Ranch Pepper and Pimento Rollups

What You Need:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. fat free cream cheese, room temperature
1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped fine
1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained well
8 (8 in.) flour tortillas

How to Make It:

Stir together the cream cheese, dressing, peppers and pimento until blended well.
Lay the tortillas flat and spread the mixture evenly over each tortilla.
Roll the tortillas tightly around the filling and wrap each roll in plastic wrap.
Chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Unwrap and slice each roll into 8 appetizers.

Makes 16 servings

These tasty yet healthy appetizers are sure to please even the greatest skeptic. Healthy appetizers can be hard to find sometimes but these will fit the bill all the way around. Be sure to wear disposable gloves when chopping the peppers and wash your hands well when you’re done.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Chilling Time: approximately 1 hour
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 106; Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 15g; Protein 6g; Fiber 0g;
Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 419 mg

The All Natural Way to Cook

freshfruitveg

Everyone at some point in their life has eaten raw foods. All natural foods are extremely healthy for you and are so simple to prepare. There are so many ways to incorporate them into a daily diet. Natural foods are filled with nutrients and vitamins the body craves.  Raw foods also are a time saver. They don’t require a great deal of preparation which allows for more free time. Here are a few basics about all natural foods.

Raw Vegetables

Lettuce it can be used in salads or added to a sandwich as a healthy addition
Broccoli can be used as a dipper with ranch dressing or just eat it plain
Onions can be used to add flavor to any favorite dish
Tomatoes can be added to salads, sandwiches or almost anything

Raw Fruits

Apples can be eaten just as they are, used for fresh toppings or in a caramel dip
Oranges make any breakfast a treat and can be placed in drinks or on cereal
Grapes add a little extra to chicken salad, fruit salads or as a snack
Bananas make great toppings for cereal, smoothies or added to a peanut butter sandwich
Strawberries well they just speak for themselves
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries make great toppers or snacks

There are many more fruits and veggies that are great in their all natural form. Combine any fruits and vegetables to make drinks, main courses and even dessert. The sky is the limit when cooking with raw foods.

All of these fruits and vegetables are healthy and very filling too. Blend them up and suddenly you have a delicious smoothie. Throw a couple berries on your pancakes pr waffles in the morning and spice up that breakfast.

Something you should think about getting is a juicer. This will open a window into the world of raw liquids. What a name huh? Well it exactly explains its meaning. Take an apple or lemon and put it threw a juicer and BAM just like that you have the makings for a wonderful drink to go along with your meal.

Using a juicer will lend an extra hand in helping your children eat healthier. Kids are pickier then adults so adding something fresh they like will help in getting them to eat healthier.

Raw foods are very easily preserved. All you have to do is put the fruit or veggies into a freezer tight bag and pop them in your freezer. You can find bags just about anywhere which makes dealing with raw foods that much easier.

There are ways to take foods that aren’t originally raw and turn them “raw”. It’s a process called dehydrating and it can take foods and give them different tastes and textures and give us more varieties of healthier foods.

Though raw foods are very healthy for you they are not easy to come by. Yes, you can cook them all day and all night in your home but trying to go out to a restaurant and get a raw food platter could be a little tougher than you might think. Most restaurants even though they tell you the food is raw, have probably soaked or cooked the foods in some shape or form.

All natural foods are a great way to incorporate nutritious foods in our diets. It’s one way to get those children to eat the foods that are necessary to help their bodies grow. It’s also a great way to save money and time. Sink your teeth into an apple and see just how great those all natural foods can taste.

Swiss Tuna Melt Sandwiches

tunamelt

What You Need:

1 1/2 C coleslaw mix, shredded
1 (9.25 oz.) can of white tuna in water, drained and broken up
2 Tbsp of salad dressing
2 Tbsp creamy cucumber dressing
2 hoagie buns, split and toasted
2 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced thin

How to Make It:

Preset the oven to broil.
Stir together the coleslaw ad tuna until well combined.
Whisk together the salad dressings and pour over the tuna mixture stirring to blend.
Spoon the mixture over the open side of each bun.
Broil 5 inches from the heat for 2 minutes.
Place slice of cheese over each sandwich and return to the broiler.
Broil 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted.

Makes 4 servings

Tuna is not only good for us but also a cheap addition to our meals. If you don’t have cucumber dressing on hand ranch dressing works just as well. Cheddar cheese can also be substituted for the Swiss and mayonnaise can be used in place of the salad dressing. Using what’s on hand makes this a great budget friendly sandwich.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes 30 seconds

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 406; Fat 19g; Saturated Fat 6g; Carbohydrates 38g; Fiber 2g; Protein 20g; Cholesterol 39 mg; Sodium 704 mg

Ranch Dressing Chicken Wraps

chickenwraps

chickenwrapsWhat You Need:

1 C of sour cream
1 C of mayonnaise
2 (1 oz.) envelopes of dry ranch dressing mix
4 T of vegetable oil
2 (16.2 oz.) cans refrigerated flaky biscuits
2 (6 oz.) pkg. cooked chicken strips
4 T of butter, melted

How to Cook It:

Set the oven to preheat to 350 degrees F.
Generously spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray.
In a medium size mixing bowl mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise.
Blend in the ranch dressing mix and blend well.
On the prepared cookie sheet put the biscuits.
Press each biscuit into an oval using the tip of your fingers.
Over each biscuit spread 1 t of the dressing mixture.
Crosswise in the center of each biscuit put 3 chicken strips.
Bring the sides of the biscuit over the chicken and press to seal.
The melted butter is brushed over the top of each chicken wrap.
Put in the preheated oven and bake 20 minutes or until a golden brown.

Makes 16 wraps

These will be the hit of any party. Ranch dressing may be served on the side for dipping. If you would like a little more spicy taste use taco seasoning mix instead of the ranch dressing mix and serve salsa for dipping.

Preparation Time: approximately 25 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 20 minutes
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes

Nutritional Information per wrap: (approximate values)
Calories 430; fat 29 g; sodium 1,140 mg; carbohydrates 30 g;
sugar 10 g; protein 12 g