Grilled Zucchini

Today's harvest from the garden, sitting in my new grilling basket from Sur La Table at Casa Paloma in Chandler.

Ben will be grilling our first zucchini of the season today. Lucky for us, we still have some oranges to use for the zuccini marinade this afternoon. These (behind the zuccini in the photo) are Arizona Sweets from the neighbor's tree. They keep for weeks as long as you put them in a cool spot.

To make Ben's grilled zuccini- First, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/2 to 3/4 inch planks or rounds. Squeeze some OJ on the slices and let them sit for about a half hour to absorb the flavor. Right before grilling, spray the squash with a litle mist of EVOO and sprinkle them with garlic salt. Toss the slices on a very hot grill until grill marks appear, flip and cook for a few seconds on the other side.

Check out the varegated purple sage we grow in the herb garden. It almost looks too pretty to chop up and use in a recipe.

A Good Week

Today's yield - tomatoes, oregano, lavender and eggs

The weather has been fabulous for the last week and a half - mostly in the 80's. This has made the hens very happy and the older girls are laying again. Even little Camilla gave us an egg yesterday, her first since late March.

The Early Girl and Better Boy tomatoes in the front garden are yielding about 2-3 tomatoes a day for us. The pepper plants are growing well and setting flowers, but that's it. Not a pepper in sight. There is one large zucchini that Ben will probably pick next weekend. He loves to marinate them briefly in fresh orange juice and sprinkle them with garlic salt before throwing them on the grill.

The cooler weather has stopped the herbs from bolting and going to seed but we were not so lucky with the lettuce. Lucky for us the chickens don't mind bitter end of season lettuce.

The newest additions to the flock are now 15 weeks old. They are still several weeks away from laying eggs but they are showing interest in the nesting boxes so that's a good sign.



Lucy, Molly, Piccata and Speckle



Speckle - our Delaware Hen

Getting Things Done

Breakfast from the garden - a baby watermelon

It is a beautiful morning, pretty hot but cloud free. Just perfect for making a roast in the solar oven which I've been trying to do since Tuesday. As soon as I woke up I looked out the front door then ran for the oven to put it in the back yard to pre-heat. I cut up the roast so it will cook faster. After sprinkling it with dry onion soup mix I poured about a teaspoon of bbq sauce on each piece. That's all you need to do and it makes a very flavorful roast with lots of juice you can use indoors on the stove to make gravy. Cooking times varies as do the cooking temperatures but it's usually about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

The garden yield has slowed to almost nothing after all the very hot days we've had here in Mesa. Ben went to visit family in Tucson recently and we were lucky enough to be able to send some crook neck squash, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes to his mom. The tomatoes have stopped producing and the zucchini are much smaller. If you're used to seeing zucchini in the supermarket, that's about the size of the vegetables I am getting now. No more super sized veggies that made my coworkers laugh. The baby watermelons are still on the vine and doing well. The cushion of weeds they are sitting on sure helps to keep them from rotting on the ground. At least, that's my excuse for not weeding. :-)

We plan to add another raised bed in a month. It will be in a perfect spot so we can grow lettuce and tomatoes all winter. Also on the "to do" list is to remove all the soil from the big raised bed. Grass has taken over and quite frankly, the 10 year old soil isn't producing like it did in seasons past. Even though we add compost and manure yearly, it looks like it's time to make a fresh start.


The roast ready to go into the SOS Sport Solar Oven

Another item on my list of things to get done was to get a good sour dough starter going. We love sour dough bread and liked the idea of making my own starter from scratch. I found everthing you need to know about sourdough here - http://sourdoughhome.com and I mixed my first starter on Monday night. It did well for 3 days, nice and bubbly with a good sour smell. Then it finally died yesterday. No bubbles, no rising, just mush. Our water isn't the best here in Mesa so I am guessing that it was the constantly changing chlorine levels that did it in. I'll have Ben pick up some Evian today and I'll try again. Ooh La La - French sourdough! :-)

Low Fat Blueberry Ginger Muffins in the Solar Oven

Low Fat Blueberry Ginger Muffins

2 envelopes Nature's Path Flax Seed Instant Oatmeal (or 1 cup quick oats)
1 cup lowfat buttermilk*
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees or preheat solar oven.
Spray the muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake liners.

