Ultimate B.L.T.

We had these at Noah's cousin's house over the weekend and I can honestly say I've never had a better BLT--and I've had a lot of BLTs!

Ingredients

• Toasted white or wheat bread
• Turkey bacon
• Romain lettuce
• Provolone cheese
• Tomatoes
• Mayonnaise
• Cucumbers
• Lemon Pepper

Directions

Slather bread with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with lemon pepper. Load the sandwich with turkey bacon, lettuce, provolone, tomatoes and cucumbers. Yum!

Carne Asada (Mexican steak) Nachos

Ingredients

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.

Grill marinated steak (or put in a skillet over medium high heat with a little vegetable oil). Cut into strips and serve with nachos or tacos. Serves 8.

468 calories in one serving. 27.9 g of fat (7.8g saturated), 0.7g fiber

Nachos

• Tortilla chips
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Pickled jalapeno peppers
• sliced black olives
• grilled cane asada steak
• Sour cream
• guacamole
• cilantro
• diced tomatoes

Directions

Place tortilla chips, carne asada, cheese, jalapeno peppers, and olives in an oven proof dish. Broil until cheese is melted but chips are not burned (2 minutes). Top with sour cream, guacamole, cilantro and diced tomatoes. Serve.

Guacamole

Ingredients

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately. Serves 4.

262 Calories in 1 serving, 22.2 g fat, 11.4 g fiber

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

• Double pie crust recipe
• 5 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar

Directions
Prepare pie crust for 9" dish. Brush egg yoke on pastry to seal and to prevent a soggy crust.

Sprinkle berries with lemon juice; set aside. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar with flour, salt and cinnamon; add to berries, stirring well. Pour into prepared pastry shell, and dot with butter.

Put remaining pastry on pie and seal/ crimp edges, cutting slits on top or forming lattice design. Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cover edges with aluminum foil, removing for last five minutes of bake time.

BAKE at 400° for 35 minutes or until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Vegetable Lasagna

This was a hit all around.
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 quarts spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)
• 9 cooked lasagna noodles
• 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese or cottage cheese depending on preference
• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
• 3/4 Cups thinly sliced yellow squash
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Mix carrots, oregano, and spaghetti sauce together. Spread 1/2 of sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a separate bowl, mix Ricotta, spinach, and eggs together.

Layer half of lasagna noodles over spaghetti sauce, spread ½ Ricotta mixture over noodles, layer ½ sliced zucchini alternating with 1/2 of yellow squash, ½ of the sliced mushrooms. Cover with ½ of the Mozzarella, and ½ of the Parmesan.

Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.

Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I love this pie. The recipe is from my sister-in-law Emily.

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 2 C fresh strawberries, chopped
• 2 C rhubarb, chopped
• 1 1/3 C sugar
• 1/3 C flour (add 2 T more if using frozen strawberries)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 T butter

Crumb top ingredients:

• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C quick oats
• 1/4 C four
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 4 T butter, softened

Directions:

Sift sugar, flour and salt together. Stir with strawberries and rhubarb until well combined. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to allow juices to form.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place strawberry mixture in unbaked pie crust and dot with the 2 T butter.

For the crumb top, stir dry ingredients and cut in butter until mixture is well combined. Spread on top of pie and cook for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 8.

433 calories in one serving, 13.8 g fat (5.3 g saturated), 2.5 g dietary fiber

Black Bean Soup

This is the Top Secret Recipe's version of TGIFriday's black bean soup.
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup diced white onion
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock for vegetarian version
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (less if you're spice sensitive)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
  Garnish
• shredded cheese (cheddar, jack or pepperjack)
• chopped green onion
• sour cream
• Avacado slices

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium/low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly (or"sweat" as it's called), for 15 minutes or until the onions are practically clear (keep the heat low enough that the veggies don't brown and be careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter).

While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water. Measure 3 cups of the drained and strained beans into a food processor or blender with 1 cup of chicken stock. Puree on high speed until smooth.

