80--- Whole Wheat Tortillas

I made my peace with lard today. Lard, really? I know, I know. I am sure that I could have found a substitute for it, but I really wanted these to be authentic. AND, I figured, those tortillas that you purchase at the grocery store may have partially-hydrogenated oil in them. So, these are my Preservative-Free Whole Wheat Tortillas Made with Lard. I would suggest trying to find a lard that is refrigerated. This is less likely to be processed and hydrogenated.

However, it is PARTIALLY-hydrogenated oils that form trans fats. Trans fats have been shown to lower HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), reduce omega-3 fatty acids in our cells, elevate CRP (C-reactive-protein) leading to inflammation in our arteries, and interfere with immune functions and enzyme functions. When you compare saturated fats (in lard) to trans fats, saturated fats appear to be MORE healthful. However, note that saturated fats can negatively affect your cholesterol profile, especially if you are predisposed to heart disease. It is still recommended that you consume less than 7% of your total calories as saturated fat (that's less than 15 g per day if you consume a 2000 calorie diet).

You can substitute ALL white flour in these tortillas if you would like. Corn and wheat tortillas are naturally more fragile. I suggest if you would like to use these tortillas for tacos, put a thin layer of low fat refried beans under your meat to help with stability. The flavor of these homemade tortillas is wonderful--- the wheat flour makes them almost nutty.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Makes 20 - 8" tortillas

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup lard (refrigerated if you can find it-- so it is not processed)

1 cup hot water

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add lard to dry ingredients in spoonfuls. Use a pastry cutter to cut in lard until coarse crumbs are formed.

Add hot water, a little at a time, to crumbs. Stir to mix. Kneed dough 30-40 times until a ball is formed. Cover with a towel and let sit for one hour.

Roll dough into balls the size of golf balls and place on a tray. Cover tray with a towel and allow to set for 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Note: temperature needs to be exact for these tortillas-- you will learn as you go. If the heat is up too high, they will get charred spots. If it is too low, they will get crispy before getting brown spots.) Roll out a ball of dough very thin and place on skillet (even if you have a large skillet I would recommend only one at a time). Cook until brown spots are formed (~10-15 seconds each side). Continue rolling and cooking until all are cooked.

Place cooked tortillas on a plate under a towel to keep warm. If needed, wait until cooled to place in airtight container for storage. Tortillas can be warmed in microwave under a wet paper towel if needed.

Nutrition Info per 1 tortilla: 96 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber

80--- Hot German Potato & Roasted Root Salad

This is a potato salad that does not have to be confined to picnic season! You can also add turnips, beets and celery root to this salad if you choose. It would be a lovely side dish to a lean slice of roast or baked chicken breast.

In a German potato salad (from southern Germany, as I understand), the mayonnaise is replaced by vinegar... and bacon, and it is served warm.

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Hot German Potato & Roasted Root Salad

Serves 6

1 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, washed

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 parsnips, peeled and sliced

1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped

2 tsp vegetable seasoning

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp flour

4 slices Canadian bacon, sliced thin

3 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp water

Parsley flakes (for garnish)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish, combine potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion slices. In a bowl, mix vegetable seasoning mix and olive oil. Add oil mixture to potatoes and toss to coat. Bake for ~45 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through.

Combine vinegar, honey, flour and water in a bowl, whisk to mix. In a skillet over medium-high heat, crisp Canadian bacon strips. Add vinegar mixture to bacon and stir continually until thickened. Remove from heat.

Add vinegar & bacon mixture onto roasted vegetables, toss to coat. Garnish with parsley flakes.



Nutrition Info per 1/2 cup: 178 calories, 4 g fat, 5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates

80--- Prosciutto Arugula & Fig Pizza

This is my lovely friend Arin's recipe. It has such great flavor combinations, and it feels perfect for fall!

The sauce of this pizza is fig spread. Fresh figs are sometimes difficult to find (especially in Montana), and fig spread may be as equally difficult to find. My advice: KEEP LOOKING. You may have to go to a specialty market, but it is so worth it!

Figs are a great source of potassium and calcium. If you can find fresh figs, you should definitely try them! They are a lovely treat (yes, even out of Newton form).

Prosciutto Arugula & Fig Pizza

Serves 3-4

1 -10 oz pre-made whole wheat Italian style pizza crust OR whole wheat pizza dough, rolled thin and baked until firm (you can even use flatbread if you want to cut out a few more calories!)

5 oz fig spread (I used an all-natural one made by St. Dalfour)

3 oz prosciutto OR Canadian bacon slices, crisped in skillet

1 cup baby arugula leaves

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup artichoke hearts (from a jar or can), blotted dry

4 oz mozzarella fresca ciliegine (small mozzarella balls- about 12, sliced in half)

3 oz cheve (goat cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On prepared crust, spread fig spread and sprinkle with garlic powder. Next layer crisped prosciutto, arugula leaves, mozzarella ball halves, cheve, then artichoke hearts.

Cook for ~15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is done to your liking. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Slice into 6 slices and serve.

