Recipes

This is perfect for those of us with just one or two in the house these days, hate to make a huge cake, (cause I tend to eat it all).  This way you can make 1,2,3, or as many as you need.

3, 2, 1 CAKE
These individual little cakes are amazing and ready to eat in one minute! They are perfect for whenever you feel like a treat without all the fat and calories that cake can have. Genius idea!

INGREDIENTS:
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 box Cake Mix - Any Flavor
Makes 1 serving.

In a ziploc bag, combine the two cake mixes together and mix well. For each individual cake serving, take out 3 Tablespoons of the cake mix combination and mix it with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small microwave-safe container. Microwave on high for 1 minute, and you have your own instant individual little cake!
KEEP remaining cake mixture stored in the ziploc bag and use whenever you feel like a treat! You can top each cake with a dollop of fat free whipped topping and/or some fresh fruit.

Helpful Tips: This recipe is called 3, 2, 1 Cake because all you need to remember is "3 tablespoons mix, 2 tablespoons water, 1 minute in the microwave!"
TRY various flavors of cake mix like carrot, red velvet, pineapple, lemon, orange, etc. Just remember that one of the mixes has to be the angel food mix; the other is your choice. The flavor possibilities are endless!

NOTES: The best thing is, you open both cake mixes into a gallon storage bag, one that 'zip locks' or 'self-seals', or a container that seals tightly, shake the two cake mixes to blend and then make the recipe. Storage of mix is simple, put it on a shelf. No need to refrigerate, since the mix is dry. Always remember, that one of the cake mixes MUST be Angel Food. The other can be any flavor. The Angel Food is the cake mix that has the eggs whites in it.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Honey-Lime Dip

1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4" match-sticks

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t coriander

1 t kosher salt

1 t parsley

1/8 tsp black pepper

*you want 1lb sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. If you weigh them at the store make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling, and tossing of small pieces.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper. 

Place sweet potatoes in a pile directly on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Use hands to toss until all pieces are well coated.  Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with hands to coat. 

Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp.  Remove pan from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Honey-Lime Dip

6oz container plain, low-fat yogurt

1 T mayo (low cal is fine)

1/2 T honey

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

1/4 t cumin

1/8 t oregano

1 t parsley

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t kosher salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.  Chill until ready to use.

Skillet Rhubarb Cobbler

Summary: This is a delicious way to use fresh rhubarb. Baking it in a cast-iron skillet makes a rustic presentation and lots of crispy, tasty edge bits. I think you could also use frozen (unthawed) rhubarb for this dish quite successfully.

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly (divided)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. shortening, for greasing pan (could use butter or spray)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. with rack in centre of oven.
2. Grease a cast-iron frying pan with shortening, butter or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
3. Chop the rhubarb and place in a large bowl. Toss well with the brown sugar and set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons of the butter, the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and sugar. Using a whisk, stir until batter is smooth and thick.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared frying pan and spread evenly. Top with the rhubarb, spreading it evenly over the batter. Drizzle top with remaining 1 Tbsp. of melted butter.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until firm and golden brown.
7. Serve warm as it is, or with a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 45 min | Total time: 1 hour

Number of servings (yield): 6 – 8

Skinny Apple Cobbler

For the Filling:

• 2 1/2 lbs Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4" thick*
• 1/2 cup honey or agave
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
  
  For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup King Arthur all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp chilled light butter, cut into small pieces (I used Land O Lakes)
• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp light brown sugar (unpacked)

In a large heavy pot, combine all of the apple filling ingredients and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes, gently stirring occasionally until the apples are soft.Divide warm apples into 6 (8 oz) ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, whisk flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in chilled butter (must be cold) using a pastry cutter (or 2 knives) until pebble-sized pieces are formed.
In a small bowl combine buttermilk and oil; mix well. Add to the dry mixture and mixuntil just moistened, careful not to over-mix. Spoon the batter over the apples in the ramekins.
Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake 30 minutes, until apples are bubbling and the topping is golden. Let it stand 8 to 10 minutes before eating.

Cranberry Rhubarb Cobbler

What I love about cobblers is that it comes together rather quickly. Of course, spooning up warm bites of cobbler, oozing with filling and creamy ice cream is pretty awesome, too.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup frozen rhubarb, unthawed
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in small pieces, plus a little more for baking dish
1 cup buttermilk>
vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 6 ramekins or small baking dishes by lightly buttering and place on a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, combine the fresh cranberries, frozen rhubarb, brown sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Place over medium heat and cook until the cranberries pop and the mixture is nice and thick, about 10 minutes. Divide the filling evenly among the ramekins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the butter until the flour mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until the dough just comes together. Drop the dough by tablespoon-full over the cranberry-rhubarb filling.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is golden brown and fluffy and the filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and serve while warm, with vanilla ice cream.

Skillet Apple Cobbler

Serves: 4-6 servings

Filling:

• 2 pounds fresh Gala apples, cored, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Topping:

• 1 cup allpurpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons half and half or heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• optional: vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large oven safe skillet, combine the apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt over medium heat. Cook for several minutes, stirring, until the apples have lightly caramelized and are soft but not mushy.
3. Mix together the lemon juice and cornstarch and stir it into the apple mixture. Remove from the heat.
4. Whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the half and half, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. For two smaller cobblers, divide the apple mixture evenly among two 5-inch oven safe skillets. For one large cobbler, leave the apples in the same skillet. Spoon the dough evenly on top of the apples and use a spatula to gently spread it out. The apples do not need to be completely covered. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top of the dough.
6. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and the dough has cooked through. Serve hot with ice cream on top.

Notes

Equipment needed - two 5-inch or one 10-inch oven-safe skillet such as cast iron or stainless steel. This recipe can also be baked in an 8x8-inch square baking pan if skillets are not readily available.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CARBONARA

1 Large Spaghetti Squash

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

5 oz. Pancetta – Diced

2 Eggs

1 Tbs. Fresh Parsley – Chopped

½ Cup Parmesan – Grated

1 tsp. Sea Salt

¼ tsp. Pepper

½ Cup Parmesan – Shredded

Preheat oven to 400° Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scrape out seeds.  Drizzle squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

While the spaghetti squash is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add pancetta to the pan and cook until crispy.  Once the spaghetti squash is roasted, use a fork to scrape out the shreds of squash.  Add to skillet and toss with pancetta, onion and garlic. Make sure that spaghetti squash is nice and hot.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, parsley, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper.  To the mixing bowl, add squash mixture and toss with egg mixture. The heat of the spaghetti squash will cook the eggs just enough to coat them to the strands of squash without scrambling them.

Top with shredded Parmesan before serving. Makes Servings: 6
Per Serving:
Calories – 256
Carbs – 10 net g
Protein – 13 gFat – 19 g

Bacon, pancetta, prosciutto: These three pork products look alike, taste somewhat similar, and even get regularly substituted for each other.