Quick Ciabatta Bread Tomato Appetizer

1 Slice of Ciabatta Bread Cut Into 7 Pieces
6-7 Grape Tomatoes
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil Divided
Dash of Sea Salt
Dash of Black Pepper
1 TBSP Pecorino Romano
1 TSP Minced Basil Leaves
Small Bowl

Slice Up 6-7 Grape Tomatoes
Pour Tomatoes In Bowl
Add in 1 TSP Oil, Basil, Sea, Salt, Pepper, & Basil Leaves.
Toss To Coat And Chill for An Hour or Two, Add Sliced Onions if You Like
Drizzle Remaining Oil Onto Ciabatta Bread
Evenly Place Tomato Mixture Onto Bread
Evenly Sprinkle Cheese Over Bread
Serves 1-2 People
Post A Comment And Let Me Know If You Want Measurements for a Larger Portion

Mangia

Besan (Chickpea Flour) Pancakes

1 Cup Besan Flour
1/4 Cup Rice Flour
1/8 TSP Sea Salt
1/2 TSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Enough Water To Make Batter
Electric Skillet 300-325


Pre-Heat Skillet to 300-325 and add about 1/2 tsp oil.  
When Skillet is Ready, Add a ladle full of the batter and spread it evenly.  
Cook both sides till golden brown. 2-4 Minutes. Thicker Besan Pancakes Take Longer

Rapini Garlic Tomato Pesto Sauce

1 Bunch Rapini Rinsed And Stem Cut to Clean of Ends
1 14.5 Oz Can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Roasted Minced Garlic
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning Made With Basil,Coriander,Garlic,Paprika,Onion,Sage,Parsley,Oregano, & Black Pepper
1 TBSP Low Fat Pesto Sauce
2 TBSP Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Salad Spinner or 1 Colander Inside A Large Bowl With A Cover
28 Ice Cubes
1 Large Skillet

Part One: Steam  & Blanch Rapini
Fill Up an Electric or Manual Tea Kettle With Water. Boil Water
Place Rapini In Colander in Salad Spinner or in Colander In Large Deep Bowl
Pour Entire Kettle of Water Over The Rapini In Your Colander, Cover And Let Steam For 6 Minutes
Remove Colander With Rapini And Drain
Add 28 Ice Cubes To Spinner Base or Your Large Bowl And Fill 3/4 of the Way With Cold Water
Add Rapini To Iced Water Bowl For 6 Minutes, Drain And Refrigerate Rapini For 2 Hours

Part Two: Make Rapini Garlic Tomato Pesto Sauce
Pour 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Skillet And Heat on Medium High Heat
Add In Garlic, Rapini, Seasoning, Pesto And Stir To Coat
Sauté For 5 Minutes
Add In Tomatoes And Cook For 5 More Minutes
Turn of Cooktop
Sprinkle Pecorino Cheese On Top

You Can Eat This As Meal on Its Own or Serve Over 1 Cup of Pasta As I Have Here.

Rapini Garlic Tomato Pesto Sauce

On Top of Mutil-Grain Pasta

Roasted Eggplant & Garlic Humus Spread

Part One: Cook Your Eggplant

1 Eggplant Washed, Peeled And Cut Into 1/4 or 1/2 Inch Cubes

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 TSP Minced Garlic

1/4 TSP Sea Salt

1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper

1 TSP Diced Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Bowl

1 Baking Sheet

1 Piece of Aluminum Foil

Preheat Oven at 350

Pour Your Cut Eggplant Into Your Bowl

Add in Oil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, & Parsley And Toss To Coat Eggplant

Spread Eggplant Evenly Onto Baking Sheet Lined With Aluminum Foil

Bake For 20 Minutes

Remove Eggplant And Cool In The Refrigerator For 2 Hours

Part Two: Prepare Humus

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP Lemon Juice

1 14.5 Oz Can of No Salt Added Chickpeas, Rinsed & Drained or Cook Your Own Chickpeas Plain 

1 Cup Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt or Fat Free Plain Yogurt

1/4 Cup Basil Leaves

1 Cup Crumpled Feta Cheese

1 Large Bowl

Mix All Ingredients in large Bowl

Add In Cooked & Cooled Eggplant And Toss To Coat

Part Three: Blend Everything In a Vitamix, Blender or Food Processor

Use Humus As a Topping On Veggie Burgers, Dip For Vegetables, As a Spread On Paratha's, Pita's, or Besan Pancakes

Roasted Eggplant

Roasted Eggplant & Garlic Humus Spread 

Blended In My Vitamix

Whole Wheat Paratha

Quick Healthy Roasted Eggplant

With the Cost of Meat Going Up So Much In Price Here In The U.S, I Have Been trying To Eat More Vegetable Based Meals. Look For More Vegetable Based Dishes To Be Posted. I Am Increasing My Bean, Legume And Tofu Meals As Well. Many Years Ago I Was A Vegan And Then An Ovo-Vegan And Weighed Much Less. I Am Hoping That This Will Help Me In My Ongoing Weight Loss Battle.

