Friday Foodie Summer RoundUp (And a New Recipe!)

Tomorrow is the first day of Summer.  I don't know about you, but I definitely eat different foods in the summer.  A big bowl of chili or stew has no appeal when it's 90 degrees outside.  I also avoid turning my oven on when possible.  So here is a full roundup of recipes that I've posted here on the blog that are perfect for Summer.  We also eat more burgers on the grill, corn on the cob, and baked beans!  Of course, you can see all my recipes on the Friday Foodie page.

Main Dishes

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Sausage and Pepper Sauce
Sausage Filled Ravioli

Slow Cooker Ham Scalloped Potato Casserole 

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Tikka Masala

Acai Bowl

Fish Tacos

Kalua Pork

Side Dishes

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Apple and Carrot Salad
Salsa

Pasta Salad

Layered Salad

Broccoli and Cranberry Salad 

Chilled Soups

Blueberry Orange Soup
Chilled Berry Soup
Chilled Peach Soup

Sandwiches
Turkey Salad
Turkey-Apple-Apple Butter Sandwich
Sunshine Chicken Salad 

Breakfast
French Toast
Smoothies
Crunchy French Toast with Corn Flakes

Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes with Lemon-Blueberry Syrup

Desserts

Orange Creamsicle Pie

Lemonade Pie
Peach Cobbler
Berry Cobbler

Fruit Torte
Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Orange Creamsicle Muddie Buddies
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
Orange Creamsicle Cookies
Coffee Ice Cream

This week I used the Chocolate Eclair Dessert recipe and made a Lemon Eclair dessert.  It was so easy and SO very good!

Lemon Eclair Dessert

18-20 Graham Crackers
3 cups milk
2 pkg (3 oz) lemon instant pudding
8 oz. cool whip
1 tub lemon icing

Mix pudding, milk and cool whip together. 
Line bottom of 9" x 13" pan with graham crackers (my pan is slightly sloped so it took exactly 6 for the bottom)
Put 1/2 pudding mixture over crackers and top with another layer of crackers (this took 7 crackers for my pan.)
Put remaining pudding mixture over crackers and top with another layer of crackers (another 7)
Spread lemon icing over top of cracker layer and refrigerate for several hours.  You might be tempted to cut right into it, but let it sit for several hours so the graham crackers become soft.

Friday Foodie

Food blogger, Stephanie, at Plain Chicken posts a weekly meal plan on Sundays called "What's For Dinner?"  I've gotten many great ideas through the years of reading her blog and this week produced another winner!  It was one of the quickest and easiest soups I've ever made and it was delicious!

Chicken Taco Soup

2 boneless chicken breasts or 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet Taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn, drained
5 cups chicken broth

sour cream
cheese
Fritos

Slow Cooker:
Place uncooked boneless chicken breasts in slow cooker. Top with beans, tomatoes, corn, Ranch mix, taco seasoning and chicken broth. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.  Serve with Fritos, cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Stove Top:
In a Dutch Oven, combine cooked chicken beans, tomatoes, corn, Ranch mix, taco seasoning and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with Fritos, cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

I did the Slow Cooker version and let the aroma permeate the house for hours.  I bought pre-cooked shredded chicken and also added 2 chopped up bell peppers.  We used chili cheese flavored Fritos (these also go great in chili and tomato soup, try 'em some time!)

The verdict from Les, "I wouldn't change a thing!"

Friday Foodie

We have been having wonderful weather this week. Lows in the 50s, highs in the low 80s. Cool enough that I needed a jacket for my ride yesterday. This makes me want to bake! Shall I make pumpkin or sweet potato muffins?

Earlier this week I made Pizza Soup. The original recipe can be found here. I made a few changes this time and calculated the Points Plus value. Bonus ~ the house smells wonderful while this is cooking!



1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 Italian sausage (I used turkey Italian sausage)
2/3 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters (Hormel turkey pepperoni)
Italian spices such as basil, garlic, and oregano to taste
1 cup of dried whole wheat pasta
shredded WW mozzarella cheese (to add later)


1. Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot.
2. Cook and cut up the sausage into small pieces--I sliced, then cut the pieces in fourths. Add to crockpot.
3. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too.
4. Add spices. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.
6. Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high.
7. Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Nutritional data: 173 calories, 11 g protein, 10.7 g carbs, 6 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 4 WW Points Plus. Makes 6 servings.

Friday Foodie

Since I wasn't satisfied with the recipe I tried last week, I made my own version of Peach Soup this week.


