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Watch Me Make Quick Chicken Lasagna with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis 

Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and I made this Quick Chicken Lasagna – no fuss, 5 ingredients and even out of my Diabetic Cooking cookbook – so delicious! Glad he was there to help me open the jars! Take the easy but delicious way out with commercial pasta sauce, rotisserie chicken and no-boil noodles to create my friend, Karen’s masterpiece…perfect for the person who doesn’t have time to cook but wants to impress.  I have lots of people who repeat this recipe often.

Quick Chicken Lasagna from the Trim & Terrific Diabetic Cooking Cookbook

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and chicken cut into pieces (about 3 cups)

2 (26-ounce) jars red pasta sauce

1 (8-ounce) pkg no-boil lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

2 (10-ounce) pkgs chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (4-ounce) pkg crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Combine chicken and pasta sauce.

3. In an oblong baking dish, spread thin layer of chicken sauce. Top with layer of noodles, one-third chicken sauce, Mozzarella cheese, half spinach, one-third of goat cheese. Repeat layering with noodles, chicken sauce, Mozzarella, remaining spinach, one-third of goat cheese. Continue with remaining noodles, chicken sauce, Mozzarella, goat cheese.

4. Bake, covered, 50 minutes. Uncover, bake 5 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 393, Protein (g) 29, Carbohydrate (g) 40, Fat (g) 13, Calories from Fat (%) 29, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Dietary Fiber (g) 6, Cholesterol (mg) 57, Sodium (mg) 1026, Diabetic Exchanges: 2.5 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Terrific Tidbit: For the person that doesn’t like to cook, this lasagna is made with commercial pasta sauce, rotisserie chicken, and no-boil noodles to create one of my very favorite lasagnas. If you’re not using no-boil noodles, do not bake before freezing. Try different flavored pasta sauces such as roasted garlic for bonus flavor.

Quick Chicken Lasagna with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

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Pizza Rice with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

Pizza Rice

Watch me make Pizza Rice (recipe below) with basketball star, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis. It was so much fun, and I assure you that kids of all ages, from 2 to 82, will love to dig in to this delicious side dish or vegetarian main dish!

Pizza Rice from my The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook

Rice and pizza team up to make a child’s dream team. Use for a main or a side dish; either way, it’s a hit.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 (.7-ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix

4 cups cooked rice

1 cup shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

1. In medium nonstick pot, combine the tomatoes with the Italian dressing, stirring until mixed and well heated.

2.  Stir in the cooked rice, and cheese. Cook over a low heat until well heated and the cheese is melted, 3- 5 minutes. Serve.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 205, Protein (g) 8, Carbohydrate (g) 35, Fat (g) 3, Calories from Fat (%) 15, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 11, Sodium (mg) 599 Diabetic Exchanges: 0.5 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable

Pizza Rice with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

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Watch me make Southwestern Shrimp, Corn, and Sweet Potato Soup with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

Southwestern Shrimp Corn and Sweet Potato Soup

Southwestern Soup is one of my absolute favorite, go-to meals – I keep the ingredients on hand at all times to whip up for a fast flavorful meal in minutes, as it is basically a ‘pour’ and stir recipe! The natural sweetness of the yams, or Louisiana sweet potatoes, combined with the mild spice of the tomatoes and green chilies really is a wonderful combination. It was such a blast whipping this up with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis - he really knows his way around a kitchen!

Southwestern Shrimp, Corn, and Sweet Potato Soup from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age

Naturally sweet yams, shrimp, corn and spicy southwestern seasonings flawlessly come together in this easy (dump and stir) satisfying soup.

Makes 12 (1-cup) servings

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups diced peeled Louisiana yams, (sweet potatoes)

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn

1 (15-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (10-ounce) can chopped tomatoes and green chilies

1 cup salsa

4 cups fat-free chicken broth

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds peeled medium shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped green onions

1. In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add all ingredients except shrimp; bring mixture to boil.

2. Add shrimp, return to boil, reduce heat and continue cooking until shrimp are done, 7-10 minutes. Season to taste. Sprinkle with green onions, when serving.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 146 Calories from fat 8% Fat 1g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 84mg Sodium 518mg Carbohydrate 23g Dietary Fiber 3g Sugars 5g Protein 12g Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 very lean meat

Southwestern Shrimp, Corn and Sweet Potato Soup with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

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Watch me make my favorite easy dip, Hamburger Dip, that is so good, kids of ALL ages will love. This day I had so much fun cooking with basketball pro, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis! He is so funny, he even had us all laughing and dancing in the kitchen.