1 Eggplant Washed, Peeled And Cut Into 1/4 or 1/2 Inch Cubes
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 TSP Minced Garlic
1/4 TSP Sea Salt
1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper
1 TSP Diced Flat Leaf Parsley, You Can Vary Flavors And Use Basil, Rosemary, or Oregano
1 Bowl
1 Baking Sheet
1 Piece of Aluminum Foil

Pour Your Cut Eggplant Into Your Bowl
Add in Oil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, & Parsley And Toss To Coat Eggplant
Spread Eggplant Evenly Onto Baking Sheet Lined With Aluminum Foil

Preheat Oven at 350
Bake For 20 Minutes

Great Spice

Whole Tumeric Lasts A Long Time And Is Quite Helpful In Decreasing Inflammation Which is Why I Use It So Often in My Cooking. I Use My Microplane Grater And Use Whatever Amount I Need. One Package Usually is $2-3 U.S. Dollars. It stays much fresher and I can use less of it then one would with dried Tumeric. I do the same thing with Whole Nutmeg.

Whole Tumeric

Banana Chocolate Kahlua White Russian Bread Pudding

1. 7 Egg Whites
2. 2 Cups Light Vanilla Soymilk
3. 3 TBSP Premixed Kahlua White Russian or Plain Kahlua Liquor
4. 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
5. 1 TBSP Light Corn Syrup or Sugar Free Corn Syrup
6. 1/4 TSP Agave Sweetener
7. 1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
8. 1/4 TSP Ground Cloves
9. 1/8 TSP Ground Ginger
10. 1/4 TSP Freshly Grated Nutmeg or 3/4 TSP Dried Ground Nutmeg
11. 1 CUP Splenda
12. 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder

5-6 Cups of Cubed Multi Grain Bread Made With 12-15 Grains
2 Ripe Sliced Bananas
1/4 Cup Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses or Semi Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips
1 Bread Loaf Pan Coated With Flour Cooking Spray or Flour and Oil to Prevent Sticking to Pan
1 Roaster To Fit Loaf Pan In For Your Water Bath
1 Mixing Bowl And Electric Mixer

Add Wet Ingredients 1-6 Into Bowl
Add Dry Ingredients 7-12 Into Bowl
Beat Wet & Dry Ingredients on Low Till Combined And Batter is Smooth (1-2 Mins)
Fold In Bread Cubes 1 Cup At A Time
Fold in Bananas And Mix By Hand
Add in Your Chocolate Kisses or Chips and Mix By Hand.

Refrigerate Your Batter With A Covering for 1 Hour To Allow Bread to Moisten

Preheat Oven to 350
Use Flour Spray or Oil & Flour To Grease Your Bread Loaf Pan
Scoop Mixture Into Loaf Pan
Place Entire Loaf Pan in Large Deep Roasting Pan
Pour Water In The Roasting Pan So The Outside of Loaf Pan Is 1/2 Covered In The Water Bath
Bake 350 40-50 Minutes

Always Assemble What You Need Before You Cook or Bake.












Soak For 1 Hour
Ready To Bake

Finished And Ready To Eat

Chicken & Turkey Paella With Exotic Fruit Zinfandel

5 Quart or Larger Dutch Oven
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Pkg Extra Lean or Lean Mild Turkey Bratwurst Cut Into Bite-Sized Cubes Casing Removed
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Cut Into Bite-Sized Cubes
Large Bowl
1 Diced Red Pepper
1 Diced Onion
3 Whole Garlic Cloves in Thin Slices
1//4 TSP Ancho Chili Pepper
1/3 TSP Lime Pepper
1 TBSP Salt Free Chili Powder
1 TBSp Chopped Jalapenos
2 TBSP Paprika
1 TBSP Curry Powder
1 TSP Garam Masala
1/4 TSP Blackened Creole Powder
1-2 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
1 14.5 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes No Salt Added
2 - 2 1/2 Cups Very Low Sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 -1 Cup Exotic Fruit Zinfandel or Sub.White Zinfandel, With Lime, Raspberry, Strawberry, Plum Juices
6 Oz. Broad Noodles or Orzo
1/4Cup Frozen Peas
1/4 Cup Frozen Cut Green Beans

