Beef Chow Mein

4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups assorted fresh vegetables
1/3 cup beef broth
Chow mein noodles or hot cooked rice

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add beef; toss to coat. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium. Add vegetables and broth; stir-fry for 4 minutes. Return beef to the pan; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve with chow mein noodles or rice. Yield: 2 servings.

Green Beans with Bacon and Feta

8 slices bacon - cooked, crumbled and divided
1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut green beans
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water


Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly browned but only slightly crisp. Drain grease, leaving a small amount in the skillet for later use. Crumble bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish, and set aside.

Cook frozen beans in a covered, microwavable dish for about 3 minutes until thawed, but not fully cooked. Drain liquid, pat dry, and set aside.


Reheat skillet with residual bacon grease over medium-high heat. Stir in bacon and garlic until garlic is lightly golden. Add green beans and feta cheese, and season with onion powder and black pepper. Cook and stir until most of the feta cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with remaining feta cheese and crumbled bacon. Serve hot.

Baby Blue Punch

1 (0.13 ounce) package blue, berry flavored unsweetened drink mix
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle white cranberry juice
8 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup white sugar, or to taste


In a large punch bowl, stir together the drink mix, lemon-lime soda, and white cranberry juice. Taste, and stir in sugar to your liking. (I like to add the whole cup.) Float scoops of ice cream on the top. The ice cream melts somewhat and turns the punch a beautiful baby blue color with frothy white clouds floating on the top.

Great for a baby boy shower...float a couple rubber ducks in the top

Almost Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground beef
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large green pepper cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice


In a large skillet, brown beef; drain. Set beef aside and keep warm. In the same skillet, combine water, tomatoes, green pepper, onion and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender. Stir in rice; cover and remove from the heat. let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in beef; return to the stove and heat through.

Serves 6

Almond Broccoli Stir-Fry

10 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

In a nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry broccoli in oil for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar and ginger; cook for 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle with lemon juice and almonds.

Serves 8

Corn Dogs

1 quart oil for deep frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 pounds hot dogs
wooden sticks


Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in melted bacon drippings. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, buttermilk, and baking soda. Mix until everything is smooth and well blended.
Pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels so that the batter will stick. Insert wooden sticks into the ends. Dip the hot dogs in the batter one at a time, shaking off the excess. Deep fry a few at a time in the hot oil until they are as brown as you like them. Drain on paper towels or serve on paper plates.

20 servings.

Ultimate Roast Beef Blues Sandwich

4 whole wheat sub rolls, lightly toasted
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
16 fresh basil leaves
1 pound thinly sliced cooked deli roast beef
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Open the rolls and spread each side with 1 to 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Place 4 basil leaves on four of the rolls. Layer the same four rolls with the roast beef, 1 to 2 tablespoons of blue cheese, and a sprinkling of walnuts. Top each with the remaining half rolls.


To toast walnuts
Heat the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir frequently.

Serves 4.

Couscous Feta Salad

2 cups water
1 1/3 cups couscous

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 (4 ounce) container crumbled feta cheese
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts


Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, and stir in the couscous. Cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Scrape the couscous into a mixing bowl, fluff with a fork, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

Once the couscous is cold, make the dressing by whisking together the salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until the oil has thickened the dressing. Fold the cucumber, feta cheese, green onions, parsley, and pine nuts into the couscous. Pour the dressing overtop, and stir until evenly moistened. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Can substitute walnuts for pine nuts

Blueberry Walnut Salad

1 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the blueberries, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette. Top with feta cheese to serve.

To make this into the main course add grilled chicken, steak or salmon. This is good with diced apples in it as well.

Serves 6

Blackberry Spinach Salad

3 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1 pint fresh blackberries
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup edible flowers (optional)


In a large bowl, toss together baby spinach, blackberries, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, green onion, and walnuts. I would use a nice light dressing like a Tuscan Italian or something similar.

Serves 8

Avocado Watermelon Spinach Salad

2 large avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
4 cups cubed watermelon
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing


In a salad bowl, toss together the avocado, watermelon cubes and spinach. Stir in salad dressing just before serving.

Serves 4

Avocado Citrus Salad

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
8 cups torn salad greens
2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup green grapes
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Add avocados. In a large salad bowl, toss remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over salad and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Arugula and Watermelon Salad

2 (5 ounce) packages arugula
1/2 large watermelon, seeded and cubed
1 red onion, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinaigrette


Toss the arugula, watermelon, red onion, and feta cheese with the balsamic vinaigrette in a large bowl. Serve cold.

