Baked Apple with Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 medium apple
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1.Take a medium apple and core it, then cut it into smaller pieces.

2.Put the apple pieces into a microwaveable dish, and mix in the pumpkin pie spice.

3.Heat in microwave for about 1 minute.

4.Note: you can also add fat free frozen yogurt for flair.

I'm going to adapt this recipe for the crockpot.

Eggplant Chips

1 unpeeled eggplant, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp leaves Italian seasoning

1.Pre-heat oven to 375° F (190° C).

2.Pour olive oil on cookie sheet and sprinkle with the garlic powder. Swoosh the cookie sheet around to mix and coat the sheet well.

3.Slice eggplant into about 1/4" or 1/8" thick rounds, depending on your taste and kitchen tools.

4.Place eggplant slices on cookie sheet. Rub each slice into the olive oil and garlic powder coated cookie sheet, then turn each slice over and rub around to coat the other side.

5.Sprinkle lightly with half of the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Turn over gently and sprinkle remaining Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese on other side of rounds.

6.Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, on each side. (Turn over when browned on the bottom).

7.Note: this is a recipe you really need to watch cooking to see how well it is browning. They are done when they look caramelized on each side.

Whole Wheat Crackers

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in the vegetable oil and water; mix until just blended.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible - no thicker than 1/8 inch. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet, and mark squares out with a knife, but don't cut through. Prick each cracker with a fork a few times, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and light brown. Baking time may be different depending on how thin your crackers are. When cool, remove from baking sheet, and separate into individual crackers.

There are many variations that can be made with this base recipe, such as using apple sauce or EVOO instead of vegetable oil and adding any combination of herbs to the dough.

Grilled Tomato Spread

•3 large tomatoes, rinsed and dried
•4 tablespoons Olive oil as needed
•2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
•Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
•Finely chopped cilantro or parsley
•1 tablespoon Wine or cider vinegar as needed* ( 4 to 1 ratio with olive oil)

1. Lightly coat the tomatoes with some of the olive oil and place on the grill over medium fire.

2. Grill, turning frequently , until the skin starts to blister and blacken. When the skin is splitting and blistered, remove from the heat. Set aside until cool enough to handle and peel off the skins and stems.

3. Transfer the tomatoes to cutting board and coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl, season with the garlic, salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar. Serve as a side dish or spoon over toasted bread slices. Makes about 1 1

Carmelized Onion Spread

4 large onions, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a 9 x 13 pan, combine onions and olive oil. Cover tightly and bake at 400 for about an hour. Uncover pan, stir onions, and bake for another 45 minutes or longer until onions are browned.

In food processor or blender, combine carmelized oniions, cottage cheese, salt, and cayenne. Process or blend until smoother. Scrape into small bowl or crock and chill.

Serve with a veggie tray.

Mexi-Snack

1 can fat free refried beans (I make my own from cooked pinto beans and freeze individual portions.
Diced jalapenos to taste
Salsa to taste
Fat free cheddar cheese

In small pan, mix all ingredients and heat until bubbly.

Serve with celery and green pepper strips.

Roasted Chickpeas

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained (I precook dried beans and store them in my freezer)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet (with sides, to prevent the chickpeas from rolling off) with Pam. Spread chickpeas on pan in a single layer and sprinkle with the remaining ingredients. Bake 50 - 60 minutes until golden and crispy, shaking pan every 15 minures to prevent scorching. If the chickpeas aren't crispy enough, simply bake them a little longer. If they're starting to get too brown, turn the oven temperature down a little. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Dill Dip

1 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt, mayo, or miracle whip
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 TSP dried parsley (I pick a bunch from my herb garden)
3 TSP dried dill

Mix well and refrigerate. This is also great on baked potatoes.

Garlic Roasted Corn Snack

1 Tsp olive oil
4 medium corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 375. Pour oil into a large, sided baking pan. Add corn, garlic, salt, and paprika. Stir to mix.

Bake until crisp, shaking pan occasionally, about 45 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Notes - Check after 25 minutes to make sure smaller pieces of corn are not burning. Store uneaten kernels in the an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To recrisp any soft kernels, reheat in oven on a sheet pan until crispy.

Garlicky White Bean Dip

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 can of canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. (I cook my own dried beans and store them in individual servings in the freezer)
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp water
1/8 tsp salt, to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp paprika or chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Assorted cut fresh vegetables.

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and saute garlic, stirring constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

In a food processor, (I use my stick blender), combine oil mixture, beans, and lemon juice. Process until smooth, slowly adding water to achive a thick, creamy consistency. Season to taste.

Transfer dip to a small bowl and garnish with paprika or chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with cut vegetables.

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Crust

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t. sea salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup plain yogurt

Stir ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.

Pizza Sauce

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. basil

Stir together and simmer for a few minutes.

Pizza Pocket Fillings

Grated mozzarella or white cheddar cheese, cooked hamburger, pepperoni, olives, peppers, mushrooms

To form a Pizza Pocket

Roll a small ball of dough into a circle. Place one tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center. Put in a small amount of your choice of toppings. Fold the dough in half. Use a fork to pinch the edges together.

Lay Pizza Pockets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for about one hour. Pop them off the cookie sheet and put them into a freezer bag…and back into the freezer.


Bake your Pizza Pockets

For frozen Pizza Pockets, bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. If the Pizza Pockets are thawed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.