Butter Pecan Pudding

What I really miss on this low-carb diet is butter pecan ice cream. These ricotta pudding desserts can get pretty boring, so I've been looking for a new way to "jazz them up". Today's dessert is Butter Pecan.

1 Cup reduced fat milk
1 Cup ricotta cheese
1 package gelatin (unflavored)
1/2 Cup Splenda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T butter
2 eggs
1/4 Cup DaVinci Caramel Sugar Free Syrup
1/2 Cup Pecans

Pour milk into saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the top of the milk and let sit for a few minutes until the gelatin softens. Add eggs, Splenda, cinnamon and butter. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly.

Put the egg/milk mixture into a blender (I use a Vita-Mix), add ricotta cheese and caramel flavoring. Blend on low for a few minutes. I'm guessing two. Add Pecans. Blend on low, variable for 1/2 minute... You don't want to pulverize the pecans!

Pour into four 1/2 Cup dessert dishes and let chill for 2 1/2 hours.

Chocolate Pudding Fudge Cake

This cake is absolutely the most scrumptious (fattening) and lovely cake you have ever tasted. It's a huge hit, everyone wants the recipe, and I always tell them it's a family secret. Ha! I just don't want to let out how easy it is. I have tried all sorts of variations on this, white cake with vanilla pudding, lemon curd between the layers, whipped cream on top... Experiment with it, have fun.

I have also tried a "low carb" version. You can get the cake mix and pudding made with Splenda. Of course, then you're going to have to leave out the chocolate chips and M&M's. But, as my daughter Gillian says... why bother? If you are going to celebrate, go for it.

1 package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 C sour cream
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C water
4 eggs
2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting:

6 T butter
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 package chocolate M&M's

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pans

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, milk, oil, water and eggs. Beat for 4 minutes, then mix in chocolate chips

Pour batter into prepared pans, Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Set on a wire rack until cooled.

Melt butter and 1 cup chocolate chips in a small saucepan. Drizzle over the entire cake. Sprinkle M&M's on top and sides to decorate.

Chili Relleno Casserole

When I first made this recipe and brought it to a potluck dinner it was inhaled in no time flat. One of the women asked me for the recipe. I started to recite it to her... her comment to me was, "don't tell anyone... it's too easy and no one will believe you!" So, I'll share it with you here. Plus, it's a family favorite. Serve with rice and black beans.

4 eggs whites
4 egg yolks (beaten)
1 cup monterey jack cheese (grated)
1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
1 or 2 small cans chopped green chilies

Pour both cheeses into bottom of casserole dish. Add can(s) of chilies.
Beat egg whites until nearly stiff. Fold beaten egg yolks into egg whites. Spread egg mixture on top of chili cheese mixture and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Sausage and Peppers

Ever get tired of the same old recipes all the time? Sausage, peppers, onions... boring. Well, maybe spicy sausage, peppers and onions aren't so boring. So, I tried adding some vegetables. Now, my family isn't going to like just plain old vegetables added to their sausage and peppers, so my task was to disguise them to look like peppers. Ah Hah!

New recipe is sausage, squash, red onions and peppers over polenta.

1 package sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 yellow or green squash, sliced in strips
1/2 red onion sliced
1 garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper
1 package polenta
mozzerella cheese
parmesan cheese

Slice up all the vegetables, 2 inches x 1/4 inch. Heat olive oil in large saute pan, add diced garlic, onion, sausage, squash and pepper. Stir until sausage is browned all over. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Turn oven to 350 degrees. Cut polenta into 1/2 inch slices and put into an ovenproof pan like a pie plate. Sprinkle the top with mozzerella and parmesan cheese. Heat in oven for 25 minutes.

Serve sausage over the polenta.

Berry Yogurt Dessert

I've been thinking that maybe it's better to take the fat out of the recipes completely. No more fat, no more sugar. What has the world come to?

Latest desserts are berries... maybe berries with gelatin and Splenda. Here's the idea:

1 Cup of frozen berries
1 T Splenda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 package of gelatin
1 Cup non-fat plain yogurt

Boil on stovetop.

Pour the whole thing into a blender. Add yogurt. Whirl it up. Pour into 3 serving dishes. Cool in refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Coffee Cream Dessert

Experimenting with new flavors, and needing one that will keep me awake long enough to watch yet another episode of 24, I came up with.... the Coffee Cream Dessert. It reminds me a little of coffee ice cream. 

Coffee Cream Dessert - serves four

1 cup fat free half and half

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 package of gelatin (unflavored)

1/2 Cup Splenda™

1/4 Cup Instant Espresso Coffee Granules

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Pour half and half into saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the top of the half and half and let sit for a few minutes. Add eggs, Splenda™ and instant coffee. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly.

Put the half and half mixture into a blender, add ricotta cheese. Blend on low for a three minutes. (If you blend it on high you will mix too much air into the pudding). Add vanilla. Mix again for 1/2 minute.

Pour into four 1/2 Cup dessert dishes. Refrigerate for at least 2 1/2 hours.

Sometimes I add coffee flavorings instead of the vanilla such as Amaretto or Kahlua. But, just a little bit.

Vanilla Pudding Dessert

At the end of the meal we always have a new dessert. Since I've been experimenting with these desserts for at least a year now, I thought I'd start sharing them with you. One, they are absolutely delicious, and two, I'm still losing weight. Now, I can't attribute the weight loss to just the desserts, but at least they help.

Here's the basic dessert recipe:

Vanilla Pudding

serves 3

1 cup reduced fat milk

1/2 cup splenda

2 egg yolks

1 pack of unflavored gelatin

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup ricotta cheese

Pour milk into a saucepan. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over the milk. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften the gelatin. Separate eggs. Add yolks and splenda to milk. Turn the heat to medium low and stir constantly until the gelatin dissolves, about five minutes. Do NOT bring to a boil. 

Put the milk mixture into your blender (I use a Vita-Mix), add ricotta cheese and vanilla. Blend on medium for at least one minute.

Pour into glass custard cups, place in refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 1/2 hours.