbohydrates (insoluble fiber) contains NO calories. Since the body cannot digest the dietary fiber in coconut, no calories are derived from it and it has no effect on blood sugar.
Here’s the skinny — Coconut flour is gluten-free, very low carb, actually lowers the calorie content of food, contains 40% dietary fiber, promotes lipid oxidation (helps burn fat), aids in digestive health, and helps balance blood sugar levels.

Recipe
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

15 oz pineapple (fresh or canned), in chunks (doesn’t need to be organic due to the thick shell)
1/3 – 1/2 cup organic shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup organic sour cream (yogurt if preferred)
1 – 2 tablespoons organic Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Crystals (Palm Sugar Crystals — to taste) 1 teaspoon organic vanilla
1 tablespoon organic Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour (thicker — can substitute with arrowroot)
Pecans (optional)

Place pineapple chunks in a bowl (drain off extra juice) and add shredded coconut. Mix the sour cream (or yogurt), Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Crystals, vanilla, and Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour together and pour over the pineapple and coconut mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Marinate in refrigerator to moisten the coconut and allow the flavors to blend. Sprinkle with chopped pecans just before serving if desired.