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Stuffed Cabbage (Galumpkis) is a very healthy dinner if prepared properly. I actually enjoy them but find them quite tedious to make. I was thinking that I could bypass all the steps and make it like a casserole, but only cook it on the stovetop. This was to be a test and it passed with flying colors! A+!  This was a very flavorful dinner. I used ground turkey for half of the meat to lighten things up a bit and my all beef husband couldn’t  detect the substitution.

Easy Stovetop Stuffed Cabbage

1/2 lb. ground turkey
3 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 cup diced peppers (I used green, orange, and red)
1/2 med. onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. hot Mexican chili powder
1 can diced flavored tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
3 cups cooked rice
1 small head of cabbage

1. Remove the casings from the sausages.
2. In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage and turkey.
3. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, peppers, and salt & pepper. Continue browning for about 10 minutes.
4. Cover, lower heat, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Cook rice.
6. Wash cabbage and shred.
7. Add tomatoes and sauce to meat mixture. Stir and heat thoroughly on med. low.
8. When mixture is heated, stir in cabbage. Mix in the hot Mexican chili powder.
9. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the cabbage is cooked.
10. Stir in the rice, cover,  and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with a crusty bread. Top with freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Brr. It is a tad on the nippy side today. Perfect day for staying inside and making a flavorful dinner. I love to prepare meals that take a while to cook, adding a tantalizing aroma to the air and heat to the room. I know that this recipe is cooked on the stovetop, but just the fact that the stove is constantly working makes it seem like the room is warmer.  Trust me, it’s a mental thing going on here. Though, in fact it probably does add a little heat to the kitchen. This recipe calls for red wine. I used Emeril’s beef broth as it had the lowest sodium content. I served this with a nice rustic loaf of bread. Very good.

Delicious Flavorful Weekend Pot Roast

3 to 4 pounds of beef chuck or meat desired
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
4 thyme sprigs or 1 tsp. crushed thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cannola or olive oil
4 cups low sodium beef broth or water
4 medium potatoes
4 carrots
1 small turnip
1 medium yellow onion

1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Directions:
1. Wash, pare, and cut up vegetables.(potatoes, carrots, turnips)
2. Place beef, 1/4 cup flour, salt, Montreal seasoning, pepper, and dried thyme in a large food storage bag and toss to coat.
3. Heat oil in a large pan.
4. Add the beef and brown on all sides.
5. Add 3 cups of beef broth and bring to a simmer. Add in onions and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
6. In a separate pan, cook the turnips and carrots in 1 cup of the reserved beef broth. When cooked, remove from broth and add to pot roast.
7. Place the diced potatoes directly into the pot roast to cook, about 40 minutes before the meal will be eaten.

For a thicker broth: Add 1 tbsp. cornstarch to the  broth that the vegetables were cooked in. Mix thoroughly.  Stir into the pot roast. Let the pot roast cook on low for another 1/2 hour.

Hallelujah! Finally a holiday that surpasses Groundhog Day, especially since the little rodent decided that we would have 6 more weeks of winter! What am I rambling on about? Frozen Yogurt Day! Yep, that’s right! Today, February 6, is Frozen Yogurt Day! Gotta love it. I just love holidays! Gives more meaning to food.

My favorite yogurt is Purple Cow. MMMMMMMMM. Love it!! Fresh raspberry/blackberry flavor with some white or dark chocolate chunks mixed in. If I am really fortunate, both white and dark chunks are in it. What’s your favorite?

Did you ever make homemade frozen yogurt? Not too difficult but it works best with an ice cream machine. Here is a recipe for everyone to try. I must admit that I’d rather go to the nearest ice cream stand, get the darn cone of my choice, and indulge. I have a weakness for ice cream so it is best for me to just have a treat once in a while than to have it readily available.

Did you know that frozen yogurt is in fact a healthier choice to ice cream? It has less fat as the yogurt replaces the cream. However, fat-free commercial versions of frozen yogurt usually have more sugar added. Yogurt helps to break down dairy, has high levels of proteins, and if it has live bacteria cultures will assist healthy bacteria in the body. (Sounds like something from Aliens) Yogurt can be a blessing in disguise, at least in moderation!

Purple Cow Frozen Yogurt

3 cups raspberries or blackberries or both
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup dark or white chocolate chunks, or both

In food processor purée the raspberrie/blackberries until smooth, about 1 minute.
Strain and toss the seeds. Set aside.
MIx the sugar and cornstarch in a small pan. Add the milk and bring to a boil.
Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Stir in raspberry purée and corn syrup and cool completely.
Stir together the raspberry mixture, chocolate chunks, and yogurt in a bowl.
Cover and chill 8 hours.
Pour raspberry mixture into a ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Today was our monthly pastry club day. As always there were 2 excellent desserts, a carrot cake and chocolate brownie bar. The person, Sue, who brought in the brownie dessert told me exactly how she made it and whoa, easy!!!!! One of my coworkers, Edward, thought these were very incredible. Just look at the picture! Moist and mouth watering, sweet, chocolaty, and perfect for any craving!! I am not usually a prepared packaged boxed mix baker but in this case, why change a thing? I will include recipes for the brownies and the cookies just in case they are needed. BTW, I imagine that this recipe would be great with a peanut butter cookie mix, or what ever combinations one could come up with!!

Cookie in a Brownie
1 pkg. of chocolate chip cookie mix
1 pkg. of brownie mix

Mix brownie mix according to package directions and spread in the bottom of a greased and floured 8 x 8  pan.
Mix the chocolate chip cookie mix and form into little dollops and drop all over the brownie mix.
Bake in 350* oven for about 40 minutes.

