Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread

After a failed attempt with a recipe using pumpkin, I, naturally, had canned pumpkin left over. While the weather certainly isn’t indicating fall here in south Texas (but it’s almost October! Why, why, why?!), I was bored and decided to make pumpkin bread. I also decided to not try to make it “healthy.” I was really surprised how good the bread turned out—I ended up eating way too many slices when it was still warm. The next morning it was still good, too, surprisingly. Freeze leftovers and reheat when needed. Recipe adapted from Pamela’s Baking Mix website—http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipe_frames.html. I used dark brown sugar (because I had it) and added some nutmeg, just to go along with the other spices.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of canned pumpkin

1-1/3 cups Pamela's Baking & PancakeMix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and pumpkin. Add remaining bread ingredients and mix together. Pour into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or when toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.

Serves 12
Nutritional Value per serving: 135 Cal, 5.7g Fat, 2.8g Sat Fat, 168mg Sod, 18.7g Carb, 9.7g Sug, 1.3g Fib, 2.7g Protein

~Enjoy!

Castleberry's Beans

I didn't get around to posting yesterday because I got busy wasting time on researching for an English paper that I haven't even decided a topic for yet.

This bean casserole—perfect for 4th of July, potlucks, and family dinners with grilled hamburgers (or brisket this time!)—was passed down to me by my mother and mimi. The name Castleberry comes from the brand of canned beef I use, which isn’t available here in Texas. Every trip we make to Tennessee we make sure to stock up on Castleberry Beef. If you can’t find the brand, use whatever kind of barbecue chopped beef you’d like. Lots of stores have a barbecue chopped beef available; you just may have to look around in the refrigerated section, too. The recipe says you can also used pulled pork, which we have never tried but that would probably be good, too. There is really no way to make these healthier. I’ve tried. Rinsing off the beans makes them a little less salty and using organic ketchup will cut back on the high fructose corn syrup. Just enjoy this casserole, as the flavors are excellent. If you’re adventurous, leftovers are good for bean sandwiches! Remember, everything in moderation!

Ingredients:

1 large can of pork and beans (32 oz), rinsed and drained

1 10 oz can of Castleberry Beef or Pork (about 2-2½ cups of compacted chopped beef, or a little over half a pound)

3 tbl pickle relish

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. brown sugar (not packed)

1 tbl mustard

1/4-1/2 c. water

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 2 1/12 quart casserole dish. Rinse beans in colander, drain, and put in dish. Add beef, relish, ketchup, sugar, and mustard. Add enough water to thin to desired consistency. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. To prevent the top from burning, stir after thirty minutes and watch the dish closely when it’s almost done. Or, after thirty minutes you can stir the beans and then cover for the last thirty minutes. Your choice! Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Value per serving (about 1/2 cup): 221 Cal, 5.8g Fat, 1.7g Sat. Fat, 765mg Sod, 36g Carb, 22g Sug, 5.8g Fib, 11g Protein

~Enjoy!

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

I'm house sitting for some friends this weekend. No, it's not one of those nice houses that you can run up down the stairs in or invite your friends over to watch a movie on a big screen TV in or splash around in a huge pool complete with a water slide. No, this house is old, for sale, and occupied by a mean, annoying cat, two old dogs, one's blind and deaf and the other one is scared all the time and has hip problems, and on occasion, me! Basically, I haven't gotten much sleep this weekend, which is prohibiting my ability to study for school. I also haven't done much cooking, which is dampening my spirits. I was so depressed Friday night, my first night at the house, that I ate a ton of chocolate chips that were kept in the refrigerator . Then I got over my sadness when I realized I was in a house by myself. That's just awesome. Since mom and I were being busy and lazy this weekend, we just did some tilapia with slaw and other veggies one night. This tilapia is fast and easy and the recipe is pretty much made up. I love recipes like this--just do whatever!

