Steamed Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 6-oz. bags prewashed fresh baby spinach or 2 10-oz. bags prewashed spinach
• 1 cup snipped fresh parsley, basil, cilantro or watercress
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or herb vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or very large skillet with steamer basket insert* bring 1 inch of water to boiling. Combine spinach and herbs or watercress in basket; place over boiling water. Cover and steam for 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted, stirring once. Remove basket carefully; drain. Transfer spinach to a serving bowl. Drizzle with some of the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Pass remaining vinegar. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Note: If you don't have a Dutch oven or a very large skillet with a steamer basket, use a small steamer basket set in a large skillet, and cook the spinach in three batches.

Chinese-Style Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce packages dried fettuccine or linguine
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken*
• 1-1/2 cups thinly bias-sliced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 8-ounce bottle Asian vinaigrette salad dressing
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer fettuccine to a very large bowl. Stir in chicken, celery, green onions, and cilantro. Pour dressing over all; toss to coat well. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Makes 8 servings.

Bavarian Honey-Bran Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups natural wheat bran (white wheat bran)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together wheat bran, flour, raisins, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, honey, and melted margarine. Add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened; don't beat.

2. Grease muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; fill 2/3 cull. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans. Serve warm. Makes about 16 muffins.

Tandoori-Style Turkey Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 pound small turkey drumsticks

Directions

1. Combine garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Spread spice mixture evenly over turkey. (Wear disposable gloves so the spices don¿t stain your hands.) Place spice-rubbed turkey in a glass baking dish; spoon yogurt over turkey. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

2. Prepare grill for indirect grilling. Test for medium heat above the drip pan. Place drumsticks on the lightly oiled rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 45 to 55 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of thickest portions registers 180 degree F, turning once. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Mango Chili Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mango chutney, snipped
• 2 teaspoons hot chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1 to 3 small dried hot chili peppers
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces
• 1 red sweet pepper, cut into 1- to 2-inch strips
• 1 mango, seeded, peeled, and cut into thin strips
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

1. For sauce, combine first four ingredients; set aside. Heat oil in a large wok or very large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili peppers; cook and stir for 10 seconds (be sure area is well ventilated). Add chicken. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until no pink remains. Push chicken from center. Add sweet pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in sauce; heat through. Top with mango. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Cooking Hot Peppers: Be sure area is well ventilated when cooking the hot peppers.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, quartered and seeded, if desired
• 1 clove garlic, quartered
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices whole wheat or white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 1-ounce slices provolone cheese
• 1/2 of a medium cucumber, thinly sliced (1 cup)

Directions

1. In a food processor combine cilantro, mint, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Cover and process until finely chopped. (If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the herbs, jalapeno, and garlic; combine with the lime juice.) Stir in Parmesan cheese.

2. If desired, remove crusts from bread. Spread one side of each bread slice with softened butter. Top 2 of the bread slices with half of the cheese. Top with all of the cucumber slices. Carefully top with all of the cilantro mixture, remaining cheese slices, and remaining bread slices, buttered side down. Cut sandwiches in half. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and pack with an ice pack or chill up to 4 hours before serving. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers

Ingredients

• 2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tbsp. whole allspice
• 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile pepper
• 2 Tbsp. dark rum
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Cut pounded chicken breast halves lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Place the chicken strips in a glass or ceramic bowl.

2. In a spice grinder, combine allspice, thyme, peppercorns, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Grind mixture to a fine powder. (If some large pieces remain, pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve; discard large pieces). Transfer mixture to a food processor. Add brown sugar, garlic, shallots, and Scotch bonnet pepper. Process until coarsely ground. Add rum; process mixture to paste consistency.

3. Add spice paste to chicken strips; gently toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours, tossing occasionally.

4. Wearing plastic gloves*, loosely thread chicken accordion-style onto twelve 8- to 10-inch skewers.** For a charcoal grill, grill skewers on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place skewers on greased grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.) Serve chicken with lime wedges. Makes 6 servings.

5. *Note: Because hot chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chiles as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

6. **If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 1 hour before grilling.

Argentinean-Style Steak

Ingredients

• 2 beef T-bone or porterhouse steaks, cut 1 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. In a grill with a cover arrange preheated coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place steaks on grill rack directly over pan. Cover and grill steaks to desired doneness. (Allow 16 to 20 minutes for medium-rare doneness or 20 to 24 minutes for medium doneness.)

2. Meanwhile, for the sauce, stir together the olive oil, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, and red pepper. Spoon the sauce on top of the steaks for the last 2 minutes of grilling. Makes 4 servings.

3. To grill directly: Grill the steaks on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals to desired doneness, turning once. [Allow 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare (145 degrees F) doneness or 12 to 15 minutes for medium (160 degrees F) doneness.]

