Plump buttery oysters in a creamy broth.

Ingredients
16 oz oysters shucked with liquor retained
4 cup fat free half & half
4 tablespoons margarine
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
old bay, moroccan rub, or whatever spice you like to kick it up a notch!

Directions

• In a medium to large pot, cook oysters in their liquor until they look plump and firm and the edges start to curl a bit.
• Turn heat to low. Add half & half, margarine, salt and pepper.
• Turn heat back up just a little, bring to just shy of a simmer, and heat the stew through. Do not boil. Stir occasionally.
• Best served immediately but will keep for a day or two in the fridge in a sealed container.

Sure, you can shuck your own fresh oysters. I’m way too lazy to do that, so I found a pint of fresh shucked oysters… liquor and all. Liquor is the liquid inside an oyster’s shell and is a key component of the stew’s flavor.

A pint of fresh shucked oysters.

The oysters just poured into the pan.

Simmer the oysters right in their broth.  At first, it is hard to imagine that these will become plump and juicy… but they do, and you will know it when you see it.  They’ll appear a bit more sturdy, and the edges will start to curl up just a bit.

Plump and yummy!

Once they’re firmed up a bit, turn down the heat and add in the rest of your ingredients.  Kick the stove back up a bit and heat the stew until it is warmed through and uniform.  You shouldn’t boil it, but I did bring it almost to a simmer.

Creamy and warm winter treat!

Add whatever spices you like.  Traditionally, Old Bay is the way to go.  I had a Pampered Chef moroccan spice blend I wanted to try, so in it went.  Wonderfully different!  At the point, the stew is really open to interpretation.  Add herbs and spices… serve it with oyster crackers… make it special!  We had ours just like you see it here.   Plain and simple!

About 1/2  cup makes a serving, and this recipe yielded approximately 5 cups.  To make a more traditional batch, use milk or cream where I used fat free half & half.  Real butter would replace the margarine.

I made this yesterday.  Just took a taste of it cold from the fridge, and it kept just fine.  Can’t wait to heat up some more for lunch tomorrow!

Hello little Wonderland Oysters! Into the pot with you!

My Sweet Prince holds his lunch up for us to see.

Wonder how this would do in a slow cooker?  I’ll have to try it!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

My man's plate. Yum!

Ingredients
1 large tuna steak, big enough to serve 2 or 3 people
2 tablespoons sesame chili oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce, wasabi
3 green onions, sliced
1 lemon, juice of

Directions

• Drizzle sesame oil on both sides of the tuna steak. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
• While sauce is heating, heat a heavy frying pan on another burner with high heat. Place tuna in pan and sear until crispy and brown. Turn and sear on the other side. About 2 minutes per side if you like it rare. Up to 5 if you like it well done.

Just a big ole thick tuna steak!

For starters, I bought just enough tuna to feed my husband and I.  I wound up with leftover sauce, but I don’t mind.  It is good!  To sear the tuna, you want the pan pretty darn hot before you put the tuna in.  Notice that you drizzle the tuna with the oil, and then you put the tuna in the pan.  You don’t heat the oil in the pan.  I think this is key to getting the nice crispy brown outside without burning anything.

One incredibly flavorful sauce.

I used real butter here.  I believe regular butter is fine when not consumed alongside a lot of white carbs.  I think your favorite margarine would probably be ok here, if that is what makes you happy.   I doubt it will taste quite as good as real butter would, but I don’t think it would completely ruin the effort.  There are 28 reviews of this recipe over on RecipeZaar.  I bet at least one of them touches on the subject.  You can get LOTS of info and ideas by reading through the recipe reviews.

As always, I used low sodium soy sauce.   Now, for the wasabi, I did not use the more traditional tubed stuff.  I happened to eyeball a Manischewitz Wasabi Style Horseradish sauce on the grocery store shelf.  Who knew?  Looked interesting and was cheaper per ounce.  And guess what?  It worked very well in this recipe.  I would not recommend it for a bonafide sushi sit-down, but to add flavor to sauces or sandwiches… it’s pretty darn neat!

My side-plate-sized lovely salad.

I sliced up the tuna and piled it on top of fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes to form a lovely salad.  I drizzled the sauce, in moderation, over the whole thing for a nice dressing.  Added a little fresh ground pepper over top.  It was a delicious dinner.

My buddy, TJ, gave me a link to an alternate recipe that looks well worth trying.  Maybe next week!

