MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug   Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Chicken Noodles Romanoff

Serves: 6

This rich and cheesy dish is fit for a Tsar - or Tsarina. Pairs excellently with a Caesar salad - a noble meal, indeed!

Ingredients:

5 cups medium egg noodles
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1/2 teaspoin Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles in boiling salted water in large uncovered saucepan or Dutch oven for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Drain. Return to same saucepan.
Add next 9 ingredients. Stir. Transfer to greased 3 quart casserole.
Sprinkle with second amount of Cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through.

Chicken Pot Pie

*From the Nest.com

This tasted absolutely incredible. Certainly not dietetic, but so good. I used 2 cups of whipping cream and 2 cups of 1% milk instead of 4 cups of heavy cream. I just wasn't sure what "heavy cream" was exactly. I think it might have been too rich with all heavy cream anyway. I also thickened the sauce a bit more with about a tbsp of cornstarch. I like my pie filling to be really thick. Not gelatinous, but thick. It's a fine line.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 1⁄2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup unsalted butter (2⁄3 stick)
1⁄2 small yellow onion, finely chopped (1⁄4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups heavy cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups frozen green peas
2 cups cooked diced carrots
Pinch ground nutmeg
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.5-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken in the oil for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked through, reducing the heat if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When it is cool enough to handle, chop it into bite-size pieces.
2. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute.
3. Slowly pour in the cream, then stir in the bouillon cubes. Stir in the chicken, peas, carrots, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch round baking pan.
4. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry and cut out a 10-inch circle. Using a sharp knife, lightly crosshatch the circle’s surface. Place the pastry circle over the vegetables, tucking the excess dough down into the edges of the pan. Brush the crust lightly with the beaten egg.
5. Bake about 35 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

BLOODY EYEBALL CUPCAKES

For the cupcakes:

1 3 / 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1 / 2 teaspoons baking powder
3 / 4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1 / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3 / 4 cup milk
1 1 / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the filling:
6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
4 drops red food coloring
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1 / 2 tablespoons milk
1 1 / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 / 8 teaspoon table salt
15 drops white food coloring (optional)
To decorate:
12 small red gum balls
2 3 / 4 -ounce tubes red decorating gel
To make the cupcakes, adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat two 6-cup muffin tins with baking spray. Alternatively, coat the tins with cooking spray, then dust with flour and tap to remove any excess.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the butter, a piece at a time, and beat until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, then increase speed to medium, and mix until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.

Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full (do not overfill) with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, in a small bowl whisk together the jam, food coloring and corn syrup. Set aside.

When the cupcakes have cooled, cut a cone of cake out of the center of each. To do this, insert the tip of a paring knife at a 45-degree angle about 1 / 8 inch from the top edge of the cupcake and cut all the way around the top (cutting about 3/4 inch into the cupcake).

Remove the cone of cake from the center. Cut away all but the top 1 / 4 inch of the cones, leaving only small disks of cake. Set aside.

To fill the cupcakes, spoon about 1 / 2 tablespoon of the filling into the cavity of each cupcake. Gently place the disks of cupcake over the filling, being careful not to press too hard. You do not want the filling to ooze out.

To make the frosting, in a large bowl use an electric mixer on high to beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Slow the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, 1 / 2 cup at a time, and mix until combined.

Increase the mixer to high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium and add the milk, vanilla and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, about another 30 seconds. If desired, beat in white food coloring.

Spread a generous amount of the frosting over each cupcake, being careful not to detach the top disk of cake. Place one gum ball in the frosting at the center of each cupcake to form the pupil.

Use the red decorating gel to draw veins in the frosting radiating outward from the pupil.

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings: 12

Ljubica’s Apple Cake

3 cups flour
1 ½ cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs slightly beaten
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup oil
3 cup cut up apples

Mix dry ingredients make a hole in the middle & add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix well with wooden spoon (dough is very thick).
Spread just over ½ dough on pan (13 x 9”), place apple,
Sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon , pour rest of dough on top in strips.
Bake 1 hr at 350º (but check with tooth pick if it comes out clean).

Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

• 2 16-oz (500 g) sourdough bread rounds (about 6-in./15-cm diameter), divided
• Vegetable oil
• 4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) milk
• 1 Can (398 mL) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• 1 40-g envelope or one 51-g box (2 envelopes) vegetable soup mix
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 8 oz (250 g) sour cream
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Slice off top of one bread round to create a lid; set lid aside. Carefully remove center of bread round to form a 41⁄2-inch-wide (12-cm) and 2-inch-deep (5-cm) well for dip.
Slice center of first and entire second bread round into 1-in. (2.5-cm) cubes.
Place bread bowl on center of cookie sheet and arrange bread cubes around bowl; spray with vegetable oil.
In bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth using a whisk. Add milk to cream cheese; whisk until smooth.
Add artichokes, soup mix and garlic
Mix well. Microwave on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until hot (do not boil).
Stir lemon juice and sour cream into hot artichoke mixture; pour into bread bowl.
Grate Parmesan cheese over bread bowl and bread cubes using Rotary Grater. Lay top of Bread against bread bowl.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until bread cubes and top of dip are golden brown. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of evaporated milk (14.5 ounce cans)
• 8 tablespoons of cornstarch (or cornflour)
• 4 cups of water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup of grated kefalotyri cheese (or pecorino)
• 1 tablespoon of butter-flavored vegetable shortening or butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• pinch of grated nutmeg

