Bacon Tomato Chicken

This is my adaptation of George Stella's Chicken with Bacon, Tomato, and Thyme. This was wonderful served with roasted sweet potato and green beans.

Bacon Tomato Chicken P1

1 BS chicken breast per person
3 slices bacon per breast
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thick
1 Vidalia onion, sliced thick
Salt & Pepper
Ground thyme

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper, and thyme and place in a roasting pan. Top each breast with sliced tomato and onion, then top them with the bacon slices. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. I sprinkled the top with chopped fresh tomato.

Lava Cake!

These could be my fave dessert on the planet! Who knew you could make them (almost) SB-friendly!? But with a few adjustments, they are just as good as the original. I served mine with a simple Raspberry Coulis and Cool Whip.

Lava Cakes P2

8Tbs Fleishman's Olive Oil Spread
2 tsp. soy flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. Splenda

Preheat the oven to 450.
While oven is heating, spray 4 4oz molds or small ramekins with cooking spray microwave the butter, be sure to place something over the top, butter pops. While butter is melting Beat together the eggs, yolk and sugar until creamy yellow Take the butter out of the microwave and add the chocolate. Stir until the chips have melted. Pour chocolate into the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir. Pour into prepared dishes. Bake 6-8 minutes until the sides have set but the middle is still soft. Invert on plate, wait 10 seconds, unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold. You may want to run a knife around the inside of the ramekin before inverting it.


Raspberry Coulis P2

One bag frozen raspberries
1/4 cup Splenda

Empty a bag of frozen raspberries into a saucepan and add about 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Strain it, then simmer for another 10 minutes or until it gets syrupy. Add about 1/4 cup sweetener and stir it well. Pour into a small container and chill.
Mine made about 1/2 cup. You really only use maybe 2 tsp per cake!

Rainbow Tuna Salad

I wanted to make something for the challenge with both fresh AND canned tuna. This is what I came up with for the canned- and it's so good!!!

Rainbow Tuna Salad P1

1 large pouch tuna
3 tbsp mayo
Salt & pepper
Bell peppers, any color(s), cut into strips
Endive leaves
Celery stalks
Mushrooms, sliced
1 lime
Olive oil

Mix the tuna and mayo with some pepper to make the tuna mix, if desired stir in some chopped celery.
Assemble on the plate in a spoke-pattern the pepper strips, celery stalks, and endive leaves. Put sliced mushrooms around the middle, and top with a large scoop of tuna mix.
For the dressing, whisk together the juice of the lime with some oil until it emulsifies, then add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a little over the tuna and veggies!

Zesty Tuna Skewers with Sweet and Sour Celery and Brown Rice

I was really stressed thinking about what to do with the celery! I had the rest of the ingredients pretty well planned when we started. The it hit me! It sounds bizarre. but really it was an incredible pairing!

Zesty Tuna Skewers With Sweet and Sour Celery P1

1 pound tuna steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
Bell peppers (any color) cut into large cubes
Mushrooms
2 Limes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Celery (about 4 large stalks)
2 tbsp Splenda

Preheat your grill over very high heat.
Mix together the juice of one lime, salt and pepper, and 3 tbsp oil.
Thread the tuna onto a skewer, and thread the veggies on another one or two. Sprinkle the tuna well with pepper.
Place the veggie skewers on the grill. Baste them with the lime mixture. Grill over high heat for 5 minutes, and then turn them. Cook another 5 minutes.
Now put the tuna skewers on, and baste them with the lime mixture. Grill over high heat for 3 minutes, turn and cook another 3 minutes. Remove to platter.
Serve on a bed of brown rice and Sweet & Sour Celery!


For the celery:
Slice the celery on the bias into ½ inch thick slices. Sauté them in 1 tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add the juice of the other and Splenda, and stir well to mix. Cook another couple minutes to begin to caramelize the celery.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This is the sauce I used for the lasagna!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce P1

4 LBS roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 small eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
4 small carrots, shredded
1 29oz can concentrated crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart pot. Sauté the veggies and garlic for about 10 minutes to soften them. Then add in the tomatoes and canned tomatoes, stir well. Add the dried herbs and stir.
Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover. Cook covered for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another hour on low (barely simmering).
Ladle into freezer containers, or use within 3 days!Makes about 2.5 quarts.

