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Easy Recipes From Betty Crocker For Thanksgiving with Coupons

Thanksgiving is just few hours away and don't miss out on this opportunity to grab your last minute ideas to whip up some nice meals for the gathering with the help of Betty Crocker!


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Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family! Let Betty Crocker recipes help you with your meal preparations now.

Favorite Cooking Techniques for Healthy Food

Cooking healthy food can sometimes be challenging to others when in fact, it will only require you some minor changes, which you have to deal with in exchange of healthier food. By using items or ingredients instead of the ones that you are used to, with the combination of various techniques, you’ll definitely end up having your tummy full of healthy and nutritious food.

So what are the cooking techniques to consider for you to produce healthy recipes? Are there special ingredients or substance to use or are there proper or alternative ways to cook meals?

One of the healthiest techniques is to add herbs to your food. Herbs are rich in vitamins and minerals with fewer calories. By adding these to your food, you are increasing the flavor of your dish, thus making it more exotic. You don’t have to become a professional chef to do this because just by experimenting, you’ll be able to cook different meals that will surely tickle your palate.

Next thing to consider is to lessen salt intake. Increasing the amount of herbs will not be enough if you won’t be able to lessen your salt consumption.  Remember that herbs have natural flavors, which make salt less necessary. By doing so, you will be able to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and other heart diseases.

Another is to steam the vegetables that you eat. Letting the vegetables boil in the water will drain the nutrients out into the water, making it somehow useless or less nutritious. So instead of boiling, try steaming. Just put a little amount of water in the pan, insert the basket filled with veggies, cover and heat. You can add the spices at the last minute and you will surely enjoy the better taste of steamed vegetables.

Opt for monounsaturated fats. Avoid fats such as fatty acids, trans and saturated fats because these are all unhealthy especially to your heart. Start using peanut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, sesame seed oil or olive oil in cooking, as this is one of the best cooking techniques that will help you provide healthier meals.

Never forget to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits every time you take a meal. This will definitely add more nutrients in your body, thus making you healthier and it will help strengthen your immune system.

In addition, reducing the amount of red meat in your healthy recipes is also a big factor. It would be hard for some not to eat steak or the like but what you can do is to slowly reduce the size of the meat you eat from time to time. After a while, you won’t be able to notice that there is no meat present in your food.

Furthermore, nuts can substitute your craving for chips. Nuts are rich in protein and you can combine it with fruits and vegetables like apple, celery, cucumber, and tomatoes then add some mayonnaise or salad dressing and you can have an appetizing salad.

Talking about salad, you can also have it on a burrito and just make sure that it’s a whole grain burrito. Finely chop the veggies and chicken, put it on a burrito wrap then put your favorite dressing. This can be perfect if you are also on a diet or trying to lose weight.

Remember that these various techniques will make your cooking hobby a lot more challenging, fun and as well as interesting. Cooking healthy recipes will provide you a lot of benefits such as reduce fat contents, improve digestion and destroy harmful bacteria and toxins, which are usually the main causes of infection. Surely, this will allow you to have a healthy lifestyle that is free from harmful diseases.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

We did not celebrate Thanksgiving here in Dubai because it is not a recognized occasion. I didn't even manage to get a turkey to cook for the special day because my husband went to San Diego to meet his cousins. So, there is really no point in cooking for Thanksgiving. However, most people in other parts of the world celebrated the wonderful occasion with gusto and feast! And I am sure that the usual Thanksgiving leftovers are still in the ref waiting to be recycled, if I may say.

The usual suspect in Thanksgiving leftovers are the chunky and lean turkey meat. But don't throw them just yet nor feed them to hungry Fido because you can still use the lean meat to make gourmet sandwiches.

I got these recipes from the internet and would like to share them to you to make your leftovers into a tasty makeover! Bon appetit! Will you send some for me please? :)

Turkey Sandwich with Sweet Potato Hummus

Homemade sweet-potato spread is lower in fat than anything you'll buy in a package, plus it's full of beta-carotene, which has been linked to reduced cancer risk. And for bread with the most nutrients and hunger-quelling fiber, look for rye or pumpernickel with whole rye flour as the first ingredient.
Sandwich
4 slices rye bread (or pumpernickel)
1/4 cup sweet-potato hummus (recipe at right)
1 1/2 cups sliced cooked turkey (dark meat, without skin)
1/2 cup broccoli sprouts or other sprouts
Toast bread and spread two pieces with 2 tablespoons of hummus each. Add the turkey and sprouts. Top with remaining pieces of bread; slice in half.
Sweet-Potato Hummus
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (or use 1 cup leftover mashed sweet potatoes)
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Steam or boil sweet potato until very tender. Add sweet potato and remaining ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy.
Makes two servings. Per serving: 430 cal, 12g fat (3g sat), 41g carbs, 530mg sodium, 7g fiber, 38g protein
10 Easy, Speedy Breakfasts

