Interesting Substitute

I bought a number of powdered dip mixes some time back. These mixes are usually added to cream cheese or sour cream. I was hungry for one of the southwest dips but I was out of sour cream. Digging around in the fridge I found 2 containers of cottage cheese. I was feeling a bit adventurous so I tried it. I am here to tell you it wasn't bad at all. The trick on the consistency is to put everything in the blender until the dip is smooth and creamy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

OK , first of all I must admit that after my trip to Fort Hood to see Brendan off to Iraq I lost some of the passions for losing weight. I was still cooking healthy but not watching portion control at all. After a couple of weeks of self-pity I've gotten back on track.
I haven't bothered figuring out the calories on this one but moderation will make this a safe treat. I went to Kroger's and found a ton of mushrooms marked down and I just can't pass up a good deal. That also meant being creative with mushrooms for about a week! I love stuffed mushrooms and found a number of recipes that were ok but not just quite what I wanted. So I picked the best of all of them and combined them. These are nothing short of heaven on earth.

Aileen's Stuffed Mushrooms

4 dozen mushrooms (whole)
1 can shrimp (drained)
shopped mushroom stems
2 tbsp. lite mayo
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
1/4 cup green onions (chopped)
2 tbsp. Parsley
4 tbsp. bread crumbs ( I used plain and not italian but I think either would be fine)
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 small roma tomato (diced)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg ( or 2 egg white)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese ( optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Break stems off of mushrooms and chop stems for filling.
Lightly coat mushrooms with olive oil and place on cookie sheet.
Toss everything together in mixer and mix until well blended.
Stuff mushrooms with filling.
Bake about 15 minutes or until hot and slightly crisp on top of stuffing.

Cioppino

You'll need to be an adventurous eater and a seafood lover to try this. I first tried Cioppino about 5 years ago. Tom and I were at a Machine Gun Shoot week-end and a man from New York who worked the fish docks brought a slew of fresh seafood and made a huge batch for everyone. He served it over rice to make it more filling and his had a thicker broth. This recipe is lighter and I've added some heat to it. Tweak it the way you want to depending on what seafoods you like best. I used crawfish because it's cheaper than lobster and it sold already cooked in Cajun spices to add a bit of kick to the dish. I've had a seafood soup in Mexico that had squid in it so the skies the limit. ( mussels and crab go in shell and all)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup "Move over Butter"
8 green onions , chopped
2 cloves of garlic , minced
1 bunch of Italian parsley , chopped
2 carrots , shredded
2 stalks celery , diced
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1 large tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 1/2 cups scallops
18 mussels
3 pounds crawfish
1 1/2 pounds dungeon crab legs
1 can clams
1 pound shrimp


Directions:
1. Over medium heat melt butter in a large pot. Add onion , garlic, parsley, celery and carrots. Cook until tender.

2. Add tomatoes to pot. Add chicken broth , spices , water , clam juice, lemon juice and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Stir in seafood and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until mussels open. Ladle into bowls and serve with Italian crusty bread or sourdough.


(picture image was found online , used to give you an idea of what your finished product may look like)

Crab Cakes

A diet can be boring so I try to mix up the leftovers a bit. I recently splurged on crab legs and had a few left over. Those crab legs became crab cakes for dinner the next night. Fresh crab legs are hands down better than canned crab meat.

2 eggs , beaten 149 calories
9 fat free saltines , crushed
2 tbsp. mayo
1 tsp mustard
1 tbp. dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
dash of paprika

Mix eggs , mayo , mustard , parsley, paprika. Stir in crackers. Salt and pepper to taste. Fold in crab meat. Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Form crab cakes into small patties. Bake for 20 minutes.

Asparagus Cheese Casserole

Asparagus is one of those veggies you either like or hate. I was never real crazy about it but this recipe changed my mind. I loved it so much I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

1 cup fresh asparagus , cooked and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp. Smart Balance
3 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
3 tbps. grated parmesan cheese (fresh not the stuff in the shaker bottle)
3 tbsp. grated swiss cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
5-6 egg whites *

Spray a glass baking dish and place cooked asparagus in the bootom. Over low heat melt butter. Stir in flour until it's smooth; add milk and whisk until sauce thickens.
Add cheese and spices; stir until cheese melts. Add egg whites and stir well. Pour over asparagus.
Place dish in 350 oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and use fork to fluff up. Serve hot.

* I found they have egg whites in a carton in the dairy section. Makes it easier than separating eggs and wasting yolks. Not too much more than buying eggs.

Back

I've been gone a week seeing Brendan off to Iraq. Traveling makes staying on a strict diet a bit tricky. You can find some places that offer low cal and low carb menu items such as Fridays. Subway is an obvious choice. Otherwise you just need to use your noggin. Getting to eat 6 times a day was out for me. The care ride home wasn't much better for me as my daughter-in-law drove straight through. Ever try to find healthy food at a gas station? Beef jerkey and pringles was the best I could do. So , although I didn't gain weight I didn't lose any either. But , I'm back on track again and will get some more recipes up as soon as I catch up on the mound of housework I came home to.

Personal Apple Pies and Apple Muffins

I've got a freezer full of apples so I went looking for some low-cal dessert recipes. Here are two I've tried so far and like. Both are less than 150 calories per serving.

Personal Apple Pies 137 calories

2-3 medium apples
1 tbsp. brown sugar
5 tsp. vanilla extract
5 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp. corn starch
25 sheets Phyllo dough
1 tbsp smart balance

Core , peel and slice apples and place in pan with 1/4 cup water. Cook until done. ( about 5 minutes). Remove apples but leave water in the pan. Add brown sugar , cinnamon and vanilla to water and cook for 1 minute. Mix cornstarch with a small amouont of water and add to the mixture. Stir until it thickens and then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375.

Fold one Phyllo dough sheet in half lengthwise. Butter and add another sheet , butter and so on until you have a 5 layer stack. Place apple mixture on dough and fold into a triangle. Press lightly on the edges to seal. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Make about 5 servings

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Apple-Cinnamon Muffins 124 calories

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup apples ( frozen , dried or cooked)
1/2 minature box raisins
3/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg white
nuts optional

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin pan or use paper muffin cups.
Combine egg , butter , milk , vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes.