The Cake

There's a cake called dump cake where you do just that - dump the ingredents into the pan and bake. It's quite good, but it has a bunch of butter, so it's not exactly low calorie. I was looking for a way to lighten a cake that didn't have frosting, so here's what I did:

1 yellow cake mix (make as the box says)
1 can of cherry pie filling - spoon into cake batter after it's in the pan before baking. Swirl a bit with a knife.

Bake two minutes longer than the box says to.

It's sublime. No need for frosting. I'll be experimenting to see if I can cut an egg or add more filling and cut two eggs (box called for 3) or something like that.

hln

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I know that sounds like a boast, but try it. Per batch...

2 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter (real)
1 tsp vanilla extract (real)
1 tsp almond extract (real)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark chocolate) - small package - can't remember size

Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in one bowl. In the second bowl, cream the softened butter, almond extract, vanilla extract, and the two types of sugar together. Add the eggs and beat with a mixer..

Add in the flour a bit at a time and beat with a mixer.

Bake at 375 degrees for 4 1/2 minutes. Rotate trays to different racks (top rack's cookies go on bottom and bottom rack's cookies go on top). Bake 4 1/2 more minutes.

This looks a lot like any other chocolate chip cookie recipe you've ever seen. The differences are in red. The almond extract really makes for a tasty cookie base. And the sugar is cut from 3/4 cup of both white and brown sugar, and I promise it tastes better.

hln

Geeks Cook, Too

The category of recipes might be stretching it a bit, but if you haven't visited Cooking for Engineers, you're missing out.

Check out his recipe methodology - here's an example. I'm absolutely enthralled. I think when I leave instructions for Brian to begin dinner that I'll do so in this manner.

hln

Brown Rice and Veggies

I promised my mother I'd get her this recipe - might as well pass it along to others, too.

Very tasty rice - brown rice is so much fuller than the white refined stuff.

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
A handful of wild rice
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 large clove of garlic (pressed or minced)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Chopped veggies (as desired).

Bring rice, water, and butter or olive oil to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and cover. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Mince vegetables (I use carrots and celery) and add. Cook rice down, approximately 45 minutes from simmer time.

Brown rice gives you lots of fiber, and the veggies are obviously good for you, too. If you find a good veggie combo, please let me know. Been meaning to throw some onion in there.

hln

Pizzalapia

Not sure what else to call it, but here's dinner from last night (and lunch today). Sam's Club has these frozen tilapia filets, and so we have some of those, and I wanted to fix them last evening. Tilapia's a very mild fish, so you can really do just about anything with it.

The George Foreman grill made it all happen.

Ingredients:
Fresh basil (to taste)
x Tilapia filets (usually two per person - they're tiny)
Pizza sauce (spaghetti sauce would work, too, I'm sure) - either homemade or store bought
Fresh mushrooms, sliced
Mozzarella cheese (skim milk made in our house)
Pasta (optional)

If you're going to be using pasta with this, have the water ready to boil at the point that you begin the other steps.

Heat sauce in microwave for about 6 minutes at 60%. While it's cooking, heat grill. When it's heated, place tilapia filets on grill with mushrooms. Cook about four minutes. While this is occuring, chop basil. When the fish is "done," open the grill's lid, and place the basil on top of the fish. Then add a bit of mozzarella, and cook (without relowering the lid) until the cheese is melted. Remove.

Serve. I didn't combine the sauce with anything - we just dished that up at the table. It's quite tasty and not very caloric.

hln

Salad!

I am a master (mistress) in the realm of salad. Look at this beauty.

Ingredients, you ask? Lettuce (bagged is all right) Baby carrots, chopped into flat discs 1/2 oz cheese (monterey jack and cheddar in this case, I believe) 1 tomato, sliced and then halve the slices 1 oz dried cranberries 1/2 oz pecans, split in half 2 oz sirloin steak, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 stalk of celery, chopped I usually drizzle this with balsamic vinegarette, the cranberries providing a nice contrast. Also, don't forget the fresh-ground pepper.

hln

Power Lunch

One pie plate (glass)
1 serving of chicken, shredded
Lettuce or salad mix enough to slightly fill the pie plate
Small bit of chopped fresh basil
1/4 to 1/2 serving of skim milk mozzarella cheese
One tomato, sliced
1 serving of pecans, split in half
Pepper to taste

Put lettuce in the pan first, then add the basil, cheese, tomato (in wedges), chicken, then pecans. This is one of those salads that I can eat with straight Regina Red Wine vinegar (with garlic flavor).

Yum.

hln

Power Food

And now, my domestic side.

Power Breakfast
1 serving (1 cup, I believe) of Kashi Good Friend cereal (fiber, baby)
10 raspberries
1/8 cup almonds
1/8 cup cashews

Mix it all up. Yum. Ready to code.

And Dinner

4 tillapia filets
Spaghetti sauce of your choosing
Fresh basil, cut into long but thin strips.
Fresh button mushrooms
1/2 teaspon of oil
Smidge of part-skim mozzarella

Section mushrooms into quarters. Precook for about 4 minutes in the microwave at about 40 - 50%. Add oil to a skillet. Swoosh until it ever so barely coats the bottom of the skillet. Put mushrooms into skillet. Add tillapia. Cook about 2 minutes, and then add the spaghetti sauce. Cook about 5 minutes (more if your filets are thick), stirring occasionally. Add basil. Cook about two more minutes.

Transition fish and sauce to serving dish. Toss a bit of mozzarella on top for good measure.

Mmmm. Ready for anything.

hln