Meal Planning Monday

Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Tuesday: Monthly supper club - we're bringing cookies and ice cream for dessert!
Wednesday: Breakfast Casserole - look for the recipe soon!
Thursday: Our housewarming party
Friday: Mexican casserole, salad, rice - look out for this recipe as well! Its a twist on King Ranch.
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Homemade pizza while we wait for all my family to arrive!

Head over to orgjunkie.com for more menu plans!

Cornbread Taco Casserole

This is by far my favorite recipe these days...it is so easy and so delicious.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 box cornbread mix
2/3 cup salsa
1 onion (optional)
1 cup water
1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix cream corn, cornbread mix and 1/2 cup water in small bowl.
Spread mixture into bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and then remove.
Cook meat with onion, drain well.
Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning and simmer until water is absorbed.
Add salsa and black beans to meat and mix well.
Spoon meat mixture over cornbread evenly. Top with cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

I've actually never made this with black beans because I don't really care for them, but I'm sure it would go very well with it. Hope you enjoy!

French Bread

This is a great bread recipe my friend Cate gave me. I've made it once before, but it turned out much better this time. I'm not really sure why, but I'll try to remember what I did this time to help any one who wants to make it.

It makes 2 large loaves, so you might want to half it if you don't want a ton of bread sitting around (but honestly, who wouldn't want that?)

Ingredients:
5 tsp (2 pkgs) yeast (I used quick rise)
1/2 c warm water
1/2 tsp + 2 T honey
2 T olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 c hot water
apx 7 cups flour (wheat/white mixture)

1. Dissolve yeast, 1/2 c warm water and 1/2 tsp honey in mixing bowl. Let activate 5-10 minutes.
2. Add remaining honey, oil, salt and 2 c hot water and stir.
3. Stir in approximately 7 cups of flour (I needed about 6 1/2)
4. Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. You should be able to touch it and pull your finger away clean.
5. Place in a greased bowl and turn once. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise. Let it rise for 2 hours, or until doubled.
6. Punch down and let rest 15 minutes. Divide in half. On floured surface (I used parchment paper which worked well-no flour needed), roll each half into a large rectangle. Roll up starting on the long side and shape into a loaf.
7. Place loaves on greased cookie sheet and make 4-5 slashes diagonally across the tops.
8. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise until double, around 1 hour.
9. Brush on 1 beaten egg or melted butter and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Hope you enjoy!

Smoky Chicken and Cheesy Potato Casserole

Recently, I got an email from Better Homes & Gardens with a bunch of casserole recipes. This is one of those - and its so easy! Here goes:

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz carton sour cream
6 oz smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (I used regular cheddar)
1 28oz package frozen loose-pack hash broens with onion and peppers, thawed (I used Simply Potatoes brand)
3 cups chopped chicken or turkey, cooked

To do:
-Lightly coat the inside of a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
-In a bowl, mix all the ingredients then pour into the slow cooker.
-Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours. Makes 6 servings. (reheats great!)

I think this would be a great side dish if you omit the chicken, although it would be pretty substantial for a side.

Meal planning Monday

I'm back on the Menu Plan Monday bandwagon! I've been planning our meals, but have forgotten to post for a few weeks now. Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: headed to the SMU v A&M basketball game...so I guess eating there!
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Baked potato soup, homemade bread
Thursday: Deep dish pizza casserole, salad
Friday: eating out for our friend Josh's birthday!
Saturday: hamburgers, baked potato wedges
Sunday: chicken fajitas, cilantro lime rice

I'll try to post the baked potato soup recipe later this week. Hope you all have a good one, and go to orgjunkie.com if you want to check out more menu plans!

Meal Planning Monday

Now that we've moved into our new house, we are back to a more normal schedule, which includes meals! Here's what we are having this week:

Monday: Teriyaki tilapia, rice, corn on the cob
Tuesday: leftovers (2 delicious casseroles from the weekend)
Wednesday: Pork tenderloin, rice, carrots
Thursday: homemade pizza with canadian bacon and pineapple
Friday: at a church retreat

I'll be posting the recipe for pork tenderloin later this week. Its absolutely delicious! Be sure to head over to orgjunkie.com for more menu plans.

