Sweet Potato Muffins

1 cup cubed sweet potato
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In saucepan, cook sweet potatoes in small amount of boiling water for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside. In luarge bowl, combine sweet potato, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add oil and eggs. Mix until just combined. Stir in pecans.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown and centers spring back when lightly touched. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans. Serve warm.

Makes 12

page 51 from Wal-Mart's Family Cookbook 2005

Stuffed Pork Chops

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 leeks, white part only, rinsed and chopped (you could also use white onions)
1 McIntosh or Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper
4 (5oz) boneless pork chops, about 1" thick, trimmed of fat

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and apple and saute 4 minutes, until tender and golden. Add oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste and stir to coat. Remove from heat.

Using a sharp knife, slice pockets into chops by slicing horizontally into the side, and almost through to the other side. Season the outside with salt and pepper. Stuff chops with apple mixture, allowing stuffing to overflow out of pockets.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear on one side until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chops and transfer to oven to finish cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serves 4

* Weight Watchers Core meal
* Adapted from Quick Fixes with Robin Miller, Food TV

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

1 cup hazelnuts (filberts)
1 1/4 cup sugar
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
5 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

1. Prepare cake; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with waxed or parchment paper; grease paper.

2. Place hazelnuts in 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly roll pan. Bake 10-15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, shaking pan occasionally. Remove pan from oven. Wrap hot hazelnuts in clean cloth towel; with hands, roll hazelnuts back and forth until as much skin as possible rubs off. Cool nuts completely.

3. In food processor with knife blade attached, place 3/4 cup nuts and 1/4 cup sugar; pulse until finely ground. With chef's knife, roughly chop remaining nuts; set aside separately.

4. In 3-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter on medium-low, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and 1/2 cup sugar 7 minutes or until tripled in volume. With rubber spatula, fold in chocolate mixture, then fold in ground-nut mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35 minutes or until top is dry and cracked and toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly wet. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool 30 minutes longer on wire rack.

5. Meanwhile, prepare praline. Line 9-inch cake pan with foil. In pan, spread reserved chopped hazelnuts in single layer. In 12-inch skillet, spread remaining 1/2 cup sugar in even layer. Cook on medium-high 3 to 5 minutes or until sugar is melted and golden amber, swirling sugar in pan to cook evenly. (Do not stir). Immediately drizzle melted sugar over nuts in pan to coat evenly. Cool praline completely in pan. When cool and hardened, break into 12 large pieces. While praline cools, in large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. To serve, cut cake and divide slices among serving plates. Top each slice with dollop of whipped cream and shard of hazelnut praline.

From Good Housekeeping January 2010, page 157

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. On sheet of waxed paper, mix flour, baking soda and salt until well-blended.

2. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter on low. Remove pan from heat; with wire whisk, stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar until blended. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract. With wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture, then oats, chocolate chips and walnuts until combined.

3. Spoon batter into center of prepared cookie sheet. With spatula, spread batter to an even 8-inch round. Bake 18 minutes, or until cookie is golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet on wire rack 15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board lined with waxed paper; cut cookie into 12 wedges and serve warm.

From Good Housekeeping January 2010, page 158

Ice Cream Toppers

Hot Fudge Sauce

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 Tbsp butter (no substitutions)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Chop chocolate. In 2-quart sauce-pan, combine cream, sugar, syrup, butter, salt, and half of chocolate. Heat on medium 5 minutes or until bubbles form at edge, stirring with wire whisk. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, whisking often.

2. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and remaining chocolate until mixture is smooth. Cool 5 minutes or until thickened slightly, whisking often. Serve warm over ice cream.


Apple-Rum Sauce

1 large Granny Smith apple
1 large Fuji or Gala apple
4 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp rum

Peel and core apples, then cut each into 1/4-inch-thick-slices. In 12-inch skillet, melt margarine on medium. Add apples and cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and cook 2 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in rum and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream.


Pineapple-Lime Sauce

1/3 cup sugar
1 small ripe pineapple (3 1/2 lbs), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" cubes (4cups)
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp salt
1 lime

1. In 12-inch skillet, spread sugar in even layer. Cook on medium-high 5 minutes or until deep amber-brown, swirling sugar in pan to cook evenly. (Do not stir). Carefully add pineapple, cinnamon, and salt; caramel will bubble and harden. Cook on medium 10 minutes (caramel will melt again) or until pineapple is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

2. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. From lime, finely grate peel directly into pineapple mixture; stir to combine. Serve warm over ice cream.

From Good Housekeeping, January 2010 page 162

Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

Serves 4

1 lemon
2 pints grape tomatoes
1 head garlic, cloves separated
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small loaf country bread, warmed (optional)

* Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, remove strips of zest from the lemon (reserve the lemon).

* In a large roasting pan, toss the tomatoes, garlic, olives, thyme, and lemon zest with 1 Tbsp of the oil

* Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, among the vegetables and drizzle with the remaining Tbsp of oil. Season the chicken and vegetables with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 35-40 minutes

* Remove the chicken from the hot roasting pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the roasting pan and add the wine. Gently stir, scraping up any buts stuck to the pan. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the pan juices and bread (if using).

From Real Simple March 2010, page 191