Pre-Heat Dutch Oven With Extra Virgin Olive Oil On Medium High Heat, Leave At This Setting
Cook Chicken for 20 Minutes or Until Brown On All Sides, Using Slotted Spoon Remove & Put in Bowl
Cook Bratwurst 20 Minutes or Until Brown On All Sides, Using Slotted Spoon Remove & Put in Bowl
Using Oil in Pan Sauté Garlic, Onion, And Red Pepper With All Your Spices And 1/2 Cup of Your Broth
Add in Tomatoes, Add Back In Your Chicken And Bratwurst
Add in The Rest of Your Chicken Broth And Noodles, Turn To High And Boil.
Reduce Heat, Add In Wine, Peas, & Green Beans And Simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 Hours Covered.
Optional To Top With Some Fresh Grated Pecorino or Kasseri Cheese.

Black Bean Tomato Spinach Chili

2 14.5 Oz Cans No Salt Added Black Beans Rinsed/Drained In Colander
1 15 Oz Can of Westbrae Organic Chili Beans or Other Brand Made With Pinto, Kidney, & Black Beans
30 Oz of Rotel Mexican Style Diced Tomatoes With Cilantro & Lime
If you can't find  Rotel then use Canned Diced Tomatoes With Diced Green Chili's, 
Then You Will Have to Add In Your Own Cup of Lime Juice And Cup of Cilantro Instead.
5 Oz Frozen Cut Leaf Spinach
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Arbor Mist Peach Chardonnay
1 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 TSP Cumin
2 TBSP Splenda
1/4 TSP Adobo Chili Pepper
1 TBSP Frontier Salt Free Chili Powder
1 TSP Ground White Pepper
1 TBSP Paprika
1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
2 TBSP Dried Celery Leaves
1 TBSP Freeze Dried or Dried Basil Leaves
2 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 Small Diced Onion
2 TBSP White Wine Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Crockpot

Add Your Oil To The Crockpot
Rinse & Drain All Your Beans 3 Times In A Colander With Water Then Add To Crockpot
Pour Tomatoes Into Crockpot
Add In Spinach, Garlic, Onion, Then Water To Crockpot
Add All Dry Ingredients To Crockpot
Add Chardonnay To Crockpot And Mix Everything With A Wooden or Heatproof Spoon
Set To 4-6 Hours on High And Let Cook

To Keep This Healthy
Crush Up Some Flax & Soy Corn Thins In Place Of Crackers To Sprinkle On Top (Optional)
Grate 1 Oz. of Fresh Kasseri Cheese (Optional)
Optional Top With 1 TBSP of Plain Fat Free Yogurt Instead of High Fat Sour Cream
If you like add in 1 diced fresh avocado or the brand Wholly guacamole as a mix in with your other toppings.

Here Are PIC's of Most of My Ingredients That I Used.

Ready To Cook

Topped With Corn Thins, Yogurt, Kasseri, Guacamole.

Peach Chardonnay Garlic Chick'n Scallopini With Broccoli

3 Gardein Frozen Chick'n Scallopini Meat Free Breasts
6-8 Oz Frozen Broccoli Florets
1 TBSP Roasted Garlic Oil
2-3 TBSP Heart Healthy Butter Blend
1/4 Cup Diced Onion
2 TBSP Minced Roasted Garlic
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Arbor Mist Peach Chardonnay
1-3 TBSP Rice Flour
1 Skillet

Steam Broccoli in Microwave, Set Aside
Heat Oil in Skillet on Medium High Hight
Sauté Onion And Garlic Till Soft
Add In Frozen Chick'n, Lemon Juice, Broccoli, And Cook For 2-3 Minutes
Turn Chick'n Over And Add in Your Chardonnay And Cook for 2-3 Minutes.
Gradually Add in Flour To Thicken Your Sauce And Cook for Another 2-3 Minutes.

Here is the link to the Gardein Frozen Chick'n Scallopini I Used.
Be Sure To Check Out The Rest of The Great Meet Free Products.
http://www.gardein.com/products.php?t=frozen&p=5

Finished

Best Bottled BBQ Sauce

Best BBQ Sauce From The Store. This is Made With Agave Which Means MUCH Less Sugar The Other Commercial Brands At The Store.

The Best Bacon EVER!

This is Simply The Best Tasting Bacon From The Grocery Store. There Are No Nitrates or Nitrates So I Can EAT This & Not Have To Use My EpiPen And End Up In The Emergency Room As I Would 99% Of Other Brands on The Market.

My New Favorite Frozen Veggie Meals

I use the Chik'N Scallopini For Lots of My Meals, Low Fat, Low Cal, LowCarb, Has Fiber, And High Protein.
What's Not To Love About This Food?
http://www.gardein.com/products.php?t=frozen&p=5?