When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken stock, and every other ingredient in the list (down to liquid smoke), to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender. Serves 6.

496 calories, 8.3 g fat (1.5 saturated), 25.9 g dietary fiber

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut in 1 inch cubes

Marinade

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 piece minced ginger (1-inch long)
• 6 bamboo skewers

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (buy in Indian market)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup whipping cream or Coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Soak bamboo skewers in water.

Thread chicken on skewers and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour (overnight is best).

For sauce, melt butter on medium heat. Add garlic& jalapeno; cook 1 minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala& salt. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream; simmer to thicken- about 5 minutes.

Discard marinade. Grill or broil chicken, turning occasionally, to cook through- about 8 minutes.
Remove chicken from skewers; add to sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati rice, naan or pita bread. Serves four.

496 calories in 1 serving, 30 g fat (17.5 g saturated)

Garlic Naan

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
• butter
• garlic powder
• fresh or dried parsley

Directions

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary. Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle, either seasoned cast iron or a good non-stick finish. Heat your oven to about 500 and have the broiler on.

Take the dough out and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs. Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface till it is about 8-10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick. Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat, flip after 2-3 minutes. Bubbles should form and turn blackish-brown. Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly onto the rack, for a minute or two, just till it finishes puffing up into a balloon and begins to color lightly on top.

Remove naan from the oven and brush it lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parsley.

Continue this way with all the dough, stacking the breads into a napkin-lined basket. Serve hot, fresh from the oven.

To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil, in packets of 4 or 5 breads and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

213 calories in 1, 1.2 g fat (0.6 saturated)

Baked Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

Directions

In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Orange Juice Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 C sugar
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 C milk
• 3 C flour
• 1/2 C orange juice concentrate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix eggs, sugar, butter, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth. Add milk, flour and orange juice concentrate. stir until well combined.

Bake in a greased 9 1/2 x 11-inch pan for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Frosting:

• 8 oz whipped topping, thawed
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 - 1 C powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp orange juice concentrate

Cream whipped topping and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and orange juice concentrate. Mix well and frost cooled cake. Garnish with orange peel shavings. Serves 12.

496 calories, 20.3 g fat (12.4 saturated), 0.9 g fiber

Tomato Cream Pasta

This is my husbands very favorite pasta (it's a Rachel Ray recipe).

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 C vodka (don't worry, you'll cook the alcohol out)
• 1 C chicken stock (for vegetarian option, use vegetable stock)
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes (32 oz)
• coarse salt and pepper to taste
• 16 oz pasta, such as penne rigate
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Directions

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat, drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 4.

632 calories in 1 serving, 10.7 g fat (3.7 saturated), 7.3 g dietary fiber

Leprechan Punch

Ingredients

• 2 liters pineapple juice
• 2 envelopes unsweetened lime Kool-Aid
• 1 liter lime sherbet
• 2 liters ginger ale or 7-Up soda

Directions
In large punch bowl combine pineapple juice and Kool-Aid. Stir. Add sherbet in scoops. Slowly add ginger ale or 7-Up. Let stand 15 minutes to froth.

Zucchini Fettuccine

This is what we ate on St. Patrick's day. My one regret is that I wish I would have used spinach fettuccine to get the dish a little more green.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C butter
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 C sliced mushrooms
• 2 C shredded zucchini
• 1 C chopped bacon
• 1 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 C heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• parsley to garnish

Boil 1 lb of fettuccine noodles for 7-8 minutes, or until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Add and cook shredded zucchini until tender. Add, but do not bring to a boil, bacon, Parmesan cheese and whipping cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir noodles into the sauce mixture and garnish with fresh parsley. Serves 6.

379 calories, 31.8 g fat (16.3 saturated), 0.9 g fiber

Lion House Pistachio Crunch

For St. Patrick's day here's a terrific GREEN dessert

Ingredients:

Crust

• ¾ c. butter
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• 1 ½ c. flour
• ¾ c. walnuts, chopped

Filling:

• 1 ½ c. powdered sugar
• 16 oz. cream cheese
• 12 oz. whipped topping

Topping:

• 2 small packages pistachio flavored instant pudding
• 3 ½ c. milk
  

Directions:
Crust:
Blend together until well mixed. Press into a 9X13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (or until lightly browned.)

