No Bad Foods, LLC

12/20/2025

Here's a great Christmas cookie recipe for those of us that don't like really sweet cookies or treats. It's just sweet enough without being too sweet. And drop cookies are the best - no cutouts, no special equipment and not a lot of fuss. Just mix it up and drop it on a cookie sheet. This is a good recipe to get the kids involved, too. Have them break the eggs into a small bowl first (easy to fish out the shells) have them pick out the dried fruit mix and show them how to use measuring spoons and cups. And one more thing - the addition of the orange peel is a super compliment to the cardamom. You'll see! Here you go:

Christmas Fruitcake Cookies
Yield – About 4 dozen
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3 cups dried fruit such as a mix of golden raisins, dried chopped apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried chopped dates, dried chopped figs or mixture of your choice
1 tsp freshly grated orange peel
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cardamom
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Spray a large cookie sheet or sheet pan with canola oil.
Mix the fruit, orange zest, nuts together then sprinkle the 2 TBSP flour on top, tossing the fruit mix until coated with the flour. (This helps the fruits and nuts from sinking to the bottom of the cookie)
Whisk the flour, cardamom and baking powder together in a large bowl.
Beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one well before adding the next. Add the brown sugar and beat until well blended.
Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Add the fruit and nuts. The batter will be a little sticky and stiff but combine thoroughly.
Drop heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: depending on the size of your cookie sheet, you may have to prep 2 pans to encompass all of the cookie dough. Do NOT put cookie dough on a hot sheet pan! The dough will spread rapidly before it has time to bake.

12/07/2025

Remember that rotisserie chicken from a couple of weeks ago? Here's the third use of that little $8.00 bird, as promised. Broth that can be used as the base for a soup, gravy or add it when making rice, risotto or grains instead of using water. I actually had 2 little chicken carcasses in the freezer plus a bag of raw vegetable scraps that I freeze as well. When added to the chicken concoction, it makes a very robust broth. Or, you can save up a big freezer bag of raw veggie scraps and make pure vegetable broth. Here's the recipe for the broth: www.nobadfoods.com/recipes/homemade-chicken-veggie-broth
BTW, it made the house smell delicious yesterday!
And here's what I made last night with some of the broth: www.nobadfoods.com/recipes/smoked-sausage-and-tortellini-soup

A hearty and satisfying soup made with savory smoked sausage, cheese tortellini, Cannellini beans and winter greens. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread for a wonderful winter meal!

12/05/2025

According to recent studies, during the holidays, on average, a person can gain 2 pounds. Doesn’t sound like much but with winter closing in and outside activities curtailed, it might take a long time to drop those 2 pounds, especially as we get older. So, I checked a few reputable health sources and put together a compilation of their recommendations, adding my own comments. Here you go:
• When faced with a buffet table, don’t pull your chair up to it. Keep the portions small and keep moving!
• Don’t save yourself for the meal. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast and/or lunch before you head out to the holiday gathering. This way you won’t be starving when you get there and want to eat the Formica off the counter!
• Go light on the doctored-up foods – the ones with lots of sauces and gravies. Keep the plate heavy on the veggie side instead. This way you can enjoy a bit of everything while being mindful.
• Drink a lot of water during these food heavy weeks. Even mocktails have lots of calories, let alone the alcohol and soda. Stay hydrated.
• If you want to go for seconds, wait 15 minutes before you head back to the food. By waiting those few extra minutes, your body has time to do a little digesting which will help you feel fuller. If you go back too quickly, you may start feeling like a bloated tick after the extra helpings!
• During these high calorie days, weigh yourself every morning. This way you will see very quickly that you are on track and managing the season well or need to pull back a little and adjust.
• If you “fall off the wagon” food wise, resist the urge to throw your hands up, put on stretch pants and say you will take care of it after New Years. Get back on track. You will be glad you did!

12/04/2025

11/16/2025

We all know how expensive food is these days with no end in sight. An average home cooked meal can run up to $5.00 per person (no cocktails here) but eating out can be 4 times as much or more. So I decided to keep looking for home cooked dinner menus for 2 people that keep to a decent budget. Here is one for this week - a roasted pork tenderloin (recipe below) with baked sweet potatoes and green baby peas. The single pork tenderloin was $5.50, the sweet potatoes $1.50 and the frozen baby peas were $.99. Total cost was $7.99! (I added warm fig jam as a sauce for the pork as I had a jar open already so I didn't count that into the cost.) Here's the pork tenderloin recipe:

www.nobadfoods.com/recipes/oven-finished-pork-tenderloin

11/10/2025

I wanted to see how much I could get from a simple 3 pound rotisserie chicken this week. With food so expensive, it takes some imagination to keep healthy food on the table while not breaking the bank. This chicken was about $8.00 at our local store and this is what I did with it....
Meal #1 - 4 chicken wraps on low carb tortillas mixed with broccoli slaw and paired with an arugula and apple salad. (Recipe for the salad below).
Meal #2 - a chicken pot pie that I have named No Fail, No Fear Chicken Pot Pie. Why? Because I used frozen veggies and store bought pastry sheets that made it much easier to put together. Recipe at https://www.nobadfoods.com/recipes/no-fail-no-fear-chicken-pot-pie
Meal #3 - froze the chicken carcass along with some raw veggie scraps and will make my own chicken broth for soup. (Boxed broth, the lower salt version, can be about $4.00 a container. Just saying)
All this from an $8.00 little bird. My only suggestion is to remove the skin which keeps the fat calories down.
Here's the recipe for the Arugula & Apple Salad. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Arugula & Apple Salad
Serves 4
4 cups fresh arugula
2 Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 Red Delicious apple, sliced into matchstick size
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP Apple Balsamic Vinegar (not Apple Cider Vinegar)
Place the veggies, apple and parsley in a medium bowl.
Toss with the olive oil first (keeps the apple from turning brown)
Add the apple balsamic vinegar and combine thoroughly and enjoy!

