Favorite Two Websites for Recipes

Each week, when I'm preparing my grocery list for the week, I like to look around for recipes to make it through the next few weeks. There are two web sites that I frequent the most for delicious recipes so I don't have to resort to the same old thing each night.


www.campbellskitchen.com

I know this one sounds like a cheap out, because all you have to do is open a can of cream of something and add some type of meat and vegetable. But this is actually the beauty of it. Take their Tuna Noodle Casserole. All you have to do is boil some egg noodles, and then combine them in a casserole dish with two cans of tuna, a can of cream of celery soup, some frozen peas and throw the mixture into the oven for twenty minutes. On those nights when I'm so tired from school and work, this web site is my saving grace for yummy food that contains very little ingredients.

www.cookingspot.com

I somehow stumbled upon this site in my novice days of cooking, and it is a site that I frequent now even after four years of picking up a spatula. It works two ways. You can either browse their thousands of recipes submitted by users, by clicking on whatever type of recipe you are looking for (such as chicken recipe or main dish). Or you can search for a recipe based on one or two ingredients you have on hand. I use this web site to find dinner inspirations at least once a week, which is why it is one of my favorites (like the Baked Ziti posted last week).
Continue Reading>>

Life is Just Better on the Dark Side

Come to the dark side. Of chocolate that is. Chocolate, dark chocolate, is the healthiest of all the chocolates.

You might be thinking, “chocolate is healthy?!” And the answer is yes, it can be, in moderate doses.

According to WebMD.com, dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate does. Plus, dark chocolate bars with a high-cocoa content, like Dove Dark Chocolate bar is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.

In fact, dark chocolate keeps up to 95% of its falvonoid. So, the higher the percentage of cocao on the label, the better it is for you. This means that if you have high blood pressure, it can help you lower it and you will be on your way to a healthier heart.

It is also a great source of anti-oxidants. But studies have shown that eating it with milk can interfere with the way your body absorbs the anti-oxidants.

Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany, signed up six men and seven women aged 55-64. All had just been diagnosed with mild high blood pressure -- on average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 153 and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 84. Every day for two weeks, they ate a 100-gram candy bar and were asked to balance its 480 calories by not eating other foods with similar nutrients and calories. Half the patients got dark chocolate and half got white chocolate.

Those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.

For those of you that are willing to try something new and very fun here is a recipe from Foodnetwork.com that will get you in the right direction:

Ingredients
4 medium ripe but firm bananas
8 wooden craft sticks
3 tablespoons finely chopped lightly salted peanuts
6 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped
Directions
Peel, then cut each banana in half crosswise and insert a craft stick into each half. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until frozen, about 3 hours.

Place the peanuts in a shallow dish or on a plate. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the top pan. Pour the melted chocolate into a tall glass. Dip each frozen banana into the chocolate, turning it to coat, and immediately roll in the peanuts. Place on a tray covered in waxed paper. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is really easy and is good for those times when you have a sweet tooth and don’t want to feel guilty.

There are so many choices out there for an unhealthy snack so spread the word and get messy with a little gooey, melted chocolate. Or, if you’re feeling lazy, Haagen-Dazs makes ice cream bars made with pomegranate ice cream covered in dark chocolate.

Bon Appetite! Continue Reading>>

Stuffed Zucchini Spaghetti

This recipe is pretty simple to make, and is called Stuffed Zucchini Spaghetti because I'm told it tastes just like eating stuffed zucchini.

2 zucchinis, diced into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cups of mushrooms
1 pound of ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
one jar of spaghetti sauce
one pound of spaghetti

Before doing anything, start boiling a big pot of water for the spaghetti.

Saute the zucchini, onion, mushrooms and garlic for about five minutes, when they start to get tender.

Add the ground turkey to the same pan, and brown the meat until it is no longer pink. Make sure and stir it often.

Once the water boils, add the spaghetti and cook according to the directions on the package.

Once the ground turkey is no longer pink, add the spaghetti sauce, stirring it often until it is heated through.

