Zucchini Fritters

Leah and I made these last night and they were YUMMY!  Remember, this is from a boy who doesn't even like zucchini.  I ate half of them.

2 small zucchini (10 oz. each)
1 large carrot
1 egg
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Grate zucchini and carrots.  With paper towels, dry vegetables well.  Mix together all ingredients.  Shape into 8 equally sized balls (this is messy).  Put four balls in a greased frypan and press balls until flat.  Cook them for five minutes, flipping once.  Repeat with other four balls.

This makes two GENEROUS servings, each of which are about 270 calories.  Yes, you get a lot of food for no calories.  Leah and I didn't even eat sour cream on them like we used to on zucchini pancakes.

Note, these fall apart quite easily.  In the original recipe, you're supposed to deep fry them in a skillet for five minutes instead of pan cooking them.  This would surely crisp them up better, but it means that every two cakes (so four servings instead of two) have 245 calories.  Again, this is hardly extravagant.

Pita Pizza (Revised)

Okay, here is the first in a series of healthy recipes that I'll be posting.  Leah and I count calories, so I'll be posting calorie counts on these recipes.  Leah and I love these, and so does everyone we've fed them to.  You can also use it as a main dish or an appetizer.  (Leah and I are full after one each.)


4 whole wheat pitas
1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto*
4 roma tomatoes
1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Spread pesto on pitas.  Top with spinach and tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle cheeses on top.  Cook in preheated oven at 350 for 10 minutes.  Then, broil on high for 2 minutes, or until crispy.

That's it!  Enjoy!  Leah and I also put cubed chicken on these once.  We liked it, but we go back to this old reliable version more often.  Depending on your pita, tomato, etc., these range from 270 to 300 calories or so.

*What, you don't have a stash of sundried tomato pesto?  Well, here's my recipe (revised).

Blend together in food processor until smooth:

8 oz. sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. dried basil (or fresh equivalent)
2 tsp. dried parsley (or fresh equivalent)
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

All-Around Amazing Asparagus

This is a fantastic asparagus recipe, even better than Aunt Les' (for anybody who remembers the miracle of seasoned salt). My buddy and made this for our dates tonight, and it was pretty incredible, if I do say so myself.

• 1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• Some butter (enough to sautee mushrooms and onions in)
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Steam the asparagus spears in a basket-style steamer over boiling water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and remove to a serving dish; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, some butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted (it's ok if it begins to brown), stir in the sliced mushrooms, and cook until they brown, soften, and begin to release their liquid; pour into a serving dish, and set aside. Melt some more butter in the skillet, and stir in the onions. Cook until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped pecans, and cook for a minute more.
3. Sprinkle the onion mixture with half of the Parmesan cheese, and stir in the reserved mushrooms. Pour over the asparagus in the serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Fresh Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound asparagus - cut into 1-inch pieces, cooked and drained

1 (4 ounce) container crumbled feta

1 container grape tomatoes, halved

2 green onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Whisk together the cider vinegar, white sugar, salt, and olive oil in the bottom of a salad bowl. Add the asparagus, feta, tomato, green onion, and parsley to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Reno's Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp pepper

1 cup mayo

14 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

8 oz marinated artichoke hearts, chopped.

Mix all ingredients together. Put in a 9x13 glass pan and cook for 35min on 400. Serve warm with crackers or vegetables.

Creamy Tomatillo Dip

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 cup mayo

1 cup cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tomatillos-peed off paper, chop

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Put all ingredients in blender and puree. Make sure garlic, tomatillos, and cilantro are sufficiently chopped. More buttermilk can be added to achieve a more runny consistency.

This recipe is great for dipping tortilla chips, crackers, or vegetables. I also really like it on tacos and burritos instead of sour cream.

Rachel's Famous 7 Layer Bean Dip

Please keep in mind, this is a recipe I don't measure things on, I just add stuff until it tastes good. However, the sour cream and the guacamole is what makes this the best. (This is my husband's absolute favorite and he asks me to make it for everything!)

Ingredients:
2-3 cans of refried beans
1 cup (or so) or sour cream
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning (or more to taste)
2-3 ripe avocados
3/4 cup (or so) mayo
garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
salsa
cheese
chopped tomatoes
chopped green onions
olives
tortilla chips

Preparation:
Spread out the beans in a 9X13 pan. Mix the sour cream and taco seasoning together and spread over the top of the beans. For the guacamole, mash the avocados. Add mayo, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, lemon juice and mix. (Just add what you like until it tastes good or you can follow a guacamole recipe but the mayo is key to making it taste so good!) Layer the guacamole, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. Add olives if you like, but I never do because I don't like them. Eat!!! And keep refrigerated.