All The Best Recipes

A Very Light Banana Bread

Alden Smith — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:54:02 +0000

My Rosie thinks she has to keep me healthy and regular. She knows my distaste for many of the breads and cereals she eats - too many sticks and twigs! She is big on fiber, and we agonize over loaves of bread at the grocery store, trying to determine if any of them have enough fiber to suit her needs. I kinda think it ia an anal thing, but what do I know?

She made me some banana bread last night that was a real winner. It contains flax seed, which is supposed to be kind to my digestive tract. Regardless, i found it surprisingly light and delightful. Here goes…

Light Flax Banana Bread

2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream together applesauce, eggs, sugar and yogurt.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and mashed bananas
Mix until combined - don’t over stir
Pour into bread pans and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately one half hour.
don’t overfill the baking pan, because it will fail to bake thoroughly, and don’t make the dough too thick for same reason.
Serves 12

I had this with plain yogurt and fresh peaches mixed with a bit of Splenda sweetner. Yum!

Peace,

Charlie~

applesauce, banana bread, bananas, breads, eggs, flax seed, yogurt

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Upside Down Pizza

Alden Smith — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:10:24 +0000

Rosie made me this dish this weekend, and I really liked it. I like pizza, but don’t much care for what it does to my waistline. So she came up with this modified recipe that she took down from Sparkpeople. We have modified it to the extent that although like the original, is surely much better.

I think all recipes have a common ancestry. This is half Mexican, half Italian, and all Rosie. she is good at taking care of my picky needs, and she made fabulous inroads on this recipe. check out Sparkpeople today and see what they have to offer. You might be surprised.

Upside Down Pizza

1 # extra lean ground beef
1 med. onion, diced
1 (14oz) jar pizza sauce
6 oz turkey pepperoni
16 oz mozzarella cheese
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup sliced black olives

Crust:

1 cup 2% milk
1 egg, plus 2 egg whites
1 tsp oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9″X13″ casserole with nonstick cooking spray
Brown ground beef, onion, pepper, mushrooms and olives until meat is cooked through
then drain.
Pour mixture into prepared casserole and sprinkle with cheese.
Mix milk, eggs, oil and flour until smooth. Add spices and cheese. Pour over toip of meat mixture.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden.
Makes 12 servings.

Mutritional data:

Fat = 19.7 g
Carbs = 15.3 g
Calories = 344.3
Protein = 25.4 g

Good stuff! Enjoy…

Peace,

Charlie~

cheese, eggs, flour, ground beef, parmesan cheese, pepperoni, pizza, pizza sauce, spices, upside down pizza

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How To Make French Toast

Alden Smith — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:35:47 +0000

I have always loved good French toast. My mother made it, My ex made it, and I make it for my new family. However, it has not always pleased me, for I could not get that taste I was looking for. After watching this vid, I can see why. Try this the next time you make a late Sunday morning brunch. This weekend we are going to a Bluesfest in Old Town, Lansing. I am thinking that come Sunday around noon, this will go good with Canadian bacon and a big pitcher of my world famous Bloody Mary’s. Yum!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyJT-PiqUA

Peace,

Charlie~

bloody mary, blues, breakfast, canadian bacon, french toast, sunday brunch

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Make The Perfect Salad

Alden Smith — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:04:48 +0000

I have always enjoyed salads. I admit I don’t eat enough of them. Life has a habit of getting in the way, and meals in this household are usually on the fly. My Rosie and I work a lot of hours, and the food experience oft-times takes a back seat to other priorities.

Here, once again, is The Food Commander. It is witty, funny, and knowledgeable at the same time. Although I do not agree with his theory that such things as ham and cheeses don’t belong in a salad, I think his theory has merit.

Enjoy…

Peace,

Charlie~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDVj3F97MhE

celery, garlic, kosher salt, lettuce, onions, peppers, salad, the food commander, virgin olive oil

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The Classic Pesto

Alden Smith — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:40:36 +0000

I have always enjoyed pesto if made right. Everyone seems to have their own idea of how it should be made.