Serve the zucchini mixture over the spaghetti noodles.

Serves 4
Continue Reading>>

Vegan cake recipe

So, I'm pretty sure that no one is going to believe me about this until they try it, but there is a way to make a cake, or cupcakes, with a box of cake mix and a 12 oz. can of soda. The cake uses no eggs, and is mostly vegan (nonfat milk is listed last on the box, so there is a very small amount of milk in the mix).



About four years ago, a vegan friend of mine taught me how to make a birthday cake out of those two simple ingredients, I tried it, and the cake rose and was delicious. There are many combinations that can be tried, too, depending on the soda and flavor of the cake. Last night, I made one using orange soda and chocolate cake mix, and it tasted a lot like a chocolate orange.

To make it, pour the mix and the soda into a large bowl and whisk until the cake mix is saturated. Pour it into whatever pan you like, and bake according to the directions on the box. It is that easy. I baked it for 35 minutes, but you can bake it to your preferred moistness.

Frosting is optional. Continue Reading>>

Three Ingredient Salad Dressing

This is a very simple salad dressing recipe that I got from a friend who is on a super-strict diet, but the dressing tastes faboo!It contains less fat and less artificial ingredients than store bought dressing.

This recipe is good for one salad, so just multiply the ingredients by the number of salads you'll be serving.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, and then drizzle over the salad of your choice.
Continue Reading>>

Scrambled Egg Pitas

Here is a quick recipe for breakfast pitas which are great for on the way to school.

The main ingredients are pitas and eggs, but there are some simple variations to suit your tastes. The pita makes this breakfast extremely portable, because it is a little pocket for your food.

Just scramble some eggs, and stuff the pita with egg and you're good to go. If you have time in the morning, the eggs can be scrambled in a pan. If in a hurry, scramble the eggs in the microwave. To do this, crack the egg into a microwave safe container and whisk with a fork. Pop in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and then microwave for another 45 seconds.

If you are feeling extra crafty, add some of the following ingredients:

- Crumble some sausage into the pan if cooking on the stove

- Chop some onions or mushrooms, or both, and add to egg before cooking (Chopped bell peppers also work quite well)

- After stuffing the pita with scrambled eggs, top with shredded cheese

- Top your finished pita with salsa or hot sauce

The possibilities are endless!
Continue Reading>>

Lentils, they're good for you

This is a recipe for a meal that not only is inexpensive, it's good for you.
With cool nights headed our way, this recipe is easy and inexpensive to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lentils ( I like the black ones at Trader Joe's)
2 0r 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 onion chopped ( I use shallots)
1 bay leaf, 2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water

Rinse lentils, chop tomatoes, put all ingredients in a pot. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, serve with crusty bread and a nice glass of red wine. Enjoy. Continue Reading>>

Quick Bean Fajita Burritos

This is something that I throw together on nights that I want something filling but don't have a lot of time (like when I'm running late for my horror film class), and a plus is that it is vegetarian. All it is is a bean burrito with some sauted onions and bell peppers. Yesterday this recipe took twenty minutes from start to finish.

All you need to make these burritos is a can of refried beans, a quarter of a sliced yellow onion, one bell pepper, olive oil and tortillas. If you are concerned about the recipe being fully vegetarian, pick up the refried beans that say "vegetarian" on the can. Some other optional ingredients you can use are sour cream, grated cheese and salsa. Also, I use whole wheat tortillas, but any tortilla you prefer will do.

The first step is to chop the bell pepper and the onion into strips, and then put them in the pan with the olive oil on medium high heat for about ten minutes.

While the bell pepper and onion are cooking, heat the refried beans according to the direction on the can. Once those are heated, place the number of tortillas you want to use between two paper towels and stick them in the microwave for about a minute and a half.

To serve, scoop some beans onto the tortilla, add some of your bell pepper and onion onto the beans, and garnish with the toppings of your choice, like the cheese or sour cream.

This recipe should serve two, so if you are making this for one, you'll have leftovers which never hurts!
Continue Reading>>