Leftover Turkey Jalapeno Panini

Tired of turkey leftovers but still have a lot in the fridge? Make these paninis for a flavour that is not at all like Christmas! The jalepeno peppers really spice things up nicely and the cheese takes away the dryness of the turkey leftovers. If you don't have a panini press (I don't), just use a grill pan and sit a cast iron fry pan on top of the sandwiches as your "panini grill". This recipe makes four servings.

INGREDIENTS:

8 slices bread (your choice: I like multigrain; my husband prefers the Italian ciabatta)
4 slices Monterey Jack or Mozarella cheese
Sliced jalapeno peppers (the amount of jalapeno you use depends on the amount of "heat" you enjoy:)
Leftover roast turkey, sliced

Dijon mustard

Olive oil for grill

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the grill pan to medium-high heat with about 2 tsps of olive oil.

For each sandwich: On one bread slice, layer on a slice of cheese, jalapeños & leftover turkey. Spread a thin layer of mustard on another slice of bread, and place it mustard-side down to close the sandwich.

Grill about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Cut in half, serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Muffins

We had quite a few baked sweet potatoes left over from Christmas dinner, so I made these muffins and they were delicious!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick oats (ideal for baking)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 level teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup low fat probiotic yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan.

2) In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

3) In a separate medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (including mashed sweet potatoes).

4) Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined with each addition. If the mixture is overly dry, stir in a little more yogurt at this point.

5) Use an ice cream scoop to transfer batter to muffin pan.

6) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack and then remove from pan to a plate.

Spiced Almonds

This is a great little snack recipe that I am using at Christmas. It adds a salty snack to all of those sweet ones we usually eat around this time of year. I am having a fairly large group for Christmas dinner and they will need something to munch on until the turkey is done, so I'll put these out with some cookies and whatnot.

This recipe makes about 8 servings of 1/4 cup each.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole unsalted almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

• Directions

• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl.

  In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt.
• Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir the spices into the oil and cook, stirring until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are warm and the spices are evenly distributed.
  
• Add the hot pepper sauce and stir to distribute. Remove the almonds from the pan and allow them to cool before serving.

Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese Paninis

ROASTED VEGETABLES AND GOAT CHEESE PANINIS

The slight sweetness of the roasted vegetables with an aromatic pesto pairs well with a robust goat cheese for this classic Italian sandwich.

Ingredients:

4 large pieces roasted red pepper

8 pieces roasted zucchini

1/4 cup (125 ml) roasted onions

1 cup (250 mlL) crumbled goat cheese

8 slices multigrain bread

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

To roast the vegetables, slice them into large chunks and lay out the peppers and onions in a roasting pan.Drizzle with a little olive oil & garlic powder. Cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Put the zucchini in for the last 10 minutes & toss with the peppers and onions to coat with the oil, as it cooks quite quickly. You can make a batch of these ahead of time & use them warm in the sandwiches.

Crumble the cheese onto each slice of bread. Divide peppers, zucchini and onions over 4 of the slices of bread.

Brush sandwiches with a little olive oil and grill in pan or in a panini press until golden and cheese is melted.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

TIP: You could substitute an equal amount of any of the many varieties of Ontario goat cheese (i.e. Brie, mozzarella, chevre, gouda)

Light Tiramisu

This is a lighter version of the traditional Italian dessert, Tiramisu! It is delicious and not too sweet: a perfect end to a perfect meal:) Tiramisu means "pick me up" in italian. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Top it with your favourite berries to finish it off.

Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 cups hot strong coffee

· 1/4 cup sugar

· 475 grams light ricotta cheese

· 1/2 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature

· 2 tablespoons cocoa or cocoa liqueur

· 3 egg whites

· about 24 crisp ladyfingers (SOVIARDI--although an italian cookie, they are available at most grocery stores)

· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

In a bowl, dissolve 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the sugar in the coffee. Refrigerate.