Diced Potato And Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

4 Medium Sweet Potatoes (2Lbs) Peeled And Diced
1 Can Diced Potatoes
1 Can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
1/4 TSP Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onion
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Cilantro
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TBSP Cumin
1 TBSP Onion Powder
1/4 TSP White Ground Pepper
1 Cup Soymilk
1/4 Cup Splenda
1 or 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TSP Paprika
1 TBSP Chopped/Minced Jalapenos (You Can Find These Jarred in Produce Section of Store)
1/2 - 1 TBSP Adobo Chili Powder
1/4 TSP Agave Syrup
1 Cup Water
6 Cups Very Low Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock
Ground Cinnamon For Topping
Fat Free Greek or Regular Fat Free Plain Yogurt for Serving
1 Large Stock Pot  or Dutch Oven

Heat Oil Over Medium High Heat
Add in Onion, Garlic, Jalapeno, Sea Salt, Pepper, Cumin, & Adobo Powder, Stir/Cook 3-5 Minutes
Add in Water, Diced Potatoes, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Paprika, Garlic & Onion Powder, Stir/Cook 5 Minutes
Add In Broth, Sweet Potato, Splenda, Agave And Bring to a Boil
Reduce Heat And Simmer For 25-35 Minutes on Until Sweet Potatoes Are Fork Tender

Done And Ready For Topping

I Use Fat Free Plain Yogurt When My Store is Sold Out of the Large Size of Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt. I Use This Just Like Sour Cream.

2 TBSP of Yogurt Topping










Serve Tortilla Chips With This if You Like or Tortillas.

Cashew & Jalapeno Panko Breaded Ground Turkey & Chicken Meatloaf

Breading Mixture

1 or 1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs

1/4 TSP Sea Salt
1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper
2 TBSP Curry Powder
1 TBSP Ground Ginger or Dried

1/4 TSP Freshly Ground Nutmeg or Dried

2 TBSP Freshly Ground Cinnamon or Dried

2 TBSP Fresh Basil Leaves, Freeze Dried, or Dried
1 TBSP Fresh Dill Leaves, Freeze Dried, or Dried

1/4 Cup Crushed Cashews 

1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut

Large Bowl

Mix All Dry Ingredients In Large Bowl And Set Aside

Wet Ingredients

1 LB or a little over of Package Extra Lean Ground Chicken

1 LB or a little over Lean Ground Turkey

1 TBSP Chopped/Minced Jalapeños

3-4 Egg Whites

Large Bowl

Mix All Wet Ingredients, Slowly Add in Dry Items And Continue Combining Till All Dry Ingredients Blend into Meat Mixture.

Gravy Mixture

2 Cups Very Low Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock 95Grams or Less or Use Your Own From Cooking a Chicken

Rice Flour

Heat Chicken Broth till Warm And Add in Enough Flour to Broth to Make a Gravy And Set Aside.

1 Deep Bread Loaf Pan

Flour Spray

Spray Pan And Add Meat Mixture To Pan.

Add in A Light Coating Off the Chicken Gravy

Bake at 350 For 1 Hour or Until Done.

Slice And Top With Remaining Chicken Gravy

Ready To Cook

Sliced And Ready To Eat

Smart Balance

I have to confess I think Smart Balance is one of the great food companies in today's modern marketplace.

Here are some products of I use all the time.

Cashew Coconut Chicken

Marinade

40 Oz of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 TBSP Low Sodium Soy Sauce (I Use Wang Chen)
1 TBSP Chopped Jalapeños
3 TBSP Diced Garlic

5 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

14-15 Oz Coconut Milk

 Covered Bowl 

Put All Ingredients in Bowl And Mix

Add Chicken, Cover And Refrigerate 4-6 hours

Breading Mixture
1 or 1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 TSP Sea Salt
1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper
2 TBSP Curry Powder
1 TBSP Ground Ginger or Dried
1/4 TSP Freshly Ground Nutmeg or Dried
2 TBSP Freshly Ground Cinnamon or Dried
2 TBSP Fresh Basil Leaves, Freeze Dried, or Dried
1 TBSP Fresh Dill Leaves, Freeze Dried, or Dried
1/4 Cup Crushed Cashes 
1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut
Large Bowl


Mix All Ingredients in Large Bowl
Place Each Piece of Chicken In Breading Mixture And Coat on Both Sides
Add Chicken to Baking Dish Coated With 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Pour 2 TBSP Melted Heart Healthy Butter Blend Over Breaded Chicken


Bake 375 45 Minutes or Until Temp is 165 Degrees

Heart Healthy Butter Blend

Chicken Marinating

Ready To Bake