Janice's Sloppy Jose

It's easy to swap out turkey for ground beef in many recipes. The great thing is to ramp up the seasoning because turkey is a much milder flavor.

The chili powder gives this recipe a nice Tex-Mex flair!

The nutrition facts for this delicious twist on sloppy joes can be found at Calorie Count!

Sloppy Jose

Ingredients:

1 T  olive oil

½ c  carrots, grated

1 small  onion, chopped

4 t  garlic, chopped

¼ t  pepper

1/8 t  salt

3 T  tomato paste

1 pound  ground turkey (93% lean)

1 1/3 T  chili powder

15 oz  tomatoes, crushed

2 ½ T  brown sugar

1 T  cider vinegar

2 t  Worcestershire sauce

10  100% whole grain wheat buns

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pot, saute carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, add garlic and saute 3 more minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute.

Add ground turkey and chili powders. Stir til the turkey is cooked through.

Add 1 can crushed tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer about 15 minutes.

Serve on the buns (calories are included in the nutrition facts).

Options:

Add cheese, but you will have to add the calories.

If not spicy enough, add some Tabasco. Once my kids were able to handle the heat, I just started adding Tabasco to the simmer stage. Yum!

Instead of buns, serve on tortillas and adjust the calories.

Crazypotato98's Sloppy Joe

Crazypotato98 said "the first time I made it, my husband came into the kitchen when I was not there and ate some. Then he found me and said, “What was that wonderful guisado you made?” A guisado is basically the word for stew, but not eaten like soup but instead spooned onto bread or tostada shells or rolled up in tortillas."

Now it's a favorite at their house. This version is so simple to make, your family will love it too. The nutrition facts for this great recipe can be found at Calorie Count!

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

24 oz  90% Lean Ground Beef

4 oz  Fresh Chopped Onions

1/3 cup, chopped  Green Pepper

10.75 oz  Tomato Soup

3 tsp  Worcestershire Sauce

3 tsp Yellow Mustard

Directions:

Cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper and drain off fat when meat is browned. 

Stir in the soup, Worcestershire Sauce, and mustard. 

Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Siimmer, covered, for 5 minutes. 

Serve on toasted buns with whatever condiments you desire (pickles, etc.)

Suggestions:

Excellent served with a side of oven-baked fries or oven-baked sweet potato fries with a dash of nutmeg and seasoned salt. 

I’ve also found that some nice baked acorn squash tastes good as a side with the sloppy Joes.

Crazypotato98's Crock Pot Fajitas

What an excellent idea for use of a crock pot! The nutrition facts can be found on Calorie Count!

Crock Pot Fajitas

Ingredients:

453 grams Salsa (for those that need ounces, use the link to the Calorie Converter to the right!)

2 clove Garlic

0.5 tsp Cumin

2 cubes Beef Bouillon

2 cups Water (or instead of bouillon and water, use 2 cups stock)

1 small Onion, sliced

1 medium Sweet Red Pepper, sliced

1 medium Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced

1 can (12 oz) sweet corn, drained

11 oz Tomatoes Diced

3 T chopped Cilantro

554 grams Flank Steak, sliced

Directions:

Chop all vegetables and place in bottom of crock pot. Pour water over the top and add spices and beef bouillon. Place meat on the top of the veggies and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve in warm tortillas or as a tostada topping, with or without light sour cream and/or shredded cheese.

Kathygator's Biscuits

One of the nice things about these incredible biscuits (aside from their deliciousness) is that you know exactly how many calories are in each one. The nutrition facts are waiting for you at Calorie Count.

Biscuits

Pre heat oven to 425 F

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup of shortening
1 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
2-3 tbs of melted butter

Directions:

Sift together the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl add the shortening and use your fingertips to lightly mix it into the flour by pinching until it’s well-incorporated (the same way you’d mix pie dough) and the flour has a meal-like consistency.

Make a well in the center and pour in the milk.  Stir just until mixed.

The dough will be kind of wet and sticky – scrape it out onto a floured surface, and sprinkle the top with flour, so it’s fairly well coated. Do not knead. Pat it out to about an inch and half thick circle – 2 inch thick would probably make them extra tall.

I make a biscuit cutter by taking a pair of scissors and cutting a coke can in half. Be careful to trim the edge nice and even. I did this because I wanted the sharpest, thinnest tool possible for the cut (it helps them to raise evenly).

Grease a square or round pan. The size of the coke can and the thickness of the dough usually yeild about 7 or 8 biscuits. Reform the dough to make the last cut, but do it gently – the trick is to keep these suckers as moist as possible and not overwork the flour. The last one is usually the ‘ugly’ cause it’s made up of remnants.

If you want crusty sides use a pan big enough so that they don’t touch, if you want softer fluffier (the way God intended-LOL), set them as above, allowed to touch. Then I poke each one on the top with my thumb to make a little depression. Helps them to stay flat on top.

Bake for about 8 minutes, then brush with melted butter and bake for about 6-8 more minutes more until the desired brown-ness. When you pull them out of the oven, brush them with butter again and leave them in the pan to cool.