Turkey, Brie, And Cranberry Panini

A crusty ciabatta roll with oozing cheese, peppery arugula, and sweet-tart chutney (a great use for extra cranberries) is the very definition of comfort food. And you can stir spoonfuls of the extra chutney into yogurt, cottage cheese, or oatmeal for a sweet, antioxidant-laced breakfast or snack.
Panini
2 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup cranberry chutney (recipe at right)
2 oz Brie, sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced cooked turkey (white meat, without skin)
1 cup arugula
Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Brush ciabatta crust with olive oil. Spread chutney on each of the 4 roll halves, dividing it evenly among them. Layer Brie, turkey, and arugula between top and bottom halves of rolls.
Place sandwiches in the press and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If using a grill pan, place a heavy object such as a cast-iron skillet on top of the sandwiches, with a layer of foil in between. Flip sandwiches, replace skillet, and cook 4 minutes more.
Cranberry Chutney
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup port or red wine
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup orange ju
ice 1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup dried blueberries
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture resembles chunky jam. Remove from heat and stir in remaining vinegar.
Makes two servings. Per serving: 470 cal, 17g fat (6g sat), 36g carbs, 470mg sodium, 3g fiber, 41g protein
Favorite Comfort Foods, Slimmed Down

French Dip Turkey Sandwich with Mushroom Au Jus

This slimmed-down version of the traditional French dip (which usually involves soaking up fatty beef drippings with a bleached roll) is made with satisfying whole grains and gets its flavor from caramelized onions and a light, herbed broth.

Sandwich
1 Tbsp butter
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp horseradish
2 whole-wheat Kaiser rolls, sliced in half
1 1/2 cups sliced cooked turkey (white and dark meat mixed, without skin)
1 cup baby spinach

Mushroom Au Jus
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

In a medium saucepan, bring broth, wine, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spread horseradish on the insides of each roll. Pile turkey, caramelized onions, and spinach on bottom halves of rolls and top with remaining halves. Slice sandwiches on the diagonal and serve with mushroom broth for dipping.

Makes two servings. Per serving: 480 cal, 13 g fat (6 g sat), 46 g carbs, 450 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 37 g protein

(All recipes are from shine.yahoo.com)

Red Velvet Cake

   I haven't tasted this cake yet. Although I see this in some bake shops in the US, I actually haven't seen any here in Dubai. I was a bit curious about this Red Velvet Cake. So I searched the internet and found out the following:

1. It's origin is not well defined. Some said it came from Waldorf-Astoria in New York while others claimed that the recipes appeared in a number of 19th century cookbooks.

2. The cake must have some cocoa but not much because it is not a chocolate cake.

3. Red food dye is used to the cake batter to make it red.

4. Cream cheese frosting is commonly used to frost this red cake.

5. This cake made an appearance in the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias.

(Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org)

Great Recipe for High Blood Pressure

I chanced upon this great recipe for high blood pressure. I will definitely benefit from this because I have HBP. Check it out and try it for yourself. I will probably head to the nearest market after I post this. ;)

Mixed Lettuce, Fennel and Orange Salad 

with Black Olive Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon(s) red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup(s) Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley
• 3 medium navel or Valencia oranges
• 10 cup(s) mixed lettuces, such as chicory, radicchio, and lettuce
• 2 head(s) Belgian endive, sliced
• 2 bulb(s) fennel, trimmed and sliced

Procedure:

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Stir in olives and parsley.
2. To prepare salad: Using a sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from oranges. Quarter the oranges; slice pieces crosswise.
3. Just before serving, combine lettuces, endive, fennel, and the orange slices in a large bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat well.

(Source: Realage.com/Eatingwell.com)

I love sea food - The Louisiana Way!

I am a big sea food lover! I may be diminutive in size but my appetite for sea food is like a whale! With this passion for sea food, I have not been blessed with the talent to cook like a chef or even close to that. I won't even pass in any cook off
for novices if there is one! So, I checked one of the super recipes in the http://www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com and saw this amazing sea food recipe to try at home (or if I am lucky enough, my hubby could cook for us!).

I liked the Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet from Chef Brian Landry of Louisiana. The dish is mainly shrimp with spices and special Creole seasoning. It also has beer in the recipe but since I will be cooking for my family, I will stay wholesome by omitting the beer part. The other recipes are quite complex for me if I had to prepare it so I chose Chef Brian's shrimp dish.

I am already eager to go to our local sea food market to check out their big prawns for this dish. You too can head off to the nearest local market to buy your fresh shrimps. Doing this, we get to help sustain our own local markets and the freshness is a sure guarantee.

If you want to find out more of the Great American Sea Food Cook-off recipes, do visit their site and vote for your favorite one too and win a fabulous prize! Who knows, you might even be eating your favorite sea food dish right in New Orleans!