Homemade Protein Bars 2

I found this recipe here.

2 cups almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds (ground in a blender)
1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted peanut butter (original recipe uses almond butter, we will use soy butter or sunbutter)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
a few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional)

Place almonds, flax meal/seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, almond/peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly for about 10 seconds.In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat. Remove coconut oil from stove, stir sweeteners and vanilla into oil. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. Makes about 12-15 bars. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later enjoyment!

Homemade Protein Bars

I found this recipe here.

1 mashed banana
1 1/2 cups dry oatmeal
2 Tablespoons flax seed, ground
2-4 scoops protein powder
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Sun Butter)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
1 large chocolate bar or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients but chocolate together well (mixture will be somewhat sticky). Line an 8×8-inch pan with foil and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Melt chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. Drizzle or spread over the mixture in the pan.

Place the pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Cut into 10 -12 bars and wrap in plastic wrap and/or foil and store in the freezer.

Thaw slightly before serving.

1/1oth of this recipe = approximately 260 calories and 11 to 13 grams of protein (depending upon how much protein powder you use)

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

This recipe came from the Cookbook Top Secret Recipes Treasury II. It takes restaurant favorites and makes them lower calorie.

2/3 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp dry pectin
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 1/2 tbsp grated Romano cheese

In a small saucepan, combine the water and dry pectin and whisk until the pectin is mostly dissolved.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the Romano cheese ad place the pan over medium heat. Stir often until the mixture begins to boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Cool for about 10 minutes.

Stir the Romano cheese into the thickened mixture.

Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly, then pour it into a sealed container and chill for at least 2 hours.

Makes 1 1/3 cups.
42 calories per serving.

Peach Freezer Jam

Some Friends of mine went to California over the weekend. They brought be back a flat of peaches. I froze some, we ate some, and I made some freezer jam. It is so good. I have more peaches so I think I will be making some more too.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 package of pectin
4 cups of crushed fruit

Mix the sugar and pectin together. Add the crushed fruit and stir for 3 minutes. Ladle into clean jars or containers. Let sit for 30 minutes. Keep in the freezer. Once opened store it in the refrigerator. It made about 6 (8 oz) jars.

Rocco Dispirto's Chicken Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy

1 cup whole wheat lour
2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
3 large egg whites
4 (3 oz) portions lean filet mignon, pounded thin ( I used thin round steaks)
nonstick cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz turkey sausage
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put the flour in a shallow dish, breadcrumbs in another, and the egg whites in another. Dip the steaks in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Place the steaks on a greased cookie sheet. Spray steaks with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Roast until they are golden brown, and crispy, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the sausage and cook til done.

While sausage is cooking, whisk the chicken broth into the cornstarch in small bowl.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the sausage and bring it to a simmer. When the gravy has thickened slightly (about 2 minutes) remove from heat.

Stir the yogurt into the gravy. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Pour he hot gravy over the steaks and serve immediately.

Rocco Dispirto's Chicken and Dumplings

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups low fat low sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk (I used skim milk)
3 large celery stalks, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion sliced think
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken (I used 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.)
2/3 cup bisquick heart smart baking mix
1/3 cup buttermilk (I used skim milk)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley)

Place cornstarch in medium bowl and whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Pour he mixture into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the celery and onion. Season with salt ad pepper and return to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, about 10 minutes.

Stir the chicken into the vegetable mixture and raise the heat to medium low. Cover the pot and bring to a steady simmer.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir the baking mix and buttermilk together until the mixture just forms a soft dough.

Drop 12 spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the pot, spacing the dumplings out as much as possible. Cover, ad simmer about 7 minutes.

Sprinkle the parsley over the dumplings. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Serves 4- 269 calories each.

Almost General Tso's Chicken

This recipe is from Rocco Dispirito's book "Now Eat This."

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 cup)
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (I used 1 cup of regular bread crumbs)
4 large egg whites
12 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast cut up in little pieces (I used 1 lb chicken)
4 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cup Rockin Asian Stir Fry Sauce (see below)
3 packets splenda, or truvia (I used sun crystals)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I couldn't find these so we left them out)

Rockin Asian Sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger (I used a few tsps of ground ginger)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch scallions chopped fine
1 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

To cook sauce heat a nonstick pan over high heat. When pan is hot add the sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and saute', stirring often about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile place cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, and ketchup. Whisk to blend.

Whisk the cornstarch mixture ito the saute' pan ad bring to a simer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickeed, about 2 mins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store the sauce in a covered container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To cook chicken:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Put the bread crumbs in another dish, and the eggs in another dish. Put chicken in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Cook broccoli and keep warm til ready to serve.

In a large bowl, combine the Rockin Asian Sauce, sugar substitute, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. Add the cooked chicken and toss gently til evenly coated with the sauce.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with broccoli. We also served it with rice.

Serves 4- 310 calories each