Best homemade popcorn

Best homemade popcorn:
From the Kitchen of Stephanie 

Ingredients:
Coconut Oil
Clarified Butter
Salt (I prefer Pink Himalayan Sea Salt)
Popcorn kernels


Pick whatever size pot you want (just make sure it has a lid that fits)and put it over high heat. Pour (or melt) enough coconut oil in the bottom of the pan to completely cover it. Add 1 TBSP of clarified butter (if you'd like a more buttery taste to the popcorn). Then, add a single layer of popcorn kernels (if you make the layer too thick they will just burn). Next, salt your kernels (I prefer to use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt). Finally, add the lid and once it starts popping listen for it to slow down to a pop every 3 seconds and then remove from heat. 
Enjoy!

Apricot Brie Cups

Apricot Brie Cups
From the Kitchen of Kristi Cox


You buy the Athens Phyllo Dough Shells (mini) (I have only found them at Super Walmart They sell out really fast around the holidays).


Then I go to Trader Joe's and get
-Apricot Preserves
-Brie (or gorgonzola is tasty too)
-Sliced Almonds

Put the brie at the bottom of each phyllo shell and then fill with the apricot preserves. Top each one with one sliced almond (It makes it look extra special). I just bake them for a little bit until they bubble (I can't remember if there are heating instructions on the phyllo shell box but if there is, then just follow that)

ENJOY!

Avocado Crab Dip

Avocado Crab Dip
From the kitchen of Melissa St. Clair

Ingredients:
2 whole Avocados, seeded and peeled
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 package 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound crab meat, drained of any juice
1 pound baguette

Directions:

Slice baguette. Lay slices out on a cookie sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven. Cool. In a blender or food processor, combine avocado with the lemon juice. Pulse a couple times. Add the onion and Worcestershire. Pulse until combined, but keep a little bit lumpy, do not puree. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and salt. Pulse a couple of times. Stir in the crab meat. Chill dip until needed. Keep in mind that the avocado will discolor within a few hours, so make no more than a couple of hours before serving!

Serve with toasted baguette.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Mango Quinoa Salad
From BiggestLoser.com
Ali Vincent's protein-loaded treat!

Season 5 champ Ali Vincent showed contestants this week how to make this delicious snack. Or you can have it with fish as a side dish for dinner or put it in a wrap.

2 cups cooked red quinoa (at room temperature or cold)
1 mango diced
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1 15-ounce can of black beans
1 red bell pepper chopped
6 green onions thinly sliced
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil and lime juice. In a big bowl, combine all other ingredients. Drizzle liquid mixture over the salad, and toss until well combined. Chill for about an hour.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: calories 240; Total Fat 8g; Sat Fat 1g; Cholest 0mg; Sodium 10mg; Total Carb 34g; Fiber 7g; Sugars 9g; Protein 7g.

Cheese Puffs...Basic Pâte à Choux (cream puff dough) Recipe

Basic Pâte à Choux (cream puff dough) Recipe
(paht-ah-shoo)
makes 20 medium puffs
From the Kitchen of Sherry Watkins

To this recipe, you can make savory (add 1 teaspoon kosher/sea salt) or sweet (add 2 teaspoons sugar)
1 cup water
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
1 good pinch of salt
1 cup eggs (4 large eggs)
Preheat oven 425F.
1. In a medium pot, bring the water and butter to a simmer on medium heat. Add the flour and with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir very quickly in one direction. Carefully watch and you’ll see that the flour starts absorbing the liquid — and a dough will form. Keep stirring to continue cooking the flour and cook off some of the water, another minute or two.
2. You can do the next step one of two ways:
• Transfer the paste to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or to a bowl if you’re using a hand mixer.
• If you want to mix the eggs directly into the dough in the pot, let it cool slightly, 4 or 5 minutes, or cool off the pan itself by running cold water over its base if you will be mixing the eggs in that pot. You don’t want to cook the eggs too quickly.
3. Add the salt and the eggs one at a time mixing rapidly until each is combined into the paste. The paste will go from shiny to slippery to sticky as the egg is incorporated. The pâte a choux can be cooked immediately at this point or refrigerated for up to a day until ready to use.
4. Spoon the dough into a large gallon-sized plastic bag (or piping bag.) Use your hands to squeeze dough towards the bottom corner. With kitchen shears, snip off just the tippy tip of the bag, about 1/4″ of the tip. Pipe onto a baking sheet into little puffs, keeping the puffs 2-inches apart. With your finger, press down the peaks (as they can burn.) Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then 350F for 18-30 minutes, depending on the size of your puffs.
To make gougeres (cheesy poofy puffs)
Stir in 1/2 cup finely grated gruyere cheese (or other grated hard cheese of your choice) + 1 teaspoon kosher/sea salt (1/2 teaspoon fine table salt) – I used a rasp/microplane grater to get ultra-light snowflakes of cheese so as not to weigh down the dough with heavy cheese. You can also sprinkle a bit of the cheese on top of the puffs after you’ve piped them.

