Butter vs. Margarine - Which is Better?

I found this to be helpful as well! There is a lot of research supporting this. So, you could find this information in many different resources. 

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/buttermargarine.htm

I noticed towards the end of the article it said you can often get away with using half the amount of butter called for in cookie recipes. 

I'm wondering if substituting some apple sauce is how you do it. I rarely do that, because I just try to avoid making cookies. My self resolve is terrible when there are home baked treats in the home! 

Margaret 

Doing Dairy Right - link

I found this site to be helpful. I'm sure there are other websites out there, but this is just one I found when doing a little research this morning on sour cream vs. butter. 

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/dairyrating.pdf

Margaret 

Tis the Season for Cooking!

Even though this is a healthy recipe blog, I thought it wouldn't hurt to send in a less-fat pie recipe, since Thanksgiving is right around the corner! 

Here's a link for the original recipe. It's about as fattening as a pie can get, but I think with a few modifications you can cut out a lot of fat, but still get a flavorful, creamy, lemon pie. 

These are my changes to the recipe:

1/4 cup lemon juice, instead of 1/2 cup. I love a good lemon flavor, but this really is a bit tart, especially with the sour cream added to it. 

Use whip cream as a garnish, you really don't need that much cream, especially if it's not as tart. (It's still creamy since it's a custard filling, plus the sour cream makes it creamy.)

*Use less fat sour cream, not fat-free, to cut fat but still get a good flavor

I haven't tried this, but I think you could get away with less butter as well. I may even try to omit it, and just add back 1/8 tsp. of salt, since I always use salted butter. 

One plus to a lemon pie is that lemon juice is actually one of those super foods. Along with vinegar, it greatly reduces your blood sugar level, which will probably get pretty high with all the foods we eat for Thanksgiving. 

Just think, eat in moderation, and you'll enjoy a delicious meal without feeling sick afterwards! :)

(That's what we're working on as a family.)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sour-cream-lemon-pie

Recipe submitted by Margaret Tew

Oatmeal Breakfast

1/2 cup of Quick Oats (food storage)
1 scoop Chocolate Muscle Milk Powder
1tbsp Powdered Peanut Butter (Walmart "PB2" next to peanut butter)
3/4 cup Coconut Milk or Almond

Recipe submitted by: Sara Rosenlof

Mango Quinoa Salad

Mango Quinoa Salad (from the Our Best Bites website)
Recipe adapted from Ali Vincent

2 cups cooked quinoa* at room temperature, or chilled

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth.  I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

(Submitted by Joanna Ellis)

Honey Lime Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Here's a recipe for a dish my mother-in-law made when she visited recently. It is so good! Rather than doing stuffed sweet potatoes, she just cut up the sweet potatoes into small chunks and prepared this as a casserole. So much easier! I would use 2/3 cup quinoa, instead of 1 cup. Quinoa is an awesome food that cooks like rice, but is a complete source of protein. This is a vegetarian dish, and makes a delicious meal. (You can find quinoa next to the rice at Walmart.) 

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/10/honey-lime-quinoa-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

(submitted by Margaret Tew)

Smoothie

Tiffany Ottley's smoothie recipe!

(I kind of add and subtract as I go so I'll do the best with my "measurements"!)

1/2 c of milk or juice, h2o works fine too4 c spinach (it's a lot so you can use less--I make this for the 5 of us)

1/4 c broccoli florets (small handful)
Couple mini carrots or carrot sticks
1/8-1/6 of a cantaloupe if I have some (with seeds)
Handful berries (any will do, keep stems on strawberries if your blender will blend them)
1 round slice of pineapple (I keep core in but not all blenders can blend it)
1 frozen banana
10 cubes ice (or more if I want it more sorbet-ish)
Sometimes I add mango too if I have it. I pretty much add whatever I have!

The seeds in a cantaloupe are the healthiest part and the core of a pineapple is also one of the healthiest parts. The outside skin of a pineapple also contains vital nutrients. My blendtec will chop that too so I add it sometimes but most blenders can't. 