I still don’t have much of an appetite in the morning.  So, these days I have a protein drink.  In the summer, I usually have some sort of coffee based ready-to-drink (RTD) protein.  I either have something like Atkins Cafe, or I make my own with Lean Body chocolate RTD, chocolate unsweetened Almond Breeze, and some instant coffee crystals.  In the winter, I want something warm.  So, I make myself a protein mocha.

Ingredients
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1 shot of your favorite sugar free syrup
fresh brewed coffee

Directions

• Place the scoop of protein powder into a travel mug. My favorite is Nectar Chocolate Truffle, though I have done this successfully with Jay Robb chocolate whey protein, Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding, and many others. Just about any brand will work.

• Add a shot of your favorite sugar free syrup to the mug. My two favorites are Da Vinci Dulce de Leche and Monin O’Free Caramel. (The Monin syrups are typically thicker. I like my phony caramel thick.) Just about any sweet flavor will work. You can even get crazy with some orange or almond flavored syrups. Get a spoon and stir… stir… stir. Stir until the protein is completely smooth. This is important. You want to smooth it out with that little bit of liquid before you fill the cup.

• Now, grab your fresh brewed coffee… which has either been sitting with the warmer off for at least 20 – 30 minutes… or, you’ve removed the lid from the pot, letting the steam escape while the coffee cools a bit. You DO NOT ever want to mix protein powder with liquid that is too hot. Doing so is what causes those nasty clumps. Fill your mug the rest of the way up with the coffee. I like to pour with one hand whilst stirring with the other. Be careful if you do this. Don’t burn yourself then blame me for it. You’ve been warned!

• Put the lid on your travel mug and sip away. Your Protein Mocha will make you nice and warm on a cold morning, and it will provide you with a decent amount of nutrients. I love these things. I drink them all throughout the year, but nothing hits the spot better on a cold winter morn. Sometimes I add a squirt of Hershey’s sugar free syrup to the protein powder / syrup mixture. If I want to treat myself, I will add a small spoon of Smucker’s sugar free caramel topping and / or a dollop of Cool Whip Free or fat free Reddi Whip.

The body best absorbs protein in the morning and just after workouts. Protein is also filling and will help keep you satisfied. And really, just about any flavor of protein will work… and any flavor of syrup will work. Go nuts with experimentation. Just stick to a protein powder that is lower in calories and carbs, and make sure you use sugar free syrups. There is no shortage of either out there. You can also do this with plain water, if you are not a coffee lover. I love coffee, and I love mochas, and I think the coffee covers up anything unpleasant about protein powder. In any case, the taste and quality of protein powder has come a long way. Even if you think you hate them, try one of the newer brands. You might be surprised.

These also make excellent snacks for chilly Autumn or Winter evenings.

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box!

My husband's dinner is smiling at you.

Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2/3 c Miracle Whip Light
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup or store brand equivalent
1 tsp – 1 tbsp curry powder

• Rinse chicken, pat it dry, and place in slow cooker. Keep it in a single layer as best you can.
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl then pour evenly over the chicken.
• Cook on high for about 4 hours. Stir gently before serving.

THAT
IS
IT !!!

Obviously, this is not a true curry dish like you might find in an Indian restaurant.  But, if you like the taste of curry, do not deny yourself this so-easy-it’s-silly recipe.  Many would be happy with just a teaspoon of curry powder.  I go for 1.5 to 2 tablespoons, myself.

Any mayo will work, but I truly think Miracle Whip Light gives it a certain tang that I enjoy.  I’m otherwise not a big Miracle Whip fan, so that says something here.  Other cream soups will work, such as cream of mushroom.  Today, I actually used Safeway’s equivalent to Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken.

In the past, I’ve added things like fresh sliced mushrooms or chopped onions.  Occasionally, I add other spices to complement the curry.  You can use chicken breasts if you want a bit less fat.  I prefer thighs, as they’re nice and moist and used most often in my favorite real curry dishes.

My small thigh and a couple slices of diced and peppered tomato. On a side dish, as always.

I served this to my husband with some Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy Key Lime yogurt.  Later, we may split a mango for dessert.

The best part, of course, is that you spend 5 minutes whipping this into your slow cooker and four hours later, you’ve got dinner.  It can go eight hours on low, but I think the sauce comes out better when cooked on high.  Either way… the house smells great, and it’s almost like someone else did the cooking for you.  Almost!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

So… I had beef that needed to be used, a hankering for chili, and a husband who doesn’t like beans.  Slamming together a crock of chunky beef chili was the natural course of action.  It was another excellent Sunday football alternative to the typical fried fare, and one more reason to use my beloved slow cooker / crock pot.

