• 1 box Taboule Wheat Mix
  Make Taboule as directed on the box. After you chill it in fridge for 30 minutes, then add the below ingredients. Stir it all up, let sit in fridge minimum 1 hour or overnight.
• 1 medium Tomato chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil chopped (or pulled to pieces by hand)
• 4 oz. Feta Cheese fat-free, crumbled ‘Herbed’  Tomato & Basil flavor. Comes in a 6 oz. plastic tub, purchased at Fry’s in the gourmet cheese section. I’m sure it would taste okay to use plain Feta Cheese.
• Optional: 2 Tablespoon chopped or slivered almonds

• 1 large Cucumber sliced or diced (set aside for now)
• 1/4 cup light Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup nonfat Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced Garlic (I buy the kind in a jar, already minced)
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
  Blend it all till pretty liquidized, I use the Magic Bullet. DO NOT put the cucumber in the blender. After blending it all up, pour mixture into a bowl, now add the diced cucumbers, stir it all up, add a pinch of salt & some fresh black pepper, & now ready to serve.

 Be sure to use a crockpot bag liner. No mess, no fuss at all

• 4 center cuts without bone or remove the bone. If you have a super large crockpot, then buy 5-6 chops.
• 4 Chicken Sausage Links bought at Fry’s (I used the apple flavor), cut each link into 5ths. You can substitute with kielbasa or hot dogs. But, I like a certain type of chicken sausage at Fry’s, because it has no nitrates.
• 3 cups Claussen Sauerkraut or your favorite sauerkraut. Claussen found cold in the section with the lunch meat. Be sure to use all the juice that comes with the kraut.
• 2 large potatoes peeled & cut up, not too small.
• 2 carrots, cut up, not too small.
• 1 apple, cut into sections, I used Gala apple.
• 1 small onion, diced.
• Tbsp. minced garlic (in a jar).
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper.
• caraway seed, few good shakes.
• 1/4 tsp. ginger powder.
• Optional: Very light sprinkle of celery salt. Remember, sauerkraut is salty enough as it is.

Boy oh boy, if you liked the Greenie Casserole hot dish, then you are gonna love this one! It is such a complete meal with all the necessary protein & carbs. It was my first experience working with Tofu, guess what, it tasted great. This would be nice to take on a picnic or to really impress someone. It’s a very colorful/pretty looking pasta salad.

INGREDIENTS:

 

• 1 Box Rainbow Pasta or Whole Wheat Pasta (precooked, slightly firm). Do not over cook, if too soggy, they’ll mush up when stirring later.
• 1 block Firm Tofu (remove from container & rinse it off).
• 1-2 cups Lima Beans (frozen).
• 1 cup Garbanzo Beans (canned & rinsed thoroughly).
• 2+ Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar (*see below for more info).
• 1/4 to 1/2 bottle of ‘Paul Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing’
  (**see below for more info).

  Whatever vegetables you wish to add, I use the following:

• 1 medium Bell Pepper.
• 2 small Carrots.
• 1 medium Cucumber.
• 2 small Tomatoes.
• Spices: Italian Seasoning, Black Pepper, & Celery Salt (careful).

YOU WILL NEED A HUGE MIXING BOWL.

Preparation:
Dice up all the vegetables. I have one of those hand crank choppers, it’s a life saver!
For the more harder veggies like the bell pepper, carrots, & lima beans, I precook them slightly in the microwave (add a bit of water). Do not overcook, just cook enough keeping them slightly crisp (drain off liquid). Freeze cool them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

In the giant bowl, add cooled down cooked veggies & lima beans, then add all remaining veggies. Add cooled off/rinsed pasta, add tofu, & all the spices. Stir it all up. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, then serve. Enough to feed a small army or 2 Joe’s

* When it comes to using Balsamic Vinegar, it can be deceiving. When you first pour it in, it smells & tastes like vinegar. After you mix everything up & the dish sits for a bit, it begins to take on it’s nutty flavor (what it’s known for). You definitely want to add to taste, I happen to use quite a bit.

I just made up the recipe last night & I tell you, it is so tasty. Joe loved it! Do not skip using the Lima Beans, they give it such nice flavor, plus, they are one of the most fibrous beans.

• 1 pkg. Jennie-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage. Remove skins & fry it up like hamburger meat, chopping as it cooks up.
• Green Cabbage small size.
• 2 Carrots diced.
• 2 Bell Peppers diced.
• 1-2 c. Lima Beans (frozen preferred, not canned).
• 2 c. Whole Wheat Pasta (precooked, not too soggy/soft).
• 2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil ( FYI: I usually use approx 4 Tbsp.).
• 2-3 Tbsp. Water (during cooking, add a bit more if needed).

