The Advantageous Adapter

Smokey Braised Chicken over Pumpkin

2011-12-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

I made this for dinner. Everyone loved it and had it again the next day for lunch. I adapted the recipe in the following ways: The recipe called for sauteing everything in oil. I used water when creating the salsa. I did not saute my garlic, I put it in the blender raw. I left out the salt, it called for one teaspoon to be added at the end. I used the fresh roma tomatoes and can chipotle (2 tablespoons).

What Ya Need:
1 Smoky Chipotle Salsa
2 medium round, or 4 to 5 plum, ripe tomatoes, or one 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 pound lean, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion, thinly chopped/diced
2 cups sliced Swiss chard
4 cups roasted mashed pumpkin.

What Ya Do:

If using fresh tomatoes, place tomatoes on a baking sheet and place baking sheet 4 inches below the preheated broiler. Roast until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes. Turn tomatoes over and roast on the other side, an additional 6 minutes. Let cool, then peel and roughly chop. Transfer tomatoes and any juices to a small bowl; set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat water over medium-high heat. Add onions and chicken; cook, stirring, until chicken is nicely braised, about 10-15 minutes minutes.

Add reserved salsa, tomatoes, and 3 to 4 tablespoons water; stir to combine. Add Swiss chard. Simmer til chard is wilted and all the flavors meld.

Serve over warmed mashed pumpkin.

Smoky Chipotle Salsa

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

A recipe from Rick Bayless that needs no adapting. It's wonderful as it is. I am going to be experimenting with this one quite a bit in my cooking.

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, peeled
4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo (or more if you like really spicy salsa)

Set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once warmed, lay in the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down.

When the tomatillos are well browned, 3 or 4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. The tomatillos should be completely soft.

Scoop the garlic and tomatillos into a blender jar or food processor, along with the chiles and 1/4 cup water. Process to a coarse purée. Pour into a salsa dish and cool.

Thin the salsa with a little additional water, if necessary, to give it an easily spoonable consistency.

Mr. Bayless says that you can replace the tomatillos in this chipotle salsa recipe with roasted tomatoes (two 4-ounce plum tomatoes, roasted like the tomatillos, or half a drained 15-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes), but keep in mind that the tomato will tip the flavor toward sweet rather than tangy.

A little cilantro, fresh thyme, or parsley would be welcomed as well as green or white onion. A splash of mescal (or the less-smoky tequila) makes a borracha (drunken) salsa that’s dynamite.

Preserving Basil Trimings

2011-07-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

With the help of blogs A Pinch Of... and Kalyn's Kitchen I got a little refresher course on how to freeze Basil today and managed to process and store all my basil trimmings for later use.

I couldn't find my little ice cub tray so I ended up using a styrofoam egg carton we recycled. I am hoping once they are freezing they will be easy to get out.

Guess I'll see how it goes!

Crustless Curried Spinach Tart

2010-05-28T12:14:00.001-07:00

This is a lovely dish I had a luncheon today. In fact it was really yummy! They made it rather healthy to start with, but in a quest to log my calories for the day, I discovered that I can make it even healthier with just a few changes! So, I replaced the eggs with egg substitute, the milk with unsweetened almond milk, the part skim ricotta with low fat ricotta cheese, the white flour with whole wheat flour, and the olive oil with water.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Water
1 Cup chopped Onions, fresh
3/4 Cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Milk
2 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Cup Ricotta, Low Fat (Precious)
1 Cup Egg substitute, liquid
4 Egg whites, raw, fresh
1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 10oz package chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the water in a non-stick skillet, add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Mix almond milk and flour until smooth. Add egg and egg white substituted, curry powder and garlic powder. Beat until smooth. Add cooled onion, cheese and spinach.

Pour into 9" pie pan prayed with no stick cooking spray. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. (Until the top is golden brown and the center is set). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 Servings.

Assorted Fruit Sorbets

2010-05-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

Well, as most of my friends and family know I have started to eat a lot more healthy while striving to lose weight in the process. And as summer kicks in in Texas, we usually stock our freezer filled with different types of ice creams. I got to checking the labels and realized that one serving of some of our favorite flavors was like eating a WHOLE meal for me. I need something with more nutrition and less sugar and calories for us to snack on.

