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Jul 18, 2013

Make cheese blintzes for Sunday brunch

Best Recipe Cheese BlintzesI make my own cheese blintzes because I have to! I love blintzes and every time I’ve ordered them in a restaurant or deli they arrive so greasy it’s almost like they’re deep fried. So now I make my own and there is no comparison. Mine are soft, never greasy, and lightly browned with lots of delicious filling made with farmer’s cheese (I get Friendship brand), reduced fat cream cheese, sugar, and just a hint of vanilla. Farmer’s cheese is a dry and crumbly cheese and it makes the best blintzes. It can be hard to find but it’s worth looking for.

I make 12 blintzes at a time, keep some refrigerated for a few days, and just brown what I need, usually two for breakfast. I’ve had them with every kind of fruit from berries, to cantaloupe, to peaches, papaya or mango. My dad used to make cheese blintzes for dessert sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Okay, sometimes, I have one with fruit for breakfast and the other one with cinnamon & sugar. No matter how you serve these healthy cheese blintzes, once you make them yourself you will never order them in a restaurant again. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breakfast
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Jul 15, 2013

Refreshing fruit-infused water

Here’s an easy, healthy way to cool down in the summer without drinking sugary drinks. Just take a pitcher of fresh water and add some sliced fruit. After about an hour in the fridge, the fruit gives it a really nice, subtle and refreshing taste and it sure beats plain water. Plus it looks great, too. Today I added some sliced apple, lemon, watermelon, peach, mango, and apricot.

Fresh fruit is more affordable and better tasting in the summer so this is easy to do right now with any of your favorite fruits, or you could even add a refreshing vegetable like cucumber slices. Try it with my combination or create your own. I’m always trying to drink more water and this makes it easy because it tastes so good. It’s a healthy way to stay hydrated and now you can say, “Anyone for an aguas frescas?” – Jenny Jones

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Jul 14, 2013

Easy Pan Pizza Recipe

Cast Iron Pan Pizza RecipeAnyone with a cast iron pan can make this easy, healthy, low fat, delicious pan pizza at home. Pizza in a cast iron pan? Absolutely! The crust is key to a good pizza and using cast iron is a foolproof way to get the easiest, golden, crispy crust, ready to hold all the toppings of your choice. There’s no kneading, no rolling… no work at all to make this easy pan pizza dough. You can either start it the night before or a few hours ahead.

The dough slowly rises and then you just put it in the pan, add your toppings, and go! It comes out perfect every time and it’s by far the best deep dish pizza I’ve ever had.  Plus it’s low fat so there’s no grease to blot… unless of course you use regular pepperoni instead of my choice of healthy toppings like reduced fat turkey pepperoni, peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

There’s no reason to avoid pizza when you can make an easy, healthy, low fat pan pizza at home and if you use my toppings, you’ll also get a few vegetables in every slice. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Main Dishes
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Jul 12, 2013

This Meatloaf is the Best

Best Meatloaf Recipe

Of all my recipes, this meatloaf gets the most rave reviews. I love It! I’ve been making this healthy recipe for years the exact same way and I can never decide if I like it better with my buttermilk mashed potatoes or the next day in a sandwich with a little mustard on a good sourdough bread. It’s hard to mess up meat loaf. Just mix everything up and put it in the oven.

A lot of recipes use a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal but I like to keep it simple and I use the very leanest beef I can find. But it still contains fat so the reason I roast my meatloaf on a baking sheet is to allow any excess fat to flow away from the meat – no one needs that extra saturated fat. So don’t use a loaf pan.

Another benefit of using a baking sheet is… well, there are two: one, is there’s no cleanup because you line it with foil, and second, it browns on all sides! So it’s beautiful, too. I’m pretty sure this “best ever” meatloaf recipe will become a regular part of your own healthy foods and meals.  Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Jul 9, 2013

Whole Grain Pancakes

Whole Grain PancakesFiber is good. We need fiber. It helps with weight loss because it keeps you full longer, plus it keeps your blood sugar stable. So it makes sense that morning is the best time to have a healthy, high fiber meal. But this does not mean eating something that tastes like toasted particle board or a bowl of spackle!  With me, it means light and fluffy pancakes.

