Pear Muffins

2  1/4 c flour
1/4 c flax meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 3/4 tsp stevia
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c pears, chopped
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tblsp honey or maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients and form a well. Stir in liquids until batter is moist. Line with cupcake liners and spray with oil. Fill cups three-fourths full and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken Scampi

1/2 c butter
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c chopped green onion
1 Tblsp minced garlic
1 lemon
2 lbs chicken breast, cut up
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c parsley
1 tomato, sliced and cut in half
Angel hair pasta

Saute butter, oil, garlic and onions. Add the juice of l lemon. Put in the cut up chicken, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is done. Add parsley and cut up tomato. Heat and add to the cooked angel hair pasta. Serve immediately.

Quinoa Waldorf Salad

1/3 c quinoa or 1 c leftover quinoa
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 c chopped nuts
1 (5oz) can turkey, or chicken
2 Tblsp Mayonnaise
6 large lettuce leaves

Cook quinoa. Mix rest of ingredients, except lettuce, in a medium bowl. Add drained and cooled quinoa and mix well. Chill and serve on lettuce leaves.

6 servings.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts
1 packet Italian dressing mix
2 Tblsp butter
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c chicken stock
Noodles or rice

Put chicken, mix, butter, juice, and chicken stock in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When done, shred chicken with 2 forks. Serve over noodles or rice and top with juices from crock pot.

Chocolate Cheesecake

4 squares (1 oz each) Baker's chocolate
4 c low-fat cottage cheese
2 Tblsp butter, melted
4 eggs
6-8 Tblsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c flour

Melt the chocolate over low heat in a small pan. Add the butter and melt.

Press the cottage cheese through a fine strainer. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the melted chocolate and butter.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add eggs one at a time to the cottage cheese, beating well after each addition. Mix in the honey or maple syrup, stevia, vanilla, salt, and flour. Stir until mixture is smooth and thoroughly blended.

Pour gently into cake pan lined with a graham cracker crust. Bake in 300 oven for 1 hour. Shut oven off but leave cake inside for 1 1/2 hours longer. Do not open oven door.

Cool on the counter then chill the cake in the refrigerator before serving. Up to 12 hours or more is recommended.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 c graham crackers, finely ground
5-6 Tblsp butter, melted

Mix the melted butter into the crumbs until well blended. Press the crumbs into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. The crust may be baked in a 300 oven or left unbaked. If used unbaked, the crust must be thoroughly chilled before filling.

Cranberry Muffins

1 c cranberries, chopped
1 tsp stevia
1/3 c oil
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 c yogurt
1-2 Tblsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and spray with oil.  Yield: 12 muffins

Chop the cranberries by pulsing on grind in the blender a few times. Mix the stevia into the cranberries in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil and eggs together with a wire whisk. Mix the milk and yogurt together in a cup, then add to the egg mixture. Whisk in the honey or maple syrup and vanilla.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet stirring as little as possible. Mix cranberries into batter just before flour is completely mixed in. Spoon into muffin pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Chex Party Mix

6 Tblsp butter
1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 1/2 c corn chex
4 1/2 c rice chex
1 c mixed nuts

Heat oven to 250. On large baking sheet, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Salmon Patties

1 can salmon
1 c oats or bread crumbs
1 c milk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tblsp grated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley

Mix together. Form into patties. Fry in oil until crispy and cooked inside.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

2 Tblsp curry paste
4 c coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
6 oz chicken cut into bite size pieces
8 oz can sliced or diced water chestnuts
15 oz can baby corn
1/2 red onion sliced
1/2 c fresh basil leaves

On low heat put paste in pot. Whisk in 1 can coconut milk on high heat. Add rest of coconut milk and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, water chestnuts, corn and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add basil. Serve over rice.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1/3 c butter
1/3 c flour
1/3 c chopped onion
2 stalks celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2/3 c milk
2 c cooked chicken cut into cubes
1 c frozen peas and carrots
2 potatoes cubed

Heat butter over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, onion, celery, and seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly, remove from heat, stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken, vegetables and potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft.

Lemon Linguine

1/4 c minced onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tblsp butter
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1 -8 oz yogurt
1 Tblsp milk
2 Tblsp parmesan cheese
1 Tblsp lemon juice
Fresh chives and parsley
1/2 pkg cooked linguine

Cook onion and garlic in butter. Add lemon zest, lemon pepper, yogurt and milk. Turn heat down and add parmesan and lemon juice. Turn heat up and toss in cooked linguine. Sprinkle with chives and parsley.

Cream Puffs

1/2 c butter
1 c hot water
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425. In saucepan, combine butter and water. Bring to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Blend in eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each. Form 12 mounds by dropping mixture 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Turn off oven. Prick puffs with sharp knife for escape of steam; leave in oven 20 minutes to dry out centers. Cool. Split and fill with ice cream, whipped cream or pudding.

Chocolate Pudding

1 1/2 squares (1 oz each) Baker's chocolate
3 Tblsp raw sugar
3/4 tsp stevia
3 cups milk
pinch of salt
2-3 Tblsp corn starch
2-3 Tblsp flour
1 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate on low heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. Stir in the honey and stevia. Mix 2 cups of the milk into the chocolate. Add a pinch of salt. Heat the mixture to below the boiling point. While heating the milk, dissolve corn starch and flour in the remaining cup of milk. Smooth out any lumps. Gradually add starch mixture to hot milk. Cook on med-low about 5 minutes until thick, stirring gently. Continue cooking on low for 3-5 min longer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pumpkin Granola

3 c oats
1/2 c pecans
1/2 c walnuts

1/2 c sliced almonds
2 Tblsp ground flax seed
3/4 tsp stevia
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c pumpkin
1/4 c molasses
1/4 c maple syrup
1/2 c oil
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes.