Sweet Treat

I have the bad habit of needing something sweet after dinner. I know that many people have this habit, so I won't be too hard on myself. Sometimes I'm able to do fruit or yogurt, but that's mostly in the summer when berries are in season. Winter fruits just don't cut it for me when it comes to a sweet treat at night.

The January/February issue of Food Network Magazine has some ideas for lighter desserts and I found one of them to be particularly delicious. As far as cookies go, this recipe is quite figure friendly. I've made them a couple of times and found them to be a wonderful light dessert. I'll eat two cookies with a small glass of milk (actually, a small glass of Lactaid because I have...shall we say...trust issues with dairy).

Word to the Wise: Just because it's labeled as "light" doesn't mean you can eat a dozen at a time. I find that people (sometimes I'm included in this group) tend to think that if something is less calories, they can eat double or triple the serving size without consequences. Not so, my friends...eating sensible portions is a habit we should stick to no matter what we're eating.

So after that uplifting message...here's the recipe!

Oatmeal Cookies
~Easy and Delicious~

• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 egg and 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• (I actually combine chocolate chips and raisins to equal a cup and leave the walnuts out...you pretty much can put a cup of whatever combination of goodies you'd like to substitute)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk brown sugar, egg, and egg whites in a bowl.
   
3. Whisk in the vegetable oil.
4. Stir in the oats, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add chocolate chips, raisins, nuts (or a cup of whatever combination you want)
6. Drop large spoonfuls onto lined baking sheets and gently flatten. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

An Update for a Classic

I don't eat beef. This really isn't my choice...I just don't like it. I kind of wish I ate beef because then I could try all sorts of recipes I've always wanted to make. For now I just have to continue to swap chicken or turkey for beef whenever possible.

I've made turkey meatloaf in the past and it's turned out great, but it's fairly traditional in flavor. I recently came across a recipe in Giada De Laurentiis's cookbook, Giada At Home. I may think that Giada is kind of strange as a person, but her recipes are so incredibly delicious that I'd like to eventually own all her cookbooks.

This recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients and makes a regular old meatloaf into something really special! The only remark I would make is that it's a bit on the small side. It was fine for my husband and me, but I would double it if I were making it for guests.

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
~Extremely flavorful~

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic-and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb ground turkey, preferably dark meat*

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, olive oil, feta, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan; it will fill the pan halfway.
4. Bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 40-45 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes. Use a paper towel to remove any fat that may settle on the surface of the meatloaf.
   
6. Slice and serve.

*I only had lean ground turkey breast in my freezer so I used that. It worked out fine, but was rather pale. In the future, I will try a less lean package of turkey.

This meatloaf was so moist and flavorful...it really surprised us! Turkey can sometimes be dry and flavorless, so I always have ketchup nearby for turkey meatloaf, burgers, etc. (I actually have a bit of an unhealthy relationship with ketchup...basically, I am obsessed with it and put it on tons of things. I keep a back up bottle in my garage in case I ever find myself without.)

I've tried some other great recipes lately that I can't wait to share. I've been banned from the computer at night while my husband has been using it to study for a big test he has coming up. Once the test is over, I'd like to get some more posts up with my recent cooking adventures.