Michael’s Relatively Low Fat Guacamole

The nutrition facts for this delicious guacamole were designed using the great tools at Calorie Count!

Michael’s Relatively Low Fat Guacamole

Ingredients:

1 med. to large avocado, well ripened

1 tsp. Tony Chachere's salt substitute

1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 large clove, peeled and minced (to taste)

1/3 cup finely diced onions

1 - 2 Tbsp. bottled or canned NM green chili (you choose the heat level; recommend Hatch)

1/8 tsp. "all purpose" seasoning herbs (McCormick's, for example)

1/8 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup fresh tomato, seeded and finely chopped

dash of black pepper

1 tsp. lime juice + zest of one or two limes

3 oz. plain, no fat Greek yogurt (Fage recommended)

1 Tbsp. plain sweetened almond milk

Directions:

Split the avocado length-wise and remove the pit. Scoop the avocado out of the peel and place into a small mixing bowl.  Mash it up thoroughly with a fork. Add all the other ingredients and mix well, using the almond milk to bring the mixture to the desired thickness/consistency.

Cover the container and chill for at least a half hour.  If you are going to be keeping the guacamole longer, return the pit to the mixture; this will keep it from turning dark.  This recipe should be enough for two people or four light nibblers as an appetizer.

Serve with GREAT chips!

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

The nutrition facts for this delicious Japanese curry were made at Calorie Count!

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

Ingredients:

The Tonkatsu:

8 thin-cut pork chops, boneless

Panko bread crumbs

All-purpose flour

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp shichimi togarash (seven-flavor pepper powder) (you can sub cayenne pepper for this, but reduce to 1/2 tsp)

2 eggs diluted with milk or water

The Veggies:

8 red-skin potatoes or new potatoes (waxy potatoes work best), diced into large-ish cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small sweet onion, sliced

2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias

3 green onions, chopped finely

1 red hot chili pepper, sliced very thinly (optional if you like heat)

Splash of soy sauce (in the boiling water)

The Sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin, just regular olive oil)

1 tbsp butter

All-purpose flour (to thicken, amount used varies based on desired thickness)

3 tbsp good-quality yellow curry powder (get this from an Indian grocer if you can, the quality difference is HUGE)

1 tbsp shichimi togarash

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

Water to your desired consistency

Directions to make the curry:

First, you want to get the veggies boiled off. Cut up the potatoes and carrots, since they need to be boiled first. Put them in a pot and boil them with a splash of soy sauce. While this is going on, you can start breading and frying your pork chops.

Set up a breading station with a dish of flour (seasoned with garlic powder, pepper, salt and shichimi togarash), a bowl with the egg and milk mixture and a dish with plain panko breadcrumbs. Bread the pork chops normally and fry off in vegetable oil until crisp and golden brown. Store these in the oven, wrapped in foil, to keep them warm.

By this time your veg should be done; remove from heat and strain off. Start making the sauce. In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and melt it down. Add the onion and bell pepper (and chili peppers if you want it spicy) and cook them until the onions are translucent. Add curry powder, shichimi togarash,  garlic, ginger and (if necessary) more butter. Add the flour and cook it off to make a roux. Add cold water and whisk vigorously, cooking until thickened. Add boiled potatoes and carrots to the sauce; reduce heat to low and cook slowly for another five minutes.

Remove from heat and add finely chopped green onions.

To plate:

Slice two breaded pork chops into long, thin strips and arrange on a mound of white or brown rice in a shallow bowl. Ladle a few spoons of sauce over the top; garnish with pickled ginger and a sprinkling of shichimi togarash.  Serve immediately. Feeds four-six rather hungry individuals.

Dave’s Hidden Secret Dessert

Dave says not tell anyone there is tofu in here and they'll think its sherbet! The nutrition facts were designed at Calorie Count!

Hidden Secret Dessert

Ingredients:

10 oz tofu (firm or soft works just fine)

1 banana

3 T honey

1 cup berries

1 t vanilla

½ t salt

Directions:

Into a blender jar put 10 ounces of tofu, 1 banana, 3 Tablespoons honey and a cup of drained berries, peaches, plums or any other fairly strong fruit and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a half teaspoon salt. Blend at high speed until smooth and frothy.