This isn’t really like a traditional 3-alarm chili, but I think you will like it.  This recipe looks involved, but it is really quite easy.  Lots of ingredients, but you will notice it involves mostly canned goods and powdered spices.  Having said that, you can make it as fresh and gourmet as your abilities allow.  Talk about versatile!

Columbus sailed the ocean blue looking for a collection of spices like this!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced – I used jarred.
2 pounds beef, cubed
1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz no salt added
12 ounces stout beer – I used Sam Smith’s Oatmeal
8 ounces strong fresh brewed coffee – I used Kona
2 cans tomato paste, 6 oz each
1 can beef broth, 50% less sodium
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 tablespoon chili powder – I used chipotle
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon cocoa – I used Hershey’s Special Dark
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon morton lite salt
4 chili peppers, chopped

Directions

• Heat oil in saute pan. Saute onions and garlic until onions are tender.
• Add beef to pan and just lightly brown.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to your large slow cooker and stir until combined.
• Add contents of saute pan to slow cooker, making sure it is well incorporated.
• Cover and simmer on low for 7 to 10 hours, depending on how you like your meat and making sure the meat is cooked through.

Let’s go through the ingredients one by one, as there are so many ways this can go.  Canola oil or olive oil are the healthiest oils in my cabinet, but any cooking oil will do.  I chopped my own onions, but if you can usually buy them already chopped for a bit more money.  I buy jars of minced garlic and measure out by the teaspoon.  Mincing your own garlic isn’t too hard with a good press, but having a jar on hand sure helps when I’m short on time.  If you don’t feel like chopping chili peppers, you can probably use a small can of drained peppers.  Just about any beef will do.  I happened to have some grass fed stew beef and a New York strip on hand.

Most of the canned goods can be found in a reduced sodium or no salt added variety.  I also always use Morton Lite Salt where regular salt is required.  Any dark beer should work, but you can leave the beer out altogether for better nutritional stats.  The beer really adds something, so if you can afford it… go for it.  I used oatmeal stout, but I think Guinness would be good.  A light beer might be a decent compromise.  (If you try it, let me know!)   Any strong coffee will do, but I had a nice Kona in the morning pot.  A cup of instant would probably suffice, if you have nothing else.

Adjust the spices to your liking.  Any chili powder will do, but I love chipotle chili powder.  A tablespoon might not seem like much, but this was pretty darn spicy.  Better to be safe than sorry, if you’re not sure.  This recipe could probably live without the Splenda Brown, but the beer / coffee / chocolate / brown sugar combo is out of this world.  Though I’ve not tried it, you could probably use less beef and add a couple cans of kidney beans.

Because the stats can so widely vary, you should calculate your own for the purposes of journaling.  I do have this one in my SparkRecipes recipe box, though the stats might not be very accurate.  Click on View Full Nutritional Breakdown to see how the ingredients I pulled from the Spark database differ from the ones I actually used.   A lot of the sugar comes from tomatoes, but some of it doesn’t.  Adjust according to what your diet allows.  I approximated the number of servings based on a 3 ounce serving of beef.  I measured out my 3 ounces into a cute little bowl for myself and my husband received about twice that in a regular bowl along with a warm dinner roll.

We call our carving knife Big Pete to pay homage to my father. He calls his Old Tom.

Ingredients
A turkey breast, bone-in, approx 6 pounds.
1 packet onion soup mix

Directions

• Rinse turkey and pat dry.
• Cut off excess skin, but leave the skin that covers the breast.
• Rub onion soup mix evenly over outside of turkey and under the skin.
• Place in slow cooker, breast side down.
• Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
• Switch slow cooker to low setting and cook for 7 more hours.

Prepped for the pot.

You may or may not be aware that you can usually buy a whole bone-in turkey breast from your grocer’s meat case, as opposed to an entire turkey with the legs and whatnot.  Our Walmart always has them.  This particular one came from Safeway.

