Cream Cheese Frosting

This is probably the best cookie frosting I have ever had.  I love the lightness and the flavor.  I found it on Pinterest and had to try it out.  Have fun with this one!

From A Little Sussy.

Ingredients:

½ c.	Heavy whipping cream
½ c.	Butter, at room temperature
8 oz.	Cream cheese, at room temperature
1/8 t.	Salt
1 t.	Vanilla
6 c.	Powdered sugar
6 + T.	Milk

Directions:

Combine butter, cream cheese, salt, and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk.  Gradually add more milk, if needed.  In a separate bowl, whip whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Stir in whipped cream and frost immediately.  Store extra in the refrigerator.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

These are by far my favorite sugar cookies.  The sour cream keeps them soft.  Be sure to read the notes at the end of the post.  Have fun with them!

From Casie Eury Hollenbeck

Ingredients:

½ c.	Butter, unsalted
1	Egg
½ c.	Sour cream
1 t.	Vanilla
1 c.	Sugar
3 c.	Flour
½ t.	Salt
½ t.	Baking soda
1 t.	Baking powder
	Powdered Sugar (for rolling out the dough)

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar, about 5 minutes.  Add sour cream, vanilla, and egg.  Mix well.   In a separate bow, dry whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix.  Roll out and cut.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 425 for 5-8 minutes.

Notes:

• Roll out the cookies using powdered sugar, instead of flour.  It accomplishes the same task but doesn’t add more flour, which can dry out the cookies.
• If the dough is too sticky, keep rolling out with more powdered sugar.  Also, consider rolling out the dough on a small piece of parchment paper.
• Take the cookies out of the oven when they are still white (before the turn brown).  They won’t look like they are done – but they are!  Then they still stay soft.

Pound Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

Pound cake is one of my favorites but it is a little on the unhealthy side.  I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and had to try it.  They did a great job of reducing the fat and calories while maintaining great taste and texture.  When I made it tonight, I chose to serve it with sliced strawberries and fresh whipped cream instead of the glaze.  I also adapted it slightly – the recipe calls for infusing a vanilla bean into the oil.  I made do with vanilla extract.  To see the original recipe (vanilla bean and all), click here.

From Cooking Light Magazine, December 2011

Ingredients:

Cake

6 T.	Canola oil
2 t.	Vanilla extract
1 ¾ c.	Sugar
½ c.	Butter, unsalted, softened
2	Eggs
3 c.	Cake flour
2 t.	Baking powder
½ t.	Salt
1 c.	Buttermilk, nonfat

Glaze

1 T.	Butter, unsalted
¼ c.	Sugar
2 T.	Milk, 2%
½ t.	Vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, combine oil, vanilla, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan greased and floured, and spread evenly. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan.

To prepare glaze, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm cake.

 

Calories: 294

Fat: 12.6g

Protein: 3.2g

Carbohydrate: 42.8g

Fiber: 0.4g

Traditional Lasagna

Who doesn’t love lasagna?  It is another food that I could eat everyday in my perfect world where all food is equal in nutritional and caloric value.  This is my favorite traditional lasagna recipe.  Although it skips the step of making the sauce from scratch, the meat and sauce simmer for a while, which gives this dish its rich flavor.

From Marlise Craig Smurthwaite

Ingredients:

1 lb.	Ground beef
1 lb.	Ground Italian sausage
½ c.	Onion, chopped
1 clove	Garlic, minced
32 oz.	Marinara sauce
¾ c.	Water
8-10 oz.	Lasagna noodles
2 c.	Ricotta cheese
3 c.	Mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ c.	Parmesan cheese, grated

 

Directions:

Brown meat with onion and garlic.  Drain if necessary.  Stir in marinara sauce and water.  Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile grate mozzarella cheese.  Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375.  In a 9×13 pan, place a single layer of noodles, a layer of mozzarella cheese, a layer of ricotta cheese, and a layer of meat.  Continue to alternate until all mixtures are used.  Top with parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30-45 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Soft Breadsticks

When I was a sophomore in college, my roommates and I would make these breadsticks every Sunday night.  How I wish I could still eat like that! It’s an easy recipe with minimal ingredients that comes together quickly.  Enjoy!

From Jenni Slack Wells

Ingredients:

1 ½ c.	Water, warm
1 T.	Yeast
1 T.	Sugar
1 T.	Honey
1 t.	Salt
4-4 ½ c.	Flour

Directions:

Mix together water, yeast, and sugar.  Let sit 5 -10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Kneed lightly.  Roll between fingers to form breadsticks.  Place on a greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Let raise 15-30 minutes.  Brush with melted butter and garlic salt.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Lean Lasagna

I’ve been making this lasagna for a few years and I love it!  It is an easy way to sneak some spinach into an otherwise practically veggie-free meal.  Not a plus for those that are adverse to green food (i.e. spinach) but it’s surprisingly yummy!

