The Saturday Evening Dessert - Mexican Bread Pudding

This week's Saturday Evening Dessert is a Mexican Bread Pudding. It's from the CooksRecipes website which has a fantastic selection of delicious and healthy recipes, Enjoy!  http://www.cooksrecipes.com/index.html

Mexican Bread Pudding

Layers of bread and shredded cheddar are arranged in a baking dish, covered with a sweet cinnamon syrup and then baked slowly to golden perfection.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend
1/2 cup Splenda® Granulated No Calorie Sweetener

1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 (1/2-inch thick) slices of day-old French bread
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup raisins

Cooking Directions:

1 - Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C).
2 - Combine the water, Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend, Splenda® Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon stick, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Set aside.
3 - In a baking dish, arrange a layer of the bread, sprinkle with a layer of cheese, then raisins and pour some of the syrup on top. Continue this process until all of the ingredients have been used.
4 - Bake for 1 hour. Serve hot or cold.
Makes 12 servings. Serving Size: 3/4 cup bread pudding.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of recipe; 3/4 cup): Calories 250 | Calories from Fat 60 | Fat 7g (sat 4.0g) | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 240mg | Carbohydrates 37g | Fiber 2g | Sugars 26g | Protein 7g.

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/diabetic/mexican_bread_pudding_recipe.html

Diabetic Dish of the Week - White Bean and Tomato Bruschetta

Another Diabetic Friendly Appetizer to serve at your Holiday parties.

White Bean and Tomato Bruschetta


Ingredients

 2 tablespoons oil-packed dried tomatoes
 1/2 cup snipped watercress or fresh flat-leaf parsley
 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
 1 cup canned white kidney beans (cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
 1 tablespoon fat-free milk
 2 -3 teaspoons lemon juice
 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 2 cloves garlic, cut up
 12 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette-style French bread
 Watercress sprigs (optional)
Directions

 Preheat broiler. Drain tomatoes, reserving oil; finely snip tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine snipped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of the reserved oil, the 1/2 cup watercress or parsley, and the pine nuts; set tomato mixture aside.
 In a food processor or blender, combine another 1 teaspoon of the reserved oil, the beans, milk, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Set bean mixture aside.
 Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted, turning once. Remove from oven; cool slightly.
 Place about 1 tablespoon of the bean mixture on each of the toasted bread slices, spreading evenly to edges. Broil 4 inches from heat about 1 minute or until bean mixture is warm. Remove from oven. Top each with some of the tomato mixture. If desired, garnish with watercress sprigs. Serve immediately. Makes 12 appetizers.
Make Ahead Tip

 Prepare as directed through step 3. Cover and chill tomato and bean mixtures separately for up to 24 hours. Place toasted baguette slices in an airtight container; store at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Preheat broiler. Continue as directed in step 4.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

PER SERVING: 75 cal., 2 g total fat 184 mg sodium, 11 g carb. (1 g fiber), 3 g pro.

Diabetic Dish of the Week - Sweet Pear and Cheese Crostini

Here's a Diabetic Friendly Appetizer to have on hand for the Holiday's, Sweet Pear and Cheese Crostini.

Sweet Pear and Cheese Crostini

Ingredients

 16 3/8 - inch slice baguette-style French bread
 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese or other blue cheese, crumbled
 1 small ripe pear, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
 2 tablespoons flavored honey (such as French lavender honey) or regular honey
 Fresh mint sprigs (optional)


Directions

 Place bread slices on a large baking sheet. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 30 to 60 seconds or until bread is toasted. Turn bread slices over; top bread slices with Gorgonzola. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds more or until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted.
 Top bread slices with pear slices. Lightly drizzle pear slices with honey. Arrange bread slices on a serving platter. If desired, garnish with mint sprigs. Serve immediately. Makes 16 appetizers.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings Per Recipe: 16
PER SERVING: 72 cal., 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 5 mg chol., 175 mg sodium, 10 g carb. (1 g fiber), 3 g pro.

Progresso Kitchen Favorites Classic Lasagna w/ Baked French Bread

Today’s Menu: Progresso Kitchen Favorites Classic Lasagna w/ Baked French Bread

We are celebrating my Dad's Birthday today, he's 91! We were going to grill some steaks but he wanted some Lasagna so that's what we had. This is our favorite Lasagna, Progresso Kitchen Favorites Classic Lasagna. It was very easy to make as the dinner kit contained the Lasagna Pasta, Tomato Herb sauce, Ricotta Sauce Mix, and Grated Parmesan Cheese. I added 1 LB. Lean Ground Turkey, 1 Cup water, 2/3 Cup 2% Milk, 1 (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (2 Cups), and I also added a bit more seasoning (McCormick Grinder Italian Herb). Basically you just layer your ingredients in a 8″ square baking dish and cover and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes and bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered. The product description along with full instructions are at the bottom of the post.

Prepared by the instructions it was 390 calories but I cut that and the carb count down by using Honeysuckle White Extra Lean Ground Turkey instead of Beef and Sargento Reduced Fat 2% Mozzarella Cheese. The Lasagna came out delicious! Everyone really loves this. I’ve got a quick and easy way to have Lasagna now. The flavor was excellent. The Sauce was thick and well seasoned and the same for the pasta, perfect. We had a side of Walmart Marketside French Bread. Just bake at 400 for 12 minutes and it's ready. For dessert later a Jello Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding topped with Cool Whip Free.

