Cooking and Recipes

Fried Foods Alternatives

fried foods alternative There was a time when most households contained some sort of deep fat fryer. Do you remember when FryDaddy was a household word? Unfortunately, a common household word today is obesity. So how can we move from fried foods to healthy foods without giving up the taste? We’ve got two fried food alternatives that just might satisfy your craving for greasy goodness!

Try These Fried Foods Alternatives

Believe it or not, baked potato slices can be just as good as homemade potato chips. Begin by slicing your potatoes in to thin chips, either with a mandolin or by hand. Yukon Gold potatoes contain less moisture than baking potatoes, making them perfect for this recipe.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a single layer on the pan and coat with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and any other spice of your choice. Try garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, basil or rosemary. My family’s favorite is a simple mix of sea salt and fresh crushed garlic.

Bake at 375 degrees and check after 15 minutes. I like to turn my chips over during the baking process. From there, check the potatoes about every seven minutes until they are crispy. For a twist, try using parsnips along with the potatoes or use sweet potatoes for these wonderful fried potato chip alternatives.

When you think of fried food, doesn’t chicken come to mind? One of my favorite baked chicken recipes has fewer calories than fried chicken with just as much taste. You can use wings for this recipe or whole pieces of chicken, as well as skinless chicken breasts if desired.

Place a cup of flour in a large sealable plastic bag. Add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon salt. You can also add cayenne pepper or other flavoring if desired. Put your chicken in the bag and shake to coat each piece. Take them out of the bag and allow to sit for ten minutes.

While they are resting, place two cups of panko bread crumbs in a different sealable bag. Meanwhile, crack and separate four eggs. Wisk the egg whites with 2 tbs. water for use with this recipe. Briefly dip the chicken in to the egg whites and shake in the bag of panko bread crumbs.

Bake at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I often add a bit of olive oil to the pan for both flavor and a bit of healthy fat. Bake for the same length of time you would normally bake the type of chicken you are using.

Are there any healthy fried food alternatives you enjoy in your own home? We would love to hear what you make!

Cook Easy Meals During the Week

It’s on every mom’s radar, how to make easy meals whether you are a working or stay at home mom. Cooking meals can sometimes get the best of us, don’t you think? Tired of hearing what’s for dinner? Olivia has gymnastics and Michael has soccer – I simply don’t have time! Fortunately we have a few tricks that will make weekly meals a bit more easy for you busy moms.

In order to save time during the week, you might have to put in a bit of it on the front end. But you will be congratulating yourself every weeknight you are trying to prepare a quick and healthy dinner.

For starters, take a bit of time Sunday to brown two batches of ground hamburger or turkey. You can use these within two days or freeze them for later weeknight thawing. If your plan for a meal includes chopped vegetables, get that done as well.

I like to cook two stir fry dinners a week. On Sunday I cook a few boneless chicken breasts, slice them and place them in the fridge. I chop carrots, water chestnuts, onion, celery, parsnips and garlic into small cubes and place them in the refrigerator as well. While I am doing this I cook rice and boil whole wheat or regular noodles until they are al dente, or slightly chewy.

Finally, I will create a stir fry sauce that includes what I have on hand. My children’s favorite is soy, garlic, 1 tablespoon white wine, shaved ginger, sesame oil and sugar. For those who enjoy spice, add some pepper flakes too.

Now you have two meals you can easily throw together on a busy school night. Put some olive oil in a pan and throw in a handful of vegetables and garlic. Sauté until they are almost cooked. Add the sliced chicken.

Now turn up the heat and mix in the rice. Add the sauce and you’ve got a healthy delicious meal in minutes flat. For the noodles, heat up a bottle of organic spaghetti sauce and throw your noodles in boiling water for a moment to re-heat them. Or for quicker preparation, put the cold noodles on a plate; add sauce and heat covered in the microwave.

I often precook or slice my ingredients while I’m cooking Sunday night’s dinner. It adds a bit more work to your Sunday meal, but saves you loads of time during the rest of the week!

Meals that Keep Kids Busy

Why would you want to keep the kids busy during mealtime? If your children are anything like mine, they are nearly bouncing off the walls by dinner time! There are times when the kids are off from school and they need activities to keep them busy. I plan on meals the children can help to prepare.

For lunch, I like to place a dish of celery stalks on the table and include bowls of different toppings. Cream cheese, peanut butter or pimento spread works perfectly as the “filler” for your celery. For toppings put out bowls of sunflower seeds, raisins, diced apple, crushed pineapple, shredded or diced cheese and granola.

Do your children like yogurt? Place several flavors in bowls on the table. For toppings, try thawed mixed berries, granola, coconut flakes, cereal and graham crackers. For the main course use pita bread or flour tortillas. Let the kids add shaved turkey or ham, tuna, cut pickles, black olives, shredded cheese, sliced eggs, lettuce and tomatoes.

What could be better for dinner than individual homemade pizzas? If you don’t want to deal with making your own dough you can purchase small pre-made crust rounds. Standard pizza toppings are wonderful choices, including black olives, pepperoni, pineapple, onions, green peppers and mushrooms.

