Blueberry Dressing

Here is the last of the three salad dressings I currently use.

 Ingredients:
1/4 Cup frozen blueberries
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp dried basil

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Add to salad.

Cottage Dressing

When I get on a salad kick, I will make lots of dressings in bulk so it's easier to whip up a salad quickly.  I'll store them in empty water bottles and keep in the fridge.  I have my hands full enough with my newborn, I don't want to be spending lots of time in the kitchen preparing lunch.   This is a another delicious Salad Dressing when I'm in the mood for something creamy.  I made it up me-self!

 Ingredients:
1 Cup low-fat cottage cheese (I use Daisy brand)
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
Milk

Directions:
Add first 3 ingredients and blend in blender.   Slowly add milk to get the consistency that you want.

Pear Dressing

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!   It's the first of the year and one of the most popular resolutions out there is to lose weight.   My New Years Resolution is no exception.   I've got about half my baby weight still left to lose.   Having IC sure can make for tricky dieting.   I used to think I couldn't eat salads until I found some fun salad dressings to spruce 'em up.  This one is my favorite on a spring salad with feta cheese.  It's light and sweet... yummmm!!!  Found it in the Confident Choices Cookbook. 

 Ingredients:
1/3 C olive oil
3 Tbsp pear juice (I use the juice from canned pears since I can't find any friendly pear juice)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Add all ingredients and whisk.    

P.S. I triple the recipe to keep around for a while.  Just make sure you shake before using again.  

Zucchini Cakes

One of my new hobbies is looking up recipes on Pinterest.   There's quite a bit of IC friendly recipe ideas out there... or ones that with only a couple modifications could become IC friendly.   This was my first recipe I found on there and it turned out so good.  It's meant to be an appetizer, but I made it as a side dish to chicken.   It got two thumbs up from the hubs.

Ingredients:
-1 large zucchni grated, excess water removed (Note: To do this, after you grate the zucchini, put the grated zucchini into paper towels and squeeze to release the water
-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
-1 cup Panko bread crumbs (I found these next to the Asian food in my Supermarket)
-sprinkle of ground nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon (Note: If you add too much it can quickly take over the taste, less is more)
-1/4 teaspoon paprika (This is a no-no, but I seem to be able to handle a bit of no-no foods lately.   Feel free to omit)
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 egg
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil


 Directions :
Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Using a heaping tablespoon form the mixture into 8 patties.  Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once heated, add patties and cook until golden brown. About 3-4 minutes per side. Serve.

Makes 8 cakes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing says comfort like some homemade chicken noodle soup!  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and adjusted it a tad.

Ingredients:
4 Cups cooked Chicken meat (shredded)
1 Cup chopped Celery
1/2 Cup chopped Carrots
1/3 Cup chopped Onions
1/4 Cup Butter
8 ounces Egg Noodles
8-10 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp Dried Marjoram
1/3 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1 Bay Leaf

Directions:
In a large stock pot, saute  Celery and Onion in Butter.  Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

I've learned some backdoor ways of getting flavors I miss without the pain of a flare.  This recipe is a great example of that.   While we can't have lemon juice, you can still get that fresh lemon flavor with lemon peel (or even lemon oil).

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
Lemon Peel
Black Pepper
Parsley
Kosher Salt

Directions:
Season Chicken with spices as liberally as you prefer.  I was pretty heavy on Lemon & Parsley... lighter with the salt & pepper.    Grill on stove in olive oil over medium high heat (hint: inside I use a panini pan to get those grilled stripes) about 6 minutes on each side.  I make canned veggies as a side.   Great for when dieting!!

Pot Roast

I love Pot Roast in the fall, winter, and summer even.   It's so easy to make and fills the house with the best smell all day while it cooks.

Ingredients:
Beef Roast (or pork if you prefer)
6-8 large red potatoes, cut into fourths
1 medium bag baby carrots
1 small yellow onion, sliced (I leave out if I'm flaring in the least)
4 cups Chicken Broth
3 garlic cloves (I used minced garlic)

Directions:
Throw all items in slow cooker and cook on med or high heat 6-8 hours.