Ladle out into a pie dish and place in freezer for about 90 minutes.

Options:

Use any combination of fruits: berries, peaches, plums, limes, or other strongly flavored fruit.

Poetnw's Puppy Pancakes

From Poetnw who messed with a recipe from Betty Crocker and made it hers… well made it for her pups.

Sally

Sally's Puppy Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk- can be sweet milk or milk with yogurt or vinegar or lemon in it to sour it.

2 t. fat, melted or salad oil

1 cup flour- whatever you like- wheat, oat, rye, almond meal, skies the limit

2 T wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 half teaspoon soda

No salt- dogs and humans really don't need it.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Add wet ingredients to the dry and make a nice slurry. 

Heat skillet or griddle or fry pan and add a little grease or oil to it and get it hot.  I tend to make fat pancakes and this recipe made three large pancakes.

When the pancakes have bubbles on the top side, carefully flip it over and let it cook a minute or so on the other side. 

Put your round pancakes on a baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Bake for around 20 minutes- keep an eye on them- the goal is get them toasted and harder for the pups.  Not burned, just toasted harder. 

Take them out of the oven and let them cool.

Cut into strips. I found the easiest way to make strips was to use my kitchen scissors.  I cut long strips then cut those in half. How large or small you make the strips depends on the size of your dog.  For sure put the dog treats in the fridge because, unlike store bought processed pet treats, these have no preservatives.

Have your pup sit pretty and reward with a nice slice of puppy pancake.

Suchit's Thai Marinade for Grilled Chicken

My friend Suchit is from Thailand. She says that, for the Thai people, the first choice for the cilantro in this dish would be to use cilantro roots instead of stems. But, since that is not always available where she lives now, she makes this delicious marinade with cilantro stems. Do not use the cilantro leaves, save those for making the dipping sauce (link below).

The nutrition facts for the marinade were created at Calorie Count.

Thai Marinade for Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts or 8 thighs

One batch marinade

Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 cup cilantro stems or roots* (no leaves)
2 T garlic, minced
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Optional: 1 T ginger, sliced and smashed

Directions:

Add the marinade ingredients to a large zip lock bag.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (do not rinse chicken) and add to the marinade, remove air, seal and refrigerate for anywhere from 4 hours to overnight.

Remove the bag from the refrigerator and heat coals on a grill. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until the juices run clear - turn frequently.

Serve with Thai Dipping Sauce and enjoy mindfully with a skewer of grilled veggies and a bit of lovely brown basmati rice.

Crazypotato98’s Beer Battered Not Quite Fried Tilapia

Crazypotato98’s Beer Battered Not Quite Fried Tilapia

Nothing could be easier! The nutrition facts were designed by Crazypotato98 herself at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour

1/8 cup wheat germ

1  egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 cups Bud light beer

600 g tilapia

Directions:

Combine batter ingredients. Coat fish.

Spray a pan with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray on the half of the fish you will brown first. Add to the pan and fry on medium-high - do not add the fish until the pan is very hot. Brown on that side - just a few minutes.

  

Spray the cooking spray on top of the unfried half, flip and continue cooking until done - another couple minutes will do you - total cooking time, about five minutes or until the fish is opaque. Serve hot.

Use plenty of cooking spray or the batter will not stick. If you don’t have the patience for cooking spray and can afford a few more calories, just use a tablespoon of a good oil that is suitable for high heat.

Michael's Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Michael's Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

The nutrition facts were created at Calorie Count

2 cans low sodium cream of chicken soup

1 can Hatch medium hot green chili sauce

12 oz. chicken breast meat, cut into small chunks (tenders work well)

8 oz. ricotta cheese lite

8 oz plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

8 oz. mixed, shredded "Mexican-style" cheese

1/2 cup sweetened, unflavored almond milk

1 doz. fresh corn tortillas

1 bunch green onions

2 garlic cloves minced

4 - 5 hot green chilis, roasted, seeded and diced

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, yogurt, finely-chopped green onions, garlic and mix well.  Set aside; works best if you refrigerate for about 15 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Combine the 2 cans of soup, 1 can green chili sauce, oregano, parsley, pepper and almond milk and whisk to mix well.

