Alfredo Sauce

Quick and easy Alfredo!

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk or half and half for richer sauce

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder                                                                                        

2 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a sauce pot on medium heat melt butter.  Once butter is melted, add flour.  Using your whisk, stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Add milk and stir with whisk making sure to get around the edges of the pot with a rubber scraper.  Stir in rest of ingredients and stir until mixture is thick.

Marinara sauce

Quick and easy itailan 

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups tomato puree

1/2 cup water 

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 tablespoons basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

If desired you may add:

1 lb cooked and drained ground turkey or beef

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Add olive oil to a large pot heated to medium high.  Cook garlic and onion together until soft then NOT brown and burnt.  Add tomato puree, water, and the rest of the ingredients to the pot.  Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add 1 lb of cooked and drained ground beef or turkey for meat sauce. Add a splash (about 1 tablespoon) of heavy cream once you cook and add all ingredients for a richer sauce. You may need to add a bit more salt to taste.

Measure out the pasta for servings per group. Follow directions on package.

Impress your friends and relatives, make them think you slaved long and hard over a hot stove! These quick and easy enchis are a snap to make and take about 25 minutes of prep time. They can be made ahead of time and cooked later if your limited on time!

Cheese and Beef Enchiladas

Preheat oven to 350

7 tablespoons vegetable oil

 8 tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon cumin                

1 teaspoons salt                                

4 cups water

1lb of ground beef browned and set aside for filling

Combine oil, flour, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt. Place in large pot set on medium heat. Stir for 2 minutes. Add water and keep stirring for 10 min or until thick. When sauce is thick, set aside.

Grate cheese and chop onion (onion is optional) Set ¼ cup of cheese aside for topping.

Get 12 corn tortillas place on a large plate wrap in damp (not dripping wet!) towel. Place in microwave to soften for 1 minute.  They will be HOT!  

Take about 1 cup of sauce and put in the bottom of your casserole dish.  Roll up tortillas with meat and cheese, do not over fill. Place in casserole dish with the seam side down. Cover with the remaining sauce and top with cheese. Place in oven till cheese is melted.

Healthy Vegetable Stir Fry!

What should you do with all of those left over veggies? Make stir fry! Here's how:

Serves 4-5

2 cups carrots sliced thin
4 celery stocks sliced thin
1/2 onion sliced
2 cups snap peas
1 zucchini sliced
1 cup edemame

Using a large pan or wok, place 3 tablespoons of oil on high heat. Add carrots and celery, cook on high stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes add onion and snap peas, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Add zucchini and edemame and cook for an additional 5 minutes. You can add cooked chicken for chicken stir fry or flank steak sliced thin and cooked with vegetables.

Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3 cups water

Combine the above ingredients and add to vegetables.

in a small bowl dissolve 3 and 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/2 Cup of cold water. Add to pan and cook for 5/7 minutes until sauce is thick. Serve over steamed rice!

Steamed Rice: Cook before you start the stir fry so it has time to sit and steam! For the recipe above, you should make about 2 cups of rice using the formula below.

Follow the formula 2-1-20
2 cups of water to every
1 cup of rice
Cook for 20 minutes after it starts simmering.
Take off the hot burner and let it sit for 10-15 minutes and fluff with a fork.

Hidden Calories and Fats!

Here is an acronym to help you avoid hidden calories!


Smaller portions
Not in front of the TV
Am I really hungry?
Choose the low-fat foods from your plate first
Kitchen where you sit down at a table is a good place to eat
Sit down, slow down, savor and enjoy!

• Choose smaller plates to help you control your portion size. The size of your fist is a good determination of serving size.
• Don't eat while you are focused on watching TV, you will mindlessly eat without regard to how much you are eating!
• As yourself are you REALLY hungry or does it just look good and your afraid there will not be anything left over to eat later. If that's the case set a small portion aside for yoursel for a later time when your are actually hungry!
• Eat the healthy food from your plate first! That way once you get to the high fat, high calorie foods you are full and will eat less.
• Eat sitting down at a table and not while distracted.
• Slow down when you eat and chew your food. Scarfing your food down is not good for your digestion and you are likely to eat more if you are rushed.

Ranch style

Now that you know how to make mayonnaise, you should learn how to make ranch, a favorite around many house holds!

Ranch dressing

2 cups mayonnaise                          ½ tsp garlic powder

1 cup sour cream                             ½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried chives                             ¼ tsp salt                                                                   
1 tsp dried parsley                           ¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried dill weed

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until chilled.

FOR A LOWER CALORIE VERSION:

Substitute the 2 cups mayo for 2 cups of Greek yogurt OR 2 cups of store bought LIGHT Mayo

Butterball! Saturated fats

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like butter, butter is a saturated fat that tastes really good. Fat adds flavor and moisture. But, like all things too much of a good thing can have horrible health effects. So enjoy your butter, but only in limited quantities!

