In Scandinavia, glogg, or hot spiced wine, is the winter drink.  Not a bad custom to have!  This recipe warms the coldest heart, and toes, and can be made non-alcohol.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups burgundy or medium-dry red wine or purple grape juice
• 4 cups white grape juice
• 1 c raisins
• 7 whole cardamom pods, crhsed slightly
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sitcks (do not use ground cinnamon)
• zest from 1 orange in fine slivers
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Procedure:

1. Add wine, grape juice and raisins to a large pan
2. Tie spices in muslin or cheesecloth and add to pan. 
3. Heat mixture but do not bring to a boil.
4. Remove spices before serving.

If you’re a beginning cook, don’t be afraid to grill!  This yummy salad is worthy of any Christmas buffet table or Saturday night dinner!  You’ll simply love it and it’s healthy eating, but you don’t have to think about that part, you won’t even notice it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and left whole, to be cut later
• 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp Worcestershre sauce
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 tbsp grated onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/3 c sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/3 c crumbled blue cheese, optional but I wouldn’t leave it out!!

Procedure:

1. Blanch Asparagus and immediately remove from hot water, place on paper towels to dry and quickly transfer to a plate, sprinkle lightly with a bit of olive oil and grill on medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Then, drain and quickly slice into small pieces and combine with wedged tomatoes.  Cover and keep warm.
3. In a blender, combine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika, cover and process until smooth.  While processing, gradually add olive oil in a steady stream. 
4. Pour over asparagus mixture and toss to coat. 
5. Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinikle with almonds and blue cheese.  Serve warm.

Yield:  8 - 10 servings.  Keeps in refrigerator for 2 days.

Variations:  Can add grilled red onions, chopped into thin slices after grilling.  Sprinkle with chopped green onions for garnish.

These Christmas Yams or Sweet Potatoes are Peachy!  Even if you are not fond of sweet potatoes, I think you’ll enjoy this version of yams.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sweet potaotes
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c coarsely chopped cashews
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 can sliced peaches, drained
• 3 tbsp butter

Procedure:

1. Place whole sweet potatoes in large saucepan or Dutch oven.  Cover with water
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes or just until tender.  Drain and cool slightly, peel and cut into cubes.
3. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cashews, salt and ginger.  Place half of the sweet potatoesin an ungreased baking dish, top with half of the peaches and brown sugar mixture.  Repeat layers and dot with butter.
4. Cover and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.  Uncover, bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through.  Can sprinkle miniature marshmallows over them the last 5 minutes of baking time.

Yield:  10 servings

Grilling is recommended cooking for marinated flank steak and other tender cuts of beef such as sirloin, T-bones, porterhouse steaks, rib and and rib eye steaks, marinated top round or chuck shoulder steaks, and ground beef patties. 

Don’t forget to grill the fish and fowl!

For this steak, I recommend a brine soak for about 6 hours or overnight, then drain well and pat meat dry.  Bring meat to room temperature before grilling and of course, season well!  If you don’t want to do the brine soak, this marinated flank steak will still be tender with the followin recipe.  

Ingredients:

• 1 c reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 1/4 c honey
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 beef flank steak, about 1-1/2 lbs

Procedure:

1. Using a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey and garlic; add steak.  Seal bag and turn to coat, refrigerate for 6 - 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade.  Broil or grill over medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness. 
3. Before serving, thinly slice meat across the grain.

Yield:  6 servings.

Busy holiday season, calls for thinking ahead.  With a little thought, you can marinate the chicken today, for flavorful dinner tomorrow!  This recipe is perfect for a busy evening, or the end of a busy day, since it’s done in about 15 minutes, once you have completed the marinating time.  The Diabetic Exchange is 3-1/2 lean meat, 1 vegetable.  The carbs are 4.7g with a fat content of 3.6g (sat .9g)

Ingredients:

• 4 plum tomatoes, chunked
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt (dash)
• 4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved

 Procedure: 

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor.  Process until smooth.  Set aside 1/4 c tomato mixture.
2. Place chicken in large zip-top plastic bag.  Pour remaining romato mixture over chicken.  Seal bag; turn bag to coat and marinate in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Prepare grill rack with cooking spray, place grill over 350F heat.  Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade in bag.  Coat tomato halves with cooking spray, place chicken and tomato halves on rack, grill covered, 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done and tomato is cooked but still slightly firm.  Place chicken on plates, top each chicken breast half with 1 tbsp reserved tomato mixture.  Arrange 2 grilled tomto halves on each plate.  Garnish with chopped parsley, rosemary, or cilantro.