It is important to leave the skin on, as that’s what seals in the herbs, spices, and moisture.  You can remove the skin easily enough at carving time.  If you are into eating the skin, this recipe is not for you.  The skin does not get crispy, nor is it aesthetically pleasing.  I avoid the skin in any case.  To me, it is not worth the extra calories, fat, and cholesterol.  I assume cooking the turkey with the skin on makes for more calories and fat than would otherwise be there had I removed it to begin with, but eating the skin itself is a whole new level of crap.  This is a fair compromise for getting a nice moist turkey out of a slow cooker.  If you are careful when cutting off the excess skin from the ends, you can provide yourself with a couple nice slits through which to cram the soup mix underneath.

I did miss the dark meat, but I can do without that, too.  That is something I will certainly be eating at The Big Meal.  I don’t need it bad enough to cook an entire turkey for two people.  As with regular oven roasted turkey, cooking breast side down allows gravity to pull moisture down into the bulk of the meat.  Do not overcook.  I actually took this out of the slow cooker after about 6.5 hours on low.  I can often remove meat in far less time than a recipe states.  If I go the full 7 or 8, that’s when I end up with something dried out and unworthy.  Having said that, MAKE SURE IT IS DONE.

The man of the house still gets to do the carving.

Any onion soup mix will do.  This time, I used Walmart’s brand.  If you are concerned about sodium, look for a low sodium mix… or, make your own.  Really, it does not matter what herbs and spices you use.  You will probably want a little bit of salt to help keep the turkey tender, but I don’t think the recipe would be a great loss without it.  Morton Lite salt is a nice compromise, or you can find many salt-free herb & spice mixes on the shelf.  The dried onions add a nice touch, though.  I recommend you include them in whatever you do.

Can't you just smell the aroma from your office chair? (Get back to work!)

This is a recipe I make several times throughout the year.  Turkey is hardly the worst thing one can eat, so I didn’t mind making it the other night so that I could share it with you and also to make sure it would provide everything to make our Thanksgiving traditional and festive.  Indeed, I had wonderful aromas, a nice moist turkey breast, and plenty of leftovers for sandwiches.  This recipe makes about 6 to 8 normal-sized servings.

Gravy cheat!

There are drippings left in the crock that could probably be worked into a homemade gravy, but the point here is to keep things simple.  I used a packaged gravy I found at Wegmans.

I served it with some roasted acorn squash drizzled with pumpkin seed oil.  (That was luscious and a recipe for posting another day!)

As usual, I have this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.  However, the nutritional analysis is likely a bit off kilter.  I calculated for 6 pounds of turkey breast meat.  In the end, the total amount of meat would be a bit less since the bone is factored into the weight of the turkey on the label.  Also, I put the soup mix in as a custom ingredient.  Sugar, fiber, protein, etc. are all listed as less than 1 on the label, but I always round that up to 1.  Better safe than sorry, though I’m sure there are far less carbs and sugar per serving that the nutritionals indicate.  For the purposes of tracking, you are better off to weigh your own personal serving and enter that into your tracker.  One thing is certain, turkey has tons of protein!

Keep in mind that you won’t be committing any great sin if you have these for dinner.  By tradition, Breakfast for Dinner night at our house makes an otherwise run-of-the-mill weeknight exciting and special.  Nothing should stop you from doing that every night, though, if that is your desire.  It is much easier to cook for yourself, stay healthy, and save money if you’re willing to think outside the box.  Do what is best for yourself and your schedule.  Have dinner food at breakfast and breakfast food at dinner, if it better suits your needs.

I will start by referring you back to my favorite eggy recipe, Jalapeno Heaven.  This is my go-to recipe for potlucks, guests, and regular household fare.  It is low in sugar, low in carbs, and very tasty.  You can tweak it in any number of ways to suit your own tastes, and it is a guaranteed winner.

I think this next recipe is my husband’s favorite when it comes to the eggy recipes I’ve made over the years.  It is called Monte Cristo Casserole.  I had this at a diner in Texas many years ago and finally came across a good rendition of the recipe on RecipeZaar.  When made exactly as shown, it is not the healthiest recipe among the din.  However, there are several ways to lighten it up.  To be a real crowd pleaser, your best bet is to use the frozen French Toast.  However, if you do… you will want to take the egg substitute option.  There is a whole school of scientific mumbo jumbo that explains why eating whole eggs is perfectly fine as part of a carb controlled diet.  I will refer you to an article in The Journal of Nutrition and encourage you to Google the topic further.  Suffice it to say… works for me.  My aim is not to bore you to death.  For our purposes here, I recommend you use the egg substitute if you employ the carby French Toast.

I see absolutely no need to top this with powdered sugar.  I have never bothered with strawberry ice cream topping, either.  Having said that, Smuckers makes some pretty good sugar free toppings, jams, and syrups, if the syrup option looks attractive to you.  They have a sugar free blueberry breakfast syrup that might be a nice addition.  Any kind of sugar free jam might work.  Finally, you can always resort to the trusty sugar free pancake syrup you have in your kitchen already if you made my Autumn Gold Pumpkin Butter recipe.  Neither myself nor my husband have ever seen the need for any sugar or syrupy topping.  From time to time, we do dip it in a little ketchup.  I have successfully made the Monte Cristo Casserole without the French Toast.  It certainly isn’t as exciting this way, but it is still very good and much less damaging.  You can certainly use just half of the called for amount of toast.  Most of the time, I do a 50 / 50 version where one half the pan includes the French Toast for my husband and the other half is French Toast free for me.  Simply increase the other ingredients on the toast free side to make sure the recipe is a consistent height across the pan before putting it into the oven.  The best thing about this recipe is that you can assemble it the night before, store it in the refrigerator, then wake up and pop it into the oven.  It is also very good as a cold or reheated leftover.  This  makes it perfect for a potluck or to provide you with a few day’s worth of lunch.

Another favorite breakfast / brunch / egg type recipe among my family is Matzoh Brie.  This is a recipe traditionally eaten by Jewish folks at Passover when only unleavened bread is allowed.  It is pronounced “br-eye”. If you Google the topic, you will find that it is spelled 40,000 different ways, and there exists as many varieties of ingredients.   There is no reason why you can’t eat it throughout the rest of the year and for whatever meal you wish. Some serve it on Christmas morning.

Ingredients
4 sheets of matzoh
4 large eggs or 1 cup egg substitute
boiling water
non-stick spray
salt and pepper

Directions

• Boil water in a kettle. You won’t need very much of it. Maybe 1/3 cup.
• Break up matzoh into a medium to large bowl. You want the pieces to be about the size of regular crackers.
• Pour boiling water over matzoh just a little at a time to slightly moisten it.
• Spray a medium sized frying pan / saute pan / skillet with non-stick spray and place over medium heat.
• If using whole eggs, blend them in a smaller bowl with salt and pepper.
• Add egg mixture to the matzoh bowl and very gently mix to coat. If you’re using egg subtitute, you can forget the smaller bowl and just pour it right into the Matzoh bowl.
• Place the entire matzoh / egg mixture into pan. Cook over medium heat until eggs start to set. Flip and cook until eggs fully set or you have the level of doneness you desire.
• Cut like a pizza into 4 – 8 servings.

Allow me to now impart to you some tips. To get just the right amount of moisture in step 3, I pour just a tiny bit of boiling water into the bowl at a time and then swirl the bowl around until the matzoh soaks it up and I see no extra. Then I add a little more water. I keep doing this until I see just enough extra water to be sure the matzoh is saturated. You do not want to add too much water. You’re looking for moist matzoh… not soggy matzoh.

To make the Matzoh Brie easier to turn in the pan, I cut it in half twice to make 4 big wedges.  Then, I flip each wedge.  To me, it is much easier to turn this way.  Some people quite successfully turn the whole thing at once without breaking it.  I am not one of those people.

To lighten this up or make it more wholesome, you can choose a more suitable variety of matzoh. There are whole grain, low sodium, and ultra thin varieties available at most supermarkets. Though unleavened, matzoh is still bread, so your best bet is to use egg substitute instead of whole eggs. It tastes just as good and dirties up fewer dishes. Sometimes I will use Southwestern style Eggbeaters to add a kick.

I always use Morton’s Lite Salt in place of regular table salt in any recipe to lower the sodium content. You can also use less salt and spice your Matzoh Brie up in other ways. I’ve used regular chopped onions, onion powder, a variety of fresh or dry herbs and spices… There is all the room in the world for creativity here. As is usually the case, some people opt to slather on sugary toppings I find to be unnecessary. A little ketchup does the trick if you need anything at all. Salsa is a wonderful accoutrement with little to no nutritional cost if you choose your brand wisely.  You can make a much larger serving in an electric skillet.  The general rule is 1 egg per sheet of matzoh.

Matzoh Brie holds up to the tote-along and leftover tests quite nicely.

