Cathy's Banana Pudding (you'll gain weight reading the recipe!!)

OK, I do NOT like banana pudding. However, my sister makes one that is to die for. I'm glad she shared!!

1 14oz can sweetebed condensed milk
1.5 cups cold water
1 3.4oz package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups heavy whipping cream
sliced bananas
vanilla wafers

Mix milk and water, beat in pudding mix until smooth. Refrigerate mixture while beating cream. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold pudding mixture into whipped cream. Layer pudding with bananas and vanilla wafers as desired.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

WW points: 0

1 1/2 C seeded, diced ripe tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1 T minced jalapeno
2 t balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Cover and set aside at leat 1 hour to blend the flavors.

Easy Biscuits

WW: 1 point per biscuit

Makes 2 biscuits

6 T self-rising flour
3 T skim milk
1.5 t non-fat plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix ingredients together, spray pan with nonstick spray and drop biscuits onto it. Can spray tops with non-stick butter flavored spray. Bake for 10-13 minutes.

Spice Cake

WW: makes 24 muffins at 2 points each

1 box pf spice cake mix
15oz can of pumpkin
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into muffin pans. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

WW: 6 servings, 6 pts per serving

! lb ground beef
1 15oz can Italian style tomato sauce
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped green pepper
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 10oz can pizza dough
6oz shredded part-skim mozzarellacheese

Brown meant and drain. Add tomato sauce, onion, and green pepper. Press pizza dough into 9 x 13 pan sprayed with Pam. Pour meat mixture on crust. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Top with cheese and mushrooms. Bake another 5 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Cut into six pieces.

Old-Time Beef Stew (Paula Dean)

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

Baked Apples

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 tart green apples
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a well. Do not cut all the way through. Stuff each apple with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until sugar begins to caramelize and apples are tender.

Greek Veggie Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 large cucumber, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 (5 ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives
1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 (10 ounce) package baby greens
1/2 (10 ounce) package romaine lettuce leaves

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, red onion, baby greens, and romaine. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, mustard, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Pour dressing over the vegetables, and toss to coat.

Gates' Barbecue Sauce (KC)

This recipe, which produces the very same Gates' Barbecue Sauce that you can get at their six locations in Kansas City, most KC-area supermarkets, and from their Web site, was featured on an episode of "From Martha's Kitchen" on the Food Network about four years ago.

1 c sugar
1/4 c salt
2 T celery seed
2 T ground cumin
2 T ground cayenne pepper
2 T garlic powder
1 T chili powder
2 qt ketchup
2 c apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, celery seed, cumin, red pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke, and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients and mix until very well blended. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sauce may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield: about 3 quarts

Three-Tomato Salad

This is a simple, colorful summer salad best served at room temperature. Choose the best tomatoes you can, and enjoy the classic pairing of these fruits with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium, vine-ripe red tomatoes
2 medium orange tomatoes
2 medium yellow tomatoes
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION:

Cut each tomato into eight wedges and place in a medium bowl or serving dish. Sprinkle chopped scallions and fresh basil over tomatoes.
Whisk together oil and vinegar, or place in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.

Drizzle vinaigrette over tomatoes and toss gently.
For best tomato flavor, serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Per serving: Calories 42, Calories from Fat 15, Total Fat 1.7g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 8mg, Carbohydrate 6g, Fiber 1g, Protein 0.7g

Olive Garden Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tbls. corn syrup
2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls. Romano cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 Tbl. lemon juice

Olive Garden Salad Mix:
1 bag American blend Dole Salad
4-5 slices red onion
4-6 Black olives
2-4 Banana peppers
1/2 cup croutons
1 small tomato, quartered
Freshy grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender or processor until well blended. If this is a little too tart for your personal taste, please add a little sugar.