Serve with tossed green salad, with fat-free Zesty Italian dressing and French bread.

This chili is made when you have no time for the slow-cooked version, but still want chili and crackers!

7 Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 c red kidney or your favorite beans
• 1-1/2 c wter
• 1 c 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 envelope dry mushroom Soup Mix - or dry onion soup mix or a mixture of both
• 1 tbs chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat, drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked noodles or rice or just crackers; but it’s also good over cornbread!

Don’t worry, the kids can eat this because the alcohol cooks away, but it’s still pretty spicy.  Not for the mild required taste buds.  This is a one alarm recipe, but if you add more cayenne or de arbol chilies (red chilies) it can get hotter!  Your choice!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef or steak
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, or olive oil
• 2 c white onions, chopped fine
• 2 dried de arbol chilies (or one if you’re a scaredy cat)
• 2 cloves freshly minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin or 1-1/2 if you like the flavor
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash to 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 c whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c orange juice (not concentrate)
• 1/2 c tequila water
• 1/4 c tomato paste
• 1 can red beans, pinto beans or black beans, optional and your choice
• 1 tbsp grated orange peel
• Lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, optional

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat, crmble beef into skillet, brown 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour off drippings.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add onions, cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Crush chilies into fine flakes, dd chilies, garlic, cumin, salt and cloves to skillet.  Cook and stir in 30 seconds.
3. Stir in tomatoes, orange juice, tequila, tomato paste and orange peel.  bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover, skillet, cook chili over medium-low heat 10 - 15 minutes or until thickened, slightly.  Ladle into bowls, add lime wedges and cilantro to the plate, and toppers of green onions, cheese, and extra hot sauce. 

Serves 6 - 8.

This sauce is great on burgers, steak or even top of grilled chicken after cooking!

5 Ingredients:

• 2 c plain yogurt
• 1 c chopped red onion
• 1 c chopped cucumber
• 1/4  c chopped fresh mint OR 1 tbsp plus 1-1/2 tsp dried mint leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried marjoram

Procedure:

1. Combine ingredients in small bowl.  Cover; chill up to 4 hours before serving.

Everbody Loves Burgers, but these with  secret ingredient will have a texture you love, and they don’t fall apart on the grill or on your buns!  I won’t tell you added Corn Chex, if you don’t!

6 Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or ground sirloin per 4 servings
• 1 cup (per 1 lb meat) crushed Corn Chex cereal, crushed to 1/3 c per 1 lb meat
• 1 egg, beaten slightly
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• dash garlic powder, optional
• 1 tsp steak sauce, optional

Procedure:

1. Combine beef, cereal, and all other ingredients.  Shape COLD mixture (may need to refrigerate for 30 minutes before shaping) into 4 - 5 patties per 1 lb meat.
2. Grill 10 - 12 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning only once.  Turning frequently or overblending beef can make burgers tough.

Make a platter with all the trimmings, red onions, green onions, olives, pickles, ketchup, mustard, cheddar cheese, american cheese, and more!   Rack ‘em and stack ‘em! 

Variation Tip:  When shaping patties, add a bit of blue cheese to the center of this burger!

When you’re setting your table for a grilled main course or veggies, nothing is any prettier than a beautiful red berry and applesauce as a topper or side relish for your grilled food.  The rhubarb takes on the taste of the other fruit, and adds bulk and it’s own unique taste!  The Diabetic Exchange on this sauce is 1 fruit.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb tart apples, chopped (they cook down)
• 2 c chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 c chopped fresh or fozen strawberries
• 1 c frexh or frozen blueberries
• 1 c fresh or frozen whole cranberries
• 1 c orange juice
• 2 pkg .3 oz each sugar-free strawberry gelatin

Procedure:

1. In large pot, combine the fruit and orange juice.  Bring to a boil over med heat, stirring frequently.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over fruit mixture; mix well.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 min or until apples are tender.
3. Remove from heat, mash fruit, let stand for 15 min, serve warm or chilled. 

Yield: 8 cups, store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Serving size of 1/2 cup equals 18 g carbs.