11/04/2025

Get the kids started early with the veggies! Better than French Fries!
Three kids, one huge tray, lots of dipping and re-dipping and it was gone in half an hour!

10/14/2025

Spaghetti squash is an overlooked and underappreciated vegetable. It does have a slightly nutty taste that's not overly strong but it makes a great background for some fun dishes. A few facts about spaghetti squash- it is very low in calories (about 40 calories per cup, cooked), is loaded with vitamins and minerals that support heart and eye health, is full of fiber that helps balance blood sugar and is thought to boost memory, always a plus. I came up with this recipe yesterday (it was dreary outside and I felt like cooking) that can be a side dish to grilled chicken (we did that) or a light vegetarian lunch or dinner. All told, one half of the recipe, minus the chicken, is about 270 calories, give or take. It is easy to put together. Here you go:

Spaghetti Squash Boats
Serves 2, easily doubled
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise with seeds and ribs discarded
1 cup zucchini, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 cup yellow squash, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 cup rinsed and drained Cannellini beans
2 TBSP olive oil, divided
¼ tsp each salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP fresh oregano leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Line a baking dish with foil (easy cleanup)
Rub the insides of the spaghetti squash with 1 TBSP olive oil. Place them cut side down in the baking dish and prick the tops in 5 or 6 places with a meat fork. Bake for 30 minutes or until the meat fork pierces the squash easily. You don’t want it mushy so don’t overcook it.
While the spaghetti squash is baking, warm the remaining olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper until translucent. Add the oregano, beans and salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
When the spaghetti squash is done, flip them over carefully and fill each with the veggie/bean mix.
Sprinkle the fresh oregano on top and serve immediately.

09/14/2025

When it's a cool Sunday morning, cereal with cold milk isn't appealing to me. Time to bake something that is comforting and EASY since, after all, it is Sunday. Checking the refrigerator, I came up with parmesan cheese, roasted red peppers and a boneless ham steak. Voila! Savory muffins! This recipe makes 12 medium sized muffins or 8 larger ones, depending on your appetite. Medium or large, they are satisfying! You don't need butter with these babies, either! Here you go:

Savory Muffins
Yield 12 medium muffins or 8 larger muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Spray a 12 portion muffin tin with canola oil for as many muffins you care to make
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp EACH black pepper, dried oregano and dried basil
2/3 cup of whole milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 8oz boneless ham steak, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup roasted red peppers, drained, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Mix the dry ingredients well in a medium sized bowl.
Combine the egg, oil and milk in a small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly blended.
Add the cheese, ham and peppers and incorporate them completely into the batter. The batter will be stiff.
Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins should come out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, remove to a plate and serve warm. Refrigerate any leftovers for 3 days. Enjoy!

08/19/2025

It's still summer and the melons and mangoes are in season! The fresh pineapples are great, too! I couldn't help myself and I bought them all yesterday. I put together a great tropical fruit salad that really should be called The Antioxidant Salad because of all of the wonderful nutrition in this little dessert but that doesn't sound as appealing as "Summer in a Bowl", does it? The tricks to this easy dessert are simple: cut the fruit into uniform pieces no bigger than 1 inch square. Otherwise, your guests might be wearing some of the fruit trying to get it into their mouths! The other trick is the lime zest and juice. Not a lot, just enough to brighten the flavors of the fruit. The zest adds a little more pop, too. For a kid free audience, try splashing some rum on top just before serving, a scant tablespoon is enough, trust me. You won't be disappointed!
BTW, each serving has about 70 calories without the rum. Guilt free!

Summer in a Bowl
Serves 6

Cut the following fruit into 1 inch pieces and place in a medium bowl:
2 cups of watermelon
1 1/2 cups honeydew melon
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple
1 cup fresh mango
1 TBSP lime zest
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice
Rum (optional)

Toss the fruit with the lime juice and mix together gently.
Sprinkle with lime zest and combine.
Divide evenly into 6 dessert bowls, splash each with a scant TBSP rum, if using, and serve immediately.

08/05/2025

I had to share this from Reader's Digest!!!

08/03/2025

Learning how to make your own pie crust can be a real challenge and can put people off the idea for life. It takes practice and patience, that's for sure. (A topic for my next YouTube video) So, when I saw the fresh white peaches at the farmer's market, I thought - let's go with a store bought pie crust for a simple dessert for tonight's dinner. 7 ingredients, a sheet pan, some parchment paper and a rolling pin (don't get panicky) and you're all set. It comes together quickly, trust me. You'll be happy you tried! Here you go:

Shaggy Peach Torte
Serves 6 (approximately 217 calories per serving)

5 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced to 1/4 inch thickness
1 TBSP brown sugar (light or dark)
1 TBSP all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP milk or half and half
1 sheet of store bought pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
Combine the peaches, cinnamon and flour in a medium bowl until the peaches are well coated
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust dough to 12 inches (the size out of the package is approximately 11 inches and if you don't mind a smaller torte, you can skip this step)
Place the pie crust on the prepared sheet pan and pile the fruit combo in the middle of the dough. Dot with the 1 TBSP of butter.
Pull up the sides of the dough as shown in the picture, leaving about a 6-7 inches open in the center. This is the Shaggy part - anyway you pull up the sides is fine. Its meant to look unconstructed so don't worry! No judgement here!
Brush the pie crust dough with the 1 TBSP of milk and place the torte in the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes. Cool until easily handled and serve warm (ice cream goes well with this) and enjoy! Give yourself a bow and a pat on the back!