Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

As I said, I am now trying other flavors of bread pudding. The one comment Joe made about the cranberry one was that he thought it needed chocolate chips! Well, I didn't want to use the last of that bread for it, so I used some homemade Whole Wheat Oat Bran Bread I made the other day. It was drier, so it soaked up more milk and was moister in the end. Very good! I have also found that my local Walmart is now carrying Ghiardelli Bittersweet Chips! Yay! No more breaking up my bars! Notice the piece taken out, that wasn't like that when I put the pan away last night...




Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding P2

8 cups cubed WW or WG bread, preferably homemade
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup brown sugar substitute
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 ¼ cup skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup SF Kahlua syrup
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
Cinnamon/ fructose mix

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x11 pan well.
Mix the wet ingredients and sugar substitute together well, and toss with the bread. Let this sit 20 minutes.
Mix in the chips and pour everything into the sprayed pan, making sure to level the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon fructose.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool 45 minutes before cutting.

Cranberry Bread Pudding

My hubby has always said he liked bread pudding- I had never had it! We tried the fried ones at Applebee's recently, and though they were good they just weren't healthy! I had that Cranberry bread, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Yummo! It's inspired me to try other varieties too!

Cranberry Bread Pudding P2

3 large slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
3 TBSP fructose
1 can evaporated skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon/fructose mix, optional

Mix the fructose, eggs, and milk together in a large bowl. Toss in the bread cubes and let soak for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Place ramekins into 9x13 pan and pour hot water around them (water-bath).
Divide the mixture among sprayed ramekins (I used four large), pouring the juices evenly in them. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon fructose if desired.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool 20 minutes before eating (if you can!)

I made a little "sauce" for mine with 1 TBSP SF apricot jam and 2 tsp spread, nuked. I poured this over the top and added a small dollop of Cool Whip. Heavenly! Did have it last night without the sauce, it was just as good.

Stuffed French Toast

I made that cranberry bread the other day, and thought it would be fabulous like this- I was right!

Stuffed French Toast P2

2 slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread
1 beaten egg + 1 egg white
¼ tsp vanilla
Pinch cinnamon
2 TBSP cinnamon cream cheese
SF maple syrup

Mix together the egg and white, cinnamon, and vanilla. Set aside.
Heat griddle to 300 degrees. Grease or spray lightly.
Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and let sit 2 minutes. Cook the bread on the hot griddle4 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and spread the cream cheese on one side of one slice, top with remaining slice. Return to griddle and cook another 2 minutes or so to warm the filling. Plate with syrup!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole

I got this recipe today from Danielle. I had asked for suggestions to liven up our dinner veggies as it seems we are eating the same old, same old. She gave me this one, and I added a couple things. WOW! The kiddo wasn't impressed, but he's not fond of mixing anything. Hubby and I though thought this was terrific, and it will be made quite often I'm sure! Thanks DD! I served this with Bacon Cheezburger Meatloaf. It was a match made in heaven!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole P2 (P1 if you omit breadcrumbs)

16oz bag frozen cauliflower
10oz bag frozen broccoli
4oz lite cream cheese
2 wedges Laughing Cow Lite
3 TBSP dried chives
1/2 cup FF sour cream
4 TBSP margarine, divided
3/4 cup WW breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Italian mixed cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits (the real kind)

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water to a boil and cook the cauliflower just until tender, then drain well and place in a bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower leaving some chunks. Boil the broccoli until tender and drain it. Add this to the cauliflower along with the cream cheese, sour cream, chives, garlic powder, salt & pepper, 3 TBSP margarine, Laughing Cow, Italian cheese mix, and bacon bits. Stir until mixed, and pour into a sprayed 8x11 baking dish.
In another bowl, mix the remaining margarine, breadcrumbs, and cheddar until crumbly. Sprinkle this over the top of the veggies. Bake for 35 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spiced Cranberry Wheat Bread

I made this yesterday and it's amazing! Honestly, it tastes just like fall! I can't wait to make french toast with it this weekend! I got the recipe from a cooking magazine, and adapted it to MY needs.


Spiced Cranberry WW Bread P2

1 1/4 c water- hot from the tap
1/3 c honey
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 c WW flour
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg yeast
1 c dried cranberries (or cherries)
1 TBSP orange peel (I had none, so used 1 tsp orange extract)
1/4 c gluten

You can make this in a bread maker, but I used my big mixer to mix and knead the dough. When the dough is kneaded, turn it into a greased bowl and let it rise in the oven with the light on for an hour and a half or until doubled. You may want to put a pan of boiling water in there to keep it humid. Punch it down and form it into a loaf (I made a round loaf in a 2qt soufflé dish). Place it into a greased loaf pan and put it back in the oven to rise. Let rise one hour or until coming up oven the sides of the pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.