Olive Garden's Chicken Caprese

8-10 plum tomatoes, Roma (2 pounds)
30 medium fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons black pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken breast fillets
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons garlic, minced, divided
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning, divided
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus
1 tablespoon salt, divided
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups flour, plus
1 tablespoon flour, divided
1 lb dry capellini (angel hair)

Tomatoes and Basil Preparation:
Core and cut Roma (plum) tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Chef's Note: To preserve juices and seeds, use a paring knife to remove just the top of the core on each tomato.

Cut basil leaves into 1-inch pieces (no stems).

Combine Roma tomatoes, basil, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1½ teaspoons of salt in a large bowl and blend thoroughly.

Cover, set aside and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Chicken Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coat a large, non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Combine 1½ cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, black pepper and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in a shallow dish.

Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess.

Place chicken in skillet and sauté for about two minutes on each side, or until just golden brown. If skillet is not large enough, sauté the chicken in batches.
When finished, transfer chicken to a large baking dish and place in oven to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pasta Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Drain and set aside until needed.

Sauce Preparation:
While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.

Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute. Do not brown.

Slowly add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine.

Add white wine and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 1 minute.

Remove marinated tomato and basil mixture from refrigerator. Drain tomatoes and basil from liquid and set aside until needed. Add ½ cup of the marinade liquid and sauté for approximately 1 minute.

Add heavy cream. Lower heat and bring to a simmer.

Add grated Parmesan cheese.

Assembling Chicken Caprese:
Preheat broiler.

Remove chicken from baking dish and set aside until needed.

Transfer pasta to baking dish and partly coat with sauce.

Pour desired amount of the remaining sauce on pasta and evenly distribute tomatoes and basil over pasta.

Place chicken on top of pasta.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over chicken.

Place baking dish under broiler for approximately 2-3 minutes or until mozzarella cheese has melted.

Watermelon Blaster

After processing the watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, and ice, taste before adding sugar; you may not need any. For the star garnish, press a cookie cutter through the rind with the back of a wooden spoon.


3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1 1/2 cups strawberries
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup ice cubes
Sugar to taste

1. Put watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, ice, and sugar if desired into the pitcher of a blender, and blend for 15 seconds on high speed. (Always put the top on the container before processing.) Stop machine, and stir ingredients with a long wooden spoon. Blend for 15 seconds more on high speed.

Baked Ravioli

Serves 4 to 6; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time: 50 minutes
Baking pasta with cheese on top creates a chewy and crispy topping kids will love. You can assemble the dish ahead and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Note: Try this recipe with 1 pound of spaghetti (cook a few minutes less than the package instructions direct). Don’t worry if it seems like there’s too much sauce; it will be absorbed as the pasta bakes.

Steakhouse Tomato Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
coarse salt
2 large tomatoes, cored and thickly sliced
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), halved and thinly sliced

1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, cider vinegar and ketchup, sugar, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce; season with coarse salt. Shake well to combine.

2. Arrange tomatoes sweet onion on a serving platter, alternating tomato and onion slices. Drizzle with some of the dressing; serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.

Romaine Salad with Caesar Dressing

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon each coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large or 2 medium heads romaine lettuce (1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and coarse salt and ground pepper. (If mixture is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water.)

2. Add lettuce; toss to coat with dressing. Top with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream-Cheese Icing

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut, plus more for garnish

For the Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Make the cupcakes: In a bowl, combine sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and eggs.

2. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Add flour; mix. Stir in carrots, walnuts, and coconut.

3. Oil a standard muffin tin or line with paper cups; distribute batter evenly.

4. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 minutes. Let cool before frosting. Garnish with toasted shredded coconut.

5. Make the icing: In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Fruit Nectar Recipe

1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 nectarine, pitted and sliced
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Process the fruit in a juicer and serve.

Fruit Punch (Juice)

6 strawberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
1 apple, cored and sliced
1/2 orange, peeled and sectioned
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Process the fruit in a juicer and serve.

Gingered Apple Cider Juice

1 inch piece ginger
3 apples or 1 cup apple cider
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Process through a juicer and serve.

Sparkling Tropical Fruit Juice

Recipe taken from I Hate Counting Calories!

