Recipes

Paradise Cookies

I believe there is room for a cookie or two in everyone’s day. I can rationalize that they are smaller than a piece of cake so therefore  it’s better! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a favorite cookie. Whether it’s chocolate chip, oatmeal, thin mints, peanut butter or whatever you like, it’s always fun to find a new treat. I found the basics for this recipe and tweaked it to make it a little different. These cookies have a Hawaiian taste with the pineapple, coconut and macadamia nuts. (Leave out the nuts if you are allergic to nuts)

Photo for illustrative purposes only

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

4. Beat in the flour mixture at low-speed. Stir in the coconut, pineapple and nuts.

5. Place rounded teaspoons of dough about an inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until the edges are golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cook on a rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

No-Cook Tomato Sauce

With the weather being so warm it’s always great to find recipes that involve minimal cooking. Homemade tomato sauce for your pasta is always better than jarred but who has time to spend making it. This recipe is simple and the only cooking involved is cooking your choice of pasta! It’s a fresh sauce without the fuss. This is great also if you have your own garden and have an over-abundance of tomatoes to use! Put them to good use and have a quick pasta dinner tonight!

INGREDIENTS:

6 large fresh tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop tomatoes and place in a bowl. Add the garlic, EVOO, basil, salt and pepper. Toss gently.

2. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and let stand at room temperature for 2-4 hours.

3. Serve with your favorite spaghetti or pasta

Serves 6

Easy Chicken Stir-Fry

I am always looking for easy recipes to make for dinner. Something that doesn’t have a ton of ingredients and that I can make in under 30 minutes. This recipe is just that. Only 4 ingredients! One pan! Chicken and vegetable stir-fry, very simple. Making it even more simple is the fact that I used frozen veggies. It’s low-calorie and full of protein. All good things!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

4 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables (without sauce)

½ cup fat-free chicken broth

¼ cup light teriyaki sauce

salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a large nonstick skillet cooking spray; heat. Add chicken; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides.

2. Add the frozen vegetables and stir-fry until just tender, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add  chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, salt and pepper. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 179 calories, 3 grams fat, 3 grams fiber

Southwestern Five-Bean Soup

Even though the temperatures are pretty high right now it’s always a good time for soup. Soup can be lunch with sandwich or salad or a meal on its own. Either way it’s a good, hearty meal with lots of fiber and vitamins! This soup is great on its own but you can also add rice or small pasta to it. I love soup because it is usually very easy to make and I only need to use one pot for the most part! Less to clean up is a good thing! Using canned beans is a fast way to a hearty dinner or lunch. With all of us so busy these days it’s nice to have a shortcut to dinner.

For illustrative purposes only

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 can (15 oz.) red beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained

1 can (14-15 oz.) chopped tomatoes (I like fire roasted)

1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth

3/4 cup chunky salsa

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder


DIRECTIONS:

1. Puree the black beans in a blender or food processor.

2. In a large pot, stir together all the remaining beans, tomatoes, broth, salsa, cumin, red pepper flakes, and garlic.

3. Stir in the pureed black beans. Simmer for 10 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Makes 8 servings

Mediterranean Dip With Toasted Pita Chips

This dip is a little bit Greek and Italian, hence the Mediterranean reference. It’s a much healthier dip than the ones laden with mayonnaise and sour cream. Not that those dips aren’t good, it’s just that we can’t eat them all the time. This dip uses canellini beans which have fiber, a good thing. It can be served with toasted pita chips or crostini, or any sturdy chip. I will also include a recipe to make your own Toasted Pita Chips. It’s so easy! And if you use the low carb pita chips you can save more calories and add more fiber! But if you don’t have to worry about calories or fiber go all the way with the full fat stuff! (I wish I could!)

DIP

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (15oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 ounces feta cheese (I use light Feta)

1 container (6-7 oz.) plain Greek-style yogurt (any brand is fine)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill

1 large clove garlic, minced

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor put the beans, feta cheese, yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Puree until smooth.

2. Transfer to a bowl and add the chopped dill. Season with the salt and pepper as you like.

Serve right away or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 2 cups


TOASTED PITA CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

8 Pita Rounds

olive oil

dried oregano

garlic powder

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Split the pita rounds horizontally, then cut each piece in half. Or just cut into wedge shapes and separate the pita. Depends on how big you want the chips

2. Brush with olive oil and season with the oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3. Bake on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet, until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

**UPDATE: 7/12/10** I just made this dip and chips. Delicious! So tasty and the chips came out great! Though I may have put too much salt on them, but then again, I love salt.

Sparkling Summer Sangria

It’s summertime! Just in case you were living under a rock I thought I’d mention that! And what better to cool off on a hot steamy day than with a pitcher of refreshing Sangria! This recipe is a white sangria and uses my favorite sparkling beverage, Prosecco. Have some friends over and share!


INGREDIENTS:

1 peach, pitted and cut into wedges

1 nectarine, pitted and cut into wedges

3 apricots, pitted and cut into wedges

5 ounces peach brandy

1 bottle (750ml) chilled Prosecco

1 cup peach nectar

Extra fresh sliced peaches for garnish


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pitcher, combine the peach, nectarine and apricots.

2. Stir in peach brandy and let it sit in refrigerator at least 1 hour. (If you can let it sit overnight that is always good!)

3. After it’s thoroughly chilled stir in the Prosecco and peach nectar. Serve in wine glasses.Garnish with a slice of peach on a decorative toothpick.

