"Relatively Healthy-but-Really Really Good" Cookies

I made these this morning, and they were delicious! The coconut oil (which is my favorite thing in the kitchen...ever!) adds a nice flavor and covers up the healthy taste.

1/2 cup xylitol (or you can use regular white sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (unrefined) coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (rounded) salt
2/3 cup goodies (coconut, dried fruit--apricots are yummy--so are mixed berries!, dark chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Combine the sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix till thoroughly combined.

In a separate smaller bowl, toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt, stirring to evenly distribute the salt and baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the goodies.

Portion cookie dough, twelve cookies to a sheet. Bake 8-10 Minutes. Cool for a minute or two, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

I know there are so many versions of this recipe, but this is one that we made today. Just thought I'd share.

I went a little mellow on the spices and didn't add all the stuff in the dressing.  It was all really, really tasty!

These 3 recipes, my friend Brooke gave me.

CAFE RIO PORK

6 Lb. Pork - 2 of the pork sirloin roast at costco per recipe
16 oz. salsa
20 oz. Coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place roast in crock pot cook approx. 6-8 hours until meat falls apart. Shred. In a blender mix salsa, coke and brown sugar. Pour over meat and reheat. YUM!



CAFE RIO DRESSING

1 pkg. Buttermilk ranch dressing ( prepare as directed on pkg.)
2 tomatillos ( a green tomato with husk)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 garlic clove
juice of one lime
1 jalapeno pepper ( use seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a blender to blend all ingredients. Refrigerate.



CAFE RIO RICE
3 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Butter
3 c. rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor/blender. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients; simmer cover for 30 mins.


These recipes below I found at favfamilyrecipes.com. They have different recipes for the meat, dressing, and rice, as well. Plus, they share ideas for the tin and tortilla for the salad.

Cafe Rio BLACK BEANS - favfamilyrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


Homemade tortilla chips favfamilyrecipes.com
These are perfect for Our Version of Cafe Rio Salads (click HERE)... or any salad for that matter. They are so easy and cheap to make. If you buy these at the store, they are like $4! What a rip-off! These taste a lot better than the store ones too. I promise it is worth making your own!

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

(photo by favfamilyrecipes.com)

What's your favorite chicken salad?

I feel like chicken salad! What's your favorite?

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO

This is a recipe that Jimmy wanted to try. He saw it on tv this morning, found it online, emailed it to me, and then made it for dinner. It's not one that I would ever think I'd like because I'm not a huge fan of garlic, but it was tasty. Jimmy said it was "awesome." It was also very quick and easy.

Perhaps it would be twice as good if we had really used all the fresh ingredients, but alas, we used petite diced canned tomatoes drained, dried basil, minced garlic, no pepperoncini (ummmm since we have no idea what that is), and plain ol' parmesan.  I actually thought it could be a good food storage type recipe except for the roasted almonds which we wouldn't exactly have on hand.

We thought sauteed zucchini & chicken would go great with this dish.

Anyhoo... here it is... found at bakespace.com

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO
Servings: 4-6
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

VARIATION TO ABOVE RECIPE:


1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 pound grilled steak, chopped


Saute onion, green pepper, and fresh mushrooms in olive oil until tender crisp. Remove from heat, stir in steak. Toss with cooked pasta. Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add pasta cooking water, if necessary.

Baked Tacos from LDS living

I saw this on an LDS living email and thought it might make a quick and easy summer dinner, even if I use dough I make. We'll try it and let you know!

Baked Tacos
A new twist on tacos, try our easy to make Baked Tacos. Bake up a bunch, you'll need them simply delicious.

Servings: 4-6
Skill Level: Beginning
Prep Time: 30 min (not including thaw time)
Bake Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 4 ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• salsa
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomatoes

Instructions: Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls together and roll into an 11x8-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. Place ground beef in a skillet and cook completely. Drain well. Add taco seasoning and green chilies to meat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove wrap from dough. Place dough in a sprayed 10x7-inch baking pan to cover bottom and at least 1-inch up the sides. Poke several times with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming and bake at 350°F 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salsa, lettuce and tomatoes to serve.