Susan's Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

• Susan makes this deliciously easy dish a lot! She lists the brands she prefers in her directions. 

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

•  
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• 1 jar Prego extra chunky spaghetti sauce
• 1 pound of Jenni-O ground turkey (pre-seasoned Italian) or 1 pound any ground turkey mixed w/ Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• part-skim ricotta (about 3/4 of a cup)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
•  
• Directions

1. Poke squash with sharp knife several times and microwave for 25-30 minutes. Remove from microwave and let it cool a bit.  Slice lengthwise (will slice very easily) while still fairly warm. Remove seeds and less desirable material right around seeds. Fork out the "spaghetti strands" into a bowl and mix with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add 2 table spoons olive oil to non stick pan and over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Using the same pan, brown the ground turkey. Drain excess liquid and then return to the heat and add the jar of Prego (or sauce of your choice). Add the onion and garlic mixture. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes for a richness of taste to develop. 
4. In an oven proof dish (lasagna pan, loaf pan etc.) layer with a spoonful of the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until pan is full, or until all of the ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven  for 40 minutes (covered) in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes for cheese to get bubbly.

Notes: 

1) Freezes well, prior to cooking and refrigerates well once cooked. Seems to just get better with age! 2) I also sometimes add spinach to the layers and often add chopped or shredded zucchini to the onion/garlic saute. You could add a wide variety of vegetables to this successfully.

Janice's Fast Hoppin' John

This is the New Years Day luck providing meal of choice for many people in the southern United States. There are a lot of variations on the theme and I'd be interested in hearing what you do that's different. The following is a basic low country meatless version done on the quick with canned black-eyed peas. It is easily jazzed up to be a more substantial dish. Also, to increase the lucky factor exponentially, add a side of "greens" such as collards or cabbage.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Fast Hoppin' John

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped - include the leaves
2 T pure olive oil
2 t fresh crushed garlic

2 jalapenos or 1 serrano, deseeded and minced
2 15 oz cans Black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 chopped tomatoes (about 1/2 - 1 cup the amount is to taste)
1 T Paul Prudhomme's Magic seasoning*

*I like either the pork or the "meat" seasoning for this. He also makes a great salt free generic seasoning that is very good indeed and is my choice when sodium is a concern. Personally, I like Prudhomme's seasoning better than Tony Chacheres - which I find way too salty. But if you like that better, use it. Watch how much you use though as his seasonings have way more salt.

Directions:

In a medium sized pot, heat the oil and then saute the chopped celery and onion until both are softened - about 5 minutes or more as you prefer. Add the garlic and pepper; saute another minute or two. Stir in the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas, chopped tomatoes, and seasoning. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice...since this is Fast Hoppin' John, use quick cook brown rice.

Optional Things:

Use dried black-eyed peas (soak overnight, drain, cook, and add the rest).
Cut well rinsed Collard Greens into long strips - add with the tomatoes.
Use more tomatoes - or a can or two of diced tomatoes or Rotelle tomatoes with chilis.
Add cooked sausage - either fresh that is cooked and browned or smoked
Add Smokey Chipotle Tabasco - or more peppers.
Turn it into a black-eyed pea and rice soup with some stock and greens and more seasonings.

Crazypotato98's Veggie-Cheese Stuffed Pizza

The nutrition facts for this great pizza idea are at Calorie Count!

Veggie-Cheese Stuffed Pizza

Ingredients:

2 ¼ to 3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 pkg active dry yeast

1 ½ c water

2 tbsp oil

1 c whole wheat flour

12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Frozen spinach – you decide on the amount (I used one package)

Green bell pepper, chopped (again, you decide on one or two)

5 oz ham, chopped

Italian seasoning to taste

8-oz can spaghetti or pizza sauce

Directions:

In large bowl, combine 1 ½ c all purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Heat 1 ½ cups water and oil until very warm (120 to 130 F); add to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in whole wheat flour and an additional ½ to 1 cup flour to form a stiff dough.

On floured surface, knead in ¼ to ½ cup all purpose flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 F) until light and doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease a 12 inch pizza pan. Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. On lightly floured surface, roll 2/3 of dough into a 14 inch circle; place in prepared pan.

In skillet, sauté green pepper and spinach with Italian seasoning until soft.

Spoon tomato sauce over dough. Add green pepper and spinach mixture and top with cheese. Roll remaining dough into a 14-inch circle; place on top of filling. Fold edge of crust over bottom; flute to seal. Make 5 slits with tip of knife for steam to escape. Bake at 375 F for 25 to 35 minutes.

Crazypotato98's Curried Carrot Spread

The nutrition facts for Crazypotato98's delicious spread for crackers, chips, and vegetables can be found at Calorie Count!

Curried Carrot Spread

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic
1 t curry powder
1/4 t ground cumin
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup Great Northern Beans
1/8 t salt
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Boil carrots until tender. Drain. Cook onion, garlic, curry powder and cumin in oil until onion is tender. Add carrots, onion mixture, beans, water and salt to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve over crackers or chips.