Easy as Pie

I came across this recipe in a holiday book. (Christmas is just 168 days away you know!) It claims to be the easiest pie in the world to bake. While reading it over I would have to agree. I think even the “baking challenged” as I tend to be sometimes can bake this pie. I don’t have a picture but it is a custard pie and has coconut in it. So sort of like a coconut custard pie. One of my favorites. So practice for the holidays and get baking everyone! I think I will make it myself next time I have an ‘event’ that needs a dessert! By the way it is NOT a low-calorie dessert. But that’s ok now and then! Moderation! Heck I may even make it this weekend to see if it actually works! Then I will have an actual picture to show. If anyone makes it before I do, please send me a picture and I’ll include it! I will put in a “temporary” photo until then.

Photo is for illustrative purposes only

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk

4 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients into a blender. (Yes a blender!) Turn the blender on medium speed and count to ten. (Not 9, not 11, but 10!)

Pour into a 9″ deep dish pie pan.

During the baking process the flour drops to form the crust and the remaining ingredients form the filling. (I admit I am a bit skeptical on this!)

Bake at 350º for 45 minutes.

Mediterranean Omelette

Last Sunday I started out making a Greek omelette then I added a few Italian ingredients and changed the name to Mediterranean Omelette. I used real eggs in this but you can, as always, use an egg substitute. Usually on the weekends I make egg salad for John but he likes it warm (yuck) and I like it cold. So this past weekend I decided to make a large omelette we could share. It was so good I wanted more. And I am not a breakfast person! Though the gyro omelettes we had in St. Augustine at Athena’s Greek Restaurant were incredible! Nothing like it anywhere! Ok I digress…This omelette was nice and easy and since we both liked all the ingredients I could make it in one pan and just split it.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large eggs

½ cup fat-free half and half

½ cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/3 cup red onion, chopped small

1/3 cup tomato, chopped small

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh basil chopped/torn

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup Light Feta Cheese (crumbled)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter/butter substitute

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat the eggs and half and half till light and fluffy. Set aside.

2. Heat a medium skillet  and add butter and olive oil. Melt on medium heat till a little bubbly.

3. Add the onion and sauté till soft. (A few minutes) Add garlic and sauté a few more minutes.

4. Add the spinach and stir well into the onion and garlic, till warm. (a few minutes)

5. Add the egg mixture. Add the tomato and stir well.

6. Cook the eggs, letting the liquid run to the edges, constantly pulling edges away till almost all liquid is dry. Add the basil and oregano and feta cheese.

7. Gently fold over half the omelette and press gently to seal. If you wish to flip it go ahead, but this is a large omelette and it may be hard to do.

8. Cut in half and serve!

Serves 2

DON’T FORGET MY WEBSITE!!! www.cucinadiandrea.com

Stroganoff Genua Style

I know I have already posted a beef stroganoff recipe but this is a different version of that recipe. Most stroganoff uses stew meat and heavy cream and noodles. Not this recipe. In my version I substitute lean ground beef for the stew meat, fat-free half and half instead of cream and my favorite low-calorie noodle, Tofu Shirataki Noodles! It sort of looks like hamburger helper but tastes so much better. It is easy and doesn’t take a very long time to cook. I’m always looking for ground beef recipes other than meatloaf and chili and I found one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 -15 ounce can cream of mushroom soup (or fat-free)

1 package Tofu Shirataki Noodles (Fettucine style) (prepare as package directs)

2 French Onion Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges, cut up

¼ cup light or fat-free sour cream

¼-½ cup fat-free half and half, use as needed to thin the sauce a little.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan sauté the onions in olive oil till they start to soften. Add the garlic and continue to sauté till light brown. Remove onions and garlic from pan and set aside.

2. Add ground beef to same pan and cook until brown. Drain off excess fat. Return the onion and garlic to pan as well as the basil, oregano, and parsley. Stir thoroughly.

3. Stir in cream of mushroom soup and the Laughing Cow cheese. Stir till the cheese is melted.

4. Add the sour cream and stir till mixed in. Add ¼ cup of the half and half. If needed add more of the half and half until sauce is thinned a little. It shouldn’t be too thick.

5. Add the prepared noodles and stir in thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-4

Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad

Any excuse to make a pasta salad is good for me. This is a different take on the usual pasta salads because you don’t usually have cucumbers in a pasta salad. This also has peas and cubed ham. Sounds delicious just thinking about it! I always use the lighter versions of mayonnaise and sour cream but you don’t have to. It’s up to you. I will also use the whole wheat pasta in this recipe but if you really don’t like it just use regular pasta. Either way it’s a tasty side dish for a hot summer day! Or cold winter day! Pasta salads are always a good quick meal or side dish for any occasion.

Photo is for illustrative purposes only

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup light mayonnaise

½ cup light sour cream

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, chopped in chunks

½ teaspoon dried dill weed, crushed

2 green onions (scallions), chopped

¼ cup chopped black olives

1 teaspoon white pepper

8 ounces fusilli pasta (spirals)

1 cup peas (canned is fine)

1 lb. smoked or plain ham, cubed


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor or blender, purée the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt, cucumber, dill weed, green onions and pepper.

2. Cook pasta according to package, drain.

3. Toss warm pasta with the dressing ingredients. Stir in the peas and ham and olives. Chill until ready to serve.

You can even add some shredded cheddar or other cheese if you want.

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK MY WEBSITE: http://www.cucinadiandrea.com!!!

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