Italian Beef Sandwiches

The meat from this recipe from Cooking Light is so tender, but it lacks a little something. The juice is very thin, so it's much better to use some to dip the sandwich in. It also might improve the flavor if you punch it up with another sauce. The bread is also very important. Make sure it's good bread, it makes all the difference.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (2 1/2-pound) rump roast, trimmed
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
8 (2-ounce) Italian rolls
Giardiniera (pickled vegetables), chopped (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top bag, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

 Place beef and marinade in an electric slow cooker; cook on LOW 8 hours or until beef is tender. Place beef on a cutting board (reserve cooking liquid); let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice beef; place in a shallow dish. Pour cooking liquid over beef.

 Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Slice rolls lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Hollow out top and bottom halves of rolls, leaving a 3/4-inch-thick shell; reserve the torn bread for another use. Arrange about 3 ounces beef and 2 tablespoons bell peppers on each roll. Drizzle 1 tablespoon cooking liquid over beef and peppers; top with giardiniera, if desired. Serve with remaining 2 1/2 cups cooking liquid for dipping.

Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Not a fan of sweet potatoes. Don't hate them, but don't really care for them. This recipe of Bobby Flay's was decent. There is enough spice to punch it up so that it isn't all sweet potatoes. I think this would be a really good recipe for someone who likes sweet potatoes and spicy food. You can adjust the spiciness by the amount of chipotle you use.  I used skim milk and only 1&1/2 cups to lighten it up.

Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

2 cups heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper puree (I used chipotles in adobo and pureed them)
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together cream and chipotle puree until smooth.
In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cream, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cream has been absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned

Wild Rice with Apples

There's something about wild rice that makes me feel like I am eating something really healthy. Oh wait, I am. It's even better when it tastes as good as this rice does. I used a rice blend instead of just wild rice. I think I am going to make this for the next vegan party I attend.

Wild Rice with Apples
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 cups chopped Pink Lady apple
1 cup chopped leek
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups uncooked wild rice
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 7 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add leek; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, 2 cups water, cider, and thyme; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat, and simmer 55 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Drain and discard excess liquid. Return rice mixture to pan over medium heat. Stir in apple, pecans, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Pineapple Lassi

Like food, I love having new recipes for drinks all the time. This Cooking Light recipe is very good. Tastes very yogurty. Maybe not like a real lassi, but good nonetheless. I used some Greek yogurt. Thick, creamy and nonfat.

Pineapple Lassi

2 cups vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until well blended. Serve immediately.

Veggie -loaded Tangy Tuna Salad

When my husband asked for tuna salad or lunch, I thought it was the perfect excuse to try this tuna salad. I have been making mine the same way forever, and I never order it at a restaurant. It's easy: tuna, miracle whip, mustard and relish. Never even measure. Well this recipe is basically the same . . . just with some veggies added. It gives it a crunchiness and makes it better for you. Sounds good to me.

Veggie-loaded Tangy Tuna Salad

8 ounce can of tuna packed in water, drained

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (I used green, you can use any color)

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup fat-free mayo or miracle whip

2 tsp honey mustard (or regular mustard)

1 tsp sweet relish

dash of salt

dash of pepper

Combine tuna, mayo, relish, mustard, salt and pepper. Add veggies. Stir and spread on bread or crackers.

Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Wow! If you make these (and you should), you have to eat one when it is still warm from the oven. Soooooo good. These look tasty and are tasty. Thank you Giada De Laurentiis.

Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar over the muffins. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sausage and Zucchini Rice

What to do with a giant zucchini from the Farmers Market? Make Rachael Ray's Sausage and Zucchini Rice. I think it would be very easy to substitute what you have in this recipe. I used chicken sausage and basil instead of parsley.

Sausage and Zucchini Rice

4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups rice
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings discarded
2 zucchini, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted


In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet, add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the rice along with 1/2 cup Parmesan, the parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the pine nuts.

Vegetarian option: Skip the sausage and cook the zucchini in extra-virgin olive oil with corn kernels and sliced mushrooms.