Sweet Potato Casserole

4 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 cup granulated artificial sweetener or sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet; bake for 1 hour or until done. Cool to touch. Peel and mash. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Combine sweet potatoes and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into baking dish.
4. Combine bread crumbs and remaining ingredients; sprinkle crumb mixture over top of casserole. Bake for 1 hour or until casserole is thoroughly heated.

Apple Stuffing

1 1/2 cups brown rice, uncooked
3 1/2 cups Apple Juice, divided
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (thyme, rosemary, sage)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup bran
1/3 cup slivered almonds

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, using 3 1/4 cup apple juice for the liquid.
2. Cook diced apple, chopped onion, sliced celery, raisins, poultry seasoning, and pepper in butter in a large skillet until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in the cooked brown rice, bran, slivered almonds, and remaining apple juice.
3. Use as stuffing for poultry or pork roast, or bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Fish with Pears

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled onion
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled carrot
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 pears, cored sliced
1 1/2 pounds bass fillets
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 lemon, sliced

1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet. Add onion and carrots; stir to mix well. Cover and cook slowly 10 minutes.
2. Mix together dry mustard, basil and dill weed. Toss with pears. Stir into onion mixture. Add bass, tomatoes and lemon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve hot.

Beef and Sweet Onion Sandwiches

12 ounces boneless beef sirloin or top round steak, cut 1-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (1/2 of a 7-ounce jar, drained)

8 (1-inch-thick) slices sourdough

1 1/2 cups torn spinach or salad greens

1. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle both sides of meat with pepper and salt; press in lightly. In a large skillet cook meat in hot oil over medium-high heat about 8 minutes or until slightly pink in center, turning once. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
2. Add onion to drippings in skillet, adding more oil if necessary. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in mustard; remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, cut roasted red peppers into 1/2-inch wide strips. Toast bread, if desired, and shred spinach or salad greens.
4. Just before serving, thinly slice meat into bite-size strips. To serve, top 4 bread slices with spinach or salad greens, meat strips, roasted pepper strips, onion mixture, and remaining bread slices.

Vegetable Gumbo

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tbspns broth for sautee, have more on hand to add
• 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 1 and 2/3 cup brown rice
• 1 thinly sliced medium zucchini - about 1 and 1/2 cups
• 1 thinly sliced yellow medium squash - same as zucchini
• 1 cup fresh or frozen yellow corn or more if you like
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced thin
• chopped medium red bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons thyme

Cook onions and carrots in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth over medium to
low heat in stockpot for about five minutes - adding more broth to prevent
sticking, until onions are crisp-tender. Add brown rice and the 4 cups of
vegetable broth, simmer for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and more
water if necessary, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

French Salad

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boiled peas
200 g (7 oz) boiled carrots, diced
3 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
4-5 pickled cucumbers
1 cup low fat sour cream
300 g (10 oz) fat free mayonnaise
1 tsp prepared mustard
salt, pepper

1. Toss the peas, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers together in a bowl.
2. Mix in the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

1 (6 to 8-pound) fresh or frozen whole turkey breast
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey breast in cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine thyme, sage, pepper and garlic powder in small bowl. Loosen skin of turkey breast by lifting gently and pulling away from meat, leaving attached at neck. Use a sharp knife, if necessary to loosen connecting membrane. Rub herb mixture evenly over breast meat. Replace skin, tucking under bottom of turkey breast.
3. Place turkey breast, skin-side-up, on wire rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of breast; do not let thermometer touch bone.
4. Roast uncovered until thermometer reaches 170°F., 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Brown Rice Breakfast Tacos

Vegetable cooking spray
2 (4-ounce) containers egg substitute, thawed if necessary
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans, divided use
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded low-fat Monterey Jack or low-fat Cheddar cheese, divided use
12 corn tortillas, warmed
Salsa (optional)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles (optional)

1. Heat large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add egg substitute, chili powder and cumin; scramble until set. Stir in rice. Remove from heat; set aside.
2. Spoon 1/4 cup beans into each tortilla; top with 2 tablespoons eggs, 2 tablespoons cheese, salsa and green chiles, if desired. Top with salsa or add chiles to mixture for a spicier verson.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canned 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl. Combine milk, pumpkin, egg and vegetable oil in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened; batter may be lumpy.
2. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.