Create a personal recipe book

I have a few different notebooks that all have recipes in them, and I REALLY need to get them all down in one book that’s going to last more than a year! Wish me luck!

I actually have been meaning to do this for years, but never “got around to it.” I figure if I add it to my 43Things, it may actually become a reality! I keep my recipes in a white file folder, between my cook books, in my bookcase in the living room. This folder is full of stained, photocopied, faded recipes and is bulging dangerously and very disorganized. I need to get a nice binder or something and stick the recipes in there. I may not go as far as re-writing them all on cute little recipe cards (I’m way too lazy for that!), but I should at least put them in plastic paper covers to protect them!

I will now start a list of my top twenty all-time recipes so far!

1. Lime meringue pie (or lemon and lime)
2. Banana choc chip loaf

I wanted a huge, practical recipe book that I could alter at will and that centered on the foods I love. I came up with the format – I would need a binder, lots of printer paper, and page dividers. I think using plastic page protectors helps, considering how messy cooking is. I planned out the categories based on cookbooks I already own. Lastly, I was finally able to print down all of the saved recipes I had on my computer and file them in the binder.

I also made a color-coded sticker system that helped to identify certain things – like if a recipe was particularly healthy, expensive, quick to make, or required freezing.

The best part is that it is forever alterable… I definitely suggest getting the biggest binder you can find!

I had stopped working on this goal for awhile. Right now I’m looking through recipes I have for beverages such as punch, different kinds of lemonades, smoothies and a few alcoholic beverages.

I’m very excited about this. Last year I made cook books for my friends and myself. At this point I was just getting into cooking, so a lot of the recipes I just found and have never tried before. A year later, I’ve tried so many recipes, I can’t wait to make everyone another recipe book with all the recipes I loved. :)

recipe

Open-Face Turkey BLT
2 slice(s) turkey bacon
1 head(s) lettuce, romaine, leaves washed and patted dry
6 ounce(s) turkey, deli-style, fat-free, thinly sliced
2 tomato(es), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vinegar, red wine
Microwave the turkey bacon for 3 minutes or until crisp. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Lay the romaine leaves flat on a plate. Layer with the sliced turkey, sliced tomatoes, and the turkey bacon. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with red wine vinegar. Place the bun-less BLTs on plates and serve immediately.
Mexican Chicken Salad with Spicy Salsa
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
1 dash cumin, ground
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 ounces chicken, breast, skinless, boneless
1 cup sour cream, nonfat
1 head lettuce, iceberg, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup corn, canned, drained
1 cup salsa
Combine the fajita seasoning mix, cumin, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken breast with the seasoning mixture. Microwave the chicken for 6 minutes. Remove from the microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
In a blender, combine the sour cream and salsa. Pulse until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a little water. Cut the chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and toss it with the lettuce, corn, and salsa dressing. Serve immediately. Makes two servings

Chef Salad
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 4 oz extra lean ham, chopped
• 4 oz turkey breast, chopped
• 1/4 cup hearts of palm
• 1 oz avocados
• 1/2 plum tomato
• 3 tbsps ranch dressing, low fat
• 3 oz mozzarella cheese, part skim
Toss all ingredients together and drizzle with dressing.

Pesto Crisps with Tomatoes and Cheese
3/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
6 Bran-a-crisp crackers
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons basil leaves
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1. Spread a generous amount of ricotta on each cracker. Season tomatoes with salt and arrange them on crackers. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper; garnish with basil. Makes: 2 servings

Egg Salad
• 2 tbsps mayonnaise, low fat
• 2 stalks medium celery
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash pepper
1. Place eggs in a saucepan. Fill with water until eggs are completely submerged.
2. Heat over medium flame until water boils. Lower to low flame and simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Chop celery.
4. Remove egg from pan and run under cold water to cool. Peel. Discard 4 yolks.
5. Chop the egg whites and the remaining yolk and place in a mixing bowl.
6. Stir in the mayonnaise, celery, onion powder, and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Mix well. Serve.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Pita
2 ounce(s) fish, tuna, white albacore, packed in water, unsalted
2 tablespoon mayonnaise, light, low sodium
2 tablespoon onion(s), red, chopped
2 whole olives, green, pitted, chopped
1/2 tablespoon mint, fresh, chopped
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon oil, olive
1/8 teaspoon pepper, black ground
1 dash(es) garlic powder
1 medium pita, whole-wheat
1. Mix tuna, onion, mayonnaise, chopped olives, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and garlic powder in large bowl. 2. Split open pita and fill with mixture. Enjoy.

Pita Pocket Snack
1 pita, mini, whole wheat, (4-inch)
2 ounce(s) turkey, deli-style
1/2 ounce(s) cheese, reduced-fat Swiss
1 medium tomato(es), sliced
1/2 cup(s) sprouts, alfalfa
Slice an opening in the pita. Fill pita with turkey and cheese. Toast if desired. Add tomato and sprouts.

Baked Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas with Salsa
2 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 whole-grain or whole wheat tortillas
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
2 cups salsa
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Cooking oil spray
1. Combine the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken breast with the spice mixture.
2. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat the skillet. Add the chicken and cook on medium heat until brown, turning once. Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes more or until the chicken is fully cooked. Cool the chicken and slice into strips.
3. Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Place one tortilla on a cutting board. Arrange the sliced chicken on the tortilla and top with the black beans and mozzarella. Cover with the other tortilla and press down. Bake until the cheese is melted.
4. To serve: Cut the quesadilla into quarters and serve with salsa. Makes: 2 servings

poo

I’m looking for away to do this online, but I haven’t found a good site yet.