Crazypotato98's Carrot Cocktail

A wonderfully healthy alternative to alcohol. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Carrot Cocktail

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1/8 t thyme
1/4 t lemon peel
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 lemon slice

Directions:

Cook sliced carrots in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. Chill and enjoy.

Janice's Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salsa

Quick to make and delicious. Control the heat through the number (if any) of jalapenos you use. This recipe is delicious without the jalapenos too.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t sugar
2 ripe peeled, seeded, and diced avocadoes
1 large diced tomato
1 cup thawed from frozen corn kernals or fresh corn sliced from your just picked ear of garden corn!

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Mix

Now, that wasn't hard at all was it?


Extra stuff:

excellent as a topping for chicken, on lettuce, in pitas, etc.

Janice's Garlic Spinach Dip

Very delicious and simple to make.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Garlic Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

10 oz spinach, cooked and drained (usually one box)
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
8 oz Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Tabasco to taste
Toasted pita wedges

Directions:

Put it all (except the Monterrey Jack) in a bowl and blend. Add 1/2 of the Jack cheese and nuke til heated throughout. Sprinkle the rest of the Monterrey Jack on the top and serve!

Lulubee76's Low Cal Cauliflower Cheese

Lulubee76 discovered a great low(er) calorie version of cauliflower cheese where the sauce is made from half fat creme fraiche and cheddar! Check out the nutrition facts (set for a side dish) at Calorie Count!

Low Cal Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower cut into florets
100ml half-fat crème fraîche
85g cheddar , grated
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Directions:

Cook the cauliflower in boiling water for 5 mins until tender. Drain and tip into a bowl with the mustard, crème fraîche and two-thirds of the cheese and give it all a good mix. Sprinkle with a little more cheddar and then stick it under a hot grill for 5 mins until bubbling and golden.

I eat as a main dish! Dijon mustard works well if you don't have a whole grain mustard.

Crazypotato98's Greek Layer Dip

Wonderful way to take a very high calorie party dip and rock the calories and nutrition with yogurt and hummus! The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count - Crazypotato98's even included the calories in the pita bread for you!

Greek Layer Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup unpeeled and shredded cucumber
1 T red onion
1 t mint, chopped
8 oz hummus
1 tomato (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz Feta Cheese
3 whole wheat pita breads.

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, red onion, and mint. Set aside.

Spread hummus in the bottom of a pie plate.

Spread yogurt mixture over the hummus.

sprinkle with the chopped tomato and feta crumbles.

Split each pita bread round in half; cut each round into 8 wedges. Serve the pita wedges with the dip!

Easy as can be. Enjoy.

Claire's Hot Bean Dip

There is nothing simpler to prepare than Claire's Hot Bean Dip. The ingredients are common pantry and fridge items. What a fantastic treat to mix up for even surprise guests!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Hot Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked pinto beans (drain and rinse from a can)
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 T minced green pepper (or jalapeno)
2 T minced red onion
1/4 t hot sauce
3 T cheese (such as cheddar or Monterrey Jack)


Directions:

Mash the pinto beans with the tines of a fork. Stir in the pepper, onion, salsa and hot sauce. Spread the cheese on top. Microwave for one minute. Serve with tortillas or raw vegetables.

Janice's Artichoke & Spinach Dip

I've made this a zillion times...ok, maybe not quite so many times, but I've made it a lot. Always get raves and never have left over. Cut pita chips into triangles and toast them in the oven. Serve them warm with the dip. Very versatile. Make it suit the way you eat!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Artichoke & Spinach Dip

Step One Ingredients:

1 of those square boxes of frozen artichoke hearts (12 oz?), or One 15 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
1 box frozen spinach (12 oz?)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 T minced garlic

Step Two Ingredients:

2 T low fat mayo
1 T lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3-6 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 t pepper
salt optional

Step One Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine Step One Ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 12 minutes. Drain, process in your favorite way to smooth things out a bit, and return to the fridge to cool.

Step Two Directions:

Remove the chilled artichoke and spinach dip from the fridg, and stir in the Step Two Ingredients. Place in a pretty bowl and serve.

Alternative Ideas:

Use Monterrey Jack Cheese, omit mayo and serve hot. I've made it this way and nuked it right before serving. You can easily increase the spinach or any of the other ingredients. Yum!

Sandi's Ginger Chicken Broth

I love the addition of ginger to this most excellent broth.

Ginger Chicken Broth

Ingredients:

as many chicken bones as you can fit into a pot (I even save the cooked ones from a baked chicken)
1 sliced onion
3 stalks celery, sliced
fresh ginger about 1 tbsp or 2-3 slices
red pepper flakes about 1/4 tsp
garlic cloves 2
peppercorns about 8
bay leaves 2/3
lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon
oregano about 1/2 tsp. (if you want) optinal
salt
1 vegeta bouillon cube or one you like.
a few sprigs of fresh cilantro
If I have some salad that is wilting I will throw into the broth.(not dressed of course).

Directions:

Put everything in a large pot and bring it to a rapid boil then turn down heat. skim off the scum as soon as it stops boiling. skim off some of the fat while simmering.

Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours - add cilantro during the final half hour. Strain and cool. Remove the fat that will rise to the top and form an easily removed layer.

