'3' Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are SO simple, and relatively low in calories!


'3' Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

18.25 oz. Spice Cake Mix
15 oz. 100% Pure Pumpkin
1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 350 degreees.
Mix wet ingredients well, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop about 2 Tbl. per cookie onto your cookie sheet (I used the middle sized Pampered Chief cookie scoop). *The cookie will bake just as it looks like on your cookie sheet it doesn't flatten out much during cooking.*
Bake for 15 minutes.

Using the mid size PC cookie scoop will yield 3 dozen cookies. 80 cal. per cookie.

Broccoli and Bacon Salad Recipe (lowfat, low carb)

If I would have been on top of things I would have made this!

Ingredients
4 cups broccoli, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups jicama, chopped into small, bite sized pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
6 slices cooked extra lean turkey bacon, finely chopped
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt plain
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Instructions
Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl.
Add broccoli, jicama, onions, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.

*I like to add cheese, almonds or pine nuts and double bacon, but then it's not really a lowfat recipe anymore;)

Mexican Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed/drained
1/2 cup seeded/chopped red bell pepper
1 small jalapeno, seeded/diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained/rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup salsa
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt
pepper

-Heat the water to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan and add the quinoa.  Lower the heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.

-When the quinoa has cooled, add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, beans, cumin, cilantro, salsa, oil and lime juice.  Season with pepper and salt, and toss to blend well.  Chill before serving.

Hummus and Pita Platter

Hummus Platter and Homemade Pitas
 
1/2 English seedless cucumber
1 small to medium squash
2 large carrots
4 stalks celery
4 or 5 pitas, quartered
Clean and slice all veggies on bias for squash, carrots and cucumber. Cut celery into 2 to 3 inch segments.
Arrange everything on platter around hummus bowl.
 
Hummus
2- 14.5 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained
tahini paste (you can find it in the international aisle at most groceries)
1-2 lemons
salt to taste
olive oil, enough to create texture you prefer
seasoning of choice, I used The Pampered Chef's Moroccan Rub
2-3 cloves of garlic
 
In food processor, pulse garbanzo beans until fine crumble; scrap down sides.  Through the food chute, add a stream of oil (while processor is spinning) until it starts to be a paste.  Add in a tablespoon of tahini paste and juice of 1 lemon.  Pulse again to combine.  Add in garlic cloves and turn on processor, stream in more oil until hummus is more velvety.  Add spices and salt to taste.  If needed add a little more oil so you have the consistancy you like.  Sorry, it really is a preference thing so measurements are not really there.  I make it by sight and taste.
 
Pita Bread Loaves
 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup warm water (~110*)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon walnut oil or olive oil
 
Combine water, yeast and honey and allow to proof for about 5 to10 minutes.  In mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt and water mixture and mix until combined and add in oil and mix until ball forms.
Allow dough to rest for 90 minutes in warm, dry place. (it should double in size)
Punch down dough and divide into 16 little balls,(don't over work it to roll into ball, just shape into mound) and allow to rest for 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425*. If you have a baking stone, preheat it at the same time.
Dust surface with flour and roll first ball to 1/8 in thickness, approx 4 inches in diameter.  Place on warmed cooking stone/sheet and cook for 6 minutes and then turn to cook 6 mins on other side.  They will puff up while baking and deflate as they cool.
I like to cook about 3 to 4 at a time, but you will find what works best for you after a batch or two.

--
Angie
Independent Consultant
The Pampered Chef
540-905-7989 (home)
703-398-3977 (cell)
www.pamperedchef.biz/angiearnold

Italian Pressed Sandwich by Laurie Redfearn

I have made this with variations in the filling, but this is what I did this time:

Day old Italian loaf (from Wal-Mart, $1.04)... you're going to smash it anyway!
Cut in 1/2 lengthwise, tear out the insides top and bottom to make room for the fillings, and save for another use.

Bottom:
pesto all over to the edges, so it isn't dry
layer of Italian meats, like mortadella, capicolla, salami
layer of fresh mozzarella slices
roasted red pepper (takes a few minutes over a flame, then let it steam in a baggie, and peel and deseed)
pepperoncini or olive spread like TJ's Muffaletta for the salty spicy kick
parsley, because I had it
sun-dried tomatoes, let the oil drizzle in too

Top:
mayo or olive oil on bread
as much fresh spinach as you can pile in so it's bulging

Flip the top over the bottom, put it back in the bag the bread came in (or wrap it)
Lay it on a baking sheet, and place another baking sheet on top. Weight the top down with a heavy pot or canned food. I used my big cast iron dutch oven pot.
Place in fridge overnight to blend flavors and press small enough to get your mouth around it!

Slice and serve a crowd! Great for tailgating, taking to picnics, while waiting in line for Shakespeare Free For All tickets (and make everyone else jealous). All the work is done ahead, and is easier than making individual sandwiches. Great leftover until it is gone, which won't be long.

