Layered Baked Potatoes and Onions

January is a great time to cook comfort food!

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1/2 thinly sliced onion
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil
2/3 cup vegetable broth
Old Bay Seasoning or savory spice

Instructions:
Thoroughly scrub 4 medium potatoes.  Using a mandolin, thin slice the potatoes.  Layer potatoes and onion in casserole dish, seasoning each layer.  Mix oil and vegetable broth together and pour over potatoes.  Bake at 400 degrees until potatoes are done, approx 45-60 minutes.  Serves 3-4.

Kale and Black-Eyed Pea Salad

I'm really into black-eyed peas this month!  Lucky for us, there are many health benefits from black-eyed peas which translates into an "extra protein bonus" for your heart.  Black-eyed peas are a soluble fiber.  In your digestive system, soluble fibers attract water and form a gel, which slows down digestion making you feel fuller.  What makes soluble fibers good for your heart?  Soluble fibers help lower LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol by interfering with the absorption of dietary cholesterol.  The soluble fiber in black-eyed peas dissolves in water, trapping bile acids in the gel. This can lower bad (LDL) cholesterol but doesn't affect the production of good (HDL) cholesterol. In addition to being good for your heart, black eyed peas are high in protein as well as being low fat. 


Ingredients:
3 cups black-eyed peas
2 cups chopped dino kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs
1 tbsp grape seed oil 
1 sliced Tofurky sausage
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette 

Instructions:
Drain peas.  Saute' onion and sausage. Mix ingredients together and refrigerate. Toss with vinaigrette before serving.

Baked Artichoke Dip (sorta new and definitely improved!)

 

 

 

 

Low Fat Baked Artichoke Dip

Great Super Bowl recipe!  Instead of the standard mayonnaise and sour cream usually required for this food, I have substituted Vegenaise. Use reduced fat Parmesan cheese for this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups Vegenaise
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tsps. hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded rice or almond cheese substitute    
10 oz. pkg. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and and moisture completely blotted out
1/2 cup low fat, low cholesterol Parmesan cheese
15 oz. can artichokes,  drained and moisture squeezed out

Instructions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Stir all ingredients in mixing bowl until well-blended.   Transfer to baking dish, top with Parmesan cheese, and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes uncovered until top begins to brown.

Brussels Sprouts in Orange-Honey Glaze

A very elegant, easy, and delicious way to serve Brussels Sprouts.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups Brussels sprouts, halved and rinsed
3 shallots, sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. grape seed oil

Instructions:
Saute shallots and almonds in 1 tbsp. oil.  Set aside.  Saute' Brussels Sprouts in 1 tbsp oil for 2 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Add orange juice and honey to pan and boil until mixture starts to thicken.  Add Brussels Sprouts back to pan.  Turn heat off, add shredded carrots, salt, and cover pan. Leave for 10 minutes in warm pan then transfer to serving dish and top with shallot-almond mixture right before serving.  Serves 4-6.