BYU Brownies

Delicious!  But in order to keep this under 200 calories, I had to make my piece smaller.


From the BYU Magazine
BYU Brownies
1 cup butter or margarine
½ cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: Melt butter.  Add cocoa and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased 9X13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Let cool then ice with mint icing.  Place into freezer for 5-10 minutes to stiffen the icing.
Remove from freezer and carefully smooth on a layer of chocolate icing.

Mint Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
2 ½ oz. Crisco shortening
Dash of salt
2 oz. cold water
½ tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Directions:  Combine all ingredients except shortening.  Mix until smooth.  Add shortening and mix 10 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Chocolate Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
1.5 oz. hot water
1.5 oz butter or margarine
1.5 oz. melted chocolate chips
1 tablespoon corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Mix the hot water, margarine, and powdered sugar until smooth and margarine is fully melted.  Add the fudge base, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

Polish Kolaczki

David did a report on Poland for school.  He could bring in something from that country, clothing, food, a dance etc.  He of course wanted to bring food.  So I found this recipe online.  I couldn't get them to stay folded together very well, but they still taste great!  I ate three of them before I calculated the nutrition facts.  I might have to have a small dinner tonight.  I filled them with the jam I had on hand, apricot, raspberry, and strawberry-raspberry.  Delicious!

Polish Kolaczki

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened

12 ounces (3 sticks) butter, softened

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 (14-ounce) cans fillings of choice (apricot, prune, raspberry, etc.)

Granulated sugar

Confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners and granulated sugars (not flour), because the granulated sugar will act as ball bearings and help keep the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners sugar. These tend to become soggy if held for several days, so store them tightly covered (or freeze) without the confectioners sugar. Dust with confectioners sugar just prior to service.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

I am desperately trying to remember where I got this recipe.  I served it with some Caribbean Jerk Salmon.  Delicious!  The peas are not really peas, but rather red beans.  This was very good, and not very spicy.  perhaps it was because I only used a jalapeno instead of a Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper.  I also didn't have coconut milk (which would have been delicious and added a ton of fat and calories) so I used chicken broth instead.  Hopefully I'll find the link and add it in soon.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are tender, stir in the coconut milk, green onions, Scotch bonnet, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with sliced green onions.

Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

 I made this to go along with the egg drop soup!  It was delicious.  I have a recipe for Orange chicken, but it is fried.  This recipe is much healthier, except for the sodium content.  Another delicious recipe from Jamie.  I changed a few things like decreased the amount of chicken carrots and celery.  I omitted the bell peppers because I didn't have any.  I think that would add color and a great flavor.  Next time I'll be sure to add those!  Amy said it was the best chicken she had ever had.  I even forgot the salt and pepper and it was great!

Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

2 chicken breasts

1/2 C flour

1/4 t salt

2 T olive oil

4 large carrots

1 onion

1 bell pepper (red, green or orange)

4 stalks celery

salt and pepper to taste 

Sauce:

3/4 C fresh orange juice

1/4 C soy sauce

1/2 t ginger

2 t rice vinegar

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 t sesame oil

pinch red pepper flakes

2 T corn starch

1 C chicken broth

1. Cut chicken breasts up into 2 inch cubes. Combine the flour and the 1/4 t salt in a small bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture until all of the pieces are covered.

2. Heat up a large skillet. When it's nice and hot add 1 T oil and toss your floured chicken into it. 

3. Cook your chicken until it is golden all over. (About 10 minutes)

4. While your chicken is cooking up, chop up your veggies. Make sure they are about the same size.

5. When your chicken is pretty and golden, take it out of the pan and place it on a plate.

6. Add another T of oil into the hot skillet. Add your veggies and cook over medium high heat until crisp tender...about another 10 minutes.

7. While your veggies cook add all sauce ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan. Whisk them together until they are all combined nicely. Bring to a boil. Once it boils it should thicken up nicely for you.

8. When your veggies are crisp tender add your thickened sauce and chicken into the pan. Stir it all around and there you have it. Serve over a bed of rice.

Egg Drop Soup

I made this tonight, and it was delicious!!!  One serving is only about 70 calories so it really is healthy, although it's packed with sodium.  I halved it and it was perfect for our family of 5 with a little bit left over.  I suppose some kids didn't get a full serving. I also used frozen peas and carrots because I ran out of raw carrots. It was delicious and everyone but Amy loved it.  Once again another hit recipe from Jamie!

Healthy Egg Drop Soup

12 C water

11 bullion cubes

1/2 C chopped carrots

1/2 C frozen peas

2 T soy sauce

1/2 T rice vinegar

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 t sesame oil

2-4 T olive oil

4 beaten eggs

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped.

1. Place all ingredients but the eggs, green onions, and the peas in a large pot.
2. Bring to a hard rolling boil. Let it just a keep on boiling until your carrots are tender.
3. Add your peas let it boil until they are heated through. This shouldn't take long, only 2 minutes or so.
4. Add your eggs while the soup is still at the hard rolling boil. They should cook up pretty fast for you.
4. Remove from the heat when the eggs are cooked and add your green onions. Enjoy!

Sticky Apple-Cinnamon Rolls

I probably shouldn't have made these after I started a new diet, but I was stuck at home due to the snow, and Amy wasn't feeling well, so I made these and so far have done fine just eating half of one for a snack , and part of Amy's for breakfast the following morning.  They are delicious, even if I did forget to add the cinnamon - oops!

Sticky Apple-Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients

• 6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups  all-purpose flour
• 2 packages  active dry yeast
• 2 cups  milk
• 1/4 cup  granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons  salt
• 1   egg
• 1/2 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup  granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup  butter
• 2 cups  finely chopped peeled apple
• 1 cup  chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
• 1 recipe  Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2-1/2 cups of flour and the yeast. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat and stir milk, the 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter, and the salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Then, add the egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that's smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled (45 to 60 minutes).

4. For filling, in a small mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and the cinnamon. Cut in the 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

6. Roll the dough into a 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with filling, apple, and nuts. Roll up from long side, jelly-roll style. Pinch to seal edge.

7. Prepare Caramel Syrup. Pour into baking pan. Cut dough, crosswise, into 12 rolls and place, cut sides down, into prepared pan. Cover and let rolls rise until nearly doubled (about 45 minutes).

8. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and rolls sound hollow when lightly tapped. (Place baking sheet under baking pan to catch any drips.) Invert onto serving plate while warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Caramel Syrup

In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Stir in 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup corn syrup. Cook and stir until sugar melts. Remove from heat.

Minestrone Soup

This is the soup I made for the Relief Society dinner.  I did use vegetable broth, but it would be good with chicken broth as well.  I didn't use quite as much cabbage as it called for., and I substituted garbanzo beans for the kidney beans, and shell pasta for the orzo pasta, and I didn't have any zucchini.  Wow, I didn't realize I'd changed the recipe that much.  But it was delicious!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large head cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot combine the vegetable stock, the undrained tomatoes, potato, onion, celery, carrot, cabbage and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, corn, zucchini and pasta; simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.