Click here to view
a video of how to make the recipe!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

1 1/2 cans black beans
1/2 C corn (frozen, but thawed)
1/4 C red onion, chopped very fine
2 avocados, cubed in small pieces
1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped very fine
1/2 C Jalepino, chopped very fine (less if you don't want to big of a bite)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, grilled then cubed into small pieces
6 oz. colby jack cheese

mix all ingredients together into mixing bowl. Add chicken and cheese and mix together. Put mixture into egg rolls and deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are brown. Slice in half and serve with Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce. This recipe yields 30 egg rolls.

Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce

1/4 C smashed, fresh avocado
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
1 Tbls buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. onion powder
dash of dried dill weed
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper

Mix all together and chill.

Super yummy. Enjoy!

Cream of ______ Mix

I LOVE this mix SOOOOO Much. It is so nice to just whip up a batch to use with whatever recipe I'm making that I'd normally use a can of something for. (Also, if you're opposed to Corn products, you can use flour instead, it may just clump a little.)

Cream of...MIX

2 cups powdered milk
1 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp chicken bullion powder
2 tbbs dried minced onion
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix Together and Store in a Mason Jar in the Pantry.

When you want your cream of..., just add:


1/3 cup of mix
1 1/4 cup water or milk
1 Cup _____ (Celery, Mushrooms, Potato, Cooked Chicken...whatever you want your Cream of... to be!)

Bring to a boil on the stove and stir until thick. This is equivalent to a can of Campbell's Condensed Cream of ______ soup.

Another tip: I don't always have milk on hand at our house, so I started buying Rice Milk for our food storage, because it keeps on the shelf. With this recipe, there is no recognizable difference when using rice milk.

Homemade Snow Cones

Just thought I'd share this idea we tried today... Homemade Snow Cones.

It's "Easy-peasy-lemon-squeasy" said Hannah.

We put crushed ice from the freezer into our food processor (I love, love, love my Braun Multi-Mix)and chopped away. It made the ice into a nice fine airy snow. Not as perfect as SnoShack, but still great for free!

We bought some Sugar-Free syrup at Target for snow cones, but I want to try using juice & this Snow Cone Syrup Recipe:

Snow Cone Syrup Recipe

2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1 (0.13 ounce) package unsweetened, fruit-flavored soft drink mix

Directions

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in the drink mix. Allow to cool, and store in a container for pouring. Pour over shaved ice to flavor. (someone in the comments said they used 1/2 cups sugar to 1/2 cups water and 2 packages of flavoring to help avoid the watered-down snow-cone).

We bought a $3 pack of snow-cone cups and spoon-straws to last the summer.

Fun & easy.

Now - I just need to figure out all the awesome combinations... like tiger's blood... or maybe peaches & cream. Any tips?

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Biscuits

My neighbor Wendi brought these biscuits with dinner when we had Truman. They were tasty. I made them tonight and once again - they were tasty. Easy, quick, and not a boring biscuit.

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Biscuits
Wendi Condie

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, cheddar and milk into soft dough. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. Spoon on to greased cookie sheet. Smooth down tops. (Bisquick forms sharp hard points otherwise) Bake for 8 to 10 min at 450 degrees. While baking, melt butter in pan and stir in garlic powder. Take biscuits from oven when done and brush butter on tops and serve hot. Makes 10 biscuits.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub Margarine spread/butter

1 cup carrot puree

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 large egg

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Frosting:

1 package cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice

1. preheat oven 350 degrees

2. Mix the sugar and margarine until smooth, stir in purees, orange juice, and vanilla. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir until everything is blended together, do not overmix.

3. Divide batter into muffin cups and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

4. frost with frosting. These are also good with out the frosting.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have not personally made these, but one of my friends made them and I tried them and they were good. Be advised, do not eat too many at one time.

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

3/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I would probably still use real butter, because margarine is nasty)

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 can chickpeas, strained and rinsed

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat the sugar and margarine (butter) until smooth. Beat in egg whites and vanilla, then add chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix just until it is all mixed together.

3. cook for 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake.

Healthy Hamburgers

1/2 pound lean ground turkey or hamburger

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1/4 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/8 teaspoon pepper

nonstick cooking spray

8 wholegrain dinner rolls

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the meat, breadcrumbs, cauliflower puree, milk, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. Form into 8 small patties.

3. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. when the skillet is hot, the burgers and cook until nicely browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the burgers over, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the burgers are no longer pink in the center.

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (I usually use more because this recipe makes a lot of sauce)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 1/2 cups shreaded reduced fat cheddar cheese

4 onces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon paparika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook macaroni. While it is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk adn cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower puree, cheese, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in macaroni and serve warm.

Scrambled Eggs

Here are a few of my favorite recipes from the book Deceptively Delicious. Jolene gave me this book for Christmas a few years ago. I think all the recipes I like call for pured cauliflower. I usually steam a whole head of cauliflower and when its soft I add a little water and puree it. Then I freeze whatever I don't use in little zip lock bags.

2 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

pinch of salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Wisk together eggs, egg whites, sour cream, cauliflower puree, parmesan, and salt. Coat pan with nonstick cooking spray over, then set pan over meduim high heat. Cook eggs.

Cooking Healthy

Anyone! Help! I am on a new health kick, but the only problem is that I don't know how to cook healthy. I love comfort food. Usually if it has at least 1/2 cup of butter and a cup of whipping cream, then I make it (and love it). What do health conscious people eat? That tastes really good? :) I know there are lots of healthy good things to make, I just don't know about them. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Asian Orange Chicken

We tried this last night and it's delicious!!!

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Katsu Chicken

A classic Japanese dish--I've been meaning to make it for date night since we got married, and just got around to it tonight. It's delicious and simple!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into the flour, then egg, then panko crumbs. I poured the extra egg onto the panko coated chicken and then sprinkled more panko on it--a thicker layer of egg helps the grease from soaking in which = a healthier meal!

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Put the chicken on a paper towel to soak up anything leftover, then cut strips about 1/4 inch thick width-wise. Serve with Kikkoman Katsu Sauce drizzled over the top.

Cheddar Chicken

This recipe was in this month's Real Simple Magazine. I made it tonight for dinner and it was so yummy and very moist. I served with potatoes and asparagus. Tasty meal. Not so low in fat with the butter, but tasted very good.

Cheddar Chicken (Reader Recipe From Jane Walsh)

Ingredients

• 16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
• 6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• wild rice pilaf and steamed green beans (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with the pilaf and green beans, if using.

???Organizing Recipes???

I'm interested in revamping my recipe books. Right now I have the family recipe cookbook in half-size binders. They are completely unorganized with missing tabs. I haven't added new favorite recipes. So they are a mess. I rarely can find what I need.

I love having my recipes online (like I did for my 6-week mealplan) because they are searchable, but I don't have a laptop for the kitchen and printing a recipe every time I need it seems ridiculous. This plea for help came to mind because I was searching for my scratch piece of paper that had a recipe for cookies printed on it. I know I've printed that recipe at least 5 times so it's silly to keep printing it. Yes - we need organization!!!

I'm thinking I might just revamp my family recipe book, put in half-size binders with protective pages, and add our new favorites. I want to have more categories so it is easier to find things (such as chicken, beef, soups all under main dish).

Soooo - my point (and question) is...

How do you like to organize your recipes?
~ recipe box and hand write recipes?
~ printed recipe binder in protective sheets so you can add as you need?
~ online only?

What do you think?

Olympic Village Snow White Chocolate Party Mix

Years ago I tried this recipe from Taste of Home and it has been a holiday and anytime favorite ever since, though in humid summer places it does not work out so well.

We have many variations, and currently we are using bright, Olympic colored m&m's and adding 5 cups Rice Chex and 3 cups mini-marshmallows. I just had to have easy access to this recipe. Happy Winter Olympics, 2010!

White Chocolate Party Mix
15 Servings Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients
5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex
2 cups salted peanuts (optional)
1 pound chocolate M&M's
1 package (10 ounces) mini pretzels
2 packages (12 ounces (each) vanilla chips
3 tablespoons oil

Directions
In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chips and oil at 70% power for 1 minute, stirring once. Microwave on high for 5 seconds; stir until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture and mix well. Spread onto three waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cool; break apart. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 5 quarts.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 547 calories, 27 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 589 mg sodium, 70 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 11 g protein.

from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/White-Chocolate-Party-Mix