Healthy Living

Butter Board Butter can be the star of the show!

Why just served butter in a bowl?

Get your favorite cutting board or plate and make it happen!

Salted Butter

Pistachios

Craisins

orange zest

honey

Be sure butter is softened. Spread onto your board or plate. Sprinkle evenly with pistachios and craisins Add orange zest and drizzle with warmed honey. Serve with your favorite bread or rolls.

A few more yummy ideas:

Fig jam,

chopped walnuts and balsamic glaze

Roasted garlic,

Italian seasoning,

red chili flakes

Berry Jam and lemon zest

Polar Bear Paws.

(See’s Candies copycat)

11 or 14 oz bag wrapped caramels or caramel bits

1 ¼ cup whole cashews, salted

3 Tbsp whipping cream

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

16 oz vanilla almond bark or melting wafers

1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Holiday sprinkles

1. Unwrap caramels or place caramel bits into a microwave safe bowl.

2. Add cream and butter and microwave until just melted. Don’t overcook.

3. Stir in vanilla, then add cashews and coat well with caramel mixture.

4. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken and cool.

5. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper.

6. Place 1 Tbsp or 1 oz dippers of mixture onto sheet pan.

7. Place in freezer or outside if very cold to harden around 10 minutes.

8. While hardening, melt almond bark in microwave safe bowl.

9. Add 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil as needed to thin.

10. Remove clusters from freezer and cover each in almond bark, using a fork to turn.

11. Place back on tray and when all have been covered, shake on a few holiday sprinkles if you like and place back in freezer or outdoors until hardened and easy to handle.

Enjoy. Store in airtight container or freeze well!

Bread Pudding for One

1 cup cubed bread (French bread is awesome, stale bread works great)

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp sugar

¼ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Spray a microwave safe mug with pan spray. Crack egg into 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Add milk, sugar, and vanilla and cinnamon. Use fork to break yolk and mix well. Place cubed bread into mug and pour milk mixture over top. Use a fork to press bread down to be sure it is completely covered in liquid. Add nutmeg if you like, or a few chocolate chips or blueberries. Microwave 2 minutes, checking after first minute to be sure all bread remains soaked in liquid. After 2 minutes, check to be sure all liquid has been absorbed and bread has pulled away from sides of mug. Add nutmeg. (Chocolate chips or blueberries are good too) If there is still liquid that is not absorbed; microwave for 15 second increments fully absorbed. Let sit a couple of minutes to complete the cooking process. Add whipped topping and drizzle with caramel sundae topping.

Enjoy!

English Muffins
Ingredients:
- 2c whole milk
- 3.5T sugar
- 2.5t instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 1/4 unsalted butter, lightly melted
- 4 1/3c bread flour
- 2t fine sea salt or kosher salt
- semolina or cornmeal for dusting
1) Whisk together warmed whole milk (95 deg. F) with instant yeast and sugar until
dissolved. Cover and sit for 5 minutes.
2) In a stand mixer or large bowl, whisk together bread flour and salt until
incorporated.
3) Add yeast mixture with butter and egg to flour mixture. Mix until dough forms.
Knead or mix until smooth. Add extra flour as needed, if too sticky.
4) Shape into tight ball and place in large greased bowl. Cover in a warm place a let
rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.
5) Punch air out of dough and divide into 15-16 equal pieces. Shape into tight balls
and cover to rest, about 10 minutes.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Take a
dough ball, dust each side with semolina or cornmeal, and flatten. Transfer to cast
iron skillet and cook 3-5 minutes per side, or until dark golden brown. Press down
on the dough balls with a flat spatula as they cook, to get desired shape.
7) Transfer muffin to baking sheet with parchment, and place in preheated oven. Cook
for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden on the sides.
8) Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack completely. Pre-slice english muffins
and store in a bread bag or airtight container. Best stored in the freezer

Cubed Steaks in Onion & Mushroom Sauce

2 Cubed Steaks

3 T flour (Roxane used Wondra flour)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp oil

1 small onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

8-10 mushrooms sliced

1 ½ cup beef stock or broth

½ tsp beef base or bullion

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet (optional but provides beautiful color)

1. Mix flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper into a gallon plastic zipper bag

2. Place steaks, one at a time, into the flour mixture to coat.

3. Place on plate to rest.

4. Slice onion and chop garlic.

5. Heat skillet (Roxane uses cast iron) and add butter and oil.

6. When better has melted add steaks and sauté 1-2 minutes per side, just to brown.

7. Remove onto a plate.

8. Add onions and garlic and sauté, medium heat, stirring so garlic does not burn.

9. Add mushrooms until softened.

10. Sprinkle the reserved flour from the zipper bag over the vegetables and mix in well and let cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring.

