Subterms
Subscribe to the Good Life Family e-newsletters and automatically receive updates on new Good Life Family issues, articles, events, deals and coupons.
Stay up to date on the latest issues and articles
Get access to special deals and coupons
Automatically be entered in contests and giveaways
Close this popup More
Ingredients:
Chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, etc.)
Hot cocoa mix
Optional add-ins like mini marshmallows, sprinkles, or toffee pieces
Instructions:
Melt your chocolate chips by microwaving them in a bowl for 30 seconds, stirring, then continuing to heat at 15-second intervals, and stir until the chips are all melted.
Use a spoon to dollop the melted chocolate into your molds, smoothing it around the edges until everything is covered.
Set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm.
Fill your mold three-fourths full with your hot cocoa mix and optional add-ins.
Pour the remaining chocolate over top to seal the “back” of the bombs. Place mold in the fridge until the chocolate sets.
Serve in a mug, pouring hot milk over the bomb and stirring until completely melted. More
By The American Heart Association
This Simple Cooking with Heart, heart-healthy twist on a classic American chicken dish will be devoured in minutes.
Ingredients:
Servings: 6
Cooking spray
2 lb. boneless, skinless, uncooked chicken breast cutletsOR
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast
10.75 oz. canned, low-sodium, condensed Cream of Mushroom soup (1 can 25% less sodium)
14.5 oz. no-salt-added, diced tomatoes (1 can)
15.25 oz. canned, no-salt-added corn kernels (1 can), drained, rinsed
1 Tbsp. no-salt-added chili powder
14.4 oz. packaged, frozen pepper stir-fry (onions and peppers), thawed and drained of any liquid (1 bag)
8 6 – inch tortillas (cut into 1-inch strips)
1/2 cup shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese
4 oz. canned, diced green chiles (1 can), drained, rinsed, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a large nonstick pan with cooking spray and warm to medium-high heat. Add chicken cutlets and sauté until fully-cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer chicken to a plate and cut chicken into a few pieces to cool quickly. When able to handle, cut chicken into cubes.
In a large bowl, add condensed soup. Into the bowl, let kids add drained tomatoes, drained corn, and chile powder, along with thawed stir-fry vegetables (and drained green chiles if using). Add cooked chicken and let kids use a spoon to stir mixture until combined.
Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch Pyrex or baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the corn tortillas into 1-inch strips. Pour 1/3 chicken mixture on the bottom of the dish, using a spatula to make into an even layer. Have kids layer half the tortillas strips on top of chicken mixture. Repeat once more with 1/3 chicken mixture in an even layer and remaining tortilla strips. Then, have kids top with remaining 1/3 chicken mixture in an even layer. Have kids sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake in oven until warmed through and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Then, cut and serve.
Quick Tips:
Keep it Healthy: Turn this recipe into a healthy dip for gatherings. Just omit the tortillas from the recipe. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except cheese, plus 1 or 2 chopped fresh jalapenos (if you like it spicy) and 1 can rinsed and drained low-sodium black beans or pinto beans. Pour into the greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Top with avocado chunks and serve with whole-grain pita chips.
Tip: No time to thaw the bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables? No problem. Just put them in a colander and rinse with cold water for a few minutes until thawed. Then, press vegetables down against the colander to squeeze liquid from them to use in recipe
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 401 Per Serving
Protein: 41g Per Serving
Fiber: 6g Per Serving
Cost Per Serving: $3.35
To learn more about the Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe from the American Heart Association, click here. More
By The American Heart Association This delicious dessert uses a small amount honey and the natural flavors of seasonal apples and pears to satisfy any sweet craving without the guilt. Ingredients: 4 small Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples and/or pears (can also substitute any variety of apple as available or… More
Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli florets
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups whole or low-fat milk
2 cups 8 ounces shredded cheese (I used an Italian cheese blend)
2 large eggs whisked
1 tsp salt
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
a good grating of fresh nutmeg about 1/8 ~ 1/4 tsp, to taste
Instructions:
Set oven to 325⁰F
Lightly butter a casserole dish.
