Honey Mustard Poppy-Seed Dressing

I have long been a fan of poppy seed dressing, but I am trying to lower my sugar and fat intake.  This is not the right dressing for keeping with either of those goals.  I discovered this recipe and made it today, and it is fabulous!  It also allows me to stay away from the fun ingredients of Tocopherols and Xanthan Gum.  If you can't pronounce it, don't use it.

6 Tbsp no-fat sour cream
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
2 Tbsp poppy seeds (about $3/jar in the spice section)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

MAKES 1 CUP

1. Combine the sour cream, yogurt, honey, mustard, poppy seeds, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.  You can also mix all in a resealable jar and shake until well combined.
2. Correct the seasoning, adding honey, mustard, or salt to taste.

44 calories per tablespoon: 1 G protein, 2 G fat; 5 G carbohydrate; 38 MG sodium, 0 MG cholesterol

Compare to Private Selection Poppy-Seed Dressing:
100 calories per tablespoon: 0 G protein, 4 G fat; 16 G carbohydrate; 75 MG sodium; 0 MG cholesterol

Recipe taken from
Raichlen, S. (1995.) High-Flavor, Low Fat Vegetarian Cooking. New York:  Penguin Books.

Savory Stuffed Mushrooms

I discovered this recipe in a diabetic cookbook.  Katie was very skeptical when she read the ingredients list and didn't see cheese or butter.  So, I humored her and added a bit of feta cheese to the top.  However, she was pleasantly surprised, as was I!  These really are delicious and very healthy!  Enjoy!

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup well-drained and finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped ground walnuts
16 large button mushrooms, stemmed and left whole
Feta cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions, chopped mushrooms, and garlic, stirring, for about 10 minutes  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts.  Finely chop the mixture again.
3. Stuff each button mushroom with the filling and put on a greased baking sheet.  Top each mushroom with Feta cheese pieces.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Recipe taken from
Scott-Goodman, B. & Doner, K. (2007.) The diabetes menu cookbook. Hoboken, NJ:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Grandma Nancy's Bread

My wife Katie's mother makes the most amazing bread.  It's soft and delicious.  She gave me the secret recipe, so I'm passing it on to you.  I use a bread machine for mixing the dough, but bake it in a 4-loaf, stoneware pan from Pampered Chef.  Any bread-baking pan will do, though.  I make 4 small loaves, pre-slice them and then freeze two. 

As good things take time, this bread takes about 5 hours from start to finish.  Enjoy!

1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups bread flour (All-purpose flour works also, but it won't give you the best density)
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp or 1 packet yeast
butter

1. Pour the first 3 ingredients into a bread machine.  Add in the sugar and flours.  Add the salt in the corner of the pan.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast.
2. Set machine to dough setting and start.
3. After machine completes, leave 1-1/2 to 2 hours for dough to rise.  I leave it until the dough pushes the lid up.
4. Preheat oven to 170 deg Fahrenheit.  Transfer dough to greased loaf pans.  Turn off oven and place pans, uncovered, in the oven.  Allow to rise another 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until dough takes the shape of bread.
5. Leave dough in oven, and turn on at 350 deg.  Bake 15 minutes or until the dough becomes hollow.  To determine, flick a finger at the top of the dough.  Listen for a hollow sound.
6. Remove from oven.  Butter the top of the crusts immediately, and place on wire rack to cool.

VARIATIONS

• Rather than loaves, this dough can be formed into scrumptious dinner rolls as well.  Just form the dough into little balls and line up in a buttered baking dish.
• Cinnamon Rolls: Add cinnamon to the dough in the first step.  Follow step 2.  At step 4, roll out dough, add more cinnamon, sugar, and butter, then roll, slice, and bake.
• Can add nuts or dried fruits to the dough before step 4.  We especially like dried cranberries; makes amazing turkey sandwiches.

Healthful and Delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Most cooks try an oatmeal cookie recipe when they wish to eat healthy desserts, but they don't substitute the fat and sugar well enough which creates a dry cookie.  These are soft, healthy, and delicious oatmeal raisin cookies, seasoned to perfection.  Katie likes to grab one on her way out the door in the morning as a filling breakfast bar. 

3/4 cup applesauce
1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (sweet but expensive spice.  I found it for $10 a jar.)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1-1/2 tsp grated orange zest (or peel)
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup raisins

MAKES TWENTY 3-INCH COOKIES

1. Preheat the oven to 375 deg Fahrenheit.  Combine the applesauce, sugar, egg whites, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add the flour, baking soda, salt (if using) cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and orange zest and stir just to mix.  Stir in the oats and raisins.
2. Grease 3 cookie sheets with spray oil.  (This is unnecessary with nonstick pans.)  Spoon the batter onto the cookie sheets, 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, leaving 3 inches between cookies.  Gently flatten each cookie with a wet spatula.
3. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned on the bottom.  (Watch them closely: They burn faster than butter-based cookies.)  Let the cookies cool on a cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store any cookies you don't eat right on the spot in an airtight container.

