Publisher's Desk...
Welcome to A to Z Recipes. In this issue I share some recipes that I have either prepared or intend to prepare as part of my personal goal to eat more wisely. I hope you will enjoy all I??™ve shared with you. We will see YOUR diet favorites on Sunday, January 4th, 2004.
Ah! The New Year!
How fortunate we are. We get a fresh start; a new chance at another year soon. For those like myself who feel they could have done a better job with the last one they received, it is a blessing.
As a child, I used to play with a toy called an Etch-a-sketch. The Etch-a-sketch was a little red and gray drawing board full of something that felt like sand (maybe metal shavings?). You twisted two knobs on the bottom of the screen to draw a picture. If you messed up, all you had to do was shake the thing a couple of times and you got a clean screen. You got a chance to start all over again.
With a new year, we are being given a clean screen. We get a chance to start over. Regardless of your religious beliefs (as most every human has some, this should not step on too many toes) this may be a time for reflections on our "screen" and what we have produced this year. Our "A to Z Family" has had its share of trials and tribulations. We said good bye to loved ones and ushered in newborns. We've overcome illness, tragedy, and learned to live with other aspects of this wonderful life we live. But, we did it as a family, and shared the pain and joys here.
As a "family" we will greet the New Year with great expectations. I have figured out so many things about human nature this year, but even more about my own "nature". I have seen my strengths. I have seen my limitations. All have been tested right here, with hundreds to witness. But, as a member of this fine family, I have been fortunate to draw upon your strength.
I would like to thank all of you for the opportunity you have given me. With all you have taught me, I look forward to the New Year with great anticipation. Thanks for being here for me.
The next issue of A to Z Recipes will reach your inbox on January 1, 2004. Have blessed holidays!
Enjoy!
Ramblings...
Our Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love.
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Did You Know?...
The 30 Easiest Ways to Burn More Calories
The following is adapted from "Bargain Beauty Secrets" by Diane Irons.
Can you lose weight without buying special foods, joining a gym or getting involved in an expensive diet club? Yes! By making important lifestyle changes, you'll lose the weight safely and permanently while saving money!
1. Reach for water before you reach for a snack. It's the cheapest, safest appetite-suppressant there is.
2. Keep the cupboards bare. You'll save both money and temptation. By cutting back on the amount of food choices you have around, there will be less impulse snacking.
3. Do something inspiring. A cheap incentive is sticking a picture of a dress you'd really love to wear where it will motivate you. For those with a wild side, get your belly button pierced.
4. Use spices liberally. Ginger, cayenne, jalapeno peppers and Tabasco sauce can boost your fat-burning ability by up to 25%, according to a researcher at Kyoto University in Japan.
5. Sleep for weight loss. Getting enough sleep does more than keep you from eating for energy. The University of Chicago recently found that a woman's metabolism rises 40% when she gets enough sleep.
6. Be a smart shopper. Have a list when you go to the supermarket to prevent impulse purchases. For extra exercise, leave your cart at the end of each aisle and carry what you need back to it.
7. Follow the pros' lead. To get fit fast, models cut out the ABCs -- alcohol, bread, and complex carbohydrates.
8. Beat nighttime cravings. Researchers have found that dark rooms and the darkness of night make us more likely to overeat. Try scheduling your bedtime for an hour earlier. If you have a favorite program that you like to watch at night, tape it. Switch to brighter light bulbs for cheerier surroundings, you'll be happier and less likely to binge.
9. Always eat breakfast. It fuels you for the day and you'll be less hungry at lunch.
10. Snack right. A hard candy is only about 20 calories and can last up to twenty minutes. A 400-calorie ice cream cone never lasts more than ten minutes. Try these tasty treats that are less than 150 calories: two Oreo cookies, a McDonald's Ice Cream Cone, a half cup of Italian Ice, a Starbucks Frappuccino Ice Cream Bar, Jell-o with whipped cream, angel food cake with strawberries, a Fudgsicle.
11. Listen to feel-good music when you have the urge to binge. Researchers have found that it activates the same feel-good center of the brain that eating your favorite foods does.
12. Don't eat unless you've made a place setting.
13. Drink green tea. A study conducted by the University of Switzerland discovered that drinking green tea increases the number of calories your body burns. Try to drink three cups a day.
14. Concentrate on what you're eating. Keep food out of sight while you're watching TV, reading, studying or answering email.
15. Get out. Try to spend twenty minutes a day sitting outside or taking a walk or, at the very least, sit by a sunny window. Sunlight helps to control food cravings.
16. Eat healthy at the mall. Order a kid's meal or a salad without heavy dressing. Have a yogurt for a quick pick-me-up.
17. Get minty fresh. Brush your teeth and tongue with the best-tasting toothpaste you can find. Use mouthwash and breath mints to trick your taste buds.