Gently wash and dry the blueberries. In a small bowl, combine the oats and buttermilk, and let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; mix with a fork to blend and set aside.

In a large bowl and using a fork, beat the egg, add the applesauce, and brown sugar combine well.
Blend in the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture. Stir in the flour mixture only to combine, do not over mix. Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and top with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar if desired.

In the oven - bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
In the solar oven - bake until done - it took mine about 30 minutes at about 275-300 degrees.

Makes a dozen muffins.

* You can use 1 cup of milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar if you don't have buttermilk. Let sit for 10 mins before adding to recipe. I use Fat Free Fortified Lactaid mixed with lemon juice and it works just fine.

Saturday Harvest

Today's harvest was 2 zucchini and our first crook neck squash. I'm already taking extra zucchini to my coworkers. This zucchini will be grilled tomorrow. Yum!

Solar Oven Chicken Dinner

First Experience With Solar Cooking

When summer temps get over 100 degrees here I am always looking for alternative ways to get dinner on the table without heating up the house. I happened to see a posting on a message board at the Phoenix Permaculture Guild about solar ovens. I looked at solar ovens about 10 years ago but gave up on the idea because they were too expensive to purchase and the do-it-yourself projects were way beyond my skills.

According to the conversation, solar ovens have come a long way in the last few years. There are two models that are reasonably priced and seemed to be popular among the locals. The Sport Solar Oven (above) from the Solar Oven Society and the Sun Oven. The discussion said that both were well made and suitable for use here in the Valley. The main difference is that the Sport is large enough to bake on a cookie sheet, but the smaller Sun Oven will heat to higher temperatures. Since I like to bake, I opted for the Sport which my wonderful husband purchased for me as an early Christmas gift. Although many of the experienced users said they didn't need the optional reflector, I purchased it anyway.

The more I surfed the web for info on solar cooking, the more excited I got. Not only was solar cooking a great way to go "green" but the recipes sounded easy and delicious. Another Valley of the Sun resident has been blogging about using the Sun Oven every day for a year. If you're going to purchase a solar oven, the Solar Oven Chef is a great place to start for tips and recipes.

I probably didn't pick the best day for my initial leap into solar cooking, but it was my only day off. It had been raining all night and was only about 45 degrees outside. The yard was a mud pit and it was cold and windy outside. Since the weather wasn't the best I decided to preheat with the reflector on and see what happened. The oven temp reached 200 degress in a half hour so I decided to keep the reflector on and go for it.

I wanted to start with some easy dishes. Sprouts had sirloin tip roasts on sale and I purchased some of their wild rice blend from the bulk section as a side dish. I cut the roast into 4 pieces and sprinkled it with Lipton Onion Soup Mix. No need for any water when cooking meat in the solar ovens. To the rice blend I added the necessary amount of water, some Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning, a dash of tumeric, a little bit of salt, and half a chopped onion. The Sport comes with an oven thermometer and two black cooking pots so it makes it easy to do a complete meal at one time.

At the 2 hour mark I checked on the oven and noticed that there was condensation building up on the door, an indicator that the food is done. Not bad! The roast was perfect and was swimming in lots of broth that I used on the stove top to make gravy. The rice was slightly overdone but still tasty. HuzBen was impressed and loved the meal. I liked the "set it and forget it" aspect of the cooking. I checked on the oven every 30 minutes but I found out quickly that I didn't need to reposition the oven at all. I can't wait to try chicken and potato dishes, and maybe some baking. Anyone for solar baked Christmas cookies?

