Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hide Your Veggies!

I don't have an issue getting vegetables into my diet, but the rest of my family does. So I thought I'd try to secretly add some to a great dish....it worked! Nobody knows the difference (I never divulged), it had great flavor, and the fam gobbled it up! 



I love spaghetti and I used the rotini vegetable noodles (carrot, spinach, tomato) where one serving of noodles is a serving of of vegetables. Plus it's higher in protein than regular durum wheat noodles. These don't taste any different. 



Vegetable Rotini

Ingredients
15 oz stewed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce 
½ lb grass fed beef
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tbsp worchtershire sauce
½ tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp oregano (or couple drops of oregano essential oil)
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely grated carrot
¼ cup finely chopped onion 
¼ cup finely chopped/minced spinach (optional)
Italian cheese blend or mozzarella 
Rotini noodles (vegetable)

Directions
1. Put all ingredients in medium sauce pan. 
2. Stir occasionally and simmer low for at least 30+ minutes. 
3. Boil water and cook rotini. 
4. Serve with breadsticks and salad.  


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Berry Pie


Finding a healthy dessert that satisfies can be difficult. Also, how many people are excited about a healthy looking dessert (besides me)? Well, I found a delicious and still healthy dessert worth making many times over! It's quick and easy as well....bonus! 

This pie has a simple, homemade crust, easy filling that contains several types of berries (you can use fresh or frozen), topped with a homemade whipped cream. 


Berry Pie 


Pie crust
1 ⅓ cup flour
½ cup butter
½ tsp salt 
3 tbs water
Wax paper
Rolling pin

Directions:
1. Cut butter into flour and salt (in bowl). 2. Use a fork or I like using my fingers to blend the butter. 
3. Slowly add water and mold into a ball. 
4. Put the ball in between 2 pieces of wax paper. 
5. Put a couple drops of water under the wax paper so it sticks on the counter for rolling. 
6. Roll the ball (between wax paper) to the size needed for your pie pan. Leave extra over the top for baking because it shrinks a little. 
7. Remove wax paper on the top, flip and put in pie pan. Remove other wax paper. So easy! 

Continue with the filling! 



Filling 
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups halved strawberries
1 ½ cups raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions: 
  1.  Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in berries and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil (watch closely); pour into prepared crust. Cool completely on a wire rack. 





Whipped Topping
Heavy cream
1 ½ tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla 

Directions: 
1. Put bowl and beaters in freezer 10-15 minutes 
2. Put heavy cream, sugar, vanilla in chilled bowl and beat high till stiff like cool whip. About 5 minutes. 
3. Top the pie. Homemade whipped cream is delicious! 




Yield: 8 servings

Seriously, enjoy this dessert. It's tasty!