Have a great week!

Soft Pretzels

I made these soft pretzels on Wednesday and they are absolutely awesome! The recipe is from Annie's Eats (scroll down til you see the pretzels). The recipe originally came from Alton Brown @ the Food Network. I followed it exactly, except I forgot to add the melted butter. They still tasted great, so I don't even think I needed it. I did put a very small amount of butter on them after they came out of the oven. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ cups warm water (110-115° F)
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
22 oz. all-purpose flour (about 4½ cups)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl

For finishing:
Cooking spray
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Pretzel (or kosher) salt

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to dissolve the yeast. Add in the flour and melted butter and mix just until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth and clears the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with vegetable oil, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, about 50-55 minutes or until doubled in bulk. (I had to wait an hour and a half since I used regular rise yeast)

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot. In the meantime, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll a segment out into a 24-inch long rope. Make a U-shape with the rope and holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and onto the bottom of the U-shape in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted skimmer and return to the baking sheet. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until dark golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

I will definitely be making them again and again! For a bread item, they were really easy. Even the rolling out was quite a bit easier than I expected. Enjoy!

Meal planning Monday

After a long, long hiatus, I'm back to blogging! Here's what we are having this week -

Monday: taco soup
Tuesday: I'm starting a new Bible study, so Bart is making himself mac & cheese :)
Wednesday: sausage, egg & cheese breakfast tacos
Thursday: crockpot BBQ ribs, roasted potatoes, mixed vegetables
Friday: chicken pot pie, spinach salad
Saturday: rolled chicken parmesan with pasta
Sunday: blackened tilapia with brown rice

I'm excited that cooler weather will allow me to bring back my favorite soups and oven baked meals!

Have a great week! (head on over to orgjunkie.com for more menu plans and ideas!!)

Chicken Francais

This recipe came from the Cooking Light cookbook I checked out of the library awhile back. We made it for a friend that came over, and we all thought it was good. Here goes:

2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 c parmesan
1/8 tsp salt
dash parsley
pinch hot pepper
1/4 c white wine
1 garlic clove
2 large/3 small chicken breasts
1/8 c flour
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter

Mix first 8 ingredients together, using 1/2 lemon juice and 1/2 wine
Pound chicken t0 1/4" thickness
Dredge chicken in flour, then in egg mixture
Heat oil in skillet over medium and cook chicken 4 minutes on each side
Remove chicken, then add butter to melt in skillet
Add the other 1/2 of wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil
Cook 10 seconds then pour over chicken
Serve immediately

Biscuits

I was making breakfast for dinner last night, and went on allrecipes.com to find a biscuit recipe. I'm so happy with the one I found...they were so good! Here is the recipe (and the source) :

2 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 c butter
1 c milk

Preheat oven to 425.
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt & sugar.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
Turn out onto floured surface and pat to 1" thick.
Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter or the top of a glass.
Bake 13-15 minutes until edges begin to brown.

I'm not sure what coarse meal is exactly :) but I just mixed in the butter until I was tired of mixing it. I also used a little less than 1 cup of milk. Be careful not to over mix the dough so the biscuits will be soft. Hope you enjoy them! I will definitely be making them again and again.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, I did not get around to posting recipes last week - we were so busy! I will make a point to put some up tonight. Here's what we are having this week:

Monday: Italian Chicken & pastina - requested by my sweet husband after we had it at a friend's (although, hers was better than mine- better step it up tonight!)

Tuesday: tilapia baked in parchment paper, brown rice, veggies

Wednesday: Benihana with our friends the Prewitts- and free thanks to gift cards!!

Thursday: rachael ray's pasta salad (carryover from last week!)

Friday: chicken pot pie, strawberries

Saturday: We're going to the Rangers game!

Sunday: community group party!

Hope everyone is having a great start to their week. Be sure to go to orgjunkie.com to see hundreds of menu plans and recipes!

Menu Plan Monday

Wow, I have been away from the blogging world for awhile! Hopefully I will do a better job this week. Here's our menu plan:

Monday: french dip sandwiches, sweet potato chips, salad

Tuesday: our monthly supper club- we are bringing roasted green beans and bread

Wednesday: out to eat with our newest Dallas-ite friend! :)

Thursday: Cooking Light's chicken francais, italian brown rice and salad

Friday: crockpot...still not sure what yet! maybe BBQ chicken?