Spray a wok or deep frying pan with olive oil flavored Pam; add the chicken and brown completely over medium heat.  Set aside to cool.

Spray a 13 X 9 X 2 glass casserole with Pam.  Coat the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of the soup mixture.  Layer SIX of the tortillas in an overlapping pattern to pretty much cover the bottom of the dish.  Spoon 1/2 of the ricotta/yogurt mix over the tortillas and smooth into an even layer.  Sprinkle well and evenly with 1/2 the grated cheese.  Add the browned chicken and spread evenly.

Add another layer of the other six tortillas.  Add the rest of the soup/sauce mixture and spread evenly over the tortillas.  Add the final 1/2 of the ricotta/yogurt mixture and spread evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese evenly over the top.

Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown. Upon removing let the dish sit uncovered for about 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.  Or 6 really hongry people!

Claire's Classic Roast Chicken

The nutrition facts were run two ways for you at Calorie Count. To log using the recipe below, use this link. If you are on a low sodium diet, use salt free butter and low or no sodium chicken broth. If you do that, log with these nutrition facts.

Claire’s Classic Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole roasting chicken, approximately four pounds

1 tbs butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1  lemon

1/2 cup carrot, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Wash the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Cut the lemon in quarters and place inside the chicken with the sliced garlic. Rub the chicken all over with butter. season well with salt & pepper.

Place the chopped vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan with the chicken broth. Place the chicken, breast side down, on the vegetables.

Put into a preheated 400 f oven and roast for 35 minutes.

Turn the chicken over and continue to to roast for 30 to 40 more minutes, or until done.

Remove from the oven and place on a warm platter, loosely covered with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes prior to carving.

The vegetables and pan drippings can be defatted, pureed and served as a deliciously light sauce.

Marg’s Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

You read that right. Breadsticks.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Marg’s Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, grated 

2 whole eggs, plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten (I just use whole eggs)

1 cup light havarti cheese, grated

Dried basil,oregano and parsley

1 teaspoon olive oil (I just spray with Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a large bowl until evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use olive oil to grease the parchment paper.

Spread and flatten the cauliflower mixture on the parchment paper evenly—about 1 inch thick. Square off the edges so it looks like a rectangle or square.

Bake for 40 minutes until slightly dried out, browning, and firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and using a spatula carefully peel away from parchment paper. Flip over and return to oven for 10 more minutes. (I also broil it for a few minutes to help brown it in the middle more.)

Cool and cut into "sticks".

Serve with dipping sauce (e.g., marinara sauce) on the side, or top with bruschetta sauce.

Koppenhoefer Family Recipe for German Potato Soup

Koppenhoefer Family Recipe for German Potato Soup

Grandma Koppenhoefer brought this recipe with her when she immigrated from Germany as a teenager. It's incredibly easy, economical, and delicious, and it can be tweaked in many ways to suit individual tastes.

The nutrition facts for this outstanding soup were calculated at the best Free website in the interwebz to count your calories - Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 strips bacon, chopped

1 medium to large onion, chopped coarsely 

2 cloves garlic, minced

leaves of 2 celery stalks

salt and pepper to taste

flour (approximately 2 T)

Directions:

In one pot, cover cubed potatoes with salted water to a level that covers the potatoes by one-half inch. Add celery leaves. Boil until potatoes are soft. Remove celery and discard.

Help Grandma make soup!

While potatoes are boiling, sauté bacon in a soup pot, or equivalent. When bacon is almost crisp, add onion and garlic. When onion becomes clear, add enough flour, a little at a time and stirring, to absorb the bacon drippings.

Pour one-third of potato water into the soup pot and form a roux.

While roux is browning, mash potatoes in remaining water. Pour into roux. In Germany, a roux is called a Mehlschwitze. You can learn all sorts of things at CC Palate!

Stir, adding salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until ready to serve.

If you prefer a thinner soup, you may add water as desired.

Serving suggestions:

Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley on top of each serving. Serves four as a main course or eight as an appetizer. Matches well with toasted cheese sandwiches.