David's Best Cornbread

This is David's sugar-free twist on Betty Crocker's Sweet Country Cornbread (www.bettycrocker.com/recipes). Warning: All other cornbread will pale by comparison.

1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
2 TB margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
1-1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup Splenda (the kind for baking that's sold in the big bag -- not packets)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (can probably eliminate for the low-sodium diet)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8" square pan with Pam (or other oil spray)
2. Beat milk, margarine (or butter), and egg in large bowl.
3. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl.
4. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture and stir lightly by hand. Batter will be lumpy. Don't overbeat.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cut and freeze to keep fresh.

Alz Sorta Hummus

A bean dip that's sorta like hummus -- but different.

1 16-oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
1 16-oz can Great Northern (white) beans, drained and rinsed
2 TB cashew butter*
1/2 small clove of fresh garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash or other salt-free herb seasoning
1/8 tsp dried thyme
Juice of 1-2 small lemons (about 4 TB)
1-2 TB sesame oil
1 TB olive oil
Lemon slices

*Can easily make your own cashew butter by processing raw or roasted cashews in a food processor until smooth.

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Chill and serve with lemon slices.

Nature's Candy

This is the Lisa's Pie Crust recipe from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond. I just decided to roll them into candies. There's a variation I came up with noted below.

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted (raw or roasted)
1/2 cup sesame seeds (hulled or unhulled)
2/3 cup of whole almonds
1 cup raisins
1 cup soft dates, pitted
1/3 cup dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1. Grind seeds, nuts and coconut to a fine powerd in a food processor.

2. With food processor running, add raisins and dates, a bit at a time. When the mixture starts balling up to one side of the processor bowl, it's ready to roll.

3. Roll into one-inch balls.

4. Optionally, roll balls in carob power or cinnamon to coat. Adds a nice finish to the candies.

Variation:

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup unsalted nut butter in place of some of the dried fruit. The dough will be softer.

Carob Candies

Great powerpack for the road. I would know because I excercise a lot. No, really. :-)

1 cup honey or brown rice syrup
1/2 cup carob powder
2 TB canola oil
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, cashew, etc.)
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Optional ingredients to push these over the edge:

1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. Bring honey / syrup, carob powder and oil to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Let boil for one minute.
2. Remove from heat, quickly stir in vanilla then oats & coconut (and craisins and pecans, if using)
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto was paper.
4. When cool, lightly wet hands and roll each lump into a ball.

Freeze to keep fresh. Bring to room temperature prior to serving. Makes about 20-24.

Dad's Cream of Tomato Soup

My Dad has two great recipes: tomato soup and pot roast.

2 cups milk (any kind)
2½ cups canned whole tomatoes*
2 TB flour
1 TB sugar
1 thin slice of onion
1 tsp pepper
2 TB melted butter or margarine
1 tsp salt (optional)
Dash garlic salt or powder
Dill, fresh or dried

*I once used fresh tomatoes from our garden--it was awful. Perhaps we should have cooked them first...

1.  Heat milk in saucepan.

2.  Put remaining ingredients into the blender. Cover and process to purée ‘til smooth.

3.  Remove cover and slowly add hot milk into mixture while processing.

4.  Reheat over low on stove.

5.  Garnish each bowl with dill.

Serves 4.