Chilled Peach Soup

6 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup V-8 Fusion Peach-Mango juice
dash ground cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Process until smooth
3. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

This is what I was hoping for! I think using fresh peaches helped too, they were juicier than frozen.

Nutritional info: 55 calories / 0.33 g protein / 13 g carbs / 1.0 g fiber / 0.0 g fat / 1 WW points plus per serving. Makes 6 servings

Friday Foodie

After a very cool Spring, Summer arrived in full force this week. Highs in the 90s, staring at triple digits. What's a person to eat? Chilled soup, of course! I've tried three different recipes since we got back from our cruise - two this week. They have all been wonderful! On our cruise the soups were served as appetizers, we've been having them for dessert.

Blueberry Orange Soup

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups orange juice (I used Tropicana Light)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

1. In a saucepan bring blueberries, orange juice, brown sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir to combine. Dissolve cornstarch with water; gradually stir into blueberry mixture. Cook and stir until clear and lightly thickened.
2. Pour into a bowl; refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip swirled in. Garnish with blueberries and mint, if desired.

Nutritional info: 105 calories / 0.5 g protein / 13.75 g carbs / 2 g fiber / 0.0 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 4 servings

Chilled Berry Soup

1 cup vanilla soymilk
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Sliced fresh strawberries, if desired
Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

1. In blender or food processor, place soymilk, frozen strawberries, orange juice and sugar.
2. Cover; blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Pour into individual serving bowls; top with sliced fresh strawberries and mint.

This took no time at all. I didn't have orange juice on hand when I made this one, so I substituted V-8 Fusion Light Pomegranate Blueberry juice. Mmmm!! We didn't top with fresh mint, but we did add a little Cool Whip.

Nutritional info: 81 calories / 2.5 g protein / 15 g carbs / 2.25 g fiber / 0.375 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 4 servings

Chilled Peach Soup

16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed slightly
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups orange juice (again, I used Tropicana Light)
dash ground cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Process until smooth
3. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

This was not as "peachy" tasting as I would have liked. It was good, but the orange juice overpowered the peaches. I'll probably try V-8 Fusion in Peach Mango flavor next time.

Nutritional info: 98 calories / 0.875 g protein / 18 g carbs / 1.5 g fiber / 0.10 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 6 servings

Good to Know

I was reading my latest edition of Runner's World magazine. Along with many helpful hints about running in the heat, staying hydrated, etc., there was a little tidbit I found very interesting...

Gelato actually has less butterfat than ice cream. A half cup contains 150 calories and four grams of fat versus 200 or more calories and eight grams of fat for ice cream.

Now we know why I didn't gain weight on our cruise. They called gelato a healthier indulgence! Bravo, gelato! I just found out we have a gelateria nearby ~ has anyone eaten at Melt Gelato?? We'll be giving it a try as soon as we get a chance! And they have my favorite -Stracciatella!


The magazine also suggested eating cold soups... I will be posting three cold soup recipes this Friday! Quick, easy, tasty, and super low in calories/points! An even healthier indulgence.

Friday Foodie

When we went to Indianapolis last year for Christmas, my sister-in-law, Monica, made a wonderful chicken noodle soup. I finally tried it this week!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
3-14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1-10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1-10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1- 8 oz package spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces
7 celery ribs, diced
6 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp pepper
2 cups milk

Melt butter in dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except the milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.
Stir in milk and return to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes.

I remembered this as being so yummy and my memory was right! It was so creamy I didn't need any crackers (yeast rolls on the side were perfect!)

I cut the recipe in half, so I didn't use the cream of mushroom soup. Sorry I didn't get a picture. Les flew in last night and we were ready to eat when he walked in the door!

I don't have clear nutritional info, still working on that with the new WW plan. I did calculate each ingredient, then added them all together for a total of 20 points for the entire recipe. I'm pretty sure we'll get 6 servings. Anyway you look it at, it's a very low calorie or low point meal!

Friday Foodie

This is a two week Friday Foodie - one recipe from last week and one from this week!

Last week we had a touch of Fall in the air and that made me want Pumpkin muffins! I had my spice cake mix but could not find canned pumpkin anywhere. Did you know there has been a damaged pumpkin crop? Well there has! As I stood in the grocery store trying to figure out what to do, it hit me! Here's what I made:

Spice Muffins

Makes 18 muffins
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz. can Sweet potatoes in light syrup


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease cupcake pans. Mix ingredients and pour in prepared pan. Bake according to mix instructions for cupcakes, using the full amount of time (approximately 25 minutes).

