Roasted Veggies with Feta...

The garden is just blooming so fast and I cannot get enough of the fresh veggies. I love to grill them but frankly it burns the kids out fast.. and since it was extremely hot, I wanted something I could make and eat cold or warm... and I found it.   Roasted Mediterrean Veggies with Goat Cheese... but I didn't put goat cheese in mine, I used my feta  ("Cus it makes things betta").

I also didn't use vergus?... since I frankly do not know what that is.. however learned its unripened grapes juice... {{EWWW?}}

We loved it...  I will make again. I will cut my veggies down to the size I want them - NOT half moon.. The teens loved it... I vote to eat cold .. but I did try it warm..

 If you are on Weight Watchers, I calculated the point plus to be 1 FULL CUP for 5 points.. WAHOO!!!!..

 Thank you Clean Eating for popping this dandy in your magazine at the right time!  WAHOO!!!

Coconut Chicken with Pineapple Strawberry Salsa

Talk about what will be a summer time favorite at my house... THIS WILL.. being that I love a few new recipes that take little time to make and is OHHHHH SOOOO GOOD! to eat, this one is topping the list. I found this recipe from my Clean Eating Magazine, and it was a summertime issue, but hey, I have to try them out when I get the chance, and I found all the ingredients- so why wait?

 I must be extremely careful when I eat pineapple, since I had my gall bladder  removed, it still effects me like I am chewing glass... but this doesn't keep me from making it for the rest of the gang!

SALSA:  1/3 c of Light Coconut milk, greens of 4 scallions, 10 strawberries chunked & 1 c. fresh pineapple, cored and chunked - mix together, and enjoy. You can make it one day before eating it.

The Coconut chicken was just as easy. I used Tenders instread of breasts since I didn't label the bag that I put in the freezer! OOPS!... but it  worked out the same ... it was plated with salad greens! YUMMY DELICIOUS!

Breakfast Muffins

I had some biscuits that needed to be used...it was Sunday and though its my usual BAKE LIKE AI WILL BE SERVING AN ARMY DAY - I didn't have many ideas flowing in my head. I could have made Cinnamon monkey bread, and then I remembered I had spinach, scallions and some green pepper in the fridge.. and  that was sounding better!

I popped the can of biscuits - into a greased muffin tin - whipped egg, spinach, scallions, gr. pepper, crumbled bacon together, and poured into each muffin cup - baked for about 20 minutes at 350, added cheese and another 5 minutes in the oven - making sure egg is cooked and cheese is melted, and SHA BAM! The biscuits were a hit!

They are gone - G-O-N-E... paired with some fresh fruit and it was like we were at a buffet and didn't need to leave the house!

I was informed while the teens had dish duty, that this was a great idea to keep in mind for another date.. I am thinking so - I might be able to make them and freeze them... if they make it from the cooling station to a bag and not ate! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Banana split for Breakfast... honestly

IMAGINE THIS if you will, BANANA SPLIT for BREAKFAST... I know .... unimaginable!

So this is what it really is... which can be changed accordingly...

Medium Banana, sliced lengthwise

8 oz Yogurt, flavor of your choice  (I used greek yogurt, strawberry flavored)

1 serving sliced fruit of your choice (my choice was strawberries)

1/2 c. chopped nuts  (it recommended peanuts, but I had cashews, next time I am using Almonds)

 Layer like Sundae... enjoy!

Note: making this for my breakfast at work, but I could/ will make adjustments accordingly. .. such as.. Cottage cheese instead of yogurt,add homemade fruit jam/preserves instead of real fruit, change nuts.. maybe pecans or walnuts or granola... 

Instead of my wonderful tupperware, I would put in a little footed dessert dish/compote/flute.

This is also a great after work out snack!

Have a good day!



Tuna Steaks...yumm -o-licious!

Originally, I wanted to grill them... but when the skies opened up and it rained steady for the next 3 hours, I knew that plans for dinner had changed. So out to my food bloggers I searched... something easy and fun, but not over the top, since the teens are expected to eat this as well!

I found a recipe and top to bottom it was like 20 minutes.. since I was clueless of what I was to do... but check it out.

Don't they look delicious?

It was awesome that I topped off the tuna with avacado, I mean, really, I love it COLD but when paired with something warm, I was skeptical!