Saturday: celebrating Father's day @ lunch, homemade pizza for dinner

Sunday: rachael ray's pasta salad

Hopefully I'll be able to post most of these recipes this week as we go along. I also made a baked french toast last night that I'll put up later today. Have a great Monday and head over to orgjunkie.com for more menu plans and ideas!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

We made these enchiladas this week, and they were great! Pretty easy as well.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cooked
8 tortillas, softened
1 1/2 cup monterey jack or mexican cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (15 oz can) chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can green chiles

Divide chicken into tortillas, add 1 1/2 tbsp of cheese to each.
Roll and place in 9x12 dish.
Melt butter in saucepan, add flour. Stir and cook until bubbly. Whisk in chicken broth.
Bring to boiling, stirring frequently, then remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and chiles until well blended.
Pour sauce over enchiladas, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

I typically cook the chicken in the crockpot with chicken broth, spices and some salsa. Then its super easy to shred for the enchiladas. I do think this sauce is maybe a little too sour creamy-it would probably be better if I was using real butter and sour cream rather than low fat :) But they are still very good!

Menu Plan Monday

Sorry I've been absent from blogging lately- life is crazy! Here's what we are having this week:

Monday- penne pasta with vodka sauce, mixed veggies

Tuesday- sour cream chicken enchiladas, rice, veggies

Wednesday- chicken with salsa, mexican potatoes and corn

Thursday- @ a friend's, bringing Cheddar biscuits and homemade Pokey-o's

Friday- CPK pizza- yum!

Saturday- out to eat

Sunday- making dinner for small group...maybe lasagna?

Some of these recipes will be experimental, so I will be sure to post the results! Head over to orgjunkie.com to see more Menu Plans!

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what we will be having this week:

Monday: out to eat with my sisters!
Tuesday: chicken fettuccine
Wednesday: salmon, spinach salad and fresh green beans (so good!)
Thursday: grilled chicken, fresh green beans and jasmine rice
Friday: headed to Austin for Memorial Day
Saturday: in Austin
Sunday: turkey and pepperjack paninis

I forgot to post yesterday since we took the day off work and I wasn't in front of the computer. The fettuccine I made tonight was so great, I recommend you try it! I didn't use all organic ingredients, and used half-and-half for the sauce. Also, we made homemade pokey-o's for dessert (ice cream sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies...see here for inspiration) and they were as good as the real thing! :)

Have a great week!

Cilantro Lime Rice

I made this tonight and we both loved it! My mom gave me this recipe that she cut out of a magazine, so I'm not certain where it came from, but I'll give her the credit.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

grated rind and juice of 1 medium lime

1/2 cup chopped cilantro



-Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add rice, stirring to coat.

-Add broth and salt, increase heat and bring to a boil. Stir once.

-Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.

-Fluff rice with a fork and stir in lime rind, juice and cilantro. Serves 4.

I thought I used a little too much lime juice, even though I used what it called for. But it was delicious either way! Hope you enjoy.

Menu Plan Monday

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday, hosted by orgjunkie.com. Here's what we are having this week:

Monday- whole wheat pasta with tomato basil sauce

Tuesday- spinach salad with grilled chicken

Wednesday- Italian Chicken and Pastina (see recipe below), strawberries

Thursday- Jamaican Jerk turkey burgers (Finally! I've been trying to make these for ages)

Friday- Homemade pizza (pizza crust recipe here) - I think I am going to try a white pizza, so I'm on the look out for a recipe - suggestions welcome!

Saturday- in Little Rock for our friend's wedding!

Sunday- Honey glazed salmon with cilantro lime rice

Italian Chicken and Pastina by Giada

This is a yummy dinner recipe my roommates made in college. It is easy and a nice alternative to my typical meal for company- king ranch chicken!

Ingredients:
1 cup small pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken
1 clove garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Cook pasta until al dente- about 5 minutes. Cook chicken in oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 5 more minutes. Mix pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a greased 8x8 pan. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mixture over top and dot with butter. Bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. This is really only about 4 servings, so you should definitely double it or add more chicken if you need more servings (or have a lot of side dishes!)

