Recipe - German Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a great idea for dessert at a picnic. You can make them ahead of time, and they're easy to transport and eat. This new twist on an old favorite is perfect for an old-fashioned picnic! Just keep them cold until ready to serve, so the yummy frosting doesn't melt - that's the best part! :-)

German Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

German Chocolate II (Photo credit: SisterMaryEris)

Cupcakes Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted, then cooled

Frosting Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

To make cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line regular muffin tins with muffin papers.
2. In a medium bowl, put the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking soda, and salt) and whisk to mix. 
3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale yellow in color and fluffy.
4. Keeping the mixer running in the butter-sugar bowl, start adding eggs, one at a time, until blended well; then add vanilla.
5. Reduce the mixer to low speed and start adding the flour mixture, dividing into three steps with the buttermilk;  first a third flour, then half buttermilk, third flour, half buttermilk, final third flour.
6. Finally drizzle in the cooled chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined.
7. Pour batter into paper cups in muffin tins about 3/4 full.
8. Put tins in preheated oven and bake in preheated oven at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes, making sure you turn the muffin tin halfway through the cooking time.  Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
9. Remove muffin tins from oven and set on rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove paper cups from muffin tins and place on rack to cool completely.

To make frosting: 

1. In a saucepan, put egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar, and butter over medium heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Pour into a heat-resistant bowl and add vanilla, salt, coconut, and pecans, stirring gently to combine.  Let cool at room temperature.

To assemble cupcakes:

• Use a sharp knife and, from the top, remove a “core” of cupcake from the center, being sure you don't puncture the bottom.  
• Fill the core (hole) with frosting, then add frosting to top of cupcake.  (Save the cupcake you remove and crumble to use as ice cream topping.)

Picnic Recipe - Easy Creamy Horseradish Coleslaw

This tasty slaw puts a modern flavor twist on an old picnic favorite! Horseradish and lemon juice add a special tangy to the creamy dressing, and it's easy to modify it to your tastes. Substitute honey or stevia for the sugar if desired.

Easy Creamy Horseradish Coleslaw
(Serves 8-12.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

10 cups shredded cabbage (mix green and red if desired)
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including tops
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar (if desired)
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

• In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, and green onions.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, horseradish, and lemon juice.  Adjust seasonings to taste, then pour over coleslaw mixture and toss to combine.
• Chill and serve cold. 

An Old-Fashioned Picnic - Enjoy Foods from Days Gone By!

Summer's ending always seems to trigger nostalgia. Before we head into the chill of fall, why not take advantage of the remaining warm days and have an old-fashioned summer picnic? Remembering days long past brings back memories of fabulous foods and outdoor picnics on a blanket on the grass. Picnic dishes were often family recipes we grew up with, passed down from Grandmother to Mother, Grandfather to Father.

Back in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, school picnics, potluck picnics, 4th of July picnics, and Labor Day picnics were times when the mothers and fathers would present their favorite salads, desserts, baked beans, or grilled masterpieces.  Just recalling these old favorites is enough to take you back, enjoying the memory of every tasty morsel.  Here are a few dishes that, I hope, will evoke memories for you, and maybe even some ideas for your next picnic:

Old Main Dishes Made New
Ah, for the days when low fat and cholesterol were still a figment of someone's imagination.  At every picnic, piles of chicken with crispy skin, hamburgers, hotdogs, and bratwursts or sausages took center stage.  There was no such thing as boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey burgers.  Back then, we cooked our chicken with the skin on, bones in, and everybody ate it all.  There was one brand of hotdogs, all bratwursts and sausages were pork, and hamburgers were made with 'hamburger' and not lean ground beef (aka "pink slime"), or any variation.

Sausages with salad and potato salad (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nowadays, you can grill some of the old time favorites, but feel free to tweak them to your taste, and of course, for best health, choose organic, sustainably raised and pasture-fed meats.

Put a whole chicken on the grill, either by removing the backbone and “butterflying” the chicken, flattening it out to cook evenly, or putting it on the rotisserie (or try beer can chicken for a special taste treat).  The fat cooks off better than deep frying it, and a whole chicken stays more moist than a cut-up chicken. Another option is to slide your seasonings underneath the skin before grilling.  Perfect “have your cake and eat it too” solution – the flavor is ON the meat and not the skin.