Pesto is a simple sauce meant to entice the palate. Pesto with pasta is one of the best, most simple meals one can make. Add to this a small side salad and a bottle of very good red wine, and satisfaction is guaranteed…

Peace,

Charlie~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQJujtVspb0

basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, pasta, pesto, pine nuts, red wine, salad

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The Food Commander

Alden Smith — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:56:45 +0000

I have long since determined that using video on any blog enhances it, and adds to the user enjoyment. I am guilty of spending a lot of time on Youtube, and at times get distracted away from task at hand.

A colleague from Denmark, Susanne, runs a Squidoo lens on meal planning. Susanne, known on the boards as viking, is a Squidoo fanatic. I checked out her lens this morning because it had been nominated for lens of the day. while visiting, I reviewed a video from the Food Commander. It really cracked me up, and I got a good laugh out of it. I stole this idea from viking, and present here a video from Food Commander. I think you will enjoy…

Peace,

Charlie~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOUIM31_6DE

chicken, cooking, food commander, free recipes, squidoo, video, viking, youtube

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Pasta with Asparagus & Prosciutto

Alden Smith — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:30:37 +0000

Being a lover of asparagus, I had to post this recipe by my colleague Janice DuPlantis of Bedrock Press. I haven’t posted any of her recipes in a while, and it’s time. Janice is a veritable gold mine of creative and tasty recipes, and I have no qualms whatsoever of posting her things here. If you are not a subscriber to her ezines, you are missing out on a lot…

I prefer this with ham, because I feel it helps bring out the delicate flavor of the asparagus. Either way, it is a joy to fix, and a joy to eat…

Peace,

Charlie~

Pasta with Asparagus & Prosciutto

1 (16-oz.) pkg. bow tie pasta
1-1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T. water
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto or thinly sliced deli ham,
cut into strips

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring
cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce
heat to low and simmer, uncovered’ until slightly thickened
(6 to 7 minutes); remove from heat. Place asparagus and water
in a microwave-safe dish. Cover dish and microwave on high
until crisp-tender (3 to 4 minutes). Remove asparagus from
microwave and drain. Place well-drained cooked pasta in a
large serving bowl. Add cream, asparagus, Parmesan cheese
and prosciutto; toss to coat. Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Janice Faulk Duplantis, author and publisher, currently maintains a website that focuses on both Easy Gourmet and French/Cajun Cuisine. Visit Bedrock Press at http://www.bedrockpress.com/ to see all it has to offer. In addition to writing syndicated culinary articles, Janice publishes 4 free monthly ezines: Gourmet Bytes, Lagniappe Recipe, Favorite Recipes and Cooking 101. Visit http://www.bedrockpress.com/subscribe.html to subscribe.

asparagus, bedrock press, bowtie pasta, cream, ham, janice duplantis, prosciutto

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Bean Casserole

Alden Smith — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:55:54 +0000

I’ve been staying with my son and his lovely wife for the past two weeks, enjoying their spacious yard and pleasant company. Nick & Sara don’t like to cook, so I am having a good time feeding them. Nick is a picky eater, and when I told him the casserole I planed on making for them had lima beans in it, he turned up his nose. I don’t think Sara was overly impressed, either…

To be honest, I had the same reaction when I first saw this recipe. The combo of so many different kinds of beans, along with the maple syrup and brown sugar, rather turned me off. Believe me when I say I am glad I took the plunge and tried it. I think you will enjoy this as much as we did. The recipe got rave reviews from both Sara & Nick…

Enjoy…

Peace,

Charlie~

2# lean ground beef (LEAN!)
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 can cream of tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 c. ketchup
1 can green beans (16oz), drained
1 can lima beans (16 oz.), drained
1 can wax beans (16 oz), drained
1 can red kidney beans (16 oz), undrained
1 can pork-n-beans (16 oz), undrained
1/2 c. packed brown sugar (I used 1/4 c)
2 T. prepared mustard
1/4 c. real maple syrup (optional)

In large dutch oven, brown beef. Drain fat.
In same pan, add onion & celery; cook til tender. Add drained ground beef.
Stir in soup, tomato paste, & ketchup; simmer 15-20 min.
Add all remaining ingredients; stir well.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.

