Honey Wheat Bread in the Bread Machine

There is nothing better in cooler weather than a nice thick slice of warm bread.  This bread is a bit denser than regular bread, but I like it that way (unfortunately the hubby doesn't like it that dense).  It's got a bit of sweetness and it doesn't really taste like wheat bread. 
I love using my bread machine to make bread because (much like the slow cooker) I can just toss the ingredients in there and let it go.  Just a few hours later and you have fresh, homemade bread.  The only downside is that I can't really give much direction because different machines can work differently.
The calorie count is a little higher than I'd normally like for bread, but it could fit into your diet depending what you're eating with it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet yeast

Directions

Layer the ingredients in the bread maker according to the machine's instructions. Run a "wheat" cyle and enjoy!

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 215.2

• Total Fat: 3.1 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 0.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 44.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
• Protein: 6.0 g

Creamed Asparagus and Ham

I don't know about you, but I love having breakfast for dinner.  Especially on those lazy days that you didn't want to get out of your pj's.  Plus you can have the leftovers the next morning.  This is great over whole wheat toast, which is pretty impressive for me to say since I don't like whole wheat toast like I said the other day.  I didn't include the toast in the calorie count because it can vary.

Ingredients

2 cups asparagus, fresh, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 table spoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cup cooked ham, cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions

Steam the asparagus until tender, set aside. In a sauce pan, mix cornstarch with two tablespoons milk (before turning on the heat). Add butter, garlic salt and remaining milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Add parsley, ham, cheese and asparagus, cook until cheese is melted and ham is warm. Serve over toast or biscuits.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 201.6

• Total Fat: 12.2 g
• Cholesterol: 49.3 mg
• Sodium: 740.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 6.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 16.7 g

 

Slow Cooked Beef and Beer Open Faced Sandwiches

So I know the last recipe I posted wasn't the greatest, but I think I'm making it up with this one.  This is definitely something most men would enjoy, especially after you tell them it has beer in it.  There's a couple of different ways you can shred meat, I tried something new.  It was the Mix and Chop from Pampered Chef.  I had some doubts about how it would work, but it did really well.  My timeline for finishing this up was I got the rolls in the oven and tossed some veggies in the microwave.  Then I shredded up the beef and stirred in the flour.  Pulled out the rolls and got the table ready while the veggies finished up.  I think it took me maybe ten minutes, at the most, to get this finished up and on the table; making it perfect for busy days.

 

Ingredients

1 pound roast
1 can of light beer (miller 64 has the fewest calories)
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup flour
6 onion rolls
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Place the roast in a slow cooker. Cover with the beer and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and whisk in the flour. Shred the beef using whatever method you like and return it to the slow cooker. Mix everything together, it should form a somewhat thick gravy.

Cut the rolls in half and evenly divide the cheese between them. Broil the rolls at 500 degree for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Top the rolls with the beef and enjoy!
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 437.4
• Total Fat: 17.2 g
• Cholesterol: 47.9 mg
• Sodium: 575.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 27.8 g



 

 



Salisbury Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Cheese Toast

This is another of my husband's favorite dinners.  There's a lot of herbs in it, so it's really flavorful without adding oils or butter.  I know you need some fat in your diet, but I try not to add too much while I'm cooking.  The red wine in the sauce really adds a richness to the sauce.  And it might look like it would take a while to make this, but it comes together pretty quickly.  I start by preparing the toast for the oven and getting the steaks ready for the pan.  After I get the steaks in the pan they don't need much attention until it's time to turn them, so I use the time to mix the sauce ingredients.  The toasts are usually ready to come out of the oven just after the steaks get turned.  Soon as they come out of the pan the sauce goes in and I toss some broccoli in the microwave.  Then it's just a matter of getting the food on the plates.

 

This is one of those dinners that can be altered easily to please husbands that don't want "diet" food.  For my husband I add a little extra cheese to his toasts and mix the broccoli with a bit of butter and garlic powder.  That way we're both happy and I don't have to make two different dinners.

 

Ingredients

For the steaks:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon basil

For the sauce:
1 cup beef broth (preferably low sodium)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon basil

For the toast:
2 onion rolls, halved
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

For the toast:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Combine the garlic powder and butter, spread equally between the onion roll halves. Top with cheese and bake for three to four minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

For the steak:
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Form into four thick patties (roughly one inch thick). Cook in a large pan on high for about three minutes on each side. Remove from the pan but leave the drippings (if there are any) in the pan to make the sauce.

For the sauce:
Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a measuring cup.  After removing the steaks from the pan, add the sauce mixture to the pan. Let it come to a boil on high heat for about a minute, then turn the temperature down to medium high and simmer for an additional four or five minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce should be the consistancy of a thick gravy.

To serve place the steaks on the toast and top with the sauce.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 371.4
• Total Fat: 13.9 g
• Cholesterol: 82.5 mg
• Sodium: 563.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 31.1 g