Recipe taken from
Raichlen, S. (1995.) High-Flavor, Low Fat Vegetarian Cooking. New York:  Penguin Books.

Feta Tomato-Basil Fish

Easy fish recipes are hard to find.  Most great, healthy fish recipes I have made use wine, but many people are uneasy using wine in cooking.This recipe takes very little time to prepare and about 10 minutes to cook.  I paired this with a side of noodles in a store-bought, cheese pasta sauce and microwaved Italian-style green beans topped with butter and feta cheese.  Enjoy!

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic cloved, minced
2 tsp olive or canola oil
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pound walleye, bass, or other whitefish fillet (I used Tilapia -- low priced and just as good)
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

YIELDS 4 SERVINGS

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.
2. Add tomatoes and basil.  Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, broil fish 4-6 in. from the heat for 5-6 minutes.
5. Top each fillet with tomato mixture and cheese.
6. Broil 5-7 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe taken from
Schnittka, J. ed. (2003.) Taste of Home's Light & Tasty Annual Recipes 2003. Greendale, WI:  Taste of Home Books.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

I have tried multiple versions of scrambled eggs.  Most people seem to use just non-stick cooking spray and eggs, which makes for a bland set of eggs.  I recently remembered that the last time I made great scrambled eggs I was a boy scout (this was before I flunked out due to my lack of outdoors skills).  The secret ingredient then, and always shall be, milk.  Knowing this, I began swamping my eggs then cooking them too long to cook off the milk.  They tasted great but they were too soupy for me.  Julia Child inspired this, my perfect scrambled egg recipe.

Non-stick cooking spray
2 Tbsp butter (split)
4 eggs
2 tsp milk
salt
freshly-ground pepper

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

1. Break eggs into small bowl.  Pour in milk. (Milk to egg ratio is 1/2 tsp milk to 1 egg.)  Add a dash of salt and 2 dashes of pepper.  Stir with a fork to break up the eggs and to combine ingredients.
2. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and add 1 Tbsp butter.  Heat using medium-low heat.  When butter melts completely, add eggs.  Allow to cook without interference for about 1 1/2 minutes then break up constantly with a wooden spatula.  When eggs are no longer runny, add 1 Tbsp butter.  Stir in the butter until it melts and the eggs slow cooking.  Serve immediately.

Amazing Quiche

Last year, at the birth of our son, our pastor's wife Kendra brought my wife and me a quiche which hooked us quickly.  This is definitely our favorite meal.

Frozen, deep dish pie crust or Homemade pie crust
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonaisse
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (we used Mozzarella and cheddar)

SERVES 4

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit.
2. Beat eggs, mayonnaise, milk, salt, and nutmeg together.
3. Mix together egg mixture with vegetables and cheese.
4. Pour into pie crust.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie Crust

This is a great, simply pie crust.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
2 Tbsp cold water

1. Preheat oven to 450 deg Fahrenheit.
2. Put the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Using a fork, stir the oil into the dry ingredients until well combined.  Sprinkle the water over the mixture and stir to make a dough.
3. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Pick up the dough and shape it into a ball.  Flatten the ball between your palms until it is about 1 inch thick.  Place it in the center of the prepared pie plate.  Using your fingers, pat the dough in a uniform thickness onto the bottom and up the side of the pie plate.
4. Around the top rim of the plate, pinch the pastry between your thumb and index fingers to make a fluted edge.
5. Using the same fork, prick the bottom and sides of the crust at 1-inch intervals to prevent puffing during baking.
6. Bake in preheated oven 8 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Recipe taken from
Wolf, D. ed. (1990.) The Family Circle Encyclopedia of Cooking. Lexicon Publications, Inc.: New York.

Zabaione

This dessert has a very sophisticated taste and look to it.  Enjoy!

6 egg yolks
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream

SERVES 4

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in the topp of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.  When the mixture is tepid, add the Marsala and whisk for another 5 minutes, or until it has thickened.
2. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.  Gently fold in the egg yolk mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Recipe taken from
Braimbridge, S. & Glynn, J. (2002.) The food of Italy: A journey for food lovers. British Columbia, Canada:  Whitecap Books.

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

This is an arm-licking good sauce.  When we ate this meal, I noticed that my then-12-month-old son had bite marks on his arm.  As he ate with his hands, the sauce would drip down his arm.  To get every last bite, he sucked the runaway sauce off his arm, inadvertently biting himself.  Enjoy!

1 lb Spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Grated Parmesan Cheese

SERVES 4

1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over very low heat.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and gently fry for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic has softened but not browned.  Remove the frying pan from the heat.
3. Lightly drain the spaghetti.  Don't shake it dry in the colander, as you need it to retain a little of the cooking water.  Return the frying pan to the heat, add the spaghetti and parsley and toss to coat.  Taste for seasoning and serve at once with the grated Parmesan.

