Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots

Another classic french side made super easy. The oven does the majority of the work. Toss the immediately out of the oven with honey and a bit of lemon juice.

Serve 6

10-12 large carrots, peeled, cut into half and then quartered if really thick
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted through the center goes in easily. Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle the carrots with the honey and lemon juice and gently toss. Serve

Forty Clove Chicken

This is a take on the traditional french chicken that calls for 40 cloves of garlic. I used bone-in, skin on chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. But if a whole chicken is on sale this week by all means do the whole chicken. I made sure the garlic cloves were placed under the chicken breasts so that they wouldn't burn during the cooking process.

Serves 6

6 bone-in, skin on chicken breasts
3-4 garlic bulbs, cloves separated and the skins removed(you can also buy the whole cloves already peeled if you prefer)
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 stick butter, melted
salt and pepper

Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 450. Place all of the garlic cloves and 4 whole thyme sprigs in the bottom of the baking dish. Season the under side of each piece of chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange it in the baking dish, skin side up. Remove the leaves from the rest of the thyme and finely chop. Drizzle the butter over each chicken breast. Season with salt, pepper and the thyme leaves. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in a breast registers 155 degrees. Remove them from the oven and cover with foil for 15 minutes before serving. Strain the cooking liquid of fat and reduce to make a sauce if desired.

Chocolate Custard Cake

Simple, easy and fun to make. The batter divides itself into 2 layers. A cake layer on top and a custard like layer on the bottom. It's great for an after dinner dessert when you don't have a lot of time to prepare something fancy. You can make a vanilla version by omitting the cocoa and using 2 tbsp of vanilla bean paste instead. Add the paste just before the melted butter.

Serves 9
4 eggs at room temp and separated
1 tbsp water
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of butter melted
6 tbsp cocoa powder
6.5 tbsp flour
2 cups warm milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar

Preheat the oven to 325 and spray a 9x9 inch baking pan with baking spray. Beat the egg whites and vinegar on high with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Beat the egg yolks, water and sugar on high until the mixture thickens and is pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla and melted butter. Mix together the flour and cocoa together. Turn the mixer on low and add to the egg yolks in 3rds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and finish with the warm milk. Using a hand wisk, add the egg whites to the mix in 3rds. Gently combine until the whites are just incorporated. Pour the mix into the prepared baking dish. It will be the consitancy of thin pancake batter. Bake for 1 hour and let cool completely before serving.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice-Lightened Up

This recipe has all the taste of the original but less fat because you make seasoned ground turkey to replace the sausage. You won't miss it! I added smoked paprika to both the turkey and the veggie mixture to give it that smokey taste the sausage usually provides. Serve this over cooked brown or white rice.
1 cup without rice is 170 calories or 4 WW points

Makes 5 quarts

1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 stalks celry, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 15oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
2tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock

Turkey Meatballs
1 pd ground lean turkey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika

Place all the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium sized bowl and mix to combine, set aside. Place all of the other ingredients into the slow cooker. Using a small cookie scoop or 1 tbsp, form small meatballs and drop into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

If you are in a hurry to get a meal on before running out the door, than this ones for you. Prep time is 10 to 15 minutes, tops. Add steamed broccoli and cooked rice and dinner is served. I use a sweet chili dipping sauce from Safeway. You can also use a chili/garlic sauce instead but it is has a lot more heat so use less.

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 5 large boneless, skinless chicken breast- cut into chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp sweet chili dipping sauce or 1 tsp garlic/chili sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup water
3tsp cornstarch
4 cups steamed broccoli florets
3 cups cooked white or brown rice
Toastesd sesame seeds for garnish

Place the chicken and the onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chili sauce, minced garlic, vinegar. Pour the sauce over the chicken and onions. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the sauce. Mix the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Pour the sauce into a small sauce pot, add the slurry and bring to a boil. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add the cooked broccoli to the chicken and pour the sauce over all. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Why I have never made my own refried beans until now I'll never know. This couldn't be easier. You can soak the beans overnight or rinse them and throw them in dry. I always soak mine just to be safe. I promise, you will never open another can of beans again. The beauty of this is that you can make a ginormous batch and then freeze it in smaller containers to use as you need them. My husband eats these for lunch. He likes to make his own burritos so he jumps for joy when he sees me make these. Another reason for making these is that they have absolutely no fat and you can control the salt.