Lemon Rosemary Hummus

Lemon Rosemary Hummus
From the kitchen of Emma Caro


1 can chickpeas
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

Place everything in food processor and blend until smooth... easy and simple but tastes like Spring

Chai Candied Almonds

Chai Candied Almonds
From the Kitchen of Kristin Sumption

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
2 1/2 cups whole roasted almonds (unsalted)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chai tea mix

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Spray rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lightly beat egg white and water. Pour almonds and egg white mixture into a large zip lock bag. Close and shake vigorously until almonds are coated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and spices and then pour into bag. Shake vigorously until coated again. Spread nuts onto cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing and flipping every 15 minutes until coating is crunchy and no longer sticky. Let cool completely and serve in a cute bowl or bag them up for gifts. My hubby loves to sprinkle them over vanilla ice cream with a hint of carmel sauce :) PS. You have to cook them the ENTIRE time or they will be a bit chewy in the center, using pre-roasted almonds helps this but I still do the whole hour to insure a nice crunch!

Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Yogurt and Almonds

Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Yogurt and Almonds
Cooking with Curtis Stone, Biggest Loser

Recently the Season 10 contestants had a cooking challenge with celebrity chef Curtis Stone and this grilled peach dessert got high marks!

Ingredients
½ cup fresh raspberries
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 peaches, pitted and halved
2 teaspoons agave nectar
¼ cup sliced and toasted almonds


Place the raspberries and the yogurt into a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and the raspberries are completely broken apart.

Remove from the blender and refrigerate covered until serving.

Preheat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat.

Rub the agave nectar over the peaches so they are completely coated.

Place the peaches skin side up onto the preheated grill pan and grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until the peaches have caramelized and are tender.

Remove the peaches from the grill pan to serving plates.

Spoon some of the raspberry yogurt over each peach and sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 100; Total Fat g 3; Sat Fat g 0; Cholesterol mg 0; Sodium mg 20; Total Carb g 15;
Dietary Fiber g 2; Sugar g 11; Protein g 7

Fresh Cucumber Dip

Fresh Cucumber Dip
From the Kitchen of Margot

1 (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 Med. Cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
4 green onion sliced
2 tsp fresh dill
3/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (I personally use more about 3 tsp extra)
1/4 tsp salt

Beat cream cheese, add mayo and lemon juice and beat until blended.
Stir in cucumbers, onions, dill, hot pepper sauce, and salt until well
mixed.

Cover and chill for 3 hours

Serve with crackers and veggies

Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin Dip
From the Kitchen of Tiffani Hampton

1 15oz can pumpkin
1 8oz container whipped cream cheese
Sugar to taste (a fair amount)
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to taste
A tiny pinch of ground cloves
Optional: a splash of orange extract or orange zest

Blend together and serve cold with Ginger snaps for dipping.

Cool Cucumber Salad

Cool Cucumber Salad
From: SparksPeople.com Recipes

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Pepper, to taste


Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cucumber slices and onion slices; set aside. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add dressing to cucumber and onion, toss well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Nutritional Info
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 106.4
Total Fat: 10.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 304.1 mg
Total Carbs: 3.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.5 g

Makes 4 servings.