I confess, I shop Wegmans... almost weekly.. why? It has got to be the food lovers haven.. I mean seriously, since I usually  have to put myself on a timer when I am in there, I cannot tell you how many times I go back and tell myself "Oh, I didn't see that before.."... LOL.. The people that work there are nice, the people that shop there are sometimes rude and snooty - but aren't i going to find that at any place?  Wegmans atleast gets to showcase the foods that I want to put in my mouth and on my table for others!

When I found this Golden Jewel Blend , I was delighted.. the teens like it and it was simple to make! I mean honestly, I will get others and make for whatever side dish or even for breakfast.

Have a great day!

Keep It Tight! Tilapia (or Flounder)

I love fish! I could eat it in almost every meal.. all sorts.. I haven't met a fish I didn't like yet... of course, some are better baked, or fried, or cajun, blackened. etc... but with all seriousness, I still like all of them!

All day I thought I had TILAPIA to use for this nights meal... and it wasn't until I got home, that I realized ... NOPE.. its  FLOUNDER... !!!  I still used the recipe I found with my Clean Eating Recipe cookbook, and it was a hit, all 8 pieces of flounder were GONE! I liked the fact that I got to throw seasonings in a bowl, dip the fish and within 15 minutes I could have a nice meal!

I matched the flounder up with asparagus, which was steamed, with lemon and some whole wheat/ brown rice.

KEEP IT TIGHT TILAPIA - Tosca Reno, Eat Clean

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml best-quality olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tsp / 5 ml paprika
• 1 tsp / 5 ml ginger
• 1 tsp / 5 ml fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp / 5 ml dried mustard                    (I didn't have this, and it was still devine!)
• 1 tsp / 5 ml oregano
• 1 tsp / 5 ml chili powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 tilapia filets, thawed                        ( I used 8 flounder fillets)

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF/ 205ºC. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine olive oil, garlic and seasonings.
3. Dip each filet into the seasoning and place it on the baking sheet.
4. Pour any remaining seasoning over the filets on the sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.

Creamy Cauliflower Mac

What you may not know... is I am attempting to not let the fat man catch me become more clean in my eating.. I am sure you have heard about all the Clean Eating all over the place.. but its made a difference in my world... and yes, I still continue to bake... I know I am almost as back as the lung cancer patient that continues to smoke RIGHT? ... shut up.. I know!!!

You see, when my other half arrived back from his deployment - I wanted to continue with my healthy eating + his physical activity routine = one big happy family... big being just an adverb?

I did have moments where I fell off the wagon alittle - well I made SWEETS that were gluten free (that has to count for SOMETHING) .. but I couldn't deprive the guy of home made goodies he longed for... COME ON... he fights for our freedom!!!... so I digress...

I made this two nights ago...  CREAMY CAULIFLOWER MAC, I added chicken pieces to the dish, for my protein.

Mark Bittman's recipe (RunnersWorld magazine- March 2011)

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cauliflower, cored and cut into large pieces
• 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Gruyere)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Boil a pot of salted water.
2. In a saucepan, warm stock and bay leaves on medium-low heat for five minutes; turn off heat.
3. Cook cauliflower in boiling water for 25 minutes. Put cauliflower in a food processor.
4. Cook pasta in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and rinse to cool; put pasta in a greased, nine-inch square baking dish.
5. Process cauliflower with stock (discard bay leaves), cheese, oil, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, working in batches.
6. Pour sauce over pasta, toss, and spread evenly in dish. Top with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake 20 minutes.

Turkey with all the fixin's

I wanted to have turkey this week for lunch... which meant, I had to cook a turkey.. some might say "big deal" .. well it wasn't suppose to be but since the turkey BREAST I THOUGHT I had in the freezer ended up being an WHOLE  turkey.. my entire Sunday was shot to hell.. since I knew I would stuck in the kitchen most of the time. .. UGH.. better make the most of it. So out with potatoes, and corn, peas, cranberry sauce, 'stuffing' - you name it!  ALL FOR THE LOVE of WANTING SOME DAM TURKEY!!!.. so while I was in there getting all my goodies out - it dawned on my that I had made pies, the end of the apple season when we went pickin.. I certainly felt that after all this work I deserved something like an apple pie... LOL...

Fast forward....  I got the apple pie out to bake up (since it wasn't baked before frozen -- are you suppose to do this? -- and had it tantalizing me baking while we finished our main turkey meal. 

