Wilted Green Salad

8 Servings Prep/Total Time: 10 Min.

Ingredients

    1. 10 cups torn leaf lettuce
    2. 6 cups torn fresh spinach
    3. 2 green onions, sliced
    4. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    5. 2 tablespoons water
    6. 2 tablespoons canola oil
    7. 2 teaspoons sugar
    8. 4 turkey bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

    1. In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, spinach and onions; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, oil and sugar to a boil. Pour over lettuce and toss; sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 8 servings.

 

 

Green Bean Stir-Fry

2 Servings Prep/Total Time: 10 Min

Ingredients

    1. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
    3. 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
    4. 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    5. 1 teaspoon peanut butter
    6. 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
    7. 4 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

    1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, brown sugar and peanut butter; set aside. In a large skillet, stir-fry the green beans in oil until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. Add the soy sauce mixture; stir to coat.

 

Asian Sesame Cod

4 Servings Prep/Total Time: 25 Min.

Ingredients

    1. 1 pound cod fillets
    2. 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
    3. 3 green onions, thinly sliced
    4. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    5. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    6. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    7. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    8. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    9. 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
    10. 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
    11. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

    1. Place fillets in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the wine, onions, brown sugar, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic and lemon-pepper. Spoon over fillets; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
    2. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving equals 158 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 354 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 19 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

 

Sesame-Seared Salmon

4 Servings Prep/Total Time: 25 Min.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound wild salmon fillets

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (see note)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix honey, ginger and soy sauce together. Set aside.

2. Turn salmon; cook 3 minutes for a 1-inch-thick piece of salmon. Remove skillet from heat, spoon sauce over salmon and let sit in skillet for about 30 seconds.

3. Remove to individual plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 316 calories; 13.5g fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 78mg cholesterol; 37.5g protein; 10g carbohydrate; 0.5g fiber; 279mg sodium.

Note: Toasted sesame seeds can be found in some supermarkets. If toasting your own, brown the sesame seeds in a skillet for 30 seconds, then remove the seeds and use the same skillet to cook the salmon.

 

 

SINGLE SERVE 3-2-1 CAKE MIX

Single Serve 3-2-1 Cake is bound to become one of those instant Cook’s Corner classics.

What you get is a mix that in minutes produces four dozen single servings of a sweet something resembling a cupcake. All they need to “bake” a single serving is a mug or bowl, a microwave and water.

The trade-off for a dessert made in a minute is that you wind up with an airier texture and a little less tenderness than a standard cake.

It is easy to remember how to make the cake if you remember it is called 3-2-1: You use 3 tablespoons of the mix stirred with 2 tablespoons water and microwave 1 minute.

You can use any flavor cake mix — chocolate, spice, carrot, red velvet, pineapple, lemon, orange — but for those with dehydrated ingredients, such as carrot cake, let the batter stand for a couple of minutes to soften before baking. And remember that one of the cake mixes must be angel food.

On the subject of angel food, keep in mind that the cake mix — at least the one I used — has a distinct almond extract flavor. It was complementary to the chocolate devil’s food cake mix I paired it with, but you might not like that overtone with some other flavors of cake mix.

Also, be ready to experiment with cooking containers to come up with one that works best. My first attempt, with a 5-inch dessert bowl, yielded a cake that was less than 1/2 inch tall. When I tried a smaller souffle dish, it ran over the sides and made a mess in the microwave. I did best with a coffee mug and a 4-ounce juice glass. Both give you a cylinder-shaped cake. I also had good results with a plastic muffin tin made for microwave use.

Copied from the Belleville News Democrat on Feb. 21, 2012

Ingredients:

1 box angel food cake mix

1 box any flavor cake mix

Cake:

2 tablespoons water

Mix: In a gallon-size, self-sealing food-storage bag, mix the dry ingredients from the two cake mixes. Seal bag (or transfer to other airtight container) and store in pantry up to 3 months, using as needed. Makes about 6 cups mix, which will make 48 small cakes.

Directions:

Cake: For each individual cake serving, measure 3 tablespoons of the mix into a small microwave-safe container, such as a mug or bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons water. Microwave on high 1 minute. If desired, top each cake with whipped topping or a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar.

Nutrition:

Per cake: 80 calories (15 percent from fat), 1 gram fat, 0 cholesterol, 1 gram protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 114 mg sodium.

 

Shortcut Strawberry-Vanilla Dessert

7 Servings Prep: 15 Min. + Standing

Ingredients

    1. 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
    2. 1 teaspoon sugar
    3. 1-1/2 cups cold 2% milk
    4. 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
    5. 2 cups whipped topping, divided
    6. 1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed

Directions

    1. In a small bowl, combine strawberries and sugar; let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; set aside.
    2. Cut cake into 14 slices. Layer seven cake slices with 2 tablespoons strawberries, 1/3 cup pudding mixture and another cake slice. Top with remaining strawberries and whipped topping. Yield: 7 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving equals 314 calories, 12 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 66 mg cholesterol, 379 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

 

 

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

4 Servings Prep: 5 Min. Cook: 20 Min.

Ingredients

    1. 3/4 teaspoon salt
    2. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    3. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    4. 1/8 teaspoon paprika
    5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    6. 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
    7. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
    8. 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
    9. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
    10. 2 tablespoons butter
    11. 1 tablespoon olive oil
    12. 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    13. 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

    1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
    2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 220

    1. Total Fat: 10.7g
    2. Cholesterol: 84mg
    3. Sodium: 555mg
    4. Total Carbs: 2.4g
    5.     Dietary Fiber: 0.3g
    6. Protein: 27.7g

 

 

Crustless Spinach Quiche

6-8 Servings Prep: 25 Min. Bake: 40 Min.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2/3 cup finely chopped fully cooked ham

5 eggs

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add spinach and ham. cook and stir until the excess moisture is evaporated. Cool slightly. Beat eggs; add cheese and mix well. Stir in spinach mixture and pepper; blend well. Spread evenly into a greased 9-in. pie plate or quiche dish. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 piece) equals 255 calories, 19 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 180 mg cholesterol, 482 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 17 g protein.

 

Beef Burgundy

8 Servings Prep: 15 Min. Cook: 7 Hours

Ingredients

6 bacon strips, diced

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds), cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth, undiluted

1 small onion, halved and sliced

1 medium carrot, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup burgundy wine or beef broth

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cold water

Hot cooked noodles, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove to paper towels. In the drippings, brown the beef; drain.

Place beef and bacon in a 5-qt. slow cooker, Add the broth, onion, carrot, butter, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Add mushrooms and wine. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Serve with noodles if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts3/4 cup equals 460 calories, 29 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 130 mg cholesterol, 663 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 37 g protein.

 

Basil Tuna Steaks

6 Servings Prep/Total Time: 20 Min.

Ingredients

    1. 6 tuna steaks (6 ounces each)
    2. 4-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
    3. 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
    4. 3/4 teaspoon salt
    5. 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

    1. Drizzle both sides of tuna steaks with oil. Sprinkle with the basil, salt and pepper.
    2. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill tuna, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until slightly pink in the center. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 tuna steak equals 214 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 358 mg sodium, trace carbohydrate, trace fiber, 40 g protein.