Pink Salad Pie

Ingredients

1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can (drained) of pinapple chunks
1 large bag of pecans (chopped)

1 large container of Cool-Whip

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Mix all ingredients together (in large bowl) and serve chilled as a dessert. Enjoy!!

Grandma’s Lebkuchen

Ingredients

1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dark molasses
3 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup mixed candied fruits and peels, finely chopped
Lemon Glaze (below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.
Beat egg.
Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Stir in honey and molasses.
Sift together dry ingredients and add to honey/molasses mixture. Mix well.
Stir in nuts, fruits and peels.
Chill several hours or over night.
Roll out 1/4 inch thick on floured surface. Cut in 3 1/2×2-inch rectangles.
Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350F for about 12 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.
While still warm, brush with lemon glaze.

Lemon glaze

Combine one slightly beaten egg white, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar.

Coconut Chai Breakfast Cake

1 cup strong chai tea
1/3 cup uncooked quick (not instant) oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger (use more for a spicier cake)
3/4 cup vegan sugar (I used demerara)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut, 2 tbsp reserved

Prepare the chai ahead of time by steeping two teabags (I used decaffeinated Tazo Chai) in one cup of boiling water until cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine the dry ingredients (oatmeal through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the chai, applesauce, vinegar, extracts, and all but 2 tablespoons of the coconut. Mix well, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown, based on 9 servings: 179 Calories; 2g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 3gProtein; 38g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 273mg Sodium; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3 Weight Watchers Points.
Cherry-Chocolate Mousse Pie

1/2 cup dried cherries
1 12-ounce box light silken tofu (or extra-firm silken tofu)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (more if you want it sweeter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 prepared Graham cracker crust

Cover the dried cherries with 1/2 cup of boiling water and soak them until soft. Drain (and reserve) the water, and put the cherries into the food processor. Pulse to chop. Drain the tofu and add it to the food processor along with the agave nectar and vanilla. Process until smooth.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour it into the food processor and puree, scraping down the sides as needed to make sure it’s well blended. Pour into a prepared crust and chill for several hours.

Makes 8 servings. Each slice contains 341 Calories (kcal); 16g Total Fat; (39% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 155mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 8 Flex Points.

(See, I told you it wasn’t fat-free!)

If you’d like to make it without the crust, here’s the info for a crustless version: 231 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat; (38% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 5 Flex Points.

Serving Suggestion: Take the reserved cherry-soaking water, add some sugar, and simmer it on the stove until it’s reduced to a syrup. Drizzle over pie just before serving. (Here’s a sneaky photographer’s secret: I added some grenadine to the cherry syrup to brighten the color.)

Ingredients

• 3 medium sized ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits (such as dates, apricots and raisins)
• 1/3 cup peanut or safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup uncooked oat bran

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. Mash bananas in large bowl until smooth (You should have about 1−1/2 cups).
• Stir in oil, vanilla and salt. Add oats, oat bran, mixed fruits and nuts; stir well to combine.
• Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.
• Flatten out slightly with back of spoon.
• Bake about 20−25 minutes or until bottom and edges of cookies are lightly browned. Transfer cookies onto wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in refrigerator.

Slurp! Slurp ! Does your mouth water while seeing your delicious food on the dining table? But are you scared to grab a bite because of the immense fat and all the add on diseases that can be a part of your living for the rest of your life? Then here are some healthy cooking tips to enhance the taste of your delicious food for healthy living.

To have a profound effect on the nutrient content of the foods you eat everyday, carefully select all the ingredients and use the right cooking techniques. Here are some must follow tips,

Salt Sense: Cut half the amount of salt on your favorite recipe. Do not worry, this will not hinder the taste, if you replace a part of the salt with any herb, spice, citrus juice or peel and flavored vinegar. For any meat, soup and sauces, put garlic or onion powder. You can even add a mixture of garlic, paprika, onion, and parsley flakes.

Measure Sodium Content: Usually preserved, canned and processed vegetables often have very high sodium content, therefore go for ‘low-sodium’ veggies or try the frozen varieties. The best method to follow, would be to compare the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts label of similar products and choose the one with less sodium.

Control high blood pressure or high cholesterol: by using herbs, tomatoes, vinegar, onions or low fat sauces or salad dressings.

Fat Free : While baking, use plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt or fat-free or low-fat sour cream.

Preserve nutrients: To preserve the vegetable nutrients and colour, cook them quickly by steaming or stir frying instead of boiling. Avoid cooking at high temperatures as extended heat and liquid can destroy or leach out valuable nutrients. For stir frying or grilling make sure to use veggie spray or non-stick pans.

Right cooking methods: choose right cooking methods to avoid deadly diseases like cancer. Choose roasting, poaching or stir frying as frequent cooking methods. For meats follow open-flame grilling to a minimum as this practice produces cancer-promoting compounds. The best cooking method is microwave cooking as its short cooking time reduces nutrient loss in vegetables. There is no added water or fat is needed for microwave cooking.

Increase fiber : To increase fiber in your daily food, use whole grains instead of refined products, such as oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat flour, barley and cornmeal. You can even add mashed or grated fruits or vegetables to sauces or baked goods, such as grated carrots and spaghetti. Try adding different vegetables to all your recipes. Experiment with more veggie variety in salads, try new vegetable mixes, include some shredded vegetables in casseroles, and add different vegetables to soups and stews. For flavor use chopped red or yellow peppers. In place of heavy gravies or sauces try vegetable salsas and fruit chutneys as accompaniments to meat or poultry.

Oil : oil can pack in number of diseases in your food. To avoid the health calamity, use oils like olive or canola oil. While cooking drain off visible fat and blot pan-fried foods on paper towels. For soups, allow it to chill before reheating and serving so that the fat can be skimmed from the top.

Your sweetheart will be tickled pink at this savory rosemary-crust pizza, sprinkled with all their best-loved toppings. Simply shape the homemade dough into a heart for a Valentine’s Day pizza that’s made with love.

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1-1/4 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 15 slices vegetarian pepperoni
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives

Method

• Place bread flour, yeast, water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
  
• Select the Dough setting. Press Start. When the dough is finished, knead rosemary into the dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Divide the dough into three portions.
  
• Shape each piece into a heart shape about 1/2 inch thick.
  
• Brush with remaining olive oil, and spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on each pizza.
  
• Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, and arrange tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and sliced olives on top.
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust is browned.