Serves 12.

I would also try substituting baby spinach for the arugula.

Apple Avocado Salad with Tangerine Dressing

1/2 (10 ounce) package baby greens
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 apple - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

2 mandarin oranges, juiced
1/4 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste

In a large bowl, toss together the baby greens, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese, and lemon zest. Mix in the apple and avocado just before serving.


In a container with a lid, mix the mandarin orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Drizzle over the salad as desired.

Serves 5.

Leave out the cheese for a Daniel Fast.

Almond and Baby Bok Choy Asian Salad

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 heads baby bok choy, cleaned and sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup croutons


Whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame seeds in a small bowl, then set aside. Toss together the romaine, bok choy, carrot, almonds, and croutons in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, and serve immediately.

Grilled Potato Wedges

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fajita seasoning
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup spicy ranch dressing, like Hidden Valley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice

heat grill. Pierce potatoes with fork. In microwave, cook 3 min or starting to soften. Remove; let sit 2 min. Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch thick wedges. In bowl, combine olive oil, fajita seasoning, minced garlic and salt, if desired. Add potatoe wedges; toss to coat. Grill 8 min., or until tender, turning once. In bowl, combine dressing, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Serve dipping sauce with wedges.

Lemon-Raspberry Fizz

1 container (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 bottle (1 liter) club soda, chilled
1/2 cup Raspberry Syrup
1 cup fresh raspberries

In pitcher, combine first 3 ingredients. Divide raspberries among 4 glasses. Pour mixture into glasses and garnish with lemon rind, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Herb Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp chopped, flat-leafed parsley
1 Tbsp each minced sage and thyme

Heat oven to 400 F. In large mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, chopped parsley adn minced sage and thyme. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Pour milk into center of well. Using fork, stir flour mixture until combined. Divide herbed batter among 12-cup muffin tin lightly coated with cooking spray.

Bake 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Ego's Your Way

These two recipes were taken out of a Family Circle magazine ad for Ego waffles.

Brock's Chinese Checkers
Drizzle Ego with Syrup
Place 2 rows each of raspberries and blueberries on opposite sides of each Ego.
2 waffles

Tropical Storm

Drizzle with syrup
Top with a spoonful of strawberry cream cheese and pineapple chunks (fresh is best but canned would be ok too), and sprinkle with coconut.
2 waffles.

A great way to add some fruit to the kids' diet!

BLT with Avocado Spread

Spread
1 extra ripe avocado
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Sandwich
8 slices turkey bacon
8 slices whole-wheat bread
8 leaves romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Combine spread ingredients in a bowl. Mash until smooth and set aside. Prepare bacon as directed on package; drain thoroughly on paper towels. Toast bread. Place 4 slices on 4 plates. Spread an equal amount of avocado spread on each slice. Top each with 1/4 of the bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion. Cover each with another slice of toast. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Roast Beef Pita

3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 pound deli roast beef, cut into thin strips
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup crumbled feta
4 whole-wheat pita pockets
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Toast pine nuts: Place in a dry small skillet over medium heat; stir occasionally until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Cool. Toss nuts, beef, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, onion and feta in a bowl. Slice off 1/4 of each pita; stuff larger piece with filling. Whisk mayonnaise, milk and vinegar in another bowl. Drizzle dressing over pita filling. Serve with remaining 1/4 pita.

Baby Spinach and Raspberry Salad

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, tarragon, chives and basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup canola oil
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 oranges, peeled, membranes removed, segmented
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2-inch strips
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

Heat oven to 350°F. Toast sunflower seeds on a cookie sheet for 4 minutes. Whisk together vinegar, honey, herbs, garlic, and shallot. Slowly whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. In a bowl, toss spinach with 2 tbsp vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with sunflower seeds and remaining ingredients and serve.

Serves 4.

Grill some chicken or lean steak for with this salad. Yummy!