Healthy Baseball Tailgating

Healthy Baseball Tailgating
From BiggestLoser.com

SunShine shows how to tailgate without guilt!


Fruit Salad
3 cups strawberries
1 cup mango
1 cup kiwi
1 cup blackberries


Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: Approximately 50

Black Bean Salad
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 1/2 cup low sodium black beans
8 oz. carrot slaw
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup galeos toasted sesame dressing
1/2 cup roasted/no salt sunflower nuts


Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: Approximately 115

Lemon Fruit Dip

Lemon Fruit Dip
From Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Assorted fresh fruit


Directions
In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Whisk in sour cream. Chill until serving. Serve with fruit. Yield: 1-2/3 cups.
Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons (calculated without fruit) equals 75 calories, 4 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 14 mg cholesterol, 106 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Black Bean Hummus

Black Bean Hummus
from Biggest Loser Club Newsletter

Beans are full of fiber, which will keep you feeling full longer, and an inexpensive source of protein.

1 cup black beans, cooked, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup soft silken tofu
1½ tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 small lime
Dash of salt
Ground pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of ground paprika

Place the beans, garlic, tofu, tahini, cumin, oil, and lime juice in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika. Black Bean Hummus will keep for 4 to 5 days, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Yield: 4 Servings

Per Serving
Calories: 111
Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 6 g

Barbecue Lentils

Barbecue Lentils
From Biggest Loser Club Newsletter

This is a contestant favorite, going all the way back to Season 1!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 1/2 cups dry (uncooked) brown lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic.

Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, agave, and lentils, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, but intact, about 30 minutes. Lentil cooking times vary. If necessary, add an additional ¼ cup water and simmer for 5 minutes longer if lentils are not tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 2 quarts; 8 (½-cup) servings

Calories 150, Prot 11 grams, Carb 28 grams, Total fat 1 gram, Sat fat 0 grams, Poly fat 0 grams,Mono fat 0 grams, Choles 0 mg, Fiber8 grams (Sol 1 grams), Sodium 54 mgs

Caramel Dip

Caramel Dip
by: Irene Foster

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 TBSP flour
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix butter, sugar, and flour. Place over low heat. Add cream gradually. Cook stirring constantly until thick, them add vanilla.

**I like this with sliced apples or over ice cream.

Whole Grain Marshmallow Crispy Bars

Whole Grain Marshmallow Crispy Bars
from the kitchen of Susan Reid

Makes 24 bars; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook 5 minutes
Stand: 15 minutes

3TBSP butter
1 (10.5 oz) bag of mini marshmallows
1 (15 oz) box of multi grain cluster cereal (Susan used Kashi GOLEAN Crunch)
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
Vegetable Cooking Spray

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows, and cook, stirring constantly, 4-5 minutes or until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in cereal and 1 cup of dried cranberries until well coated.

3. Press mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Chop remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and sprinkle on top. Let stand for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Cut into 24 bars.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
This was passed on to me by my friend Sarah.

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug(MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world??
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Roasted Red Pepper, Feta, and Mint Dip

Roasted Red Pepper, Feta, and Mint Dip (Phase 1)
by: South Beach

Serve this hearty, full-flavored dip with crunchy raw veggies, like asparagus spears, cucumber slices, and broccoli florets.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients

1 bottle (12 oz) roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, as desired

Instructions

Combine red peppers and garlic in food processor or blender. Pulse until well blended. Add remaining ingredients, except salt; process until blended but still thick. Add salt and additional lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve cold.

Make-Ahead Tip: Dip can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Nutritional information (per serving)
47 calories
2g protein
4g carbohydrate
0 g fiber
2g total fat
1g saturated fat
5 mg cholesterol
239 mg sodium

Zucchini Crescent Pie

Zucchini Crescent Pie
by: Taste of Home

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise and quartered
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:
Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-in. pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375° for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender; stir in seasonings. Spoon into crust. Combine the eggs, cheese and ham; pour over zucchini mixture. Top with tomato slices.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.