1. In a food processor, process the ricotta, cream cheese, and cocoa or liqueur until very smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold the cheese mixture into the egg whites.
3. Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee until they are soaked through but not falling apart. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13  pan with half the ladyfingers, placing them very close to each other. Cover with half of the cheese mixture. Dust with 1/2 of the cocoa powder. Lay the remaining ladyfingers on the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Dust with remaining cocoa powder by putting the powder in a fine-mesh sieve and shaking the sieve over the surface. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight before serving.  Top with blueberries and raspberries (or serve as is).

Gingered Squash and Kale

This recipe serves 2 people but can easily be doubled. It's a great cold weather side dish & can be served over a bed of rice or quinoa. I served it with turkey filets and sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 inch cube of peeled ginger root, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 bunch of kale (about six large leaves), cleaned, stemmed and chopped
3/4 cup of water or vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium high. Saute onions until softened, a few minutes. Add the squash, ginger, garlic. Saute, stirring about 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped kale in handfuls, stirring as it wilts. Stir in the salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water or broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed--about 20 minutes. Remove from heat & add the lime juice.

Dr. Oz's Green Drink

This is a great way to get all of your greens for the day in one shot. It can be a bit thick, so I'm posting the original version (which I eat as a cold soup) and my version, which is very drinkable! Don't use a juicer, as that just separates out all the good fibre. I love this! It's clean and refreshing (my son says it tastes like grass, lol).

Original: Process all ingredients in a food processor or liquify in a blender.
Serves 3-4
-2 apples, cored but not peeled
-2 big handfuls of spinach
-1 medium cucumber
-3 sticks of celery, cut into thirds
-1/2 inch of ginger root, peeled and chopped
-1 bunch of italian parsley with long stems cut off
-juice of one lime
-juice of 1/2 a lemon
-2 cups of water
Like I said, a bit thick for a drink.
If you want it as a drink, halve all ingredients and add in the 2 cups of water; liquify in blender. Like a smoothie but still drinkable! If you want it sweeter you can add in a very ripe banana.

Heart Healthy Cranberry Walnut Cookies

This recipe makes about 24 cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsps olive or sunflower oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup low fat, plain yogourt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried dates, chopped

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup 100% whole grain large flake oats
1/3 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup oatmeal crisp cereal, crushed
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 heaping tbsps ground flax seed

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more, to taste)
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or very lightly oil.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, oil, egg and yoghurt and whisk well. Stir in cranberries & chopped dried dates.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including walnuts
4. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture a bit at a time and stir after each addition until just combined. At this point, if the mixture is too dry, you can stir in a little more yogourt.
5. Drop by slightly heaping tablespoons full onto baking sheet. Bake for about 17 to 19 minutes on centre rack of oven. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Roasted Veggies

This is a good overall recipe for roasting vegetables, with a handy timetable for cooking different types of vegetables. As my husband just pointed, there is a large variation in cooking time. To clarify, the larger the chunk of vegetable, go for the longer cooking time based on that type of veggie. If the pieces are smaller, cook it less---simple, right?:) As always with my recipes, you can add some heat by sprinkling some dried red hot chili peppers or hot sauce into the mix.

Quick Roasting Time (10 to 20 minutes)	Medium Roasting Time (15 to 40 minutes)	Long Roasting Time (35 to 60 minutes)
Tomatoes Mushrooms Asparagus Scallions Corn	Bell peppers Broccoli Cauliflower Zucchini Summer squashes Onions Eggplant	Potatoes Sweet potatoes Winter squashes Turnips Brussel sprouts Carrots Beets

Oven temperature: 400F, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic in shallow roasting pan, toss lightly. Stir lightly half way through cooking time.

Start with the long roasting-time veggies, then toss in the mediums when their time is due; then the quick ones when their time is due.

Calabrese Potato and Pepper Salad

This is a recipe that my husband's mother made for him back in Italy. It's quite delicious and represents a typical recipe from Calabria in the south of Italy. It makes about four servings and I will be serving it tonight with Cod.

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large bite-sized pieces (do not peel)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 sweet bell peppers (red, green, yellow & orange, of your choice), chopped into 2 inch chunks, stems and seeds removed
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled (or 2 tsps garlic powder)
1 Vidalia (sweet white) onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried hot chili peppers
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan of water, with the water covering them & heat to a boil. Cook just until tender. Drain and cool and put in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 tsp salt and some ground pepper.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Toss in the chopped peppers and stir-fry for about five minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook another five minutes. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
3. Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the potatoes in the bowl. Drizzle the oil from the skillet over everything and toss lightly with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and the dried chili peppers. Add more freshly ground pepper if desired. Serve warm.

Lentil, Bean and Spinach Curry

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned lentils
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup plain, low fat, probiotic yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red hot chili peppers
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
  
• 1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  

Directions

1. Rinse and drain beans and lentils and set aside in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, stir together tomato puree and yogurt. Season with turmeric, cumin, and dried chili. Stir until creamy.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion begins to brown. Stir in spinach; cook until dark green and wilted. Gradually stir in yogurt mixture. Then mix in tomatoes and parsley.
4. Stir lentils and black beans into mixture until well combined. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

Curried Chicken

I have adjusted this recipe somewhat from a recipe for curried goat. You can use goat if you want, but I prefer to use chicken thighs. The special spice in this recipe is turmeric, which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Serve this over wild and brown rice with a side of your choice of greens.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground parsley
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 2 inch piece ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons picante hot sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 lb chicken thighs, boned and skinned
• 1 cup water
  

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Brown chicken on all sides & then remove from pan and set aside. Stir in the chopped onion, and cook until the onion turns translucent and the edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper & garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and cook 1 minute more. Pour in 1/2 cup of water & stir, bringing any browned bits up from bottomof pan.
2. Stir in the ginger and continue cooking until the ginger is incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the picante hot sauce, salt, and turmeric; continue cooking 2 minutes. Finally, stir in the chicken meat and the remaining 1 cup of water and again scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Vegetable Tofu Soup

Panfry the tofu cubes before adding them into the soup.
This is a wonderful vegetarian soup that makes 4 servings. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and calcium.

To panfry a delicious tofu dish there are a few basic ingredients you need: oil-- olive oil is good, salt, acid (apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice work great), plus ginger and pepper, along with onion & garlic for flavor. Marinate the tofu in this mixture for at least 30 minutes or longer and then panfry it until slightly crisp.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped
8 shitake mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups water
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
½ pound extra-firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes and marinated (see above)
1 tablespoon freshly grated gingerroot
2 cups chopped kale (or spinach)
2 spring onions, cut into thin slices
1 cup cooked wild and brown rice
wasabi paste (if desired)
Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 4-quart soup pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté over medium heat until onion begins to soften. Add panfried tofu, carrot and mushroom pieces; sauté a few minutes more. Add water, soy sauce and gingerroot.
2. Bring heat up until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add chopped kale and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Spoon 1/4 cup of rice into each of four bowls. Ladle the soup over the rice.
4. Garnish with spring onions.

Spice it up by stirring in some wasabi, if desired.

Black Bean and Spinach Soup

Black beans are high in fibre, protein and iron. Try this tasty vegetarian soup on a cold day and sop up the juices with a crusty artisan bread. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast over each individual serving.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
3 cups water
1 tsp picante hot sauce
1 cup vegetable broth(low sodium, low fat)
1 can black beans
1 cup cooked wild and brown rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spinach and saute for two minutes.
2. Add water, stock and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Stir in beans and brown rice, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another five minutes.
3. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with either parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. Serve with fresh bread.

Low Fat Yoghurt Cheese

This is the greatest thing since sliced bread! It makes for a light "cream cheese" that you can flavour either savoury or sweet. Spread it on crackers, use as a veggie dip, or add to a sandwich instead of cream cheese. Delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups low fat probiotic yoghurt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried hot chili peppers

Directions:

1.Place a sieve over a small bowl. Drape a coffee filter or cheese cloth over the sieve and put the yoghurt in the cloth. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. The longer you leave it (one to two days) the thicker the yoghurt cheese will be. The liquid that runs off into the bowl can be used in sauces rather than discarded.

2. Scoop the yoghurt cheese into a bowl and add your preference for either savoury or sweet. I made mine savoury by stirring in the garlic, pepper and dried chili peppers. Cover and allow flavours to blend in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3. If you prefer sweet, you can stir in a little organic honey and unsalted, hulled, sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts & cinnamon.

Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna

I have been eating vegetarian for the past week and one important piece of information that I've discovered is that when you don't eat meat, poultry or fish, you have to be sure to get a good source of vitamin B12. The best vegetarian source of B12 is nutritional yeast. I used it at the table to sprinkle 2 tsp over my own lasagna instead of parmesan cheese as it has a kind of savoury, cheesy taste to it. This is not the same as brewer's yeast. It is a yeast that is grown on molasses and three tbsp contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin B12. You shouldn't eat more than 3 tbsp of it a day, because that can raise the uric acid levels in your blood, which is not good for your kidneys and can cause gallstones and gout.

I have not given up my eggs or my probiotic yoghurt. While I love the cheese in this lasagna, believe it or not, I am not a big cheese eater! I think it's all the delicious sauce that goes with it and makes the perfect combination. It was a big hit here yesterday!

Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cans (28 oz each) diced tomatoes & their juice
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt (or less)
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 tsp dried red chili peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)

Cheese filling:
1 large egg
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 container (16 oz) light ricotta cheese (5% milk fat)

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (set aside ¼ cup to sprinkle over lasagna later)

2 cups chopped baby spinach (chop before measuring)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 package fresh, no boil, lasagna noodles (6 noodles about 6 inches in width)

Directions:

1. Prepare sauce: Heat large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onion & garlic (& jalapeno, if using) and cook about 2 minutes.
   2. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, red chili peppers and salt & ground pepper; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil.
   3. Meanwhile, prepare filling. In medium bowl, mix egg, pepper, ricotta, mozzarella, spinach and 1 cup of the parmesan until blended.
   4. Preheat oven to 375F. In 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, evenly spread 2 cups of sauce. Arrange one noodle over sauce ( noodles will expand while cooking). Top with 1 cup cheese filling, spreading across noodle. Place another lasagna noodle over the cheese and top that with 2 more cups of sauce. Continue to layer in this way until you have used 4 of the lasagna noodles. Top with 2 cups of sauce. (If making a day ahead, cover and refrigerate at this point).
   5. Cover lasagna with foil and bake until heated through and bubbling, about 50-60 minutes (15 minutes longer if it was refrigerated). Remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and cook another 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, uncovered, before cutting, for easier serving. Have some extra grated parmesan cheese on the table to sprinkle on top.

Vegetarian Chili

This is a great vegan recipe that offers up comfort food without all the calories and artery clogging fats. I served it with some fresh italian bread--delicious! You can also just serve it over some wild or brown rice, or with a side of tortilla chips. This recipe makes about 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups fresh cremini mushrooms, chopped into large chunks
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 green, red or yellow sweet bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large bunch of collard greens, thick stocks removed and leaves chopped (you can substitute spinach or kale)
1 tsp dried red hot chili peppers
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup medium salsa
two 28 oz cans diced plum tomatoes
1 cup water
2 heaping tbsps tomato paste
one 28 oz can black or kidney beans (or use chickpeas if you prefer), rinsed well and drained
1 tsp picante hot sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions;

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the onions, bell peppers, mushroom and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the carrots, collard greens, chili powder, dried chili peppers, and cumin; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, water, salsa, beans or chickpeas, tomato paste, corn, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Allow to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Balls

I got this recipe from a friend and changed it up a bit because I wanted some crunch to it. You can omit the sunflower seeds and the flax seeds if you prefer. In that case, you would want to reduce the peanut butter to 3 tbsps. They are an easy, delicious, no cook treat! This is a vegan recipe.

