COOK OF THE WEEK - HEALTHY EATING RECIPES

I hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas and celebrated New Year’s Eve sensibly! For those of you that have shared with me how much you are enjoying reading my “real people” articles, I apologize for my article today. These past two weeks have been so busy. I just didn’t want to take up anyone’s time asking for recipes and news about their family. With Christmas and New Years over, some of you have probably made some New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps one of those resolutions was “Eating Healthy in 2014.” If it was, then you will probably forgive me for not interviewing anyone and instead just finding some healthy recipes for you. As my friends already know, I love getting new recipes on Facebook, Pinterest, and even searching the internet. However, since I don’t have many people to cook for, some of my recipes never get tried. One of my healthy recipes I fix often is chili. This recipe, plus a few others, is below for your enjoyment today! When I looked back over my recipes I could tell I did this on a very cold soup-type day! Another easy recipe I like is Fruit Dip. I’ve included that first today. Delicious Dip for Fruit I got this recipe years ago from a friend in Des Moines. I’ve added Greek yogurt to my recipe since then. Good either way!1-1/2 cups skim milk6 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed1 small box instant vanilla pudding (I use sugar free)1/2 cup sour cream (I use light or fat-free)5 or 6 ounce container of vanilla Greek yogurt (I use the 80 calorie one) Whisk milk, orange juice concentrate and vanilla pudding together until smooth. Add sour cream and yogurt. Chill until ready to serve. Keep any leftovers chilled. This makes a delicious dip for any of your favorite fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries, pineapple, bananas and many others.Turkey Chili1 pound ground turkeyonion to taste4 cups fat-free chicken broth2 or 3 cans white beans1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes (about 1) 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Sauté ground turkey and onion. Add tomatoes and beans. You can use 3 cups of cooked chunk turkey instead of ground turkey if you have some leftovers.Chili1 pound ground beefonion to taste 1 can diced tomatoes2 cans chili beanssalt, pepper and chili powder to tasteSauté ground beef and onion. Add tomatoes and beans. Some people like more liquid in their chili. If you do, just add tomato juice.Salmon Loaf15 oz. can salmon1 egg1/2 cup skim milk6 soda crackers (crushed)Ritz crackers (crushed for topping) optional Flake salmon with a fork. Add the egg, milk and crushed crackers. Put all in a buttered casserole. If using crushed Ritz crackers put these on top and dot with butter before baking. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Lemon Dill Chicken I got this one from Food.com. Serves 4.1 cup low fat or fat-free sour cream1 tablespoon minced dill1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning1 teaspoon lemon zest4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves Spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spoon about 1/4 of the lemon dill sauce over the bottom. Arrange chicken breasts on top in a single layer. Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Spread evenly. Bake uncovered for 30-35 min at 425 degrees until chicken is tender and no longer pink.Cauliflower “Mashed” Potatoes1 head cauliflower1 clove garlic 1 leek white only, split in 4 pieces (I use onion)1 tablespoon butter pepper to taste Break cauliflower into small pieces. In a good-sized saucepan, steam cauliflower, garlic and leeks in water until completely tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. While cauliflower is hot, puree until the vegetables resemble mashed potatoes. (Use a food processor, or if you prefer a smoother texture, use a blender. Process only a small portion at a time, holding the blender lid on firmly with a tea towel.) Add a little hot water if vegetables seem dry. Stir in butter and pepper to taste. This makes 4 servings with only 70 calories each serving.New England Clam Chowder From the Cooking Light magazine, I’ve never made this yet, but it does look good!(4) 6-1/2-ounce cans chopped clams, undrained 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice 4 bacon slices 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 garlic clove, minced 3 cups cubed red potato 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 parsley sprigs 1 bay leaf 2 cups 2-percent reduced-fat milk 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup half-and-half thyme sprigs (optional) Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. This has less than 200 calories in 1-1/4 cups of chowder and 1-1/2 teaspoon of bacon.Three Bean Chili Can you tell I like cooking with beans? They are high in protein.2 red bell peppers (I don’t always put the peppers in)3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 cups fat-free vegetable or chicken broth 1-1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained and chopped 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. This steams them so they are done. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers, broth, squash, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with green onions. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cooks of the Week. Also if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt County and surrounding communities. I will look forward to visiting with you. The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.