Chicken and Dumplings

Okay, who doesn't get images of Grandma making this in the kitchen on a chilly winter evening? I got the base of this recipe from a friend of a friend and added dumplings instead of making potpie, and I think mine is better! (Shhhh! Don't tell Julie!) Now, I admit, this version is a little different from what I've made in years past. I always used Bisquik and now I use Hodgson Mills Insta-Bake. The flavor is different, but if it means we can still have this meal then we can adjust! Try this and let me know what you think!





Chicken and Dumplings P2 (P3 if concerned about the potatoes)

4lb chicken, skinned and giblets removed (if there)
6qts water
Celery leaves
½ pound carrots, cut into large dice
1 baseball-sized red potato, peeled and cut into large dice (can omit, but not right!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 shrooms, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
1 cup peas
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt (sounds like a lot, but trust me!)
1 ½ cups WW baking mix (I use Insta-Bake)
¾ cup skim milk
Fresh parsley if desired

Place the chicken, water, and celery leaves in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for an hour. Remove chicken and cool until you can handle it. Strain the broth and place back in the pot. Remove chicken meat from the bones, discard the bones and put the meat back in the pot. Cook this on low two hours uncovered to reduce somewhat.
About an hour before serving time, finish the soup. Add the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Saute in another pan the shrooms and onions just until softened, add those to the pot. Stir in the seasonings and half the salt. Simmer about 30 minutes, until veggies are tender.
In a bowl, mix gently the baking mix and milk to form a dough. Drop by rounded large spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, turn the dumplings over and then add the peas and parsley. Cover and cook another 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the dumplings comes out clean. Check broth for seasoning, adding remaining salt if needed.

Italian "Beef" with Penne

I got a new cookbook recently- The Good Carb Cookbook. It is chock full of delicious recipes! This was the first thing I had tried, and we will definitely have it again! It called for just ground beef, but I used half beef and half turkey then added in some leftover sweet sausage. I also added mushrooms because, well, everything is better with shrooms! I of course changed some of the amounts just a tad- more garlic, used penne instead of bowties...

Itailan Beef with Penne P2

1 pound ground beef or mix of beef and turkey, browned and drained
1 small onion, chopped
6 large shrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1 quart home-canned tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oil
8 oz cooked penne or other WW pasta
3/4 cup shredded Itailan cheese or parmesan

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat until hot, add the oil. Saute the onion, shrooms, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth and simmer 5 minutes until alomst evaporated, then stir in the paste and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and add the spices. Add in the meat, and simmer 10 minutes adjusting for salt if needed. Remove from heat and add the pasta, tossing to coat.
When you serve this, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top!

5:4 Take 8! Thai Shrimp and Apple Snow Peas

As soon as I said apples, I began to get ideas. Then they all flew straight out of my head! This came back tho, and was truly a creative meal for my family. We all liked it, tho hubby is NOT a fan of pineapple. He still ate tons of shrimp! Can't wait to see what Danielle and Laurie came up with...



Thai Pineapple Shrimp with Bean Threads P2

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tsp oil
½ can lite coconut milk
½ tsp basil
1 tsp salt
½ a package of bean thread noodles
½ cup toasted WW breadcrumbs

For the bean threads- Heat a saucepan of water until boiling, remove from heat. Place the nests of noodles in the water, and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain, and toss with oil if desired. (I just placed them on the plate right out of the water)
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pineapple chunks and sauté until nicely browned (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk, basil, and salt, and bring to a boil. Toss in the shrimp, and “poach” them in the milk. The milk will thicken and reduce creating a creamy sauce for the shrimp. Cook about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is all pink.
Spoon the shrimp, pineapple, and sauce over the noodles. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs for crunch!

Apple Snow Peas P2

2 cups snow peas, trimmed
8 oz apple juice (no sugar added)

In a sauté pan, heat the apple juice over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the juice to a scant tablespoon (this takes about 5-7 minutes, watch it carefully!). Throw in the peas, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, just to barely soften the peas. Serve!

5:4 take 7- Chicken Fried "Rice" with Sesame Green Beans

This one was really tough for me. Everything I kept coming up with was a boring, "standard" type of meal. I wanted exciting and different! This is what I finally came up with, and it was pretty good! I can't wait to see what the other two came up with!

