Italiano Tofu Sandwich

Tofu has a bad rap in some peoples mind, so please keep an open mind and try this baby. I remember my Stud Muffin saying to me, "Don't you ever serve me tofu again." Well, years went by and I was intrigued to try it again. Oh how I just love a challenge. It's the mushy texture and the zero flavor that turn off most people. Folks seem to love it or hate it. But I'm here to tell you there is still hope and to give it one more try my way. I quickly found out that the flavored and baked tofu has great potential. So I made my version of an Italian inspired tofu sandwich. Voila!  When I told my hubby that I was making this sandwich for the food blog and it would be for his lunch tomorrow he was happy and he said "I love that sandwich." I hope you love it too.
Enjoy!

Italiano Tofu Sandwich

• 4 slices of Kalamata Olive Bread
• 1 package of Baked flavored Tofu 6 oz., (savory) or flavor of your choice
• 2 slices of Sargento reduced fat Provolone 
• 1 jar 6 1/2 oz. Goya, Fancy Pimientos
• Sweet or Red onion, sliced very thin
• Sprouts of your choice
• Balsamic Salad dressing, I used Ken's light options
• Fresh Basil

You will only need 4 slices of the bread, so you may freeze or refrigerate the rest for later use. Prepare sandwiches ingredients in order:

1. Open tofu and slice, evenly cutting both pieces into half lengthwise (reducing the thickness of it). Layer 2 tofu slices per sandwich onto bottom slice of bread.
2. Then place 1 slice of provolone on top of tofu, reserving the rest of cheese for later use.
3. Open jar of pimientos and carefully pull out of jar with out breaking up, pat dry with a paper towel, then cover top of tofu with a single layer of pimento. You probably will not use all of it, refrigerate unused pimientos for later use.
4. Layer two thin slices of onion on top of pimentos. 
5. Then add sprouts to cover generously and drizzle them with salad dressing.
6. Add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste. 
7. Cover up sprouts with fresh Basil leaves (stems removed), this will take the place of lettuce. Place second slice of bread on top and cut into half, serve immediately. Serves 2.
   

You may make this the night before for your lunch the next day. Just wrap up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Gouda and Babybel Snacks

OK, Feasty Fans, we're double dipping this week with two recipes. They both taste the same so you pick which one you would like to try. If you want a quick and easy appetizer that tastes delicious, then this baby is for you. I managed to cut back on the fat and sugar without compromising the flavors. Maybe a little wine to go with your cheese appetizer. Enjoy!


Mini Encrusted Baked Gouda Pouches

• 8 light Babybel cheeses, unwrapped
• Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• 1 egg, beaten
• optional dip #1: Smucker's sugar free Blackberry Jam
• optional dip #2: Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile unwrap plastic and wax from Babybel's and set aside. Open crescents and divide into 8 sections. Then wrap one section around cheese circle pinching seams together carefully and covering completely on crescent dough. Space evenly on ungreased cookie sheet and with a pastry brush on egg on top of crescents to make dough golden brown. Then bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: You may use the mustard or jelly as a dip after baking or you may put 1/2 tsp of mustard or jelly on dough before you wrap cheese with crescent and bake the jelly or mustard in it. They are very good left plain too. Makes 8 mini baked cheeses.


Mini Baked Babybel Cups

• 8 light Babybel cheeses, unwrapped
• Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• Smucker's sugar free Blackberry jam or Dijon mustard

You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open the cheeses, cut then in half (like a half circle) and set aside. Then open Crescent rolls and divide into 8 sections, then cut each section in half (not in half long ways).  Place dough into mini muffin wells and add either 1/4 tsp mustard or jelly onto dough, then top with cheese half. Bake for 9 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 mini cheese cups.

Tex Mex Eggs

I feel sorry for the poor people out there who do not enjoy spicy food, but no cry babies allowed. I have loved spicy food for as long as I can remember. Also, my taste buds crave some excitement around here. This one is light, done-right, too. So fool those fat cells into singing, while keeping it low in fat. I keep thinking that a few slices of canadian bacon or crispy bacon on the side would be great for the meat mongers as well. With or without meat this is a real treat for the taste buds. Enjoy!

Tex Mex Eggs

• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 3/4 cup diced Roma tomato
• 1 4 oz. can diced mild green chiles
• 1 16 oz. container of Egg Beaters
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup fat free milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Utz baked tortilla chips, crumbled
• 4 slices of Sargento reduced fat pepper cheese slices
• Pickled jalapeno slices from jar for garnish
• Pam cooking spray

Spray a nonstick 12 inch skillet with Pam and heat on medium heat. Add onion and stir occasionally until it just starts to brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together tomato, green chiles, Egg Beaters, egg, milk, salt, pepper, and cheese broke into bite size pieces. After onion is cooked spray the skillet one more time with cooking spray and add egg mixture and tortilla chips, mixing well. Stirring with a soft spatula and cook just like scrambled eggs. Once eggs are set and thoroughly cooked serve immediately with jalapeno slices. Serves 6. 