Here are the recipes for brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter
1 egg
6 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour and about half of a 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Beat the butter with the sugars. Beat in the egg. Add in the vanilla. Blend the flour, soda, and salt together and add to the butter sugar mix. Beat and add in the chips.
Bake in a 350* oven for about 11 minutes.

Fudgy Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Stir together butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla and beat well.
2. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes or until done.

I was brought up on cookies, homemade, delicious ones that permeate the air while they are baking. Nothing says home like the aroma of fresh baked cookies. Well, I guess that’s not totally true as baking apple pie with cinnamon does a great job of providing a tantalizing effect on the senses!  I am usually a chocolate cookie kind of girl but I also stray to the healthier side of cookies. Oatmeal kind of makes a statement of health. Of course, pairing oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips provides a very satisfying taste. However, I am trying to go healthier and this year my goal is to post some healthier recipes without giving up the taste of homemade goodness. I decided to make some oatmeal cookies, forgo the chocolate chips and use some dried cranberries. I know what you’re thinking, dried cranberries are not much healthier than chocolate chips, but in all honesty, I have some and the only chocolate chips I have are minty flavored so, cranberries it is!! This is a lighter recipe, I believe a Weight Watcher one that was given to me. These have 2 points a piece and have a unique texture. Enjoy!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 cups oatmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tbsps. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt-I always use sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 egg white-I also added a bit of the yolk
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Heat oven to 375*.
2. Mix oatmeal, flour, dry milk, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt  together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, egg white, and brown sugar until fluffy. (Mine wasn’t fluffy, but the recipe calls for fluffiness)
4. Stir in the flour, milk, and vanilla into the butter mixture. Add in the cranberries.
5. Place by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Makes 24 cookies-2 points each!

Here is the one of the easiest recipes to make a delicious light dessert with few calories. It is a Weight Watcher recipe that I received from a friend, Phyl. It is light and fluffy and if you are counting points, 1/12 of it is 4 points. I am not on Weight Watchers but agree with eating light to lose weight. I think they have a very successful program and offer lots of helpful hints for people to “have their cake and eat it too!”. This recipe is all that, tasty and won’t hinder any weight loss program. Want to try something really good? Cut a small piece, put fresh raspberries on it, and serve with a dollop of free Cool Whip. Yum!!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

1 box of angel food cake
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix all ingredients.
Pour into the pan.
Bake for 35 minutes.

I love to have a warm dessert on a cold winter’s night.  It must be a comfort food thing. Though why is it that when you eat comfort food, the pants become so uncomfortable?  Hmm. Food for thought. This recipe, which I was fortunate to eat at a recent buffet and did not have to make, (a friend’s husband, yes, husband made it), can be used with apples, peaches, or both. No fresh fruit? Use canned peaches, just eliminate some of the sugar if they are sweetened. The best thing about these types of recipes is that they can be altered to anyone’s taste. Add some nutmeg. That will change the taste but still be equally delicious. Enjoy!

Peach Apple Cake

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. sugar (brown or white)
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 peaches thinly sliced
4 apples, thinly sliced

1/4 c. sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon mixed together

Cream butter, sugar and egg. Add flour and baking powder.
Pat mixture into 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
Arrange peaches and apples in rows on flattened dough.
Sprinkle fruit with sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

One of my friend, Heather, made this dip. Great job Heather!! I love this dip. It is just so refreshing and satisfying. It is like you should feel guilt eating it but there is no need to have any misgivings about this tasty appetizer. It is quite healthy and to make it more diet friendly, use fat free sour cream and low fat cream cheese. Serve with baked nachos and it will do a body good!! Yum!

9 Layer Mexican Dip

1 package taco seasoning mix
1 16 ounce can refried beans
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1 jar hot or medium salsa
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup sliced black olives
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
nacho chips

1. Blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread into a 13×9 glass dish.
2. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese. Spread over the refried beans.
3. Spread the salsa on the top.
4. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions, olives, and lettuce over the salsa.
5. Top with Cheddar cheese. Serve with nacho chips!

Here is a very interesting, fast, and quite tasty treat probably best served as an appetizer or a light snack. I recently had one of these at a luncheon buffet. My friend, Phyl, and I had to come up with a name so we joined the bagels and the cucumbers and came up with bagelumbers. I know what you’re thinking, “These girls need a life!” Well, that is probably true but it’s probably not gonna happen! Here is this new twist of an appetizer:

Bagelumbers

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (go lighter if you must and use reduced fat)
1 pkg. of dry Italian dressing seasoning mix
1 tsp. dill weed
2 cucumbers
1 pkg. mini bagels

1. Mix cream cheese with dry Italian dressing seasoning mix. Stir in the dill weed.
2. Wash, peel, and slice cucumbers.
3. Slice bagels in half, spread with cream cheese mixture, and place a cucumber on top.

Here is an easy to make, easy to take dessert that won’t kill a diet. It can be made lighter or richer depending on the types of pudding, gelatins, or Cool Whip used. I recently had this and found it to be perfect after a meal. Quite refreshing!

Pineapple Fluffy

1 pkg gelatin, any flavor
1 pkg (4 serving size) vanilla Instant Pudding
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups COOL WHIP (thawed)

1.Prepare gelatin and cut into small cubes.
2. Combine pudding mix and pineapple in small bowl until well blended. Gently stir in Cool Whip. Stir in gelatin cubes. Refrigerate 1 hour.
* Can be made lighter by using sugar free gelatin and pudding, Lite or Fat Free Cool Whip, and pineapple in its own juice.