Jane’s German Pancake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs

couple drops of vanilla

3 tbsp of butter

Directions:

You need an iron cast skillet. Pre-heat oven to 400.  The egg and milk need to be room temperature. So I basically put the egg in warm water to warm up while oven pre-heats and then warm the milk in the microwave for like 45 seconds. Mix everything together except for the butter. Melt the butter in the skillet on the stovetop, then pour the mixture into the skillet, and immediately put into the hot oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes till all puffy and golden. Sprinkle powdered sugar. 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This recipe works as a main dish served with brown rice.


Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Siracha (can use less if less heat desired)
• 1 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head butter lettuce, washed with leaves separated.

Directions:

1. Add olive oil and ground chicken to a large non-stick skillet or wok. Cook and crumble over medium-high heat until browned. Drain fat.
2. Stir in garlic, white onion, carrots, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Siracha until onions have become translucent,  about 2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaf and enjoy.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4-6 cups cooked brown rice
• Toppings
• diced pineapple
• diced tomato
• diced green pepper
• diced celery
• diced green onion
• shredded coconut
• slivered almonds or cashews
• shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In sauce pan add sour cream, cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat and stir in saucepan over medium heat until mixture is smooth.  Add chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is heated evenly throughout.
2. Serve over rice.
3. Top it with all your favorite toppings.

Steak Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound lean boneless sirloin steak, trimmed 
• 8 cups spring-blend salad greens 
• 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper strips
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 
  

• Directions

• Combine first 7 ingredients; rub over both sides of steak. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut the steak across grain into thin slices.

• While steak cooks, combine salad greens and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Top with steak.

Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt or Season Salt (I like Tony's Cajun Seasoning), for sprinkling 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and salt. Lay on a baking sheet and do not layer kale pieces. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.

Homemade Low-Sugar Energy Bars

These were kind of an experiment when I was dying without sugar and really wanted a dessert.  Don't think of them as a dessert and you'll likely like them.  They are similar to a cliff bar, but definitely better tasting.

Ingredients:
-2 cups oats (regular, not instant although instant would probably suffice if you're willing to sacrifice nutrition.
-1 cup natural peanut butter
-2/3 cup no-sugar added applesauce (I used an actual apple, cored and ground up in a food processor)
-2 eggs
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1 tablespoon cinnamon
-semi-sweet chocolate chips (use sparingly, can omit)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients minus the chocolate chips and the oats until well blended stir in oats and chips.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pile on the mixture.  Spray a spoon with non-stick spray or coat with olive oil. Use the spoon to spread the mixture on the cookie sheet.  Re-apply non-stick spray/olive oil as necessary. The mixture should be about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Don't worry about making the mixture reach the edge of the sheet. Bake the mixture for about 10 minutes or until top feels slightly crusty and not sticky.  Cool for 5 minutes then cut into bars.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

I'm on a training diet these days and finding good, flavorful, nutritious food that won't make me miss the old stuff is getting harder and harder to find.  This recipe is something I would eat whether I was on a diet or not and it's so easy!

Ingredients:

• Green Leaf whole lettuce leaves, washed.
• 1/2 chopped, uncooked chicken.
• 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• Crumbled blue cheese
• 1-2 sliced avocados
• 1 diced tomato
• Buffalo sauce (mix together ingredients below)
• 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt to taste (I usually use just a small sprinkle)

Directions:
Lightly coat the bottom of a skillet pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Sauté chicken in oil until cooked through and browned on both sides. Once chicken is cooked, stir buffalo sauce into chicken and remove from heat.  Use one leaf of lettuce per wrap.  Top with chicken, tomatoes, avocados, and blue cheese.  Fold and serve. Makes about 4 servings (two lettuce wraps per serving).