Sandi loves to just sip a cup of this broth anytime.

Try it over some noodles and add leftover chicken and veggies for a wonderful soup dinner.

Janice's Pear and Feta Salad

Pear and Feta Salad

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

1 head (or bag) of your favorite lettuce, rinsed, dried and torn into pieces (Romain is fantastic, but you may prefer red leaf or a blend of lettuces)
1 - 2 red pears, cored and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese (or Blue Cheese)
1/2 cup pecan halves (either plain toasted or praline pecans if your calories allow)
4 T your favorite dressing (most excellent indeed are: Raspberry vinaigrette, Champagne Dressing, or Poppy Seed)

Directions:

Toss together in a beautiful serving bowl.

Fancy, fabulously easy, and festive!

Crazypotato98's Leftover Turkey and Ravioli Soup

Try this simple, quick, and awesome (per Crazypotato98's husband) soup the day after Thanksgiving!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count.

Leftover Turkey and Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken or turkey broth/stock - homemade or from a box
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
8 oz turkey, cooked, chopped
9 oz cheese ravioli
2 cups spinach, shredded

Directions:

Place broth, pepper, onion, and Italian seasoning in a large soup pot. Heat to boiling, reduce to simmer. Simmer covered for about five minutes. Add the turkey and ravioli, return to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for about six minutes or until ravioli is tender. Stir in the spinach and simmer one more minute. Delicious with fresh grated Parmesan cheese!

Janice's Veggie Stock with Caramelized Onion

I don't have the tools to do the nutrition facts for this particular stock, so I am going to link to Calorie Count's vegetable stock facts of the my favorite prepared stock - Kitchen Basics.

Veggie Stock with Caramelized Onion

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon pure olive oil
1 large onion*, rinsed, roots trimmed off, quartered and layers peeled apart (save the peel, you will use it in the stock)
pinch salt
2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks and make sure you include a lot of the tasty leaves
2 large carrots - unpeeled, ends trimmed off, and cut into large (oh, two inch or so chunks that are then cut in half
1 leek, rinsed, cut a little above the green and then halve
1 sweet red bell pepper, rinsed, trimmed seeds removed, and cut into large chunks
8 cloves garlic, leave the skin on, and smash with a nice garlic smasher
8 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme if you have it, or use 2 t dried thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of salt
lots of cracked black pepper or whole pepper corns
2 quarts water

Directions:

Heat oil over medium low in your stock pot. Add the onion and the pinch of salt and saute until they turn a beautiful brown. Do not stir all the time, just every now and then to prevent burning. The onions have to remain in contact with the hot oil to brown well. This step adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the stock. 

Once the onion is caramelized, add all but the second pinch of salt, pepper, and water. This is where you add in the onion peels. They too have lots of flavor.

Saute over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir, frequently.

Add salt, pepper, and water and bring to a near boil.

Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for an hour or two or until the stock has reduced a bit. Strain and discard the vegetables. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You can add all sorts of seasonings such as marjoram - use whatever you like to add to soup. To really make it super low fat, allow to chill in the fridge a bit and then skim off the little bit of fat that solidifies on top. Speaking of soup, you can just add in some fresh chopped veggies and such and simmer a bit more covered until the veggies are tender and enjoy some of the most awesome soup ever.

Stock freezes well. Since most recipes call for stock measured in cups, measure label and freeze in that way in good freezer containers - Zip lock bags work well, they can be laid flat and not take up so much space in the freezer. Just keep the zipper part elevated until the stock freezes!

Add just about any veggie trimmings you may have on that day. The simmering will extract every last bit of nutrition and flavor so you can have the healthiest soup ever.

Catnmoos' Bread and Mashed Potato Filling

In the coal region of Pennsylvania, Catnmoos says, we don't call what goes inside a turkey stuffing or dressing, we call it FILLING....maybe for two reasons...because we fill the bird, and because it then fills us!

The surprising nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Bread and Mashed Potato Filling

Ingredients:

3 sticks of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tsp sage

1/2 t garlic powder

2 cups mashed potatoes

two loaves of bread, cubed (approximately 8 cups)

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, sweat the celery and onion in a stick of butter.  Add in the egg and the cup of milk, stir. Add The seasonings and stir. Stir in the mashed potatoes. Place the cubed bread in a large bowl and gently stir in the heated mixture.

You can either stuff the bird with the mix and roast, or do as Catnmoos does and place the mix in a Pam sprayed pan. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Baste the pan with the liquid from the pan that is cooking your turkey or chicken. Always use an instant read thermometer to make sure stuffing is done to about 170 degrees - whether in the bird or out!

Janice's Roasted Garlic

One problem that people have when eating to lose weight is that they find the food decidedly unappealing. It helps to ramp up the delicious factor by considering using seasonings in a different way. I add a few shakes of Tabasco to a lot of things that would surprise people because I find that far superior to adding salt - yes it has a little salt, but not as much as you get when you add salt.