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, dissolve the cornstarch in one can of evaporated milk, and add to the water, stirring briskly with a wire whisk. Lower the heat to medium and add the second can of milk, the salt, and shortening or butter. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Add the beaten eggs and nutmeg, whisking very quickly (so the eggs don't cook) until well blended. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, mix well and set aside, covered, until ready to use.
Yield: enough for one complete 11 x 14 x 3 pan of moussaka or pastitsio (about 7 cups).
Storage & Reheating
Béchamel can be refrigerated for one day (not more). It can be reheated using a double boiler (stirring constantly) or in the microwave, covered, vented, on medium power. Microwave time depends on the amount to be reheated and the microwave's wattage, so check every couple of minutes.

Pastitsio

Prep Time: 1 hours, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours,
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of bucatini pasta (or other tubular pasta like penne, ziti #2 etc.)
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/4 cup of chopped onions
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups of peeled, chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 6 whole cloves
• sea salt
• 20 or more ground peppercorns (to taste)
• 1 1/4 cups of grated kefalotyri cheese (or pecorino)
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• béchamel sauce with cheese or basic béchamel

Preparation:

Make the Meat Sauce
Sauté the onions until translucent in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add meat and continue to stir until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 30-35 minutes. This is very important - the meat mixture should be as dry as possible without sticking to the bottom of the pan. Set meat mixture aside, uncovered, and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 350F (160C). Lightly grease a baking or roasting pan approximately 11 X 14 X 3 inches high.
Prepare the Pasta
While the meat is simmering, prepare the pasta. Cook until slightly underdone, drain, toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.
Make the béchamel sauce with cheese.
Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on the bottom of an 11x15x3-inch baking pan. Use 1/2 the pasta for the first layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Remove cloves from the sauce, add the meat sauce evenly over the pasta, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining pasta on top. Carefully pour the béchamel over the top and use a spatula to spread evenly.
Bake at 350F (160C) for 30 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese on top, and continue to bake for another 15 to 30 minutes until the sauce rises and turns golden brown.
Remove pan from oven and allow to cool before serving (Pastitsio is served warm, not hot).
Yield: serves 6-8
Notes: This dish can be prepared the day before, all the way to the béchamel sauce, refrigerated overnight, and cooked the next day after adding the sauce.

Ground Beef Quiche

PREP TIME 15 min; COOK TIME 35 min; READY IN 50 min; SERVINGS 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 cup broccoli florets, cut small
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell

DIRECTIONS

1. In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in broccoli, salt, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and mayonnaise, stir into meat mixture. Fold in cheeses. Pour into pastry shell. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Tomato Sauce

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 cup chicken stock
• fresh basil
  
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion in olive oil until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, cook until juice begins to thicken. Stir in puree, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a nice thick consistency. Stir in basil and let cook a few minutes more.
   

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Serve with mashed potatoes and buttered green beans."

PREP TIME 20 Min; COOK TIME 25 Min; READY IN 45 Min; SERVINGS 4

* 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
* 3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
4. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

This was veeeery tasty. I thought that it might be too sickly sweet, but it was just right. Just be sure not to cook the porkchops for too long, or else they get tough. Really really good way to make porkchops. Caramel sauce isn't that great for you, but hey, you gotta cut loose some times.

Cheesy Fish Fillets with Spinach

From allrecipes.com

PREP TIME 20 Min; COOK TIME 25 Min; READY IN 45 Min; SERVINGS 4

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
* 1 dash nutmeg (I used cinnamon; still good)
* dash cayenne pepper
* 1 dash white pepper
* 1 cup milk
* 2/3 cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (I used fresh, and just sauteed it with some onions first to wilt)
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 pound fish fillets (I used red tilapia), cut into serving pieces
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* Paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat butter over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, bouillon, nutmeg, red pepper and white pepper; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk; heat to boiling and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add cheese and cook, stirring constantly, just until cheese melts. Set aside. Place spinach in ungreased 12-in. x 7-1/2-in. baking dish or 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Arrange fish on spinach; sprinkle with salt. Spread sauce over fish and spinach. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and paprika; return to oven for 5 minutes.

Diabetic Exchanges: One serving equals 4 protein, 2 vegetable, 1 fat; also; 307 calories, 860 mg sodium, 108 mg cholesterol, 10 gm carbohydrate, 31 gm protein, 16 gm fat.

I was kind of leery about this. I thought that the cheese sauce would be way to heavy and cloying, but its not. It's quite good. And the nutmeg (or in my case cinnamon) gives it a really nice flavour. But just use a dash...
I had a lot of liquid that was released in the cooking, so I probably could have thrown some raw rice in there with the spinach as the base, and that would have cooked up beautifully. Maybe next time, that's what I'll do.

Creamed Spinach (serves 6)

Ingredients
3 beaten Eggs
8 ounces, shredded Cheese - Sharp Cheddar
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped, drained Spinach
1 ( 16 oz. ) carton Cottage Cheese

Cooking Directions
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.