HOURS later, when we all could eat again, we had pie.. it was yummy good... the teens put some ice cream on the top - the other half put his cheddar cheese and ice cream (gag gag gag.. though I never tried it)... I return to get a picture of it.. for bragging rights, since it was just a beaut.. and this is what I found...

It must have been good!

I used a recipe from Paula Deen... I know ... right.. its the reason that I might have to repackage this and claim its something with sardines... so the teens dont eat it!.

APPLE FILLING BY PAULA

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
• 7 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Paula's Perfect Pie Crust, recipe  as follows

• 3 tablespoons butter, diced
• Egg wash, for brushing
• Sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, sprinkle apples with the juice of 1 lemon and toss. Stir in the sugar mixture to evenly coat the apples.
Set aside.

Roll out chilled dough into 2 circles and use 1 round to line a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the other round.

Mound the apple and sugar mixture into the pie pan lined with dough. Dot with the cubed butter.

Using a pastry cutter, cut an even number of strips from the remaining rolled out dough. Transfer every other strip to the pie top and weave in the lattice by folding every other strip back onto itself and laying another strip perpendicularly. Fold the strips back across and repeat until completed.

Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Trim the overhanging dough and crimp edges.

Bake pie for 45 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing

Sour Cherry Cheesecake, with spiced wafer crust

I made these  GF Maple spiced cookies  - recipe here. Had some left over (14 to be exact) and then crushed them up and made a crust for cheescakes.

Crust:
14 cookies crushed, melted 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp Borwn sugar (packed) mixed together - divided between 12 cupcake papers in tin, and baked fpr 5 minutes in Oven at 350.

Filling:
1 Tbsp flour - Gluten free
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 8oz cream cheese, softened

Beat together filling mixture, divided into 12 cupcakes and baked for 15 minutes at 350.

Cooled and topped with topping.

**I used Sour Cherry Preserves. I may drizzle some melted chocolate over them before I serve them, but I just threw them in the refrigerator overnight- so the temptation was gone.

Crunchy Fudge Cookies

Is your mouth watering?

Mine is.... it looks at these cookies and my butt just got bigger... oh but wait... these cookies are less than 70 calories... so now what do you think?

You think you want the recipe?

Want to go preheat the oven a while? I will wait... its to be 350. Go ahead... while you are doing that, make a fresh pot of coffee... because these are simplely the best when ate with coffee...

The cookie you have options with... to be gluten free or not... to be fiber one or chex crunchy... though my daughter thinks you could add rice crispies and it would still be good... I just haven't gotten there yet.

Betty Crocker (Gluten Free) Recipe

Fiber One Recipe 

Chex Recipe

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

STAY BACK!!!! DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER... ITS DANGEROUS!!!

Must consume at own risk!!

MARTHA DOES IT AGAIN!! SHE DOES THIS STUFF AND I CANNOT HELP BUT TRY IT MYSELF...
DAMN YOU!

 

CHECK THIS OUT!!

 

 

The little bites are too easy not to share!

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room-temperature
• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 5 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Directions

Stir together peanut butter, sugar, and butter. Stir in crushed pretzels. Form into 1-inch balls. Freeze for 30 minutes. Dip in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

Graham Breakaways - with Cranberries and without!

I was on the hunt for something that I could makewith Chocolate and include in some cute packages... and then I remembered.. TOFFEE SALTINES... how could I change them up.. go I went to googling my food blog peeps... and found this here! This is exactly what I wanted... and I added Cranberries to part of the batch!

YUMMY! Delicious! and easy to make. Heck most of the ingredients are staples in the cabinet!!!! HOORAY FOR ME!

Then I packaged them in this:

Chinese Take Out box


Someone is going to love these.. and their fortune cookies in which I included in the box!



CUPCAKES...

Aren't they adorable? I love to see food displayed in antique things like this! ... Scrumptious too!

Cranberry Orange Coconut Sugar Cookie

It was a night in which I wanted something sweet... tardy... and with a sugar cookie batter... so I rummaged through the cabinet .. found some dried cranberries, coconut, white chocolate chips... I went with it. ... well except for the white chocolate chips.. I am invision macadamia nut cookies with those!

