Cherry Banana Pancakes

Here is a delicious recipe for pancakes.

Today I used a different base pancake recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fluffy-Pancakes-2/Detail.aspx

Original Recipe:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

My Cherry Banana Pancakes:

3/4 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of pureed cherries

1 banana chopped into small pieces

1. Mix together almond milk and vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes
2. Heat electric skillet to 300 degrees
3. Mix together flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
4. Add egg, vanilla, butter, and milk mixture and mix until lumps are gone
5. Fold in cherries and banana chunks
6. Cook on greased skillet and enjoy!

Mango Salsa

Here is a yummy salsa recipe made with fresh ingredients!

Yields: 2 servings

• 1 mango
• 1 Serrano pepper
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp - finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp - chopped cilantro
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Cayenne

1. Peel and chop the mango into small chunks
2. Cut the ends of the Serrano and slice it in half.  Remove the seeds and finely chop into small pieces
3. Cut the plum tomatoes into small chunks
4. Add mango, Serrano pepper, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro in a bowl and mix well with a spoon
5. Sprinkle the mixture with salt, garlic powder, chili powder and a very small dash of cayenne
6. Mix well and serve

Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw

Here is a simple recipe for delicious coleslaw:

• Bag of coleslaw mix
• 3/4 cup of light mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 granny smith apple, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup craisins
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp celery salt
• Pinch of cayenne

1. Mix together mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, celery salt, and cayenne until well mixed
2. Incorporate mayonnaise mixture with the coleslaw mix, apple, onion and craisins in a large mixing bowl
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight (This can be served right away but is better if refrigerated overnight.)
4. Enjoy!

Pair this with Baked Beans and BBQ Chicken or Ham Steak for a quick and easy dinner!

Strawberry and Cream Crepes

Here is a delicious recipe that works great for breakfast or dessert.

• Crepes
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Filling
• 1 cup of chopped strawberries
• 1 tsp of granulated sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. For the filling mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar
2. Cut the strawberries into small pieces and shake with sugar or pulse them in a food processor with a tsp of sugar
3. Mix the cream cheese and strawberries together and set aside (the mixture should be thick and creamy)
4. For the crepes, mix all ingredients until it is well mixed, the mixture will be thin (The ingredients are best mixed in a blender)
5. In a heated / lightly oiled frying pan, cook the crepes one by one
6. Pour about a 1/4 cup of the crepe mixture into the pan and swirl around until the mixture is a thin round circle.  If there are holes in the crepe, fill them with a little batter
7. Cook about a minute or so and then check it to see if can be flipped.  The edges should be starting to pull away from the pan. Because the mixture is so thin, they cook very quickly.
8. The second side should only take about 30 seconds
9. Once the crepe is done set aside and start another one
10. Fill each crepe with a few tbsps of the strawberry/cream cheese mixture and fold each side over to make it look like a roll
11. Serve with the seam down and ENJOY!

Cabbage Rolls

Here is a meal that I have loved since I was a child:

• Medium head of cabbage 
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 ½ tsp salt 
• 1 cup cooked rice (for a low-carb meal you can add shredded zucchini to the meat instead of rice)
• ¼ cup ketchup 
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• ¼ tsp pepper 
• 1 lb ground beef 
• ½ cup V8 juice 

1. Cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes or until outer leaves are tender. Rinse in cold water and remove eight large outer leaves

2. In saucepan, sauté 1 cup of onions in olive oil until translucent

3. Add tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar and ½ tsp salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.

4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and remaining onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Create 8 balls of the meat mixture and roll in the cabbage leaves.

5. Line rolls in pan and top with tomato mixture

6. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, checking frequently to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. Add V8 juice if needed. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes or until rolls are heated through and meat is no longer pink

Low-Carb Tacos

Are you looking for a way to cut calories and carbs?  When making tacos, skip the tortillas and substitute them with large lettuce leafs, like romaine.

My taco meat recipe:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 cup - chopped onion
• Can of chopped chilies
• 1/2 cup of refried beans
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown meat and then add onion and chilies
2. Cook until onions are translucent
3. Add taco seasoning and salt and pepper and incorporate well into the meat mixture
4. Add refried beans and cook mixture until beans are heated throughout
5. Serve in lettuce leafs and enjoy!

Crustless Ham & Cheese Quiche

Since the holidays are over and it seems that we have packed on a couple of pounds due to all those celebrations full of amazing food, I am going to focus on healthy, low-carb meals to share with you.

Here is my Crustless Ham & Cheese Quiche recipe.  I like to make a crustless quiche because the crust adds on fat, calories, and carb, delicious as it is.

Recipe for 4:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 - 16 oz pkg of cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup crumbled feta (if you do not like feta you can use cheddar or another cheese of your choice)

1. Beat eggs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder until eggs are fluffy
2. Mix in cottage cheese, ham, broccoli, onion, cheddar, and feta
3. Add mixture to a greased 9 inch pie dish
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr or until eggs are fully cooked
5. Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes
6. Cut and serve
7. Enjoy!