Cannoli French Toast

From Every Day with Rachael Ray October 2010

4 Servings

• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 slices sandwich bread

Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl, then stir in 1 cup ricotta cheese. In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Trim the crusts off 12 slices sandwich bread and, using a rolling pin, roll out the bread to flatten. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetened ricotta to each slice, fold over and pinch the edges together. (The edges will seal during cooking.) In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar before serving

My Review: This was so easy to make, but felt very fancy to make. I wasn't sure I would like this because I'm kind of iffy on ricotta. It ended up being delicious. The pieces aren't very big. If you have big eaters, you might want to double the recipe.

Crock Pot 3 Bean Turkey Chili

from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 12 • Serving Size: 10.8 oz

• 1.3 lb (20 oz) fat free ground turkey breas
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped chilies, drained (I like spicy, so used jalapeños)
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, undrained
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15.5 oz) can small red beans, undrained (I used spicy chili beans)
• 2 tbsp chili powder

Topping:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (left out)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro for topping (left out)
• shredded cheddar to top (extra pts) (left out)

Brown turkey and onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat until cooked through.

Drain any fat remaining and transfer to crock pot. Add the beans, chilies, chickpeas tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili powder mixing well. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Garnish with onions, cilantro and cheese and enjoy!

My Review: This is a delicious low-point chili recipe. It made the house smell fantastic. It was super easy to prepare and extremely filling. Simon loved it, so boy-friendly. This is perfect for those busy days where you don't have time to cook.

Boston-Cream Peanut-Butter Breakfast Banana Split

from the Biggest Loser Cookbook

• 1 small ripe banana (about 6" long), peeled and halved lenghtwise
• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter
• 1/3 cup low-fat, artifically sweetened Boston cream pie-flavored yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons crunchy high-fiber, low -sugar cereal (such as Grape-Nuts)

Place the banana halves in a small banana split dish or shallow bowl, with the cut sides facing inward. Spread the peanut butter evenly over the open banana. Spoon the yogurt in the middle. Top with the cereal. Serve immediately

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 294 calories, 8 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 241 mg sodium.

My Review: I'm always looking for new breakfast ideas! This is a fast and easy combo that's easy to take to work. It left me full for most of the morning. Definite repeater.

Parmesan-Pepper Sweet Potato Fries

from The Biggest Loser Cookbook

• 1/2 lb Sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4"-thick sticks
• 1 tbsp Reduced-fat parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp Garlic powder
• Pinch of red and/or black pepper

preheat oven to 450 degree. In med bowl , toss potatoes, cheese, oil, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste. Place potatoes in single layer on med nonstick baking sheet. Bake 8 mins. Flip potatoes and bake 10-12 mins or until potatoes are tender and browned in spots. Serve immediately with ketchup if desired

Calories: 249 Total Fat: 4g Fiber: 7g

My Review: Holy crap! These were good. I loved the Parmesan - it melted and made the fries a little more decadent. I think I actually used red pepper AND black pepper. I'm a pepper girl! These definitely make the keeper list!

Almost Fast Food Burger

from The Biggest Loser Cookbook

Makes 1 serving

• 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/4 pound 96% lean ground beef
• 1 slice (3/4 ounce) fat-free American cheese (optional) (I used 2% American)
• 1 whole-grain or whole-wheat hamburger bun
• 1/4 cup chopped romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 thin slice red onion (I forgot this)
• 3 dill pickle rounds

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. Stir to mix. Set aside. Shape the beef into a patty that is about 1/2" wider than the bun.

Preheat a medium nonstick skillet or grill rack on high heat. Place the patty on the pan or grill. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. (Do not smash the burger with the spatula.) About 30 seconds before the burger is cooked, top with the cheese, if desired. Place the bun halves, cut sides down, on the pan or grill. Cook for about 45 seconds, or until toasted.

Place the bun bottom on a serving plate. Top with the patty, lettuce, onion, and pickles. Spread the reserved sauce evenly over the inside of the bun top. Flip onto the burger. Serve immediately.

Nutrition at a Glance

Per serving: 281 calories, 26 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 60 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 736 mg sodium

My Review: This is quite possibly the best burger I've ever made. The mayo-ketchup-mustard sauce makes the burger - it tastes like something I'd get from the drive-thru, only better. The toasted bun was a nice touch as well. And need I say that this was boy-friendly food, for sure!

Spicy Hash Browns

Yay - I finally have time to blog and cook again. I've been so busy with the new job and wedding prep, I've been eating a lot of grilled cheese! Last night I made baked chicken (coated in Shake N Bake - I LOVE Shake N Bake), roasted green beans and spicy hash browns.

Spicy Hash Browns

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil (I think next time I make these, I'll only use 1 T oil)
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 3/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 6 1/2 C. diced potatoes… diced (about 2.5 lbs.) (I was too lazy to dice my own potatoes so I got the Simply Potatoes with onions from the refrigerator aisle.)

Preheat oven to 400.In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except potatoes; mix well.Add potatoes; stir well to coat.Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.Place potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheet.Bake 30 minutes or until browned.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 205 Calories; 6g Fat (24.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 229mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

My Review: This is a great, incredibly easy side dish. The spices had tons of flavor. They roasted to a fabulous level of crispiness. In a word - awesome!

Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

From Cooking Light magazine

RICE:

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice (I used boil in bag brown rice)

2 teaspoons butter

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

PATTIES:

2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided (I used 2 cans)

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (I just used Monterey Jack)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup cornmeal

Cooking spray

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

I added in a can of jalapeños

To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. (I actually added the cooked rice to the pineapple in the skillet and cooked)

To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. (I just mashed all the beans at the same time with a potato masher -- no pureeing)

Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. (I added jalapenos here) Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

My Review: Wow! These were pretty spectacular. I don't know why I was messing with those Morningstar and Boca burgers when I could be making my own. I liked the rice as well.