Chocobutter Fudge Bars

November 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

How easy was that? Fudge in a snap ! Make up a batch and put it in a pretty container for a great holiday gift !

25 servings
140 calories per serving

1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker’s semisweet chocolate
3/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c cocktail peanuts, chopped
1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker’s white chocolate
1/4 c creamy peanut butter

Microwave semisweet chocolate and milk on high 1 minute. Stir and microwave another minute or until mostly melted. Then stir well and add nuts. Line the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with foil and spread the mix in the pan. Microwave white chocolate on high 1 minute. Stir and microwave another minute or until mostly melted. Stir until completely melted. Add peanut butter and stir well then spread over the other layer and refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into 25 fudge squares.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Green Beans and Pepitas

November 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is one of THE best veggie side dishes I have made in a long time. I bought a bunch of pepitas to make them for snacks and then came up with some other great ways to use them – this is one of the best ! The flavor and texture of the pepitas goes so well with the beans and the very simple seasoning. This is a special one !

6 servings
121 calories per serving

1 pound green beans
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 c pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
Kosher salt
Pepper to taste
1 t rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced

Boil water and add some regular salt and cook beans 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Heat 1 T oil in a skillet. Saute pepitas until they start to brown and pop, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remove to a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil and cook garlic and rosemary 30 seconds. Add beans and pepitas and cook 2 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Kid Friendly, Lunch

Beanies and Weenies

November 16, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Kids love it, adults love it, and it could not be simpler ! Hot dogs and Pork and Beans all mixed up together just like they should be 🙂

1 serving
330 calories per serving

1 fat free hotdog, sliced
1 c Campbell’s pork and beans

Heat hot dog slices in a small sauce pan for 4 minutes. Add beans and cook to heat through, about 4 minutes.

Dinner, Sides

Cheesy Stuffed Potatoes

November 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Whether you serve these as a dinner side, a snack or an appetizer, you’ll be in love. Cheese and potatoes are just meant to go together !

16 servings
142 calories per serving (1 serving = ½ potato)

3 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (equaling roughly 8 potatoes)
1 c milk
1/3 c light sour cream
1/4 c low fat buttermilk
1 c shredded fontina or swiss cheese
1/4 c finely chopped chives (or 1 t dried chives)
2 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste
6 T grated parmesan cheese
paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean potatoes and pierce them then bake one hour or until tender. Let cool a bit and then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh leaving a shell and about ¼ inch of potato on it. Preheat your broiler at this point. Mix the scooped out flesh with milk, sour cream, buttermilk, salt and pepper then stir in the fontina, chives and butter and place potatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with parm and paprika. Broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese is all melted.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork

BBQ Crusted Pork Chops

November 12, 2011 admin Leave a comment

There’s nothing simpler than Shake ‘n Bake – but this recipes adds a layer of flavor and makes the chops even more moist. This is a great crowd pleaser.

5 servings
260 calories per serving

1 box Shake n Bake for pork
5 4 oz. boneless pork loin chops
1/4 c BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pork with BBQ sauce and then coat with crumbs. Bake 30 minutes.

Dinner, Lunch, Soups

French Onion Soup

November 11, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Great French onion flavor in a simple to prepare soup that has such a depth of flavor. The sweet onions cook to perfection and the melted cheese over the top of the French bread is just delicious. The parmesan really adds a nice touch.

6 servings
255 calories per serving

2 T margarine or butter
2 1/2 large Spanish onions, peeled, sliced very thin
½ t Kitchen Bouquet
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. beef broth
2 1/2 c cold water
½ c cooking wine (red or white)
2 bay leaves
6 slices French bread, toasted
1 c shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and add onions. Cook ½ hour or until golden brown. Stir frequently and add a tablespoon or 2 of extra hot water if needed to keep onions from getting crisp. Add Kitchen Bouquet, some salt and the minced garlic and cook a minute longer. Add broth, water, wine, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Preheat broiler. Remove bay leaves and place in individual oven safe ramekins or bowls. Top with a slice of French bread and sprinkle with parmesan then the grated Swiss and broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is all melted and just starting to brown.

Dessert, Fruit, Kid Friendly

Fruit Parfait

November 10, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Sweet fruit with a spicy ginger and cardamom sauce. Serve with Cool Whip for a great dessert or serve with yogurt for a perfect breakfast treat.

8 servings
91 calories per serving

8 oz. pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
15 oz. can peach slices in juice, drained
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 c strawberries, chopped
2 T brown sugar
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t ground cardamom
¼ t ground ginger
1 ½ c cool whip, thawed

Drain pineapple and keep the juice. Chop pineapple and peaches and mix with kiwi, strawberries, brown sugar, spices and juice. In parfait glasses, place half the fruit in the cup. Add a layer of Cool Whip. Add the next layer of fruit and top with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Lunch, MUFAs, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Wrap

November 9, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Wraps make great lunches and you can stuff them with just about anything. This one has some of my favorite things…including BACON ! And spreading the Laughing Cow cheese on the whole wrap ensures that you get cheesy goodness in every bite !

1 serving
344 calories per serving

1 Wrap (80 calorie La Tortilla Factory version)
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Cheese (original Swiss flavor)
2 slices turkey bacon
3 slices deli turkey
Alfalfa sprouts or some shredded lettuce
1/2 c chopped or sliced tomatoes
3 slices avocado

Cook the bacon according to package instructions. Lay wrap on flat surface. Spread the cheese wedge on it. When placing ingredients down the center of the wrap, do not go quite to the bottom – leave a little room (1 inch) so you will be able to wrap is securely. Place the turkey slices down the center. Lay the bacon slices down the center. Spread sprouts and tomato down the center. And finally lay the 3 avocado slices down the center. Wrap securely.

Some people shy away from them for the simple reason that they do not know how to wrap them so that the stuff stays in place. Take a quick look at my video showing you how to get a nice tight wrap that will not leak.

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Chicken, Dinner

Chicken Casserole with Wild Rice

November 8, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is one of those ‘all in one dishes’ that I love to make. You can make it ahead of time, refrigerate, and then do the baking right at the very end. Very convenient, very easy, very good !

8 servings
371 calories per serving

You can make this casserole ahead and refrigerate until you are ready – just bake longer (about an hour) to make sure it heats all the way through.

2 c water
1/2 c wild rice
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cooked (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !) and cut into bit sized pieces
2 T oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c flour
2 c skim milk
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/3 c chopped parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c frozen French cut green beans
1/2 c sliced almonds

Mix water and rice and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook 35-40 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and cook mushrooms 12 minutes or so to release all the liquid and allow it to dry up. Add broth and scallions and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir then add milk and simmer 2 minutes. Add cheese, sour cream parsley, salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with Pam and place the rice in as the bottom layer. Top with chicken and beans then pour over the mushroom sauce and sprinkle with nuts. Cook 30 minutes and let stand a bit to cool before serving.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pasta, Sides

Orzo Primavera

November 7, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great recipe. It has my favorite pasta, orzo ! Plus is has lotsa healthy veggies and a simple parmesan sauce. I could eat this every day !!

8 servings
120 calories per serving

14.5 oz. can chicken broth
1/3 c water
1 c orzo
2 1/2 c fresh vegetables, diced very small (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, green onions, red peppers )
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to a boil then stir in orzo and cover and cook 7 minutes. Add in veggies and cook another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cheese, salt and pepper.