Coconut Margarita

Coconut Margarita

1 cup ice

1 teaspoon cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

2 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce tequila

2 ounces sweet and sour mix

1/2 ounce orange-flavored liqueur, such as Triple Sec

1 teaspoon shaved, toasted coconut, for rim

Place ice in a blender and add remaining ingredients except toasted

coconut. Blend for 8 seconds. To make the drink thicker, add more ice

and blend.

Dip wet rim of a large margarita glass in toasted coconut. Pour

blended mixture in the glass.

Makes 1 drink.

Rosemary Almonds

Rosemary Almonds

Source: Party Appetizers: Small Bites, Big Flavors by Tori Ritchie

 

I love sneaking Worcestershire sauce into my recipes. It's one of

those ingredients that makes people ask, 'What's in this that tastes

so good? They'll say it about these nuts, if they can stop eating

them long enough to talk.

 

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) whole unsalted almonds

Salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and rosemary and stir a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the almonds and salt to taste (be generous) and stir about 1

minute or until the almonds are well coated with butter and spices.

Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, shake the pan vigorously, then stir

the almonds until glossy, about 1 minute.

 

Pour the nuts onto a baking sheet with 5ides and place it in the

oven; bake until the nuts are toasted and fragrant about 8 minutes.

Let them cool before serving. (Nuts can be stored in an airtight

container for up to 2 days.)

 

Makes 1 1/2 cups (12 servings)

To Die For Roast Beef

To Die for Roast Beef

Serving Size: 6

1 beef roast (any kind)

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

1 envelope brown gravy mix

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup warm water

Place roast in crockpot. Mix contents of all 3 envelopes and sprinkle over roast. Pour water into the bottom of the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes or hot buttered egg noodles.

Notes:

If you would like to cut down on the salt in this recipe, use only half an envelope of ranch salad dressing mix.

If using a chuck roast, leave out the water

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP

4 oz. dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

3/4 cup 5% ricotta cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup vegetable stock or water

3 tablespoons chopped black olives

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

In a small bowl, pour boiling water to cover over sun-dried tomatoes.

Let stand 15 minutes. Drain and chop.

In a food processor combine sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, parsley,

stock, olives, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic;

process until well combined but still chunky.

Yield: 8 Servings (Makes 1-3/4 cup)

Per serving: Calories: 111, Protein: 6 g, Sodium: 356 mg,

Cholesterol: 8 mg, Fat: 6 g, Carbohydrates: 10 g,

Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Fat

Adapted from source: The Best Diabetes Cookbook by Katherine E. Younker

Quick Parmesan Herb Dip

Quick Parmesan Herb Dip

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (reduced fat is fine, but not nonfat), softened

1 1-pound container sour cream (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 to 4 tablespoons minced red onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the

plastic-can variety)

1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional)*

Salt to taste

Round loaf of bread (for a bowl)

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and

fluffy, about 1 minute.

Blend in the sour cream, then stir in the parsley, onion, garlic,

and mustard. Add the lemon juice, basil, paprika, cayenne, and

Parmesan cheese; stir.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of the Worcestershire sauce. Taste, then decide

if you want to add more. Add salt to taste. Assess the texture: If

necessary, thin it by whisking in milk a teaspoon or so at a time.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Serve the dip in a hollowed-out loaf of bread, with dipping

vegetables and crackers arranged in a star. Makes 3 1/2 cups of dip.

* Vegetarians can omit Worcestershire or use the vegan version.

Red Hot Fusilli

Red Hot Fusilli

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1-cup

This lively low-saturated fat pasta dish contains lots of tomatoes and herbs and very little oil.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly minced parsley
4 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon oregano leaves, crushed or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground red pepper or cayenne pepper to taste
8 oz. uncooked fusilli pasta (4 cups cooked)
1/2 lb. cooked (or ¾ lb. raw) chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (optional)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté garlic and parsley until golden.

Add tomatoes and spices. Cook uncovered over low heat 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add chicken and continue cooking for 15 minutes until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick.

Cook pasta in unsalted water. Drain.

To serve, spoon sauce over pasta and sprinkle with coarsely chopped parsley. Serve hot as a main dish and cold for the next day's lunch.

Pancake Casserole

Pancake Casserole

35 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 6

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
12 slices bacon, crisp and crumbled

Grease and flour 9x13 pan.

Beat together Bisquick, sugar, eggs, milk, syrup, and 1/2 cup cheese, pour into casserole.

Bake 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, uncovered.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.  Bake 3-5 minutes more until cheese is melted.

Serve warm with additional warmed maple syrup, if desired.