In a food processor, grind 1/2 cup dried pitted dates, chopped.

add in the following:
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
4 heaping Tbs. peanut butter
dash of vanilla
tiny dash of salt

mix in the food processor for a minute or two until everything is well ground and mixed together.

turn into a bowl and stir in another 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
roll into balls, whatever size you like (you will get about 20 or so one inch balls)

sprinkle 2 heaping tbsps golden roasted milled flax seed onto a plate; roll the balls in the flax seed to coat and place them on a serving plate

chill for a little bit, or eat at room temperature.

Pancake Tuesday!

It is a tradition of mine to make english crepes, sprinkled with lemon and sugar for pancake tuesday. This is something my mom always did when we were growing up and I still absolutely love them. The secret is to only do it this one day out of the year and make it special. We always have them for dinner on pancake tuesday! Trouble is, today I FORGOT it was pancake tuesday until around 5pm and I didn't have any white flour (not very healthy but it makes for great crepes). SO, instead I made oatmeal flax pancakes and whippped up some fresh blueberry and fresh strawberry sauce to drizzle over top of them, along with the maple syrup. Delicious and much healthier than the lemon sugar crepes, although I won't be giving them up anytime soon. I will post both recipes here another time as I'm just setting up to relax right now!

LEMON SUGAR CREPES (english tradition) Makes about 12 crepes & serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (if using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tbsps margarine or butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
granulated sugar for sprinkling
bowl of lemon wedges for drizzling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven on low (250F) and have a oven-safe platter ready. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in remaining ingredients, except for granulated sugar and lemon. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Lightly butter 6-8 inch skillet; heat over medium high heat until bubbly.
2. Pour scant 1/4 cup batter into the skillet; IMMEDIATELY rotate the skillet until thin film covers the bottom. Cook until light brown; run wide spatula around edges to loosen; turn and cook on the other side until light brown.
3. Stack the crepes on the platter as they cook, separating with parchment or wax paper & keeping them in the oven to keep warm until you are finished with all of the batter.
4. To serve, lay out a crepe on each person's plate; sprinkle with sugar, roll it up and drizzle the fresh lemon juice over top; most people will want about three crepes.

OATMEAL FLAX PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY AND STRAWBERRY SAUCE (makes about 6 pancakes; serves 2)

Ingredients:

3 egss, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain, low fat yoghurt
1 scoop protein powder (flavour of your choice)
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh strawberries


Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients, except eggs and berries.
2. Stir in the eggs until just blended.
3. Prepare a skillet with about a tsp of cooking oil & heat over medium. Using an icecream scoop, scoop up batter and pour into heated skillet, pressing down on the batter to spread it out a bit. Cook on both sides until browned.
4. To prepare the blueberry and strawberry sauce, place the berries in two small sauce pans, with about 1 tbsp of water and 1/2 tsp of sugar each. Mash the berries and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. When the mixture becomes syrupy, pour into small serving containers. Drizzle the berry mixture over the pancakes (or use maple syrup)

BLUE BERRY PANCAKES (FROM MEN'S HEALTH)

Using yogurt and cottage cheese to make these pancakes does two things: It brings extra protein to the breakfast table, and it helps produce the lightest, moistest pancakes you've ever tasted. And once you try this simple blueberry compote, you'll never go back to lackluster syrup again.

You'll Need:
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage 0%)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta
3 eggs
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

How to Make It:
*Mix the blueberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the blueberries begin to break apart. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and lemon juice.

*Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Add the flour to the yogurt mixture and stir just until blended.

*Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Coat with nonstick cooking spray and add batter in large spoonfuls (about 1/4 cup each). Flip the pancakes when the tops begin to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes, and cook the second side until browned. Serve with the warm blueberries.

