Squash Bake

This is the best way, in my opinion, to eat squash. I love this recipe because it takes boring squash that you can serve during the week and makes it yummy & special without making it super fattening.

This is actually a Jillian Michaels recipe, so it is pretty healthy...well depending on how much yummy buttery cinnamon pecan topping you add. I usually double the recipe for the topping because Jared always wants seconds when I serve this and he adds more topping than it calls for.

FYI: If you use the recommended amounts than the total calories per serving are 190

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash (cut into 4 servings)
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Instructions

Squash:
Cut squash into 4 equal servings. Remove seeds & fiber. Place cut side down in baking pan with small amount of water in bottom. Bake in a 350 degree oven 45-50 minutes or until squash is tender and can be pierced with a fork. (Or place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe container. Add a little water. Microwave on High 5-7 minutes, turning dish once. Continue cooking, if necessary, until squash is tender.)

Topping:
Meanwhile, combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Heat on top of stove or in microwave oven until butter melts. fill center of each squash half with one-quarter of the pecan mixture. Mix some of the cooked squash with the pecan filling. Serve immediately.

I serve mine directly out of the oven without removing the skin. Just place on plate add the topping and eat with a spoon.

Shaved Brussel Sprouts w/ Garlic & Lemon

I'm always looking for healthy ways to make vegetables taste better. This one is my new favorite. I never really thought I liked brussel spouts until I tried this recipe, now I really do. So give it a try.

Remember: this is really more of a method than a recipe so change it up to suit your family.

Ingredients

3 cups Brussels Sprouts
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Clean brussel sprouts by tearing off outer wilted layers & chopping off bottom end. Shave brussels very fine with a sharp knife. Then rinse to wash of dirt.

Place a pan over the burner on med-high heat. Let it get REALLY hot. (I let mine preheat for about 5 minutes). Add the oil, let heat another 30 seconds.
(Note: the goal is to let your pan get really hot and to sear the sprouts; not to steam them. If the sprouts don't brown quickly then your pan isn't hot enough. When the sprouts are done they should still have a bite to them.)

Add Brussel spouts and salt & pepper to taste. Once you have some good color (about a minutes) add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and squeeze in lemon juice. Mix well and serve immediately.

Autumn Glazed Pork Chops

This is another healthy recipe from Jillian Michaels (The Biggest Loser).

This is a pretty yummy healthy pork chop. However, I added my own step to the process, which is to brine the meat. Awhile back I tried the brine on pork chops (a different recipe) and the difference in the quality of the meat was night & day. So now whenever I make pork chops I brine them first (unless cooking in the crock-pot).

I've had this recipe without using the brine & it is still good but if you have a little extra time I would try the brine.

Ingredients

4 Pork Chops
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup Apple Cider, or Juice
1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce
2 Tbsp. Honey
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven 400

Spray a large nonstick skilled with nonstick coating. Heat over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle both sides of chops with Salt & Pepper. Brown chops on each side in hot skilled, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to 9X13" baking dish.

In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce, honey, orange juice, ginger, and nutmeg. Pour into pan chicken was in; warm through. Pour over pork chops, making sure each chop is completely covered.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until pork chops are done.

Brine

Ingredients

1 gallon Water
1 cup Sea Salt or Kosher Salt(not table salt)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Apple Juice Concentrate, thawed (I used apple juice & it's fine)
1 1/2 tsp. Whole Black Peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp. Thyme
6 Pork Loin Chops
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

In a mixing bowl combine the water, brown sugar, sea salt, apple juice, peppercorns, and thyme. Give it a good stir to dissolve the sugar & salt. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours to tenderize the meat. Do not brine longer than that or the meat will break down too much and get mushy.

Remove the pork chops from the brine & pat them dry with paper towels.

Strawberry Cake

Edited Sept. 2011

This is the recipe I used to make Paige's birthday cake, which turned out really yummy! I've made a few modifications and I also made it raspberry instead of Strawberry....although next time I'll just do strawberry. It makes a pink cake.....which is what I was instructed by Paige to make:) Ohh, and also it cooked up perfectly even and without any problems, which is so nice!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white sugar (I lowered the amount of sugar....and you could probably do even less, it's plenty sweet)

• 1/3 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin, add slowly until the batter is a nice soft pink color. (just eyeball it....the original recipe said to use the whole pkg. but it makes it really dense and almost mushy....didn't like it!)

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 4 eggs (room temperature)

• 2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely

**Variation: Strawberry Cheesecake Cake - mix 1 pkg. of cream cheese with 2 cups powdered sugar and spoon on top of cake batter before cooking. Really Yummy!!!

14 Grain Whole Wheat Bread

So this is from one of friends in the ward (actually it's her mom's recipe), and it is really really good! Thx Camille!

9-11 cups whole wheat flour (hard white wheat)
6 cups warm water
2 cups nine grain cereal
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cups sesame seeds
1/3 cups amaranth
1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup flax seed (must be ground)
2/3 cups canola oil
2/3 cups honey
½ cup wheat gluten
3 tablespoons dough enhancer
3 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons real salt

Grind 7 cups of whole wheat flour (hard white wheat).

In a blender grind the flax seed (it must be ground to use properly).

In your mixed combine 6 cups warm water and your grains (highlighted in yellow) plus 4 cups of ground
whole wheat. Let set for 10 minutes. Your mixture will begin to sponge.

Add 2/3 cups oil and 2/3 cups honey to your mixed. Your dough should start to bubble. Add ½ cups
gluten. Mix. Add 3 tablespoons dough enhancer and 3 tablespoons yeast (never add yeast and salt to
bread dough at the same time). Mix well.

Start adding flour ½ cup at a time until your dough is cleaned off the sides of your mixer (you might not
use all 7 cups – it depends on the weather, altitude, moisture, etc...). Add 2 tablespoons real salt at the
very end.

Knead in your mixer on low for 12 minutes (or medium for 8 minutes). Take the dough out of the mixer
and form into 5 large loaves- or 6 smaller loaves. Never add MORE flour to your dough – use oil on your
hands and counter top so that the dough does not stick. Let rise until double in size – time depends on
the temperature and altitude, about 30 minutes. Bake 350 degrees 35-40 minutes. DO NOT preheat
your oven. Put your loaves into the oven when you turn the oven on.

You can buy all the grains (highlighted in yellow) prepackaged at the Bosh store for $3 in Salt Lake /Orem.
If using a kitchen aid you will need to cut this recipe in half.