Baked Pumpkin Custard

This recipe designed for WW diets.

6 eggs
1/2 cup sugar*
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups skim or low-fat milk, heated until very hot
Ground nutmeg or cinnamon for garnish, optional

* The amount of eggs used can vary according to your needs. When I make the custard for dessert, I usually use 4 eggs. When making for breakfast, I increase the recipe to 6 eggs.

** If you are on a sugar-free diet or just trying to lose weight, substitute Splenda for the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) eight (6-ounce) custard cups and set them into a large baking dish. If cooking custards in a metal pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of newspaper to ensure an even temperature on the bottom.

In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and beat until combined. Mix in hot milk until blended. Pour egg mixture into prepared custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Bring the water for the water bath to a light simmer on top of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way cup the sides of the custard cups. NOTE: The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. The cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard cup you are using, but begin checking at 20 minutes and check back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it from the oven. Remove from oven and immediately remove cups from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to a week.

Makes 8 servings (depending on size of custard cups).

3 WW points per serving

Black Bean salad w/feta WW points incl.

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
4 green onions , chopped
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell pepper, cabbage, onion, feta cheese, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Makes 8 servings (1 cup each)

3 WW points a serving

Oven Fried Sesame Chicken W W points

This recipe designed for WW diets.

4 chicken breasts halves (3-ounce each), boneless and skinless
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking dish with vegetable spray.

In a shallow dish, place soy sauce. Add chicken, turning once to coat; remove and discard remaining soy sauce.

In a large resealable plastic bag, add sesame seeds, flour, salt, and peppers. Add chicken and shake to coat. Place chicken in prepared baking dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered, or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife). Remove from oven, transfer onto a serving platter, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

4 points a serving

Red Tomato Salsa

20 pounds of tomatoes
4 cup. chopped green pepper
5 cup chopped onions
9 to 12 cloves of garlic minced*
1/2 to 1 cup chopped hot pepper*
2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro chopped fine
2 1/2 T. salt
1 1/2 T black pepper
parsley optional

Blanche the tomatoes. An easy way to this is to put th etomatoes in the sink and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for about 5 minutes and the peeling will slide right off! Chop in large chunks and set in strainer to drain for 1 hour or until juice is drained off. Dice tomatoes. Chop all other veggies in cuisinart to desired size. Mix everything together. Heat vinegar till hot on the stove. Pour hot vinegar over all. Pack on jars. Boil in canner about 10 minutes. Makes 7 quart.

Note: I do all my work with the tomatoes in strainers. When I chunk them I chunk them into strainers. When I'm ready to dice them I dice them into a strainer. The more juice you can get off of them the better. This makes a nice thick salsa that isnt just tomato juice and vinegar with a few lumps of stuff in it. On my no! This my friends is hearty stuff! The real McCoy! (Whoever that is)

*adjust to taste

Apple Crumb Bars

1 cup quick or old-fashioned (rolled) oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg, beaten
4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup quick rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Prepare Crumb Topping; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, and sugar. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. In medium bowl, combine oats, 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in beaten egg. Spread mixture evenly in pan.Toss apples with sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour, and the nutmeg. Spread apples over oatmeal layer. Sprinkle Crumb Topping in a diagonal pattern over apples. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. To yield 40 bars, divide the 15-inch-long side into 8 sections. Divide the perpendicular 10-inch-long side into 5 sections.

Apple Carrot Muffins

1 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup finely chopped peeled tart apple
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups or cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

These are very moist and taste a lot like carrot cake.

Shepherds Pie

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons butter
7 or 8 potatoes, mashed
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon ketchup
beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Parmesan cheese


Brown ground beef and sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until golden. Mix ground beef with onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of beef broth and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist. Beat egg yolks until light, then in another bowl, beat whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, cream, 6 tablespoons butter, and garlic powder into hot mashed potatoes. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Put meat mixture into a casserole then top with potato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° until potato topping is puffed and browned, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Lazy Day Shepherds Pie

Fry hamburger, mix with peas and mushroom soup. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top. All ingredients will be hot so just pop the casserole in the oven enough to melt the cheese. I use this one a lot and everyone loves it. Another variation is to put this all in a pie shell and bake.

Dinner Rolls

3 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups of milk
1/4 cup of shortening
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg

Mix 2 cups of the flour and yeast. Heat and stir milk, sugar, shortening, and salt till warm. Add to flour mixture; add egg. Beat at low speed 1/2 minute. Beat three minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you an with a spoon. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderatly stiff dough. Knead till smooth. Shape into ball. Place in greased bowl; turn, Cover; let rise till double, about an hour,Punch down, divide in half, cover, let it rest 10 minutes. Then shape them into whatever shape you would like. Cover; let rise till double about 35 to 45 min. Bake in 400' oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 24 to 36 rolls depending on how you shaped them.

These rolls are soft and flaky and totally yummy. Be careful puttting the heated shortening and milk in the flour. Cool it down some so you dont kill the yeast yet not cold enough it wont activate the yeast. I never put it in straight from the stove. Wait until it's a little hotter than room temperature. Running warm water over the mixer bowl before beginning any yeast bread is a good tip for keeping the dough warm.

Frosted Banana Bars

1/2 c. butter softened
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 med. mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 tsp soda
pinch of salt

Spread in greased 9x13" cookie sheet w/ 1" sides or jelly roll pan. Bake at 350' for 20 minutes.

Frosting

2c. butter
1 pckg cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla.

Beat all together and spread on cooled cake. Cut into bars.

Snicker Doodles

1/2 cup white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugars, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Add flour until you get a soft dough. Roll dough in balls the size of walnuts. Roll balls in 2 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350' for about 10 minutes.

makes approximately 3 dozen

Darlings Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 12oz pkg of chocolate chips

Combine butter, sugars and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Beat eggs. Gradually add remaining ingredients. Beat. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 375' for 10 minutes
Makes about 3 dozen

Strawberry Pizza

6 T. butter or margarine
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Filling
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups crushed strawberries

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar for two minutes. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. On a floured surface roll dough into 13 in circle. Transfer to an ungreased pizza pan. Build up edges slightly. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Ina mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Spread over crust. Arrange slices strawberries on top. In a sauce pan combine the sugar, cornstarch and crushed berries until blended. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Spoon over strawberries. Refrigerate until serving. Yield 12-16 servings.