The Roast


The Rice Pilaf

PC Potato Salad

Pressure cookers make easy work of potato salad, especially with red potatoes since you're not peeling them. The addition of the Penzeys Shallot Salt and Pepper gives the salad a consistent onion-y taste, even if you're planning to enjoy the salad over a few days. (I hate the taste of day old onions in pasta and tuna salad, etc)

PC Potato Cabbage Salad

5 lbs red potatoes, quartered (halved if very small)
5 Tbs dill pickle juice
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp Penzeys Shallot Pepper
1 tsp Penzeys Shallot Salt
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery

Place potatoes pressure cooker with recommended amount of water for steaming (consult your owner's manual) Bring to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes, then use quick release method.

Drain potatoes thoroughly, place in a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour dill pickle juice over potatoes and toss gently. Let cool for about 15 more minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with the potatoes. Chill and toss again just before serving.

More George Foreman Chicken

I love onions, but Vidalia onions are a particular favorite. Last week at Costco I purchased Oak Hill Farms Vidalia Onion Vinagrette Salad Dressing and it is tasty! It's great on salads but my favorite way to use it is to coat boneless chicken breasts with the dressing and grill them in my George Foreman Grill. The dressing is so full of flavor that you don't even need to marinate them in the dressing, just brush it on and grill. For an extra kick you can add a thin slice of onion on top if the chicken about halfway through the grilling time.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey Mustard Sauce and Balsamic Vinegar Carmelized Onions

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey Mustard Sauce
And Balsamic Vinegar Onions

For Chicken-

Pound 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are of even thickness. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and paprika. Place directly on grill grate and cook until they are done.

Serve on a large toasted bun with Honey Mustard Sauce and Carmelized Balsamic Onions.


Honey Mustard Sauce

2 parts mayonnaise
1 part Dijon mustard
1 part honey

Balsamic Vinegar Carmelized Onions

2 large onions
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the onions into rings and separate.

Take your largest, heavy, non-stick frying pan and heat it on med heat for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to med/low

Place all the onions in the pan and drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar. Do not cover the pan. Every 8 to 10 minutes toss the onions to coat them with the vinegar.

It may take an hour for the onion to soften and carmelize – don’t rush it.

Pizza On the Grill

Grilled Pizza

Let me assure you that pizza on the grill is not an urban legend. You can do it at home. No, it doesn’t fall through or stick to the grate. I have prepared it on both a charcoal grill and a gas grill successfully.

When making grilled pizza there are three important things to remember:

1) The grill must be very hot
2) Olive Oil is your friend
3) Toppings go on in the reverse order from oven baking


Lighting the grill-
For a charcoal grill, you need a high concentration of coals on one side and only a few coals on the opposite side. This will result in a hotter and cooler side of the grill. Once the coals are ready put the lid on the grill to keep it as hot as possible. For a gas grill, light it and close the lid. Aim for a temperature around 500 degrees.


Toppings-
Get your toppings ready. Anything goes here. You’ll be making several mini pizzas so try something different on each one. Balsamic Carmelized Onions (see recipe below) are terrific on pizza with some fresh mozzarella and rosemary. I also like to throw handfuls of fresh herbs on the coals for extra flavor. If you like your vegetables soft you can pre-cook them or throw of few right on the grill grate.


Your dough-
Start with a good pizza dough, not that frozen stuff. If you don’t have a good recipe, try mine (see recipe below). Let it rise for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and let it rest for 5 minutes. Grab some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a large dinner plate while you’re waiting.

Make several personal size pizzas, about six inches in diameter. Roll the dough with a pastry roller or just keep pushing out with your fingers.

Pour about ½ cup of olive oil on to the dinner plate and coat each pizza crust liberally. Make sure the entire pizza is bathed in the oil or it will stick and burn. Trust me on this you can’t put too much olive oil on the pizzas. Stack the oiled pizzas on a tray and take them out to the grill.

Ready for grilling!
Place one or two oiled pizza crusts on the hottest part of the grill. Watch them carefully! After about a minute the bottom of the crust will begin to bubble. Flip it over cook the other side. It may take less than a minute for the second side.