Wild-Berry Pops

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 cup prepared blueberry juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Blend 3/4 cup blackberries and 3/4 cup blueberries with yogurt, blueberry juice, honey and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Stir in remaining berries. Pour into molds and add sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Minty Grape Pops

1/2 cup fresh or bottled lime juice
1/4 cup honey
4 cups red grapes, halved
1/4 cup packed fresh mint

Whisk lime juice and honey in a bowl until honey dissolves. Stir in 2 cups cold water. Spoon grapes and mint into molds. Add lime-honey mixture and sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Fresh Fruit with Spiced Chips and Strawberry Dip

Spcied Crisps
2 (6-inch) pita breads
1 Tbsp margarine or butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Fresh Fruit
2 lb seedless green grapes
3 pints whole fresh strawberries, stems on

Strawberry Dip

2 (6-oz) containers low-fat strawberry yogurt
1 (8-oz) container light sour cream
1/2 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 375 F. Split pitas into 4 rounds. Brush rough side of each round with margarine. In small bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle over rounds. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp.

Wash grapes and strawberries. Separate grapes into clusters and arrange fruit in a large basket or on a platter.

In small bowl, combine all dip ingredients; blend well. Spoon into serving bowl. Serve dip with spiced crisps and fruit.

10 servings

Grilled Chicken Vegetable Salad

4 oz (1 1/2 cups) uncooked rotini (spiral pasta)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup fat free Caesar Salad dressing
1 zucchini, cut lenthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded
1/2 small eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 cups torn romaine lettuce

Heat grill. Cook rotini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool. drain well.

Meanwhile, brush chicken with 1 tbsp of salad dressing. If desired, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

When ready to grill, place chicken, zucchini, bell pepper (skin side down) and eggplant on gas grill over medium heat (or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals). Cook 10 to 13 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender, it's juices running clear and vegetables are tender, turning once. (When grilling red bell pepper skin side down, there is no need to turn during the grilling time.)

Cut each chicken breast half crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces.

In large bowl, combine cooked rotini, vegetable and lettuce. Add remaining salad dressing; toss to coat evenly. Arrange salad mixture evenly on 5 dinner plates. Arrange chicken breast on top of each salad.

Makes 5 (2-cup) servings.

To broil chicken and vegetables: Place on broiler pan; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat using times above as a guide.

Greek Pita Pizzas

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 small garlic cloves
2 Tbsp skim milk
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 (8-inch) pitas
1 large tomatoe, chopped
4 oz (1 cup) crumbled basil and tomato flavored feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 425 F. In food processor bowl with metal blade or blender container, combine beans, garlic, milk and lemon juice; cover andprocess until smooth.

Spread abut 3 tbsp of mixture onto each pita. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Top each with tomato, cheese, olives and parsley.
Bake at 425 F for 5 minutes or until pizzas are heated through and cheese is melted.

6 pizzas.

French Toast Strata

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp margarine or butter, melted
8 (1/2-inch thick) daigaonal slices hearty French Bread (such as sourdough or whole wheat)
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1 tsp ginger
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
powdered sugar

Spray 12x8-inch (2 quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and margarine; blend well. Spread misture in bottom of sprayed dish. Arrange bread slices over brown sugar mixture.

In medium bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, milk and ginger; blend well. Pour over bread in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 F. Uncover baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 mintues or until center is puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately with strawberries and powdered sugar.

4 servings.

Serve with a nice glass of orange juice and some turkey bacon. Yummy!

Avocado Dip

1 medium avocado
1 cup plain yogurt
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste

In blender puree flesh of avocado with yogurt. Add salt and lemon to taste.

Sweet Potato Fries

1 to 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
Shortening or oil
salt and pepper to taste

Fry sweet potato fries in shortening until lightly golden. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Avocado Dip.

Breakfast Hash

2 lbs small white potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 med yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, preferable red and/or yellow, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
8 small soy "sausages" thinly sliced
4 oz fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
Chipotle powder

In a large pot, put potatoes ans add enouch cold water to cover. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and cool.

In very large heavy skillet (or 2 10-inch skillets cooking potatoes and onions in one and garlic, peppers, rosemary and "sausage" in the other. Add sausage mixture to potatoes just before adding eggs.), heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook stirring occasionally, until crsipy and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, ropsemary and "sausages". Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook, stirring often, jsut untl spinach wilts.