Hope you like it!

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

Supposedly this is the recipe for cupcakes from New York's famous Magnolia Bakery...they were so good! (You won't be surprised after reading the ingredient list!)

Cupcakes:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flours in a medium bowl. Cream butter on medium in a mixing bowl, add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with milk and vanilla. Only mix until ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Bake for 20-25 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Cool in muffin tins 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on cooling rack. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare icing (see below). Be sure not to frost until the cupcakes are completely cooled.

Icing:
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Put butter, 4 cups sugar, milk then vanilla in a bowl. Mix on medium for 3-5 minutes. Add remaining sugar 1 cup at a time until icing appears thick enough. (I used all 8 cups) If you'd like, add food coloring to icing before frosting the cupcakes. This recipe makes more than enough frosting for 24 cupcakes, so I'm sure it would frost a layer cake or a sheet cake quite well also.

The Best Wheat Bread

I made this bread recently, and it was by far the best one I've ever made! I think the key was letting it rise for a nice long time. I have it written on a scrap of paper so I'm not sure where I got it from.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp oil (or applesauce)
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour (I think I used bread flour)
2 tsp dry yeast

Put all ingredients in the bread machine on the dough cycle. Put in a greased loaf pan, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 20 minutes, and much longer if you'd like. Mine was around an hour. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Banana Snack Loaf

I found this recipe on this food blog. Its also her picture above :) This bread is a perfect thing to have around the house as a snack, and is so easy to make too. Here's the ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup warm water

And here's what you do:

1. Beat together sugar and applesauce. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.
2. Stir in bananas and mix well again.
3. Add all dry ingredients and combine until moist throughout.
4. Add water and mix again until combined.
5. Pour equal amounts into 2 large, greased loaf pans and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees (check frequently!).

I cut mine into 10-12 slices each. I actually added some peanut butter chips to one loaf, and that was a delicious addition. I'm sure chocolate chips or nuts would be too! And of course, any combination of wheat/white flour would be fine. Hope you like it!

Blackened Tilapia

I mentioned this in a previous Menu Plan Monday, using this link. When I went to make it, I realized I didn't have a lot of the spices, so I ended up changing it a lot. Here's the jist of what I made:

1 cup brown rice
dash red pepper flakes
Jamaican Jerk seasoning
dash thyme
pinch garlic salt
2 tbsp smart balance light
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 can corn
chopped fresh cilantro
2 6oz tilapia fillets

-Heat oven to 400 (or appropriate temperature)
-Cook rice as package directs
-Combine spices in a shallow bowl
-Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat and add lemon juice
-Dip each fillet in butter (both sides) and then spices (both sides)
-Heat skillet to medium-high heat and add tilapia fillets
-Cook fish until blackened, about 2 minutes per side (turn heat down if it starts to smoke)
-Transfer fish to a baking dish and bake for about 8-10 minutes (or until done)
-Stir corn into rice and serve fish over this mixture. Garnish with cilantro.

I didn't specify how much Jerk seasoning I used because I really have no idea. I used a lot, and loved it, but Bart actually thought it was a little too spicy. So you should adjust that according to your tastes. I will absolutely be making this again, many many times. The tilapia's mild flavor really absorbs the seasonings. Hope you enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

Welcome back to Menu Plan Monday. This week, we're having...

Monday - Easter leftovers: ham, biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday - ground turkey tacos, spanish rice

Wednesday - Italian Chicken and pastina (a Giada recipe from the Food Network)

Thursday - homemade pizza with my new pizza crisper!

Friday - out to eat for my birthday!

Saturday - birthday party

Sunday - baked potatoes with ham and cheese

I'll be posting some great recipes this week...I've been so busy I haven't had any time. Some of them are whole wheat bread, blackened tilapia and dinner rolls. Have a great week!

Menu Plan Monday

So, this is my first time to post as part of orgjunkie.com's Menu Planning Monday, and I am excited! I've been a meal planner since we first got married, so I just need to remember to post it on Mondays :) Now, you will know what recipes you have to look forward to this week! Here goes:

Monday - Linguine with garlic sauce

Tuesday - going to a friend's house, will update later with what I am bringing

Wednesday - Parmesan chicken tenders

Thursday - Blackened tilapia - using this recipe as a guide

Friday - on the road to College Station

Saturday - at our friend Chad's wedding...yum wedding cake!

