Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

3 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup molasses

2 tbsp rice or coconut milk

Directions

Mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices 

Put mixture in a food processor and pulse until mixed well

Add shortening and pulse until incorporated

Mix the molasses and milk together and pour into the food processor while pulsing to mix

Process until dough comes together in a nice ball

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Roll the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick or so

Cut into shapes and cook on parchment lined baking sheet for 12-15 minutes 

Allergy Free Chocolate Cake - 2

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp white vinegar

6 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup warm water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease a 8 inch square pan, 9 inch round pan or muffin tins

Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in bowl

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, vanilla and water

Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour in wet ingredients - Mix well

Pour into pan and bake 30-35 minutes for cake or 20 minutes for cupcake

Allergy Free Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup vegan butter (Earth balance), softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

32 oz confectioners sugar

4-6 tbsp rice milk

Directions

Beat butter, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth

Gradually add confectioners sugar alternately with 2 tbsp rice milk until smooth

Add rice milk until consistency reached

 

**To make into chocolate chip frosting, add in 1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

 

Allergy Free Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup rice milk

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup hot water 

Directions

Beat sugar and butter on medium speed with electric mixer until creamy and fluffy (about 5 minutes)

Add vanilla extract and mix well

In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the rice milk (start/end with flour)

Beat at medium-low speed until blended after each addition

Add in hot water and blend until smooth (batter will be thick)

Immediately pour into 2 greased and floured 8 inch round cake pans

Bake 34-38 minutes

Cool in pans on wire rack

Pumpkin Donuts

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease a mini donut pan and set aside

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk

Slowly add dry ingredients into the mixture and combine (do not overmix)

Fill each donut pan with batter

Bake 8-9 minutes

Allow donuts to cool on a wire rack

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp molasses

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Lightly grease a muffin tin

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt,and spices

In another bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, oil and molasses

Combine the two bowls

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full

Bake for 18-20 minutes  

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

6 red or green bell peppers

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 package (19.5 oz) turkey Italian sausage

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red or green peppers (use the chopped off tops)

4-6 tsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 cup spicy tomato sauce

2 cups grated low fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Cut the tops off the peppers

Square off the bottom of each pepper to make them stand up 

A small hole at the bottom will help drain the fat from the peppers

Clean out the inside of the peppers

Place peppers standing up in a greased baking dish

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and brown the beef

Remove beef from skillet and set aside

Add olive oil and sausage to skillet - Brown sausage, remove from skillet and set aside

Add pepper and onions to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes

Turn off heat and add meats back to skillet and add 1 cup of tomato sauce

Season with salt and pepper

Let mixture cool slightly, mix in the cheeses, but save 1/4 cup of mozzarella

Stuff each pepper with meat mixture

Sprinkle tops with mozzarella cheese

Cover the peppers with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes

Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes uncovered

 

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground lean turkey

1 egg white

1 1/2 cup dry, old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 jar (16 oz) tomato sauce

7 cups whole wheat pasta 

Directions

Combine turkey, egg, oats, and spices

Shape into 14 meatballs

Layer small portion of tomato sauce on bottom of crockpot and place meatballs on top 

Cover meatballs with remaining sauce

Cook for 4-5 hours on high for 8-9 hours on low

 

Other option:

Cover meatballs with sauce in a saucepan and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes

Beef Provencal

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

12 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes 

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup red wine

2 cups chopped carrot

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup lower sodium beef broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Dash of ground cloves

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

3 cups cooked medium egg noodles 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

Heat a dutch oven over low heat - Add oil and swirl to coat

Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes

Remove garlic

Increase heat to medium-high and add beef to pot

Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper - Cook and brown for 5 minutes

Remove beef from pot

Add wine to the pot and bring to a boil while scraping the bottom and sides

Add garlic, beef, remaining salt and pepper, carrot and next 8 ingredients

Bring to a boil

Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2.5 hours or until beef is tender

Discard bay leaf and serve with noodles 

Baked French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 loaf of French bread (13-16 oz) - Sliced into 20 segments

8 large eggs

2 cups half-n-half

1 cup milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

Praline topping (recipe follows)

Maple syrup 

Directions

Arrange slices in generously buttered 9 x 13 baking dish in 2 overlapping rows

In a bowl, mix eggs, half-n-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmetg, and salt

Pour mixture over bread slices

Spoon mixture in between bread slices

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spread the praline topping evenly over bread and bake for 40 minutes until lightly golden

Serve with maple syrup

 

Praline Topping:

2 sticks butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup wheat germ (or 1/2 cup more flour)

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Beat eggs until fluffy

Add sugars, oil, zucchini, and vanilla

Add dry ingredients

Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes in greased tins

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds roasted chicken, skinned, boned and shredded

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cans (14 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup flour

Bottled hot pepper sauce

Directions

In Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat

Add celery and onion - Cook until tender

Stir in broth, milk, and 1 tsp hot sauce

In bowl, mix mozzarella, 1 cup blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, and flour

Add gradually to the soup stirring until melted

Stir in 3/4 of the shredded chicken

Serve topped with remaining chicken, blue cheese, and hot sauce

Blueberry Strata

Ingredients

12 slices firm white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 8 cups)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into small cubes

8 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

Directions

Spread half the bread cubes onto the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish

Cover with 1 cup blueberries, cream cheese and remaining bread

Whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl

Add 1/3 cup of syrup and sugar - Mix well

Pour over the bread and let sit overnight in the fridge

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Bake strata covered 60-65 minutes until top is lightly browned

Uncover after 30 minutes

Bring remaining syrup and blueberries to boil in a saucepan - Simmer on medium-low

Serve over strata

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup hot sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

8 hamburger buns, split

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook turkey, carrot, onion and garlic

Stir in tomato sauce, broth, hot sauce,sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, and pepper

Serve on buns and sprinkle with blue cheese 

Quicky Lasagna

Ingredients

15 oz ricotta cheese

Frozen spinach, thawed and drained

8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 jar of sauce

6 lasagna noodles

1/4 cup water

Directions

Mix ricotta and spinach with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese

Put 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a square 8 x 8 baking dish

Top with 3 lasagna noodles

Add 1/2 spinach mixture on top and repeat layers

Put 1/4 cup water around edges of the dish

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes covered

Add remaining mozzarella cheese

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes uncovered

Let stand for 10 minutes 

Baby Potatoes

Ingredients

12 oz small baby potatoes, halved

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

1 1/2 tsp thinly sliced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved

Directions

Place potatoes in medium saucepan and cover with water

Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes until tender, drain

Heat skillet over medium-high heat - Add oil to coat the pan

Add corn and next 3 ingredients to pan - Cook for 2 minutes

Add potatoes and tomatoes to the pan - Cook for 1 minute

Top with cilantro and cheese 

Halibut with Olive & Bell Pepper Couscous

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup uncooked Israeli couscous

3/4 cup fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp kalamata olives, pitted and quartered

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 skinless halibut fillets (or tilapia)

4 tsp torn fresh oregano

2 lemons, cut into 1/8 thick slices 

Directions

Preheat broiler to high

Heat medium saucepan over medium-high heat - Add oil and swirl to coat

Add bell pepper and garlic - Cook for 1 minute

Add couscous and cook for 1 minute

Add broth and bring to a boil

Cover and simmer for 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates

Stir in olives, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper

Heat skillet over medium-high heat - Add oil and swirl to coat

Add fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes

Remove from pan, turn fillets over, and arrange oregano and lemon slices on fillets

Place fish on baking pan and broil 5 minutes until fish flakes easily

Serve fish with couscous