1 kiwi, peeled
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1/2 mango, peeled and sliced
sparkling mineral water
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Process the fruit in a juicer. Pour the juice in a large glass and fill to the top with sparkling water and serve.

Lemon~Lime Ginger Ale

handful of grapes
1 apple, cored and sliced
½ inch fresh ginger (less if you find the taste too strong)
1/2 lime
1/4 lemon
sparkling mineral water
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Remove the grapes from the stem. Juice the apple and ginger together, then juice the rest of the fruit. Pour the juice in a large glass and fill to the top with sparkling water and serve with ice.

BAKED TILAPIA

1/4 c. celery
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. sweet red pepper, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/4 c. milk
1 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 lbs. Rain Forest Tilapia fillets

In a medium skillet, saute the celery, onions and sweet red pepper in butter until tender. Add the salt, pepper, tarragon, basil and milk; mix well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Do not boil. Rinse the Tilapia fillets in cold water and drain thoroughly. Place the fish in a 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish; spoon the sauce evenly over the fish. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes evenly when tested with a fork. Serves 4.

EGGPLANT OR ZUCCHINI PARMESAN

3 med. eggplants, washed, peeled
Your favorite tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese, 1 lb., shredded
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper to taste

Simple tomato sauce: In large saucepan add 2 tablespoons olive oil. To that add one small medium onion, peeled, sliced thin. Cook until tender. Add 1 clove garlic minced. Do not burn. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 large can of tomatoes; sauce or puree. Season with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 teaspoon basil. Cook until thickened.
Eggplant: Cut off tops and peel skin. Slice thin and spread out on board or table. Sprinkle heavily with salt on both sides. Place in colander to drain. You will notice liquid drains out brown -discard all liquid. Let drain at least 1 hour.

Egg mixture: In large bowl or dish mix 5 eggs, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, 1/4 cup water. Beat until thoroughly mixed.

In another dish place 1 cup flour.

First dip eggplant slice into flour, then into egg mixture. In large fry pan add 1-2 cups vegetable oil. Fry eggplant until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

In large casserole dish layer tomato sauce, eggplant, Mozzarella, grated Parmesan cheese, top with tomato sauce - repeat for two or three layers depending on your taste. Top layer should end with sauce topped with cheeses. Bake 350 degrees 30-40 minutes until golden. Serve with your favorite red wine and French or Italian bread.

SHAKE & BAKE MIX

1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper (fresh ground preferable)

Mix all ingredients in a heavy ziploc plastic bag. Shake to mix.
To use mix: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove 1/2 cup mix and put in bag. Place a few pieces of chicken in bag at a time, shaking to coat. Arrange on lightly oiled pan and bake 40 minutes, turning chicken once. Mix will season 4 (3 1/2 pound) chickens.

MARINARA SAUCE (Meatless Italian)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 (16 oz.) tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) tomato paste

Cook onion and garlic in oil. Stir in rest of ingredients. Cook covered for 20 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally. Makes 3 cups, enough for 6 servings of spaghetti.

Garlic Chipotle Mayo

1 Tbs. chopped fresh (or freshly toasted) garlic
Zest from one lime
Juice from one-half lime
2 tsps. chopped canned chipotle pepper
1 tsp. adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)
1 Cup mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Blend garlic, zest, juice, peppers, and adobo sauce in mini-chopper or small blender. Add mayo and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend again. Keeps 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.

Good Meatloaf

1.5 - 2 lbs of hamburger
1 16oz can of meatloaf sauce
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup A-1 sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 C of crushed garlic and cheese croutons
1/8 cup of canned mushrooms, drained and diced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Reserve 1/2 of the meatloaf sauce.

Mix remaining ingredients, form into a loaf, and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Pour off fat, top with remaining sauce, cook for an additional 10 minutes.


This was my first attempt at meatloaf. I searched for several recipes, and finally just combined a couple and added some extra stuff. I served this with a garden salad, baked potatoes, string beans, and cornbread. It went over really, really well. And no one added ketchup to the meatloaf! WOO!