I love, love LOVE, apple crisp, it has to be one of my all-time favorite desserts. Ahhh, the childhood memories, you’ll soon be reminded of Grandma’s house, as the scent of cinnamon fills the air. Up here in Maine, we like to use MacIntosh apples, tart, crisp and awesome, but Granny Smith apples will work nicely too. Here’s a healthier version of Grandma’s apple crisp, with more of the delicious flavors and less of the undesirable calories! Topped with crunchy oats, heart-healthy walnuts, a little brown sugar, maybe some ice cream, and that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Absolutely perfect by itself or served with light ice cream, frozen yogurt, or whipped cream….
What’s for dinner tonight? A simple, healthy, home-cooked meal of baked, spicy Buffalo chicken. Then add pasta with my lighter version of creamy Alfredo cheese sauce, some vegetables, and you have a winning dinner! Who says we can’t make amazing restaurant quality food in our homes anyway. Okay, my favorite recipe for this healthier and easier baked Buffalo chicken uses Frank’s Hot Sauce (store-bought) and I’m even going to share with you my delightful, delicious, easy to make, pasta with a light & healthy Alfredo sauce, so let’s get started!
Spicy Chicken…
Ingredients:
6 fresh chicken thighs (or legs)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, “Olivio” or “Smart Balance” (room temperature).
Franks Hot Sauce, you can get this famous spicy condiment at any supermarket.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Bleu cheese dressing (optional)
Carrots & celery (optional)
Directions:
Line your broiler pan with foil, spray with cooking spray (I like olive oil). Add chicken pieces, spray the chicken (it will crisp up). Sprinkle the chicken generously with sea salt & pepper.
Broil the chicken until both sides are crispy and brown. Turn the oven down to 250 degrees to continue cooking while you prepare the Alfredo sauce.
In a medium size glass bowl, microwave the butter and Franks hot sauce together (for a minute or so). Add the cooked chicken and toss to coat with the spicy Buffalo sauce.
* You may want to dip this spicy-hot chicken in Bleu Cheese dressing if you’re a wimp (like me). You can make this yourself with crumbled bleu cheese, Gorgonzola, mayo, yogurt, garlic powder, and/or a little sour cream. Or cheat (like me) and buy some “Ken’s” bottled salad dressing at the market. Well, why not? We’re using Frank’s hot sauce, so we may as well use Ken’s salad dressing… Whatever! Anyway, I had some organic, frozen mixed veggies just to cheat a little bit more, and make this dinner even faster, and easier….Ciao!~
Penne or Fettuccine Alfredo….
Ingredients
Serves 2 to 4
1 pound penne or fettuccine pasta, “Dreamfields” brand, low-carb pasta is delicious!
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, or keep it healthy with “Olivio” or “Smart Balance”
1/4 low-fat milk (or reserved pasta cooking water).)
8 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of garlic powder (my secret ingredient)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt; return to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook until al dente.
Whisk butter, milk, cheese, pepper, and garlic over medium heat until well blended. Or using an electric mixer, beat butter, cheese, salt, pepper and garlic until mixture becomes smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
Drain fettuccine, toss with the Alfredo mixture and serve immediately with additional cheese sprinkled on top. Buon Appetito!
What’s not to like about brownies? Everyone loves homemade brownies. Oh, can you imagine, a pan full of hot, homemade, decadent, dark chocolate brownies baking in your house? Now, let’s just healthy-it-up a bit and add some yummy, melty, dark chocolate chips, and sweet, wild Maine blueberries to the already rich, chocolately, whole-grain batter. In one word, Divine. Who needs to buy a mix when you can easily bake “real” brownies from scratch at home?
By far these are the best brownies that I’ve ever had, so I just had to share this fabulous recipe. Let me know what you think.
ps. Feel free to write any comments, ask any questions and click on subscribe for more recipes.
If you can’t bake (or you just don’t want to), and need to place an order, just let me know….
5 ounces of dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled….. (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
2 sticks of salted butter, softened (or sub. smart balance)
2 cups sugar (or sweetener of choice)
4 whole large eggs
3 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (buy this at the health-food store)
3/4 cup all-purpose white flour (I use organic)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup blueberries (dry on a towel)
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350* Grease or spray a 9 X 13 pan.
Melt 5 ounces of chocolate chips (use your glass measuring cup) in the microwave ( 30 second intervals) and cool the chocolate completely before using!
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
Turn the mixer on low, and drizzle in the cooled, melted chocolate. Mix until just combined. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and mix until just combined, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix 5 seconds more.
Add the chocolate chips, blueberries, and nuts (if using) mixing a few seconds more, until just combined.
Bake for about 30 min. You’ll know when they’re done when your house fills with the aroma of fresh baked brownies and you just can’t stand waitin’ any longer!!! People will start roaming around your kitchen asking “are they ready yet?” Just tease them a little at first and say “oh no, they must cool first!” While you carefully cut a crispy “corner brownie” and hide somewhere to eat that first hot, chocolatey, gooey piece of heaven! Trust me, these fabulous brownies won’t last long……
Do you love zucchini? Here’s a simple recipe for grilled zucchini with the most delicious spicy horseradish sauce! Try this super easy, tasty appetizer at your next BBQ and you’ll see for yourself. Let me know if you like it.
If you’re looking for a new favorite way to prepare zucchini this is it….
Ingredients:
2-3 zucchini and/or summer squash (sliced on the diagonal)
Olive oil (for coating)
Seasoned salt (your favorite blend)
Spicy sauce:
1/2 cup mayo (lite) or sub. Greek yogurt.
2-3 tsps. horseradish (prepared)
lemon juice (squeeze a wedge)
salt & pepper
Directions: Mix up and chill the sauce ingredients, add more horseradish if you like it extra spicy. Slice the zucchini/squash on the diagonal about 1/2″ thick placing on a large platter. Brush with olive oil, turn and brush again. Sprinkle only one side with seasoned salt. Grill on med-high heat until you see nice dark grill marks on each side.
Serve with garden veggies and the spicy sauce, make NO mention of the horseradish (some people say they hate it). Everyone really loves this delicious spicy sauce (trust me!) and you will want to use it on sandwiches too, YUM!