I made my sugar cookie batter... just the normal batter (use a bag if you have to), then I added 1 Teaspoon of Orange extract, 6 oz of dried cranberries & about 1/2 c. of coconut. I was going to zest orange instead of extract, convincing the kids to eat an orange wasn't happening at 9 pm last night. Oh well. I made little balls about 1 inch, with a teaspoon, and baked. 7- 9 minutes in a 350 oven.  DELISH!!!

Even my daughter who doesn't like Coconut, ate them! WAHOO!!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

It has been so bitter cold, that my only thought for food was SOUP... and lots of it. I had about 3 chicken breasts in the fridge that I hoped (fingers crossed) would fair well for a pot of soup.. even if it lasted for only one meal! 

So I survey the veggie line up find a few carrots, and some celery that if not eaten will have to be smeared with PB shortly or its life will have expired.  I know I have some garlic (fresh) and I hope I have some sort of noodle in the cabinet. 

So I am off with the food processor.. amazed how fast the carrots are done, I put the chicken in a pot to start to boil. I lightly salt and pepper the chicken, while I cook get the garlic peeled and then minced. Once the chicken is par boiled, I remove from the pot, and debone. I put some light oil in a pan, with the garlic & chicken  until the garlic is slightly browned. Remove the garlic, chicken from pan & put back in the pot of stock, add alittle water and continue to boil. I chopped up the celery and when the chicken, broth & garlic had boiled for about 15 minutes, I added the celery, carrots for just 5- 6 minutes.  I got the egg noodles boiled up in a seperate pot, since I will allow this to sit overnight and I do not want the noodles to get gross - I keep them separate. 

Once noodles are done. Add them to a bowl. Add chicken on top and  Chicken Noodle Soup is being served....

Clean Chicken Noodle Soup

YUMMY- DELICIOUS!

Banana Nut Bread

My co workers are spoiled... just as much as my kids when it comes to the "baking away the winter blues"... I make little loaves of bread - all types - I either freeze them or bring them to work, and let them criticize me or fluff my ego.

I would love to say its my Gramma's recipe - but I do not recall my Gram ever making Banana Nut Bread. If there are two bananas left and are getting ugly, I pop them in the freezer or bake them up. Its such a yummy comfort wintry food at my house. The kids love it. I often add flax seed or wheat germ to the mix.

Here is my version, off my really greased up post card.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (I mixed mine up with Whole Wheat Flour)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, and nuts mix. Pour mixture into a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan (or minis- like I did). Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Dizzy Orange Sponge Cake

Doesn't this look like it would melt in your mouth? Well it does.. sadly.  Its such a light and fluffy Sponge cake, that it doesn't last long at all. I didn't make it, I just ate it. Shared it actually.  But if I am correct, it might not even be sponge cake  - it might just be a light yellow cake with nuts, orange jello (or yogurt) in it and a nice soft cool whip. The icing is cool whip, with pudding mix, and slivers of fruity chocolate.... if that makes sense at all.

After having this - I may make a PIG EATING CAKE... are you familiar with this? Its a great way to make a cake with fruit in it - and call it CAKE...

Here is what I do:

• 1- 18 ounce yellow cake mix
• 11-ounce can mandarin oranges with juice
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 9-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 3.4 ounce (4-servings) box instant vanilla pudding

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pans. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, mandarin oranges, mandarin orange juice, eggs and oil. Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer.

 

Pour into pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

 

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, turn out of pan and finish cooling on wire racks.

 

In a mixing bowl, combine whipped topping, pineapple, juice from can and vanilla pudding mix.

Frost cake.

Cranberry Orange Delights

Since my quest to become the "best baker in the house" is relying on others recipes, I decided that the family recipes were taking a back burner when it came to Christmas cookies this year!

I found this recipe at Fake Ginger, which was going to be tested since my ability to handle citrus since my gall bladder left for a better land was an issue. Cranberries though, I can eat them but I am in the minority in the home. The best part about these is that they were to be soft... remain a soft cookie... and when they decided to get alittle hard, I popped them in the microwave for 20 seconds and BAM! back to soft again! ... no one said that bread in the container would ALWAYS WORK!!!!

I rather enjoyed them, and I think the rolling in the orange sugar was the best  ever!  I might just sugar some fresh cranberries the same way!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

 Cranberry Orange Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
Preheat oven to 350.
Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Chill dough while you make orange sugar.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the 2 together until everything is combined and mixture is fragrant.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.