18. Watch your portions. Just because you're given a certain portion doesn't mean that amount is what your body needs. Eat only until you're comfortably full. A little left on your plate each day adds up to a long-term decrease in calories.
19. Give up one bad eating habit. For example, if you eat in front of the TV or in bed, move your meal to the kitchen table.
20. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you have a diet plan that's too low in calories for your weight and energy level, you'll slow down your metabolism as your body attempts to conserve calories. Don't dip below 1,200 calories or aim for more than a one- to two- pound weight loss per week.
21. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
22. Dance in your car. While you're stuck in traffic, work your abs. Concentrate on your rib cage -- pretend you're an exotic dancer and swirl around. Not only will you see your waist whittle and your abs harden, you'll release lower back tension.
23. Buy a jump rope. It's great exercise, and even more fun if you can remember all the rhymes you jumped to as a kid. You'll get your heart rate up and work the muscles in your upper and lower body, especially the stomach if you contract your abs while jumping.
24. Work your butt. When you're in the car or standing in line, contract your buttocks for fifteen second intervals. Tighten your muscles as you breathe in and then breathe out and release. It not only firms your butt, but relieves stress.
25. Act goofy. Even if you're too busy for the gym, you can still do cardio. Put on a pair of socks and slide around the house like a skater. You'll burn 150 calories in just ten minutes.
26. Get some free weights. It's all you need to start a strength-training regimen.
27. Take two steps at a time when you climb stairs. Skipping a step will force your leg and buttocks muscles to extend and work harder. Plus, this movement releases endorphins that will make you feel great!
28. Do yard work. Pull weeks, dig holes and rake your lawn. Gardening just one hour can burn up to 500 calories.
29. Rent or buy some exercise videos. It's like having a health club in the privacy of your own room.
30. Burn calories while doing housework. Do several chores at one time. For instance, make the bed, put laundry in the dryer, run upstairs to fold clean clothes and put them away. When you're making the beds, keep your shoulders back and pretend you have a book on your head. While you're dusting, roll up on the balls of your feet to work your calves.
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Discussion Forum
Our discussion forum at QuickTopic for our topic "Eating and Cooking Healthier" is well under way. To join in (or just to read) use your web browser to go to:
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NOTE:
Maybe once you get to the site using the above link, you could add it to favorites. Links that are easy to find are more likely to be used again.
Next Monthly Theme...
To Be Announced Soon
We will announce the theme for February soon (submissions will be collected in January, of course). Now, here is the NEW set of rules:
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in TWO of your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox
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Crazy Corner...
FEMALE PRAYER.....
Shared by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who's not a creep.
One who's handsome, smart and strong,
One who's loves to listen long.
One who thinks before he speaks,
When he says he'll call, he won't wait weeks.
I pray that he is gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, he won't be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door,
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind,
Knows what to answer to "How big is my behind?"
I pray that this man will love me to no end,
And never attempt to hit on my friend.
And as I kneel and pray by my bed,
I look at the creep you sent me instead.
Amen.
MALE PRAYER.....
I pray for a nymphomaniac with huge boobs who owns a liquor store.
Amen.
THE WIFE
Shared by Jean, Syracuse, NY
My wife folded and put away my underwear. So I took out a pair the next morning and noticed there was powder all over the crotch area. I started to shake the powder out and said, "Darn it, Sandy, I wish you wouldn't put so much talcum powder in my underwear."
Sandy replied, "That's not talcum powder. That's Miracle Grow!!
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Your Favorites...
PARMESAN SHRIMP AND PEPPERS
Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4cup sliced scallions, no tops
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced stewed tomatoes
1 can (16 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash lemon-pepper
2 tablespoons white wine Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Fresh ground pepper to taste
A few drops Tabasco (optional)
3 yellow and 3 red peppers sliced in half, length-wise, washed and seeded
2 cups precooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
3/4 parmesan cheese
Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
1/8 cup chopped garlic chives
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original blend
Directions:
1. Heat medium-sized pan with cooking spray. Saute celery, carrots and onions until about half done. Add mushrooms and saute until they are slightly soft. Add more cooking spray as needed. When mushrooms are ready, add tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt, pepper and Tabasco (if desired). Add rice and bring to a boil. Gently reduce heat and cover. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until rice is done and broth absorbed.
2. While the rice mixture cooks, use a three-quart pan to boil water. Add peppers and cook gently for approximately seven minutes. Remove from water and drain. When broth is absorbed and rice is cooked, remove from heat and add shrimp to mixture. Place peppers in baking dish, stuff with rice mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.
3. While peppers bake add garlic chives and Mrs. Dash to sour cream. This can be used as an optional garnish. Place peppers on platter and serve.