Amy's Corn Chowder (healthy)

Amy's Corn Chowder (healthy)

2 T. Olive oil, or canola

1/3-1/2 c. Chopped onion

1/3-1/2 c. Celery 

2 T. Flour

Sauté the onion and celery in the oil until tender. Then add the flour, stir together, and that will help thicken the soup a little. 

3 c. Milk, or unsweetened soy or rice milk (I do half milk, half water)

1 chicken bouillon cube (these are good to have on hand)

1 c. Cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 c. Corn (I use frozen)

1 can creamed corn

1/8 t. Dried thyme

1/2 t. Pepper

1/4 t. Salt - Add extra salt if you use "sweet corn"

* You can bake the chicken ahead of time, cut up into pieces, then freeze

So, I'll put about 4 chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan. Cover with aluminum foil, then bake at 275-300 for about an hour. 

If you have the chicken ready to throw in when preparing the soup, you can make this in about 10-15 minutes! 

Enjoy!

Margaret 

Cook's Illustrated's The Best Vegetarian Chili

Cook's Illustrated's The Best Vegetarian Chili

We prefer to make this chili with whole dried chiles, but it can be prepared with jarred chili powder (our favorite brand is Spice Islands).  If using chili powder, grind the dried shitakes and oregano and add them to the pot with 1/4 cup of chili powder in step 4.  We also recommend a mix of at least two types of beans, one creamy (such as cannellini or navy) and one earthy (such as pinto, black, or red kidney.  For a spicier chili, use both jalapenos.  Serve the chili with lime wedges, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped red onion and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, if desired.

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried beans, picked over and rinsed
2 dried ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexican chiles
1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped coarse
4 tsps dried oregano
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
3 tblsps tomato paste
1-2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tblsps soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds onions, chopped fine
1 tblsp ground cumin
7 cups water
2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur
1/4 cup cilantro

1.  Bring 4 quarts water, 3 tblsps salt and beans to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat.  Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain beans and rinse well.  Clean pot.

2.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.  Arrange anchos and New Mexican chiles on rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and puffed, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to plate and let cool, about 5 minutes.  Stem and seed anchos and New Mexican chiles.  Working in batches, grind toasted chiles, mushrooms and oregano in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle until finely ground.

3.  Process walnuts in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to bowl.  Process drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeno(s), garlic, and soy sauce in food processor until tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

4.  Heat oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onions and 1 1/4 tsps salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Lower heat to medium and add ground chile mixture and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add rinsed beans and water and bring to boil.  Cover pot, transfer to oven and cook for 45 minutes.

5.  Remove pot from oven.  Stir in bulgur, ground walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice.  Cover pot and return to oven.  Cook until beans are fully tender, about 2 hours.

6.  Remove pot from oven, stir chili vigorously, and let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and serve.  (Chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

- Angela

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Our Best Bites

(Notes in orange from Joanna Ellis)

I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency. If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth.

1 T Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern Beans (I do 3 cans of beans)
1 3.5 oz can green chilies (sometimes I'll add more green chilies for some more heat)
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lime
1/2 C chopped cilantro

1 32oz box chicken broth

Condiments: (in addition to measurements above)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Chopped green onions

Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shreddedCrushed tortilla chips

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes.Then add green chills- along with all of the juices in the can. Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth.Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(I frequently make this in the crockpot.  I'll cook the onions with olive oil and toss them in the crockpot with cut up chicken breasts, garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, and chicken broth. I will cook it for about 4 hours.  Then about 30-45 minutes before serving it I will add the green chilies, and rinsed beans until it is all warmed through.  Right before serving I will add the cilantro and lime juice.)

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. Serve with condiments. If you don’t have all those condiments- at least have sour cream! But honestly, it’s best with everything :)

Makes about 8 cups of soup.