Mediterranean Pitas - From Rachael Ray Magazine

These party sandwiches are stuffed with store-bought fillings, so they come together in seconds. Ingredients:

16 mini pita pockets, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 pound each hummus, tapenade, pesto, sun-dried tomato spread, black bean dip and spreadable goat cheese Olives, for garnish Paprika (optional) For a change

Use larger toasted pitas and cut into wedges to serve.

Directions:Preheat the broiler. Split each pita pocket in half, forming 32 disks total. Place the disks, cut side up, on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Place under the broiler and cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

Top the pitas with the various spreads. Place an olive in the center of some of the pitas. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, if desired.

How to Make Stuffed Burgers

Taste Of Home Associate Food Editor Tina Johnson—one of our grilling gurus—shares an easy technique for onion-and-cheese Stuffed Beef Burgers

Step 1

Shape 1-1/2 lbs. of ground chuck into eight 3-oz. portions on waxed paper. Press each portion into a 4-in. patty using a fork.

Step 2

Top four of the patties with an onion slice and shredded cheese. Cover with remaining patties, using waxed paper to help position the patty on top.

Step 3

Seal edges with a fork. Grill to desired doneness.

Step 4

Grill to desired doneness. Stuffed burgers grill up great over medium heat. This lets the filling heat through without the outside becoming overcooked.







More good stuff:

Try Swiss cheese in ground turkey burgers

Add crumbled bacon with your favorite cheese

Surprise them with a pineapple slice inside

Incredible Chocolate Chip Cookies - From NY Times

Total Time to Make: 45 minutes (for 16-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling


2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
OR 1 ¼ lbs Chocolate Chips

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. (I did not sprinkle with salt because the dough already tasted pretty salty.) Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Low Carb - Parmesan Garlic Crackers

1/2 cup almond flour, 2 ounces
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg white

Mix all of the ingredients well in a small bowl. Everything should be moist and the dough should hold together. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto a parchment or silicone lined 12x17" baking sheet. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. I used a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop and skipped the rolling into a ball step. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined 12x17" baking sheet. Cover the balls with plastic wrap (you can use a small piece and move it around as needed) and take a baking powder can, that has about an 1/8" rim around the bottom, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and repeat until all the crackers have been shaped. Prick them with a fork. You may have to gently hold the crackers down with one hand while pricking so that the dough stays put.

Bake at 325º about 20 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. They will be crisper if they are not lighter in the center than around the outside edge. Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Makes about 20 crackers

Per 2 Crackers: 48 Calories; 4g Fat; 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1.5g Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs

Low Carb - Asparagus with Vinaigrette

10 ounces frozen asparagus

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons chives
1 teaspoon parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Cook asparagus, drain and put back in bowl. Stir vinegar into mustard until blended. Add rest of ingredients, mix well. Spoon over asparagus. Chill several hours. Spoon a little marinade over each serving.

Serves 4.

238 Calories (kcal); 19g Total Fat; (63% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 88mg Sodium

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Low-carb diet beats low-fat in study - Article

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Over the long term, a low-carb diet works just as well as a low-fat diet at taking off the pounds -- and it might be better for your heart, new research suggests.

Both diets improved cholesterol in a two-year study, but those on the low-carbohydrate diet got a bigger boost in their so-called good cholesterol, nearly twice as much as those on low-fat.

In previous studies, low-carb diets have done better at weight loss at six months, but longer-term results have been mixed. And there's been a suggestion of better cholesterol from low-carb eating.

The latest test is one of the longest to compare the approaches. At the end of two years, average weight loss was the same for both -- about 15 pounds or 7 percent.

The key difference was in HDL, or good cholesterol: a 23 percent increase from low-carb dieting compared with a 12 percent improvement from low-fat, said Gary Foster, director of Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education, who led the federally funded study.

He said the low-carb boost is the kind one might get from medicines that improve HDL.

"For a diet, that's pretty impressive," Foster said.

The findings, published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 307 adults, two-thirds of them women. Participants were obese but didn't have cholesterol problems or diabetes.

Half followed a low-carb diet modeled after the Atkins' plan and half went on a low-calorie, low-fat diet. All attended group sessions to help them change bad eating habits, get more active and stick to their diets.

The volunteers had periodic checks of their weight, blood, bone density and body composition.

After two years, there was no major differences between diet groups, except in good cholesterol. Why the low-carb diet had a bigger effect on good cholesterol isn't known, the researchers said.

© 2010The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA

Low Carb - Crab with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

8-12 oz lump crabmeat, cooked*
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half, or cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more if desired
Salt to taste

Melt the butter in a 1- or 2-quart saucepan over low heat. While it is melting, put the Gorgonzola in a small bowl and mash it with a fork or potato masher, gradually adding the milk. Don't worry about making it smooth, just make sure it is well-combined. When the butter is melted, add the cheese-milk mixture and continue to cook, stirring and mashing occasionally.

Mix crabmeat with the sauce in a large, warm bowl; stir in the Parmesan, then taste for salt and add some if necessary. Serve, passing additional Parmesan at the table if you like. Serve immediately.

*If freshly cooked lump crabmeat is not available to you, canned crabmeat can be substituted, but it's simply not as good. If you must substitute, remember with canned crabmeat, price is the best indicator of quality. Don't scrimp here.

6 servings. 6.8 carbs per serving if made with cream; 8 carbs per serving if made with half-and-half.

The best Gorgonzola (which, not surprisingly, is imported from Italy) is soft and creamy to begin with. Combine it with butter and cream and you have luxury combined with intense flavor. This dish can be made with lobster or chicken also and is delicious!

Low Carb - Blackened Beef Brisket

3-4 pounds well trimmed beef brisket
1 Tablespoon cajun seasoning or hot/spicy seasoned salt
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Rub surface of brisket with seasoning. Brown in hot cast iron skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place brisket on rectangle of heavy aluminum foil. Combine water and hot sauce and spoon over brisket. Seal foil and place in baking pan. Bake about 30-45 minutes per pound at 325°F or until meat is tender. Remove from oven and let stand 15-30 minutes for ease in slicing.

Makes 9 servings. 1 net gram of carbohydrate per serving.

Low Carb - Taco Layer Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 1.24 oz packet of Taco Seasoning
1/2 Medium Onion
2 Cloves of garlic
1- 1 1/5 block of cream cheese (softened)
Chopped tomato
Chopped lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Salsa or favorite taco sauce (optional)

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic until fully cooked. Add in taco seasoning mix. Stir together. When fully cooked and mixed, pour into square casserole dish and let cool for 5-8 minutes.

Spread softened cream cheese on the top making sure it is spread evenly over the ground beef and covered. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Put tomatoes and lettuce over the shredded cheese. Add salsa or taco sauce if desired.

Refrigerate leftovers immediately.

Makes 5-6 servings 
Carbs: 6 carbs per serving