There are more choices now for hotdogs, sausages, and bratwursts.  You can find many varieties using leaner choices like turkey, chicken, or even vegetarian, that have fabulous flavor.  It's amazing how many vegetarian hotdogs are available that taste almost identical to other hotdogs once they've been on the grill.  Don't shy away from these new varieties of your favorite summer grill staples.

Simple grilled beef steak maintains the legacy of the 40s, 50s, and 60s quite well.  Include the classic cast iron skillet of mushrooms and onions and you have a grilled steak dinner identical to the best dinners from decades past.

Chicken salad, tuna salad, and other cold main dish salads and sandwiches are the mainstays of Mom's picnic dishes from decades past.  Ground ham or bologna sandwiches are still seen, but have been updated for a more health conscience picnic goer.  Processed meats are often avoided when picnic meals are planned today, however, the flavors of these long-ago sandwiches are still a much desired picnic basket favorite. Choose a lean slice of ham, chop it up or grind it, and mix it with light mayonnaise, olive oil mayonnaise, or just mix in cooked egg yolk and sour cream as a nice alternative.  Don't forget the pickle relish!  This makes a nice old-fashioned sandwich that's delicious and more health conscious.

Here's where we add a note about breads when serving sandwiches.  The days of piles of sandwiches in white bread are gone.  Replacing white bread with multi-grain bread bumps sandwiches up a notch into the 21st Century.  For instance, the classic “picnic spread” of ground or chopped ham that we just modernized can be made even healthier.  Spread it on a hearty seven grain bread, and you turn an old fashioned picnic favorite into a new, healthier classic - and with more flavor too.

Old-Fashioned Sides With a Few Twists

Salads had less greens and more mayonnaise back in the old days.  Pasta salads, potato salads, egg salad, deviled eggs, seven layer salads, Jello salads, and lots of other sides were often based on mayonnaise dressings.  Now, many of these sides have embraced vinaigrette dressings, light herb dressings, and other lower fat alternatives to regular mayonnaise.

Potato salad (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Classics like three bean salads have changed from sugar and vinegar based dressing to honey or other light dressing.  Potato salads now include lighter varieties for the dressing, like olive oil, vinegar, and lots of herbs, while still including the classic egg yolk for the flavor we all love.  You'll also find many creamy dressings are now being made with yogurt instead of mayonnaise.  Or, folks are making their own mayonnaise using healthy fat alternatives.

Deviled eggs are another side that we loved back in the old days.  Every picnic had a tray or two or three of these classics, often in clever little carrying devices.  How can you improve or update deviled eggs? Add capers or anchovies for more flavor and you have an updated version of this wonderful favorite.  Chop up cilantro, add a dash of hot sauce, and you've got deviled eggs that are uniquely yours.

And, yes, we mentioned Jello salads.  There was a time when Jello salads were vehicles for vegetables as well as fruit.  Those days are long gone.  However, the reason is not because they weren't tasty, the reason is because many of these vegetable Jello dishes featured mayonnaise.  Lime Jello with shredded carrots topped with sour cream and mayonnaise was not uncommon.  No, you probably don't want to duplicate that in your “revisit the good old days” picnic.  However, there are ways to bring back the old, yet maintain the new.  Simple Jello salads featuring vegetables is actually quite tasty.  Choose simple combinations like a lime Jello with shaved celery and carrots, topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.  This is a tasty, light combination that appeals to many picnic goers who are watching their diet.

Think twice before you plan your sides and salads and you'll find many alternatives with today's nod to health conscious choices, and a touch of modern flavor. 

Decades Old Desserts

Chocolate desserts were always a big hit at picnics of the 40s, 50s, and 60s.  From chocolate puddings, cakes, cookies, and even cream pies, knowing then that everybody loves chocolate was a pretty safe bet, just as it is today.  Some favorites of those decades was Black Forest Cake and German Chocolate Cake.  As ingredients like coconut, baking chocolate, and canned cherries became more available, these favorites became the norm instead of the exception at just about every occasion.  Because both of these cakes freeze especially well, they are the perfect choice for today's picnic celebration.  Transport in a cooler and they will thaw in time for dessert.