Break eggs over hash, and cook until eggs are set. Quickly flip eggs over to briefly cook on other side, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with a dash of chipotle powderif desired. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

If you prefer, the eggs can easily be omitted from this dish; the "sausage" can be actual sausage but that would then eliminate it from the Daniel Fast Foods

Sesame Garlic Shrimp and Noodle Salad

1/4 pkg (114 g) dry wheat flour Asian noodles
1 pkg (340 g) green beans, trimmed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 pkg (907 g) frozen, uncooked Pacific White Shrimp thawed, tails, removed
2 Tbsp minced ginger
1/4 cup Sesame Garlic Cooking Sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook noodles until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Add green beans in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss in 1 tsp vegetable oil; set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook just until turning pink, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and cook 1 min. Add cooking sauce, lime juice and sou sauce. Add noodles and green beans and saute until hot. Transfer to a boil; sprinkle with sesame seeds and add green onions.

Serves 8

* Note: If you can't find the wheat clour noodles substitute spaghetti or vermicelli.

Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli

1 1/2 lb stip loin steak
1 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets
1 red pepper, thinkly sliced
1/2 cup teriyaki cooking sauce
1/3 cup beef broth
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

Slice beef across the grain into very thin strips, trimming and discarding any excess fat. Place in a bowl with 1 tsp cornstarch and soy sauce. Let sit 10 min.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir fry until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Return skillet to heat and add remaining oil. Add broccoli and red pepper and stir-fry until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Add beef and cooking sauce, tossing to coat; cook until hot. In a small bowl, whisk remaining cornstarch with beef broth until smooth, stir into skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about two minutes. Transfer to a platter and top with green onions.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Tip: Place the beef in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice into thin strips.

Serves 8

Mini Broccoli and Cheese Frittatas

1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped sundried tomatoes
5 eggs
1/8 cup (30 mL) Honey Dijon Dressing
2/3 cup 1% milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Partially fill the 4 corner cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with water. Spray remaining 8 cups with non-stick spray. divide broccoli, onion and sundried tomatoes equally between the 8 greased cups.

Whisk eggs with milk, garlic, the salad dressing, salt & pepper (to taste) until well combined. Pour an equal amount into each filled cup. Bake for 15 min. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is melted and eggs are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 2 min. run a knife blade around the edge of each frittata before removing from pan.

Serving suggestion: Serve 2 frittatas with salad greens with more of the honey dijon dressing for a nice, healthy lunch.

These can also be frozen in freezer bags (flash freeze first) and pulled out to thaw for a quick breakfast or for school/work lunches.

Peanut Butter Apple Roll-ups

1 small whole wheat tortilla
1 Tbsp peanut butter
think strips of 1/4 of a Granny Smith apple
thin slices of a 4-inch celery stalk
1 1/2 tsp dried blueberries
a pinch of toasted sesame seeds

Assemble tortilla with above ingredients, leaving a 1-inch border from the edge. Roll up, cut and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Great for snacks, school lunches (if you don't have allergy restrictions in place at your school) or for an ala carte lunch). Depending on your child or the situation, this recipe could be a great breakfast idea as well.

Lemon-Pepper Tuna Wraps

1 can (85 g) Lemon & Pepper Flaked Light Tuna (or any flavor of your choice)
3/4 tsp (4 mL) olive oil
3/4 tsp (4 mL) balsamic vinegar
chopped basil
yellow pepper, chopped
2 large lettuce leaves
1 radish, sliced
1 tsp toasted almond slices

Mix together basil, yellow pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and tuna. Spoon into lettuce leaves and sprinkle with radish and almonds.

Make a delicious, healthy snack or lunch for anyone in the family!

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn slow cooker on High.

Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed.

Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Freezer Garlic Bread

Loaf of french bread
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

Take a loaf of french bread, and make cuts every once inch down the loaf, not cutting quite through the bottom. Soften one cup of butter or margarine and mix with two crushed cloves of garlic. Spread evenly between the slices. Wrap in aluminum foil, then wrap in a large freezer bag.

To serve, remove from freezer and remove plastic wrap. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Open the foil wrapper to allow steam to vent, increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and heat for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Freezer Hot Sub Sandwiches

Place frozen in the lunch in the morning and it will be thawed by lunchtime! Makes 8 sub sandwiches, can easily double or triple for a month's worth of lunches!

8 individual 6" submarine style buns
Margarine
8 slices meat (salami, ham, etc)
8 slices mozzarella cheese
8 slices cooked turkey or chicken
4 oz crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Slice each bun into three pieces horizontally, spreading margarine in each layer. In the top layer, add turkey/chicken and blue cheese. Bottom layer, add salami/ham and cheese. Wrap and freeze.

