Berry Bread Pudding with Almond Cream Sauce

This is an adaptation from a recipe found at myrecipes.com
I have prepared this the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight before baking the next day as well.  It is truly fantastic. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) French bread loaf, cubed 

2 cups Frozen mix of Raspberries, Blackberries and Blueberries (do not thaw)

5 large eggs, lightly beaten 

2 3/4 cups milk 

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Chips (to taste) 

Preparation 

Layer bread on a baking sheet and toast lightly for 7-8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Place cooled bread in a large ziploc bag.

Whisk eggs and next 6 ingredients until smooth. Pour mixture over bread pieces in ziploc bag.  Let stand 20 minutes.

Pour half of bread into a buttered 11x7 baking dish or 10 buttered ramekins. Cover bread with fruit and white chocolate chips (as much as you want). Top with remaining bread pieces. 

Put ramekins in a water bath (covered half way) and Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand 30 minutes. (I typically use a toothpick to make sure it is cooked though) Serve with Almond Cream Sauce drizzled on top and more for each piece.

Almond Cream Sauce:

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation 

Stir ingredients together in a saucepan stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in almond extract. Serve warm.

Fresh Tomatoes = Fresh Spaghetti Sauce with Divine Turkey Meatballs

Someone gave me a bunch of tomatoes from their garden and I needed to use them...so I made some fresh spaghetti sauce. This is - oh my gosh - so good! I now want to make a ton and freeze it. It is that good!

4 Large, and Ripe Tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, diced
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup good red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)
1 T. Dried Oregano
2 T. White Sugar
2 T. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (I used 4 sprigs)
Fresh Basil (approximately 8 leaves) - chopped
Red Pepper Flakes(to your liking - I used a good bit to make mine spicy)

Boil a large pot of water. Take your tomatoes and score the bottom of them with a cross. Reduce your water to a simmer and add your tomatoes for 30 seconds (literally). Take them out and let them cool enough for you to handle them. Peel the tomatoes from the incision you made. Chop the tomatoes up. 

Drain your pot and put it back on the stove. Add your olive oil over low to medium heat and add your onion. Saute for a few minutes and add in garlic & red pepper flakes. Get this just good and softened. (don't burn your garlic). Add in your sugar, oregano, red wine, and salt and pepper. Let the flavors mesh for about 2 minutes and burn down some of the alcohol. Add in your fresh tomatoes and reduce the heat to low - put a lid on there and let it simmer for an hour to an hour and a half. Keep watch over your sauce and add in 1/4 cup amounts of broth as needed. Add in your fresh basil and thyme and use a hand blender to puree your sauce to a desired thickness. Taste your sauce and adjust the amount of salt/pepper you'd like.
I served this with a whole wheat pasta and turkey meatballs. You will never want to eat jarred sauce again - it is so good!!! 

Turkey Meatballs:

2 lbs Ground Turkey

6 slices of Whole Wheat Bread

2/3 cup Skim Milk

2 Eggs, beaten

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

2 T. Ketchup

1 Small Onion – Diced

2 Cloves Garlic – finely diced

1 T. Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp. Oregano

½ tsp Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (as desired) 1/4 to ½ tsp.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add in salt, oregano, pepper and red pepper flakes.

In a bowl, pour the milk over slices of bread and let it soak in. Take your wooden spoon and chop up the softened bread into pieces. Add in egg, parmesan cheese, turkey, ketchup and onion/garlic mixture (slightly cooled). Spray a cookie sheet with spray to keep the balls from sticking. Use an ice cream scoop to make perfect size meatballs and put on the sheet. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until browned and completed cooked through. Enjoy!

 

Lunch salad & the Kale craze

I'm always being asked for ideas on lunch or dinner that's different.
So, last night I made lunch salads for myself and my husband for a few days. There is nothing super special about it...but sometimes you just need that idea!

I also succombed to the Kale craze.

Here is my lunch salad:
Chopped fresh Kale
Shredded Carrot
Diced Red Onion
Mandarin Oranges (no sugar added from the can)
Edamame
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles (or feta would be great)
Chinese Wonton noodles (package separately so they don't get soggy)
Lite Asian Sesame Dressing
*Optional to add sliced turkey or chopped chicken

This is a delicious, healthy, and light lunch that you can prepare ahead of time and take with you to work.

Veggie Lasagna - low Cal & Delicious!

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion diced (yellow or white)
2 large carrots, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced

3 tsp salt (divided)
1.5 tsp black pepper (divided)

3 T. all purpose flour
3 T. unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups skim milk, heated slightly (microwave for 2.5 minutes)
1/4 cup five cheese Italian shredded cheese
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (10 oz)

1-16oz container 1% lowfat cottage cheese
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup five cheese Italian shredded cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

12 Barilla no bake lasagna noodles
1 Jar Barilla Tomato & Basil sauce

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in onion, carrot and pepper. Saute until softened -about 5 minutes. Add in zucchini and squash. Put a lid on the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and let sit for 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and a dash of pepper. Set aside.

Melt 1 T. butter in medium saucepan. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in warmed milk (1/2 cup to a 1 cup at a time). Let thicken before adding more milk. Add 1.5 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 cup five cheese blend and spinach at the end. Remove from heat.

Mix cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup five cheese blend. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 of Spinach sauce, 1/4 of Jar of Barilla sauce, 1/3 of veggies in the bottom of the pan. Arrange 4 noodles over top of that mixture. Coat noodles with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Add 1/4 of Spinach sauce, 1/4 of Jar of Barilla sauce, 1/3 of veggies. Repeat with noodles. 
Final layer should be noodles, plus the last 1/4 of spinach sauce and 1/4 of jar of Barilla sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. 
Let the lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 servings. Each serving is roughly 366 calories.