Sunday - Jamaican jerk turkey burgers, a WW recipe I will post after making it

Hopefully everything will taste good! I'm really excited about trying the tilapia, so I'll let you know how it goes. Have a great week!

"Everything" cookies

Well, the original name of these cookies is "Whole wheat peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies", but since that is such a mouthful I just shortened it to everything cookies! I adapted this recipe slightly from Tammy's Recipes and they turned out great! They certainly aren't healthy, but they are healthier than a typical cookie, so you gotta feel a little bit good about that :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup applesauce

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oats

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups chocolate chips

-Cream butters and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth.

-Combine flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Add to creamed mixture and stir well.

-Add chocolate chips and mix with a spoon until blended.

-Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheets.

-Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes

My notes- I used light butter, because thats what I had, and it worked great. My dough made 51 cookies, and I baked them for 12 minutes. From the reviews I read, you want to underbake them slightly so they stay soft for a few days. Each cookie has 2 "points" so about 75 or so calories. They certainly taste like a bunch of different flavors in one, which is fun, but probably would not hit the spot if you are really wanting regular chocolate chip cookies. Hope you enjoy!

Apple Oat Muffins

Mmm...I am eating one of these right now, and they are really good. I adapted this recipe from a recipe blog here. A word of warning- these certainly taste healthy, so don't make it expecting a starbucks blueberry muffin :)

Ingredients:

1/2 c brown sugar (I used a little less than)

1 c Fiber 1 cereal, crushed

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c oats

2 eggs

1 c unsweetened chilled applesauce

4 tbsp fat free yogurt

1 c chopped apple

dash of cinnamon

-Preheat oven to 400. Grease 12 muffin cups.

-Crush Fiber 1 cereal in food processor. Peel apples and then put in a food processor to chop them up into small pieces.

-Combine flour, fiber 1 cereal, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until blended.

-Add eggs, applesauce, apples, and yogurt. Mix until well blended.

-Spoon into 12 muffin cups. Let stand 10 minutes.

-Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

My notes: I used my mini food chopper for the cereal and the apples. The apples don't need to be shredded, but I tried to get them as small as possible. When I was mixing everything together, I had to use a spatula to get the ingredients totally combined. My batter filled the cups to the top, so you could probably make 18 smaller muffins instead of 12 bigger ones. I also had to bake for about 17 minutes for them to be done in the centers.

Enjoy!

King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch is my go-to meal when people are coming over, because its fairly quick to prepare, and leaves me free to do other things while it bakes. The recipe comes from my friend, Jenn Chalmers.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked & chopped (I rarely use this many)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can Mexican Rotel

8 oz Mexican style or cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup chopped onion

15 tortillas, cut into quarters

1. Mix soups, Rotel and broth together in a large saucepan. Add onion and chicken. Cook in saucepan for 10 minutes.

2. Layer the following in a 9"x13" baking dish:

5 quartered tortillas (aka 20 tortilla pieces)

1/3 of soup mixture

1/3 of cheese

3. Repeat layers two times.

4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

(You may need to cover with foil near the end if cheese is getting too brown)

This is so good! Feel free to make adjustments to fit your tastes...I have omitted onions for a friend that doesn't like them (although I think they make it better) as well as used only cream of chicken soup when I was out of mushroom. I also typically use corn tortillas, although the original recipe calls for flour.

Pudding Cake

This is one of my favorite dessert recipes because its so little work for such a wonderful result! I got it from my friend, Alison, who blogs with her husband about fun places to eat in Dallas. Check out their blog if you are interested!

Ingredients:
1 box yellow moist cake mix
1 box Jello instant pudding mix - vanilla
1 box Jello instant pudding mix - chocolate
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup water
1/2 cup chocolate chips (save for last)

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add in chocolate chips until well blended. Pour mixture into a greased bundt pan or another type of pan if you'd like. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. If you don't use a bundt pan, it will most likely take less time.