Lasagna!

I made the yummiest lasagna tonight! Paired with a wonderful Fetzer Cab, it was a divine meal!

Lasagna P2

6 WW lasagna noodles, partially cooked
1 15 oz container light ricotta
1 tbsp each dried oregano and basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 package shredded Italian cheese
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 quart homemade sauce

Mix together ricotta, egg, spices, parmesan, spinach, and a handful of the shredded cheese. Spread a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 8 x 11 pan, and top with a layer of noodles. spread some ricotta mix over the noodles, then pour more sauce over that. Sprinkle shredded cheese on this, and repeat the layers.
Bake at 350 for an hour, covering the top with foil if it browns too quickly. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Special THANKS!!!

I just want to say a special THANKS to Laurie. Since updating my Internet Explorer, I have been unable to post any pictures on this or the 5:4 blog. Laurie has been wonderful and has posted all of my pictures for me for the last two weeks! She deserves a great big hug!

Thanks L!!!

Cinnamon Apple "Pudding" Cake

This is so amazingly good! I got the recipe from the Food Network site, then tweaked it to make it SB-friendly. I hope you can try it soon!

Cinnamon Apple “Pudding” Cake P2

Topping:
¾ cup water
¼ cup SF maple syrup (try using flavored ones?)
2 tbsp spread
¾ cup DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar Substitute
Cake:
2 tbsp melted spread
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 cups WW pastry flour
1/3 cup DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar Substitute
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, shredded (not peeled)

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all of the topping ingredients in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it boils. Remove and cool a bit while mixing the cake.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar substitute, baking powder, and cinnamon. In another small bowl, stir the milk and melted spread together. Stir the wet into the dry until just mixed, and then add the apples.
Pour cake batter into a sprayed 8 x 11 pan, smoothing the top. Gently pour the topping over the cake, but DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream!

Tequila Chicken, Refried Black Beans, and Carrot Pepper Salad

Tonight we had a fiesta! The chicken was marinated for the entire day, but was not overly boozed-up. It was perfect! The salad came about from a suggestion from friend Laurie (her blog is here). The beans were simply cooked black beans and canned tomatoes smashed in a pan and "fried" for a few minutes to reheat.

Tequila Chicken P1

1 chicken breast per person
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 chopped scallions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Mix all together but cheese in a large zipper bag and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat grill to high. Grill breasts over high heat uncovered, 5 minutes the first side, then flip and cook 5 minutes more. Top with cheese, turn of the burner underneath, and cover the grill for about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream!

Simple Pico De Gallo P1

1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 minced jalapenos
3 chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
dash lime juice
salt

Mix all together and let sit on the counter at least an hour for flavors to meld.

Carrot Pepper Salad P2

2 cups sliced or shredded carrot
1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp ranch powder

Mix the mayo, milk, and powder together. Toss in the carrots and peppers, and mix well. Refrigerate at least an hour to thicken the dressing.
We think this would be great with halved cherry or grape tomatoes and or cukes added to it!

Smothered Chicken Parmesan "Sandwich" by Catherine

I tried the chicken and eggplant dish my fellow "FourChefs" chef Catherine made. WOW! Even my picky six-year old liked it! I did serve it with noodle, but only becaue the boys in the house would have rioted! Everyone MUST try this! Her blog is here.

Bourbon and Cola Roast w/ Roasted Sweet Potatoes

WOW! All I can say is WOW! This was SO GOOD!