Try adding whole cloves of roasted garlic to ramp up the flavor to many sauces in many savory dishes. They make a perfect addition to any pasta sauce. I also make a dish that I call garlic chicken that uses at least 40 cloves to a tomato stock sauce that holds the simmering chicken. It's simple to do and requires no fat.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

2 heads of garlic - cloves separated but left unpeeled
1 pan (don't spray it with anything)
400F preheated oven

Directions:

Put the cloves on a pan (don't crowd) and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The papery edges of the cloves will be browned and the cloves themselves softened. You can roast them in the toaster oven.

Cool completely, peel, and add to your favorite sauce...or pizza!

Now, wasn't that easy! And your house now smells awesome!

Janice's Baked Apples

No crust goodness, an A for nutrition, and very low in calories. Enjoy! The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count.

Baked Apples

Ingredients:

6 apples (you can easily use up to 8 if you prefer and use your favorite firm fleshed apple)
1/2 cup sugar
3 T flour
1 t cinnamon, ground
1/2 t nutmeg, ground
1/4 t cloves, ground
1/2 cup raisins or currents
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup whole milk - yes this is important so just buy a small container if you don't usually use it

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray Pam in a 2 quart casserole dish.

Peel (optional), core, and slice apples; place in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to the apples and mix well. Stir in the raisins and walnuts. Place into a casserole and pour milk over the entire thing.

Bake for about 45 - 60 minutes or until bubbly.

Allow to cool and set a little bit, but not so long that it cools complete, serve while warm.

Janice's Apple Blackberry Crisp

Beautiful finish to a holiday meal. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count - know your calories and enjoy a bit of sweet. If a regular sized slice does not fit in to your day's calories, a half slice will still be very satisfying.

Apple Blackberry Crisp

Ingredients:

4 apples - Rome apples are good for this, but so are Winesap - I bet Granny Smiths would be terrific too!
2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 T flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Directions:

Preheat oven - 400 F.

Spray Pam in a 2 quart casserole dish.

Core and slice the apple into chunks about 1/4 inch thick - peeling is optional but traditional, unfortunately, it also peels off a lot of the nutrition. Heat in a large pot over low heat for about 10 minutes, stir a lot.

Remove from heat and stir in the berries.

Combine the regular sugar and 2 T of the flour, stir in to the fruit, then pour into the casserole.

In a medium sized bowl, stir 1 cup of flour, the brown sugar and cinnamon. Then "cut" in the butter as you would if you were making baking powder biscuits using a cutting motion with a fork over stirring a little every now and then to coat the butter with the dry ingredients. Keep it up until you have some coarse crumbs no larger than pea sized.

Sprinkle the mix over the filling and bake for 30 minutes or until the crumbs are nicely browned.

Delicious as is. If you are one of those that needs to add calories to your day, top with a dollop of freshly made whipped cream.

Fuzzypainters Poor Man's Shrimp Cocktail

This is a fabulous idea for a low calorie high nutrition appetizer! The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Poor Man's Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 T ground horseradish
1/4 t lemon juice
4 cups (one head) of cauliflower broken into florets

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients well and adjust for taste - if you are not a big horseradish person, cut it in half and then taste and add as you think best.

Place the cocktail sauce in a pretty bowl in the center of a lovely plate and surround with rinsed cauliflower florets.

Most excellent!

Laura's Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins

The three B's in Laura's muffins are packed with loads of nutrition and are an awesome way to start your calorie counting day!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count! 

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins 

Ingredients:

1 cup bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 ts baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or butter
1 cup low fat milk or yogurt
1 cup blueberries (can be frozen)

1 very ripe banana, mashed 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray oil into muffin tins.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Beat together the egg, oil and banana in another bowl.

Stir in blueberries and milk (or yogurt)

Add the liquid to the dry and stir only just until the ingredients are mixed and damp.

Spoon into the muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Options:

Add sunflower seeds, nuts, or any of your favorite fresh or dried fruit!

Michael's Kahlua Yams

Michael's yams are not really made with yams. They are made with what Americans call yams - a "soft" sweet potato. Michael's decision to add Kahlua to the mixture was an absolutely fantastic way to get creative in cookery.

Kahlua Yams

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

4 yams
2 T butter
2 T dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua

Directions:

Roast (or you can boil) the yams and then mash with the other three ingredients. Place in a Pam sprayed casserole and bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes. 

Options:

If you can afford the calories, during the last few minutes of baking, you can either top with more brown sugar or some of those mini marshmallows.

If you're pressed for time or oven space, use good quality canned yams, WITH the liquid. Put all ingredients in a saucepan, boil until the liquid reduces by about half, and pour into a serving dish.

Simple and delicious!

Susan's Roasted Delicata Squash

A lovely winter squash similar to butternut squash. Easier to slice, no need to peel, and a lot faster to cook! If you like winter squash but don't make it often because it is hard to peel and cut, you will love the delicata!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Roasted Delicata Squash
Ingredients:

2 delicata squash
1 T olive oil
1/4 t garlic salt
2 T Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Meanwhile, Poke a few holes in the squash and microwave for five minutes. Then cut lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into spears and put in a foil lined pan. Brush with olive oil using a basting brush, sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Roast for about 10-15 minutes or til browned and easily pierced with a fork.

