Fruit Rolls Ups/Leather

2..5- 3 cups ripe fruit OR defrosted frozen fruit (I've only used thawed frozen strawberry so far)
2 tsp lemon juice
sweetener to taste: honey, sugar, agave etc.
dash of cinnamon, vanilla, extracts or other seasonings as desired (optional)

Preheat oven to lowest temperature (140°- 170°).  Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Pour onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap, or a silicone baking mat (don’t use foil, parchment, or waxed paper), and spread to 1/8″ thick.  Place in oven and bake for 6-8 hours, until center is not tacky anymore.  Remove from oven and peel off of baking sheet.  Cut into strips and roll in parchment or plastic.  Store in airtight container or freeze.

Ranchero Beans (Homemade Refried Beans)

3 cans pinto beans and 1-3 cups water OR 5 cups water + 2 cups dry pinto beans

1 onion, peeled and quartered OR 1 Tbls minced onion
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 jalapeno (optional)
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1 cup salsa or taco sauce

Bend 1cup of water, onion, garlic, jalapeno and carrot until finely chopped. Place blended veggies and all other ingredients in crock pot on low for 4-8 hours. Mash with potato masher.

These are great thrown in a tortilla with some cheese and chicken.

Frozen White Chocolate Yogurt Pretzels

Frozen White Chocolate Yogurt Pretzels

175 Calories 22 Carbs 15g Protein 3g Fat

VIA

Ingredients:

• 1 Serving Reduced Fat Snyders Pretzels
• 3/4 Box Sugar Free/ Fat Free White Chocolate Pudding Mix
• 1/2 Cup Plain Fat Free Chobani Yogurt

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine yogurt and pudding mix
2. place in freezer for 5 minutes to get thick
3. remove from freezer and dip pretzels in,
4. smooth with a spatula. 
5. place pretzels in freezer for 35 minutes.

Protein-Packed Grilled Cheese

Recipe from Double Delicious! by Jessica Seinfeld

Bean Spread

• 1 cup drained and rinsed low-sodium white beans , such as navy or cannellini
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 clove garlic , roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Sandwich

• 4 slices whole-wheat bread
• 8 Tbsp. bean spread
• 8 Tbsp. shredded part-skim mozzarella

Directions

For the bean spread, place the beans, lemon juice, ricotta, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a mini-chopper and blend until smooth. Spread each slice of bread with 2 tablespoonfuls of the bean spread. Divide the cheese among the 4 slices and toast in a toaster oven until the cheese is golden and melted.

Store the remaining dip in an airtight container. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Refried Beans

Refried Beans

3 C dry pinto beans
1 medium onion
3-5 Cloves garlic
1 Chunk uncooked bacon
salt
garlic salt
cumin
8 oz. Cream Cheese

Wash the beans a couple of times in a colander and pick out "the rocks". Fill the pan with water and soak overnight.
In the morning...pour off the bubbly water and replace with fresh water.

Put in some chunks of uncooked bacon for flavor. (I buy a pound of bacon...cut it sideways, across the slices, about an inch wide or so, in 6 or so chunks...put them in freezer bags and put one of the chunks in each batch of beans I cook.)

Add minced garlic and chopped onion and some salt.

Cook for 3-4 hours till tender, adding water as needed to keep them covered with water.

After beans are tender, remove ALMOST all the water and mash with a potato masher, bacon pieces and all...they kind of dissolve in the process but add some flavor. ( I don't blend them with an electric mixer or shake maker. I like to see some beans for texture.)

Add 8 0z 'softened in the microwave'
Cream Cheese... this is the secret to the BEST beans.

Salt, cumin, and garlic salt to taste.

Serve as bean dip, side dish or the main filling in a burrito.

Super Quick Breakfast Granola Bars

Super Quick Breakfast Granola Bars
(Makes one 9x9 pan of bars)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed soft brown sugar
4 tablespoons golden syrup
3 1/3 cups rolled oats (or a combo of oat and kamut flakes)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
*1/2 cup raisins
*1/4 cup dried cranberries
*1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

*Or 1 cup total of your favorite dried fruit and or nuts. Try coconut and dried pineapple or dried apple and walnuts! Yum!

Directions:
Grease a small shallow microwave safe 9x9 baking dish. Set aside.

Place the butter or margarine, sugar, and golden syrup in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high power for 1 to 2 minutes, or until butter or margarine is melted. Stir in the oats, raisins, cranberries and apricots and mix well.

Press mixture into dish. Cook on high power for about 5 - 6 minutes or until the centre is bubbling. Allow to cool a little then press down more with the back of a spatula. Place in fridge 2 - 3 hours. Once fully cooled, cut into squares. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

From Mama Manifesto

Salsa

It never turns out the same because I don't use any standard measurements, but here's the basic outline for my salsa.

4 Whole, fresh tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic
Half an onion
4-8 Peppers (Jalapeno, Serrano, Habanero, whatever sounds good)
Salt

Usually I use one or two peppers for every tomato, but you can change it depending on how hot you want it and what kind of pepper you're using. I like to use 3 or 4 Jalapenos and 2 or 3 Serranos.

