Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Soup
From Diabetic Cooking

1 lb frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
1/4 c water
2 c fat-free (skim) milk
2 c mashed potatoes
4-5 medium green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tb diet margarine
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 ts black pepper
3/4 c fat-free sour cream
6 TB (1 1/2 oz) shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Bring cauliflower and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 12 - 14 minutes or until tender.  Transfer cauliflower, any remaining water and 1 c milk to blender.  Cover.  Holding lid securely, process until pureed.  Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan.  Add potatoes, all but 1/3 c green onions, garlic and remaining 1 c milk.  Stir until blended.  Cook on medium-low heat 10 minutes.  Add margarine, salt and pepper.  Stir until margarine is melted.  Garnish with equal amounts sour cream, cheese, and remaining green onions.

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings (1 c soup, 2 TB sour cream, 1 TB cheese, and about 1 TB green onions)
Dietary Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.

Calories 179 (21% cal from fat); Total fat 4g; Sat Fat 1g; Protein 10g; Carb 27g; Cholesterol 12mg; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sodium 271mg

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Crockpot Tater-Tot Casserole

Tater-Tot Casserole
From 101 Things to do with a slow cooker

1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
1 c (8 oz) chicken, drained*
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c (14 1/2 oz) green beans, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 tb dried onion
1/2 c milk
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated

Pour bag of frozen tater tots on bottom of greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker.  In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cheese.  Pour over potatoes.  Cover and cook on high heat 3 hours or on low heat 4 1/2-5 hours.  Half an hour before serving, sprinkle cheese over the top.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Serve with apple slices and grapes.

*Tuna may be substituted

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Mexican Chicken Dip

Mexican Chicken Dip
From The Gaines Gang


1 can black beans, drained
1 large can chunk white chicken, drained
1 large bag shredded cheese {about 4 cups}
1 16oz jar On the Border Salsa
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained


Dump everything into crock pot and heat on high until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips!

Garlic Chicken Puffs

From TidyMom

Image from TidyMom

yields 32 puffs (I made a double batch)4 ounces cream cheese1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken*2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls
Mix cream cheese, garlic and chicken until well blended.

Unroll crescent rolls and cut each triangle into 2 triangles (when you unroll the crescent rolls, 2 triangles are attached making a big square, I just cut from there following the perforation for one cut and made another cut from the other corners = giving you 4 little triangles)

Place 1 tsp of chicken mixture on the center of each triangle and fold the corners in over the creamy mixture.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 12-14 mins.

I used 2 cookie sheets at a time, and had to bake 3 batches to get all of mine baked (so allow for that time if you’re making a lot)

Also, mine were ready in about 11 mins, so watch for how your oven cooks.

*For cooked chicken, I buy those big bags of frozen chicken tenderloins, I just threw 6 of them on a cookie sheet and baked for about 25 mins.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip
From TidyMom

3-4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
8oz. Ranch dressing
2 -8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
8 oz. Hot Sauce, or Wing Sauce
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (save some to sprinkle on top)

1.Cook and shred chicken (I throw my chicken breast on a pan and bake in the oven for about 30-40 mins on 350)
2. Mix ranch dressing, cream cheese ,sauce and 1 cup of cheddar cheese until well blended.
3. Add chicken and mix by hand.
4. Place in 8×8 square pan.
5. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheddar cheese on top.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

Serve with tortilla chips!

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Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken
From Quit Eating Out

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.  Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.


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Peppermint Bark

For today's post, I have two versions of the same recipe. I use a mixture of the two methods.
Christmas Tree Peppermint Bark 
From TidyMom

Image from TidyMom

Ingredients:

• Cookie Cutters
• Decorator Bag 
• Chocolate
• Crushed Candy Cane
• Parchment or Waxed paper lined sheet pan
• Clear Plastic Bags , Ribbon and tags

Directions:

• Place the cookie cutters in refrigerator until ready to fill.
• Line your baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
• Place Ghirardelli Chocolate pieces in decorator bag (filling about 1/2 way), twist top of bag, place in microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds.  Remove bag and “knead” chocolate.  Place bag back in microwave and repeat until chocolate is melted.
• Remove cookie cutters from refrigerator and place on lined baking sheet.
• Snip the tip off the end of the decorator bag
• Use the chocolate filled bag to pipe the chocolate into the cookie cutters (*you may need to hold onto the cookie cutter while you do this).  Be sure to get into all of the corners.
• Place pan of chocolate filled cookie cutters into freezer for about 10 mins. for chocolate to “set”.
• Place Wilton Candy Cane Burst Melts into decorator bag, and repeat as you did for chocolate.
• Remove pan from freezer, snip the tip of the decorator bag and pipe the Candy Cane Burst Melts on top of the Ghirardelli chocolate.
• Sprinkle with Crushed Candy Cane pieces.
• Place in freezer for about 10 mins. to set.
• Once the chocolate has hardened, remove from the cookie cutters by gently pressing with your thumbs.
• Wrap a few pieces of bark in a clear cellophane bag  tie with ribbon, attach clean cookie cutter and a cute tag!
• If you’re using a decorative box or tin, put a piece of wax paper in that covers the bottom and sticks over the sides. Once you’ve filled the container, flip the wax paper over the top and cover. If you’re using a plate, or cute dish, like I found at Michaels, arrange the bark and cover with plastic wrap.
• Will keep in fridge for 5-6 weeks.

Peppermint BarkFrom Bon Appétit

Ingredients
17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Directions

1. Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12-x-9-inch rectangle on foil.
2. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water.
3. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.
6. Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F.
7. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.
8. Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges.
9. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles.

Makes 36 pieces of bark.
Make ahead: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving. 

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Glazed Ham

Glazed Holiday Ham
From Diabetic Cooking

1 (6-7 lb) 30% less-sodium smoked, fully cooked, bone-in spiral-cut ham half
1/2 c cranberry chutney or raspberry or apricot preserves
2 TB horseradish mustard or Dijon-style mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ham on rack of broiler pan.  Cover with foil.  Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 120°F.  Combine chutney and mustard in small bowl.  Mix well. Remove ham from oven. Discard foil.  Spread chutney mixture evenly over surface of ham.  Return to oven.  Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°F. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Makes 24 (3 ounce) servings

Note: leftovers keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Dietary Exchanges: 3 meat.
Calories 200 (42% cal from fat); Total fat 9g; Sat Fat 3g; Protein 25g; Carb 3g; Cholesterol 65mg; dietary Fiber 0g; Sodium 1,103mg

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Spiced Tea Mix

Spiced Tea Mix
From Recipes from Heart - Tricia Armstrong

1/2 c instant tea
1/2 c sugar
6 oz instant lemonade
1 (18 oz) jar instant tangerine drink mix (tang)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 small box cherry jell-o

Mix all ingredients together in a covered container.  To serve, add two teaspoons of mixture to a cup of hot or boiling water.  You may want to put some of the mix in a small jar (baby food) and top with fabric and ribbon for gifts.

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