Hamburger Dip From Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

Just four simple ingredients create this hearty and satisfying meaty dip in mere minutes, ideal for football season and last-minute company. Serve with chips.

Makes 20 (1/4-cup) servings

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

1 (16-ounce) jar salsa

1 (8-ounce) package shredded, reduced-fat, Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese

1.  In nonstick pot, cook meat, mushrooms over medium heat 5–7 minutes, until meat is well browned. Drain any excess fat.

2.  Add salsa, cheese, stirring over medium heat until cheese is melted.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 82, Calories from fat (%) 48, Fat (g) 4, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 19, Sodium (mg) 175, Carbohydrate (g) 2, Dietary Fiber (g) 0, Sugars (g) 1, Protein (g) 8, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 lean meat

Watch Me Make Hamburger Dip with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

Body Scrub Gift Set

Want a quick and easy Mother’s Day gift you can make at home? I love to make and give these inexpensive yet fun and luxurious facial scrubs to my friends and family.  Anyone who loves to be pampered will enjoy the festive Margarita Salt Body Buffer – detoxifying the skin and making it feel so soft! From hands to feet the Brown Sugar Scrub is the perfect treat to get smooth skin. With just two ingredients anyone can make it, and the olive oil contains Vitamin E and antioxidants which are so good for nails. To make these delicious scrubs for a gift, simply mix in a glass container with a lid and tie with a bow.

Margarita Salt Body Buffer from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age

Lime and tequila are natural antiseptics so help detoxify skin and improve tone and texture. Good for hands — felt so soft afterwards.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (1/4 cup per body)

1 cup fine sea salt

Juice of one lime

2 ounces olive oil

3/4 ounces white tequila

1. In bowl, mix together sea salt, olive oil, lime, and white tequila. In the shower, rub mixture onto damp skin in gentle circular motion. If salt feels too gritty, add more olive oil.

The Perfect Pampering Homemade Gift

Lotions and potions can only get you so far in your beauty regime. If you really want radiant beauty, guess where you can find it? Your kitchen! The best skincare secrets come from what you eat so you can improve from the inside out, and Holly Clegg’s newest cookbook, trim&TERRIFIC Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age is not only chocked full of delicious and easy, nutritious recipes but also contains chapters such as Foods to Improve –highlighting super foods – and Diva Dermatology – with at-home food facials and masks. Good for you and fun to do!

Did you know buttery green avocados are considered a fruit–rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated (good) fat and one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Fat is key to a soft complexion, helping skin to recover and regenerate new skin cells; and if you have persistent dry skin you may not be eating enough healthy fats. Avocados contain Vitamin E which is an ingredient in anti-wrinkle creams, having anti-aging properties.

Avocado Carrot Cream Mask from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age

A really ‘good-for-you’ mask with vitamin E rich avocados (moisturizer), carrots (high in beta-carotene and antioxidants-reduces dry, flaky skin) and vitamin packed egg — these ingredients will rebuild skin collagen, improve tone and texture, and fade age spots. Leaves you glowing! Makes a lot.

1 avocado, mashed

1 egg, beaten

1 carrot, cooked and mashed

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. In bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth. Spread gently over face and neck 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and follow with toner.

Perfect for Mother’s Day!

Orange Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

As of this weekend, Spring has officially sprung. Azalea’s are in full bloom and the days are getting longer and warmer. The perfect treat for days like these are Orange Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting, from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age. Cupcake shops are all the rage right now, and you can easily whip up these little delights in your own home. Whether bringing them to a neighbor, your children’s grade school class, or a shower, these cupcakes are sure to please. A refreshing orange twist and a cream cheese icing is hard to beat…and shhhh they even get a boost of whole wheat flour nutrition – but I won’t tell the kids!

Orange Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting  from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age.

With cupcakes the fad, try this refreshing, light cupcake with a wonderful orange twist — sneak in whole wheat flour for a nutrition boost.

Makes 20-24 cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat or all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon grated orange rind, optional

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and divided

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. In medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda and orange rind.

3. In another bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, orange juice concentrate (reserving 2 tablespoons), oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well mixed.

4. Add sugar-buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring only until blended. Divide batter among muffins, filling about half full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool, frost with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe).