11. Add broth, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce and kitchen bouquet, stirring in well to combine.

12. Heat until simmering and return meat to center of pan.

13. Cook for 15-20 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

14. Can also cover and place in a low temp oven to hold or place in a slow cooker on low.

Cheesy Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon, diced

½ large or one small onion, chopped (sweet onion great)

2 cups peeled potatoes (Yukon gold or B-sized yellow great)

2 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 ½ cups whole kernel corn (frozen great)

1 can cream style corn

½ tsp pepper

7 Tbsp flour (Wondra flour great)

4 cups milk (whole milk great)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed

This recipe is super great!

1. Add diced bacon and potatoes to a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat until bacon is browned and onions clear.

2. Add potatoes and carrots and broth, bring to boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are starting to get soft.

3. While that simmers, whisk flour into the milk and set aside.

4. Remove lid and stir in whole kernel and cream style corn and pepper.

5. Add flour/milk mixture and mix well.

6. Return lid and keep on medium heat just until simmers.

7. Add cheeses, stirring in until fully melted.

Enjoy!!

Swedish Pancakes
Makes around 16 pancakes

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 eggs
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 T Butter (+ 1 tsp for frying)

1. Start by melting the 2 Tbsp butter so it can cool a bit.
2. Mix flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk well until light lemon in color
4. Add milk to eggs and whisk together
5. Add dry ingredients to egg/milk mixture, ½ at a time to avoid lumps.
6. Whisk well until very smooth and add melted butter.
7. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium heat.
8. Add the 1 tsp butter to pan to melt.
9. Add ¼ cup of batter to center of skillet, tilting skillet around to spread evenly on surface.
10. Cook for 45 seconds or until light brown on bottom. Flip.
11. Cook 10 more seconds after flip.
12. Can fold into quarter or leave flat and roll berries or jam inside.
13. Also leave flat for freezing. Freeze well between parchment or waxed paper in zipper bag.
14. Reheat in microwave oven.
15. Best served with berries, canned fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or more melted butter.
Traditionally served with lingonberry jam, but strawberry jam awesome too!

Chocolate Mousse in Minutes
Makes 4-6 servings.

This recipe literally takes 5 minutes to make.

1 ½ cups whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp vanilla

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa.
Beat whipping cream until frothy and a bit thick.
Add sugar and cocoa mixture and beat until soft peaks form.
Add flavorings of choice and combine until stiff peaks.
Spoon or pipe into serving dishes.
Garnish with whipped topping and shaved chocolate bar and add a cookie if you like.

Variations:
Add 2 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream as flavoring.
or
Add 1 ½ tsp expresso powder to sugar/cocoa mixture.

Herbed Baked Pork Chops

2 Pork Chops (I like center-cut as bone adds flavor)

3 Tbsp Butter, melted

2 Tbsp Milk

1 ½ cups Herb Stuffing Mix (I like Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing Mix)

Salt & Pepper

Take stuffing mix and place in a zippered bag and crush well with rolling pin.

Crack egg into a shallow dish, add milk and mix well.

Place stuffing mix in another shallow dish.

Dip chops, one at a time in egg wash, then in stuffing mix to cover.

Place on parchment lined baking tray.

Pour butter over each chop.

Flip over a time or two to spread butter onto back side.

Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake another 15-20 minutes or until 145 degrees internal temperature.

The baking time will vary greatly on the size of the chops.

A super fast, healthy and delicious meal anyone can make!
Use any vegetables you have-

Easy Sheet Pan Salmon and Vegetables

2 Salmon fillets
1 cup zucchini, cubed
1 cup yellow squash, cubed
1 cup carrots or sweet potatoes, cubed
1 cup green beans, chopped
½ cup shallot, chopped

Olive oil or pan spray

Seasoning mix:
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

½ tsp lemon zest and lemon wedges for garnish

Place parchment or foil line ½ sheet pan.
Add vegetables and drizzle olive oil over or pan spray.
Season with 1-2 tsp of the seasoning mix.
Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and add salmon to the pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with remaining seasoning mixture and lemon zest.
Return to oven and bake 15 more minutes or until the fish flakes easily or 140-145 degrees.

Amazing Cleaning Solution
2 parts white vinegar
1 part blue Dawn detergent
Add to an empty spray bottle, shake to mix.
Spray on surfaces and wait a few minutes before cleaning.
Removes hard water deposits, is fresh smelling & leaves a super shine!