TOP SECRET "Sugar Free" Apple Pie

My MOM'S Scrumptious "Sugar Free" Apple Pie

Okay my mom has been making this pie since I can remember.  Her Apple Pie is the best I have ever eaten. 

The reason it is called "Sugar Free" is because it only uses fruit juice to sweeten the pie.

So if you are feeling adventurous and want to serve a pie with a tart, intense, flavorful kick to it...leave me your e-mail in the comments box and I will send you the recipe.

I do not want to make this recipe public because I am in the works of submitting it to a recipe contest.

Trust me, you won't go back to the overly sweet, butter and sugar filled apple pie ever again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Citrus Bathed Roasted Chicken & Veggies

Roasted chicken, my new favorite family meal.  Why?  So EASY!  Plus, the next day it makes my Chicken Veggie Soup so scrumptious.  One of my least favorite parts of canned chicken is wondering what part of the chicken the meat really came from.  Well I never have to worry anymore!

When I roast the chicken I often find myself humming Simon and Garfunkel's song Scarborough Fair.

"....Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine"

Serves up to 6 people (if not using the chicken for soup the next day)  Prep time:  30 minutes  Cook time:  1-4 hrs depending on size of chicken.

Ingredients:

One whole chicken (100% natural with no preservatives)
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
*1/2 teaspoon parsley 
*1 tsp ground sage
*1/2 teaspoon rosemary
*1/2 teaspoon thyme
*1/2 tsp salt
1 medium orange
1 lemon
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 large russet potatoe (largely diced)
1 large yam or sweet potatoe (largely diced)
4 medium carrots (peeled, and cut in large pieces) 

Directions:

Time cooking Depends on the size of your chicken.  Here is a table to help decide:  chicken roasting guide

1. Line roasting pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 415 F.
3. Mix parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt in a small bowl.
   
4. Clean out chicken cavity.
   
5. Place chicken in roasting pan. (most recipes call for a roasting rack, I don't have one so I just put it on the foil.)  rub butter all over chicken skin, if possible separate skin from breast and slide in butter under the skin as well.   take herb mixture and rub over entire chicken.  Place chicken Breast side down (for more moist breast meat) if you want a good presentation, cook breast side up.
   
6. Squeeze orange and lemon juice over the chicken.  Cut the lemon peel up into four pieces and place inside chicken cavity.  Make sure there is room for air to escape.
7. Place veggies around chicken.  drizzle with olive oil.  sprinkle with extra "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" hmmm, hmmm, hm ,hm.... oh and a little salt and pepper.
8. Place roasting pan on bottom rack.
9. Cook for 15 minutes on 415 F.  Then Roast on 350 F for remaining time.  (The high heat helps make a crispier skin.)
10. Remove chicken when meat thermometer reads 175 degrees F when placed in the meaty part of the chicken thigh not quite touching the bone.
11. Allow the chicken to rest 10-15 minutes before cutting or serving.  This will allow the juices to settle.
12. If you are into basting, baste every 20-30 minutes with the chicken juices from pan.  (I have found that my chicken turns out just fine and super moist without basting.  Probably due to the butter I spread all over pre-roasting.
13. Save the extra juice left over and the extra chicken and veggies for your soup you will surely be making tomorrow or pasado manana or freeze the juice and chicken and veggies to make soup later.
    

Once you get the hang of roasting a chicken you will never go back to the overly greasy, intensely sodium saturated Rotisserie chicken sold at your local grocery store.

*my herb garden is in dormant season (actually when I went to UT during the summer the intense heat and lack of H2O is what did them in) I am currently using dried herbs.  Once they are growing again, I will be using fresh herbs.  I would place a few sprigs of rosemary inside the chicken cavity if available.

Next recipe to come....Hearty Chicken Veggie Soup

!00% Whole Wheat Bread

Okay so I am out to find the very best most moist, simply scrumptious, slightly sweet 100% whole wheat bread recipe.  I have tried out about 6 different recipes and still nothing meets my criteria.

Anyone have a recipe to share?

