Granny's Feather Rolls

My Granny made these for me a time or two and I never forgot that buttery flavor. It is a labor of love, but so worth it!
Only 98 calories for one roll!

Here's the recipe:
Dry yeast - 1 pkg (or 2 1/4 tsp of bread machine yeast)
Brummel and Brown butter - 4 TBSP
Sugar - 1 TBSP and 1 tsp ( I used real sugar since it is only a small amount)
Kosher salt - 3/4 tsp
Egg - 1
Warm fat free milk - 3/4 Cup
All purpose flour - 2 Cups

First pour your yeast into lukewarm water. Not too hot or too cold because it will kill the yeast. Add in the one teaspoon of sugar and let them stand for 5 minutes. Mix together all other ingredients and when yeast is ready pour it into mix. (Water and all) Stir together well and cover. Let it stand for about an hour in a warm spot on the counter. After an hour, spray 12 muffin pan, use liners, with non fat cooking spray. Spray well because they will stick. Evenly distribute the dough into the muffin cups. Cover again and let proof for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400 degrees. When thirty minutes is up bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Slightly. Then enjoy with your favorite low calorie butter.

I use Brummel and Brown butter. It is yogurt based and less calories than anything else out there with taste!

The Herbacious Red Pepper Burger

This burger is so good I could cry. It is only 135 calories. Add the onion bun for another 140 calories and you have a totally satisfying burger for only 275 calories!

Here's the recipe:
96/4 Ground beef - 1 lb
Red peppers - .25 Cup minced
Garlic - 1 clove minced
Fresh Basil - 1 TBSP
Rosemary - 1 TBSP
Parsley - 1/2 TBSP
Worcestershire - 2 tsp

Mix all the ingredients gently. Just make four equal patties and broil on low for about 6-8 minutes. Flip them over and broil another 4-6 minutes, depending on how you like your burger cooked. This burger hits the mark for those cravings!

Fishy Burritos with Dill Sauce and Pickled Red Onions

228 calories for one burrito!

Here's the recipe(s):
Tilapia -7.8 oz ( I used a frozen packaged fillet)
Whole Wheat Tortillas - 4

Pickled Onions:
Red onion - half a medium size onion
water - 1 Cup
Red Wine Vinegar - 1 Cup
Kosher salt - 1 TBSP
Splenda Sugar - 1 TBSP
Cayenne - 1/4 tsp

Dill Sauce:
Non fat plain yogurt - 4 oz
Dill blend seasoning - 1 tsp
Dill relish - 1 TBSP

First put all the pickled onion components together and let them hang out while you prepare the rest of the meal. Bake fish as directed, you may want to season it and lightly brush with evoo. While fish is baking mix together the ingredients for the dill sauce. Feel free to add a little salt and pepper to season up your sauce. Once fish is ready set aside and place tortillas on a sheet pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Flip halfway through. You must babysit these tortillas. They will burn quickly. Once they are ready distribute the sauce and onions equally across the middle of the tortilla. The fish should be cool enough to handle. Flake it apart and equally spread across the four burritos. Roll once then fold in the sides and then roll the rest of way. Place seam side down on the plate. Garnish with a little fresh tomato and lettuce or a little of your favorite salsa!

Spicy Dipping Sauce

You'll recognize this taste as soon as you eat it! Classics blended together. Serves 4. 23 calories per serving

Here's the recipe:
Fat Free Sour Cream - 2 TBSP
Ketchup (no high fructose) - 2TBSP
Light Miracle Whip - 1 TBSP
Prepared Raw Horseradish - 1 TBSP

Mix all ingredients together and let chill. Use more or less horseradish for your personal tastes. We used this sauce for the pineapple chipotle burger and homemade smokey chips.

Homemade Smokey Potato Chips

Okay, they can't ALL be healthy. You can bake these chips and it will be decisively better for you. Tonight I needed that chip to not be baked. That's all I can say.