Recipe taken from
Braimbridge, S. & Glynn, J. (2002.) The food of Italy: A journey for food lovers. Whitecap Books: British Columbia, Canada.

Putting The Pizza Together

I spent about an hour researching multiple pizza-making recipes prior to attempting my first one.  Some cooks use pizza stones, some swear by certain types of Italian cheeses, and some spent most of their posts discussing the perfect oven location and distance from heat.  However, I don't really have the energy to measure my oven or the extra cash to try a pizza stone just to see if it will give me a better pizza.  The only tools I use are good cheese shredders, a generic pizza pan, aluminum foil, and a pizza slicer.

My opinion of homemade pizza had become so negative because people often used cheddar cheese, bland store-bought sauces, and generic store-bought crusts.  Although I don't go through the trouble of a pizza stone and measuring my oven, I use only quality ingredients and stay true to Italian cheeses.  The tomato topping adds great flavor and keeps the pizza juicy without the extra oils and grease used at restaurants.

Pizza crust recipe
Pizza sauce recipe
Olive Oil
Pizza spices
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (pre-shredded or in a block)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (pre-shredded or in a block)
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes (drained)
Toppings of your choice (we like canned mushrooms and sometime deli pepperoni)

1. From pizza crust recipe: bring dough to room temperature.  Lay out pizza pan, set aluminum foil sheet on top, lightly smear on olive oil, and dust with corn meal.  Smooth out crust to about 12" circle with raised edges.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425 deg Fahrenheit.
3. Brush middle of dough with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil.  In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp olive oil with 2 tsp pizza spices.  Brush raised crust with spiced oil.
4. Cover pizza with 3/4 cup Parmesan and 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese.
5. In a separate layer, spread toppings across pizza.  If you use Italian sausage or any other home-cooked meat, be sure to cool to room temperature before placing pizza.
6. Put another topping of about 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese.
7. Put pizza in pre-heated oven.  Cook until crust browns.  It takes about 15 minutes in my oven with a convection fan.
8. Enjoy!

Pizza Sauce

This is a tasty pizza sauce to accompany my homemade crust.  I had purchased pre-made sauces prior to this, but I was disappointed with their bland flavors and high prices.  This sauce was taken from The Taste of Home website, is easy to make, and is inexpensive.  One batch makes enough for 8 pizzas, and it freezes beautifully.  I do not recommend this sauce as a pasta sauce due to its super sweet flavor.  However, it is an excellent complement to pizza toppings.

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (28 oz) tomato puree
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning*
1 tsp dried basil*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

* Instead of the Italian seasoning and dried basil, I used a grinder of pizza seasoning which I used again to season the crust.

1. In a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness.
4. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
5. Use approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup per pizza.

Recipe taken from
"Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe." Quick cooking. Taste of Home. Retrieved on February 6, 2010 from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Homemade-Pizza-Sauce-2.

Pizza Crust

Everyone seems to have a pizza crust recipe.  This is a great recipe for 2 pizza crusts.  One pizza heartily serves 3-4 people, so I make dough in the morning then refrigerate 1/2 and freeze 1/2.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp sugar -- I use regular granulated sugar
2 tsp dried yeast or 1/2 oz fresh yeast
7 fl oz (split) lukewarm water
3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
cornmeal

1. Put the sugar and yeast in a small bowl and stir in 3 fl oz of water.  Leave in a draught-free spot to activate.  If the yeast does not bubble and foam in 5 minutes, discard it and start again.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl or in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade.  Add the olive oil, remaining water and the yeast mixture.  Mix until the dough loosely clumps together.  Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding a little flour of a few drops of warm water if necessary, until you have a soft dough that is not sticky but is dry to the touch.
3. Rub the inside of a large bowl with olive oil.  Roll the ball of dough around in a bowl to coat it with oil, then cut a shallow cross on the top of the ball with a sharp knife.  Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel or put in a plastic bag and leave in a draught-free spot for 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled in size (or leave in the fridge for 8 hours to rise slowly).  I preheat my gas oven to 170 then turn it off and put the bowl (uncovered) in my warm oven to let the dough rise quickly on these cold, winter days.  In the summer, I plan on placing the covered bowl outside to let it rise in the warm air.
4. Punch down the dough to its original size, then divide into two portions.  (At this stage the dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 hours, or frozen.  Bring back to room temperature before continuing).
5. Working with one portion at a time, push the dough out to make a thick circle.  Use the heels of your hands and work from the center off the circle outwards, to flatten the dough into a 12 inch circle with a slightly raised rim.  This is the time that I act as if I have a handlebar mustache and sing every Italian song in the book for my son.  (If you find it difficult to push the dough out by hand you can use a rolling pin.)  The pizza dough is now ready to use, as instructed in the recipe.  Cook on a lightly oiled tray, dusted with cornmeal, and get it into the oven as quickly as possible.

Recipe taken from
Braimbridge, S. & Glynn, J. (2002.) The food of Italy: A journey for food lovers. Whitecap Books: British Columbia, Canada.