No Sugar Added Raspberry Dessert

This is something I love when I want something sweet.
2 2/3 C crushed pretzels, 3/4 C butter melted

Bake 10 minutes in 9x13 pan at 350.

8 oz cream cheese, 10 oz sugar-free Cool Whip

Whip together and spread over crust. Chill.

2 small pkgs sugar-free raspberry jello, 2 C boiling water,
2 pkgs unsweetened frozen raspberries or fresh

Stir together. Let set a short while, then pour over cheese layer and refrigerate.

Chinese Almond Cookies Sugar Free

By request! Another good sugar free Cookie recipe.

1/2 C butter
1/2 C shorting
1 egg
1/4 tsp Splenda or Stevia
2 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 lb of blanched almonds
1 lightly beaten egg


Cream butter, shorting, egg, sugar substitute, and almond flavoring together. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to flour mixture. Divide dough into two equal parts. Roll out in log shape until desired circumference. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-4 hours. Slice off in 1/2 inch circles, and place on cookie sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie.  Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 325^ for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugar Free Jello Spritz Cookies

This is a  good sugar free cookie recipe that is colorful and tasty!

3/4 C butter
1 4 oz pkg of any flavor sugar free gelatin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and add gelatin; cream smooth and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder into flour and gradually add to creamed mixture. You can roll out the dough and cut into shapes or use cookie press. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. 

Ham and Potatoe Casserole

2 cups cut up ham

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can evaporated milk(2/3 cup)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups thinly sliced, peeled, raw potatoes

1 cup raw sliced carrots

Mix together in baking dish, cover and cook for at least an hour at 350. I usually double the recipe and cook it for 2-3 hours.

Red Beans and Rice

I first had these from Popeye's Chicken. I loved them so much I had to learn how to make them at home. These can be made from scratch or canned beans so they are very economical side dish. Works especially good with southern dishes, such as Gumbo, or Fried Chicken. If you make them from scratch (raw beans) you can mitigate some of the gas effect by the treatment of the beans. It works for me, but some people still have a little trouble even when they are prepared this way. I will give you the raw bean treatment, and the can variation. In any  case they are worth the time and preparation if you like this southern treat!

Red Beans and Rice
1 lb small red beans OR 3 15oz cans red beans
2-3 meaty ham hocks or a meaty ham bone
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
1/4 tsp of red pepper (you can use more if you like it spicy)
4-5 C cooked rice

If you are making raw beans, rinse the beans and soak overnight in water.  When you are ready to prepare the beans bring to boil in fresh water, add water after the beans; just enough to cover them. Bring to rolling boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add a Tbs of baking soda; turn off heat and cover with lid. Let sit for about an hour. Stir and bring heat back to a boil. Boiling until beans are soft and tender. 
Place ham bone or ham hocks in a sauce pan with 1-2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and boil over low heat until meat comes off or is loose enough to pull off. Remove the meat from the bone and place in food processor with the seasonings and 2 cans OR 2/3 of the cooked beans with the liquid of the canned beans or some of the liquid from the cooked beans. This will be hot, so let cool before you put in blender.  Process on pulse for 4-5 pulses. Add meat/bean mixture back to sauce pan and add the last can of whole beans if making with the canned beans. Stir in well and heat through.  Serve over rice or stir the rice into the mixture if you prefer it the southern way. This is best with a long grain cooked rice, not the quick cooking kind.  

Greek Yogurt or Your Favorite Yogurt

I just discovered how easy yogurt is to make! Considering that Greek yogurt is about $1 for 8 oz or less this is really quick and easy to do! You get slightly less than the 2 quarts of yogurt, but the whey that you strain off is good for Sour dough tasting bread or pancakes. The slightly thicker stuff that is strained off can be used as a Keifer type dressing base. 

2 qts of milk
2 Tbs of your favorite yogurt ( unsweetened and unflavored)

You can use any kind of milk from whole to nonfat. I suggest letting the lower fat content milks ferment for a longer period of time. 

Heat the milk over very low heat. The temp should not be over 110^. Its best to use a candy or digital thermometer to make sure its not too hot. Remove from heat stir in the yogurt.  Whisk in in well. Cover with a good tight lid. You need to place it in a warm place. The source I got the recipe from said that you could wrap it tight in a towel, and place on a heating pad set to low. I preheated my oven to 150^ while I was heating the milk, and then turned it off so it was cooling when I placed the yogurt mixture in the oven. The recipe source said that you could place it on top of your refrigerator, or if you have a gas stove just place it in the oven the pilot light keeps it warm enough.  Keep it covered and leave in warm place for 8-12 hours. 

Now the yogurt. You want to read the label. Make sure that the yogurt you are using as a culture has no additives or preservatives in it. Use your favorite store brand, but just make sure its a pure product. 

Once you have let the mixture "culture", you can strain it through a double layer of cheese cloth, or they make yogurt strainers you can buy.  The longer you let it culture, the more of the base mixture will thicken. 

Once you have strained it, you can add fruit, honey, natural sugars, vanilla, herbs, or what ever you like to the yogurt. I like leaving it plain and mixing the fruits in as I eat it. It was yummy!

MOM'S CHOW MEIN

When  I was growing up, my mom made this with left over meats when there wasn't enough for a meal for everyone. Later I had something very similar to it over brown rice with no meat, it was just as good. So this one is a good clean up the meats dish or we need more veggies night.

3-4 Carrots in thin diagonal slices

1/4 Head of Cauliflower diagonally sliced

1/3 Head of broccoli diagonally sliced 

1/2 Head cabbage sliced thin

1/2 C slivered onion

1-1 1/2 C diced meat (chicken, pork, roast even kielbasa works!)

1 1/2 C water

1 Tbs corn starch

1-2 Tbs Brown sugar

2 Tbsp olive or peanut oil

2 Bouillon cubes in a flavor complementary to the meat

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs vinegar

1 tsp fresh minced or ground ginger

1 Can crisp Chinese noodles or 

2 C cooked brown rice

Heat oil in large fry pan or wok.  Stir in veggies and meat when pan is well heated. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes, until veggies are tender crisp but not soft. Mix water, bullion cubes,  and soy sauce; heat in microwave for about 30 seconds and stir to  dissolve bullion cubes. Add corn starch to about a Tbsp. of the water mixture and stir until thin. Add brown sugar to water mix; pour over vegetable mix stirring quickly to disperse over all the mix. Add corn starch mixture, and stir again until it slightly thickens to make a nice sauce over mix. Serve over rice or Chinese noodles. Be creative and add your favorite vegetables! Snow peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, baby corn, what ever you like, or what you have on hand.

Cabbage Casserole

I made this today and it was wonderful!

1 head of cabbage

1 pound lean ground beef

1 onion

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 jar spicy spaghetti sauce

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups of cooked brown rice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Get three pots going, one to cook the rice, one to boil the cabbage after you cut it into six wedges,and one to brown the ground beef and onions. After the beef and onions are brown and drained, add the seasoning, spaghetti sauce, and diced tomatoes. Turn down the temperature and let the mixture simmer. The cabbage should be ready after 30 minutes. Drain and chop. Spray a cooking dish and put in the first third of the cabbage. When the rice is done, add it to the meat sauce. Put one third of the meat sauce on top of the cabbage in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan. Repeat the layers two more times, and top with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for thirty minutes. (It is worth all the dishes.)