• Tumeric (love this spice).
• Cilantro.
• Garlic Diced (I use the pre-diced in the small jars, found in the produce section).
• Poultry Seasoning.
• Black Pepper.
• Onion Flakes (or Onion Powder).
• Celery Salt (just a small dash, because we want the recipe to remain healthy).

DIRECTIONS
Fry meat in a large stew pot, once the meat is cooked, add all the ingredients. I like to put the cabbage in last because it cooks/shrinks itself down into the rest. Simmer with lid until cabbage is done, approx 30 to 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 lb cod fillets (or flounder)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups corn flakes (read label, choose low sugar brand)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 whole egg
1 egg white

While oven is preheating to 325, spray non-stick cooking spray into a baking dish. Put cornflakes, cayenne pepper, paprika and black pepper into a zip top bag and crush everything together. Personally, I like the texture the cornflakes add, but you can also crush them into a powder if you want. When it’s the consistency you want, empty the bag into a shallow dish.

Put the egg and egg white into a separate shallow dish, and whisk it completely. Dip the fish into the eggs, then completely dredge it in the dish with the cornflake mixture, then put it into your oiled baking dish. Keep a close eye on it because it bakes quickly, 15 to 18 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork and is opaque.

This is a great alternative to fried fish, and the cornflakes add a unique flavor too. It serves 4, with only 164 calories per serving and 199 mg sodium per serving.

Some people, reading my last few posts, may think I’m a vegetarian, or that I’m trying to convince people to eat less meat. The truth is, I love many forms of meat and don’t plan on giving it up anytime soon. Having said that here’s a great alternative to using ground beef for hamburgers:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable broth OR low sodium V-8 juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 large portobello mushrooms

Combine the liquid with all the ingredients EXCEPT the mushrooms in a large resealable plastic bag.

Remove stems from mushrooms, wash and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Place mushrooms, in a single layer, in the marinade. Press out excess air and seal bag. Marinate at room temperature for at least one hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Adjust your broiler’s cooking rack 4 inches from heat source and preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with vegetable cooking spray.

Place mushrooms on broiler pan. Broil, turning often until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully, especially the first time you cook them. They’re easy to make, but don’t trust your timer, its better to gauge the results on your eyes, not on the clock. Some people like to serve these whole on a bun, while others prefer to slice them thinly. This recipe makes 4 servings about 80 calories a serving and less than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

Note: You may want to sprinkle them with a just a bit of parmesan cheese while they’re broiling, but if you do so, you may also want to lessen the amount of salt you use.

This recipe is very quick to assemble.

• 6 Bell Peppers (green or red).
• Turkey Links Italian Sweet Sausage (sold in a package by the fresh chicken).
• 1 cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice or brown rice (we use only brown rice now).
• Low Sodium Tomato Sauce Two 6 oz. cans.
• Olive Oil 1-2 Tablespoons (always use Virgin Oil First Cold Pressed)

Remove skin from sausage and cook it in a frying pan to well done. Chop it up as it cooks, it frys up like hamburger. I also use turkey sweet sausage for my spaghetti sauce. Note: I always cook meats in a big cooking pot as opposed to a skillet. This way there’s no grease spattering onto stove.

Precook rice.

Wash peppers, cut tops off. If the peppers have crooked bottoms & won’t stand up, slice off slightly to even them out, careful to not cut a hole in the bottom.

Set oven @ 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Scoop mixture into the peppers, pack tight, & heap the tops.
Place the peppers in an oblong baking dish, add 1 cup of water, cover with foil for 30 minutes, the last 30 minutes remove the foil. 

Bake for 1 hour.

From: Linda Lee

A different kind of taste that you’ll certainly enjoy!

1 package Ground Jennie-O Turkey 99% Fat Free
3 Scallions chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Few slivers of fresh garlic, diced
Pinch of ground black pepper to taste

1.) Mix together all ingredients, form into 4 to 5 patties
2.) Place patties in a nonstick baking dish.
3.) Bake for 20 minutes @ 350°

Mayo Spread: Mix mayonnaise with fresh lemon juice and roasted garlic or garlic flakes, mix together and spread on top. Use ‘Best Foods’ low fat mayo. It has no Hydrogenated oils. One of the only ones on the market.

Serving Suggestions
For Lunch: Serve in a whole wheat bun w/sweet potato fries (medium portion) & small fruit cup.
For Dinner: Serve patty only (no bun), & serve w/sweet potato fries (small portion) & small dinner salad.