When both sides are finished, move the crust to the higher or cooler part of the grill. Add your toppings. Cheese goes on first so it will melt, then veggies and sauce. Once your toppings are on you can put one or two more pizza crusts on the hottest part of the grill. After your first few pizzas you may need to put the lid on the empty grill to bring the temperature back up. Watch everything closely and move quickly. Timing is important since everything cooks so quickly.

Practice makes perfect, so don’t worry if you burn a few. Once you try this once or twice you may find tricks that work for you. I like to add three bricks to the cooler side of my Weber kettle charcoal grill as it’s heating up. I can put the pizza crusts on the bricks until the toppings melt, and there is little chance of the pizza burning. A great idea is to make more pizza crusts than you can use and freeze a few. Add some toppings, bake for a bit and you’ll have something much tastier than Totino’s can put in a box.

Carmelized Balsamic Onions

4 large onions
4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the onions into rings and separate.

Take your largest, heavy, non-stick frying pan and heat it on med heat for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to med/low

Place all the onions in the pan and drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar. Do not cover the pan. Every 8 to 10 minutes toss the onions to coat them with the vinegar.

It may take an hour for the onion to soften and carmelize – don’t rush it.

Pizza Dough

Makes 1- 14 inch regular crust or 1- 10 or 12 inch thick crust

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water (approx. 110 degrees)
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
extra olive oil for bowl and cornmeal to prepare pizza pan

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand until it foams, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, bread machine or by hand, combine flour, salt, and 1 tsp olive oil. Slowly mix in yeast mixture and knead.

Coat the interior of a large mixing bowl with some olive oil. Bowl should be thoroughly coated but no olive oil should be left to pool in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. (Saran Wrap Quick Covers are terrific for this!) Put bowl in a warm place and let rise for 50 minutes to 1 hr.

Roll crust out on lightly floured surface or hand toss if you’re talented. J

Lightly grease pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place crust on pan. Top with sauce, veggies and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. (You may bake the crust for about 5 minutes before adding toppings, then for about 8 minutes more. This gives you a higher, crisper crust.)

Beat The Heat Summer Cooking - Cook Once, Get 3 Meals

The sure fire best way to avoid heating up your house in the summer is not to cook at all. Since that's not practical, we try to get at least 3 meals from each cooking session.

This week Safeway has HuzBen's favorite cut of beef, London Broil, on sale for $1.97 per pound. We purchase the largest packages we can find. The Meal #1 will usually be cooked by grilling or pan frying and served with a side of potatoes and a vegetable for dinner.

Meal #2 is a healthy wrap, using the sliced leftover beef to fill a non fat tortilla. Add whatever you like - I stick with 2% cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and fat free sour cream. You can substitute low fat ranch for the sour cream. Yum!


Meal #3 is Huzben's He-Man Salad

Two handfuls of mixed greens
One cup of mixed frozen vegetables
Leftover London Broil
Six fat gloves of garlic
1/4 of bleu cheese crumbles
Ranch dress to taste

1. Place the salad mix in the colander side of a salad spinner. On the bowl side, place the frozen vegetables and cover with warm water to thaw.
2. While that's thawing, peel the garlic and slice the London Broil thin against the grain
3. Put the vegetables with water over the salad and give spin. Transfer to a bowl
4. Slice the garlic thin, or use a garlic slicer on top of the salad. Follow with the bleu cheese and London Broil.
5. Add Ranch, hit it with a few twists of the pepper grinder, then toss. It's ready to rock.

Note from the He-Man himself. . .
This is a man salad, not something you do after a day at the spa. This is way to make leftovers into something that'll power you from lunch until dinner.

Beat The Heat Summer Cooking - George Foreman Grill

I could kiss George Foreman! We are on our 3rd George Foreman Grill. Not because we had to replace them but because George keeps making them bigger and better. Our current model is the George Foreman Next Grilleration with variable heat settings and 5 removable plates. It includes the grilling plates, waffle plates and a special flat baking plate. It's a great way to make fast and easy healthy meals without using your stove or oven.

