One of my favorite things to do is to look in my refrigerator with the goal of creating something delicious from whatever I find there. Using up leftovers makes me feel thrifty. Often, they even taste better because the flavors have had a little time to develop.
Here’s a perfect example of that. For dinner the night before this project, I had made chicken breasts dipped in egg and sprinkled with cheese. Two were leftover. I had also made corn on the cob and cut off the extra kernels from extra cobs. I found some extra dried cherries, left over from a diabetic cake I had made my mom and a number of staples, like onions. All of this turned into a flavorful chicken salad that could become sandwiches for lunch or a nice side for dinner. Another possibility was to make “deviled” eggs without yolks by filling the eggs with the salad. Believe me; it quickly disappeared! Simply warming up those chicken breasts and over cooking them would not have been the same.
Here is the salad recipe and some tips for using it as an egg filling for a healthy after school snack!
Mix all ingredients together except the garnishes (toppings). Taste it and if necessary add more spices.
Chicken-Cherry Salad as a Side Dish. Garnished with sliced garden onions.
You can mix the salad ahead and chop the garnishes. Cover and refrigerate. If making deviled eggs, make them up at the last minute. If serving as a side, add garnishes at the last minute.
Older eggs peel better than really fresh ones. Every carton has a sell by date on it. Just make sure you stay within that time frame.
Think of a boiled egg simply as a container. They can be filled with your favorite tuna or any other salad for variety. Make a small slice on the bottom of each egg half so it will sit on a flat surface and won’t go sliding around on your plate.
Make a small slice on the bottom to “anchor” your eggs and keep them from sliding around on the plate.
If you still have an old one, throw it out and get a new one. Really. Pressure cookers today are very different and are much, much safer. They are easy to use, to clean, and allow you to save money on groceries by using those tougher, cheaper cuts of meat. You can get one for about $100. There are plenty of great recipes on line and even the ones that come in the little book with the cooker are fabulous. That’s because a perfectly tenderized meat is unbeatable. They also cook so much faster that you will save a lot of time. And last but not least, cleanup is much easier because you can make a one pot meal. They sauté, brown, simmer, warm and cook at both low and high pressure. Amazing machines they are – really!
Sprinkle the pork pieces with salt and pepper and brown them in batches. Then brown the onions (Optional).
Sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the cider vinegar over the whole thing. Put the top on the pressure cooker according to the instructions in the manual. Cook for 50 minutes under high pressure.
Release the pressure according to the instructions in the manual and stir in the BBQ sauce.
Serve over wide, cooked noodles or on soft buns.
I promise you this will be a hit with your family!
This is the fourth and last in the series of four WACKY things to do with tortillas! So of course it’s a dessert… and what a dessert! These healthy treats will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for several months. They are always great to pull out and enjoy… not just in the hot, summer months! These tasty treats contain only 350 calories per huge serving… enough to satisfy sweet tooth, although the main ingredient is a healthy banana! Great for an after school snack or as a make ahead dessert for a party!
Cut each banana in half. Lay the banana piece on a tortilla and trim it at each end of the banana.
Remove the banana and spread the tortilla with cream cheese. Place the banana on the end of the tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place seam side down and repeat for all bananas.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Brush melted chocolate on each tortilla roll; then roll in the ground nuts.
Push a Popsicle stick half way into each one. Freeze for at least two hours before serving or up to 1 month.
You can also melt chocolate in a microwave. Zap it in spurts starting with 20 seconds and reducing to 10 seconds each, stirring in between. Chocolate burns VERY easily, so zap it in moderation!
Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and all thoughts turn to chocolate, but how about a healthy snack instead that also shows love in a big way? I’m talking about a low calorie pizza, shaped like a heart and full of healthy ingredients. It’s the perfect solution. It sounds and looks indulgent, is quick and easy to make, tastes delicious and is full of good nutrition. Besides, shaping it like a heart makes it fun! There’s no dough in this pizza. It’s made with a wrap – yes a sandwich wrap – and if you find the right one it can even be gluten free. The wrap crisps in ten minutes and tastes like a thin crust or cracker pizza. Absolutely delicious. Your kids will think you’ve gone wacko encouraging them to eat pizza and only you and I will know the truth.
First, fold a piece of parchment or waxed paper (larger than your wrap) in half and cut out a heart. Then kept cutting it down until it’s just the right size to fit inside the wrap. Using kitchen scissors, hold this template on the wrap and cut it into a heart shape. Set it on a cookie sheet (no oil). (I used a Mex America tomato-basil wrap.) Then instead of tomato sauce, I spread some barbecue sauce all over the wrap. After that, it’s just a matter of choosing the toppings (and PS keep them healthy! No bacon or pepperoni). I used 1 cup of leftover cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. Then I added pieces of artichoke, corn cut from 1 leftover cooked cob and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. On top of that, I tossed 1/4 cup of low fat, grated cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of low fat, grated mozzarella cheese.
Granted, your kids might not like this particular combination, but there are plenty of healthy choices you can use for toppings: Low fat deli meat (chopped), cooked vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, fish like salmon, tilapia or tuna or cooked pork filet. See what you have in your frig and make up a fun combination of favorite things. Covering it with cheese makes it all taste good. And by the way, 1/2 cup of cheese is enough to add the cheesy taste. You don’t need to load it up.
Then bake your concoction in a pre-heated oven at 425 F for only 10 minutes. The baking time is even less using the wrap! This is a dish to please everyone – even the cook. I encourage you to give it a try!