Ingredients:

1 tbl + 1 teaspoon low-fat mayonnaise, or 1 teaspoon per fillet

1-2 tbl melter butter

1 tbl lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Few grinds of pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon-1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound or 4 tilapia fillets

Preheat the oven broiler. Move your flat rack to the top. Grease a boiling pan or line a baking pan with aluminum foil and then spray. Mix all the ingredients together except the fish. Put fillets on pan, broil 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Flip one last time, topping with sauce mixture, and broil 2 minutes or until the topping is browned and the fish is done.

Be careful when cooking this if it's your first time using the broiler. That hot oven is tricky sometimes and burns the fish, even if you think you've done everything the same!

Serves 4

Nutritional Value per serving: 210 Cal, 11g Fat, 5.8g Sat Fat, 512mg Sod, 0g Carb, 0g Sugar, 0g Fiber, 31.7g Protein

~Enjoy!

White beans with tuna

Is it a salad, a spread, or just mush? Do whatever you want with it! This is a mixture that even my dad enjoys either on bread or as a dip with pita chips. The ingredient list isn't very precise, even I think I make it differently every time (sorry!).

Ingredients:

2 packets of Splenda (about a teaspoon)

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

About a 1/2 teaspoon lemon and lime juice--to taste

1 6oz can tuna in water

1 15.8 oz can white beans (About 1 1/2 cups)

Drain the tuna. Rinse off the beans in a coriander. Mix the first three ingredients in a small bowl and then add the tuna and beans. Mash everything together--the beans create a creaminess to the mush! Enjoy on bread, with pita chips, or just eat it with a spoon like I did for lunch today.

Serves 2 (Or one, if you're really hungry)

Nutritional Value per serving: 195 Cal, .6g Fat, 0g SFat, 735.5mg Sod, 25.5g Carb, 0g Sug, 9g Fiber, 25g Protein

I wish my picture showed the greeness of the cilantro...oh well,

~Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Quiche (No wheat)

You may be wondering why there is a pie crust on this cheeseburger quiche pictured...it's because I made one version for the family in a pie crust. The only difference is the one with the pie crust is saltier. If you want to make it in a pie crust, bake the crust for 8 minutes at 475° before following the rest of the recipe. You may also need to cook it a few minutes longer.

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese--shredded

3 eggs

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup fat free milk

2 beef bouillon cubes

Preheat oven to 350°. Brown beef and drain off fat. (Do this either with a spoon or place in a coriander). Stir in onion, garlic, and bouillon; cook and stir until onion is tender and bouillon dissolves. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, and ketchup. Stir in meat mixture and cheese. Pour into a sprayed 8 inch pie/quiche dish. Bake 25 minutes or until set. Let stand a few minutes before slicing.

Serves 4

Nutritional value per serving: 285 Cal, 16.8g Fat, 7.6 Sat Fat, 904mg Sod, 6g Carb, 4.5g Sug, 0 Fiber, 23.5g Protein

~Enjoy!

Coleslaw

I love coleslaw. There's something about mayonnaise and crunchy cabbage that delights my mouth. As a Texan, I've experienced many types of coleslaw. "Regular" is usually made with mayonnaise and "German" is usually made with a sugar/vinegar dressing. Fresh coleslaw is, of course, the best. Something about coleslaw swimming in mayonnaise grosses me out a little!! My dilemma with coleslaw was how to make it healthy--mayonnaise isn't that great for you, after all. I found a recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen (http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/) (a blog that I love, by the way) which I adapted a little to my preferences. My mom now says I've spoiled her with good coleslaw and never buys the package that has a dressing in it (which contains high-fructose-corn-syrup!)

Ingredients:

1 package of tri-colored coleslaw (about 8 cups)

1/4 cup of low fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup of fat-free milk (or low-fat)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1-2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons of Splenda (about 8 small packets, or sweeten to taste)

Simply whisk together all the ingredients and then add the coleslaw mix! I prefer this fresh but you could always refrigerate it for awhile before serving. My favorite thing to do with the leftovers the next day is take a big leaf of lettuce, layer turkey and cheese, and top with the coleslaw. Roll it all up and eat like a wrap--but without the bread!

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional value per serving: 57.5 Cal, 3.33g Fat, .33g S.Fat, 252.7mg Sod, 7g Carb, <5g>

~Enjoy!