Simple fast and a wonderful way to eat low calorie high nutrition squash on a weeknight!

Sheila's Crock Pot Apple Pie

The nutrition facts for this easy as crock pot pie are at Calorie Count!

Crock Pot Apple Pie

Ingredients:

8  apples*

1 ¼ teaspoon  ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon  allspice

¼ teaspoon  nutmeg

¾ cup  milk

2 teaspoon  butter

¾ cup  sugar

2  eggs

1 teaspoon  vanilla

1 ½ cups Bisquick, divided

1/3 cup  brown sugar

3 teaspoon  cold butter

Directions:

Peeled and core apples. Cut into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Toss apples in large bowl with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Place in lightly greased crockpot.

Combine milk, softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup Bisquick. Spoon over apples.

Combine 1 cup Bisquick and brown sugar. cut the cold butter into mixture until crumbly.

Sprinkle this mixture over top of apple mixture.

Cover and cook on low until apples are soft - around five hours

Check to see if they are soft after five hours. If you go too long and the edges will be burnt.

Note:

*Granny Smith Apples work the best

Heavy on the Veggie Stuffing/Dressing

Who says that the stuffing has to be all bread? Go ahead and veggie it up to your heart's content. If you think the following needs more veggies, add them! The more the better for a wonderful healthier Thanksgiving...or any other meal where you want dressing!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Vegetable Dressing/Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 T butter

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, chopped

1 ¾ cup vegetable stock (no or low salt is best)

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

2 cups fresh spinach, torn

¼ cup parsley, chopped

¼ t pepper

2 t chopped garlic

1 t sage

1 t thyme

4 cups dried cubed bread (or stuffing mix)

Directions:

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the carrots until they start to become tender. Add the mushrooms and onions and continue to sauté (don’t forget to stir!) until the mushrooms soften and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the stock, water chestnuts, spinach, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in the bread cubes. You can just put the lid on and allow it to steam until the bread is soft or put it in a casserole and heat it up later in the oven. If it seems dry, just stir in a few tablespoons of stock. I’ve never put this in a bird, but it should be quite good!

Janice's Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Simple and much better tasting than that marshmallow brown sugar stuff people serve at Thanksgiving. Enjoy this anytime, but it's perfect with the turkey! A slightly modified version of Claire's Roast Sweet Potatoes - largely to give measurements to the seasonings.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sweet potatoes
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 T butter, melted
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 t salt
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Arrange the cut into chunks or slices sweet potatoes in an even layer in a large (preferrably glass) 9x13 inch baking dish.

Combine the maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir well. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and toss to coat.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, stir, and cook for about 45-50 minutes more until the sweet potatoes are tender - stir every 15 minutes to prevent burning and sticking to the pan.

Serve immediately.

Buggy's Savory Yam Perogies

Remember, if you think in terms of ounces and pounds instead of grams, Buggy's recipes are a great way for you to get familiar with Calorie Count's Conversion Tool (convenient link on the right hand side of this blog) where you will also find this recipe's nutrition facts.

This particular recipe makes a great amount of individual perogies, so you may need to reduce.

Savory Yams

Ingredients:

2000 grams  yam, boiled and mashed

400 grams  onion, finely chopped

2 tsp  ground garlic powder

2 tsp  curry powder

1 tsp  chili powder

1 tsp  ground cinnamon

1 tsp  ground ginger

½ tsp  ground cumin

½ tsp  ground turmeric

Directions:

Janice's Green Beans with Tomato and Caramelized Onion

Caramelized onions, seasoned brown sugar enriched tomato paste, and green beans...all for only 131 calories per generous serving? Absolutely! This is a perfect "company's coming" side dish or really, anytime you want something just a little fancy.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Green Beans with Tomato and Caramelized Onion

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds green beans
1/4 cup pure olive oil
1/2 t salt
1 yellow onion
3 T tomato paste
1 t dark brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are great to eat and easy to toast. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

One medium sized pumpkin
1/4 t Salt
2 T Olive oil

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the "lid", and scooped out the stringy guts and seeds. Separate the seeds the best you can from the stringy stuff. Rinse well and dry thoroughly on a paper towel.

Toss the seeds with olive oil, spread out in a large baking pan in a single layer, and sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt.

Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 10-20 minutes. The length of cooking time depends on how brown you want them to be. When they are perfect for you, remove them to cool a bit and then munch away on this healthy snack. Eat the entire shell and seed for terrific taste and fiber!

Simple nutrition that kids of all ages will enjoy!

Sharpshootinstar's Pumpkin Soup

 Pumpkin savoriness with minimalist calories from Sharpshootinstar! The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count and are set using 3 cups of stock.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 15oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
1 med onion
2 tablespoons butter
2-4 cups chicken stock (depends on how thick or thin you like it)
1 chipotle pepper + 2 tablespoons adobo sauce.

Directions:

Chop up the onion and put it in a soup pot with the butter. 

Lulufit's Pumpkin Fluff Fruit Dip

What a great idea from Lulufit! The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count and are set with the use as a dip. A little fun, good nutrition, and some extra fruit for you and your kids!