Remove from freezer and allow to thaw. Reheat in microwave oven (30 seconds to 2 minutes)

Freezer French Toast

Make your own freezer french toast rather than buying similar commercial frozen ones from the grocery store! Makes 16 slices for quick breakfasts.

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp salt
16 slices white bread

Heat oven to 500F. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, and salt, mixing well. Dip slices, then place on baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake about 5 minutes, until bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Cool then freeze in single layer. Once frozen (about two hours) they can be packaged individually or placed in a single freezer bag.

To cook:Remove from freezer, and heat in toaster or toaster oven, then serve.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.


In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.


Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool. or simply place them on a sheet of wax paper. White chocolate may be drizzled over the milk chocolate for a fancier look.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon steak sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


Preheat the grill for medium heat.


In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Serves 4

Cinnamon-Vanilla Yogurt Dip

1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of your favourite vanilla yogurt

Mix all of the ingredients well and serve with sliced fruits, graham crackers, teddy grahams, etc for dipping.

Tasty Chicken Sandwiches

1/2 cup Pesto, store bought or homemade
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped up, cooked chicken breast (1/4 cup chopped celery
Bread, bagels, wraps

Mix the first four ingredients well, and spread evenly over surface of bread.


I know I get sick of sending my kids to school with balogna sandwiches; how much nutrition is in that? Yuck! So I have beent rying to find different recipes or ideas that will allow for more "real" food instead of all that processed, preservative laden, filer type foods. And not just for them! I want to have good lunches too that don't make me wish I was eating a BigMac instead of something healthy and nutritious!

Italian Sandwiches

1/2 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise
2 chicken pesto breasts, sliced
1/2 cup tomato or pizza sauce
1/4 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper

Place the baguette on the baking sheet and top each piece with half of the sauce, chicken breast and cheese

Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until bread is crispy and the cheese has melted

If your school has a toaster oven this would be good to take for lunches by, either keeping with the baguette or by using a halved english muffin.

Recipe for Pesto chicken breasts just below.

Roasted Pesto Chicken

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of pesto

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper

Place chicken breasts and pesto in large bowl. Toss together in a mixing bowl and place chicken breasts on the baking sheets

Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and cook for 25 minutes or until breasts are no longer pink inside and when pierced the juices run clear.

Frozen Banana Bites

What did I do Saturday? Thanks for asking; I am so glad you did.

We bought a big bunch of bananas when we got groceries and they were pretty ripe. As I have mentioned before, our house gets incredibly hot as soon as nice weather hits so anything on the counter will surely rot faster than can be eaten. We LOVE to have popsicle type things at our house for those hot days but I really don't like feeding my kids that much sugar so...I have, over the years tried a number of different things.

Here are a couple of those ideas (that I did on Saturday, sicne you begged for them):

Cut a banana in half and pierce with a wooden craft stick (make sure that it is in the banana far enough that it won't fall out once frozen and your kids end up crying because they have lost their treat. {Grin}) Coat in yogurt (any flavor) and then toss with granola. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and allow to freeze (approximately 2-3 hours); once frozen place in freezer bag for storing.

(I have also melted chocolate, covered in crushed nuts, coconut, sprinkles, etc and then froze them that way)

I had a couple of bananas left over that I didn't have sticks for so I simply sliced them up in slightly thick slices, placed them on a pan covered with wax paper and froze them as well. Once they were frozen I put them in a freezer bag to store in our freezer. They are like little silver dollars of healthy ice cream or something. Delicious!

Now on to the variation I saw.

Here goes!

Frozen Banana Bites

2 bananas, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tbsp milk
assortment of toppings....skor pieces, nuts, dried fruit or coconut

Stir chocolate, milk and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

PLace each of the toppings you are going to use in small bowls.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and slice bananas into 1/2 inch chunks.

Using a fork, dip each piece of banana into the chocolate and cover completely.

Dip each chocolate covered piece into one of the toppings

Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining banana pieces

When all of the pieces are covered into chocolate and toppings, place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until frozen solid.

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

8 tortillas
2 small chicken breasts (or 1 large), cooked and sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
3 tbsp of taco sauce
1/2 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese


In a small mixing bowl, combine the chicken, spinach and taco sauce and set aside.

Lay out four tortillas on your counter-top and spread each with an even amount of the chicken mixture.

Top with cheese and then cover with the other tortilla shell. You could also add toppings just to one half of the tortilla and fold the other half over as the top.