With that I started check out homemade ice cream and sorbet recipes... almost every single one of them had 3 egg yolks, whole milk and at least a half a cup of sugar in them.

There had to be a healthier solution!

So, I got in my kitchen and started playing around and I came up with these egg free, sugar free, low calorie and very healthy solutions that are not only great tasting but super easy to make as I always keep my food processor on the counter anyway!

We've made peach and mixed berry so far. Right now I have blackberries that were on sale this week for 77 cents a pint flash freezing for us to make tonight. And with the summer fruit sales and this recipe, we could have sorbet every night for dessert without any guilt what so ever!

Blackberry Sorbet
*1 fluid ounce Lemon Juice (Squeeze of Half a Lemon)
*12 ounce Blackberries, Frozen
*16 ounce Almond Breeze Non-Dairy Beverage, Unsweetened

Put all items in the food processor, process til smooth and enjoy right away or freeze for later. Makes 4 - 3/4 cups servings.

Calories 58, Total Fat 1.9 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 91 mg, Total Carbohydrate 10 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugars 4 g, Protein 2 g, Vitamin A 84 µg (12%), Vitamin C 21 mg , (28%), Calcium 125 mg (13%),
Iron 1 mg (4%)

Peach Sorbet
*1 fluid ounce Lemon Juice
*16 ounce Peaches, Frozen
*16 ounce Almond Breeze Non-Dairy Beverage, Unsweetened

Put all items in the food processor, process til smooth and enjoy right away or freeze for later. Makes 5 servings, each a little more then 1/2 a cup.

Calories 53, Total Fat 1.2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 72 mg, Total Carbohydrate 10 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 6 g, Protein 1 g, Vitamin A 144 g (21%), Vitamin C 83 mg (111%), Calcium 80 mg (8%)

Mixed Berry Sherbet

*1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, vanilla
*1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
*1.5 cup Almond Beverage, Organic - Low Fat Original Almond Milk
*12 ounce Mixed Berry, Frozen Grade A Fancy (Sprouts)

Put all items in the food processor, process til smooth and enjoy right away or freeze for later. Makes 4 servings.

Calories 69, Total Fat 1.2 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 53 mg, Total Carbohydrate 14 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugars 9 g, Protein 0 g, Vitamin A 56 µg (8%), Vitamin C 11 mg (14%)

Bing Cherry Sorbet
*12 oz Bing Cherries
*16 oz Almond Breeze Non-Dairy Beverage, Unsweetened
* 1/4 tsp Almond Extract

Put all items in the food processor, process til smooth and enjoy right away or freeze for later. Makes five 1/2 cup servings.

Calories 61, Total Fat 1.2 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 72 mg, Total Carbohydrate 12 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugars 8 g, Protein 5 g, Vitamin A 75 µg (11%), Vitamin C 4 mg (6%), Calcium 90 mg, (9%), Iron 0 mg

Recipe for Life

2010-04-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Recipe for Instinctive Eating

Ingredients:
1 or 2 servings of food you love
2 tbls of intention
1 heaping tsp of attention
Sprinkle of trust
Optional: pleasure, enjoyment, celebration, tradition

Directions:
1. Care for yourself physically by getting adequate sleep, exercise and nutrition.
2. Create a self-care buffer zone by regularly nurturing your body, mind, heart, and spirit.
3. When you're hungry, consider what you want, what you need, and what you have to eat before choosing food.
4. Decide how you want to feel when you're finished eating; serve yourself accordingly (or adjust the portion if someone else served you).
5. When the food you crave isn't particularly healthful, omit all guilt and shame. Remind yourself that all foods fit when you practice balance, variety, and moderation.
6. Sit down to eat and minimize distractions.
7. Savor the appearance, aromas, textures, and flavors as you eat.
8. Eat slowly and mindfully for maximal enjoyment from every bite.
9. Stop when you feel content and energetic.
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for the remainder of your life.

(Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle)

New Recipe: Jicama & Orange Salad w/Citrus-Cumin Vinaigrette

2010-04-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jicama and Orange Salad with Citrus-Cumin Vinaigrette

A spinach, orange, and jicama salad with an additional antioxidant boost from a citrus vinaigrette spiked with cumin seeds. Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C. For maximum health benefits, cut or juice them just before serving. Vitamins A and C and iron are also provided by baby spinach.

