Try This!
Easy Tofu Lasagna
Mozzarella Meat Loaf Pie
Soft Pretzels
Raspberry Pretzel Salad
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Fun Pancake Topping
Ham and Rice Casserole
Udon Gyoza
Coconut Macaroons
Help for Cracking Hands
Bath Salts
I modified a couple of recipes I found on the Internet to get this recipe.
Easy Tofu Lasagna |
| 8 oz. mushrooms,
chopped 1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped 1/4 cup onion, chopped 16 oz. water-packed, medium-firm tofu, drained 1 16-oz. package frozen cut spinach, defrosted and drained 1 egg 1/2 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. oregano 1/4 t. pepper 1 T. dried parsley flakes 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. basil 3/4 c. water 4 c. low-fat spaghetti sauce 8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-in. baking pan with non-stick spray. Cook the mushrooms, onions, and zucchini in a non-stick skillet until tender, adding a little water if needed. Set aside. Mash the tofu in a mixing bowl. Add the spices and spinach, and mix well. Combine the water and the spaghetti sauce (The extra water will be absorbed by the uncooked noodles. I also added about 1/4 lb. total of cooked ground beef and Italian sausage I had left over in my refrigerator.) Put about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with half the uncooked noodles, half the tofu mixture, half the Mozzarella, and all of the mushroom mixture. Put another 1/3 of the sauce on top, then the remaining noodles, the remaining tofu mixture, and the last 1/3 of the sauce. (I miscalculated on the sauce, so I opened a can of no-salt tomato sauce and threw it on top with the spaghetti sauce.) Top with the remaining Mozzarella. Cover the pan with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes to make serving easier. Serves 9 hungry people. (Or a lot more children who won't eat the vegetables anyway.) |
This is a really easy, colorful, and tasty recipe, with a whole meal included in the one dish! I didn't follow the recipe exactly as it was written, because I didn't shop for this recipe and was being opportunistic in my kitchen, and you will see the changes I made in the parentheses. The recipe says it serves 4, but the way I made it, I think it could easily manage 6.
Mozzarella Meat Loaf Pie |
| 4 medium-size
potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used a few more) 1 t. salt 1/2 c. skim milk (for a richer version, use whipping cream, which I don't usually have in my 'fridge) 1 pound lean ground beef (works even if it's
not lean) 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and
chopped, or 1 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the potatoes in a covered large saucepan with half the salt in boiling water until tender--about 20 minutes. Drain, then mash the potatoes with the milk until smooth. Adjust the salt to taste and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the beef, remaining salt, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, and oregano. Make a crust by pressing the mixture across the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. pie pan. Fill the "meat crust" with the following layers: the tomato, the cheese, then the spinach. (I sprinkled a little basil over the cheese.) Top with the mashed potatoes and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake,uncovered, until the "crust" shrinks from the sides of the pan--about 30 minutes. Serves 4. |
This is a great activity for kids, especially since it includes refreshments. And guess what! It's practically fat-free! These are great with dips, too, such as honey-mustard, honey-butter, cheese dip, or marinara sauce.
Soft Pretzels |
| 1 1/2 cups warm water
(not too warm) 2 T. yeast 2 t. sugar 4 c. flour 1 t. salt 1 egg, beaten--for brushing on top of the pretzels before baking Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheet. Mix water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mix in the flour and salt and knead dough until smooth. Work dough into shapes, as desired. Place on baking sheet and brush on beaten egg. Sprinkle with pretzel salt or other topping, such as Parmesan cheese or seasoning mix. Bake for 12 minutes. |
I first tasted this salad this Thanksgiving. It's simply decadent!! (Rich enough to be used as a dessert . . .)
Raspberry Pretzel Salad |
| First
layer: 2c. or more pretzels partly crushed or broken (small, wrapped ones work better than stick pretzels) 3 T. sugar 3/4 c. melted butter Spread crushed pretzels over bottom of a 9x13 cake pan. Mix melted butter and sugar and spread over pretzels, coating all. You may need to mix them up a bit. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes.\ Second layer: Mix first 3 ingredients, then gently fold in whipped topping. Spread over pretzels, being sure to seal off the edges to the third layer, when poured, won't seep down to the pretzels. Third layer: Stir water into gelatin until gelatin dissolves, then add raspberries and pour over the second layer. You may have to spoon the fruit a bit to even it out. Refrigerate until set. |
In all honesty, I'm putting this recipe here because I keep losing it. I usually end up making several batches of this peanut brittle at Christmastime, because it's so easy, and I love it!