Criteria
1.  must be 100% whole wheat (none of this whole wheat bread recipe with white flour in it)
2.  must be a little sweet
3.  must be a moist bread (no bricks)
4.  no added seeds, etc.  I like a pure whole wheat bread
5.  Must be able to turn same bread out over and over again (reliably consistent)
6.  Oh and NO BREAD MACHINE!

How about a contest?  Whoever submits the best whole wheat bread recipe (I will try them) and meets my criteria will win a $10 gift certificate.

Chicken Rollups with Fruity Couscous

Thank you EveryDay with Rachel Ray Magazine for this great recipe!

This recipe was really fun to make.  I cooked the chicken a little too long, so the ends of my asparagus burned a little.  I would recomend putting the chicken on the top rack or covering the asparagus ends with foil.

You can prep the chicken up to 5 hours before grilling!  (great when having guests) just remember to refrigerate it if you do! :)

Presentation on white plate could have been better with lettuce leaves under neath chicken, or serving the chicken on a smaller plate.

Serves: 4 Prep 35 min  Grill 15 min

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons apricot jam (I use whole fruit apricot spread)
3 tablespoon lemon juice
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each)
1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat
2 carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped dried mango or apricot

Directions:  
1.  Fill a medium skillet halfway with salted water; bring to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water.  Toss with 2 teaspoonsw olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
2.  Preheat a grill to medium.  Cut six 12-inch pieces of kitchen string.  In a small bowl, stir together the jam, lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
3.  Pound each piece of chicken about 1/4 inch thick and season with salt and pepper; place skinned side down on a baking sheet.  Divide the asparagus into 6 equal portions and place each portion crosswise in the center of a chicken cutlet.  Roll up each cutlet and tie closed with the kitchen string. 
4.  Transfer the chicken rollups to the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil.  Sitr in the couscous, carrots and mango, cover, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve with the chicken. 
6.  Drizzle apricot jam/lemon juice mixture over chicken and couscous.

*My dh loved the couscous, it was my first time having couscous and I think I would have enjoyed a savory not sweet couscous to introduce me to the wonderful texture :)

My favorite part was the cutting the string after cooking and not having my chicken burst open (I was afraid it might happen).  Deffinately something to whooo dinner guests.

Greek Quinoa and Avacados

Okay if you like quinoa you will like this meal.  If not... substitute your favorite rice for the quinoa.  This recipe is from fitnessmagazine.com thanks Momma E for gifting me the subscription!
In this picture I used brown rice.

makes 4 servings

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach (only use fresh)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
*3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
  Spinach Leaves
2 avacados, pitted, peeled, and sliced
*1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
*salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
1.  Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.  (if cooking rice cook one cup uncooked rice follow rice directions)
2.  In a medium bowl, stir together quinoa, tomatoes, spinach and onion.
3.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil and salt.  Mix with quinoa.
4.  Place spinach on plates with avacado slices and quinoa.  Sprinkle with feta.

*changes I made from original recipe

**Nutrition facts per serving:  350 calories, 8 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat, 8 g fiber
**does not reflect changes I made to recipe

Going Granola

Today I made the most Scrumptious Hearty Granola.

I don't have exact measurements because I just went with taste, but here is the approximate recipe:

5 cups of Regular Old Fashioned Oat Meal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup rice crispies
1/2 cup fiber one cereal
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (could have added more)
1 cup raw almonds (add more or less depending on how nutty you like it)
1 cup raw pecans (dido)
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup black molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In large bowl put all ingredients in order into bowl. Mix with large spoon until well coated.
3. Line large cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray
4. Evenly spread granola mixture out on foil.
5. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until dark golden brown. (I stirred it at 15 minutes) *the longer you leave it in without burning the crispier the granola.
6. Allow to cool, break up granola store in air tight container in fridge.

Yields approximately 7 cups of granola

How to serve: al natural, with yogurt or Keifer, on ice cream.

If you want fruity granola add dried fruit to the portion that you want to serve or eat. This makes your granola more versatile and to the liking of everyone :)

Different items you could add or subsistute: ground flax seed or regular flax seed, wheat bran, omit fiber one cereal and rice crispies (I added these just for kicks), omit nuts if desired, get creative!