Here's a recipe for homemade butter and Mayonnaise (both a saturated fat)

Mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
Dash worcestershire
Pinch of sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 C oil
In a small bowl, add egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire, and pinch of sugar. Using hand blender mix until combined.  Using the liquid measuring cup, VERY SLOWLY, drizzle in the oil to the bowl with egg mixture while your hand blender is on high. It should be a slow drip you are streaming in the bowl (a stream the size of yarn).  Mix until all of the oil has been poured in (about 10 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste

Butter   
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt

Beat on high with hand blender until mixture resembles large curds of cottage cheese and starts becoming sold. Using a spatula (or cheese cloth), squeeze out the butter milk (this is drinkable if you’d like to taste) and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate immediately unless you are serving.

                      

Homemade Oatmeal cookies

Oatmeal is GREAT for reducing bad cholesterol. Rather than reaching for the chocolate chip try these! You can substitue butter for low fat margerine to further reduce fat.

Oatmeal cookies

½ cup butter, softened (not melted)                         1 cup flour
½ cup sugar                                                                     ½ tsp baking soda
½ cup packed brown sugar                                          ½ tsp salt
1 egg                                                                                1 and ½ cups oatmeal
½ tsp vanilla extract     
1 and ½ cups oatmeal                         
you can substitute the ½ cup of Oatmeal above for ½ cup of granola but STILL add the 1 cup of oatmeal!
**Optional** ¼ cup raisons 1/4 cup chopped pecans

1.    In a medium bowl, cream (mix) together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats (and granola and/or raisons if desired). Cover, and chill dough in freezer or 15 min.

2.    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork.

3.    Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pizzapalooza

Homemade pizza at home is cheaper and better than dominos! Here is how to do it:

Preheat 425 degrees

8 oz. sauce
½ tsp. oregano – crushed
½ tsp. basil – crushed
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. sugar

Combine in saucepan and simmer for 5 Minutes to blend flavors.

 Dough:

1 pkg. active dry yeast OR 1 TBS from jar                               
1 c. very warm water                                                            
1 tsp. sugar                                                                 
1 tsp. salt                             
2 ½ cups flour + more for kneading

      1. Dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water in medium mixing bowl.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Dough will be soft & sticky. Dust countertop with flour. Place dough onto counter and KNEAD until smooth and elastic. (About 5 min.) add a little flour if its sticking to the countertop.

3. Place dough on lightly greased pizza pan. Let rest 5 min. Then spread crust onto pan.

4. PREBAKE crust until golden brown ( 5-7 min) Remove from oven and spread pizza sauce on crust and add toppings.

TOPPING CHOICES: (what ever you want if your making it at home!)

Cheese                     Pepperoni                     Pineapple                      Onion

Bake another 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

 

Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwich Goodness!

Sunday breakfast, snacktime or anytime! This biscuit recipe is great with sausage, butter, jelly or honey!

Homemade Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, cubed

3/4 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut butter into mixture with dough blender until it begins to look like peas.

Make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add a little bit of the milk into the middle of the flour and mix until all of the milk is added. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1 inch thick.

Cut rolled out bisquit dough with biscuit cutter. Spray a cookie sheet with spray oil and place bisquits on cookie sheet and bake until the bisquits are golden brown (about 12-15 min)

 

Quesadillas and Cross-contamination!

Cross-contaminawhat?? 

What do you get when you cross raw foods and RTE foods? A possible food born illness and/or a parasite!  No thank you!  How do you prevent cross-contamination you ask?  By keeping raw and uncooked meat and dairy items far away from foods that no longer need to be cooked to eat (RTE- Ready To Eat foods); like cheese and cooked flour tortillas in our recipe this week. 

Watch this clip for more on cross-contamination:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBgfRPkxSKI

Aaaaand here is your recipe: 

Chicken quesadillas

2 Chicken Breasts and 2 Tsp oil

3 tbs onion sautéed and 1 tbs oil

Grated cheese

Cooked flour tortillas

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side  until chicken no longer sticks to pan and is light brown on both sides.  Place chicken in a casserole dish or sheet pan and place in a PREHEATED 350 degree oven.  Cook for 6-8 minutes check for an internal temperature of 165. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Place on cutting board and with butter knife and fork shred chicken and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tbs oil on medium low heat.  Add 3 tbs onion and sauté until soft.

Pre heat griddle to medium. Once heated, take tortilla and add cheese, cooked onion and shredded cooked chicken, top with another tortilla and lightly spray griddle. Gently place tortilla on griddle and cook on one side for 2 minutes, using spatula, carefully turn on other side and cook until cheese is melted.  Cut into wedges and enjoy