Healthy Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Ingredients:

• 9 stalks celery
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 10 leaves fresh sage
• 3 sprigs fresh curly parsley
• 1 4 lb. roasting chicken
• 1 tsp salt
• 40 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place three celery stalks in the bottom of a Dutch oven about 2 or 3 inches apart. Stack three stalks on top perpendicular and about 2 or 3 inches apart and then place the last three stalks on top perpendicular to the second row and also about 2 or 3 inches apart to form a grid of celery.

Rinse the chicken well and pat dry. Rub the surface of the chicken and the cavity with the salt.

Place the 40 cloves of garlic in the cavity of the chicken and drizzle the oil over the garlic.

Place the chicken on top of the grid of celery and pour the wine into the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley to the pot and cover.

Place the covered pot in the preheated oven and reduce the temperature to 325°F. Cook for 30 minutes and remover the cover. Cook another 15 to 30 minutes until a meat thermometer at the thigh reads 160°F. Remove and let the chicken rest for at least ten minutes. Remove the skin before carving.

Remove the cloves of garlic and place in a bowl. Serve the chicken with a healthy whole grain slice of bread spread with roasted garlic cloves.

Lisa’s Frozen Chocolate Pudding Pops

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Milk (use 1% low-fat, or maybe skim even, for a healthier pop)
• 1 Package Instant Chocolate Pudding (use sugar-free for healthier pop)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla
• 6 Ice Pop Molds (as sold in department and kitchen stores) or 6 paper cups
• 6 Popsicle Sticks

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very thick, the mix should be thick enough so that you can stand a Popsicle stick up in it and it won’t move. Pour in molds, or cups, stick a Popsicle stick in each one, and freeze for at least 5 hours. Run the mold under warm water, or warm with your hand, and pull out the pop. enjoy!!

Lisa’s Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted vegetable oil spread or margarine
• 3/4 cup of Splenda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)

Directions:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix melted butter substitute into the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the Splenda, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Peppercorn Steak

Ingredients:

• 4 good-sized steaks (1/2 pound to a pound each, allow for 1/2 pound per person)
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, canola oil, or other high smoke-point tasteless oil
• 1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or onions
• 1/4 cup cognac or other brandy (when I make this for both of us I only use 1/8 cup or less and it tastes just about as good)
• 1 cup beef broth or stock (for gluten-free version use gluten-free stock)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or for a healthier alternative use 1/4 cup evaporated skim milk)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Directions:

Lightly salt both sides of the steaks and let them come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. (Use a pan that can handle high heat. Cast iron works well for this, or anodized aluminum. Do NOT use a non-stick pan as you will not get the fond you need to build the sauce.) When you get the first few wafts of smoke off of the oil take the pan off the heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels (steaks brown better if they are patted dry first) and place in the hot pan. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat down to medium-high. Sear the steaks without moving them for at least 4 minutes. Try to pick up a steak with tongs, and if it comes clean, flip it and turn the heat down to medium. If it sticks to the pan, let it cook for another minute or two on that side.

For this recipe, we sear on one side on high heat, and cook on lower heat on the other side. This way you get great flavor from the seared side, and better control over how done you want your steak by cooking the other side more slowly. Use the finger test for doneness or a meat thermometer. For rare, remove the meat from the pan when the inside reaches 120°F, for medium rare 125-130°F. Once the steak is done to your liking remove the meat to a baking sheet and sprinkle on a generous portion of crushed black peppercorns on both sides of each steak, do not press the peppercorns into the meat as the pressure will surely force out juices at this stage, simply allow the weight of the steak to do the work. Tent with aluminum foil and let the steak rest while you are preparing the sauce.

Now, if we have done a good job searing the steak, and haven’t used a non-stick pan, then there should be plenty of fond in the pan. Fond is the yummy brown bits that are left in the pan which are the basis for most pan sauces. Add the onion/shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, adding a tiny bit of oil if needed. Next, we will add the brandy and as it boils, deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to dislodge all the fond. Once the brandy is almost cooked away, add the beef stock and turn the heat to high. Boil the sauce down until there’s a noticeable trail when you drag a wooden spoon through the center of it (4-5 minutes).

Pour in the cream/evaporated milk and resume boiling. Again, boil down until you can make that telltale trail from the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and add the parsley and any remaining black pepper. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Pour the sauce over the steaks right when you serve. Serves 4-6, depending on how big the steaks, and how hungry your diners are, but believe me they WILL be hungry after smelling this cooking.

Healthy Substitutions

Ideas:

Cut down on heavy cream. If making a sauce, soup, or casserole, use evaporated skim milk instead. If baking, use light cream.

You can use low-fat or nonfat cheese in place of regular cheese. Since nonfat cheese doesn’t melt, though, it’s not a good choice for cooked meals, but these days most low-fat cheeses melt just fine. Another alternative is to decrease the portions while boosting the flavor. Instead of adding a cup of regular cheddar, use 3/4 cup of extra sharp cheddar. Likewise, 3/4 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan will add just as much zip as a cup of the grated stuff from the shaker.

Low-fat cream cheese is a good alternative to regular cream cheese. Just keep in mind that nonfat cream cheese will get very runny in cake frosting and dip.

When cooking with all-purpose flour, use half of the usual amount and complete the recipe with whole-wheat flour, an excellent source of fiber. (For some recipes, if the flavor seems a little strong, you can cut back a bit on this ratio and go to 2/3 all-purpose to 1/3 whole-wheat). Every little bit healps.

Think skim. Skim or 1 percent milk makes a perfect stand-in for whole milk.

