Creamy Rice Pudding

Skill Level: Easy
Sticker Shock: $$$$
Taste: ★★★★

Rice pudding is one of my comfort foods. The weather has been a bit more chilly the past couple of days, so comfort food sounded really good. I am so glad I decided to try this out because I really think it will become a standard in my family.

I have pretty much avoided rice pudding, except on the rare occasion I decide to splurge a bit, since my diabetes diagnosis. We all know rice isn't exactly low carb, and once you add a bunch of other sugary things to it to make a good rice pudding, it's definitely off limits under most circumstances (unless you limit yourself to about a thimble-sized serving). This recipe eliminates most of the super sugary stuff, and it still tastes great to boot!

Ingredients:

2 small boxes vanilla, sugar-free pudding (do not make as directed on box)

3 1/2 cups fat free milk

4 oz frozen low fat whipped topping , thawed

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup seedless raisins

2 cups white rice, cooked

Directions:

In a medium to large bowl, use a whisk and briskly stir together dry pudding mixes and skim milk for 2 minutes.

Stir in whipped topping, almond extract, raisins, and rice. Keep stirring until well mixed.

Serve as is or keep chilled until ready to eat.

If desired, sprinkle top lightly with ground cinnamon before serving.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 14 (1/2 cup each) Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98.3, Total Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 41.1mg, Total Carbs: 20.3g, Dietary Fiber: 0.7g, Protein: 3.2g

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

Skill Level: Easy
Sticker Shock: $$$$
Taste: ★★★★

I thought these turned out quite yummy! My husband, kids, and parents-in-law seemed to enjoy them, too. I used fat-free cream cheese because it's what I had on hand, and I did 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup Splenda. They still turned out great. The nutrition information provided is for the recipe as written below. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

cooking spray
8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with a 12 inch piece of parchment paper. Spray paper with nonstick cooking spray; place a second sheet of 12 inch parchment in the opposite direction so they lay crisscrossed. Spray second sheet with cooking spray; set aside.

Place cream cheese and sour cream in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add in the cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and eggs, blending until smooth, scraping the sides of container at least once.

Pour into baking dish and evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips. Bake on middle rack until just set, about 35-40 minutes.

Place on cooling rack for 20-30 minutes, then in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Lift brownies out of pan using the parchment paper as handles, cut into 9 even squares.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 9; Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140, Total Fat: 4.6g, Sodium: 44.4mg, Total Carbs: 20.8g, Dietary Fiber: 0.6g, Protein: 4.2g

Baked Brie Casserole

Skill Level: Easy
Sticker Shock: $$$
Taste: ★★★★

This is a very tasty casserole. The flavors work together very well. I did notice it lost some of its tastiness if I didn't have a bit of each layer on my fork. I like Brie, but the Brie flavor tended to take over if one or two of the other layers weren't included in a particular bite. This sounds ridiculous as I'm typing it, but I don't know how else to describe it!

My daughter wouldn't touch it (she's two-and-a-half and very rarely has interest in dinner), but my son (18-months-old) gobbled it up, as he does pretty much anything I put in front of him. My husband enjoyed it but noticed the same thing I did about the flavor.

I think this will be a dish that we have maybe two or three times a year. I could see it being something I crave every so often. I don't think it will become a regular part of our meal rotation, though.

Oh, and just for reference, I chilled mine for about six hours before putting it in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 small zucchini , cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 2 cups)
cooking spray
6 oz bread, sourdough, torn into bite size pieces (equal to 6 cups)
brie, 4.5oz package
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, halved (or grape tomatoes )
1 cup egg substitute
2/3 cup evaporated, nonfat/skim milk
1/3 cup fresh chopped green onion
3 Tablespoons fresh dill weed (or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a covered medium saucepan, cook zucchini in a small amount of boiling, lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain zucchini. Set aside.

Meanwhile, coat a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray, and arrange 4 cups of the bread pieces in the prepared baking dish.

If desired, remove and discard rind from cheese, cut cheese into 1/2 inch cubes.

Arrange cheese evenly over bread in baking dish, arrange zucchini and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups bread pieces.

Combine egg product, evaporated milk, green onion, dill, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour evenly over mixture in baking dish.

Lightly press down layers with back of spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and remove plastic wrap from casserole, cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 6; Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193.1, Total Fat: 6.5g, Sodium: 592.4mg, Total Carbs: 20.1g, Dietary Fiber: 1.2g, Protein: 12.7g

Apricot Sticky Drumsticks

Skill Level: Easy

Sticker Shock: $$$$

Taste: ★★★★

I am not a huge fan of dark meat chicken. If you were here, my husband would feel obligated to tell you a mildly humorous story about me and dark meat chicken. Anyway, I'm even less fond of removing the skin from chicken—not because I prefer to eat the skin, but because it is gross and icky to touch chicken skin! But, I took one for the team, and I'm glad I did. This was very tasty! In fact, for the first time in a long time (or maybe ever), I actually finished eating before my husband did. My only real complaint, gross and icky skin aside, was the cleanup. My jelly roll pan may never be the same again. I will definitely be lining it with something the next time.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce

1 Tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 raw chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a large bowl, whisk the apricot preserves, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and salt until well blended. Add chicken and toss to coat well.

Spoon sauce coated chicken into a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan, bake for 15 minutes.

Remove jelly roll pan and brush chicken with sauce.

Continue baking chicken, basting every five minutes until cooked thoroughly, about 20 more minutes.

Remove chicken from oven, brush with remaining sauce, and let cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 6; Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447.8, Total Fat: 19.7g, Sodium: 456.7mg, Total Carbs: 21g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 43.7g

Easy Rolls

Skill Level: Easy
Sticker Shock: $$$$
Flavor: ★★★★

These would probably have been more accurately called biscuits, but they still hit the spot. I gave three stars because I was truly expecting more of a dinner roll type consistency. I served these with an Italian soup and salad.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
6 tablespoon light mayonnaise (or mayonnaise substitute)
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and combine the first three ingredients in a bowl.

Spoon the batter into muffin pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly brown.

*Note: I had to bake these another 2-3 minutes beyond what the recipe directed before they browned.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 12; Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107.2, Total Fat: 2.9g, Sodium: 345.8mg, Total Carbs: 17.1g, Dietary Fiber: 0.6g, Protein: 2.8g