From Self Magazine 2004

Ingredients:

½ c.	Onion, chopped
1 lb.	Ground turkey breast
3 c.	Tomato sauce
3 T.	Italian seasoning (or 1 t. each of dried basil, parsley, oregano)
¼ t.	Pepper
¼ t.	Garlic powder
½ c.	Mushrooms, chopped
6 c.	Spinach, chopped, fresh
2 c.	Ricotta, fat free
¼ t.	Nutmeg
8 oz.	Lasagna noodles, whole-wheat
2 c.	Shredded part-skim mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a medium-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add turkey and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, all seasonings and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and nutmeg. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.

For assembly: Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 lasagna noodles (3 noodles) on the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture, then turkey mixture, then 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition:

310 calories

6 g fat (3.5 g saturated)

31 g carbs

4 g fiber

33 g protein

Szechuan Chicken Stirfry

This is a quick, delicious dish that came together for me in about 20 minutes.  It’s a little spicy, thanks to the chile paste (found in the asian food section of the grocery store).  I served it with microwavable brown rice from Costco – my new best friend!  The bowl of rice is perfect for two servings.

From Cooking Light Magazine – Jan/Feb 2012

Serves 4 – Left

Served 2 – Right

Ingredients:

1 T.	Dark sesame oil, divided	½ T.
½ c.	Chicken broth	¼ c.
2 T.	Soy sauce	1 T.
1 T.	Rice vinegar	½ T.
2 t.	Chile paste	1 t.
2 t.	Cornstarch	1 t.
¼ t.	Salt	1/8 t.
2 T.	Oil, divided	1 T.
1 lb.	Chicken, cut into bite size pieces	½ lb.
1	Yellow pepper, cut into strips	½
1	Red pepper, cut into strips	½
1 c.	Snow peas, cut diagonally	½ c.
½ c.	Onion, cut vertically	¼ c.
2 c.	Rice, cooked	1 c.
¼ c.	Green onions, cut in slices	1/8 c.
¼ c.	Peanuts, unsalted, roasted, chopped	1/8 c.

Directions:

Combine 2 t. (1 t.) sesame oil and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl.  Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add remaining 1 t. (1/2 t.) sesame oil and 1 T. (1/2 T. oil).  Swirl.  Add chicken.  Stir fry until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan.

Add remaining 1 T. (1/2 T.) oil.  Swirl.  Add bell peppers and next 4 ingredients. Stir fry1 minute.  Add broth mixture.  Cook 30 seconds or until thick  Return chicken to pan.  Cook 2 more minutes until all combined.

Serve over rice.  Garnish with green onions and peanuts.

Calories: 420, Fat 16.7 g, Protein 32.3 g, Carb 32.3 g, Fiber 2.7 g

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

½ c. Butter, unsalted

1 c. Sugar

1 c. Brown sugar

2 Eggs

1 t. Vanilla

1 ¼ c. Flour

1 t. Baking soda

1 t. Salt

2 t. Cinnamon

3 c. Oats

1 c. Chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop on cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes.

From BYU 181st Ward

French Pancakes

French pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast treats.  I learned how to make them when I was living in the Philippines as a missionary for my church.  Because we only had a countertop gas burner to cook with limited familiar ingredients, we had to be a little creative.  Thank you to Penny Quinn Walker for the recipe.  They are thicker than crepes but thinner and eggier than an all American pancake.   It’s a great alternative if you want something a little different.  I happen to like them with butter and powdered sugar.

1 1/2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

4 T. powdered sugar

4 eggs

2/3 c. water

1 1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Dry whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and powdered sugar.  Add eggs, water, milk, and vanilla.  Whisk together.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Pour 1/2 c. batter onto hot skillet.  Small bubbles will form on top of the pancake.  Flip when bubbles pop.

Makes: 6 large pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes

I’ve been carrying around this recipe since 1996 when I clipped it out of the Deseret News.  I had never tried it . . . until this weekend.  A great, healthy pancake recipe!  It does take the extra step of making oat flour out of rolled oats.  But that part is done by the time you get out all of your other ingredients!

 

 

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 T. sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

3 egg whites

1 (12 oz) can evaporated skim milk

1 t. vanilla

 

In a blender or food processor, process oats to the consistency of course flour.  Put the oat flour in a large bowl.  Add all other dry ingredients and mix well with a whisk.  In another bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour the liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until completely moistened.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.  Spoon 3 T. batter on the skillet for each 4-inch pancake.  Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the underside is lightly brown.  Flip and cook on the other side.

 

Makes: 12 pancakes