Instead of evaporated whole milk, try evaporated skim milk.

Switch to healthier fats. That means cutting out lard, butter, palm oil, coconut oil, and shortenings made with these oils. Instead, use healthy oils such as olive, canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, sesame, peanut, and cottonseed.

Go easy on the oil. If a recipe calls for a cup of oil, use 3/4 or 2/3 of a cup instead. If making a sweet bread such as banana bread, cut the oil in half and replace it with pureed plums or prunes, mashed banana, applesauce, or canned pumpkin. However, it’s best not to skimp on oil when making yeast breads or pie crusts. (Eliminating the oil completely makes for a pretty “gummy” product.)

When baking, use one cup of plain low-fat yogurt instead of one cup of sour cream. You’ll hardly notice the difference, and you’ll end up with 350 fewer calories, 44 fewer grams of total fat, and nearly 28 fewer grams of saturated fat.

Instead of one large egg, try two large egg whites. If baking, replace half of the eggs with egg whites. (For instance, instead of using two whole eggs, use one egg and two egg whites.) Desserts and breads baked with egg whites only tend to be tough. You can also use egg substitutes in recipes. Generally, ¼ cup of egg substitute is equal to one whole egg. If a recipe calls for two or more eggs, you can use one whole egg and use either egg whites or egg substitutes for the others.

If you’re baking something sweet, you can replace regular sour cream with nonfat sour cream. Don’t try this in a savory casserole — nonfat sour cream turns sweet when heated.

If you add nuts to a recipe, reduce the quantity and make sure to toast them. This helps bring out the flavor with fewer calories.

If you’re on a low-sodium diet, you can reduce (or eliminate) the salt in many recipes without killing the flavor. Try adding herbs and spices instead of salt.

Strawberry Shortcake Mini’s

Ingredients:

• 18 to 24 small biscuits appox 1 1/2″ in diameter (I am not going to bother with a recipe for the biscuits, just use your favorite one possibly modified as described above)
• 2 baskets of fresh strawberries, rinsed, stems removed and discarded, sliced (1/8″ to 1/4″ thick)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle sugar over them. Gently mix so that the sugar coats most of the strawberries. Let sit until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries release their moisture.

To make the whipped cream, make sure you are starting with cream that is very cold. It helps to chill the bowl first too. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream until it just begins to firm up. Sprinkle the sugar and vanilla over the cream. Continue to whip until it is thick and holds its shape. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled until it’s time to assemble the mini strawberry shortcakes.

Gently break apart the small biscuits (again approx 1 1/2″ in diameter), separating the tops from the bottoms. Place a strawberry slice or two on each half, and place a dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Voilá! You have your strawberry shortcake minis.

Healthified Grilled Fajita Pitas

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces beef flank steak
• 1/2 cup bottled light clear Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups mixed spring baby salad greens
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
• 1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and thinly sliced
• 3 whole wheat pita bread rounds, halved

Directions:

Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.

In a screw-top jar, combine salad dressing, lime peel, lime juice, and cilantro. Cover and shake well. Pour half of the salad dressing mixture into a small bowl and add onion; cover and chill until serving time. Pour the remaining salad dressing mixture in jar over steak in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain steak, discarding marinade. Sprinkle steak with salt and black pepper. For a charcoal grill, place steak on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 17 to 21 minutes for medium doneness (160°F), turning once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place steak on grill rack. Cover and grill as above.) (To broil, place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 15 to 18 minutes for medium doneness [160°F], turning once.)

To serve, thinly slice steak across the grain. In a large bowl, toss together steak, salad greens, red pepper, avocado, and reserved dressing mixture. Fill each pita half with steak mixture.

Nutritional Information
1 filled pita half: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 460mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 3g); Protein 17g
Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 25%; Vitamin C 60%; Calcium 4%; Iron 15%
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Deadly Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 cups/1 lb of confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips (can substitute semi-sweet if you can’t find the dark, but don’t try to use milk chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• egg whites from 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp good-quality vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 320F degrees and position racks in the top and bottom third. Line three (preferably rimmed) baking sheets with parchment paper. Or you can bake in batches with fewer pans.

Sift together the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Stir in the chips, then add the egg whites and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

Spoon the batter onto the prepared sheets in mounds of about 2 tablespoons each, allowing for PLENTY of room between cookies. These cookies are like reverse Shrinky Dinks – they expand. Don’t try to get more than 6 cookies on each sheet, and try to avoid placing the batter too close to the edge of the pan.

Bake until they puff up. The tops should get glossy, and then crack a bit – about 12 -15 minutes. Have faith, they look sad at first, then really blossom. You may want to rotate the pans top/bottom/back/front.

Slide the cookies still on parchment onto a cooling rack, and let them cool completely. They could keep in an airtight container for a couple days or longer, but you won’t have to worry about them going stale as they will have been eaten long before that.

Crock Pot St. Patty’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet Vidalia onion, quartered
• 1 well-trimmed corned beef brisket (3 to 3 1/2 lb)
• 4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 6 red potatoes, halved
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 – 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp cream-style prepared horseradish
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 large cabbage

Directions:

In 5 to 6 quart slow cooker, place onion, potatoes, and carrots. Thoroughly rinse beef; discarding the seasoning packet. Place beef on the vegetables and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. In small bowl, mix broth and Worcestershire sauce and pour over the beef until it just covers the veggies.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high and add the cabbage, cooking it until softened but still crispy, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. In small bowl, stir sour cream, horseradish and parsley until blended. Slice brisket across the grain, serve with vegetables, mustard and horseradish sauce. Pass extra cooking liquid at the table.