A cranberry jello salad made in a ring mold. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now, we come to Jello once again.  Believe it or not, during the 40s and 50s, the Jello folks were pushing hard to get housewives to implement Jello as a vegetable.  Then, in the 60s the emphasis turned to Jello as a dessert.  One classic from those days was the whipped Jello and ice cream dessert. Throwing your Jello in a mixing bowl and whipping in fruit and ice cream got kids to eat Jello for dessert, long forgetting the vegetable focus.  Jello desserts began to fill picnic and potluck tables like never before.  When hosting a picnic featuring your favorite dishes from long ago, you can't forget the Jello.  There are low-sugar varieties now and many creative recipes to serve Jello in new ways.

Yes, times have changed, but every once in awhile, don't you just long to indulge in the picnic foods you remember from long ago?   If so, dig around in the recipes from the past.  Choose your favorites and have fun making them exactly as you like – either the way you remember, or with a few tweaks to make them more "you".  Plan your next picnic with all those favorites from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s and rediscover the flavors of days gone by.

Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty picnic-friendly recipes!

Recipe: Garden Cucumber Salsa

Salsa is pretty much the quintessential summer recipe! With lots of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs fresh from the garden, now is the perfect time to make your own practically endless variety of salsa creations. If you haven't made or had fresh salsa before, you're in for a treat! Unlike the jarred store bought kind, fresh salsa is just that - fresh. You can control the ingredients and salt content, and switch it up with sweet or savory ingredients - I love fruit salsas, so adding fresh peaches, apples, or pineapple can put a new twist on an old favorite.

Start off your salsa making adventure with this super-fresh and extra-crunchy summery recipe:

Garden Cucumber Salsa

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

6 small cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 small onion, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
2 TB minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (or 1 TB fresh chopped dill)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

• Put all the ingredients in a large glass or plastic bowl and stir to combine. 
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
• Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe: Mixed Greens And Sardine Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

This healthy salad packs a punch of flavor and antioxidants, with mixed greens and fresh vegetables, paired with healthy fats from eggs and sardines, it will help keep both your body and your taste buds satisfied! Use fresh organic ingredients and eggs from pastured poultry for best health benefits.

Mixed Greens And Sardine Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette Dressing

 (Photo credit: Elle-Epp)

Ingredients: 

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp coarse ground mustard
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
pinch of salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, left whole (removed later)
1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
2 large hard boiled organic eggs (from pastured hens), peeled and sliced
5 cups mixed salad greens
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 can (4 oz) sardines, drained
1 Tbsp sliced black olives

Directions:

1. Prepare dressing first by putting vinegar, oil, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisking until smooth and frothy. Add the garlic clove, stir, then set aside. (The garlic clove will be removed later before serving.)
2. In a skillet, put about 1 inch of water over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Add the asparagus spears, stirring and cooking for just 2 to 3 minutes or until just blanched; then drain in colander and place under cold running water until cooled, then set on paper towel covered plate or colander to dry.
3. Divide salad greens between 2 plates and create salad by arranging the eggs, asparagus, tomatoes, sardines, and olives on top of the greens. 
4. Remove the garlic from the dressing, Whisk again gently and drizzle over the salads.

5 Important Foods For Weight Loss

When you think of losing weight, your first thought is probably about the foods you will have to eliminate from your diet.  But, how often do you think about the foods you need to add?  Probably not very often. While some diet and weight loss programs talk about eating less, others emphasize adding foods to your diet.  Not just any foods, however.  There are several foods considered to have some real benefits for anyone trying to lose weight. Here are a few foods that are right at the top of the list.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Oatmeal and oat bran are loaded with fiber and when eaten can expand to almost 30 times their volume. The combination of these two effects decreases your appetite by making you feel fuller longer.  You can go for long periods of time without eating while keeping your energy levels high at the same time. In order to increase the effectiveness of your weight loss program, eat oatmeal about two hours before doing your workout. Steel-cut oats, rolled oats, and plain or natural oatmeal are your best options. Avoid the instant flavored oatmeal in packets as they contain lots of sugar and other additives, and they are much more processed, meaning the fiber content is decreased.

Raw Fruits and Vegetables

Your body burns, on average, 15% more calories when your meals contain mostly raw fruits and veggies than if you ate a meal with no fruits or vegetables.  It just makes sense, then, in order to lose weight you want to eat meals consisting of mostly raw ingredients. Since these ingredients still have all of their nutrients, your body gets what it needs while you feel satisfied.  Also, fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C, like lemons, oranges, and pineapple help your body to mobilize and flush out extra body fat.

