creamy corn and vegetable soup

4 cups fresh corn kernels or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen, thawed
2 cups nonfat milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium zucchini, (about 1/2 pound) diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Put 2 cups of the corn and the milk into a blender or food processor, until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini and cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of corn and the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pureed corn and tomatoes and cook until warmed through, but not boiling. Add the salt and season with pepper. Serve garnished with the basil ribbons.

give credit: healthy appetite

portobello lasagna

12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups Easy Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store bought marinara sauce
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 ounces grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2/3 cup)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain them well and spread them out onto aluminum foil or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto a lasagna noodle. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture, roll the noodle and place it into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the lasagna rolls. Top with grated cheeses, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

give credit: healthy appetite

creamed tacos

saute 1 large onion and 1 green pepper and 2 pounds ground meat. add 1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce. add 1 can tomatoes and 1 can green chiles. salt and pepper to taste.

in pyrex layer corn tortillas, cheese, meat.

pour 1 large can condensed milk.

bake ate 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

give credit: mom

lasagna

saute 4 diced onions in large pot. add 2 pounds ground meat then the following ingredients in order:

3 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 large tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
1 can mushrooms
salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sweet basil leaves
2-3 dashes paprika
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon oregano

layer this with noodles, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.

give credit: terrye wilkes

peach cobbler

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches (or 2 bags of frozen peaches, thawed)
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

give credit: jana bethel

chocolate pie

2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
3T cocoa
3T butter
3 eggs
2T vanilla
1 pie crust

warm milk on stove in medium sauce pan (do not boil) - in separate bowl combine sugar, flour and cocoa - add combined ingredients to warmed milk. stir with whisk occasionally until mixture begins to thicken. add 3 egg yolks, reserve whites. whisk swiftly into mixture. add butter and vanilla when thick. set aside.

mirenge:

in mixer, add 3 egg whites. mix until whites peek, then add 1/4 cup sugar. mix until fully peaked and firm.

pour chocolate mix into baked pie crust. add mirenge on top. bake in 350 oven until top is browned.

give credit: martha gerber

strawberry cake

a favorite my mom made for me every birthday growing up....

1 package white cake mix
1 package strawberry jello
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1T flour
4 eggs
1 (10oz) package frozen strawberries

mix ingredients and beat well. stir in 1/2 package frozen strawberries, thawed. pour into 9x13 pyrex, sprayed with bakers joy.

bake at 352 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool and frost with icing.

icing:

1 box powdered sugar
1/2 package frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup butter

melt butter, add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. ad berries, spread over cake.

antipasto salad

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

give credit: everyday italian

Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
1 pound chicken cutlets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ears corn, husks and silks removed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound arugula (about 3 bunches), thick stems removed
2 large tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (2 ounces)

Heat grill to high; clean and lightly oil hot grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes; cut into strips.
Cut off tip of each cob. Stand corn in a wide shallow bowl; using a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels. Discard cobs.

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, chicken, and corn and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

give credit: martha stewart everyday food

mini ham pizzas

4 whole-grain light english muffins
1 (6 oz) can no salt added tomato paste
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t onion powder
1/2t dried italian seasoning
1/2 cup water
4oz (1 cup) part skim mozzarella cheese
4oz thinly sliced deli ham, chopped

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

split english muffins, place on baking sheet, cut side up.

in a small bowl, mix together tomato paste, garlic powder,onion powder, italian seasoning and water. spread sauce equally on each muffin half. top with equal amounts of cheese and ham. bake 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

shrimp scampi with artichokes

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
1 (11-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring until softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp, artichoke hearts, wine, and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates, garnish with additional parsley, and serve.

give credit: healthy appetite