Chop the broccoli, including the tender stems, into bite-sized pieces. Put in a glass bowl, add a tiny splash of water, and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove and drain really well.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the flour, stir for about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking or stirring continuously, until it thickens and just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Let it cool for a minute, and then stir in the cheese, then the eggs, and seasonings. (When I add the beaten eggs I stir or whisk briskly so they don’t scramble). Fold in the broccoli and turn into the casserole.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until browned and bubbly. You can run it under the broiler for the last minute or two to brown it if you like. More
Subscribe to the Good Life Family e-newsletters and automatically receive updates on new Good Life Family issues, articles, events, deals and coupons.
Stay up to date on the latest issues and articles
Get access to special deals and coupons
Automatically be entered in contests and giveaways
Close this popup More
Mushroom risotto is a wonderful and sumptuous dish that can be made in less than an hour, provided that you already have the mushrooms prepped. The taste of the risotto is seriously enhanced by porcini or other European wild mushrooms such as trumpets or chanterelles. These can be purchased at a rational price wholesale in one-pound portions. Fresh wild mushrooms sautéed in butter are wonderful but probably too costly for most and seriously limited seasonally. Truly wild mushrooms add incredible flavor. Portobello, cremini, shiitake, or other cultivated mushrooms (Oriental or European), however exotic, are not “wild,” even though they may be so described on many menus. Cooking any risotto does require careful attention at the stove for about twenty to twenty-five minutes until the risotto is cooked.
Ingredients
This recipe is flexible – while it calls for 2 cups of rice, you can use 1 cup of rice and scale the other ingredients proportionally. The full recipe will make 8 generous appetizer servings.
1–2 ounces dried porcini (also known as cèpes) or other dried wild European mushrooms
unsalted butter and olive oil for sautéing, plus a couple tablespoons for service
1 cup water, heated to reconstitute the dried mushrooms, then reserved
2 large shallots or ½ large sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups short-grain rice (arborio or carnaroli)
1 cup drinkable dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc, but not chardonnay)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
5–7 cups or so of hot water or low-sodium vegetable stock (not chicken)
1–2 cups fresh mushrooms, sautéed until the liquid is evaporated and the mushrooms browned (these would include, for example, cremini, portobello, or white button mushrooms, but not any Asian variety such as shiitake)
1 cup or more parmigiano-reggiano cheese, generously and freshly grated
Prepare all of the ingredients, including the hot stock and the sautéed mushrooms. Do not use a domestic or other nontraditional cheese unless needed for kosher compliance. Soak the dried European wild mushroom (porcini, trumpets, and/or chanterelles) in the hot water until they are softened. Lift them out of the liquid carefully, leaving any sand and reserving the liquid. Let the reserved soaking liquid rest so that the dirt can settle to the bottom. Chop the reconstituted mushrooms roughly and reserve.
In about 2 tablespoons total of butter and olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic lightly with the rice. Sauté the rice until it is sort of translucent and is fully coated with the oil and butter. Then deglaze with the cup of white wine before adding any other liquid, letting the wine evaporate and absorb. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each cup of rice. Add the thyme. Add pepper to taste.
Stir the rice frequently, simmering slowly, and do not abandon it at the stove. As the wine in the pot is absorbed, add another cup or so of liquid, starting with the mushroom-reconstituting liquid-but toss the dregs from the reconstituting liquid. Add the chopped, reconstituted mushrooms. Continue stirring and adding vegetable stock until the rice is fully cooked. You can tell when the rice is fully cooked by tasting it; it should be creamy and not crunchy. As you near the completion of the cooking process, add the previously sautéed fresh mushrooms. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, and add grated parmesan cheese to taste (at least 1 cup or more) and a couple tablespoons of butter. The rice mixture should not be completely stiff before you finish cooking but should be slightly soupy.
An additional idea, perhaps less traditional but nonetheless delicious, is to mix in snow peas, sugar snap peas, or asparagus (peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces) a few minutes before turning off the heat. These vegetables should be served bright green and somewhat crisp. None should be cooked long.
Serve promptly and hot with a salad.
Editor’s Note: Recipe courtesy of Kenneth M. Horwitz, author of Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style. The book is available for purchase at www.deepflavorscookbook.com or on Amazon or Kindle. More
These biscotti certainly are not your Italian grandmother’s cookies, but they are delectable and, once you collect the ingredients, simple to make, albeit with a number of steps. They are a favorite of anyone who has tasted them and may be the best cookie you will ever taste. The candied zest, toasted coconut, and toasted almonds can be prepared days, weeks, or months in advance and frozen or refrigerated.