Bourbon And Cola Roast P1

2lb chuck roast
1 can diet cola
3-4 oz bourbon (I used 5!)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp worchestershire
1 tbsp soy sauce
pinch ground allspice

Mix all together in a bag and marinate in the fridge for several hours.
Preheat the grill with all burners on high.
Sear the meat for 5 minutes on all sides, then tunr the heat down to medium. Continue to cook the meat over medium with the grill covered for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Cook until it reaches 135 on a thermometer (for medium rare, 145 for medium). Remove from the grill, place in a pan, and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes. Then slice thinly and serve!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes P2

one sweet potato per person
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut the potato into one inch pieces, toss with remaining ingredients. Put in heavy skillet and place over indirect heat on the grill (or roast at 450 for 1 hour). Cover and roast on grill for 45 minutes or until very soft. Top with sour cream!

Four Chefs Challenge Dish

I have been dying to post this for days! Please check the other variations my fellow chefs created at the link at right- Four Chefs!


















Eggplant and Chicken with Pepper Cream Sauce P2

1 Japanese or other small eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
2 small bell peppers, I used one purple and one green, seeded and chopped
2 ¼ cups milk (it must have some fat, I used whole)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-cup WW breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, pepper, and the chopped peppers to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover to steep.
In two dishes, place the ¼ cup milk in one and the breadcrumbs in the other. Sprinkle remaining garlic powder into the breadcrumbs, along with some salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Dip the eggplant into the milk, then the crumbs pushing to coat. Set them aside and repeat with the chicken.
In a heavy sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until hot. Fry the eggplant slices for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry 2 more minutes. Remove them to paper towels to drain. Place the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven while you finish.
Wipe out the sauté pan and add remaining oil. Fry the chicken in the same manner, 6 minutes on the first side then flip and cook 5 minutes on the second side. Strain the milk/peppers over the chicken, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is done and the sauce thickens.
Serve over the eggplant slices.
I would recommend peeling the eggplant. I didn’t and it was a bit crispy!

Grill Roasted Chicken and all the fixin's!

I roasted this chicken on the grill tonight. Sorry I didn't get a pic of it before I cut into it- the guys were hungry! I threw some applewood chips in my little grill-top smoker box and they flavored it quite well! The green beans are from my garden. I sauteed them with some onions, then threw on some red wine vinegar and Stevia Plus. Toss and they're done! This went very well with a nice Pinot Noir.

"Roasted" Chicken P1

one roasting chicken, about 5 pounds
Applewood chips
olive oil

Preheat grill to about 350 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. I have an upright roasting rack, so I placed mine on that. Rub with the oil and season if desired.
Turn off the center burner on your grill, if you have a three burner grill! If not, turn off one side and just use the off side. Place chicken on or off your roaster on the unlit side. Throw some smoke chips onto the lit side. Close the grill and cook for about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken, and cook for another 30-45 minutes or until it reads 165 degrees.
Remove to a platter and let sit for 15 minutes.

Chinese Night!

Tonight we had Chinese night for dinner- Sweet and Sour Pork and Chicken, Brown Rice, and Eggrolls. Everything was delicious!Yes, the eggrolls and meat were fried, but I measured the oil after it cooled and I was only "missing" about 1/4 cup- and you know most of that had to end up on the newspaper and paper towels! Besides, it's not going to kill us to do this once a month...

Sweet & Sour Pork and Chicken P2

6 cups cubed boneless skinless chicken thigh and pork sirloin- smaller than 1 inch cubes
2 TBSP soy sauce
5 TBSP arrowroot powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 bell pepper, cubed
1 carrot, sliced thin
oil for frying

Mix meats, soy sauce, 3 TBSP arrowroot, and baking soda together well. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
In a small saucepan mix juice, vinegar, sugar substitute, ketchup, and water. Bring this to a boil, then turn down to low, cover to keep warm.
Heat 2 inches oil in a wok or heavy skillet. When hot add in the meat a little at a time, cooking in batches. Make sure to separate the pieces so they don't stick together! Cook the meat about 5 minutes or until it is deep brown and cooked through. Drain the meat on paper towels or newspaper.
When all the meat is done, remove all but 2 TBSP oil from the pan and heat again. Add in the peppers and carrots, sand stirfry for a minute or two. Toss the meat back in the pan.
Mix the remaining 2 TBSP arrowroot with 2 TBSP water and pour it into the sauce mixture. Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies and bring back to a boil. Mix thorouhgly and serve! Serves 4


