Healthy cooking tips, recipes, food facts and more from a Registered Dietitian!
a. Finger Foods
3 Cheese Stuffed Banana Peppers
Jul 29th
My mom made this recipe up to use some banana peppers at my grandparents’ house. Everyone enjoyed it very much! This would be a great way to use excess garden vegetables (I think the same stuffing would be delicious in bell peppers, tomatoes, squash, or zucchini).
Note: Adjust all measurements to number of peppers
16 banana peppers
2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Italian seasonings to taste; i.e. basil, oregano, garlic
1 can Italian Style Tomatoes
Slit peppers lengthwise and clean out seeds and membranes. Mix together cheeses, eggs, and seasonings. Stuff peppers with cheese mixture, place in greased glass casserole dish and top with tomatoes.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Make Your Own Paninis
Jun 3rd
My Aunt Martha Harpole sent me this simple, delicious recipe idea that is sure to be a hit with your family. You can buy Paninis at many sandwich-style restaurants, but you are sure to save money by making yours at home. The “recipe” is very simple and can be modified to fit what you like on your panini.
The Basics…
- A Panini is basically a sandwich that is heated while being pressed on both sides. This allows the filling to really melt through the sandwich and makes the bread crispy on both sides.
- To make: Fill bread with spread and toppings of choice (be creative!). Cook in Panini Maker or as described in next step.
- You do not have to have a Panini Maker to make Paninis – Just use 2 skillets to sandwich your Panini so that it will cook on both sides. Or, another idea I saw used a brick wrapped in aluminum foil to press down on your sandwich while it is cooking.
Recipes…
- Breads: French Bread, Foccassia Bread, Rolls, Baguettes, Sourdough, Tuscan, Sandwich Bread, etc
- Spread: Mayonaise, Mustard, Honey Mustard, Tomato Sauce, Favorite Salad Dressing, etc
- Toppings: Veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions), Fruits (pineapple, works great with chicken!), Meats (chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef), Cheese (mozzarella, feta, cheddar, etc),
Ideas…
- Pineapple Chicken Panini: Fill bread of choice with grilled chicken, pineapples, and mozarella cheese.
- Pizza Panini: Fill Italian bread slices with favorite pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and toppings.
- Turkey Club Sandwich Panini: Sliced turkey, swiss cheese, bacon slices (pre-cooked), tomato slices, and mayo, grilled on bread of choice.
- Shaved Smoked Ham, Cheddar Cheese, and Tomato Panini: Pile above and add mayonnaise and/or mustard into sourdough bread and grill.
- Ham or Turkey and Pepperjack Cheese Panini: Pile above into English muffin or sourdough bread and grill.
- Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Panini: Layer thinly sliced ingredients inside bread of choice (ciabatta is a good choice). Add favorite spreads or drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and a sprinkle of garlic, if desired, before grilling.
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Havarti Cheese Panini: Add mayonnaise if desired or drizzle with Italian dressing. Grill on Italian bread and serve with a variety of olives.
- Grilled Veggie Panini: Lightly grill veggies of choice (onions, mushrooms and thinly-sliced zucchini for instance) and fill bread of choice with the veggies and cheese or tofu.
- Good Ol’ Grilled Cheese Panini: Just like it sounds. Experiment with favorite varieties of cheeses. Crispy and delicious.
Info/Ideas from:
- My own experience
- This Week for Dinner
- Suite 101
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Feb 5th
You Will Need:
1 pkg dipping chocolate or chocolate chips
1 container strawberries
Waxed paper
Cookie sheet
Glass bowl
Rubber spatula
Microwave
Directions:
Wash strawberries (leave stems on) & dry VERY well. Don’t let any water stay on the strawberry, or the chocolate won’t stick. Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
Microwave chocolate in a glass bowl on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave & stir for a second or two with a rubber spatula. Repeat the above step one or two more times. By the third time, you should see some of the chocolate beginning to melt (sort of like lumpy chocolate soup). Remove at this point & stir until the lumps are gone.
Dip the dry strawberries into the chocolate, swirling them around to coat well & then place on the waxed paper. When you’ve coated all the strawberries, set aside for about 2 hours to let the chocolate harden.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: my own personal experience & DLTK Kids
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Spanakopeta
Dec 24th
Today’s recipes are fun creations with Phyllo dough, one of which I hope to make for Christmas Eve. Every year on Christmas Eve, my family enjoys heavy Hors’ de Vours before opening all the Christmas gifts from the children to the rest of the family. We enjoy coming up with new recipes to try out but always keep our old favorites on the menu.
1 box frozen chopped spinach
2 pounds cottage cheese
1 pound frozen phyllo dough
1/2 pound feta cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
2 sticks butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 eggs
Melt butter; set aside. Mix together thawed spinach, cottage cheese, egg, feta cheese and softened cream cheese. Blend well by hand. Begin layering the pie: brush pan with butter, lay one layer of dough and brush with butter. Repeat 7 times. Next spread onion on layer of dough; sprinkle with oil and pour all contents from bowl. Repeat layering process 7 more times. Very gently – with sharp knife cut pie vertically. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.
Note: Another way I’ve seen this recipe made (which is how I plan to make it for Christmas Eve) is to wrap the phyllo dough around individual portions of the spinach mixture. Wrapping the dough into a triangle shape, then baking at 350 until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes) produces an attractive appetizer/finger food dish.
Recipe Adapted from: Cooks.com
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Chocolate Phyllo Purses
Dec 23rd
4 ounces Unsweetened chocolate; melted
8 ounces Cream cheese; softened
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 dash salt
1/2 cup sliced nuts
Slowly add sugar to cream cheese, mixing well after each addition. Add in the remaining ingredients; mixing well. Spread into a greased 8-inch square pan. Chill serveral hrs; cut into squares. Granish with extra nuts, if desired.
Recipe adapted from: GroupRecipes.com
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