Finally, I will link you to some other tried and true recipes.  The nutritional content varies.  Be sure to moderate your servings and substitute ingredients as necessary.  Keep in mind the whole carbs-to-eggs thing.  I would apply the same rules when deciding whether to use full fat, low fat, or fat free cheeses.  The less carbs I eat, the more I allow myself full fat dairy.   My nutritional lifestyle is one of moderate to low carbs.  I do take the preferences of others into account when making meals for several people and potlucks.  These recipes aren’t necessarily low in carbs as listed.  Most of the time, non-stick spray is perfectly fine when oil is called for in the pan.  Margarine can be used in place of butter, if that’s what your program requires.  Etc.

Joni’s Garden Veggie Quiche

Linda’s Spinach Cheese Bake

Cheesy Confetti Pepper Egg Thing – This was just me making the Jalapeno Heaven a little bit different, but it seems to have garnered many good reviews.

Easy Chile Relleno on RecipeZaar

Southwestern Rice and Corn Frittata on GoodHousekeeping – You can certainly reduce the amount of rice and/or corn in this one.  You can replace the corn with less starchy veggies.  Many ways to lighten this up.

Oooh, you can always make Soy Marinated Eggs as a low carb option.  Sounds gross, but they’re fantastic.  I just finished off another batch of these myself!

Nothing screams Autumn like boiled eggs in soy sauce.

That’s about all for now.  Kind of long and rambly and stream-of-consciousness this morning.  Sorry!

Cheesy Pork Stuffed Apples

Ingredients
2 apples
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 tsp lite salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp cider vinegar (optional)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions

• Cut apples in half horizontally. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove core and inner flesh until you are left with a wall about 1/2″ thick. Chop and set aside 1/2 cup of inner flesh.
• Set apples, hollow side up, into a baking dish just big enough to leave about an inch of space around each apple.
• In medium to large pan, saute onions in margarine until slightly tender. Add thyme, pepper, and salt. Saute another minute. Add pork, the reserved 1/2 cup apple flesh, and vinegar. Saute until pork is just shy of done and apple flesh is tender.
• Remove pan from heat. Let pork mixture cool a minute or two then stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese.
• Scoop pork mixture evenly into the four hollowed out apple halves. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and some more fresh ground pepper.
• Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
• Bake about 25 minutes until cheese on top is lightly browned and apples are tender..
• Serve as soon as possible.

Fruity meat!

This turned out to be pretty tangy. If tangy isn’t your scene, you might opt to leave out the cider vinegar or even use a less tart kind of apple. Personally, I really enjoyed the strong flavor that resulted.

Melon ballers aren't just for balling melons anymore! Or something...

As you can see by my apples, you don’t need to worry about perfection when it comes to coring. If you care, you can cover up uneven coring and other imperfections with the stuffing for a better presentation. I often find that people are afraid to experiment in the kitchen because they’re not very good at the finer details of preparation. Be aware that even the finest gourmet chefs (which I’m clearly not) are not always perfectionists. What they are is good at creatively covering up their mistakes. If you’ve ever repaired a torn or uneven cake with extra frosting, you know what I’m talking about.

Are you going to Scarborough Faire?

If you make a hole in your apple when removing the stem or with the slip of your utensil, simply plug it up with some of the flesh.  This trick doesn’t really make for a better presentation, but it does keep your apple from being useless.

When I am stuffing smaller objects, such as mushrooms, I find an ice cream scoop… or even a cookie dough scoop… comes in very handy.   The cavities of apples are big enough, though, that a spoon worked well enough.

Stuff your stuffed stuff into the oven.

Obligatory artsy froo froo pic.

Unflattering composition? Fork it!

This was a fine alternative to the typical hearty Autumn dishes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Tiny buns.

Because it is rare that I eat white carbs like bread, I don’t often make burgers.  My husband adores burgers.  When I make them, I typically help myself to 1/2 or so of a regular-sized burger with no bun, while I make a regular bunny burger for my sweet prince.  Well, it dawned on me today that I could make my own sliders out of even leaner ground beef or ground turkey or ground pork.  I can experiment with bacon, different kinds of shredded cheese… whatever my imagination can conjure up.  I can serve several, bun and all, to my husband for probably less calories than the one or two burgers he would normally have… and I can make my own small slider and feel like I’m allowed to have a whole serving of something for once.  I will still forego the bun, but I can have an actual whole cute little round burger on my plate.  How exciting!  Ok, well, it ain’t that exciting… but the possibilities for experimentation certainly are.

Football fare!

