Healthy and Happy

Here are a couple of very healthy, yet yummy recipes from Marisa.

Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs

100g frozen corn kernels, tossed in hot pan for a couple minutes
3 slices stale white bread, no crust
500 g organic turkey breast
1 egg
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped finely
2 spring onions finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, fine
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp worcestshire
A little milk for soaking bread
3 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil for frying

Preheat oven to 200 Celcius
1. Soak stale bread in some milk for a minute, then squeeze well and crumble into large bowl, tossing excess milk.
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except sunflower oil. Add all but turkey first and give a little swirl, then throw in turkey.
3. Mix with hands, don't overwork.
4. With wet hands, form mixture into golf ball sized spheres.
5. Heat sunflower oil in heavy frying pan..big so not to crowd. Cook in batches, turning them around in the pan so they are golden all over (don't need to be cooked thru)...otherwise turkey is quite pale and not that appetizing. Then transfer to oven tray and cook for five or ten minutes more. After five you can break one open to test if done.

If you want to serve as appetizer, you can make a roasted red pepper sauce for dipping. As a lighter dinner, serve on a salad dressed with a vinaigrette. Can be served with cous cous, pasta, rice, mp's.

Red Pepper sauce

Sauté 4 red peppers with olive oil until soft, throw in 1 minced garlic clove right at the end, saute for one minute longer. Blend peppers with 1 tsp salt, some cilantro, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 4 tbsp sweet chili sauce. Add a small minced mild chili for some more heat.

These are moist and delicious. This recipe adapted from Otto Lenghi cookbook.

                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roasted butternut squash Salad

1 pound butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, diced
2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp craisins
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
2 tsp Dijon
1/4 cup Apple juice
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 cup halved and toasted walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Salad, wilty type...arugula works, spinach...

Oven 400 F

Toss squash, olive oil, m. syrup, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast until tender,maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Add craisins for last five minutes.

While roasting, combine apple juice, cider vinegar, shallots in a small pan. Cook 6-8 minutes over medium heat...bringing to a boil so as to reduce to about 1/4 cup.

Off heat, whisk in mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

Place salad in large bowl, add squash mixture, nuts, Parmesan. Moisten with the dressing you made and toss well.

Beautiful on the plate, healthy, filling and delicious...what more could one want?

From Mary in Roswell, Georgia

Here is a great one from Mary in Roswell, Georgia.   Sounds good and healthy

Subject: Re: Chicken and Prunes receipe

Large package chicken breasts or 2-3 pkgs tenders

1/4 C dried oregano. ( I don't use that much!)

1/2 C red wine vinegar

1/2 C olive oil. ( I use the red wine vinegar and oil dressing that's already mixed)

1C prunes in can. I cut them in 1/2

1/2 C green olives

1/3 C chopped (oil packed) sundried tomatoes

1- 3oz jar capers w/ just a little juice

5 bay leaves

3/4 C brown sugar

1 C white wine

1/4 C chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate chicken overbite in everything EXCEPT brown sugar, wine and parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with brn sugar and pour wine on top. Sprinkle w/ parsley. Bake for 45 min covered. Uncover and bake another 15 min. Great cold or room 

Some new and fun recipes

Been busy but I wanted to take a minute to add some new recipes.   One of them comes from Judy in Cupertino who is doing great following the "Caveman" diet, or as much natural foods as she can.  As a result she is feeling great!   Here is her recipe for Paleo Banana Bread which has no processed foods:


Paleo Banana Bread

2 c almond Flour
1/4 t flaxseed meal
2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t sale
4 small ripe bananas
4 eggs
1 T vanilla extract

Bake at 350 degrees in a greased loaf pan for 35 - 45 minutes (large pan 55 - 60 min)


Next, because we love Pizza but wanted to do Pizza in the healthiest way possible I took the time to create a great recipe to made pizza dough from Whole Wheat Flour.   I make them, then roll then out into 10" circles and put them in the freezer.   For a quick meal, I take one out put on the toppings and cook for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.   So you can make this as healthy as you like and with the ingredients that you want.



Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

3/4 c warm water (110 degrees)
1 - 2 TBS honey
2 Packets Rapid Rise Yeast
6 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 TBS Pesto
1 tsp Salt


Stir honey into warm water and add yeast.  Let yeast proof.  It will get poofy

Put flour in mixer then add water mix gradually with mixer running.   If the mixture seems too dry add more warm water, gradually until the mixtures holds together but is not sticky.   Add olie oil, pesto and salt.

If you are lucky and have a dough hook attachment on your mixer, then knead for 6 - 8 minutes.  Otherwise, sprinkle some flour one your counter and hand knead for 6 - 8 minutes.  The dough should feel elastic when you pull at it.   Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot to rise.  If your kitchen is chilly, heat the oven to 200 degrees turn it off.  Then place the bowl inside and close the door.  It should take about an hour for it to rise to double or more.

Take it out and put on the counter and give it a couple of good punches.   Depending on how large you want your pizzas to be, cut it into pieces.  Eight pieces will make 8 - 10" round pizzas.

You can either stretch it out, or be lazy like me and use a rolling pin.   Now you can layer it with parchment paper and freeze it until you want to use it.

When you want to make one, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, assembly your ingredients and then take the frozen pizza base out of the freezer.  Top it with whatever you want.  Be creative.  I usually spread it lightly with some pesto mixed with a little prepared pizza sauce, put on some onons, peppers, ham, olives, grape tomatoes, parmesan and jack cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for not more than 10 minutes.


Next is a chicken recipe.  First let me tell you, I am not a chicken fan,  so it do whatever I can to disguise it.  This recipe was born  out of that.


Chicken Croutons

Wishbone Italian Dressing
Large Chicken Breast
½ c chopped Sweet Onion
1/4 c chopped bell pepper
1 egg white
1 jar mariniated artichokes, drained
Parmesan Cheese

Marinate the Chicken Breast in the Italian Dressing for at least 2 hours.   Use a food processor and chop the onion, the bell pepper and the artichokes.   Put in a bowl and then chop the chicken, adding 1/4 c of the dressing.  Add to the bowl.  Mix together, then mix in the egg white and Parmesan Cheese.

Spoon the mixture into muffin tins, should make about 4 - 6.   Bake at 375 degrees for ½ hour.  Good alone or serve with mayonnaise.  You can mix some of the dressing into the mayonnaise for an extra kick.

More great recipes added

I have added some more great recipes and a couple of new categories, one for salads and dressings and one for others that need their own place.    Under Simple yet Delicious I have added Chicken n Dumplings.  This recipe is great after a long day and you want something hearty that you think of taking a long time, not so.  Check it out and let me know if you try it and like it, or have any suggestions.

Here is how to add a recipe

Fellow Happy Cookers, here's the deal.  I have loaded some recipes onto the various pages.  One recipe I put in through the comments section.   So it seems like the best way for you to add a recipe is to just add it through the comments, let me know which category it belongs and I'll move it there.    Put recipes that you'd like to share and in return, feel free to use the ones posted.   If you have a photograph of it, I think you can include that too.    Look forward to receiving a couple of good ones.

Sharing the Love of Cooking

With so many good cooks out there and a love of sharing recipes I thought I would create a different style of recipe Blog.  This one is designed to not only share in great recipes, but to divide them by specific dietary categories.   Recipes that are for High Fiber Diets, Low Carb Diets, Low Fat Diets, Heart Healthy Diets, etc.  So feel free to add a recipe or to take a recipe, give it a try and then report back on the results.  Measurements are nice, but they aren't necessary, just try to give an approximation and suggested adjustments.