Here's the recipe:
Large Russet Potatoes - 2
2.5-3 Cups Vegetable oil
Kosher salt - 2-3 TBSP
Ground Cumin - 1 TBSP
Garlic Powder - 1- TBSP

Place the oil in a dutch oven and turn it on high heat. You're looking for about 350 degrees. If you do not have a thermometer the oil will start to bubble. Throw in a tiny piece of potato. If the potato sinks it isn't hot enough. If it turns black, well then it is too hot. If it is immediately covered in fuzzy bubbles and floats around - bingo! While the oil is heating up, using a mandolin, slice your potatoes thinly and evenly. Be careful, use the guard. If you do not have a mandolin use a very sharp knife and slice very thin rounds. As you cut them immediately place them in a bowl of water. It is important that the potatoes soak to release some of the starch. This is key to a crispy chip. Once you have finished this step and the oil is hot, begin laying the slices out on a dish towel. Dry them gently by patting them and using a wire spatula, or metal one, gently and slowly place in the oil. Let them go for a few minutes on each side. Just when you think, oh it will take another few minutes and you turn your back- they are ready! Remove with spatula and place on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with salt, cumin, and garlic. Be sure to cook these in batches to ensure even cooking. 

Pineapple Chipotle Burger

Another successful burger for my husband! I enjoyed it too!
182 calories for one 4 oz burger!

Here's the recipe:
96/4 Ground beef - 1 lb
Worcestershire - 1 TBSP
McCormick's low sodium steak seasoning - 1 TBSP
Pineapple chunks - 1/2 Cup
Chipotle (in adobo sauce)- 1 pepper, seeded

Mix ground beef, steak seasoning and half worcestershire sauce and make four patties. Place under broiler on low for four minutes. In the meantime, mix the pineapple, with juice, the other half of the worcestershire and the seeded chipotle, minced almost into a paste. (to seed just cut the pepper in half and scrape out the inside seeds. Then mince pepper) Flip burgers and place back under low broiler for another 3-4 minutes. When serving just pile on one fourth the yummy pineapple sauce. My husband enjoyed his with some barbecue sauce and some spicy dipping sauce. (see recipe for Spicy Dipping Sauce)

Mighty Meaty Pizza

Everyone craves a good slice of pizza sometimes. This variation is satisfying and can be reproduced in as many ways as your heart desires! This pizza is 151 calories a slice. Makes 12 slices.

Here's the recipe:
Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust - 1 container
All natural Pizza Sauce - .8 Cup (more or less if you like)
Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella - 1.5 Cup
Green Peppers - 2 TBSP (minced)
Fresh Basil - 5 leaves - julianned
Garlic Powder - 1 TBSP
Deli Ham - 4 oz - Cut into thin bite size pieces
Turkey bacon - 3.5 slices crumbled
Pineapple - 1/4 Cup chunks

Follow instructions for pizza crust. (requires a prebake at 350 degrees for five minutes) I sprinkled half of the garlic on the crust before prebake. Do all your chopping and dicing during this time. Once pizza crust is ready to be loaded I put on the sauce, half of the cheese, all the meats, green peppers, and pineapple. I top with the rest of the cheese then the herbs. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Slice once down the length and fives times across width for 12 servings.

Sage Sausage Gravy

A staple in the southern kitchen. Here's a little less "soulful" version.
Serves 4-6.
Serving 4 - 158 calories
Serving 6 - 105 calories

Here's the recipe:
Sage Sausage - 4 oz
Brown and Brummel butter - 1.5 TBSP
Flour - 1.5 TBSP
Fat Free milk - 1.5 Cup
Sugar - .5 TBSP
Sage - 1 tsp (ground dried)
Pepper - 1 tsp

Over medium heat brown the sausage then add butter and flour. Stir vigorously scrapping the bottom for the sausage bits. Let it cook for a minute or so then add a splash of the milk. Stir or whisk until blended in well. It will look very thick. Slowly add in the rest of milk, pepper, sugar and sage. Mix well until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and keep stirring until it looks creamy. Serve over a biscuit (adding 100-180 calories - remember!)

Fresh Herbs

So I ventured out and purchased some herb plants. Already started plants, of course. Truly hope I don't kill them because my thumb is so not green. We will have fresh rosemary, chives, curly parsley and basil in many upcoming recipes. Still need to get thyme and maybe oregano. There is such a difference cooking with fresh herbs. It brings the dish to life and instantly makes you feel like you have "created" something. I am learning about the growth of these plants as I go...so I will share with you how to care for and harvest them. Summer time is such a great time for fresh cooking!

Banana Topped Crepes

Such a delicious dessert! Pretty filling for just one. Only 222 Calories each!

