100% Whole Wheat Thins

I've been trying to make crackers forever!  I've tried so many different recipes and none of them worked...until this one.  These were amazing and tasted just like wheat thins!  I'm not kidding.  Even my kids commented that they tasted like wheat thins, without me prompting them.  I'm speaking in past tense because they are gone now...devoured almost immediately.  My kids loved them and I'll definitely be making them again.

100% Whole Wheat Thins

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T sugar
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 C cold butter sliced into tablespoons (four of them)
1/4 C water
1/4 tsp. vanilla
salt


In a food processor, add whole wheat flour, salt, sugar and paprika.  Slice butter and space evenly around the food processor.  Turn it on high power until it is throughly combined (it will be very crumbly).  Add water and vanilla to the middle of the mixture and stir.  I knead the mixture with my hands to make sure it is all mixed up (it should be one large ball).  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray wax paper with cooking spray.  Place dough in the middle of the wax paper and roll out very thin.  Transfer dough to cookie sheet by turning wax paper over the cookie sheet.  Carefully peel off the wax paper.  Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into cracker-sized squares.  Bake for 5-10 minutes (if you don't get them thin enough, you may have to bake them a little longer).  They should be very light brown on the edges.  Remove and let cool before you eat them.  Yum!!!

P.S.  Sorry for the MIA status on my blog for the last while.  Life gets busy sometimes.

Home-made McGriddles??? What???

 Alright, let me start this post by admitting something...my children have eaten at McDonald's for breakfast...more than once...actually more than twice.  They have a Nana who treats them to breakfast at McDonald's on special occasions, and they LOVE it!!!  One of the things they love most are the McGriddles.  Many of you may be ignorant as to what a "McGriddle" actually is, so I'll give you a brief description.  They are tiny pancakes that have the syrup already baked inside of them so they can be hand-held.  They are very sweet, but leave you with a waxy film in your mouth (not really sure why and a little too scared to ask).  Anyway, my kiddos think they are divine.  Enter my problem...they are supremely unhealthy.  So, why do I want to make them so much?

1.  They are hand-held and thus can be carried out the door in a hurry (not that we are ever late)
2.  They are delicious
3.  These "McGriddles" are somewhat healthy, made with whole grains
4.  There is no sticky film in my mouth
5.  I can control the amount of syrup in their pancakes and they don't complain!!!

So, how do you do it?  Simple.  Pour out a small amount of batter (less than 1/4 C because they spread out when you add the syrup).  Drizzle syrup IMMEDIATELY in the more central area (it oozes out if you get it too close to the edge).  Let it bake and flip it over!


Go here for the recipe:

Nana's Whole Wheat Pancakes

Cashew Chicken

I've never tried to make cashew chicken before, so I was very pleased when this turned out delicious on my first try!  It was very healthy and very low fat because it was made with NO OIL!  I know, there are oils in cashews, but we know that the oil in nuts is the healthy kind of oil, so I'm okay with that.  Did my kids love the celery?  No.  Did they love the cashews?  No.  Did they eat the meal without complaining for the most part...yes!  I'll take that as a win!  Oh, and my husband loved it!  I thought the flavors blended superbly well and this will definitely make it into my "things to make for company" recipe list.

Cashew Chicken

4 chicken breasts

6 T apple cider or apple juice

4 T soy sauce

2 T sugar

Mix apple cider, soy sauce and sugar.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and marinate for 3 hours.  Pour chicken and marinade in pre-heated wok and stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink.  This will take at least five minutes.  Drain marinade, turn off heat on wok and prepare sauce.  

Sauce:

4 C water

5 tsp. powdered bouillon 

1 C celery (cut into ½ inch segments)

2 tsp soy sauce

1 T whole wheat flour

2 T brown sugar

1 T corn starch mixed with 1 T water
whole wheat pasta

Mix together whole wheat flour, bouillon and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add celery, brown sugar, and soy sauce.  Mix cornstarch with 1 T water and add to sauce.  Stir until it thickens.  Let sauce simmer until celery is tender-crisp or to desired texture.  Reheat wok with chicken in it.  Pour sauce in wok and add cashews.  Cook 5-10 minutes until cashews are softer and celery is desired texture.  Serve over brown or black rice, bulgar wheat, or whole wheat pasta. 

Red Lentil Enchiladas (version 2)

Here is another version of Baked Lentil Enchiladas that we liked just as much.  Why would I make a recipe so similar to another one I have?  Well, I found out while I was already half-way into the recipe, that I didn't have green enchilada sauce.  I DID, however, have red enchilada sauce.  So, I poured a can of that instead into the crockpot.  I then decided, after it was all cooked, that a creamy touch of sour cream would probably top off the meal with perfection and guess what...WE LOVED IT!  So, no matter what kind of enchilada sauce you have stocked, these are great!!!

Baked Lentil Enchiladas (version 2)

1/4 C finely chopped onions
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 C red lentils, rinsed
4 C vegetable or chicken broth (I use chicken broth, but vegetarians, will prefer vegetable broth)
2-10 oz. cans red enchilada sauce (I like medium)
1/4 C sour cream
cheese (as desired)
10-12 whole wheat tortillas

Finely chop onions and jalapeno and put in crockpot.  Rinse lentils and put in crockpot.  Add chicken broth.  Cook on low in the crockpot for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add 1 can red enchilada sauce.  Stir in sour cream.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 13X9 pan with cooking spray.   Spoon into whole wheat tortillas and roll up and place in prepared pan. Pour the other can of enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas.  Grate cheese and sprinkle as much as desired over enchiladas.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash (sorry no pics!)

This was my first attempt at making spaghetti squash and it was actually VERY easy.  I didn't know how it all "worked"...I mean the whole stringy, spaghetti-like thing.  When I scooped out the seeds, it looked like a pretty normal squash.  I found out later, that it is AFTER you bake it that it gets that spaghetti-like quality to it.  First I'll give you the directions for roasting it that I used and then I'll tell you what I did with it.

Roasting Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squash in half length-wise (use a large serrated knife if you have one so you don't slip and cut yourself!)
Scoop out all seeds and pulp.
Place cut-side down on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until outside is easily pricked with a fork...should be very soft!
Use a fork and pull out all that "spaghetti" stuff from the inside!!!

Now...what did I do with this?

I beefed up my spaghetti!  I simply mixed it in to my whole wheat spaghetti.  It made MUCH MORE spaghetti and was virtually undetectable!  Tonight, my son ate it and had no idea there was squash in it!  Oh...and this is my son who HATES squash!  So...I call that a success!  There is only one thing I'll do differently next time...I'll make sure my daughters are out of the room before I add it to the spaghetti...

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

I made these tonight and was a huge hit with the neighborhood kids and with my own little charges.  I had a hard time figuring out the baking time, but I finally figured out two ways that yield positive results.  I think I may like the broiling way a little better...but you have to watch CAREFULLY to make sure they don't melt!!!

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

10 sticks of string cheese
3 T softened butter
2 eggs
1/4 C whole wheat flour
6 T whole wheat bread crumbs (slices of whole wheat bread baked at 200 for a few hours until thoroughly dried, then blended in a blender)
3 T grated Parmesan cheese

Cut cheese sticks in half and freeze in a freezer bag for a few hours.  Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Remove frozen cheese sticks from freezer.  Spread softened butter on each cheese stick and then roll in whole wheat flour.  Roll cheese stick in whole wheat flour.  Next roll it in the egg and finally roll it in the bread crumb/Parmesan cheese mixture.  Spray foil-lined cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Lay coated cheese sticks on cookie sheet.

Now...for baking:

You can do this one of two ways.  I think I prefer the broiling method.

Broiling:  Broil cheese sticks for about 3 minutes or until lightly golden brown...but be careful so they don't melt!!!

Baking:  Bake at 450 for 5-6 minutes...once again...be careful they don't melt!!!

You will need to do a test one to see how long your oven takes to bake them.  Ovens sometimes heat and different rates and you need to be careful with these.  ALSO...make sure you wait until they cool a little to eat them, but don't wait too long so the cheese hardens back to a cheese stick.

Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers

It isn't often that I make a meal where each person in my family RAVES about it during and after eating it.  It isn't often that I come upstairs to find my kids eating, before the prayer.  It is NEVER when I say, "We haven't said the prayer yet," and my kids respond by saying, "We already said the prayer!"  It isn't often that my husband says, "That was AWESOME!"  more than once in the same meal.  Yep, this meal was a hit.  I think I'll make it again.



Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers

1 C sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 C melted butter
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 T milk
1 1/2  pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half and then into 1" strips)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together except chicken.  It will form a kind of paste texture.  Coat each piece of chicken individually with mixture.  I had to do this with my hands one at a time...it didn't take very long.  Bake on middle rack for about 25-30 minutes.  Turn chicken over and bake for another 5-10 minutes.  Turn over again and return to top rack.  Bake for a few more minutes until top is golden brown.  My family LOVED these!!!

Serve with honey, barbecue sauce or apricot preserves.  We prefer honey!