Eggrolls P2

one bag cole slaw mix
2 TBSP oyster sauce
2 TBSP lite teriyaki sauce
4 mushrooms, finely chopped
8 eggrolls wrappers
2 TBSP water in a small bowl
oil for frying

In a skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil over medium heat. Add in slaw mix and shrooms. Stirfry for about 10 minutes or until the veggies have given all their liquid and it has evaporated. Then stir in the sauces, mixing well. Remove to a bowl and cool.
When cooled, place one wrapper on work surface in a diamond shape and wet the top tip and sides. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop filling onto the middle of the wrapper. Bring the bottom up over the filling, pulling firmly. Roll half way, then tuck in each side over the middle. Finish rolling to the top. Set aside and filling remaining wrappers.
Heat 2 inches oil in a heavy skillet or wok to pretty hot! Carefully place an eggroll into the hot oil, followed by another one (fry two at a time). Fry 3 minutes on the first side, then turn over and fry 2 more minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Serves 4

Cream Puffs

Catherine asked if I thought one could make a SB-friendly version of the classic cream puff. Well, with a little tweaking from another friend and myself here's what we came up with!

Cream Puffs P2

2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix (I used one each of chocolate fudge and banana)
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup butter (I used Fleishman's Olive Oil Spread)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used WW pastry flour)
3 eggs
2 egg yolks

Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix and milk. If using two different kinds, mix in separate bowls! Cover and refrigerate to set.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Brat Supper

I have made this dinner for years, but I think the changes I made to make it SB-friendly have really improved it! I replaced the new potatoes with sweet and added green beans fresh from the garden and brussels sprouts. This is also great with mushrooms added, but I didn't have any left. Delicious!






Brat Supper P2

One package brats, each cut into fourths
three large handfuls baby carrots
1/2 pound sprouts, trimmed
one red onion, cut into slivers
one pound fresh green beans, trimmed
one large sweet potato, cut into one inch pieces
2 tbsp beef boullion granules (or one packet French Onion soup mix)
1/2 cup water
Preheat grill to about 400 degrees. Turn all burners down to low (for charcoal grill, move most of coals to sides.
Toss all ingredients together. pour into a large broiler pan or foil roasting pan, spreading it out evenly. Cover with foil and place on grill rack. Cover grills, and roast for 30 minutes. Stir the meat and veggies, discarding foil. Cover grill again and roast for another 20-30 minutes or until sweet potato is fully cooked.

Coconut Chicken and Poppers

I know I posted the Coconut Shrimp before, but tonight I did it with chicken breast strips. It was wonderful! I will repost the recipe with the changes I made. I also made Jalapeno Poppers with peppers straight from our garden. I'm going to post that one too! It's a two-for-one special!!!

Coconut Chicken P2

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1/4 cup WW flour
1/4 cup WW bread crumbs
1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut (medium cut?)
2 eggs
2 tbsp fructose
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp chili sauce with garlic
1 tbsp dark rum
1/4 cup SF apricot preserves
1/4 cup oil (yeah, but you really don't get much staying on the chicken)
Break egg into bowl, beat well. In another large bowl, mix the coconut meat, fructose, salt, and the bread crumbs. Put the flour in a baggie. Toss the chicken in the bag to coat with the flour. Then wet the chicken with the egg, and toss into the coconut mixture. Set this aside (do this in small batches). To make the sauce, mix the chili sauce, rum, and the apricot preserves. Bring this to a boil, remove from the heat, and set aside. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over med-high heat until really hot. Add the chicken in batches (I did two batches), cooking 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second or until nicely browned. Remove to paper towels, and finish with the rest of the chicken. Cook until temp reaches 165 inside the meat.

Poppers P2

10 Fresh jalapenos, stem on
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped
1 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup WW bread crumbs
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact, and remove the seeds and membranes. Mix the remaining ingredients except bread crumbs until well blended. Mound filling into each pepper half, then push cheese-side down into the bread crumbs to coat. Place in a large baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes depending on the heat level desired (shorter for hotter, longer for mellower).