Remove from oven and enjoy while still warm!


Yes, I used sweet potatoes in muffins and they were SO good! They had a lighter consistency than the pumpkin muffins but they really hit the spot.

Nutritional info: 129 calories / 0.28 g fiber / 1 g fat / 2.6 WW points. (The pumpkin muffins are 2.4 WW points each.)


This week I tried a recipe from Parade Magazine in the Sunday paper. It sounded so good, but the calorie and fat count was really high. 410 calories with 30 grams of fat for a bowl of soup is out of my range! I looked over the ingredients to discover the only truly fattening item was coconut milk. Did you know 1 cup of coconut milk has 552 calories with 57 grams of fat? I didn't either!! I substituted low fat vanilla soymilk and 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut for the coconut milk and made a wonderful soup! And I cut 19 grams of fat PER SERVING!!!

Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup

Spicy Relish
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1/2 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into a small dice
Salt and fresh black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sweet Potato–Coconut Soup
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
3 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a large dice
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (Substitute 1 1/2 cups light vanilla soymilk and 2 Tbsp. toasted coconut to reduce calories and fat)
1 Tbsp clover honey
Large pinch of ground cinnamon



1. For relish: (You should actually start this after you add your sweet potatoes to your pot of soup in step two) Heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes; heat for 10 seconds. Add the diced sweet potato, salt, and pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until diced potatoes are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the parsley.

2. For soup: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock and water; bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

3. Transfer mixture to a blender and process until smooth. Return to saucepan; simmer over low heat. Whisk in coconut milk, honey, and cinnamon. Cook until thickened and warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; top with a spoonful of the spicy relish.

Serves 4. Per serving Original recipe: 410 calories / 30 g fat /4 g fiber / 10 WW points. Per serving Revised recipe: 331 calories / 11 g fat / 8.9 g fiber / 5.8 WW points.

I don't know what the original "full fat" recipe tasted like, but this was really good! There were so many different flavors from sweet to spicy! And we used the points we saved to enjoy some wonderful yeast rolls!

Friday Foodie

I tried two new recipes this week and was very happy with them both!!

Southwestern Minestrone with Ravioli

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced, 1 cup
1 zucchini, thinly sliced, 1 cup
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2" slices, 3/4 cup
2 carrots, cut into 1/4" slices, 3/4 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dry Southwestern seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup frozen mini ravioli

In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and seasonings; cook, stirring occasionally until softened, 10 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes and beans; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have blended, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Stir ravioli into soup.

I, of course, made a few tweaks to the original recipe. I followed the first two steps, but then put everything in my crock pot on low for about 4 hours. The original recipe called for a 13 oz. package of ravioli, I only used a cup and it was plenty. I did not cook the ravioli, but about an hour before we ate, I just dumped them in the crock pot too.

Nutritional info: 140 calories, 5.6 g fiber, 1.1 g fat, 1.8 WW points per serving. Makes 6 servings. FYI, the original recipe was 284 calories, 8 g fiber, 8 g fat, 4.7 WW points! All I reduced was the ravioli!

This was really good! I used original Rotel tomatoes and that made the soup very spicy! We loved it. I also made No Pudge brownies that day - chocolate, the perfect follow up to spicy food!

My second recipe was one I got from my sister-in-law, Monica. She made this for us on Christmas and I had to get the recipe!

Butternut Squash Bake

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups mashed, cooked, butternut squash (1 squash)

Topping
1/2 c. crisp rice cereal
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbs. butter or margarine, softened

Bake squash until slightly softened. I put mine in the oven at about 300, and did housework! I checked it from time to time until it seemed about as soft as a baked potato. I think it was in the oven for about an hour. Then I peeled it, split it open, and got rid of the goop!

Cream butter and sugar in bowl. Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla. Stir in squash. Mixture will be thin. Pour into greased pan (mine was a 10" pan). Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes or until set.

Combine topping and sprinkle over squash. Return to oven, bake 5-10 minutes or until bubbly.

I made very minor changes to the recipe - used Egg Beaters instead of eggs, low fat margarine instead of the full fat and Splenda instead of sugar. I thought this might be high on the points scale because it is so yummy, but was pleasantly surprised!

Nutritional info: 154 calories, 1 g fiber, 5 g fat, 3.3 WW points per serving. Makes 8 servings.