Here's the recipe:
Crepes - 4
Sugar free Instant vanilla pudding - 1 pkg
Fat free milk - 2 Cups
Brummel and Brown Butter - 1 TBSP
Brown sugar - 2TBSP
Banana - 1 medium sliced thinly on the bias
Nutella - 1.5 TBSP
Powdered sugar - 1 TBSP

Mix together packaged pudding and milk until blended well. (For a little extra flavor add some lemon or orange zest, or even nutmeg) Place in fridge. In a small saute pan, melt butter and brown sugar together over medium low heat. Add bananas and spoon sugar over them as they warm through. Turn the pan to low. Melt the nutella in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Grab the crepes and the pudding and prepare to fill them! Use about 2-3 TBSP of pudding in the middle of the crepe. Fold the crepe around carefully. Repeat with other three. Evenly distribute the bananas over all four then drizzle with the tip of a spoon, the nutella over the whole crepe! Dust the powdered sugar through a small sifter and DIVE in!

Without the Nutella this dessert is just 184 calories!

Bacon and Ham Crepes

A filling filling for your crepes! Crepe and filling clock in at 180 calories each!

Here's the recipe:
Crepes - 4
Turkey bacon - 3 slices
Deli ham - 2.5 ounces diced
Green peppers - .25 Cup finely diced or minced
Red onion - 2 TBSP minced
Garlic - 1 Clove minced
Fat free butter milk - .25 Cup
Light cream cheese -2 TBSP
Part Skim shredded mozzarella - 1/4 Cup
Oregano - 3 tsp
Basil - 1 TBSP
Extra virgin olive oil - 1 TBSP

First cook bacon over medium heat in skillet until crispy. Remove to paper towel. When cool enough to handle dice the bacon and leave on the side. Add EVOO, peppers and onions and sautee until soft. Next add garlic, diced ham, and 2 tsp of basil. Cook until ham just begins to crisp. Remove from heat or turn to low. In a small sauce pan add cream cheese and buttermilk. Whisk until smooth and begins to come to a rolling boil over medium heat. Then reduce to low and whisk in Mozzarella and 2 tsp of oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In an 8x8 casserole dish spoon just a little of the cheese sauce down over bottom of dish. Now, take a crepe and spoon just about a TBSP of cheese sauce in middle (you should have a little sauce left to top the crepes). Do this with all four crepes. Evenly distribute the bacon, ham and pepper mixture between all four crepes. It isn't a burrito, don't fold in the ends, just tightly, but gently roll the crepes and place in dish.
Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the crepes and remainder of the oregano and basil. Bake for about ten minutes, just warming the crepe and making the top cheese yummy. My husband added a little fat free sour cream to top his crepes. Enjoy!!

Crepes

Easier than you think! Makes 12 @ 55 Calories each!

Here's the recipe:
Egg beaters - 1/2 Cup
Fat free milk - 3/4 Cup
Water - 1/2 Cup
All purpose flour - 1 Cup
Brummel and Brown Butter - 3 TBSP

First mix all the ingredients together, yes, at once, using a hand mixer. Cover and place in fridge for an hour minimum. After batter rests, take it out and heat an 8 inch non stick skillet over medium low to low setting. Spray generously with fat free cooking spray. Using a 1/4 cup measure fill measure just under full. Pick up skillet and pour the batter in a circular motion in center of skillet while turning the skillet. Rotate skillet fairly quickly until batter is spread evenly around. What you are trying to do is just lightly and evenly cover the bottom of skillet. Place back on burner and let it cook until the top looks opaque and the sides slightly begin to pull away. Gently using a non stick rubber spatula begin lifting the sides. Work all the way around working inward until you are able to turn crepe. The first WILL BREAK! It is written in the skies! Don't worry. Just keep going. After crepe is cooked, just a bit browned, place on wax paper. Do not stack the crepes unless you place wax paper between each one. You can refrigerate or even freeze left overs!

Cooking Kills the Crazies

I worked non stop for years and now I stay home with my two year old daughter. Unsure of what to do with my excess energy and my love for creating, I came to the conclusion that when I cook and create it takes away the crazy feeling. You know that feeling of "what am I doing with myself?" There is more to me than just being a mom and a wife. Although I love to watch my family eat my creations, it is the satisfaction that I made something that brought happiness to them...and their bellies.  Honestly, it is self worth being sought. It is so richly received when my husband says, " here's your challenge,  I want a different kind of burger." Then I made the healthy version of a bacon jalapeno burger. He LOVES it. I am defined, for that day.