I typically try to replace oil with applesauce, but I can't remember if I have done that in this recipe or not. I'm sure it would be fine, as I can never taste the applesauce in things where I've substituted, but do so at your own risk!

Pizza Crust

Here is the recipe for pizza crust that I used for the pepperoni rolls below. Its from my friend Cate, and is so good! Head on over to Cate's blog and wish her son Eli a happy one month birthday! He is such a cute baby. Ok, on to the recipe...

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

1 TBS yeast

1 cup water (105 to 115 degrees F)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 TBS oil

2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (or any combination of wheat & white)

**Cate recommended adding a few tablespoons of Italian seasonings and/or garlic salt….so I did both!

1. Heat water to correct temperature –between 105-115 degrees
2. Dissolve the yeast in the water for a few minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. (or just mix in your mixer)
4. Knead for 5 minutes, adding flour if necessary to make it smooth and elastic. (Again, if you are using a mixer, just use your dough hook)
5. Roll out into circle (1/2 inch thick or thinner) on pizza stone or greased pan. (Personally, I think the thinner the better- that way the dough will definitely be cooked through)
6. Top with favorite toppings
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Pepperoni Rolls

I made these on Monday night and they were great! The recipe comes from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures and is also below. She links to a different pizza crust recipe than what I used, but I have made the one she mentions and it is good too!

Ingredients:
Ingredients for desired pizza dough
8 oz part skim mozzarella cheese
1 pouch pepperoni, de-greased 30 sec in microwave (like bacon, layer with paper towels)
Marinara sauce for dipping


-Make pizza crust according to directions and roll out into rectangular shape, I did mine pretty thin so it would cook faster
-Place pepperoni on top, I only used about 2/3 of a pouch of pepperoni because it made a single layer with that amount
-Sprinkle evenly with cheese
-Roll up along the long side and cut, mine made 18 rolls
-Bake on cookie sheet, cut side down (you may need to secure some with toothpicks)
425 degrees for about 15 minutes (make sure the dough cooks all the way through)

We thought these were really good! I used turkey pepperoni to lower the fat, but I didn't de-grease it...I probably should have though. I think 3-4 rolls is a good, filling serving size, so I guess this would serve about 4 (especially if it was 2 guys and 2 girls). Enjoy!

Parmesan chicken tenders with marinara dipping sauce

Here is an easy weeknight meal that is really yummy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
3/4 oz reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
3 medium egg whites
1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 24 thin strips
1 cup marinara sauce, heated

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine bread crumbs, cheese and garlic powder in a small, shallow bowl. Whip egg whites until foamy and place in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken first into egg whites and then into bread crumbs to coat thoroughly.
3. Please tenders on prepared pan and bake until crispy, about 25 minutes. Serve chicken with sauce.

Yields 6 chicken tenders and 1/4 cup of sauce per serving, makes 4 servings, each 6 points (apx 300 calories).

Hope you enjoy!

Shrimp Fried Rice

I can't believe I haven't made fried rice before...its so good and easy to make! Here is a weight watchers recipe I made last week.

Ingredients:
1 cup regular Egg Beaters
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
4 oz frozen shrimp, thawed under cold water
2 cups quick cooking brown rice, cooked
4 tbsp, low sodium soy sauce

1. Coat a wok or large skillet with cooking spray and heat until an added drop of water sizzles.
2. Scramble egg substitute in wok. Remove when cooked and set aside.
3. Add oil, peas and carrots and shrimp to the wok. Stir fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add cooked rice, eggs and soy sauce. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per person, serves 4. 7 points per serving, so apx 350 calories.

Black & White Cookies

These cookies are absolutely the most delicious thing I've eaten! Bart and I saw them everywhere in NY and tried them at least once, so I was really excited when I saw a Cooking Light recipe for them. They are pretty easy to make, too. Here's the info:

Ingredients-cookies:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large egg whites

Ingredients-frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp almond extract (I omitted)
2 tbsp cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Drain applesauce (this just means put it on a paper towel to let the liquid part soak out)
4. Combine applesauce, sugar and butter. Beat for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg whites.
5. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just blended.
6. Drop dough 2" apart (make sure they are far apart!) on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until set (not browned). Cool on pans 2 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to let cool completely.
7. To make frosting, combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp milk and almond extract. Stir well with whisk until smooth. Spread 1 tsp white frosting over 1/2 cookie. Let stand 10 minutes or until set.
8. Combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar and cocoa. Gradually add 2 tbsp milk, stirring with whisk until smooth. Spread 1 tsp frosting on the other side of the cookie.

