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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Easter Dinner Recipe: Salad Delight Dessert

Salad Delight Dessert

This recipe is my grandmother Trzop's recipe. My mom still makes it best, but I'm trying!!

Gelatin Mixture:
2 pkgs lemon gelatin (I usually use sugar/fat free)
4 c boiling water
1 - 2# can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice) (a 2# can means the larger size can like 16 or 17 oz)
4 bananas, sliced
1 c mini marshmallows (maybe 1 & 1/2 c mini marshmallows)

Topping Mixture 1:
1 c pineapple juice (saved from drained pineapple above. Add water to equal 1 cup
1/2 c sugar (or Splenda)
2 T Flour
2 T butter
2 eggs, beaten
Topping Mixture 2:
1 - 8oz cool whip
1 c chopped nuts (Usually use the chopped misc nut mix or toasted chopped pecans)

1. Dissolve gelatin in the water, add pineapple and cool (don't let cool too long or the gelatin will start to harden).
2. When cool, add bananas and marshmallows.
3. Chill until firm - usually overnight.
After gelatin mixture is firm:
4. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, flour, butter, and eggs. Cook on top of stove until thick, then chill.
While Mixture 1 is done chilling:
5. Add the nuts to the cool whip, saving about 1/2 c of nuts for garnishing

When all is chilled and cooled, spread the cooked mixture on top of the gelatin. Then spread the cool whip and nuts on top of it all. Garnish the top with the remaining nuts.

**My family LOVES the topping and we double the topping mixture.

Easter Dinner Recipe: Vegetable Salad

Vegetable Salad

This recipe comes from a lady from church who makes this for every church potluck. It has become a staple in our family's holiday menu. It's delicious! Just don't add the dressing until you are almost ready to serve!

Chop:
3 carrots
5 green onions
3 celery
1 cauliflower head
1 & 1/2 broccoli head

Mix:
3/4 c sugar (usually we add 1/2 c of sugar or Splenda)
3/4 c Miracle Whip (usually we do 1/2 c of fat free ranch dressing)
1 T vinegar

Add:
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar real bacon bits (usually we cook bacon extra crisp and then top with that)

Add mixture, cheese, and bacon bits to vegetables right before you serve.

Mom's notes:
Mix well and taste. Can always add later, before the cheese.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Menu: March 16-23

Here is my attempt at planning a healthful week of dinner!

SUN: Rich Cooks! BLTs, Roasted Asparagus, and Baked Sweet Potatoes (check out howtobakeapotato.com for the best way to bake a potato)

MON: Pizza - Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta (everyday food magazine 2/07 page 98) and salad

TUE: Weight Watcher's Shrimp Scampi with thin spaghetti (5 Ingredient 15 minute Cookbook Feb 2007 Pg 49)

WED: Chicken and Rice Casserole

THURS: Ellie Krieger's (Food Network) Chix Fingers, Fries, Sauteed Asparagus

FRI: Leftovers or Rich Cooks!! Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

SAT: Easter Dinner: Ham (Smithfield makes a "Paula Deen" Ham), Spinach Salad, Broccoli & Cauliflower salad, scalloped potatoes, rolls, salad delight desert, and home made carrot cake

SUN: Leftovers!!!

The Recipes:

Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta Recipe

Olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tortillas - I used whole wheat found in the "Mexican" Aisle
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese (about 2 ounces)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
6 mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced - I used baby bellas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small sauté pan on medium hight heat. Add the sliced onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Cook for a few more minutes until the onions are thoroughly softened and translucent. Remove from heat.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Place a tortilla on each baking sheet and brush each with olive oil.

Sprinkle each tortilla with half a cup of shredded Asiago cheese. Add bits of ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup for each tortilla. Sprinkle with mushrooms and with the slightly caramelized onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until the crust is crisp and brown all over (the time varies, depending on the oven and if your cookie sheet has already been heated, start with 10 minutes and check), rotating the sheets to ensure even baking.

A seriously delicious pizza. Not at all traditional, but so yummy!

SHRIMP SCAMPI

1 & 1/2 T olive oil
1 & 1/2 t bottled minced garlic (or about 7 cloves of fresh minced garlic)
1 & 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (I just used the already cooked bagged variety)
1/4 c finely chopped fresh parsley
1 & 1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/8 t ground red pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; add garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally; remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley and remaining ingredients. Serve over top of cooked angel hair or thin spaghetti.

Chix and Rice Casserole:

1/2 cup light butter or margarine (I didn't use this much!! I only used about 6 tsp)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 c rice (I used brown rice), uncooked
1 can reduced fat cream of chix coup (i substituted cream of mushroom b/c that is what I had)
1 & 3/4 soup cans of water
4 to 5 chix breast

Grease deep casserole dish with margarine and cut remaining margarine in pieces, leaving it in bottom of casserole. Cover this with dry onion soup mix. Add rice.

Dilute chix soup with water and pour in casserole. Mix lightly. Mixture will be thin. Arrange chix on top, being sure each pice is coated with the liquid first.

Bake in dish at 400 degrees for 1 hr and 15 min.

Very, very yummy!!!

CHX FINGERS:

1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut across into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
Cooking spray
4 cups whole-grain corn cereal (recommended: Corn Chex or cornflakes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Put the cereal in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish. Season the chicken with the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Leave the chicken on the baking sheet to cool slightly. It will become crispier.

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34076,00.html)

Angel Food Cake and "icing"

This recipe I originally tried when a lady at work brought it in for a food day. I recently found it again while flipping through a Kraft Food and Family magazine (Spring 2008). It's such a light and delicious treat that is incredibly easy to make. Enjoy!

1 pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 c thawed cool whip
1 angel food cake

Optional:
fresh fruit

Mix pudding and pineapple in a bowl. Stir in the whipped topping.

"frost" cake. you can either do this traditionally, or, cut the cake into 3 layers. "Frost" in between each layer ending at the top. Refrigerate at least 1 hr and top with strawberries or mixed berries.

YUM!!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever!

I have never been successful at making mashed potatoes. This is the beset recipe I have made so far and it turned out great! The next time, I will not add so much garlic, or I will omit to change the recipe a bit. They were light and fluffy, creamy and oh so delicious!!!

Official Taste Tester: Best potatoes you've made!

The recipe:

1 bulb garlic, unpeeled
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, rinsed and quartered (use russet, yukon gold, or red creamer)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup half and half (I used half and half)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used margarine)
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 425 F. Slice 1/2 inch top off garlic bulb and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until garlic is soft and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, peel garlic cloves, mince and set aside.

In large pot, add potatoes and cover with water and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.

Drain potatoes and force through a potato ricer or mash potatoes until smooth into a large bowl. Mix in Parmesan and garlic. Cover and keep warm.

Heat half and half, butter, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter has melted. Pour over potatoes and combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste

I found this recipe HERE on the Whole Foods Market website they have a ton of great recipes! Check it out!!!