Spices

For years, people have claimed that adding spices to your diet can help with weight loss. Recently, a professor at Oxford University, found that by eating just 3 grams of chili peppers in a meal can increase your fat-burning metabolism by 8% to 20%, for up to three hours after eating the peppers. Also, the addition of spicy mustard to your sandwich may burn an extra 45 to 75 calories over the same three hour time span. And, just by adding fresh ginger to your diet, you get a strong diuretic. Fresh ginger also increases growth hormone production, therefore increasing the amount of fat released from your body's fat stores for burning as fuel.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Apples

While eating raw fruits in general is typically considered a great way to lose weight, apples are especially important to single out. Apples contain pectin, which prevents your body from over-absorbing fat, as well as causing your body to release some of the stored fat. A study done in Brazil found that people who ate an apple before each meal lost 33% more weight than a group of people who didn't eat an apple. Pectin also acts as an appetite suppressant, so they are great snacks to tide you over between meals.

Fish

Not only are most fish loaded with tons of omega-3s, but fish like tuna, sardines, and salmon trigger the hormone leptin. Leptin is a fat-burning hormone that suppresses your appetite and determines whether you store the calories you eat as fat, or if you burn those calories for energy. The origin of the word is interesting, too.  Leptin originated from the Greek word “leptos” which means “slender.”  So, adding more leptin to your diet may just prove to be slenderizing for you.

Eating certain foods to lose weight is not a brand new theory.  We've often heard about diet fads that include one or two foods that dominate the program.  The idea of eating specific foods that have been scientifically studied is a much more recent development in the weight loss world.  When you look at the reasons why certain foods actually help you burn fat and calories, it just makes sense to add those foods to your diet plan.

Recipe - Indian Curry Chicken

Diets can sometimes seem tedious. This dish is packed with powerful flavors to keep it interesting and to satisfy your hunger. The coconut milk does contain fat, but for many diets this fat is considered "good" fat.  You may substitute other milk if that is more suited to your diet instructions. In general this recipe should work well for "O" or "B" types if following the blood type diet.


Indian Curry Chicken
(Serves 4.)

Chicken Curry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 can (13.5 oz size) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water or broth
1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, put the oil and and diced onion, stirring until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and ginger, and continue cooking just until the garlic gets fragrant.
3. Add the cauliflower, coconut milk, and water or broth, turn heat down to low, loosely cover the skillet, and simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender.
4. Add the chicken to the skillet, stir, taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to your liking.
5. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is hot and the liquid has thickened a little and reduces slightly.
6. Serve hot over rice, if that suits your diet. Otherwise, serve as is in bowls like a thick stew. (Type O might want to omit or limit the rice.)

Click Here For More Recipes For Your Blood Type...

Recipe: Hummus & Feta Stuffed Grilled Eggplant

If you're following the blood type diet, this recipe will work for all the types except O (which shouldn't eat many legumes). Some say A types should not eat cheese, but according to Dr. D'Adamo's book, feta is okay.

This is a great summer recipe which incorporates some of that extra eggplant, which is delicious grilled, plus tomatoes and green onions. It's a simple recipe, but one which is sure to delight! Ingredients can easily be adjusted proportionally to serve more people.

Hummus And Feta Stuffed Grilled Eggplant
(Serves 2-3 as an appetizer; 1 as a snack.)

Ingredients:

Roasted eggplant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 small eggplant
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 crumbled feta cheese
6 green onions, chopped small
1 small ripe tomato, diced
salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Wash and cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 thick strips. Grill, broil, or roast eggplant slices until lightly browned and softens.
• Lay eggplant slices out onto a work surface. Spread the hummus evenly over each eggplant slice.
• Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over each slice.
• Top with the onions, sprinkling them evenly on each slice.
• Distribute the diced tomato pieces on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Start at a thin end and roll the eggplant up over the stuffing ingredients. Serve warm.

Eat Right For Your Blood Type? Letting Your DNA Define Your Diet

Your DNA controls how your body reacts to certain external factors. It determines your allergies, your physical build and how everything works together. So why would you not eat based on your DNA as well?

English: Codominant inheritance of the ABO blood groups. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although you most likely don't have a DNA analysis machine in their back pocket, you do know a basic component of your DNA that can closely group people based on how their bodies function;  your blood type – O, A, B, or AB.  That's how the Eat Right for Your Type diet explains and encourages people to eat based on your body's needs.