Pumpkin Fluff Fruit Dip

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 16 oz container of whipped topping, like Cool Whip
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

In a big bowl, mix all together.  Chill & serve with cut up fruit.

For extra Halloween-ness, serve in a hollowed out sugar pumpkin with fruit kabobs.

If you don't have any pumpkin pie spice, just use pumpkin pie mix instead of puree!

Janice's Basic Wild Rice Stuffing

This is a very simple and extremely basic recipe that you need to tweak to include nutritious things that you love to eat - suggestions for add ins or swap outs: almonds, pecans, mushrooms, currents, apple, celery, dried cranberries, persimmon, change the rice to any kind you prefer or try an exotic blend for terrific visual appeal.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count, but if you use "mix-ins" remember to count those calories too. It's easy to make a "new recipe" at Calorie Count and know how to count each serving!

If you cut this in half, it's the perfect amount for stuffing a chicken...or an acorn squash...or some bell peppers!

Basic Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients for eight 1/2 cup servings:

Susan's Turkey in a Crockpot

This is one of those very basic "recipes" that each cook needs to take as a starting position only. Vary each ingredient to your individual tastes. Like all white meat? Don't use the thighs. Prefer different veggies? Go for it! Season as you prefer as well. If you are a calorie counter, make sure you take a weighed portion and count up those calories using these nutrition facts for white meat turkey or the nutrition facts for dark meat turkey from Calorie Count! The meat will have absorbed sodium, but to be honest I have no idea as to how one would count those numbers.

Turkey in a Crockpot

Ingredients and Directions all Mixed Up:

Put a whole bunch of "new" (small) yukon gold potatoes in the bottom of the crock. Rub the turkey parts of your choice* liberally with poultry seasoning and place them on top of the potatoes. Pour in some chicken or turkey stock - enough to make it about an inch deep. Cover and let it cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 

When you are done you have potatoes cooked to perfection in drippings so they are super flavorful for mashing or eating as they are. The meat is tender. Tons of "drippings" for turning into gravy too.

A Brine for All Time...and Turkey

From this allrecipes post with a few modifications suggested by the commenters that tried it. If you are a calorie counter, make sure you take a weighed portion and count up those calories using these nutrition facts for white meat turkey or the nutrition facts for dark meat turkey from Calorie Count! The meat will have absorbed sodium, but to be honest I have no idea as to how one would count those numbers.

Brine for Turkey

Ingredients to make enough brine for a 12-18 pound turkey:

1/2 gallons veggie stock
1/2 gallon apple juice
1 large onion sliced
2 stalks celery rough chopped include leaves
1 cup sea salt
1 T rosemary
1 T sage
1 T thyme
1 handful peppercorns
1 T savory
1 gallon ice water

Directions:

Combine all except the ice water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Pour into a large food safe container such as a large pot with lid or plastic container with lid large enough to hold all the liquid and the turkey. It will need to hold about five gallons to be large enough and you may need to purchase a special container just for this project. Food safe is critical. Do not use a large garbage bag or a regular bucket designed for use while mopping I don't care how new it is.

Add the ice water to the brine starter and stir.

Remove the goodie bags from the turkey, rinse and dry it by wiping it with paper towels.

Then add the turkey and make sure it is pushed into the liquid so that it runs throughout the cavities.

Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the turkey and drain off the excess brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Cook as usual except for one thing - you won't need to baste! Because you won't be opening the oven door all the time letting out the heat, you will find that the turkey cooks a bit faster - by about 30 minutes.

Brian's Smoked or Grilled Turkey

Smoking or grilling turkey is a wonderful way to make a flavorful bird that is so much easier than messing about in and heating up a kitchen! If you are a calorie counter, make sure you take a weighed portion and count up those calories using these nutrition facts for white meat turkey or the nutrition facts for dark meat turkey from Calorie Count!

Smoked or Grilled Turkey

1 fresh 14 pound turkey
salt
pepper
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
butter

Turkey Preparation:

spread crushed garlic inside turkey
salt and pepper inside of turkey
Place medallions of butter under turkey skin on top half of turkey
Salt and pepper outside of turkey

Smoking Instructions:

Smoke in a charcoal smoker using your smokers directions at 230 for 8 hours or until an internal temp of 165 is achieved using hickory chips for smoke flavor

Grilling Instructions:

Start 50 coals in a charcoal chimney, divide coals so that half are on each side of the kettle grill. Place a drip pan between the 2 piles. Place giblets in drip pan with 3 cups water. Add 6 coals to each pile every hour and grill until an internal temp of 165 is achieved (2-3 hours) Baste every hour with apple juice.

Additional Yumminess:

Tent turkey with tin foil and allow it to rest for 1 hour.
Remove drip pan from grill
in frying pan,melt 2 Tbs butter
Add 2 Tbs flour to melted butter and form a roux
Add contents of drip pan after skimming off fat
Stir until a nice gravy consistency is met

Janice's Roasted Cauliflower

Simple and superb way to serve cauliflower. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (minimum) garlic cut into slices
2 tablespoons pure olive oil or canola oil (do not use extra virgin olive oil)
1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup onion sliced into chunks about the size of the florets

1/3 cup Panko
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley*
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

Peel and slice the garlic and set aside. Rinse, trim and separate the cauliflower into florets of approximately equal size so they roast evenly.