Serves 6.
LOW-FAT CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
8 Servings
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, or turkey, poached
2 14 oz. cans Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup
1 onion, chopped
1 green chili, diced
1 12 oz. can evaporated skim milk
8 ounces lowfat cheddar cheese
1 package corn tortilla
1 cup lowfat Monterey jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred poached chicken and set aside. Heat rest of ingredients (except cheese and tortillas) in saucepan and set aside. Spray 9x13 pan with PAM. Heat corn tortilla. Place chicken and sauce down middle. Roll and place in pan. Pour remaining sauce over top of enchiladas and top with cheese. Bake until bubbling and lightly brown.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 263 - Calories from Fat 98
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 37%, Protein 46%, Carbohydrate 16%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 67mg, Sodium 282mg, Total Carbohydrate 11g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 31g, Vitamin A 916 units, Vitamin C 16 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 1 units
ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES ON FOCCACIA
WITH DIJON-HORSERADISH SAUCE
This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the horseradish-mustard sauce:
1/4 cup freshly grated horseradish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream, fat-free
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
For the sandwiches:
4 small loaves of Focaccia, sliced in half
3/4 pound sliced, lean roast beef tenderloin, from the deli
4 lettuce leaves, green leaf, bibb or romaine, shredded
4 large slices of ripe tomato, sliced thin
Cooking Instructions
For the horseradish-mustard sauce:
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the horseradish, mustard, sour cream, sugar and salt.
For the sandwiches:
2. Lay the Focaccia slices out and spread the sour cream mixture on each side. Divide the roast beef among the sandwiches. Divide the shredded lettuce among the sandwiches and top with a tomato slice. Place the top slice of Focaccia on each sandwich.
3. Cut the sandwiches in half on the diagonal and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 sandwich
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293
Total Fat 6 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 3 mg
Sodium 872 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 25 g
Percent Calories from Fat 17%
Percent Calories from Protein 34%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 49%
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
16 servings
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs, (about 16 crackers)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 tablespoons dark rum
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup chocolate sauce
8 ounces nonfat cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
Chocolate curls (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon egg white
Preheat oven to 350?°. Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Add crumbs; stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350?° for 10 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Turn oven down to 300?°. Combine rum and chocolate squares in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add chocolate syrup, stirring until smooth. Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa, vanilla and beat until smooth. Add rum mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture
into prepared pan; bake at 300?° for 40 minutes or until almost set. Combine sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons cocoa; stir well. Turn oven off, and spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Let cheesecake stand for 45 minutes in oven with door closed. Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 183 - Calories from Fat 65
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 35%, Protein 9%, Carbohydrate 52%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 56mg, Sodium 167mg, Total Carbohydrate 24g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 4g, Vitamin A 469 units, Vitamin C 0 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 1 units
CHICKEN WITH SAUCE FLORENTINE
4 servings
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in cubes
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup evaporated lowfat milk
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup sliced black olives
Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook until done. Remove from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and cook 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from skillet. Combine broth and flour until well blended. Pour into skillet through strainer to remove lumps. Stir in evaporated milk and heat until thickened. Add cheese, chicken and vegetable mixture. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over hot pasta.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 339 - Calories from Fat 132
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 39%, Protein 43%, Carbohydrate 18%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 15g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 90mg, Sodium 767mg, Total Carbohydrate 15g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 0g, Protein 36g, Vitamin A 2039 units, Vitamin C 8 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 3 units
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Heart Healthy...
GARDEN GREEK PASTA SALAD
8 servings
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 cups cooked pasta, raditore
2 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup Kalamata olive, pitted & cut in half
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
Mix all ingredients except cheese in glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Top with cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 367 - Calories from Fat 70
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 19%, Protein 21%, Carbohydrate 60%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 29mg, Sodium 303mg, Total Carbohydrate 55g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 0g, Protein 19g, Vitamin A 938 units, Vitamin C 33 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 7 units
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For Two...
PORTOBELLO, BASIL & TOMATO SANDWICH
2 servings
2 large Portobello mushroom
1 tablespoon lowfat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon nonfat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil, mixed with 1 tsp. water
4 slices sourdough bread, thickly cut or use rolls
1 clove garlic
2/3 cup basil leaf
1 tomato, sliced
In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice. Grill or broil mushrooms brushed with oil/water mixture until tender. Toast bread on grill or under broiler. Rub bread with cut garlic cloves. Spread mayonnaise mixture on bread halves and top with grilled mushrooms, sliced tomato and basil leaves. Add lettuce leaves if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 200 - Calories from Fat 48
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 24%, Protein 16%, Carbohydrate 60%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 354mg, Total Carbohydrate 30g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 0g, Protein 8g, Vitamin A 719 units, Vitamin C 21 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 1 units
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