• Rip the stems off the peppers and cut the stem base out of the tomatoes
• Put the peppers and tomatoes in a pot of water, and place on the stove on High
• Remove from heat after the water starts to boil and the skin starts to fall off the tomatoes
• Peel the skin off the tomatoes (I usually run then under cold water while doing this to keep from burning myself) and put the tomatoes and peppers in the blender
• Add the onion and garlic to the blender along with about half to one cup of water from the pot (amount of water changes the thickness of the salsa)
• Blend everything together, at least until there are no big chunks of anything
• Add salt to taste (usually 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.)
• Serve with chips or over anything you want!
  

No Bake Chewy Granola Bars

No Bake Chewy Granola Bars

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey (or corn syrup or molasses etc)
2 cups granola*
1 cup rice cereal*
1/2 cup raisins*
1/2 cup thin pretzel sticks*
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips*

*You can basically put whatever you want in here. I put in some oatmeal, granola, rice cereal, ground fiber one, and peanut butter. I left out the raisins, pretzels and chocolate chips.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

2. Add the granola, rice cereal, raisins and pretzels to the saucepan and fold the ingredients to evenly coat with the sauce. Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill. Gently press the chocolate chips onto the top of the granola. Let the granola mixture set in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into 2 1/4-by 3-inch bars.

From Rachel Ray Magazine

Mango Salsa

1 mango peeled and diced
1 avocado peeled and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp fresh lime juice
1/4 c chopped red onion
3 Tblsp olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the avocado and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. Add the avocado just before serving.

Easy Tacos

Whole wheat tortillas, reduced fat cheese, Zonya mexi mix mixed with black beans, tomato, lettuce. Taco sauce, avocado, olives are optional.

Zonya Mexi Mix:

• 5 T cumin
• 6 T chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion flakes or ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp pepper

Mix and store in a Ziploc bag.

Easy Sloppy Joes

Drained black beans mixed with BBQ sauce served on toasted whole wheat bun.

Easy, Healthy Pizza

whole wheat pita as crust

spread with pre-made pizza sauce

load with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, all micro cooked for a few seconds or sautéed in no-stick pan.

Sprinkle w/ reduced fat mozzarella cheese. The more veggies you have on top, the less cheese you will need. Bake at 425 10 mins. in preheated pan)

Granola Bars

1 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
mix well
add
4 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips

spread on cookie sheet

bake in 375 oven for 25 minutes

You can play with this and not use peanut butter and add raisins. Sometimes i add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup warm water

Directions:
In a bowl, blend flour, salt, baking powder and shortening until it resembles fine meal.

Add warm water, a little at a time, to flour mixture and toss until liquid is incorporated. Water amount will vary with different flour types.

Form dough into a ball and kneed on a floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide, and make 12 smaller balls. Cover with damp warm cloth and let stand at least 30 minutes.

Roll each ball of dough on a floured surface to make 6 or 7 inch sized tortillas. Place on a pre-heated griddle or cast iron skillet and cook till medium golden on both sides.

Remove to a basket lined with a cloth towel or put between a towel until cool. After the tortillas have cooled completely, store them in a plastic bag. This recipe will make approximately 12 small flour tortillas or 6 that are big enough to put lots of yumminess in.

Protein Bars

Ingredients:

Strawberry Cheesecake:

1 (4-serving) box instant cheesecake pudding
1 cup rolled oats
2T natural peanut butter
1 + 3/4 cup (6 scoops) strawberry whey protein
2/3 - 3/4 cup skim milk, as needed
wheat bran

Vanilla Butterscotch :

1 (4-serving) box instant butterscotch pudding
1 cup rolled oats
2T natural peanut butter
1 + 3/4 cup (6 scoops) vanilla whey protein
2/3 - 3/4 cup skim milk, as needed
wheat bran

Instructions:

1. Line the inside of a 6 x 6 glass baking dish with wax paper (9×13 dish works but you may want to double the recipe or they will be very thin). Coat the wax paper with cooking spray.

2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the peanut butter and mix well. Slowly add the milk and stir until well mixed and the batter is moist and very sticky, making it almost impossible to stir (the stickier, the better).

3. Spread into the dish and try to flatten as best possible. Use another sheet of wax paper coated in cooking spray as a glove to fit the mixture to the dish. Cover the top with wheat bran and press it into the mixture until there are no sticky spots (excess wheat bran is fine). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or pop in the freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Now, pick the mixture out of the dish by lifting the sides of the wax paper and turn it upside-down into the dish so the wheat bran covered side is on the bottom. Slowly remove the wax paper. If this is too difficult, place the dish in the freezer for a little while longer. Cover the new top with wheat bran and press it into the mixture. Cut into 12 pieces and use the extra wheat bran in the dish to coat all sides of the bars.

5. Individually wrap each bar in wax paper and store in the fridge or freezer.