Makes 2 dozen. Each has 106 calories and 2 grams of fat.

I didn't use parchment paper because I didn't have any...and the recipe specifically said not to use wax paper. So I turned to oven a little lower than 375. The chocolate icing goes a lot farther than the white, so use the white sparingly. The cookies are so soft and taste so good! You will love them!

(I googled imaged for the picture and found it here )

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are so yummy!

Ingredients:
1c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4c butter, softened
1/2c dark brown sugar, packed
1/2c sugar, granulated
1/3c unsweetened cocoa
2 large egg whites
1/3c miniature semi sweet chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
-Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add cocoa and egg whites, beating well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
-Drop by rounded teasonpoonfuls 1 in apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Makes 40 cookies, each is '1 point' so probably between 50-75 calories.

Baked Shrimp in Lemon Garlic Sauce

I just made this and it was great! I am a big fan of shrimp, but I usually don't love recipes I make at home with it. I am so glad to have found this one.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4c lemon juice
2 tbsp light butter, melted
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

-Preheat oven to 425. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients, pour over shrimp.

-Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle parsley over shrimp; serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings, apx 200 calories per serving.

I also experimented tonight with the Ore-Ida steam and mash potatoes, and we really liked them. We tried the garlic flavor and they complimented the sauce from the shrimp really well. All you have to do is microwave and then add some milk. You should try them!

Have a great night!

Tilapia

Here is another weight watchers recipe that ended up being really good! The last time I made tilapia it was pretty fishy, so I am so glad this one turned out better.

Ingredients:
1/4c white wine, dry
1/4c tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I omitted)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp capers, drained (I omitted)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2lbs tilapia, four 6 ox pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4c all purpose flour
1 spray cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp light butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk; set aside.
Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets lightly in flour and coat both sides with cooking spray.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets, cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn fillets and cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove from pan.
Add wine mixture to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in butter until metled. Spoon wine mixture over fillets; sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4, one serving is about 250-300 calories.

I ended up not dredging in flour, but I'm sure it would be delicious to do that. Hope you enjoy!

Deep Dish Pizza 'Casserole'

This is what I made tonight, and it was great! We ate it while watching the new season of the Biggest Loser, which is our favorite!! Thankfully, this is pretty healthy so we didn't have to feel bad about eating it while watching the show :)


Ingredients:

1 lb ground round (I used ground turkey)

1 10oz can refrigerated pizza dough

1 15oz can tomato sauce

6 1oz slices part skim mozzarella cheese



Brown meat, drain. Add tomato sauce and cook until heated through. Grease 9x13x2" dish and press pizza dough into bottom and partially up the sides. Line dough with 3 slices mozzarella. Top with meat mixture. Bake uncovered at 425 for 12 minutes. Top with remaining 3 slices mozzarella and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.



Nutritional Info: 6 servings, each serving has 277 calories, 7.7g fat and 1.6g fiber

Enjoy!

South of the Border Chicken Soup

I just made this soup and it was so delicious! It is from the Weight Watchers cookbook 'Winner's Circle'.

Ingredients:
1 tsp canola oil
1/2lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
4c low sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) box frozen whole kernel corn
1c prepared salsa
1/4c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
12 baked tortillas chips, crushed (about 1/2c)

-Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken quickly and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
-Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, corn and salsa; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve the soup with the cheese and chips.

Nutrition info: 4 servings, each serving is 2 1/2 cups. Calories-276, Fat-7g, Fiber-7g

I accidentally used a 16oz bag of corn, so there was a lot of corn in ours, but it was still delicious. I think if you seasoned the chicken with some extra cumin while you were cooking it would be a good addition. Otherwise, the soup was really easy and flavorful, and healthy!

Hope you had a Happy New Year and be on the lookout for a bunch of new recipes I am trying this week!