Nutrition Info per 1/6 pizza: 274 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 14 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates

80--- Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Cottage cheese pancakes... kind of a funny concept, huh? But, the cottage cheese makes a pancake, especially a wheat one, more light and fluffy. Once they are cooked, you really do not notice the cottage cheese. These flap jacks also have more protein than your regular pancake. Serve these topped with some homemade jam or berries (I only had bananas).

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Serves 4

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp sugar

6 egg whites

1 cup 1% cottage cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

1 Tbsp canola oil

Cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine egg whites, cottage cheese, milk, and oil. add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until blended.

Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, ~5 minutes. Serve!

Nutrition Info per 2 pancakes: 249 calories, 5 g fat, 18 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber

80--- Chicken Satay

This morning I thought "What a perfect fall day for one last summery grilled meal". Then it snowed. Nevertheless, I persevered.

Chicken satay is a great Thai dish. A satay is a dish consisting of marinated, skewered or grilled meats served with a dipping sauce. This sauce is often a peanut sauce. You can purchase some great peanut sauces. But, isn't it more fun to make one from scratch-- just so we know what exactly is going into it? It took me a few tries to get this recipe just right-- and now it is perfect!

I served this with some sauteed spinach and red pepper strips, with a side of my mother-in-laws creamy cucumber salad (coming soon). This sauce will also make a great salad dressing, and it will complement my Thai Chicken Calzones (coming soon) nicely as well.

Chicken Satay
Serves 4

2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into thick strips (enough to get a skewer through)
Marinade
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup lite coconut milk
1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp hot chili sauce (Thai chili sauce)
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp lime juice

Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes prior to grilling (so they do not catch on fire like mine did)
Chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Mix marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl and add chicken strips. Marinate in refrigerator for ~2 hours (no more than 3).

Mix sauce ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended (can be made a few days ahead of time). Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Place skewers through chicken strips length-wise. Place 1/2 of sauce mixture into a small bowl. Brush chicken strips with sauce (do not cross-contaminate). Place chicken on medium-hot grill and cook for ~7 minutes on each side (internal temp should reach 160 degrees).

Approximately 3 minutes prior to removing chicken from grill, brush non-contaminated remainder of sauce on chicken.

Serve warm.

Nutrition Info per 3 oz chicken (~2-3 skewers): 348 calories, 10.5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 55 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates

20(ish)--- Chocolate Shorty Souffles

We had ANOTHER birthday dinner for my hubby this weekend, this time with my in-laws. We had a superb Italian feast at their home, and I was in charge of dessert. My husband likes chocolate, but nothing too sweet or too dense and preferably involving berries. So..... individual (hence shorty) chocolate souffles!

I have never made a souffle before. What's the big deal?? Yep, that's what I thought before I read up. After reading the many many many tips on "how to get your souffle to not fall", I got scared. AND-- I'm at high altitude. According to my internet sources, that's a big challenge to overcome. But, I pressed on.

After successfully getting my egg whites and sugar to form stiff peaks, I thought I had this dessert beat.

Then I baked one. Actually, only 1/2 of one. And... I broke the number one rule: I opened the oven door during baking (insert Halloween scream here). AND-- yes, it fell.

THEN as my next six souffles quietly sit in my refrigerator in their own little ramekins, I Google "fallen souffle" to look for even MORE tips. And GUESS what I find? A Fallen Souffle is actually a dessert-- Emeril says so!!

As it turns out, my second attempt was better than my first. Very little falling. But, if they had fallen, and if yours do-- simply present them as a Fallen Souffle and you will be the hit of the party!

This recipe is only 20(ish) because as most chocolate souffles use milk chocolate, this uses unsweetened cocoa powder. Therefore, less milk fat, less butter, same amount of YUM.

Chocolate Shorty Souffles

Makes 6

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp hot water

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp Canola oil

3 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp ground almonds

3 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp honey

3/4 cup 1% low fat milk

4 egg whites

3 Tbsp sugar

Berries of choice to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder and hot water. Stir until smooth and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and stir to mix. Add flour and ground almonds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in brown sugar and honey. Add milk gradually and stir constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the cocoa mixture. Allow to cool.

In a large, thoroughly cleaned bowl, beat egg whites until foamy with an electric mixer on high speed. Add sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat until stiff peaks form (note: this may take a while). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites unto the cocoa mixture to lighten it. Fold remaining egg whites into cocoa mixture until no white streaks remain.

Gently scoop mixture into individual ramekins, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until souffle rises above the rim and is set in the center. Cool souffles on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with berries of your choice.

20--- Ham & Cheese Salad

Oh my! Ham and cheese are the perfect combination-- kind of like PB & jelly.
This is my friend Laura's recipe. I first had it camping this summer, and it truly knocked my socks off. Just a few simple ingredients! But, yes, it is a 20.

Ham & Cheese Salad

Serves 8-10

1 lb lean deli ham, sliced thick (~1/4"), diced into cubes

1/2 lb swiss cheese, sliced thick, diced into cubes

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard

3-4 Tbsp dried dill weed, to taste

Salt

Pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve with crackers, flatbread, lettuce...... your choice!