Chicken Fried "Rice" P1

1 large head cauliflower, cored
1 pound broccoli florets
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into small cubes
2 eggs, beaten with 3 TBSP water
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
2 TBSP oyster sauce
3 TBSP oil

Using a large-holed grater, shred the cauliflower. Set this aside.
Heat a large wok over high heat. Swirl in 1 tbsp oil. Add half the chicken, stir-frying until it is browned and cooked thru. Remove it and finish with remaining chicken. Then quickly stirfry the broccoli for a few minutes to barely cook it. Remove and wipe the wok clean.
Reheat the wok and add 1 tbsp oil. Cook eggs stirring occasionally until done, remove. Wipe the wok clean.
Heat it again and add another tbsp oil. Cook the cauliflower 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Then stir in the oyster sauce, chicken, and soy sauce. Toss together. Top with the broccoli and serve.

Sesame Green Beans P1

1 pound frozen or fresh green beans
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
1 TBSp oil
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Add beans and saute covered 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness. Stir in soy sauce, let caramelize. Remove to platter and top with sesame seeds.

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Fixin's!

We LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu. I LOVE asparagus (can you tell???). A match made in heaven! I made the Mock Hollandaise sauce to top them, and it was just the right flavor!

Chicken Cordon Bleu P1

Thin sliced chicken breast, one slice per person
2 slices ham per breast
1 slice Imported Emmenthaler Swiss per breast
salt&pepper

Very simple. Bake the chicken for 5 minutes at 425. Top with two pieces folded ham then the cheese. Broil for 10 minutes until cheese browns.

Mock Hollandaise P1

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tbsp spread
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

I double this because I love it so much!
Melt the spread in a measuring cup in the microwave. Whisk in the egg or sub, lemon juice, and mustard. Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on low heat stirring every 15-20 seconds until thickened.

PIZZA!!!

I got this recipe from my new cookbook "The Good Carb Cookbook". This is an oatbran crust, and it's fabulous! Even the kiddo liked it, and he HATES ww pizza crust! He ate five pieces...

Oatbran Pizza Crust P2

1 1/2-2 C WW flour
1/2 C oatbran
1 package rapid rise yeast
3/4 C very warm water
1 tsp honey (it said sugar, I used honey)
pinch salt
3 TBSP dry milk powder

I used my big mixer for this-
Put half the flour, all of the oatbran, the salt, and dry milk powder in the mixer and make sure it's mixed. In another bowl dissolve the yeast in the water with the honey. When it foams, slowly add the water mixture into the flour mixture with the mixer going. When the dough begins to form, add the last of the flour slowly. Let the mixer knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 3-5 minutes). Turn off the mixer and remove the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place 30-45 minutes until nearly doubled. Punch dough down and turn out onto your lightly-greased pizza pan. Pat or roll the dough out onto the pan. Let rest/rise 15 minutes.

Top with desired pizza toppings- I used homemade tomato sauce with herbs, chopped Canadian bacon, green pepper, onion, shrooms, and turkey pepperoni. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until crust is browned around the edges and toppings are browning! YUMMY!

"Chantal's Chicken" with more Asparagus Bundles, Brussels, and Cauliflower

Tonight I had to have more of those asparagus bundles- they were so good! I broiled these for about 7 minutes on each side, but that may need to be more for thicker stalks. The cauliflower was just steamed frozen stuff, and the brussels were just boiled frozen ones (cooked in double-strength chicken broth with some bacon bits). The chicken I got from a friend several years ago. It's usually slow baked, but today I used my new fabulous crockpot! Worked just fine, but the bacon didn't crisp so I didn't show any in this picture.

"Chantal's" Chicken P1

1 B/S chicken breast per person
1/2 cup SF maple syrup
1/2 cup SF ketchup
1/4 tsp cloves or 6 whole cloves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 strips bacon per breast
1 sliced onion

In the bottom of the crockpot or baking dish place the breasts in one layer. Put the bacon on top of each one, then a few slices of onion.
In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover and bake at 300 for 2 hours or cook on high in the crockpot for 3 hours, basting often.

This is VERY simple, and very delicious!

Creamy Crusty Broccoli

This is a side dish I threw together last minute.

I used frozen broccoli, cooked.
Toss this with 2 TBSP spread of your choice and place into a baking dish. Mix together 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1/4 cup WW bread crumbs, and sprinkle this over the broccoli.

Broil 4-5 inches from the element/flame for about 5 minutes or until nicely browned!
Very simple and very delicious.

Filet, Sweet Potatoes, and Asparagus Bundles

This isn't so much a recipe, as it is what I threw together last night.

I peeled, quartered, and sliced one sweet potato and tossed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I put it in a foil "pouch" and roasted it over the flame of the grill for 30 minutes. We top ours with FF sour cream- YUMMY!
I then seasoned my last two ( :( ) beef filet steaks with salt and pepper and grilled them to medium-rare perfection.

I also seasoned two bundles of asparagus (these happened to be super-thin) with salt and pepper, and wrapped them in one slice each of bacon and grilled them along with the steaks. These were incredible! I am going to try broiling them tonight...