Mix the Panko, black pepper, cayenne, parsley, and garlic slices in a large bowl. Add the prepared cauliflower and onion. Mix well, drizzle with olive oil, and toss. The ingredients should be lightly coated with oil. If not, you may need to toss more or add a smidge more oil.

Spread onto a baking sheet and place in a preheated to 425 F oven for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is only just tender, top with the cheese and return to the oven for a few more minutes - you don't want the cheese to blacken, but brown is nice...just heated works well too!

If you want to consider adding other veggies, make sure that they are of the type that will cook in about the same amount of time so you don't get some not-quite-done and some just right. Broccoli would be a good addition here!

* you can jazz up the flavor with other herbs instead of cayenne. Try thyme, rosemary, mustard, cumin, or even nutmeg!

Bubbles Cauliflower Salad

Enjoy this wonderful cauliflower salad from Bubbles! The terrific nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower cut into little florretts (about 4 cups)
4 little green onions, whites and greens chopped.
2 cups of snap peas, freash, chopped into about 3/8 to 1/2 inch segments

Dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3/4 tbsp brown mustard
3/4 tbsp yellow curry

Directions:

Rinse, chop, and combine the veggies in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and then toss with the veggies.


Also delicious with a fresh tomato on the side.

Aline's Crawfish Etouffee

My wonderful Cajun friend Aline is a terrific source for a lot of Louisiana style cookery! This recipe was her submission for the Football Futbol Chefery Challenge.  The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Her team: The New Orleans Saints

Her recipe: Crawfish Etouffee

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Crayfish (bag of peeled tails*)

1 Medium Onion (Chopped Fine)

2 Stalks Celery

1/2 large Green Bell Pepper (or one small)

1 Stick Butter

3 Tablespoons Tony Chachere Instant Roux**

1 Cup Water Cold Water

1 clove garlic

1/2  Tsp. of Salt or Salt or to your Taste

1/2 Tsp. Red Hot Pepper Sauce
1/4 t ground black pepper or to your Taste

1/3 can Cream of Mushroom soup

3 Stalks Green Onions (Chopped)

1 to 1-1/2 cups of white rice, cooked per package directions

Directions:

Saute onion, celery, bell pepper , and garlic for 10 to 12 minutes.  Add crayfish, salt, red pepper, cream of mushroom soup and Roux simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add 1 cup of water and simmer for another 15 minutes (if too thick add more water).  Turn off and mix in green onions and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Serve over white rice.

Options:

yup, that's a crawfish/crayfish/crawdad

* Peeling a crawfish is very similar to prepping a shrimp, except that the shell is harder and more red in color. They are common in South Louisiana.. Break off the head and peel the tail and pop them in the Etouffee! There are many ways to cook a crawfish - many love to boil them in the same way you do a shrimp boil.

**make your own roux if you prefer, but Tony Chachere makes a great instant version!

Janice's Chicago Style Soy Dog

This "recipe" is for the Chefery Football Futbol Challenge. The team - The Chicago Bears!

The sandwich can be made with a soy hotdog or a turkey hotdog, a regular hotdog, or better still a nice Polish sausage! The nutrition facts were done for the soy dog as so many at CC Palate will choose one of those to save calories and sodium (I hear they have improved the taste too!).

If you use any other hot dog, be sure to use Calorie Count to find the nutrition facts for your dog of choice!

A Soy Dog Done in the Traditional Drag it Through the Garden Chicago Way

Ingredients:

1 Soy Hotdog
1 poppy seed bun
1 t mustard (approx)
1 T onion, fine chopped
1 T sweet relish
1 dill pickle, sliced lengthwise
1/4 tomato, half the tomato and make some nice half moon slices
2 Sport Peppers
Dash of celery salt

Directions:

assemble and eat!

Janice's English Muffin Bread

This is an excellent recipe. The wonderful flavor and texture of English Muffins, but in a bread you can slice. Easy and fast to make - the recipe makes two loaves so you can enjoy one and give the other to a friend! The nutrition facts, which are based on a fairly nice thick slice, are at Calorie Count!

English Muffin Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C water
1/2 C Canola Oil
4 - 4 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour
1/4 Cup sugar
2 t salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 eggs
Cornmeal to dust the baking pans

Directions:

Heat water and oil in a small sauce pot until very warm but not hot (about 120 degrees is about right, a little warmer than body temperature).

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a large bowl and stir. Add the eggs and warm water/oil and beat at a low speed until moistened, then beat a couple more minutes at a medium speed. Then add the rest of the flour stirring by hand - this will make a stiff batter.

Cover and let it rise in a warm location until it's light and doubled in size. Should take about an hour.

Use shortening and grease two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle them with the cornmeal. Stir down the dough by beating vigorously by hand for about 30 seconds and spoon into the prepared pans.

Cover and let rise again until doubled in size. Doesn't take as long for the second rising, about 45 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 375 and bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the pans and cool.