One of our readers, Dianne, sent this sweet potato casserole recipe in time for Thanksgiving. I haven’t tried it yet, but she says it is a favourite with her family. She uses walnuts as the nuts, but suggested that almonds or pecans would work, too. I really like sweet potatoes so this is a recipe that I will be trying soon.
I recently made this sundried tomato pasta and halved the recipe with good success. I had lots left over so I froze some for use later on. Many recipes that use sundried tomatoes suggest patting them dry. In this case I didn’t do that, I simply used a little less oil for frying. I really liked the end result and will certainly make this again.
Like many others I gained a few pounds during the COVID pandemic and so I have been trying different lower fat recipes. This Crockpot broccoli cauliflower soup is a good one. I used low fat cheddar cheese in it and only added two cups of the cheddar to the batch and didn’t use the Monterey Jack cheese. It didn’t turn out quite as creamy as I like, so I stirred a spoonful of corn starch with a bit of chicken broth into it and it thickened up nicely. I also have a low-fat chicken Crockpot chili cooking and I will let you know next week how it turns out.
I am still requesting some more recipes for creating two servings each so please share your favourites with us.
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 2 ¼ lbs. sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup 2% milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup sugar
Topping
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375. Peel, cook, and mash potatoes. It should equal about 4 cups. Melt butter and beat the eggs. Combine the potatoes, butter, eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla, mixing well. Spread into a greased casserole dish. Combine all of the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
Crockpot Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
- 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
- ½ to ¾ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups low fat evaporated milk
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low fat grated cheddar cheese
Mince the garlic and finely chop the onion. Put the broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, evaporated milk, broth, and spices into a slow cooker and stir to combine well. Cover and cook on low for 4 ½ hours. Blend the soup until smooth with just a few chunks. Stir in the cheese until well blended and creamy.
Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 10 oz. pasta
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tsp. minced onion
- 4 oz. sundried tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 cup cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Cut the chicken into approximately 1-inch pieces. Put olive oil into a skillet. Add the garlic, onion, and sundried tomatoes, cooking them for 3 or 4 minutes over low heat. Remove the tomatoes and set aside. When cool enough to handle cut them into small pieces. Put the chicken pieces in the skillet and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from pan. Cook the pasta as directed on the package and drain it. Put the milk, cream, red pepper flakes and broth in a skillet with the seasoning and the cheeses. Bring to a light boil, stirring it constantly. Add the chicken, pasta, and the tomatoes. Serve.
HINT: Combine finely chopped onions, peppers, celery, and minced garlic together and scoop out tablespoons of it onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for use later in soups, stews, omelettes, and casserole dishes.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The most beautiful things in the world can’t be seen or touched; they are felt with the heart.
