Crispy Southwestern Wontons

Another great recipe from Kevin and Amanda's.

Crispy Southwestern Wontons

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernals
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained
5 oz (1 cup) chicken, shredded
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (1/2 pkg) dry ranch dressing
24 wonton wrappers
canola or vegetable oil for frying


Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add corn, beans, and chicken and stir to combine.

Move the chicken mixture to a bowl and season with pepper, then stir in cheese and dry ranch dressing.

Begin heating about 1/2 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, scoop 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.

Rub some water on two sides of the wrapper, then fold over to firmly seal, forming a triangle, and gently press out any extra air pockets. When the oil is hot, place 6 wontons at a time into oil. Cook about 1 minute per side until golden and crispy.

Makes 24 wontons

Since hubby and I are still watching our diet, I didn't fry them, I baked them in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side :)

Strawberry Salad

Last night I invited my friends over for a "Happy Healthy New Year Party", to kick off all our healthy eating resolutions with fresh fruits and veggies!

Here are a few of the yummy dishes I made, starting at the top: Mediterranean Eggplant (from Eat To Live, made without the garbanzo beans) with endive leaves for scooping; blanched green beans with lemon mayonnaise (mix lemon juice, zest, and white pepper with Vegenaise...this one isn't nutritarian but I enjoyed the plain green beans); celery, jicama, and sugar snap peas; and homemade white bean dip with cucumber slices and whole wheat pita bread. Not pictured are a big bowl of roasted carrots and another bowl filled with fresh strawberries and mango slices.

The party was a lot of fun, with everyone contributing other healthy dishes (one friend brought vegan Hoppin' John with black-eyed peas and mustard greens, perfect for the New Year!), and we all looked silly and got sweaty playing Just Dance on the Wii. Proof that people can still have fun and be social while eating healthfully!

This morning I made a beautiful lunch with leftovers, although there hardly were any! One friend brought this amazing roasted red pepper hummus, which I packed with cucumber slices for dipping. I sliced strawberries, apple, endive, romaine, and baby spinach for today's salad and topped with pecans and pomegranate balsamic vinegar.

Idly Upma, Cake, Raspberries

Idly Upma with Vegetables and sambar powder :

Dinner leftover Idly cut into small pieces, vegetables I used brocolli, mushroom, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, yellow orange red bell peppers. Heat a spoonful oil in a pan add mustard seeds, jeera, ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves (kadipatta), chopped onion, vegetables , Idly pieces mixed with salt sugar and lemon juice. cover and let it cook for 5 min stirring in between.

Cake : 3 cups of 100% Whole wheat flour (not atta - trader joes has a good one), 1 stick butter 8oz, 1 cup sugar (1/4 or 1/2 cup more can be added), 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp pure lemon/orange extract, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking pawder.

Mix in order eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon and flour with baking powder, at the end milk. I mix it in kitchenaid mixer and bake it in bundt cake pan (cake looks like big donut) at 350F for 50 min.

and Raspberries.

Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

4th of July is upon us yet again, but this year I wanted to make a different cake than the one I usually serve, which is a flag cake made out of strawberries and blueberries OR using blueberry or cherry pie filling to make the stars and stripes.

I searched around online and then I saw it.  My jaw hit the ground and I thought "NO WAY".  I was just completely taken with the cake and even more so when I realized that the creator is none other than Elissa from 17 and Baking.  Yeah folks, a now 19 year old, Elissa and her dad came up with this creation for the 4th of July and if you've never seen it before, you're going to flip out.  Just imagine your guests reaction when you serve them a slice of this cake.

Red, White and Blue Flag Cake

Credit:  Elissa

Baking Directions:
To make this cake you will need three full layers of white cake, all the same height (make two recipes of cake or two cake mixes - you will end up with four layers so use one for another purpose). One layer will need to be white, one layer will need to be red and one layer will need to be blue. Use food coloring to get desired shade. Bake the layers in 9" round greased and floured rounds. Let cool. Freeze the layers to make them easier to work with during assembly.

Assembly:
Split the white layer and the red layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. (You can also use a cake leveler to help keep the cut even.) Do not split the blue layer. Start assembly by placing one split white layer on a cake plate. Frost the top of this layer using white icing. Place one of the red split layers on top of the frosted white layer and frost it with icing. Set aside.

Place the remaining red split layer and the remaining white split layer on top of the full blue layer. Place a round bowl (or paper pattern) approximately 5" diameter on the top of the cakes in the center and cut through all the layers using the bowl as a guide.

You should now have a circle cut through the layers. Keep the center red circle, the center white circle and the outer (approximately 2" wide) blue cake ring. Set aside all other cake pieces for a different use.

Place the outer blue cake ring piece on the iced white and red cake layers.

Carefully spread icing around the inside of the blue ring.

Insert the round white cake piece in the center of the blue ring and ice. Insert the red round cake piece making sure it is flush with the blue cake ring.

You should now have a complete cake ready to ice. Finish by icing the entire cake with white icing and decorating as desired.

To serve, cut into slices and be amazed at the cool flag each piece becomes!

Vegetarian lasagna

Vegetarian Lasagna : It can take enormous amount of vegetables hidden. I made this casserole in 9X9 inch. pan.

I used more than a pound of spinach, 2 cups grated carrots, 3 cups broccoli florets, 2 cups finely chopped bell pepper and celery.

heat some oil in a big pot add - dry herbs (oregano, basil), finely chopped garlic (4 cloves), 1/2 onion, vegetables, 8 oz crumbled tofu, salt, lemon juice, 1 tbs sugar, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbs whole wheat flour and add it to veggies. Mix it all together until veggies cooked (about 10 min).

cook the pasta sheets as per instructions. 1 cup of pasta sauce, 2 cups of Mexican blend cheese and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese will make this veggie cheesy lasagna... yum.
In pan - 2 layers of veggies, pasta sauce, cheese and pasta sheets... topped with cheese. baked for 30 min 350F.

Well, this was dinner so in the morning - I cut the lasagna piece, warmed for 2min in a bowl in the microwave and gave it in the hot lunch box by cutting it into bites with sharp knife- ready to eat with fork. It will be warm for lunch.

Roo loves it...so nothing on the side.