Progresso Kitchen Favorites Classic Lasagna

Directions
Ready to bake in about 20 minutes. You Will Need: 1 lb lean ground beef; 1 cup water; 2/3 cup milk; 1 bag (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups); nonstick cooking spray and foil. Sauce: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brown beef in 10-inch skillet, breaking up beef into small pieces; drain. Stir Tomato Herb Sauce and water into beef; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix Ricotta Sauce Mix and milk in liquid measuring cup or small bowl, using whisk or fork. Layer: Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Layer lasagna: Spread about 2/3 cup beef sauce in dish. Layer with 2 uncooked Pasta sheets (side by side), 2/3 cup beef sauce (cover Pasta with sauce), 1/4 cup ricotta sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers twice, starting with Pasta. Add remaining Pasta, beef sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Kitchen Tip: Substitute 1/4 cup dry red wine for 1/4 cup of the water.

Product Details
Add beef & cheese! Quality Foods. Quality ingredients included. Lasagna pasta; tomato herb sauce; ricotta sauce mix; grated parmesan cheese. Exchanges: 2 starch, 3-1/2 medium fat meat. Carbohydrate Choices: 2. Made with quality ingredients. Progresso Kitchen Favorites dinners combine high quality ingredients to create delicious meals that become family favorites!

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 0.167 pkg
Servings per container: 6
Before Preparation

Nutrient Qty %DV

Calories 390 – Prepared
Calories from Fat 10
Total Fat 1 g 2%
Cholesterol -5 mg 1%
Sodium 510 mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 23 g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2 g 8%
Sugars 6 g
Protein 4 g
Vitamin A 6%
Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 6%
Iron 4%

Pork Chop w/ Seasoned Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and French Bread

Dinner Tonight: Pork Chop w/ Seasoned Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and French Bread

It looks as though our hot and humid weather has returned to the Ohio Valley, and it's going to last through out the week. For dinner I had a Pork Chop w/ Seasoned Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and fresh baked French Bread. I seasoned the Chop with McCormick Grinder Sea salt and Black Peppercorn along with a light coat of flour. I then pan fried it in Extra virgin Olive Oil about 4 minutes per side on medium heat. As a rule they always say to get your Pork at thermometer reading of 165 degrees. After frying the Chop I topped it with JB's Fat Boy Haug Waush Bar b cue Sauce. Love Pork Chops!

For sides I heated up a can of Margaret Holme's Seasoned Corn, I've been using Margaret Holmes products for a while now. I also had Idahoan 4 Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Another very easy side to fix. Just add water and microwave and you have some tasty Mashed Potatoes. Then I baked some more of the delicious French Bread I had purchased from Walmart yesterday. For dessert/snack later a 100 Calorie Mini Bag of Jolly Time Pop Corn.

Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken w/ Roasted Red Potatoes, Honey Dijon Carrots,...

Today's Menu: Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken w/ Roasted Red Potatoes, Honey Dijon Carrots, and Baked French Bread & Garlic Spread

I cut this recipe out of the paper back in the first week of June and just getting around to prepare it. Now I'm mad I took so long to try it, it turned out incredible! It's another one of those winner, winner Chicken Dinners! The Chicken was moist & tender and bursting with great flavor. Did I mention how moist it was? I actually served it right from cast iron skillet. The skillet kept it warm and the Chicken just kept soaking up those great juices. It was the first time I butterflied a Chicken like that. I butchered it a bit removing the spine but it wasn't a bad for a first attempt. Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. You just place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Use sturdy kitchen shears to cut down the length of the spine on both sides. Discard the spine. Turn the bird breast side up. Gripping the 2 cut sides where the spine used to be, open up the bird, pressing down firmly at the center to flatten it.

 In a small bowl, mix together salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over the entire chicken. Set a large cast-iron skillet on a burner over medium-high heat. When the skillet it hot, add the chicken, breast side down. Let the chicken brown for 5 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip the bird so the breast side is up.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.  Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate. The leftovers are going to make some killer Chicken sandwiches for lunch tomorrow! They'll be plenty of leftovers as I'm the only one enjoying the dinner tonight, parents had plans elsewhere.

For side dishes I had Roasted red Potatoes, Honey Dijon Carrots, and Baked French Bread topped with Garlic Spread Butter. i purchased the Chicken and all the sides from walmart early this morning. I normally purchase Whole Grain or Harvest Grain Bread to go with my meals but this loaf of French Bread looked to good to pass up! My Roasted Red Potatoes recipe along with Skillet Chicken recipe are at the end of the post. The Carrots were frozen Green Giant Seasoned Steamers, microwave and done! For dessert later a bowl of Breyer's Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream topped with some fresh Blue Berries.

Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Use sturdy kitchen shears to cut down the length of the spine on both sides. Discard the spine. Turn the bird breast side up. Gripping the 2 cut sides where the spine used to be, open up the bird, pressing down firmly at the center to flatten it.
2. In a small bowl, mix together salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over the entire chicken.
3. Set a large cast-iron skillet on a burner over medium-high heat. When the skillet it hot, add the chicken, breast side down. Let the chicken brown for 5 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip the bird so the breast side is up.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.
5. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate.



Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

Small Gourmet Red Potatoes, quartered
Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Black Peppercorn, Parsley and Dried Dill, to taste

Directions:

*HEAT oven to 400ºF. Cook Turkey Bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels.

*ADD quartered potatoes to reserved drippings; cook 5 min., season while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Crumble bacon. Add to potatoes; mix lightly. Spoon into 13×9-inch baking dish.

*BAKE 20-30 min. or until potatoes are tender and done. Top with cheese and parsley, optional.