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package reduced- fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, reserved from above

2 cups confectioners sugar

1. In mixing bowl, beat together all ingredients until creamy. Frost cupcakes.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 184 Calories from fat 28% Fat 6g Saturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 25mg Sodium 96mg Carbohydrate 30g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 22g Protein 3g Dietary Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Spring Has Sprung- Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chicken Apricot Salad with Sliced Almonds

I LOVE cooking with nuts and so I am looking forward to this year’s California Nut Festival in Chico, California, April 21, 2012. Check out the calendar of events here. I will be demoing the scrumptious, easy to make appetizer, Mango Chutney Spread topped with toasty pecans and the deliciously Spiced Pecans. The Chicken Apricot Rice Salad with Sliced Almonds is colorful and beautiful on the plate and will surely be a spring favorite.

Chicken Apricot Rice Salad
Holiday time, you can count on having extra wild rice and turkey, so turn leftovers into tomorrow’s dinner by spiking the rice with vivid colors and flavors and toasty crunchy almonds for an undemanding and unforgettable salad.  Rotisserie or grilled chicken works well also.

Makes 8 cups

2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons roasted garlic seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups cooked wild or brown rice
2 cups chopped boneless skinless cooked chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
1 cup dried apricots strips (about 6 ounce package)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or mixed berries
1 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1. In small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, lime juice, oil, honey and ginger; set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except almonds. Combine with dressing and refrigerate. When serving, toss with almonds.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 277
Calories from fat 23%
Fat 7g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 111mg
Carbohydrate 39g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 19g
Protein 16g
Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 2 lean meat

Spicy Advice: Use kitchen scissors to cut dried fruit into strips or even cut your meat or chicken.
For more delicious and healthy nutty recipes, visit www.hollyclegg.com

California Nut Festival – Chicken Apricot Salad with Sliced Almonds

Passover has always been my children’s favorite holiday.  We did our Seder southern style here in Baton Rouge with our dear famly friends, the Bombet family.  Ronnie is known for his blackened redfish and wow did I look forward to it!  I made a creamy spinach and Strawberry Kugel…of course, we always included the traditional Seder plate and traditonal food. My parents use to come here when my kids were younger–and now that my kids live all over the country, I usually  go to my parent’s house in Ft. Worth and Courtney and Chad (live in Dallas) will come there.  This is a holiday of family gathering and tradition.  However, this year will be one of the best in a long time.  Todd and Sana will be there from NY, and Haley will also come in from NY and the sedar will be at Courtney and Chad’s in Dallas so looks like I will be doing lots of cooking.  Of course, my mother will make food and bring from Ft. Worth so what a nice day.  Actually, we don’t have the Sedar on the correct day–we will do it the weekend we can all be together.

This Strawberry Kugel recipe is SO GOOD and I look forward to it every year.  I did trim the recipe down a bit so it is better for you!  The recipe comes from one of my mother’s friends who is deceased but was such a cooking inspirtaion to me growing up. I hope you enjoy it too.

Strawberry Kugel
A tradition in our family

1 (1 pound) box matzah
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries, thawed

1. Preheat oven 350°F.  Coat 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  Soak whole matzos in water to cover; drain when soft.  In bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and salt; set aside.
3.  In prepared dish, layer soaked matzo and strawberries.  Pour egg mixture on top and bake 45 minute-one hour.

My Favorite Passover Strawberry Kugel Recipe

Want an easy and fun Easter morning breakfast? Whether you have kids or not – what is better on Easter morning than Bunny Biscuits. Get the kids involved and let them help you form the bunny’s ears and whiskers.

Check out my other easy, healthy recipes -and fun too.

Bunny Biscuits from The Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Cookbooks
These biscuits are lots of fun to make and eat. Great for Easter – they turn breakfast into an exciting meal.

Makes 5 biscuits

1 (10-biscuit) can refrigerated biscuits
10 raisins
5 maraschino cherry halves
20 slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place five biscuits on ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch nonstick baking sheet.
2. To assemble bunny biscuits: Cut remaining 5 biscuits in half, pull a little to form ears. Press 2 biscuit halves (ears) under top of each whole biscuit to form bunny head.
3. In each whole biscuit, press in two raisins for eyes, cherry half for nose, two slivered almonds on each side of cherry half for whiskers. Bake 10 minutes, or until biscuits are done. Serve immediately.

Terrific Tidbit:  Try using whole wheat biscuits.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 116, Protein (g) 3, Carbohydrate (g) 21, Fat (g) 2, Calories from Fat (%) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 360, Diabetic Exchanges: 1.5 carbohydrate

Fun and Easy Easter Breakfast Bunny Biscuits