The grilling plate is the one we use the most. It's one of the reasons we have been able to change our diet and eat better this year. We make several main dish items on the grill- burgers, chicken, pizza, and fish.

We gave up beef burgers for a lower in fat turkey version (see recipe). The turkey burgers are very mushy in their raw state and need to be cooked from frozen so they stay together. This is no problem on the GF. The burgers have nice grill marks on the outside and are completely cooked on the inside. On the rare occasions we do opt for beef burgers we know we are getting much less fat by making them on the GF.

Boneless chicken breasts are probably my favorite thing to cook in the GF. You can grill them plain with a bit of seasoning, bbq sauce, or go all out with an endless variety of marinades (see recipes). I grill a large batch of chicken breasts when they are on sale then dice and freeze them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet and store in a Ziploc freezer bag. I use them in chicken soft tacos, casseroles, pasta salads or on BBQ chicken pizzas.

Mini pizzas are a snap with the baking plate. I make my own whole wheat pizza crust but store bought is just fine. Simply roll out a thin piece of the dough to fit the baking plate and grill until it just starts to brown. Add toppings and sauce and close the lid until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you like grilled veggies - toss your favorite veggies in oil and grill them as well - then use them to top your pizza.

Fish isn't exactly a favorite at our house but we try to eat it once a month for the health benefits. It's so easy - I buy a frozen fillet at Trader Joe's, thaw it and slather it with olive oil mayonaise. Sprinkle it with lemon pepper or your favorite fish seasoning and grill it.

Some people complain about cleaning the George Foreman Grill but I've never had a problem. As soon as I'm done cooking I unplug the grill and wet a few sheets of paper towels. Place the wet paper towels in the (still hot) grill. In about 20 minutes the grill will be cool enough to handle and any stuck on food has been steamed loose. Clean with a sponge or use a dish brush that's safe for non-stick surfaces.

All George Foreman Grills come with a few recipes in the instruction booklet. There are more recipes on Salton's website and in George Foreman's Indoor Grilling Made Easy. I love Steve Reichlen's book The Barbecue! Bible. I just spotted his book Indoor! Grilling at Amazon.com and added it to my Amazon Wish List. Yahoo groups also has a group of GF fans who exchange tips and recipes.

Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers

1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey (or a mixture of ground turkey and ground chicken)
2/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup diced sweet onions
1/2 cup grated granny smith apple
3 cloves grlic, minced
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients until blended. Shape 4 or 5 patties and freeze with 2 layers of waxed paper in between burgers. For best results - cook straight from the freezer. On the George Foreman Grill, grill on medium for 7 minutes. To pan fry, coat pan with 1/2 tsp olive oil and fry 6 mins per side.

Marinades - Chicken

These are my variations of the "Dump Chicken" recipes that have been on the web for years. Each marinade can be "dumped" into a one gallon freezer bag with 4-8 pieces of boneless chicken breast. You can marinade for a few hours or overnight, or you can freeze the chicken in the marinade for later use. I like to cook them on my George Foreman Grill, but you can also make them on a bbq grill outdoors or in the oven. (For oven - Place entire contents of bag in a 9x12 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 mins.)

HONEY BBQ CHICKEN

1 cup bbq sauce of your choice
1/4 cup honey

TERIYAKI CHICKEN

2 garlic cloves, Crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated

RUSSIAN CHICKEN

2/3 cup apricot preserves
1 1/2 cups russian dressing
1 pkg dry onion soup mix

HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN

1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey

HONEY GINGER LIME CHICKEN

1 1/2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1/4 cup sliced green onions


GARLIC DIJON LEMON CHICKEN

2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp dijon mustard
juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

Beat The Heat Summer Cooking - Pressure Cooking

There's no escaping the fact that summer time in the Valley of the Sun is pretty brutal. Cooking is not on my list of fun things to do when it's over 100 degrees. We have a very small house and just one pan on the stove heats up the kitchen and living room and makes things very uncomfortable. I had to look for alternative methods of cooking which could keep the house cool but still be economical and work with my philosophy of getting multiple meals out of each session in the kitchen. Over the next 2 weeks I'm going to let you in on my little secrets to make meal preparation easier in the summer months.