4. To broil: Place steaks on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil with surface of steak 3 to 4 inches from heat to desired doneness, turning once. [Allow 15 to 20 minutes for medium-rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness.] Spoon sauce on steaks for the last 2 minutes of broiling.

Candied Coffee Nut Sundaes

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups pecan halves and/or other shelled nuts
• 3 tablespoons butter (no substitutes), melted
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons red chile powder (New Mexico-style or ground Ancho chiles)
• 1 quart coffee ice cream or reduced-fat coffee ice cream
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate ice cream topping

Directions

1. Toss together the pecan halves and/or other nuts, butter, liqueur, sugar, and red chile powder. Place in a single layer on a foil tray. Turn off all but one burner of a gas grill or prepare smoker. The temperature inside the grill or smoker should be about 225 degrees F.

2. Grill tray of nuts about 40 minutes or until they are dried and slightly crisp. (Nuts will crisp as they cool.) Watch closely to prevent overbrowning. Cool completely in a single layer; separate nuts if necessary. Store, covered, up to 3 days.

3. For each serving, place a scoop of ice cream in a serving bowl, top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate ice cream topping and about 2 tablespoons candied nuts. Makes 8 servings.

White Corn and Baby Pea Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. package frozen white corn, thawed
• 1 16-oz. package frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1 cup chopped peeled jicama
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green or red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. snipped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash white pepper
• 1 tbsp. snipped fresh mint (opt.)

Method:

In a bowl combine corn, peas, jicama, celery, green pepper, and green onions. In a jar mix together the rice vinegar, brown sugar, parsley, salt, and white pepper; shake well. Pour over salad; toss. Cover and chill 2 hours. Add mint, if desired.

Brisket with Stone Ground Mustard

Brisket Ingredients:

1 (3-pound) beef brisket
6 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup country-style Dijon mustard
1/2 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Prepration

1. Place brisket in 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven; add water. Add all remaining brisket ingredients; bring to a full boil. Cover; cook over medium-low heat until brisket is fork tender (2 1/2 to 3 hours). Remove bay leaves. Place brisket and vegetables on serving platter; reserve 1 1/2 cups broth.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups reserved broth in same pan; stir in flour with wire whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and bubbly (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened (4 to 5 minutes). Serve over carved brisket and vegetables.

Diabetic Recipes(Low Cal Breakfast & Brunch Recipes)

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Splenda Granular
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 large egg white
1 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons Splenda Granular

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat together butter, 1 cup Splenda Granular, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in whole eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well. Fold in berries.
4. Spoon batter into baking dish. Lightly beat egg white with fork. Add remaining 3 tablespoons Splenda® Granular and sliced almonds. Stir until almonds are lightly coated. Spoon topping over batter.
5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack approximately 10 minutes.

Diabetic Recipes(Low Cal Breakfast & Brunch Recipes)

Apricot-Almond Coffee Ring

1 cup dried apricots, sliced
1 cup water
3 1/2 teaspoons Equal for Recipes or 12 packets Equal sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal Spoonful

1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1 (16-ounce) loaf frozen Italian bread dough, thawed
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds
Skim milk
1 teaspoon Equal for Recipes or 3 packets Equal sweetener or 2 tablespoons Equal Spoonful

1. Heat apricots, water, 3 1/2 teaspoons Equal for Recipes or 12 packets Equal sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal Spoonful and mace to boiling in small saucepan; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until apricots are tender and water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, until no water remains, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
2. Roll dough on floured surface into 14 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread apricot mixture on dough to within 1-inch of edges; sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds. Roll dough up jelly roll style, beginning with long edge; pinch edge of dough to seal. Place dough seam side down on greased cookie sheet forming circle; pinch ends to seal.
3. Using scissors, cut dough from outside edge almost to center, making cuts 1-inch apart. Turn each section cut side up so filling shows. Let rise, covered, in warm place until dough is double in size, about 1 hour.
4. Brush top of dough lightly with milk; sprinkle with remaining almonds and 1 teaspoon Equal for Recipes or 3 packets Equal sweetener or 2 tablespoons Equal Spoonful. Bake coffee cake in preheated 375ºF oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cooking Tips

One of my readers recently asked me how to melt cheese on salads. I thought it would be nice to share my response with everyone. So here are some cooking tips I have on melting yummy cheese on to salads without wilting or cooking the lettuce.

Some ways that I use to get the cheese all gooey (for salads) is to toss it (the cheese) in with the sautéing ingredients just before serving. For example, if I am sautéing peppers and sliced meat, I'll toss the cheese in there at the last minute or so and stir until I get the gooey consistency that I love. then I pour it over the more delicate lettuce greens. You can also do this alone in a nonstick skillet. Again that depends on the cheese you're melting. This tactic works well with hard, grated cheeses.