Yesterday, being out of counter space and in a hurry to get them done before game time, I threw the Wegmans burgers into a skillet with a little canola oil and cooked em up the lazy way.   Normally I use my Cuisinart Griddler which requires no oil, drains off a lot of fat, and has removable dishwasher-safe grilling plates.   (I love this thing!)   I topped them each with 1/4 slice of sharp cheddar and served them with ketchup. Since I eat mine with a fork instead of a bun, I sacrificed mine to the “see if they’re done” cutting.

Four sliders and 2/3 a banana for my man.

My 2 sliders and 1/3 banana.

As you can see, I used a salad plate while my husband received a dinner plate.  I always use small plates and small utensils at home.  Doing so helps me to control my portions, and it psyches me into thinking I have more food than I do.  I’ve been doing this for several years now.  Trust me… it works!  In fact, I picked up a good book on this very topic a few months ago: The 9-Inch ‘Diet’: Exposing the Big Conspiracy in America The book talks very specifically about how plate sizes have grown over the years and how this increase has affected our average calorie intake. Very interesting stuff and worth a browse next time you’re parked at the Barnes & Noble cafe.

In spite of watching our home team lose another heartbreaker of a game, we had a lovely lunch and a good day. I can’t wait to make more sliders. One more thing to note… as I was putting the slider buns away, I noticed they were exactly the same size as some dinner rolls I picked up from the Safeway bakery last week. I must remember to see if they’re cheaper than the specially made Pepperidge Farm rolls. Bet they are!

A lovely alternative to traditional fried fish cakes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Eggbeaters, Southwestern Style
1/2 cup flour
5 tbsp water
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/2 lb small shrimp, shelled and chopped
1/2 tsp lite salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions

• In a medium to large sized bowl, mix flour and eggs. Then, add water and stir until smooth.
• Add shrimp, cilantro, and scallions to the bowl. Then add paprika, pepper, and salt.
• Let mixture stand for 30 minutes.
• Heat the flat non-stick plates of a counter griddle to medium-high heat. When ready, drop the mixture onto the griddle in 2 tablespoon units. (Each cake should be made from 2 tbsp worth of the egg/shrimp mixture.) Flatten a little with the back of a spatula, if necessary.
• Let cook until underside is golden, then flip one time. Cook again until underside is golden. These need to be turned only once and should not stick.
• Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, ketchup or whatever you desire.
• These can be cooked in a regular pan with a minimal amount of non-stick spray.
• Recipe makes 12 – 14 cakes.

Easy to make!

Any egg substitute will work nicely.  The Southwestern style eggbeaters add a little kick.  If you use plain egg substitutes or an equivalent number of real eggs (2 large) then you might opt to add some of your own chopped peppers and/or onions to the mix when it comes time to add the scallions.

Just about any raw shrimp will work, though small ones are easiest to work with.  I usually buy a bag of frozen shrimp and thaw them out overnight or just run cool water over them in a colander as I shell them.  I then place them in a small food processor along with the cilantro.  You need only pulse them a few times to get them chopped down to a workable size.  Do not pulverize them to a paste.

I scrape the shrimp / cilantro mixture out of the processor and into the egg / flour / water mixture.  I then cut the scallions down a little and chop them the rest of the way also with a few pulses of the food processor.  After I’ve added the scallions to the egg mixture, I then add my seasonings.

You can chop the ingredients by hand if you like.  I just like to be a lazy arse now and then!

Be as creative as you like with these.  If you’d rather not have spicy, you can use savory herbs or Old Bay seasoning.  If you want them super spicy, you can add a couple shakes of Tabasco.  Lots of room for experimentation.  How long you cook them is also up to you.  I like to cook them until both sides are a crisp golden brown.  As long as the shrimp are cooked through, you can pull them off the griddle when they look good to you.  If you use real eggs, make sure those are cooked through as well.

A Spark reviewer made these with gluten free flour, so that’s also an option.  I typically stick with white since it amounts to relatively little per cake.

I usually flip open my Cuisinart Griddler and use the flat grill plates to cook these, no non-stick spray required. (I love my Griddler. It comes with flat griddle plates and grill plates which can be popped out and put in the dishwasher!) Tonight, due to a temporary lack of counter space, I used a little bit of non-stick spray in a saute pan.

My husband had a little bit of dipping sauce and a little bit of ketchup with his.  I am plenty happy having mine without sauce.

Poor chef! Those shrimp are not happy!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.