Other fillings: all roasted vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, peppers or traditional turkey and ham. The key is to get the bottom moist with olive oil or pesto, so it presses into the bread, and getting lots of spinach in the top. You need a firm green to stand up to the pressing and waiting a day to eat it. I don't think spring mix or lettuce would work as well without tasting wilty.

The MOST Delicious Salad You'll Ever Eat (Shaved Zucchini Salad) by Anna Hastings

I was so sad not to be able to come last week.  But, if I had, I would have made this, and you all would have adored it.  Seriously.  This salad is amazing.  I got it from a friend, who got it from a friend, who got it from epicurious.com.  You will love this for two reasons.  It tastes amazing and it uses all that zucchini that overpopulated your garden.  In fact you might even start to think your garden should actually produce more zucchini so you can eat this salad for every meal, every day.  Have I talked it up enough?  Well here it is:

Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesean Pine Nuts

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

small wedge of Parmesean cheese

Preparation: 

Whisk oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and crushed red pepper in small bowl to blend.  Set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/6" thick).  Place ribbons in large bowl.  Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Using vegetable peeler, shave strips from Parmesean wedge over salad.
(And a little P.S.  I've been trying to watch my weight and trying to make recipes lower cal. so I only put in about 1 or 2 TBS of the olive oil and it was completely delicious still).

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been on the hunt for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe and this one is my new fav!! if you like salted chocolate, sprinkle a little sea salt on top after baking!

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
*I only used all purpose flour for my recipe*

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips
*I've been loving the ghirardelli mini's or milk chocolate chips*



Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients slowly, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 24-36 hours (DON"T SKIP THIS STEP). Another thing I like to do is scoop cookies into balls, put on a cookie sheet and freeze until hard. Then put in a ziplok container or baggie to keep in the freezer to have ready for a quick and easy treat.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Popcorn by Melanie Whiteside

Servings: 4        Prep Time: 15 mins      Total Time:  20 mins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
6 cups popped popcorn

Directions:
In small pan melt together corn syrup and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add peanut butter and melt.  Be careful not to boil mixture too much, the peanut butter will start to burn.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Carefully stir into popped corn.  (Honestly this is just enough for Mom and you can make a second batch for the rest of the family!)

Citrus Lemonade by Melissa Jensen

5 lemons
5 limes
5 oranges
3 quarts of water
1-2 cups of sugar

Squeeze 4 lemons, 4 limes, 4 oranges.  Mix their juice with the water.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve.  Chill.  Thinly slice the last lemon, lime, and orange.  Use these to garish.  You can put them in a large pitcher with the juice or put the slices in individual glasses.

* if limes are small, squeeze extra.  I add a pinch of fresh ginger too.

Kate's Apple Cider

Bring to a boil:

4 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks (little ones)
8 whole allspice
10 whole clove

Let simmer for 5 minutes
Remove from heat and let sit a few hours (really, as long as you want)

Remove spices
Add:
4 cups orange juice
2 cups lemonade
2 qt. apple juice

Heat on stove til' desired temperature...drink up and enjoy!

Beef-Barley Soup by Laurie Redfearn

1 1/2# beef stew meat (or cut up chuck roast)
1 T oil
1 C thinly sliced carrots
1 C sliced celery
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 C coarsely chopped green pepper
1/4 C snipped parsley
4 C beef broth (dissolve bouillon powder)
1 29-oz can tomatoes, cut up
1 C spaghetti sauce
2-3 T worcestershire sauce
2/3 C pearl barley
1 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, or more

Cut meat into 1" cubes. Brown in a large skillet, half at a time in hot oil. Meanwhile, in 5 or 6 qt crock pot combine all ingredients, including juice from tomatoes. Cover; cook on low setting 10-12 hours or high 4 1/2-5 hours. Serves 6-8. It thickens as it sits, so I often thin it with more broth, a can of v-8, or whatever I have on hand.

Mango Coconut Bars by Melissa Jensen

Yield: one 8" x 8" square pan bars

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

ingredients:

for the coconut crust

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the mango filling

one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup mango juice (you can use mango puree as well)

for the topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut, toasted (you can use large flake or shredded!)

directions:

for the coconut crust

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to drape over two sides of the pan. set aside.

in a medium bowl, combine the flour, coconut, sugar and salt. whisk to combine.

add the melted butter, and using a rubber spatula, mix until crumbly.

press the crust into the prepared pan firmly.

bake the crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown.

remove from the oven and set aside.

for the filling

in a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and mango juice. whisk until thoroughly combined.

when the crust comes out of the oven, pour the filling directly over it while still hot.

return the pan to the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set and only slightly jiggly in the center.

remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire baking rack.

for the topping

combine the whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. using the whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

add the coconut milk, and whip another 30 seconds until firm peaks form.

you can also use a hand mixer or whip by hand, but it will take a bit longer.

spread the whipped cream on top of mango bars evenly, and sprinkle the toasted coconut on top.

cover the top of the pan with foil or plastic wrap, and allow to chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours until the whipped cream is firm.

remove from the fridge and pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper.

cut into equal squares and serve.

the mango coconut bars will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

a food + words original