Makes 4 serving

Beer Bread

I used to make this bread years ago, because it is so easy to make and tastes great! I have made it healthier now that I eat healthier myself. Give it a try; you won't be sorry!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup hulled roasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
12 ounces beer (your choice)
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375F. Mix flours, flax, sunflower seed, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2) Add beer and stir with a fork until just combined.
3) Turn dough onto a floured board; knead quickly and form into a ball.
4) Place bread on a baking sheet and use a sharp knife to mark an "X" on top.
5) Brush loaf with beaten egg.
6) Bake on lower oven rack until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Wild Rice Bean and Carrot Soup

A reminder about how important beta carotene is for human health set me on a mission to make a delicious soup today. The primary source of beta carotene is carrots, sweet potatoes and canteloupe melon. This soup has lots of carrots!

Ingredients:

1 cup (uncooked) wild rice or a combination of wild and brown rice
4 tbsps olive oil
5 medium carrots, washed, peeled and diced
1 vidalia (or sweet) onion, diced
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tsps picante hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Generally wild rice will take about 50 minutes to cook and then another 10 minutes to sit.
2. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large pot, heat the stock and water over medium high heat. Add the sauteed carrots, onions and garlic. Reduce heat to low. Gently stir in the beans, chickpeas and hot sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Gently stir in the baby spinach and allow time for it to wilt, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon some of the cooked rice into soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the rice and serve.

Berry Walnut Spinach Salad

Although the weather is still cold, I served this as a side with some grilled salmon last night and it was quite delicious. You can improvise with the type of berry and nut you want to use. This is also a great stand alone salad for lunch! Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup walnuts pieces
1/2 cup of fresh rasberries
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries
4 cups of baby spinach, washed
1/2 vidalia or sweet onion, chopped
4 square inches blue cheese, crumbled into large chunks
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large wide bowl, place all ingredients except oil and vinegar.
2. Drizzle oil and vinegar over top and toss very lightly. Use a large serving spoon to gently transfer to individual salad plates for serving.

Baked Cod

We had this tonight for dinner & I served it with roasted asparagus and slices of tomato that were lightly dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Cooking time is 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cod fillets. The asparagus can be roasted, for the final ten minutes, on the highest oven rack while the fish is baking. The asparagus is spread out on a baking sheet and lightly tossed with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Serves two.

Ingredients:

1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cod fillets (each the size of your palm and the thickness of a deck of cards)
1/4 cup dry, finely ground whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried hot chili peppers (optional)
2 tbsps grated parmesan or romano cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Brush both sides of the cod with mustard. Set aside.
2) Combine remaining ingredients in a tupperware type container and shake to combine well. Sprinkle contents out onto a dinner plate.
3) Using tongs, coat both sides of the cod in the crumbs. Place in a lightly oiled baking pan & bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Prosciutto Wrapped Baby Spinach with Parmigiano Reggiano

We had a special guest come and cook a wonderful meal at our place last week! The "salad" dish was baby spinach, lightly dress, wrapped in prosciutto (Italian ham), a slice of tomato and shaved parmigiano reggiano over top and then drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Simple, yet divine. We went out and bought the ingredients today and ended up having it as our mid-afternoon snack this afternoon. Delicious!

Ingredients:

-Thinly sliced, lean prosciutto (depending on how many you want to make, you will need that number of strips)
-baby spinach, lightly dressed with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (you do not need to add any salt as the prosciutto is quite salty and flavourful)
-ripe but firm tomatoes
-fresh block of parmigianno reggiano cheese
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. On a large platter, lay out the strips of prosciutto. Spoon the dressed baby spinach generously at one end of the prosciutto and roll tightly enough that the spinach stays put, but don't "choke" it.

2. Slice the tomatoes and place one on top of each rolled prosciutto/spinach. Top with a couple of generous shaves of the parmesan cheese. You can add freshly ground black pepper to the finished product if you wish. You would eat these with a knife and fork. If you want a simpler version, you can skip the tomato and roll the cheese inside with the spinach. This can be eaten with your hands.

Left-over Mashed Potato Patties

A great recipe for left over mashed potatoes! What a comfort food:)

Ingredients:

Leftover mashed potatoes (about 2 cups)
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Flour or bread crumbs for coating
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine mashed potatoes, onion, egg and cheese. Shape into large size balls. Roll into flour or bread crumbs and flatten into patties. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add patties and brown for about 3 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper to taste.