Peanut Butter Cookies for Diabetics

• 1 Cup of Peanut Butter (creamy or chunky)
• 1 Cup of Splenda
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(This recipe does not contain any flour)

Grease or spray baking sheets. Mix peanut butter and sugar with mixer until well combined.  Beat egg into peanut butter mixture and then add baking soda. With level teaspoons of dough, roll and place about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Flatten with fork so they are about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake cookies in the middle of the oven until puffed and pale golden brown for approximately 10 minutes. 

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Stuffed Celery

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 20 green olives with pimento, chopped
• 1 bunch celery, cut into bite-size pieces

 Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in the walnuts and chopped olives. Spread filling onto the celery pieces.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

• 2 thinly sliced sweet potatoes
• 3 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Place potatoes in a large bowl and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. grated cheese and toss to coat.

Spread potatoes into a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (spray with additional spray after potatoes are laid out).

Bake for 9 minutes and turn potatoes for an additional 9 minutes. Spray potatoes with additional cooking spray and return to the oven. Turn the oven off and let the potatoes stand inside the closed oven for 8 – 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and toss with remaining grated cheese topping.

Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) can canned tuna
• 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto sauce
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

 Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the tuna, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cinnamon and Sugar Tortilla Strips

• 3 - 8-inch frozen flour tortillas
• 4  Tbsp.  unsalted butter
• 3  Tbsp. sugar

• 1/8  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1  Tbsp. sugar
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Cut the tortillas into 1/2-inch-thick strips.  Heat the butter and 3 Tbsp. of sugar in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the tortilla strips. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tortillas are lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. of sugar. Serve with the ice cream (if desired).

Vegetable Pizza

• 1 tube of crescent rolls
• 1 pouch of (dry) Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 8 oz. + 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• Vegetables -your choice such as: (Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms, Green peppers, Black olives, Cauliflower & Broccoli)
• Shredded Cheese (your choice)

Arrange the crescent rolls on a pizza pan and bake 15 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool the crust. Mix together cream cheese, Hidden Valley dressing and mayonnaise. Spread on crust. Cut vegetables and add the  cheese to cover the crust. Cut and serve.

Thanksgiving Recipe Favorites: Spiced Glazed Almonds

Easy and healthy, this before-dinner nosh is adjustable in amount of seasoning.  Serve with nonalcoholic beverages or a low-alcohol beer or apéritif wine, such as a sparkling wine, in order to produce a pleasing bit of spice without a burn.

• 4 tablespoons butter (or mix butter and olive oil to 4T)
• ¼ cup corn syrup, light preferred
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons each cumin and salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound blanched almonds

Preheat oven to 300°F.  Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil.  Place another large piece of foil in reserve for the end step.

Heat all ingredients except the almonds in a medium-sized heavy saucepan, stirring slowly and constantly.  When the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the almonds.  Spread the mixture in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet with a wooden spoon.

Bake it for about 30 minutes, stirring once at about the halfway mark.  During the last few minutes, watch the nuts carefully so you can pull the pan out as soon as they become light golden brown; if you leave them too long they will pick up a bitter taste.  At the moment they’re done, use a wooden spoon to immediately spread them onto the clean foil and break up any that are stuck together.

Let cool completely and serve at room temperature.  Make and store in an airtight container up to one week ahead of your Thanksgiving get-together.

Vegetable Pizza Squares

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Unroll crescent roll dough on a small baking sheet. Arrange into a single layer to serve as a crust. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.
3. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, onion and garlic.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crescent roll dough crust. Layer with cauliflower, broccoli and green peppers. Top with Cheddar cheese. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Trail Mix

• 1 cup combination diced dried fruit, such as prunes, apricots, pears and apples
• 1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cherries or cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (or honey-roasted peanuts, chopped walnuts or unsalted almonds)

Mix together and serve!

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* bbq sauce
* 4 slices swiss cheese
* 4 slices pineapple (1/2″ thick)
* 4 whole-wheat kaiser rolls

Directions
1.
Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag, add enough bbq sauce to cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours).
2.
Heat a grill; it’s ready when you can’t hold your hand above the grate for longer than 5 seconds. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. (Discard any remaining marinade.) Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and immediately add the cheese to each breast. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the chicken is lightly charred and feels firm to the touch. Remove and set aside.
3.
While the chicken is resting, place the pineapple slices and rolls on the grill. Toast the rolls lightly and cook the pineapple until it’s soft and caramelized, about 2 minutes on each side. Top each roll with chicken and, if you like, drizzle on a bit of bbq sauce from the bottle. Top the sandwiches with pineapple