Recipes by Larry Tucker: Apple Pie; Brisket in-the-Pot; Diet Ice Cream

Larry Tucker's Apple Pie

4 large apples, sliced, skin left on
2 tbsps. fresh lemon (or lime) juice
2/3 cup low-calorie soda (lemon-lime)
2 pkgs. gelatin
Powdered non-fat dry milk
Ground cinnamon (or clove)

1. Soften gelatin with half the soda. Heat remaining soda to the boiling point. Stir into softened gelatin to dissolve mixture.

2. Place sliced apples in baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon (or lime) juice. Pour gelatin mixture over top; sprinkle with powdered milk and cinnamon (or clove) to form a "light" crust. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven about 45 minutes. Serves 4.

Larry Tucker's Brisket-in-the-Pot

3 1/2 lbs. lean brisket of beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Seasonings to suit your taste (thyme, oregano, parsley, celery)
2-3 small yellow onions, sliced

1. Use waterless cooker (or Dutch oven). Put on heat and get very hot. Trim excess fat from brisket, drop into pot and brown slowly on all sides. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Slice 2 or 3 onions over browned roast (add other seasonings as desired).

2. Do not add liquid. Pour off any excess fat. Cover pot tightly. Cook about 2 1/2 hours (or until meat is fork-tender). Serves 6-8.

Thoughts: If desired, potatoes and carrots may be added during last 45 minutes for a meal-in-one.

Larry Tucker's Diet Ice Cream

2/3 cup nonfat milk
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. sugar substitute
3 ice cubes
1 capful vanilla (or any other flavoring you wish--rum, orange, lemon, almond or chocolate syrup)

1. Put mixture into blender and whip to a froth. Put mixture in tray of ice cream freezer (or old-fashioned crank ice cream freezer). When it starts to freeze (or until freezer is hard to crank), stir with a spoon. Freeze to firm texture. Eat as you would any other ice cream. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Larry's diet ice cream has the advantage of not adding many calories while giving you the illusion of enjoying forbidden fruit. Vary the basic formula using coffee or low-calorie fruit-flavored beverages (wild cherry, cream soda, orange). Garnish with grated fresh fruit peel (lime, lemon or orange).