2 lbs dry pinto beans
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed and diced
2 tsp cumin
2 1/2 tbsp-3 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
10 cups hot water

Place everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours then turn to low for 2 hours. Drain off the liquid and then add back a little at a time as you mash them. I use an emulsion blender to get mine smooth. I think it is easier than using a potato masher.

Slow Cooker Polynesian Pork Chops

I had purchases a pork loin roast at the store and I wanted to find another way to cook it. This recipe calls for pork chops so I cut the string off of the roast and sliced it thick. I trimmed off as much fat as possible before putting the dish together.

Serves 8

1 14oz can of crushed pineapple in its own juice
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
8 bone in thick cut pork chops
salt and pepper
2 large red bell peppers sliced into thin strips
1 large onion halved and thnly sliced
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
3 tbsp cornstarch mixed into 1/2 cup cold water
4 cups cooked rice

In a small bowl, mix together the crushed pineapple and its juice, ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar and set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Brown the chops on both sides in the skillet(about 2-3 minutes per side). Place the chops in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the onions, fresh pineapple and bell peppers over the chops.Pour half of the sauce mixture over all. Save the other half for later. Cook on high for 3 hours. Remove the chops and veggies to a platter. Place half of the cooking liquid in a sauce pot with the rest of the reserved sauce and add the cornstarch/water mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Pour over the chops and veggies. Serve with the cooked rice.

Chocolate Brownie Pudding

This has to be one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. If you are looking for a simple dessert to serve for a dinner party than look no more. This little wonder is a cross between a pudding cake and chocolate lava cake. It has a cripsy top and a gooey middle. I added orange zest to give it that wonderful chocolate orange falvor. Serve it warm with a side-car of vanilla ice-cream. I made mine in seperate ramikikns but you could also make a big one using a 2 quart baking dish. Either way it's HEAVEN!

Serves 6

2 sticks melted butter
4 large egges, room temp
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp triple sec or Grand Marnier
zest of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 325. Bring a tea kettle full of water to a boil. Line a large oblong baking pan with a towel. Spray 6-7 ramikins with baking spray. Beat the eggs and sugar on medium/high until they are very thick and pale, about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the cocoa and flour together and set aside. When the eggs are ready, decrease the speed to low and add the vanilla, triples sec, and orange zest. Mix until just combined. Slowly add the cocoa/flour mixture followed by the melted butter. Stop the mixer when all are just combined. Spoon the batter into the ramikins and place in the baking pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramikins, being careful not to get any water into the ramikins. Bake for 30 minutes or 1 hours if baking a larger one. Allow to cool some before serving or serve at room temperature with ice-cream on the side.

Cooking for Two Households

I have recently begun cooking for my folks 3-4 nights a week. My mom suffered a heart attack back in February. While she is making a remarkable recovery it became increasingly clear to me that my folks need more help. My solution was to hire a personal chef so my mom wouldn't have to worry about the cooking. She suffers from Ostioperosious too which affects the use of her hands. My mom liked the idea of a personal chef and promptly told me I was hired. How do you say no to your parents? You don't! So my weekends now consist of shopping and cooking for 2 households. I have been making good use of my 2 slow cookers as well as the oven for casseroles. I just make larger portions than before and divide what I make into 2 batches. One is normal sized and the other is smaller, enough to feed 3-4 people. I have found that the antique stores have a nice assortment of small casseroles from Corning, Anchor Hawking and Pyrex. These are the perfect size when making dishes for two and the price is usually super cheap. Our son was bummed to find that there are less leftovers than before. He usually counts on taking those back up to school with him when he comes down to visit. So I find myself making a few extra dishes that I can freeze and save to give him when he's here. Did I mention that I'm still teaching full time? Somehow I still manage to get it all done. I think I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I like to keep a couple of casseroles in my freezer for those last minute meals when time is limited. Here's an oldie but goodie made current with boneless skinless chicken breasts. This recipe will make 2 medium sized casseroles or 1 large and 1 small.

Serves 8-10
4 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into pieces and cooked according to package directions
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion minced
4 tbsp Smart Balance or butter
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 cups low fat milk
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp fresh thyme minced
3 cups frozen peas
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the veggies begin to brown. Spray an oblong casserole dish(es) with cooking spray. Place the spaghetti on the bottom of the dish. Cover the pasta with the chicken,onion, mushrooms and frozen peas. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, melt the Smart Balance or butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture for about a minute. Add the wine, chicken stock and milk. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme leaves. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta, chicken and veggies. Top with the parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and freeze or heat the oven to 400. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes until the top is browned. If frozen, thaw the casserole overnight before placing in the oven.