Tropical Turkey Salad

Ingredients

1 (9 oz.) Package Perdue Short Cuts Oven Roasted Carved Turkey Breast
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks in natural juice, drained
1 green onion, chopped
8 cups salad greens
bottled vinaigrette dressing

Directions

In large bowl, combine turkey, oranges, pineapple and green onion

Arrange turkey mixture over salad greens.

Drizzle with dressing and toss until evenly coated.

Source: back of Perdue Short Cuts Oven Roasted Carved Turkey Breast package

I did not plan on making this. I had all the ingredients and I just want an excuse to enter something on my blog. I made this for lunch, only one serving.

Blackberry Jam without Pectin

Ingredients

2 cups of crushed blackberries or raspberries (I crush mine by putting all the berries inside a cup/bowl and smooshing them with a spoon)

2 cups of sugar

2 tsp. of lemon juice

Directions:

In a small pan cook blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice on high heat for 5 minutes and reduce to medium-high heat and cook an additional 15 minutes. Skim the foam off and store in a heat-proof container. The jam will thicken as it cools.

Source

I had leftover blackberries from Whole Foods that I use to put in salad but I wanted to use them before they went bad. I found a recipe that makes a jam without pectin, which is useful!

Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

1/3 cup AllWhites 100% Liquid Egg Whites
6-8 oz. orange juice
1 banana
couple cubes of ice

Directions

Add all ingredients in blender and turn on.

Source: back of AllWhites 100% Liquid Egg Whites container

This was actually really good! Do not worry about the egg whites, they are pasteurized so they are safe to eat.

Meringue Topping

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top Fudge Ribbon Pie or any dessert that calls for meringue.

Source

Fudge Ribbon Pie

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pints (4 cups) peppermint ice cream
1 9-inch baked pastry shell, cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup meringue powder
1/4 cup crushed peppermint-stick candy

Directions

1. For fudge sauce, in a small saucepan combine the 1 cup sugar, the evaporated milk, butter or margarine, and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Reduce heat and boil gently for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. If necessary, beat until smooth with wire whisk or rotary beater. Set aside to cool completely.

2. In a chilled bowl, stir 1 pint of the ice cream until softened. Spread into cooled pastry shell. Cover with half of the cooled fudge sauce. Freeze until nearly firm. Repeat with remaining ice cream and fudge sauce. Return to freezer while preparing meringue.

3. In a medium mixing bowl dissolve 3/4 cup sugar in the boiling water. Cool to room temperature. Add the meringue powder. Beat on low speed until combined; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). By hand, fold 3 tablespoons of the crushed candy into the meringue. Spread meringue over chocolate sauce layer, sealing to edge. Sprinkle top with remaining crushed candy. Freeze until firm (several hours or overnight). Bake in a 475 degree F oven for 3 to 4 minutes or just until meringue is lightly browned. Cover loosely and return to freezer for a few hours or overnight before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Source

My friend Sean first made this at school. I made this for my brother and sisters birthdays. Instead of peppermint ice cream which is usually only available during the holidays I used mint chocolate chip. Also, I made my own meringue, I did not use the meringue powder.

Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil (for covering)

Directions

Put all ingredients except olive oil into a blender or food processor and process, scraping down side of bowl once or twice, until mixture is smooth.

Transfer to a freezer container or jar and cover with 1/2 inch of olive oil on top.

Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Freeze for longer storage (several months).

Scoop oil off top with a spoon before using. Pour it back over any unused portion and return to refrigerator or freezer.

Source

Cream Cheese and Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
1 egg white
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1 tablespoon basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine cream cheese, pesto and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.

Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.

Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.

Source

Banana Walnut Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups.

2) Spread nuts on a tray and toast in pven 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

3) In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

4) In another bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla ubtil smooth and creamy. beat in eggs one at a time. Add mashed bananas and beat until combined.

5) Sti dry ingredients into banana minxture just until flour disappears. Lightly stir in nuts.

6) Spoon batter into muffin cups to the top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Source: Totally Muffins Cookbook, Celestial Arts, 1995.

We added green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day!

Chocolate Soymilk Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

I made some alterations but here is my version, the original is in the link.

Ingredients

1 medium banana, in chunks
1 cup Vanilla soymilk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Directions

Toss everything in a blender and blend until smooth! (Tip: it helps to add the peanut butter on top, last, or it might just stick at the bottom of your blender).

Source

Berry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place jam in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10-15 seconds or until melted. Whisk in the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator.

Source

Tangerine Tea

Ingredients

2 cup Water
1 1/2 cup Fresh tangerine or orange juice
1/4 cup Sugar; to taste
1/8 tsp. Ground cloves
1/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 tea Bags

Directions

Heat water to boiling in large saucepan. Stir in tangerine juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Heat to boiling. Simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Add tea bags. Let steep 3 - 4 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

In cold weather, add peach brandy or peach schnapps. This really warms you up!!

Source

I purchased a bag of tangerines to support a fundraiser at the school I am student teaching at. I do not just want to eat them as is so I looked up recipes that use tangerines.

Chinese Pepper Steak

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1/4 c. salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 lg. green peppers, sliced thin
2 lg. onions, sliced
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. beef bouillon
6 oz. can water chestnuts, sliced
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c. water

Directions

Saute steak in oil with ginger, salt, pepper and garlic about 3 minutes. Remove meat; set aside and keep warm. Add green peppers and onion to pan and cook about 3 minutes or until barely tender. Return meat to pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2 minutes. Serve over hot rice or Chinese noodles.

Source

I love pepper steak from the Chinese restaurant, especially from Ho Mei.

Fish in a Blanket

This is my lunch for the week, along with my salad.

Ingredients

2 6 oz. cans low sodium chunk white tuna
8 oz . package reduced fat cream cheese
4 8 inch low fat flour tortillas
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

In a bowl, mash together the tuna, cream cheese, chives, and garlic powder. Mix well. Spackle a thin layer onto half of the tortilla and roll it up tightly. Insert a toothpick in the roll-up every few inches. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make four roll ups. Nuke on high for 30 seconds.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale, 2002.

Lemon Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesen cheese
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breats
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs. butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, lemon peel, thyme leaves and salt. Dip chicken into egg, the coat with bread crumb mixture. Place in pan. Drizzle with butter.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center if thickest part is cut.

Source: back of Progresso Bread Crumbs container