NOTE: I was in a hurry and didn't want to toast and grind cumin seeds. I used already preground cumin from my spice cabinet and it was still wonderful to me!

Nutrition Info:
Serving Size 1: Calories 130, Total Fat 3.1 g , Saturated Fat 0.4 g, Sodium 21 mg, Total Carbohydrate 25 g, Dietary Fiber 8 g , Sugars 13 g , Protein 2 g , Vitamin A 98%, Vitamin 6%, Calcium 10%

New Recipe: BLT Pasta Bake

2009-11-04T07:01:00.001-08:00

I saw this recipe today on ABC's Good Morning America from the kitchen of Rachael Ray! I want to give it try and see if I can Adapt it into something healthier!

BLT Pasta Bake Recipe - ABC News

Lemon-Lime Cucumber Cocktail

2009-05-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Most people who know me know that I like trying new things... but even more then that, I like surprising The S/O with new things. When I found a recipe for a Lemon-Cucumber Cocktail within the February/March 2009 issue of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine, I knew that it sounded weird enough that I just had to try it. Well, I don't like Club Soda, and I've never had Gin but The S/O assured me I wouldn't like it. SO I did a little adapting to it, making it alcohol free and as low calorie as I could but still get that cool refreshing flavor of the citrus and the cucumbers. And I must say, I love it.

Ingredients

* 8 ounce Diet Ginger Ale
* 3-4 thin slices of Lemon
* 3-4 thin slices of Lime
* 2-4 thin slices of cucumber
* Crushed ice
* Fresh mint

Directions: In a large glass, combine all ingredients. I like to bruise the mint and put it into the drink, rather then just garnish with it.

1 serving

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 14	Calories 156
Total Fat 0	Total Fat 0
Cholesterol 0 mg	Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 15 mg	Sodium 49 mg
Total Carbs 5 g	Total Carbs 26.8 g
Fiber 1.8 g	Fiber 1.4 g
Sugar 0.1 g	Sugars 0.4 g
Protein 0.8 g	Protien 0.4 g

Beef, Mushroom and Carrot Stew

2008-02-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on www.CookingLight.com, which is one of the ones I use regularly when searching for something new to try. I did not need to do much adapting to it, save I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil, I used less flour, and I used a really lean roast and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil oil, divided
1 pound small cremini mushrooms
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds bite-sized pieces of really lean beef
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed peeled white or red potato
1 cup (1-inch) sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground red, black, green and white peppercorn mix

Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Spoon mushrooms into a large bowl. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to mushroom mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Add 1 cup wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add thyme, broth, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender.

Stir in potato and carrot. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes to 1 hour or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

8 servings

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 215	Calories 303
Total Fat 5.5	Total Fat 9.8
Sat Fat 1.4 g	Sat Fat 3.2 g
Poly Fat 1.4 g	Poly Fat 0.6 g
Mono Fat 1.6 g	Mono Fat 4.7 g
Cholesterol 50 mg	Cholesterol 71 mg
Sodium 303 mg	Sodium 494 mg
Total Carbs 16 g	Total Carbs 26.8 g
Fiber 2.5 g	Fiber 2.3 g
Sugar 1.7 g	Sugars ? g
Protein 26 g	Protien 26 g

Spicy Posole Soup

2008-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

This came from the 'The World's Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide to the Healthiest Way of Eating' by George Mateljan. It is a quick and easy Mexican flavored soup is very refreshing and spicy. The degree of spiciness will depend on the type of chilis that you use. The kale adds extra taste and an additional boost of nutrition. Make sure you chop the kale fine for this soup. The finer it's chopped the more it will blend with the other flavors and the easier it will be to eat with a spoon. This soup is better after it sits for awhile, allowing the flavors to infuse. There is nothing to adapt in this recipe. It is already very healthy and tastes super yummy!

Ingredients:
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 6 medium cloves garlic, chopped
* 4 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
* 2 TBS fresh lime juice
* 3 cups kale rinsed and chopped fine (remove stems)
* 2 cups canned hominy, drained
* 15 oz can diced tomatoes
* 4 oz can diced green chili
* 3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop onion and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes before cooking to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Rinse kale and remove stems. Chop fine.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in medium sized soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently, until translucent.
4. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
5. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add cilantro, salt and pepper.


