Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Gil and I have become much more health conscious in the past couple of years and I see no reason why you have to compromise flavor in order to make delicious food. I found an interesting cookbook at the library the other day called Eating Well for a Healthy Heart. It is written by a cardiologist, Dr Philip A. Ades. The recipes looked fabulous so I decided to check it out. Literally. From the library.

This is a vegetarian Tex-Mex recipe that works well as a side dish. It would also be great for breakfast. You could use fresh jalapeño instead of the chilies if you wanted to.

Mini Chiles Rellenos Casseroles

2- 4 oz cans diced green chilies, drained and patted dry
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
1/2 small onion, chopped, and sauteéd until browned
1 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese
1 - 1/2 cups lowfat or nonfat milk
6 egg whites
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400.˚ Coat eight 6 oz ramekins with cooking spray and place in a baking dish.
2. Equally divide green chilies, onion, and corn among the ramekins. Top with cheese. Whisk the milk, egg whites, eggs, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the ramekins.
3. Bake until the tops begin to brown and the eggs are set, about 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings. Two 6 oz ramekins is considered one serving.
215 calories 7 g fat (3 g sat. 3 g mono) Also high in Calcium and Vitamin C


Equally divide green chilies, onion, and corn among the ramekins

You can see that I cooked the onion until it was really brown. This wasn't on purpose but it actually added more flavor.

Divide the egg mixture evenly among the ramekins.


Bake until nicely browned and amazing.

These taste as good as they look.

I served them with grilled chicken and sliced tomato.

Oven Roasted Cabbage Wedges

My mom was a wonderful cook and taught me all the basics of cooking and baking while I was growing up. I remember that when my mom cooked cabbage, she would always just boil it with onions until it was fully cooked. Yes, times were simpler then.
Cooking trends have changed now and vegetables are often cooked until crisp/tender, using techniques such as steaming and stir frying. This makes them much more flavorful, colorful. and nutritious. One of the newer trends in cooking vegetables is to roast them. I have roasted potatoes many times before, but I hadn't tried cabbage until I found this recipe. It is in the January 2010 issue of Martha Stewart magazine.

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins K and C, and also a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B6 and folate, as well as several other nutrients. And it is so delicious! I discovered that roasting cabbage brings out the flavor and texture of the cabbage in a way that I had never tasted before.

Oven Roasted Cabbage Wedges

1 head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges, core intact
olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. Brush both sides of cabbage wedges with olive oil and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I used sea salt). Bake for about 15 minutes, remove and flip the wedges over. Bake for about 10 more minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired.

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges, core intact.

Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on a greased baking sheet.

After about 15 minutes, flip each wedge over. Return to oven and bake about 10 more minutes.

I served it with rotisserie chicken and mixed wild rice. The cabbage was so good that I could have just eaten it for dinner all by itself. My mom would have loved it, too.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Amby tried a new recipe while she was in town a few weeks ago. It is an Ellie Krieger recipe that I had just seen on food tv. It is a tasty crunchy topping for vegetables. I will definitely make it again, but next time I will double the Parmesan cheese.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Makes four 1/2-cup servings

Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini (we also used yellow squash)
1 tablespoon olive oil


1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

HEAT oven to 450°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

SLICE the zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

BAKE the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information: Per serving (serving size, 1/2 cup): 105 calories, 6 grams fat (saturated fat 2 grams, monounsaturated fat 2 grams, polyunsaturated fat 0 grams), 5 grams protein, 8.5 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 grams fiber, 1 milligrams cholesterol, 222 milligrams sodium.

Toss the zucchini in the oil and then dip in the Parmesan mixture:

Place the slices onto a baking sheet. We covered it with foil:

Be a good cook and pretty at the same time:

Make sure the topping adheres properly:


Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes:

Go visit Amby's website, The Knit Owl, to see her creations. She is amazing! And I'm not just saying that because we are related. She is starting a new blog soon, and is open to title suggestions.

Hot German Potato Salad

This is a recipe that I have had for years. It is very tangy and tasty. Boys love it.

Hot German Potato Salad
1 - 1/2 lb new potatoes, sliced, skins on
1 small onion, chopped
8 strips bacon
3 tbsp flour
1 - 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar
1 - 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
celery seeds

Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 20 minutes or until done. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry in a skillet for about 5 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook until the bacon is done and the onion is tender. Incorporate the flour into the bacon and onion until it becomes a thick paste. Add water and stir until thickened. Add vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper. Sprinkle with celery seeds. Stir in potatoes and blend well.
Yield: 4 servings

Boil the potatoes until done:



While the potatoes are cooking, fry bacon in a skillet for about 5 minutes:

Add onion and continue to cook:

Incorporate flour into the mixture:

Add water and seasonings and stir until thickened:

Stir in potatoes:

This is good served as a main course or as a side dish.