Microwave Peanut Brittle |
| 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 to 1 1/2 cups peanuts (I use the Spanish unroasted nuts I can get in the produce section; then I roast them a little in the microwave) 1 tablespoon margarine or butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda Mix first three ingredients in a 2-qt. casserole or mixing bowl. Microwave on High for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanuts. Microwave 3-5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, until syrup and peanuts are lightly browned. Stir in butter, vanilla, and soda until light and foamy. Spread to 1/4-inch thickness on large, well-buttered cookie sheet. When cool, break into pieces. If you want very thin peanut brittle, cool mixture on cookie sheet 3 to 5 minutes. Lift from sheet and pull or stretch mixture to desired thinness. |
Fun Pancake Topping
If you've ever enjoyed pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped topping, try eating them with strawberries and lowfat vanilla yogurt. It's a great way to get a serving of fruit and some extra calcium, as opposed to maple syrup.
This recipe is easy and delicious, although not exactly a kid favorite. (I serve it to my kids, anyway.)
Ham and Rice Casserole |
| 1/3 c. salad oil 3/4 c. chopped green pepper 1 c. chopped onion 1 can tomatos, chopped if you like, with liquid 3/4 c. uncooked rice 1 tsp. salt (I actually use less.) 1 tsp. pepper 2 c. diced cooked ham 1 small bay leaf 1 can pitted ripe olives, sliced (optional) Mix ingredients and pour into a greased 2-qt. casserole dish. Cover and bake in a 350-degree over for 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serves 4-6. |
This recipe was taught to me by a wonderful woman I knew in Japan. It's not traditional Japanese cooking, but it sure is oishii (delicious.) Buy the udon which is not dehydrated; it can be found in the refrigerated section of most Oriental grocery stores.
Udon Gyoza |
For each person, use Put everything in a bowl. Using your very clean fingers, squish everything together well to mix it, breaking up the udon into smaller pieces as you go. (Just pinch it to break it up. I'd recommend bringing all ingredients to room temperature first; your fingers will get pretty cold otherwise.) On a hot frying pan (I grease it a little), put between a half cup and a cup of the mixture, flattening it like a pancake. Cook, turning over once, until the pork is done. Serve hot with ponzu sauce or make your own by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a touch of lemon juice. |
This recipe was given to me by one of my sisters and has been eagerly received with rave reviews by everyone with whom I have shared the finished product. By its very nature, there is no way to make it low-fat, but the fat content can be reduced by using fat free sweetened condensed milk.
| Coconut Macaroons |
|
| 14-oz. bag flaked coconut | 2 1/2 t. vanilla |
| 1 c. flour | 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips |
| 1/4 t. salt | 4 T. margarine |
| 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk | |
| Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix coconut, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. On well-greased baking sheet, drop dough by tablespoons, shaping into a round cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-13 minutes, or until a few flakes of coconut look toasted. Remove and cool. Melt chocolate chips and margarine in microwave for about two minutes. (Varies with microwave.) Stir until smooth. Holding cookie on end, dip half of each cookie in chocolate. Place cookie on plate covered with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to set chocolate. Macaroons should be half white, half brown. Makes 3 dozen very delicious, hard to resist cookies. | |
Help for Cracking Hands
Your grandmother probably told you this, but it really works. If your hands, especially your fingertips, like mine, end up cracking and bleeding when it's dry, try wearing gloves at nighttime. Gloves made especially for this purpose can be found in the same section as the natural sponges and bath oils in the store, but an ordinary cotton glove will do. Before going to bed, slather your hands in a good hand lotion, like Curel Soothing Hands, and put petroleum jelly on the spots particularly prone to cracking, like your fingertips and cuticles. Put on your gloves, and sleep your way to smoother, more hydrated hands. It's not an overnight cure (no pun intended,) but over very few nights, you should notice a marked improvement. And it's great for prevention!
With three children, I tend to shower more than take baths, so when I do have the chance for a bath, I like to "live it up a little." Here in the desert, a little more oil works even better.
Bath Salts |
1 cup Epson salt In a jar add all ingredients. Shake until color becomes uniform. Add 1/2 cup or less to bath water |