     Calories            135.27
     calories from fat    11.20
     calories from saturated fat  1.52
     protein              4.93 g
     carbohydrates        27.03 g
     dietary fiber        6.02 g
     sugar - total        6.43 g
     fat - total          1.24 g
     saturated fat        0.17 g
     mono fat             0.24 g
     poly fat             0.57 g
     cholesterol          0.00 mg

Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

2008-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

Also known as chicken cacciatore, this rustic stew cooks in a rich tomato mushroom sauce. We had this for dinner tonight! Everyone loved it... well except for my teenager who hates everything... It's very healthy, fast and tasty too! I really couldn't do much adapting to it to make it any more healthy then it is other then switching to grapeseed oil. Serve over rice or with a thick slice of crusty bread if you don't mind the added calories and carbs.

Ingredients:
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 pounds
* Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
* 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed or diced tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large (5-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, and serve.

Hazelnut Macaroons

2008-02-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

A Diabetic's Orgasmic Treat. I love Hazelnuts... And this recipe was one of the main sweets that helped me get through the worst of my nutrition changes without going insane. This recipe I adapted from 1,001 Delicious Recipes for People With Diabetes' by Eugene, Spitler and Yoakam. I the first thing I did was drop the coconut out of the recipe entirely. Then I used equal halves of Splenda and sugar and added a serving of Sugar Free Hazelnut Syrup. It didn't quite taste right. So, I did 1/4 of Splenda to the sugar and still with the syrup for an added Hazelnut jolt and it came out perfect!

4 Egg Whites
1/8 teaspoons of cream of tartar
1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Subsitute
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon sugar free Vanilla
1 teaspoon Sugar Free hazelnut flavoring

1. Beat egg whites, cream of tarter and salt to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Beat in sugar, gradually, beating to stiff, shinny peaks. Pour vanilla and flavoring over hazelnuts, mix to cover. Then fold the nuts into egg white mixture.

2. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degees until cookies begin to brown and feel crisp to touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack.

30 Cookies (1 per serving)

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 31.5	Calories 45.8
Total Fat 0.6	Total Fat 1.4
Sat Fat 0.0 g	Sat Fat 0.7 g
Poly Fat 0.1 g	Poly Fat 0.1 g
Mono Fat 0.4 g	Mono Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg	Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 26.9 mg	Sodium 33.0 mg
Total Carbs 5.9 g	Total Carbs 8.0 g
Fiber 0.1 g	Fiber 0.2 g
Sugar 5.7 g	Sugars 6.7 g
Protein 0.7 g	Protien 0.8 g

Of course the adaptation doesn't save you a lot in this recipe... However, sometimes, when every calorie counts for a Hazelnut lover, this is a great snack to replace chocolate to escape it all for a few chewy sweet moments.

Blueberry Scones

2008-02-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

I started with Cooks Illustrated 'The Best Blueberry Scones' recipe taken from their Number Eighty-Seven issue of July & August 2007 and adapted it to something a little more healthier.

9 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Splenda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

          1. Adjust the oven rack to center position and preheat to 425 degrees. Grate a total of 8 tablespoons of frozen butter. Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt one 1 tablespoon of remaining ungrated butter and set aside.
          2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in a small bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, sugars, baking power, baking soda, salt and lemon zest together in a larger bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and gently toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.
          3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, folding with spatula until just combined. With spatula, transfer dough to a liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour and knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
          4. Roll dough into approximately 12 inch square. Then fold dough into thirds. Lift the short ends of the dough and fold into thirds again and then place in the freezer for 5 minutes.
          5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximately 24 by 12 inch retangle. Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the dough and then press down gently to slightly embed them into the dough. Roll the dough, pressing to form a tight log. Lay seam side down and press into 24 by 4 inch retangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut diagonally along the pressed roll to form 16 triangled scones and transfer to parchment lined baking sheet.
          6. Brush tops with melted butter lightly. Bake until tops and bottoms are a golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 servings. The following Nutritional values are for 1 serving:

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 144.4	Calories 355.2
Total Fat 6.1	Total Fat 19.6
Sat Fat 3.7 g	Sat Fat 12.0 g
Poly Fat 0.3 g	Poly Fat 0.8 g
Mono Fat 1.7 g	Mono Fat 5.6 g
Cholesterol 16.5 mg	Cholesterol 51.5 mg
Sodium 175.8 mg	Sodium 338.6 mg
Total Carbs 20.4 g	Total Carbs 41.3 g
Fiber 3.4 g	Fiber 2.2 g
Sugar 6.1 g	Sugars 12.7 g
Protein 2.3 g	Protien 4.6 g