If you would like add some meat to this dish I suggest some ham or crispy bacon, cooked in the eggs or on the side.

Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

The reason I love to marinate meat is to infuse the flavors and with the right ingredients it will tenderize it as well. I am happy to say that this recipe does both. The chicken was so tender and moist. I can see where this one can become a family favorite. So try a new one, I don't know about you but as much as I have my old favorites I crave a new recipe at times.

Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

• 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 tsp. dried Thyme
• 4 Chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
• 1 large gallon size Ziploc freezer bag

In a small bowl mix together first 4 ingredients well with a wire whisk. Place chicken breast in bag and add marinate, seal and refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

We cooked ours on our gas grill on high at 400 degrees by a direct cooking over flames for 12 minutes. Of course every grill is different, just cook until no longer pink inside. Or you may bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until no longer pink inside.

If you want a tender moist chicken breast then this is a must try for you. I believe this marinade would go well on pork or beef too, even though I did not try it. Enjoy!

Bok Choy Salad

 Tis the season to try to make up for a few extra pounds over the holidays. The dreaded reality has set in and now we either pay the price or eat our way into a slimmer person. I'm here to tell you that yes, you can do that. The trouble with me is that I like to eat and I want to eat food that tastes good, and sometimes it can be hard to compromise calories and flavor. So, this is my low calorie version of Bok Choy Salad. It is so good I'll bet you can't eat just one serving.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 Bok Choy, chopped
• 6 - 8 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• Dry roasted sunflower seeds for garnish, optional

Wash and drain Bok Choy and green onions. Chop off about 2 inches of the end of the Bok Choy and discard. Then dice and chop the leafy part and the white celery like stalks into bite size pieces. Next chop off root end of green onions and about 2 inches off of the green end and discard, then chop remainder of the onion thin. Toss Bok Choy and onion into a large bowl.  

In 2 cup size measuring cup add in order: olive oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then blend well with a small wire whisk. After it is mixed well add Splenda and mix well again until well blended. 

This will give you about 1 cup of dressing for you to toss over greens. Serve immediately with sunflower seeds on top for garnish. You may prepare greens and dressing in advance and toss just before serving. Enjoy!

You may want to double or triple this recipe because this is one that people will want to eat seconds on. Another great thing about this is that if you manage to have leftovers it will keep for a few days for you to munch on and it will stay crispy.

Toaster Hash Browns

May I safely say that this is an amazing bargain. I used to buy packages of 4 toaster hash browns from Ore-Ida at $5 a box, but I recently found that Aldi, a chain of deep-discount groceries, sells a box of 20 hash browns for only $3.29. Well I was timid about going there at first, as it sounded too good to be true, but my son urged me to check it out and I was sure glad that I did. Our store in Frederick, Md is small but very clean, with great prices too. You need to put a quarter into the shopping cart to unlock it, and it will hold onto your quarter until you return it. See how they save money, no carts running loose in the parking lot and no employees needed to round them up. They accept cash, debit cards and recently started accepting credit cards. Oh, and if you don't bring your own bags you will need to purchase them for 6 cents each. I love how they encourage you to recycle, and pass on the savings. So we found out that you can toast these babies in a toaster (and no need to buy the special Ore-Ida hash browns at higher prices). No hot grease to heat up and stink up your house and it's lower in fat too. I'll tell you it's a lower fat, fast and frugal hash brown. A win win situation, enjoy!

Toaster Hash Browns

Plug in your toaster and set at the medium setting. Drop in the frozen hash brown and toast it three separate times, turning between toasting. Be careful not to get burned or shocked here, you use toaster tongs if you have them. Safety calls for unplugging toaster while digging in there to flip the hash brown and avoid a shock. My Stud Muffin says I have leather fingers and can pick up hot items, but I think he's a sissy when it comes to hot food. Serve immediately after toasting. Keep in mind all toasters vary a lot so find the right heat setting and amount of time that will work best for your "Toaster Hash Brown." Fast and frugal always wins for me.

Eggnog Cake with Rum Glaze

I don't think the Holidays would be the same without Eggnog, and it's a tradition that most of us treasure. This is a cake that tastes like Eggnog. Get rid of your excess Eggnog with dignity. Happy Holidays!

Eggnog Cake with Rum Glaze

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup Eggnog
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp. rum extract
• 4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With a electric mixer cream together sugar and butter on high speed until well blended. Then add remaining ingredients and blend until mixed well on low speed, then raise to medium speed once dry ingredients have blended in well and mix for 2 minutes.

Spray a tube pan (or you may use two 9x5x3 inch pans) with Pam baking spray and evenly place batter into pan. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile about 15 minute before cake comes out of oven prepare Rum Glaze.

Rum Glaze

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 - 2 tsp. rum extract

In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat. Then combine sugar and water and raise heat to med/low whisking occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Turn off when all sugar crystals are dissolved. As soon as cake is removed fro m oven add rum extract and whisk well then pour immediately over hot cake.

Cool upright on wire rack for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Optional garnishes: vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.