NOTE: The 2nd time I made it, I didn’t bake it. Just made it on
the stove, like chili. I suggest you bake it as directed the first time.

Good topped with sour cream and shredded cheddar.

bean casserole, beans, green beans, ground beef, kidney beans, lima beans, pork and beans, tomato soup, wax beans

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My New Granddaughter

Alden Smith — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:49:30 +0000

Please welcome to this world Ava Jean Lockhart, born June 6th at 3:15 AM She weighed in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 16 1/2 inches long. Mother & daughter are doing well. Here is my son Nathan and his new bundle of joy….

Welcome Ava to the world…

Peace,

Charlie~

ava jean, granddaughter, nathan, new baby

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Online Recipes - Where Cooks Everywhere Can Find Their Next Meal Recipe

Alden Smith — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 01:55:19 +0000

No matter what it is, you can find it online. I begin All The Best Recipes a while ago, and have found no end of content to post. With many projects on the back burner, it is hard to keep up with this blog. it makes me a bit in Adsense, but is really a labor of love.

What I have learned on the web has been essential to building a good web presence. If you can’t find it on the web, it prolly don’t exist. Read how to find what you need, what to look for, and where to find it in this interesting article.

Peace,

Charlie~

Kael Geary

For everyone who has ever stared at a package of chicken at four oclock in the afternoon trying to figure out what to do with it for dinner, there is another option besides dousing it in bottled bbq sauce or lugging out the same old cookbooks. The option that is becoming increasingly popular with cooks everywhere is to turn to online recipes. By spending just a few minutes on sites like www.online-recipes.org, a cook can quickly find a way to make that chicken appealing.

As a matter of fact Nielsens NetRatings, determined that the most popular food related activity online is searching for recipes. Of all the people who shop online, at least 60% of them also use recipe sites to find online recipes. The trend is moving from cookbooks to online recipes. Many people have a computer nearby or in their kitchen and using it to find recipes is smart and convenient.

There are several benefits of using websites dedicated to online recipes for day to day cooking:

* There are thousands of recipes to choose from instead of just the few in a cookbook * The recipes are often submitted to the sites by everyday cooks who use the recipes often, therefore its easy to find family friendly recipes - very important for the family cook staring at the chicken at four oclock in the afternoon * The recipes are free * Many sites allow ratings and comments on the recipes that are submitted. Those who have tried the recipes can make comments and suggestions that are helpful when choosing a recipe * Some sites for online recipes allow the user to search by ingredients - so if along with that chicken there are fresh mushrooms and scallions in the refrigerator also, a recipe can be found using all ingredients * Some sites allow the number of servings a recipe produces to be adjusted and then the ingredients are automatically changed accordingly, something no cookbook could ever do * In addition to recipes, sites for online recipes usually have cooking tips, food definitions (need to know what paella is?) cooking method explanations (how do you blanch a green bean?) and helpful information for amateur cooks * Searching by categories such as Mexican, Kid Friendly, Diabetic, etc. is a feature many online sites have - searching in a category can save a lot of time * Some sites have a shopping list feature - the ingredients for a recipe or several recipes can be listed and printed out to take to the store

In addition to getting day to day recipes from online recipe sites, these sites are very helpful when planning a special occasion meal. With the holidays quickly approaching, choosing to plan a meal using recipes found online can save a lot of time. www.online-recipes.org can help with this task. By searching for recipes for turkey, sweet potatoes, kugel, latkes, lasagna, fish, side dishes and more, an entire holiday meal of recipes can be found in a short period of time. A word of caution - new recipes should be tried once before serving them to guests. Nobody likes a dry kugel.

In addition to helping cooks find new recipes, these sites also allow home cooks to share their recipes with the world. There is a growing trend for cooks to put their recipes online, sharing generations old or new recipes with others. Many people who have been looking for a recipe just like their great-grandmothers lost applesauce cake recipe now have a resource to find it or one that is at least very similar.

Find more recipe information at this Online Recips website

cooking, cooks, free recipes, internet, online, online recipes, recipes

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