Cranberry Nut Bread

2008-01-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

Classic Recipe:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

Adapted Recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda for baking
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix together flours, sugars, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, oil and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

16 (1 per serving slice)

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 163	Calories 211
Total Fat 4.6	Total Fat 6
Cholesterol 11.7 mg	Cholesterol mg
Sodium 234 mg	Sodium 313 mg
Total Carbs 27 g	Total Carbs 37 g
Protein 3 g	Protien 3 g

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread

2008-01-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

The recipe was adapted from Kraftfoods.com's Layered Pumpkin Loaf. It... well, was awesome. The whole family loved it.

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Splenda for baking
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Fat-Free Cream Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Spray with fat free pam or such on a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1/2 cup of splenda sugar for baking, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugars, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add the flours, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 Tbsp. of Splenda sugar for baking and 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

16 Slices (1 per serving)

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 178	Calories 220
Total Fat 3.7	Total Fat 7.0
Sat Fat 0.3 g	Sat Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 2.7 mg	Cholesterol 10.0 mg
Sodium 220 mg	Sodium 216 mg
Total Carbs 29 g	Total Carbs 35 g
Fiber 1.6 g	Fiber 1.0 g
Sugar 16.3 g	Sugars 21 g
Protein 5.7 g	Protien 5 g

Apricot Cranberry Sauce

2008-01-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

I make this 'every' year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a simple version of Cranberry sauce that everyone in the family loves! I haven't even dared tried to Adapt it... It's just too perfect as it is...

1 12-oz. pkg. fresh cranberries, chopped ( I use a a food processor)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup water

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, and simmer until the cranberries are tender and the sauce begins to thicken. It will continue to thicken as it cools. I have also used an immersion blender to make it a little less chunky for family members who like a smoother texture to their sauce. Makes 12 one ounce servings.

Southern Pecan Pralines

2007-12-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

One of my family's favorites. There is a huge varity of recipes out there for this one. I've rarely messed with the simple Southern version I learned from my Aunt MaryAnn. I was really nervous about trying to adapt this one as well. I hate wasting good pecans! Luckily it turned out as perfect as any of my previous batches.

1 3/4 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Splenda Brown Sugar
1 Cup Fat Free Half and Half
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cups Pecan halves

In at least a 2 quart sauce pan, add the brown sugars and the half and half. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238°). Remove from heat; stir in butter and pecans. Beat for 1 minute or until the candy just begins to lose its gloss. Drop by tablesoonfuls onto waxed paper, shaping with the back of a spoon if needed. You need to do this as quickly as possible as the last quarter of the mixture with thicken fast on you. If it gets too thick to shape, you can try adding a 'little' hot water to make the right consistency.

24 Candies (1 per serving)

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 146.9	Calories 159.1
Total Fat 7.6	Total Fat 9.4
Sat Fat 1.2 g	Sat Fat 2.4 g
Poly Fat 2.0 g	Poly Fat 2.4 g
Mono Fat 4.0 g	Mono Fat 4.5 g
Cholesterol 3.1 mg	Cholesterol 9.2 mg
Sodium 11.3 mg	Sodium 11.3 mg
Total Carbs 20 g	Total Carbs 20 g
Fiber 1 g	Fiber 1 g
Sugar 2.9 g	Sugars 3 g
Protein 1 g	Protien 1 g

Apricot Curry Chicken

2007-12-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

I've been making this dish for my family for some time now and have adapted it into something simple and healthy. They love the sweet and spicy taste of it as well as the different textures. It's an easy warm hearty dish.

1 chopped sweet onion, chopped
1-3 tablespoons curry powder (How spicy do you like it?)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 cup sugar-free apricot preserves (Smuckers brand works great)
2 medium apples, cored and diced (I use Granny Smith, Galas or Fuji)
1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt

An a large nonstick skillet cook onion and curry in oil until slight tender, 1-2 minutes. Push onion mixture to side of skillet. Cook chicken in skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir together chicken and onion mixture. Stir preserves and apples, cook for 5 minutes. Stir yogurt chicken mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. May be served over rice or eaten on it's own. We usually use Jasmine rice for this dish.

