January 21: Apple Crasin Green Salad/Poppy Seed Dressing

For the next several days I will be posting some of my favorite green salads. In the winter I start missing the freshness of summer salads. My good friend, Barbara, gave me this recipe. 

Salad ingredients: 
Toss together.

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head red leaf lettuce, or 2 heads romaine , broken into bite size pieces

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 c toasted sugared pecans*

½ c crasins

2 Gala apples, cubed

crumbled bacon, opt.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

¾ c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

2 TB onion

¾ c oil

1 TB poppy seeds

Blend first 4 ingredients in blender.  Blend in oil, very slowly. Add poppy seeds. 

*To sugar nuts, combine nuts in skillet with sugar and cook over medium heat until coated.

January 20: Sweet Corn Cake

Sweet corn cake is a family favorite. Several years ago I found this recipe and it is very similar to what we eat at Chevy's.   

Recipe 1:
½ c butter, softened 

1/3 c Masa Harine 

¼ c water 

1 ½ c frozen corn, thawed 

¼ c corn meal
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 TB cream, or milk
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375. Blend the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the masa harine and water to the butter and beat until well combined. Put the frozen corn into a blender and coarsely chop the corn on low speed. You want to leave several whole kernels of corn. Stir the chopped corn into the butter and masa harine mixture. Add the cornmeal to the mixture. Combine. In another medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. When the ingredients are well blended, pour the mixture into the other bowl and stir everything together by hand. Pour the corn batter into an ungreased 8x8 pan. Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula. Cover the pan with foil. Place this pan in a 13x9 pan filled 1/3 of the way with hot water. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the corn cake is cooked through. When the corn cake is done, remove the small pan from the larger pan and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. To serve, scoop out each portion with an ice cream scoop or rounded spoon.

January 19: Chicken Enchiladas

I know this recipe is popular and everyone probably already has it, but the way Antonia, my sister-in-law, makes it is the best I'd ever tasted.  The different? she loads it with chicken, she limits her sauce so that it is not swimming in sauce and she sautes the onion. 

Flour tortilla shells

Lots of cooked, cubed cooked chicken breast

1- 4 oz can chopped green chilies

½ c sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cheddar cheese/Monterey Jack cheese

1 onion, chopped finely, sautéed

Mix soup, chilies and sour cream together. Set aside. Fill tortilla shells with lots of chicken and a little cheese and onion. Roll up, place in baking dish. Pour the soup mixture over the enchiladas. Top with Cheese. Bake at 350 until heated through and bubbly.

January 18: Orange Flip

This delicious and refreshing drink recipe comes from my nieces, Morgan and Kaytlin. 

1- 6 oz can undiluted frozen orange juice concentrate

1 c water

1 c non-fat milk

1 tsp vanilla

10 ice cubes

Whirl all ingredients in blender until the ice cubes are blended.

January 17: Healthy Puffed Rice Squares/balls

A healthy and delicious treat. No sugar recipe. Thanks Tracy for this wonderful recipe. 

1 c sugar or Spenda or ¾ c. Agave syrup

2 c peanut butter

1 c honey

10 c puffed rice

Heat sugar and honey. Stir until melted. Add peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Pour over puffed rice.

Mix. Place mixture in a buttered 17x12 pan. Or form into balls. 

Half of this recipe works well in a 9x13 pan.

Cut in 2 inch squares or shape in balls.

January 16: Chocolate Bran Muffins

This is a great muffin.  Each muffin is only 2 pts on the Weight Watcher points plus plan. They are so statisfying and so easy to make. 

3 c All-bran cereal
2 1/2 c warm water
1 box brown mix
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Soak the bran cereal in water for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix. Scoop in 24 cupcake cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until set, in a 350 oven. 

January 15: Mozzarella Sticks

I have been looking on the internet for the best mozzarella stick recipe and think I have found it. This is so good!

5 pieces mozzarella string cheese, each cut in half
1 egg, beaten
2 TB water
3/4 c plain breadcrumbs (like Progresso)
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 c flour
2 TB cornstarch
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
vegetable oi, for deep frying (approximately 2 cups)

In a small bowl, combine egg and water. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic salt, oregano and basil. In a third bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. In a large heavy frying pan, heat oil to 375 degrees. Moisten each mozzarella stick in the egg mixture, then dip each one in the bread crumbs and finally the flour mixture. Repeat this 3-step process. Carefully place breaded mozzarella sticks in the hot oil; don't overcrowd (only about 4 at a time). Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds.