A Quick Fix
Awesome Biscuits
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Blue Cheese Frittata
Cheesy Potatoes
FlyLady’s Baked Beans
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Macaroni Salad
Oven Baked Fries
A Quick Fix in the Produce Aisle by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.
With the bounty of fresh, available and ready-to-go produce just waiting to jump into your grocery cart, it’s easy to go recipe- less and build beautiful, nutrient-rich salads to suit just about everyone’s palate. Just grab a bag and follow these great tips for quick, cool, end-of-the summer meals.
*Make a slaw. You can go traditional and empty a bag of ready-to- go slaw into your salad bowl, add 1/2 cup of low-fat mayo, a teaspoon of honey, a splash of cider vinegar and you’re ready to roll.
*Make ethnic slaw. For fun, use a bag of broccoli slaw instead and add 1/2 cup low-fat mayo, a splash of rice wine vinegar, a shot of sesame oil and garnish with a little chopped cilantro and honey roasted peanuts and you’re good to go.
*Chips and dip. Those great, big carrot chips are a whole lot better for you than the potato kind! Open up a bag and serve with your favorite low-fat dip instead and you’ll save yourself a whole bag of calories!
*Stir it up. For a quick and easy vegetarian stir fry meal, chop some green onions and press a little garlic and put it in a wok, already heated with a little oil. Add your bag of stir fry, a dash of soy sauce, some ginger and bean sprouts and you have a good meal. Put in on brown rice and you have a great meal!
*Tofu tagalong. There’s tofu in the produce department! Maybe you’d like a few chunks of tofu in your stir fry? Go ahead– don’t be timid. Tofu can be fun.
*Carrot slaw. Much better than the kind your cafeteria served. Mix a bag of shredded carrots with 1/2 cup low-fat mayo, a handful of raisins and a generous pinch of chopped walnuts. Delicious!
*My favorite salad. In a large bowl, toss together from different bags, whatever you have on hand: field greens, baby spinach, shredded broccoli, shredded cabbages, etc. Add thinly sliced green onion, a sprinkling of pine nuts, a generous portion of sun-dried tomato feta cheese crumbles, and toss together with a simple dressing of one pressed garlic clove, 2 parts rice wine vinegar to one part olive oil. Toss well and let sit for just a minute for flavors to meld. So good!
Awesome Biscuits
These biscuits are very similar to the ones that you get at Red Lobster restaurants. They are light, fluffy and awesome!
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
2 cups of Bisquick
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a large bowl, combine Bisquick, water, and cheese until thoroughly mixed
Spoon mix onto cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart
Melt butter, parsley flakes, and garlic powder together
Pour or brush buttery mixture over top of biscuits
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tops are golden brown
This recipe is from Jessica – one of our very special email answerers!
Black Bean and Corn Salad
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon paprika
2 15-1/2 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
1 large orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lime juice and paprika. Combine the black beans, corn, bell pepper and parsley in a bowl and stir in the dressing. Add the salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Cover and let stand one hour. Stir again before serving. This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. It is good for several days.
White balsamic vinegar is milder than the traditional dark balsamic vinegar. The brand I prefer is Alessi which I can find in my grocery store. It does say white balsamic vinegar on the label.
This can be served as a side dish or placed on a bed a lettuce and served as a one dish meal. The black beans are a great source of low fat protein.
This is from one of our very special email answerers, Katie.
Blue Cheese Frittata
8 eggs
1 cup milk
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh asparagus tips
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 9 inch or 8 X 12 inch baking dish with Pam.
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
4. Stir in tomatoes, asparagus tips, scallion, blue cheese, salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Pour into baking dish.
6. Bake about 40 minutes until Frittata is puffed up, center is set and it is golden brown.
I have served this for brunch with ham, fresh fruit and muffins. It is also good with a green salad and bread for a light dinner.
This recipe is from one of our special email answerers, Katie.
Cheesy Potatoes
These serve 8-12 depending on appetite!! They are incredibly rich and taste Oh So good!!
Ingredients:
2 32 oz. boxes/bags of Frozen Hash Browns
2 16 oz. containers of Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups of grated or shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Thaw Hash Browns until they are workable. If they are in patties, break up until they are like shredded hash browns
Soften or melt butter to make it easier to mix
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients
Spoon mix into 13 x 9 baking or casserole dish
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minute
Once this is done, turn on the broiler on and brown the top until golden brown
This recipe is from Lee – FlyLady’s WebDude!
FlyLady’s Baked Beans
Now these baked beans are not the most fat-free beans you will ever eat. They are almost like eating candy they taste that good. Here is how you do it. I really don’t have a recipe; I kind of throw them together.
Two pounds of bacon; Take the whole package and cut it up raw by slicing it up and put in a big cast iron dutch oven or big pan. Cook until brown. On medium to high heat.
Dice up two big onions. Put them in the bacon grease and cook them until semi-clear.
Drain off most of the bacon grease. Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar too the grease left in the pan. Simmer just until the sugar dissolves.
Squirt in about 3 cups of ketchup and about 2 Tablespoons of Yellow Mustard and a splash of worchester sauce.
This is the sauce for your baked beans. Now add the pork and beans. I use a big can (53 oz) or 5 or 6 regular cans of pork and beans. (pour off the soupy part in the can)
For a different type of baked beans you can add several cans of different kind of beans(white beans, kidney beans, red beans, lima beans: I use what ever I have) or prepare a 1 pound bag of “15 bean” soup beans according to package directions. You will need to cook them before you make the bean sauce.
Now for cooking them. I have put them in a crock pot on low for 8 hours, I have let them cook on the stove top on low (stirring often to keep them from sticking) for an hour or so. Then there is stirring all the ingredients together in the dutch oven without the pre-cooking and putting the cast iron dutch oven(with the lid on it) in the oven at 200 over night.
I have tried all the variations of these beans as a last resort; all because of my SHEness. I would not have any pork and beans. They have always turned out well and were the hit of every 4 of July celebration pot luck I have ever taken them to.
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Use as many Sweet potatoes as needed for your dinner
Preheat the grill to approximately 350 degrees (approximately medium on a gas grill)
This will be approximately when the coals are white on a charcoal grill.
Place the sweet potatoes on the highest rack.
Turn one quarter turn every 10 minutes.
Check for tenderness after 40 minutes. If there are still hard spots, continue to turn every 5 minutes until done.
Serve with butter and a little paprika
(Note from FlyLady’s WebDude: I did not like sweet potatoes, but once I had them done this way, I loved them. Give them a try, you won’t be disappointed)
This is from our very own Tom in the FlyShop!!
Macaroni Salad
This recipe originated over 10 years ago from the back of a mayonnaise jar. I was in search of a recipe for Macaroni Salad and Potato Salad that did not have sweet pickles in it. I came across this one and have adapted it to fit our family. We love this and hope you enjoy it also! ( I now make this with reduced fat Mayo and it tastes just as good, have not been able to take it to the fat free level!)
1 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbs white vinegar
1 Tbs mustard
1 Tsp sugar
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp black pepper
8 Ounces cooked Elbow Macaroni ****
1 Cup chopped celery
1 Cup chopped peppers (I like to use red and green bell peppers for color)
1/4 Cup Chopped onion (I prefer Vidalia – a sweet onion)
Combine first 6 ingredients, mix well. Add Macaroni and stir, then add veggies and mix well to coat. Chill and serve. Enjoy!
**** When I first made this I used a box of Macaroni and could not understand why the dressing that I prepared did not seem to coat the macaroni well, it was as though there was not enough. LOL! I found out why, most boxes of Macaroni are sold in one pound boxes not 8 ounce size boxes. I had made a whole pound and not 8 ounces! So when making this I either use half of a one pound box or I just use the whole box and double the rest of the ingredients. Just remember a pound of elbow macaroni when cooked is a lot! I use the 8 ounce version when just making it for the immediate family at home. When I am having a gathering or taking this to a pot luck I use the full box and double the ingredients.
Note: Yes, I know, this recipe is actually for summer, but it is so yummy, that you may want to surprise your family with a summer treat in the middle of winter. And of course, if you live in Australia or New Zealand, this recipe is just right for this time of year!
Oven Baked Fries
This is a recipe that came from a newspaper column written for men. These are an awesome substitute for deep fat fried potatoes.
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Large Baking Potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. combine oil, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in large bowl. Stir well. Cut potatoes in quarters, then quarter them again, cut quarters crosswise in half to form wedges. Transfer wedges into bowl with seasonings. Coat potatoes evenly. Place potatoes on ungreased large baking sheet without crowding. Bake until well browned and fork tender – about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
This recipe is from our very own Tom that runs the Fly Shop!!