6 Serving

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 208	Calories 419
Total Fat 6.1	Total Fat 6.1
Sat Fat 0.7 g	Sat Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 45 mg	Cholesterol 50 mg
Sodium 76 mg	Sodium 97 mg
Total Carbs 20 g	Total Carbs 67 g
Fiber 3.6 g	Fiber 3 g
Sugar 5.6 g	Sugars 40.8 g
Protein 20 g	Protien 20 g

Autumn Chicken and Rice

2007-12-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the house loves this one. This is something I've been cooking for some time. It's a nice warm Fall/Winter dish that is quick and easy. I don't remember where I go the recipe. I believe it was from Martha Stewart's 'Everyday Foods' magazine. The only adaptation I made to it was cleaning the skin and fat off the chicken and using the most nutritional Long Grain Brown Rice I could find.

What You'll Need:

3-4 Pounds Chicken; cooked and pulled apart
1 1/2 Pounds Carrots; peeled and halved lengthwise
1 Pound Parsnips; peeled and halved lengthwise
3 Stalks Celery; thinly sliced
2 Large Onions; chopped
2 Bay Leaves
2 Garlic Cloves; smashed
3 Cups Long Grain Brown Rice
Salt and Pepper to Taste

What to Do:
In a extra large soup pot, combine chicken, carrots; parsnips, celery, onions, bay leaves, garlic, rice, salt and pepper. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer partly covered for approximately 30, occasionally stirring to be careful not to scorch in pan or cook all the liquid out.

Serves: 16

Calories    123.6
Total Fat    2.2 g
        Saturated Fat     0.5 g
        Polyunsaturated Fat    0.6 g
        Monounsaturated Fat    0.7 g
Cholesterol    35.8 mg
Sodium    56.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate    15.9 g
Dietary Fiber    2.4 g
Sugars    2.2 g
Protein    10.1 g

BUDGET COOKING NOTE: I usually buy the 10 pounds pack of Thighs and Legs for $4.99 and cook them all at once with a whole onion, celery stalks, carrots, salt and peppercorns. I pull the meat out and make about 3-4 meals out of them. This is one of the meals. I also use the chicken to make Chic and Dumplings and Hunter's Chicken.

Joe's Special

2007-11-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

I cooked this on Sunday, it was a one pot easy dish that all but our Spinach hater loved. I found it in the 'Favorite Brand Name Low-Carb Recipe'. Recipes from the book are at http://www.fbnr.com. To start with, I used turkey instead of beef and egg substitute. I imagine I could have made it a fair bit lower on the calories and fat if I had had some Low Fat Parmesan cheese to try instead, but alas, I did not.

1 pound lean ground turkey
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 small chopped onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Brown ground turkey, mushrooms and onion 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring to separate meat. Add Worcestershire, oregano, nutmeg, garlic powder and salt. Drain off excess liquid.

2. Drain spinach, and squeeze out some of the excess liquid; stir into meat mixture. Push mixture to one side of pan. Reduce heat to medium. Pour in egg substitute into other side of pan; cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes or until set on bottom. Lift eggs to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath. Repeat until softly set. Gently stir into meat mixture and heat through. Top with cheese.

6 Serving

Adapted	Unadapted
Calories 171	Calories 305
Total Fat 4.4	Total Fat 21
Cholesterol 35 mg	Cholesterol 203 mg
Sodium 564 mg	Sodium 531 mg
Total Carbs 5 g	Total Carbs 5 g
Fiber 1.8 g	Fiber 1.8 g
Sugar 1 g	Sugars 1 g
Protein 27 g	Protien 22 g

Glühwein (Mulled Wine)

2007-11-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
10-20 whole cloves
1 orange
1 lemon
1 bottle red wine (We use Red Rose)

In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer. Cut the orange and lemon in half, and squeeze the juice into the simmering water. Put the covers in a metal tea ball and place it and the citrus peels in the simmering water. Continue simmering for 30 minutes, until thick and syrupy. Pour in the wine, and heat until steaming but not simmering. Remove the the cinnimon, the tea ball and the citrus halves. Serve hot in mugs or glasses that have been preheated in warm water. NOTE: Cold glasses will break.