Tacos or chili are great dishes to cook when you want your children involved with the preparation. Older kids love to grate cheese, chop veggies and stir ground beef. They can also measure spices and pour in cans of tomatoes or sauce. Let the younger kids arrange bowls of toppings on the table or chop the lettuce with a butter knife. If chili is too spicy for the young ones, simply add tomato sauce to ground beef for “kid chili.”

You can let the kids make dessert pizzas with cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar as the “sauce.” Toppings can include fruit, M&M’s, coconut, skittles or gummi bears. Yummy!

The Best Spaghetti Recipe Ever

Why can’t spaghetti sauce at restaurants taste better? That’s what my daughter asked me tonight while eating dinner. Mind you, I don’t have time to make homemade, I do the thirty minute meals (my own, not Rachel Ray’s). I created my own thirty minute meals many many years ago when I had three little ones in diapers at the same time. Dinner had to be made quickly. One of my first creations, in fact, was spaghetti sauce and pasta. Here’s my list of ingredients:

1 lb. of thin spaghetti
1 lb. of hamburger
1 large jar of Prego w/meat
olive oil
broiled steak seasoning (I use McCormicks)
onion salt
italian seasoning

Cooking the Pasta

First grab a box of “thin” spaghetti or angel hair pasta since it cooks faster. Put it in a pot of boiling water on medium high heat. Put a splash of olive oil in the pot to keep the noodles from sticking.

And for the sauce, I use Prego, but doctor it up a bit. Grab a pound of hamburger (we prefer lean or even bison), olive oil, broiled steak seasoning, italian seasoning, onion salt and 1 large jar of Prego with meat and set it beside your cooking station. I usually add an extra jar of Prego, enough to last the next day too, so I don’t have to cook.

Directions for Spaghetti Sauce

Add olive oil to your spaghetti sauce pan, and turn on medium high. Add hamburger, sprinkle on broiled steak seasoning, onion salt (lightly), and italian seasoning. Brown your hamburger. Add the Prego meat sauce and cook on low to medium for about twenty minutes. By now your thin spaghetti noodles are done. Viola, you’re done! Expect a bunch of compliments from your kids and hubby.

Feeds 4-6

Caramel Machiatto Cheesecake Recipe

The perfect decadence for all you coffee lovers out there. This sweet extravagance pairs the creaminess of a spicy coffee inspired cheesecake with the sweetness of caramel & vanilla. It’s enough to make you swoon and come back for more!

Ingredients:

2 cups of graham crackers (crushed)
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 Tablespoons of sugar
3 packages of softened cream cheese, (8 oz each)
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs 8 oz. sour cream
1/4 c brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
Can of whipped cream (optional)
Kraft caramel topping

Directions:

After preheating the oven to 350 degrees, use cooking spray to coat a 9 inch springform pan. In a bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar together until well mixed. Remove from the bowl and press it around all sides of the pan and 1 inch up the sides. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, then remove the pan to cool, preferably on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Take an electric mixer and beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar, beating until blended. Add in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the sour cream, espresso and vanilla, then pour batter into the already baked and cooled crust. Place your cheesecake in the oven at 325 degrees for an hour and five minutes, turn off, leave door open a little for 15 minutes Then remove the cheesecake from the oven. Take a knife and go around the edges. Let cheesecake cool before placing it in the refrigerator for around eight hours. To serve, take out of the refrigerator and slice into even pieces. Spoon caramel on top. Add whip cream if desired.

Serves 12

Homemade Pancake Recipe Mix

Need breakfast for dinner in a hurry and family hankering for pancakes but you have no pancake mix in the house? That was the story last night in my house when everyone wanted pancakes for dinner. With 30 degrees outside and my joints already achy, I wasn’t inclined to venture out in the car. What’s a mom to do? Head to the internet, of course, to find a recipe that works with the ingredients I have on hand.

I have flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, eggs, butter and milk. I grab the recipe and start making my pancakes to satisfy some noisy tummies. It tasted like Bisquick to me, but hey, now I have the ingredients to make my own version of Bisquit for quick biscuits and waffles, too. This was a win in my book, no preservatives and all organic ingredients. As a mom, I don’t think you can beat this healthy alternative to most store bought mix. We enjoyed these pancakes, no complainers in my house.

PART I –Pancake Mix

Make your own homemade pancake mix in minutes with ingredients you have on hand.

Ingredients:

6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients for your mix (part I) and place in a container with a top so that you can shake it all together to mix well. After you do this, you will have leftover since the batter (below) only calls for two cups of the mix.

PART II – Pancake Batter

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield:?8

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups Pancake Mix (previously made)

Directions For the Batter

Remove two cups of the mix you just made and place back into the large mixing bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients together and blend it all together.

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the two cups of mix to make batter. Blend until smooth or until most lumps go away. Place in greased pan and continue cooking until nicely browned on both sides.

This recipe should make about 6-8 nice sized pancakes. I had 9 but mine were a little smaller than what you would find in our local family restaurants.