The fastest way to get a meal on the table (after the microwave) is the pressure cooker. Forget the horror stories of the past, today's pressure cookers are safe and easy. While the stovetop variety is still popular, I prefer my electric 8 quart Cook's Essentials PC from QVC. It's a real work horse. We use it for the obvious things like pot roast, stew, and soup, but it also makes fantastic chicken stock. I can boil pasta in my PC a lot faster than I can on my stove top. If you have a stand mixer you can have mashed potatoes from scratch on the table in less than 15 minutes.

Pressure cookers work wonders with less expensive cuts of meat. If there is a good sale, I'll buy the biggest roast I can find and make Cola Pot Roast (see below). We can get one dinner, 2 lunches and a freezer meal out of it. If the roast is really large, I will cut off a portion of the meat and use a different method of seasoning. Usually I'll take the extra portion and coat it with BBQ sauce or even extra Taco Bell mild sauce. Then I'll wrap that portion of meat in foil and add it to the pressure cooker as well. That way I'll have a main dish and and extra portion on the side for a BBQ sandwich or meat for tacos. Another bonus is that you can have very flavorful food without the addition of fats.

Every pressure cooker is different and you should always follow the manufacturer's instructions. For general information, recipes, and opinions on which pressure cooker to purchase, Miss Vickie's is the website to visit. She just celebrated 10 years on the Internet and her book Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes is a huge sucess. Of course, you can't mention pressure cooker cookbooks without mentioning Lorna Sass and her latest Pressure Perfect.

Yahoo has a terrific pressure cooker group where you can ask questions, get helpful hints and exchange recipes.

My favorite recipes. . .


Cola Pot Roast

(also works well in the crockpot)

3-4 pounds beef roast
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 sweet onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package dry brown gravy mix
1/4 cup water
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
10 ounces cola

Brown roast in 2 tbs olive oil before cooking. Place all ingredients in pressure cooker and cook on high pressure (15lbs of pressure) for 11 minutes per pound of beef. Use natural release method.



Leanna's Pot Roast

3-4 lb beef roast
4 carrots, chopped
1 large sweet onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can beef stock
1 cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup

Brown roast in 2 tbs olive oil before cooking. Place all ingredients except maple syrup in pressure cooker. Drizzle beef with maple syrup and cook on high pressure (15lbs of pressure) for 11 minutes per pound of beef. Use quick release method. Make a paste of water and flour and use it to thicken the gravy.



Leanna's Loaded Potatoes

4-5 lbs potatoes, quartered (works with reds, large baking potatoes or yukon gold)
1 1/2 cups water

Cook potatoes on high pressure (15lbs) for 8 minutes. Use quick release method. Place potatoes in a heat proof bowl or use stand mixer to whip. Add the following-

1 cup fat free sour cream
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, grated
3 strips turkey bacon, cooked and cut up with kitchen shears
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Healthier Grilled Sour Cream and Onion Burgers

This week I received the latest Betty Crocker email newsletter with a recipe for Grilled Sour Cream and Onion Burgers - sounds yummy!

The downside - 20 grams of fat. Since hubby and I are still doing "Lean and Green in 2008" I had to make some modifications to make this a healthier burger. It's still not the most low cal choice but with the additional fiber and fat free sour cream, it's still healthier than the original version without losing the taste. Hubby gave it two thumbs up!

Healthier Sour Cream and Onion Burgers

2 lb very lean ground beef
1 package Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix- dry
1 cup non fat sour cream (find one made from skim milk, not chemicals)
2 pkgs single serving plain oatmeal with flax seed, blend in food processor until powdered
8 whole wheat hamburger buns


1. In large bowl or stand mixer, combine all ingredients except hamburger buns. Form mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Chill for at least 2 hours.
2. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Place patties on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 10 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160ºF. Serve on buns with your choice of condiments.