The Basics

Peter J. D'Adamo, ND, the author of Eat Right For Your Type, believes blood types affect the digestive system differently and that some foods, good for people of one type, are "dangerous" for another. Some critics claim that this diet only suits those who are looking for a program that doesn't involve tracking calories.  However, for D'Adamo, it is about using your blood type to determine your susceptibility to certain illnesses, as well as the types of exercise that will benefit you the most.

How the Diet Works

D'Adamo believes the right diet for your blood type comes down to lectins, food proteins each blood type digests differently. If you eat foods containing lectins incompatible with your blood type, you may experience inflammation, bloating, a slower metabolism, even diseases such as cancer. The best way to avoid these effects is to eat foods meant for your blood type.

All foods fall into three categories on the Eat Right for Your Type diet:

1. Beneficial – foods act like medicine
2. Neutral – foods act like food
3. Avoid – foods act like poison

What You Can Eat

Type O is for “old,” as this blood type is human's oldest tracked blood line. These people have a digestive tract which retains the memory of ancient diets, so your metabolism will benefit from lean proteins like poultry and fish. You're also advised to restrict grains, breads, and legumes, and to enjoy vigorous exercise.

Grain (Photo credit: Frapestaartje)

Type A is for “agrarian" people who depend on agriculture for their sustenance. These people should stick with vegetarian diets. The type A diet contains soy proteins, whole grains, and organic vegetables and encourages gentle exercise which can be seen in the more settled and less warlike farming ancestors.

Type B comes from our nomadic past and has a relatively tolerant digestive system. This blood type can enjoy low-fat dairy, meat, and produce but should avoid wheat, corn, and lentils. Moderate exercise should be the norm for these folks.

Type AB is a combination of Type A and B. The "modern" blood type AB has a sensitive digestive tract and should avoid chicken, beef, and pork but can enjoy seafood, tofu, dairy, and most produce.

While there is little research to back up the findings in the book, even critics will agree that the nutritional guidance in the diet is sound.  There are healthy eating tips in this diet, regardless of whether or not your blood-type is the angle you are considering.  But, as far as diets go, this is a very interesting way to look at the reasons some people gain weight and others don't eating the same foods.  Give it a try.  Learning how to eat right for your body type has been popular for years – maybe it's time to try to eat right according to your blood type.

More On Eating Right For Your Blood Type:
   

Crockpot Recipe - Baked Apples

Here in Ohio, summer apples are just starting. While this may sound like a fall recipe, baked apples with a little yogurt actually make a nice, light summer breakfast. Just put them in the crockpot the evening before, and you'll have a tasty treat ready in the morning! Or of course you can have them for dessert....

Crockpot Baked Apples
(Serves 6-10)

Ingredients:

6 large baking apples (Rome or York work well)
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB butter, melted
3 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Peel, core, and cut apples in half. Place in crockpot.
• Drizzle with lemon juice & butter.
• Sprinkle sugar & spices over.
• Cover and cook on "Low" 4  hours (or 2 hours on "High."
• Serve hot, with vanilla ice cream, or cold, with yogurt for breakfast.

Find More Easy & Tasty Crockpot Recipes Here:
   

Recipe - Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

You don't have to slave over a hot stove all evening to have a tasty plate of home-made spaghetti. Enjoy spaghetti anytime with this easy vegetarian sauce recipe you can make right in the crockpot and have ready when you come home from work. (If you prefer it with meat, you can brown some sausage or ground meat of your choice in a skillet and then add it to the other ingredients before leaving for the day.) Then just boil up some pasta and you're ready to eat! This is a great way to add some extra veggies to your diet - like eggplant - the kids won't even know! If you have extra, this recipe also freezes well.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (Vegetarian)
(Makes 3 qts.)

Tomato paste & garlic (Photo credit: Wikiped

Ingredients:

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (10-oz) cans tomato puree
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
2 c. water
1 c. chopped onion
1 diced bell pepper
2 stalks diced celery
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced small (optional)
1 cup mushrooms, washed and sliced (optional)
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 TB extra virgin olive oil

Directions: 

• Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Cover and cook on "Low" for 8 hours. (Or "High" for 4 hours.)
• Serve hot over freshly cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

More Tasty & Simple Crockpot Recipes: 
   

Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking

Most areas of the country this summer are experiencing record-breaking heat - including here in Ohio. On days like these, there are few places you'd rather be than in a hot kitchen! There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that don't require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some creative ways of cooking that don't heat up the house, such grilling out, or using the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice home-cooked meal for friends and family.

Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

In general most people think of crock pots as designed for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

The Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking

In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above, when it comes to crock pot cooking there are several other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.

Mongolian Beef with rice and noodles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Second, many great crock pot recipes include vegetables to insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a complete meal in one dish. Also, several recent studies have shown that meats cooked using slow, moist heat (like in a crock pot) are much healthier for you than grilled or fried meats. So using a crock pot to prepare meals may be a healthier way to go in general.

Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be as many dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove.... Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or just waiting for the first star.

While there will never be a one-size-fits-all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes. (Check back later this week for some ideas.)


Crock Pots Are Available in Many Different Sizes to Suit Your Family:
   

Low-Carb Recipe - Roasted Eggplant Spread

'Tis the season...for eggplant!  Eggplant is probably one of the most hated vegetables, and I used to be a hater myself. My mother loves eggplant, and she managed to hide it in lots of summer dishes when I was a kid. Eggplant is one of those things that, if you cut it up really small and add it to something else when cooking, it is hard to detect. But it's quite healthy, and grows prolifically, so it's easy to find cheap this time of year. The past few years, I have grudgingly come to accept, and even (gasp!) enjoy my one-time nemesis. (I think part of this is due to my CSA membership - they grow the best, tenderest eggplants I've ever had.)

This recipe is high in good carbs, and low in the bad kind, so it's a nice addition to your diet if you're trying to cut down on your simple carb consumption. Whether you're an eggplant-lover, or just an adventurous soul looking to broaden your palate, this recipe is fresh, flavorful, and unique, and it may just make a convert out of you!

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Eggplant  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 medium, firm eggplant
1 clove garlic, peel removed
pinch of ground allspice
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
drizzle of good olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. With a small sharp paring knife, cut a couple slits in top of eggplant; this keeps the eggplant from bursting open in the oven.
3. Put eggplant directly on the oven rack (slit side up) in the middle of the oven and put the other oven rack below on the bottom with a cookie sheet or piece of aluminum foil on it to catch any drippings from the eggplant.
4. Roast the eggplant until it is fork tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
5. When tender remove carefully from oven to a cutting board to cool enough to handle.
6. With your sharp paring knife, cut the skin off and scoop the flesh out, putting it in your food processor bowl.
7. Add the garlic, allspice, salt, pepper, and parsley. 
8. Pulse until the eggplant becomes paste-like, then with motor running, drizzle in just a touch of olive oil, stopping when the paste turns smoother.
9. Scoop out into a serving bowl and serve with a variety of breads, crackers, pita points, celery, or other vegetables.  This should be served at room temperature, not cold. You can easily make bigger batches, just increase each ingredient proportionally.

Recipe - Lime Ceviche - Fresh Summer Appetizer

If you've never made or had a ceviche before, this might sound a little odd, but if you're up for a taste adventure, give this one a try! If you're not familiar with ceviche, it is a cooking technique that uses an acid (such as lemon or lime juice) to "cook" the proteins in meat or fish, without actually cooking it. Typically it is used with fish, but it can also be used with some vegetables - such as kale, which is high in protein - I have a totally yummy recipe using kale from my CSA with lemon juice and honey - I'll share it sometime - it's soo good!  But I digress. :-)   Ceviche is a great dish for hot summer days - fresh, light, and it doesn't require use of the stove. Try this sparkling, fresh Southwest-inspired appetizer at your next barbeque - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Fresh Lime Ceviche Appetizer

Ceviche (Photo credit: Magnus Bråth)

Ingredients: 

2 pounds fresh fish fillets, any firm white fish, like tilapia, cut in small dice
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut fine
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed (this will take about 15 or so medium size limes)

Directions:

• In a glass 9x13 baking pan, put all the ingredients except the lime juice and stir slightly to mix evenly into a layer.
• Pour the lime juice evenly over the contents, adding more lime juice if the fish is not completely covered with lime juice.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Serve cold in a glass serving bowl with tortilla chips, crackers, or cucumber circles or celery stalks.

OR - for a fun buffet option, wash the limes and cut them in half lengthwise before squeezing them.  After squeezing the juice out, scoop out the pulp from the lime halves. Slice a tiny bit off the bottom to help the limes stand up, then arrange on a platter.  Fill with the ceviche and set platter on buffet. Each lime becomes a single serving size appetizer.