Place on a pizza pan ( or cookie sheet) and bake until golden brown and cheese is melted. You will have to carefully flip the quesadillas. (I would even try to cook these on the barbeque if it were a hot day - sicne we can't even thinking about making toast in our house in the summer or it gets too hot!)

Soba Noodle and Beef Stir-Fry

1 package of buckwheat soba noodles
1 large steak, sliced
4 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and grated
2 cups of peas, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 tsbp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Add half to a shallow dish and place the beef on top. Turn to coat and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes (you can leave it all day if you want to do this before you go to work).

Once the beef has sat for a while, heat a skillet over med-high heat and drizzle some olive oil in the pan. Add the beef and allow to cook.

While the beef is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the noddles. Allow the noodles to cook 5-7 minutes.

While the noodles are cooking stir the beef around, and when cooked though add the spinach, carrots, peas and sesame seeds and toss well.

Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet. Cover with the remaining sauce, heat though and serve.

A friend of mine tried this and said her only regret was that she hadn't doubled the recipe and she substituted bok choy for the spinach.

Cabbage/Veggie Soup

6 large green onions
2 green peppers
1 or 2 cand of tomatoes (diced or shole)
3 carrots
1 container (10 oz or so) mushrooms
1 bunch of celery
half a head of cabbage
1 package Lipton soup mix (we didn't use so optional)
1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
1 48 oz can of V8 juice (optional)
Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc. (we used italian seasoning, oregano and lots of black pepper)

Slice green onions, put in a pot and start to saute with cooking spray.

Cut green pepper into bite sized pieces and add to the pot.

Take the outer leaves off the cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces and add to the pot.

Clean carrots, slice and add.

Slice mushrooms into thick slices and add.

If you would like a spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayene pepper now.

You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasonings as these have all the salt and flavorings you will need.

Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups water and the V8 juice), cover and put on low heat. Let soup cook for a long time - 2 hours works well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We cooked ours on Low heat in the slow cooker while we were at work. This is a very good and filling soup and I think it would freeze well.

MckMama's MckPancakes

MckPancakes
2 c. regular old pancake mix
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. flaxseed meal
1/2 c. almond butter
1 banana
1 tsp. flaxseed oil
1 egg
1/3 c. plain, whole yogurt
1/4 c. honey
dash cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl, blend pancake mix, flaxseed meal and cinnamon. Set aside.In blender, combine almond butter, oil, egg, honey, yogurt and banana. Blend until smooth.Add blended mixture and water to the dry mix. Stir together well. Make pancakes out of the batter.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3-5 Tbsp shortening (margarine)
2/3 c milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add milk and mix lightly. Drop by spoonful of greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 F for 12 minutes.

Basic Bannock

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 c lard, oil or margarine
water or milk (enough to make a dough)

Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add in the lard or oil and then put in milk or water and mix with a spoon.

Take dough out of bowl and knead it (not too much). Put dough in a medium-sized flat pan and cook about 45 minutes at 375 - 400 F.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 c cold water
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 c water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Mix together the 1/2 c of cold water, sugar, vinegar and ketchup. Mix 1/2 c water and cornstarch. Add this to the first liquid and boil until thickened.

Potato Wedges

4 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

Soak cut potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes. Spray non-stick pan. Dry potatoes. Toss in bowl with oil, salt, pepper. Bake 20 minutes at 425 F. Turn. Sprinklw tih minced garlic and bake another 20 minutes - turning at 10 minutes.

Mom's Buns

3 c lukewarm water
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c oil

Stir together. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp fast rise yeast over the top.

Beat 2 eggs & stir into the mixture. Approximately 8 cups flour (add until soft sticky but not clingy and mix with your hands.)

Cover. Let rise 20 minutes and punch down. Punch down a total of 3 times (every 20 minutes). Make into buns. Cover. Let rise 1 hour.

350 F for approximately 15 minutes.

Note: the first time you let the dough rise, cover with vegetable oil so it doesn't get a crust.)

I also ♥ making cinnamon buns with this recipe.

Banana Crunch Pops

1/2 cup fat-free yogurt (any flavor)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup granola with dried fruit
4 flat wooden craft sticks
2 medium bananas, halved crosswise

Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. Place yogurt in a small shallow dish; stir i cinnamon. Place granola in another shallow dish.

Insert a stick into each banana piece. Roll banana in yogurt mixture until they are completely covered. Roll in granola to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Freeze about 2 hours or until firm.

Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 mintues. Makes 4 servings.

(After freezing for 2 hours, wrap each coated banana in plastic wrap. Store in the freezer up to one week.

Tropical Fruit Pops

1 cup guava nectar
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup coarsely chopped or sliced fresh fruit (such as strawberries, kiwifruit, papya and/or melon)

In a blender, combine guava nectar, pineapple juice and fresh pineapple chunks. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide chopped or sliced fruit among 12 treat molds pr 4- to 6-ounce paper cups. Pour blended mixture over the fruit.

Add sticks and cover molds. Or cover each cup with foil; make a small hole in the foil with a knife and insert a wooden stick into each cup through hole. Freeze about 4 hours or until firm.

Makes 12 popsicles.

What a great alternative to those awful sugar and artificial flavored popsicles!

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

1/2 cup cold milk
1 pkg (6-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups thawed, whipped topping
1 Graham Crumb Pie crust

In large bowl beat milk, pudding and spice with wire whisk for 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Whisk in pumpkin. Stir in whipped topping. Spread in crust. Refrigerate at least 2 ours or until set.

Garnish as desired (whipped topping sprinkled with cinnamon).

Serves 8.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 refrigerated pie crush (15 oz box)
2 eggs
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
2 cups milk chocolate chips
12 pecan halves for garnish

Heat oven to 32F. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

In a large bowl, beat eggs; beat in flour and then sugar. Continue to beat for 1 minute. Stir in butter and vanilla until completely combined. Fold in chopped peacans and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour into the pie crust.

Bake at 325 F for 55 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Place remaining chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spread melted chocolate over top of pie and garnish with the remaining pecan halves. Allow to cool completely.

Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix cheese, garlic powder and salad dressing mix. Moisten chicken with water and coat with cheese mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish.

Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 min or until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 6.

Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 c shortening
1 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium spped of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, salt and baking soda, and add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Flatten slightly in criss-cross pattern with times of a fork. Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.

Makes 3 dz cookies.

Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake

courtesy stovetop.com

1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package and set aside.
Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and veggies in a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with stuffing
Bake 30 minutess or until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 6.

You're-an-angel cake

1 box angel food cake mix
1 Tbsp orange zest

Glaze
1 tsp orange extract mixed with 3 Tbsp water
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Garnish: fresh pomegranate seeds

Heat oven to 350 F. You need a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Stir in zest. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake, cool and remove cake from pan as package directs.

Glaze: Whisk extract mixture and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Spread over top of the cake, letting excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with pomegranate seeds.
(Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead. Leave in pan, covered and at room temperature. Remove from pan and glaze the day of serving.

Philly Cheesesteak Pita

3/4 lb beef sirloin fast fry steak, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups mild banana peppers (such as Bicks)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste
4 whole wheat pitas
mustard to taste
hot pepper rings
sour cocktail onions
sandwich savers extra garlic pickles
4 slices smoked cheddar cheese

Combine sliced steak and garlic in re-sealable bag and marinate about 2 hours in the fridge.

In a sauce pan, cook onions and mild peppers in oil over high heat, until charred. Remove from pan.

Add beef, salt and pepper to pan. When the beef is nearly cooked add the onions and peppers again. Continue cooking beef to personal preferance.

Meanwhile, lightly sprinkle pitas with water, wrap in parchment paper or paper towels and warm in microwave, about 15 seconds.

Remove pitas from paper, spread each with mustard down the middle and cover with a 1/4 of the meat mixture.

Top with pepper rings, cocktail onions and pickles and cover with the smoked cheese.

Fold the bottom side of the pita over the filling and roll to make a cone.

Wrap each pita in aluminum foil and place back in pan (or BBQ) so that the sandwiches warm and the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Best to eat this straight from the foil as this can get very messy.

Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato-Stuffed Chicken Rolls

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 tub (57 g) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, blanched and thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp chooped fresh thyme
toothpicks to secure
1 Tbsp pure olive oil

Lightly oil grill and preheat barbeque to medium-high.

Place thighs, smooth side down, on a cutting board. Divide cheese crumbles, sundried tomatoes and thyme evenly between the thighs. Fold the ends snugly toward the centre of each and secure with thoothpicks. Lightly brush with oil and place on grill. Close lid and cook until chicken is firm and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 F (77 C). Turn as needed to brown evely on all sides. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

10 min prep time. Serves 4.