Filling:
Beat cream cheese to soften. Add powdered sugar and cream together until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Spread this mixture over the cooled crust. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

Topping:
Whisk together milk and pudding mix, blending well to make sure the powder is dissolved. Allow to thicken slightly. Pour topping on cream cheese mixture. Chill until firm. Garnish with whipped topping and a cherry. Serves 12-14.

**Note: This recipe can be changed just by using a different flavor instant pudding.

550 calories in 1 serving (1/12), 37 g fat (15.3 saturated), 1 g fiber

Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, a.k.a. Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp juice from 1 large lemon
• 1/4 C tahini (a sesame paste usually found by peanut butter or organic foods)
• 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C water

Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, about 40 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes; serve cold with pita bread.

400 calories in 1/4 C, 18.7 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 13.3 g dietary fiber

Pita Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1-2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions
Mix yeast, water and sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, dried milk and salt. Pour oil and water and mix well. Knead dough briefly, divide into 18 egg sized balls. Place on a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15-30 minutes. Punch down and roll out ball to a 4-5 inch diameter circle and cook on a hot skillet until large "bubbles" form. Flip pita over and cook the other side for a few more minutes. flatten it out with a spatula if needed. Serve warm with hummus, vegetables, souvlaki (as pictured) or other filling.

120 calories in 1 pita, 4.8 g fat (0.6 saturated), 0.7 g dietary fiber

Crustless Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 C cooked chicken, cut into small chunks (I use 1 rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 c onion, chopped
• 3/4 C celery, chopped
• 1/2 c carrots, sliced thin
• 2 C broccoli
• 1 egg
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 C buttermilk pancake mix
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 C cheddar cheese
• 1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan, combine cream of chicken soup, 1/2 C milk, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and salt. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is hot (use a whisk to get lumps out). Steam vegetables until tender. Stir cooked chicken into cheese mixture and then combine with vegetables. Stir to coat over medium heat until hot. Pour into an ungreased 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil and 1/2 C milk . Add pancake mix and blend. Spoon and spread over the chicken mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, then add cheese and almonds and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serves 6.

447 calories in one serving, 24.3 g fat (11.2 saturated), 1.8 g fiber.

Dutch Apple Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 single pie crust
• 2/3 C packed light brown sugar
• 3 T flour
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 lbs Granny Smith apples
• 1 T peach schnapps (optional)
• 1 T amaretto (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 T butter

For the Streusel:

• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1/3 C packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 C granulated sugar
• 1 T cornmeal
• pinch of salt
• 7 T butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine brown sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl; mix well. Peel and slice apples. Addto brown sugar mixture; gently toss. Add schnapps, Amaretto and vanilla; getnly toss. Place in 9-inch pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with butter.

For the Streusel: Combine the flour, sugars, cornmeal and salt in a medium bowl; drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms many large chunks with pea-sized pieces mixted throughout. Line a rimmed backing sheet with parchment paper and spread the strusel in an even layer on the paper. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes; remove from oven and cool. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the pie filling. Cover pie with alluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake and additional 5 minutes.

604 calories in one slice (when cut into 8 slices), 28.7 g fat (15.7 saturated), 4.1 g fiber

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Whole Wheat

I fell in love with these cookies in Utah at our local Great Harvest Bread store, so when we moved to Indiana I went scouring for the recipe. Here it is :

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 (12 ounce) pkg semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Beat together brown sugar and butter until well combined. Add oats, eggs, molasses, and milk; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop dough and drop about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 13 minutes, until just starting to brown around the outside. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove and cool on racks. Makes 24 giant cookies.

259 calories per cookie, 12.6 g fat (7.6 g saturated), 2 g fiber