If you are working to melt a Camembert or other soft cheese you can microwave them or bake them in the oven and then transfer to them to the salad afterwards. Anywhere from several minutes in the microwave to 10-15 in the oven works well. Keep an eye on the cheese; a whole Camembert while swell up with the heat. when it does, it's hot and gooey and ready to be served.

There is also the tactic of slicing the cheese (if it is of the soft or semi-soft variety) and placing them on slices of toast and broiling them. If you slide the whole salad under the broiler, the salad will melt, but by using the bread or toast slices, you can cook the cheese to your liking without sacrificing the crispness of the salad. Best candidates for this method are goat cheeses, bleus or even individual Bries or Camemberts. (Sliced Camembert will run absolutely everywhere so be watch out!)

I have a Tupperware pitcher that is quite new and when I melt things in it in the microwave, the items don't stick much. Hard cheeses work well in this type of container. Melt cheese here and pour over salad. A really good nonstick saucepan works well too.

I use the saucepan when melting cheese like bleu or Roquefort. If they are really strong, I'll add some crème fraîche or crème fluide (sour cream, single cream...) to mellow out the intense flavor; whisk well together and pour over salad.

If any other readers have some ideas about melting cheeses for salads, please feel free to share them here with the rest of us.

Candy Bars

Ingredients

1 (11-ounce) package NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
4 cups toasted rice cereal
2 (11.5-ounce) packages NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels, divided use

Preparation

1. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2. Microwave butterscotch morsels in large, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in cereal and 1 cup milk chocolate morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan.
3. Microwave remaining milk chocolate morsels in small, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread evenly over mixture in pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

Braised Pork Chops with Orange-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

6 boneless pork center loin chops, 3/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger root
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh sliced oranges
Watercress sprigs

Preparation

1. Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chops, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
2. In small bowl, stir together ginger root, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, mustard and garlic. Pour ginger mixture over chops. Simmer, covered, 8 to 10 minutes or until chops are tender.
3. Place cooked chops on serving plate; spoon 1/2 of orange-mustard sauce over pork. Garnish with orange slices and watercress. Pass remaining sauce.

Balsamic Pork Chops

Ingredients

8 boneless pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Preparation Method

1. Place chops in large, resealable bag; pour vinaigrette dressing over. Seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
2. Prepare medium-hot grill.
3. Remove chops from marinade and pat dry. Discard remaining marinade.
4. Grill chops directly over heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

Home-Corned Beef

Ingredients

For every gallon of water, you will need:
1 (5 to 6-pound) beef brisket
2 cups Kosher salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons saltpeter (available in most drugstores as sodium nitrate)
2 teaspoons. allspice, optional
1 to 2 cloves garlic, optional

Preparation Method

1. Mix the ingredients with 1 quart of water and when blended and dissolved, add the remainder of the gallon of water.
2. Wipe the brisket with a damp cloth and pierce deeply with a heavy fork several times. Place the brisket in a glass, porcelain or earthenware container (never metal), and add brine mixture until the meat is immersed and brine level is about 1 1/2-inches above the meat.
3. Cover container with a board weighted in place. Store in the refrigerator 8 to12 days. The beef will become saltier the longer it is soaked.
4. When ready to cook beef, discard the brine. Rinse the beef in cold water, place in a kettle of cold water and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer 1 hour. Pour off water, add fresh boiling water to cover. Simmer until tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Slice against grain.

Corned Beef & Slaw Sandwich

Ingredients

4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
8 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
8 ounces thinly sliced deli corned beef
1/2 pint vinaigrette-type deli coleslaw
4 (1-ounce) slices LAND O LAKES® Deli Swiss Cheese

Preparation Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread each slice of bread with 2 teaspoons mustard.
2. To assemble each sandwich, layer 1 slice bread, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup coleslaw and 1 slice cheese.
3. Place sandwiches onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Turkey Breast with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

7 pounds Honeysuckle White Bone-In Breast
7 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided use
4 teaspoons rosemary, fresh, crushed, divided use
4 teaspoons thyme, fresh, crushed, divided use
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced
10 ounces dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups fruit punch, frozen concentrate
1 1/2 cups water, cold
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
thyme sprigs, fresh as needed

Preparation Method

1. For roasted turkey: Rub turkey on all sides with 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle all sides with 3 tsp. each of rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 and 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 170 F. Halfway through roasting time, baste with 2 additional Tbsp. vinegar.
2. For caramelized onions: In a heavy skillet over medium heat, heat oil and sauté onions in oil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soft and light golden. Stir in 1 tsp. each rosemary and thyme, 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
3. For glazed cranberries: In saucepan, combine dried cranberries with undiluted fruit punch concentrate and cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar and stir into sauce. Heat briefly, stirring until thickened and glossy. Makes 3 cups.
4. To serve: For each portion, make a ring of onions on dinner