Cheesecake Pancakes

Ingredients:

Pancakes:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

2 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Strawberry Syrup:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup strawberry syrup for pancakes

Directions:

1. Slice cream cheese lengthwise into four pieces. Place on ungreased cookie sheet cover and freeze overnight.

2. Brush pan with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.

3. Cut cream cheese into bite-size pieces; set aside. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, milk and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Stir in cream cheese.
4. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/3 cup batter onto hot pan. Co until edges are dry. Turn; cool other side until golden brown.

5. In small bowl, mix strawberries and syrup; top pancakes with strawberry mixture.

Nutrition:
 per serving: Serves 5 (three pancakes and 3 Tbsp topping each)

Calories: 580
Fat: 26g
Cholesterol: 140mg
Sodium: 830mg
Carbohydrate: 75g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 39g)
Protein: 11g

Homemade Mac & Cheese

I just made homemade mac & cheese for the first time ever. Not gonna lie, I usually just make it out of the box on a weekly basis for my kids. I’d like to think most Mom's do... This is a very easy and much more delicious option though! This is mac & cheese I'm not embarrassed to admit I eat!

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni

¼ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp ground mustard (I didn’t have any on hand so I just put in a squirt of yellow mustard)

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded or cubed cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook macaroni as directed on package.

3. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a 3 quart sauce pan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

4. Stir cooked macaroni into cheese sauce. Poor into ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Variation: Try adding your favorite crumb topping to add some crunch. I used Whole Wheat Crackers crumbled up on top. Yummy!

Vegetable Lo Mein

This is another awesome super easy to make recipe from Whole Foods! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lo mein noodles or whole wheat spaghetti (I used whole wheat linguini)

Sesame oil (start with a small amount)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

3 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup sliced scallions

1 cup julienne carrot (2 large)

1 cup thinly sliced celery (1-2 stalks)

1 cup thinly sliced red onion (1 medium)

3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Cook the lo mein noodles in boiling salted water until al dente. Cool. Toss lightly with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

2. Combine the hoisin and soy sauces in a small bowl and mix well.

3. In a wok or a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon canola oil and quickly sauté the ginger, garlic and scallions until they release aroma, then add the carrots, celery and red onions and briefly sauté before adding the bean sprouts, about 2 minutes.

4. In a separate medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil and sauté the noodles. When they are hot and look pan-fried or lightly browned, add them to the other sautéed ingredients in the large pan. Add the soy-hoisin mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve.

Nutrition:

Per serving (makes 8):

Calories: 188 calories

Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 0mg cholesterol

Sodium: 739mg sodium

Carbohydrates: 43g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 41g sugar)

Protein: 8g

Vegetable Biryani with Cashews

I tried this recipe from my Whole Foods Recipe App for my iPhone.  I imagine they must have it online as well.  I am trying to incorportate at least one vegetarian meal into our menu rotation each week now.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large red onion, cut into small wedges

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 Tbsp curry powder

5 cups (1 1/2-inch) chunks fresh vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots or green beans

2/3 cup water

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear then drained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, ginger, half of the cashews, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often and adding a splash of water when the mixture sticks to the pot, until deep golden brown and soft. Add yogurt and curry powder to the pot and cook until thickened.

3. Stir in vegetables, water, salt and pepper, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender on the outside but not cooked through. Remove pot from heat and stir in frozen peas.

4. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice and simmer for 5 minutes; drain well. Arrange rice over vegetables in pot, cover pot with foil then a tight-fitting lid and bake until rice and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover, carefully transfer contents of pot to a large bowl and toss together gently. Spoon into bowls and serve garnished with remaining cashews.

Nutrition:

Per serving (makes 6-8 serving.):

Calories: 240

Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 230mg

Carbohydrates: 42g

Fiber: 5g

Sugar: 6g

Protein 6g

Notes:

This dish was good. It would be great with some chicken or tofu as well. I will definitely make it again.