Ingredients:
4 cups (18 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾–1 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs (jumbo), plus egg white from 1 additional egg for egg wash
¼ cup orange simple syrup, plus a little for the egg wash (The orange simple syrup is a byproduct of making the candied orange zest. Refrigerated in a Ball jar, it keeps indefinitely.)
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure coconut extract (omit if what is available is synthetic, which adds an odd flavor)
1 teaspoon lemon oil
1 teaspoon orange oil (available from King Arthur Flour)
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup candied orange zest (not packed), chopped finely with some of the sugar it is packed in (see recipe instructions—the zest is different from a candied peel since the white pith is not used)
2 cups almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1½–2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
King Arthur Flour is an excellent online source for high-quality chocolate, including chips and cocoa. Different cocoas have different fat contents, and cocoa with higher fat content has better flavor. I always order chocolate while the weather is cold, so it does not melt in shipping.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl, cream butter with both sugars until fluffy. Then add and beat in eggs 1 at a time. Finally, add and beat in all of the extracts, flavored oils, and orange simple syrup. Always scrape down the sides between additions to ensure everything is mixed. Then mix in the chopped candied orange zest and the flour mixture. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little extra flour. Mix in nuts and chocolate at the end. The final mixture should be stiff and very slightly sticky. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least ½ hour up to 2 hours. If you let it rest overnight, the dough will be very stiff and hard to work.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With parchment paper or Silpat, cover a half sheet pan with sides. (Because of the egg-white glaze, Silpat or a similar surface is preferable to make the baked logs easier to slide off onto a board for cutting.)
Roll the rested dough into logs on a sugared (not floured) surface. The logs should be about 1½ to 2 inches wide and 1 inch tall by 13 to 15 inches long. Place the logs carefully on the pan. Leave at least 3 inches between the logs. They will expand in baking. The dough will make 3 to 3½ logs and will need 2 batches to cook. After you form the logs and place them on the baking sheet, brush the tops and sides liberally with a mixture of egg white and orange simple syrup. This gives the biscotti a slight sheen when baked and helps stabilize the biscotti for cutting after the first baking. Sprinkle more sugar on top after brushing on the glaze. You can purchase crystalline sugar that is attractive on the finished cookies for this use.
Cook at 350°F for 35 minutes (or 45 minutes if you refrigerate overnight), rotating the pan halfway through. (I think you get a better result if you only use 1 pan in the oven at a time.) Remove from the oven, and cool until logs can be handled—about 15 to 30 minutes. As they cool, the logs become easier to cut without crumbling, so cooling is very important.
Carefully move the cooled logs onto a cutting board, using a spatula to assist. Carefully cut at an angle with a serrated knife. Pieces should be thick enough (½ inch at least) so that individual pieces will stand up for the second baking. Place the sliced cookies standing up and slightly separated on the baking pan. Lower the oven temperature to 275°F (or 250°F convection) and bake again for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool. The cookies will crisp as they cool. Store in freezer for longer life (if they last that long).
Making the Candied Orange Zest
Make the candied orange zest by zesting 3 or more oranges (carefully using no bitter white pith) with a vegetable peeler. Cook the zest at a simmer in a couple cups of simple syrup (a mixture of equal parts of filtered water and cane sugar) until the liquid thickens slightly and the zest is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Notwithstanding every recipe I have read that suggests blanching the zest in plain water, discarding the liquid (sometimes repeatedly) before cooking in the simple syrup, I do not do this and regard it as a senseless waste of time, effort, and flavor. Lift out the cooked, softened zest with tongs, letting them drip. Remove the softened, still wet but not dripping zest to a generous bed of dry cane sugar, tossing until separated and well coated. Let the zest dry in this sugar for a couple of hours.
Refrigerate (1) the zest and remaining coating sugar in a Mason jar and (2) the reduced orange simple syrup in a second Mason jar to be used for flavoring. (Mixed in equal parts with egg white, this flavored simple syrup makes an excellent glaze.) Reuse the stored orange simple syrup, adding equal parts as needed of water and sugar to make future batches of candied orange zest; as it is reused, the orange flavor becomes more intense. As with honey, if the stored syrup starts to crystallize, simply heat to refresh, adding water if needed.
Editor’s Note: Recipe courtesy of Kenneth M. Horwitz, author of Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style. The book is available for purchase at www.deepflavorscookbook.com or on Amazon or Kindle. More