Yes, even 100% whole grain pancakes can be light and fluffy if you use buttermilk – real buttermilk from the store, not the one they SAY you can make by adding lemon juice to a cup of milk – hogwash! That is not a substitute for buttermilk, it’s only a cup of lemon-flavored milk. So get some real buttermilk and make my easy, light & fluffy, delicious, healthy whole grain pancakes.  And here’s even better news: You can use extra-light olive oil… or canola… or any oil of your choice. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breakfast
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Jul 9, 2013

My Brand of Popping Corn

Surya asks… Hello Jenny. I wanted to know the brand of  the kettle corn that you use to make the paper bag popcorn and where can i purchase it, in your youtube video channel? Thank you.

My Response…

It’s not kettle corn that I use, it’s just plain popping corn so any brand should work. My choice is Orville Redenbacher’s Original which comes in a large plastic jar and all the grocery stores here seem to carry it. For the paper bag/microwave method, use only plain popping corn and not kettle corn or any kind of popping corn with anything added. The ingredient list should only read “popping corn” and nothing else. When I made the video, I used White Cat brand but it became too hard to find and I actually think the Orville brand is better. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Questions? - Forum
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Jul 5, 2013

Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Why do I love my healthy chocolate cupcakes? First off, there are only two tablespoons of butter in all twelve cupcakes. Second, these healthy cupcakes are made with canola oil or you can use extra-light olive oil (both are heart-healthy). You won’t even need eggs for this easy recipe. And I mean easy. It’s another of my one-bowl recipes that I know you’ll make again.

Cupcakes are like having your own personal mini cake. There’s no need to have loads of butter when these dark, chocolate-y, rich-tasting cupcakes are so light, you’ll never feel stuffed after eating one… or two! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Sweets
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Jul 1, 2013

Easy Ribs in the Oven

Fall Off the Bone Ribs in the OvenIf you want to make the best, easiest, most amazing, never fail, Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs, try my easy recipe. If you’re grilling this 4th of July, or even if you’re not, these sweet, tender ribs are just as good baked entirely in the oven (this photo was from my oven-baked ribs) or they can be finished on the grill.

The key to tender ribs is to first cook them at least 2 1/2 hours in a slow oven, and then finish them with your favorite sauce.  Lemon juice tenderizes the meat as well. I cut the ribs apart before cooking because once they are cooked, they are so tender they might fall apart when you try to cut them.

This is one of my best recipes and my all time summer favorite thing to make. Use your own rub and your own favorite sauce, or mine. Either way, you will love these ribs! Have a great 4th of July, everyone! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Main Dishes
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Jun 29, 2013

Lemon Brownie News

LemBrownNEW_600

I’m happy to report that my “Easiest Lemon Brownies” is one of the three most popular recipes on this website. The other two are my Pork Loin Dinner (I’m not surprised!) and Fresh Strawberry Cake (have you seen the picture!?). I’m always trying something new and baking is my favorite thing to do so today I tried making my lemon brownies with a different oil and they came out great. The original recipe called for canola oil but this time I used extra light olive oil and they were perfect. So if anyone wants to try it, you can make these brownies using olive oil with no olive taste whatsoever. But make sure it’s “extra light” which is very mild tasting and smelling. I use it in my healthy brownies, too. That’s just part of my news.

Someone asked about making my lemon brownies without the baking soda for a chewy brownie. I did that and it turned out okay but I would call it more dense than chewy. I still prefer the original recipe but they both still have a great lemon flavor. Click here for the original recipe.

IMG_1409Here’s a picture of the one I made today without the baking soda. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Baking Without Butter, Sweets
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