Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

(Courtesy of kalynskitchen.com)
Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake found on KalynsKitchen.com

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut into slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut into slices or half-moon slices
2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or even less depending on how much you like the flavor)
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 c. low-fat white cheese, divided (can use a mixture of different cheeses such as mozzarella, provolone, romano etc)
1/2 c. coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (use less if you only have the finely grated kind from a can)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 8x8 baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Wash the squash and cut into slices of your choice.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder and the low-fat white cheese and stir together until the vegetables are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes. 

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 c. grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and the zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.  

This will keep well in the refrigerator overnight.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Dog Donuts

(Courtesy of irresistiblepets.net)
Irresistible Dog Donut Recipe from IrresistiblePets.com

Ingredients:
1 egg
2 c. whole wheat or unbleached flour
3/4 c. beef or chicken broth (can use sodium-free)
3 Tbsp. old fashioned oats
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING:
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Honey
Sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prep baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray.  Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl.  Add the flour, broth and oats to the egg mixture.

Continue to mix together until you have a dough like consistency.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface (can do this on wax paper for easy clean up).  Cut out the donuts using a large circular cookie cutter.  Take a smaller circular cookie cutter and cut a hole in the center of each donut.  Place the donuts on a baking sheet.  Place the donuts in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

Once the donuts have cooled, decorate them with some icing (can mix together yogurt and a drop of honey to thicken it up).  Add sprinkles for decoration if you would like.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Swiss Cheese Chicken

(Courtesy of prepared-housewives.com)
Bake the Swiss Cheese Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, or enough to fill the pan
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. milk
1/2 box turkey stuffing mix
1/4 c. butter

Directions;
Cover bottom of pan with chicken.  Layer Swiss cheese over chicken.  Mix cream of chicken soup and milk then pour over chicken.  Top with stuffing mix (can use more than 1/2 box if you want).  Drizzle with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 46-60 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Mexican Ice Cream Sundae

(Courtesy of Taste of Home)
Mexican Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 c. canola oil
6 flour tortillas (6 inches), cut into 6 wedges each
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. crushed cornflakes
6 large scoops vanilla ice cream
Chocolate syrup, optional
Whipped cream in a can 
6 maraschino cherries with stems

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Fry tortilla wedges, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes on each side or until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside 1 Tbsp.  Sprinkle both sides of tortillas with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs and reserved cinnamon-sugar.  Roll ice cream in crumb mixture to coat.  Freeze until serving.

Drizzle serving plates with chocolate syrup if desired.  Place 6 tortilla wedges on each plate; top each with a scoop of ice cream.  Pipe whipped cream around base and on top of ice cream.  Garnish each with a cherry.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Malibu Sunset

(Courtesy of averiecooks.com)
Malibu Sunset from Aruba - Fun, Fruity, Easy Drink Recipe & Island Pics at averiecooks.com

Ingredients:
3-4 oz. pineapple-orange juice
2 oz. Malibu coconut rum
Grenadine, drizzled
Maraschino cherries, for garnishing
Pineapple and/or orange slices, for garnishing

Directions:
Add ice to glass.  Add juice and Malibu then serve.  Drizzle in grenadine.  Garnish with cherries, pineapple and/or orange slices.  Serve immediately.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Creamy Pea Salad

(Courtesy of lovebakesgoodcakes.com)
Creamy Pea Salad - This salad is a nice change from the typical potato or pasta salads. It requires very little cooking and a little bit of chopping - it could easily be a no cook recipe if you buy precooked bacon! It doesn't get much easier than that!

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. (16 oz.) frozen peas, thawed and drained
1/2-1 c. diced cheddar cheese
1/2-1 c. diced mozzarella cheese 
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate until serving.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Beer-Marinated Pork Chops

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)
Beer-Marinated Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork loin chops or pork rib chops, cut 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick (about 10-12 oz. each)
1 (12 oz.) bottle honey wheat beer
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
4 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded or blue cheese, crumbled (1 c.)
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Fresh herb sprigs (optional)

Directions:
Place pork chops in a 2 gallon heavy self-sealing plastic bag set in a very large bowl; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine beer, garlic, olive oil, salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; pour over pork.  Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.  Drain pork chops, discarding marinade.

For charcoal grill, arrange preheated coals around a drip pan.  Check for medium heat above the pan.  Place pork on grill rack over drip pan.  Cover and grill for 35-40 minutes or until done (160 degrees).  (For a gas grill, preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium.  Adjust for indirect cooking.  Place pork on unheated side of grill rack.  Cover and grill as above.)

Meanwhile, for topping, in a small bowl stir together cheese, nuts, green onions and remaining pepper.  Spoon mixture over chops.  Cover and grill for 2-3 minutes more or until cheese melts.  Garnish with fresh herbs.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Angel Food Cupcakes

(Courtesy of eatingonadime.com)

Ingredients:
1 box angel food cake mix
Water 
Cool whip free
Fresh strawberries, cut into quarters

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Prepare cake mix according to package directions.  Spoon the batter into cupcake a cupcake pan with liners and fill about 3/4 full.  

Bake for 8 minutes until the top is slightly colored (not brown anymore).  Allow to cool completely.  Top each cupcake with 2 Tbsp. of Cool Whip free.  Add 2 pieces of strawberries to the top of the Cool Whip for decorations.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

(Courtesy of picturetherecipe.com)
Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls - PitcureTheRecipe.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lb. flank steak or 8-10 thin sliced sirloin steaks
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Any steak seasoning you like
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
1/2 zucchini (depending on size)
5-6 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
2 tsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely minced shallots
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. beef broth

Directions:
Start by prepping the steak- trim the fat and cut the steak into 3 inch-wide strips.  Season the steak pieces generously on both sides with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Let the steak sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes but if possible for a few hours.

While the steak is marinating you can prep the filling.  Chop up the carrot, bell pepper and zucchini into matchstick size pieces a little longer than the width of the steak strips.  For the garlic, simply peel and crush the cloves with the flat side of your knife, just enough to bruise them.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Add the finely chopped shallots and saute it for a minute or 2 until it turns soft and translucent.  Add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and beef stock and stir to mix everything well.  Allow the sauce to come to a boil and reduce to almost half its volume.  You will notice it start becoming thicker and will have the consistency of syrup.  The butter will also start to separate and come to the top.  Turn off the heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl.

In the same pan (no need to wash it) add a touch of olive oil and toss in the garlic cloves to allow them to flavor the oil for a few minutes.  Turn the heat up to high and toss in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini (there is no need to cook the green onion) and stir fry the vegetables for no longer than 2-3 minutes.  Season the vegetables with the Italian herb seasoning and salt.  Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

To assemble the steak rolls, simply take a strip of the marinated steak and lay it with the short end towards you.  Place the vegetables (including the green onions) in the middle and roll the beef up over the filling, securing it with a toothpick.  Repeat it with the same with the other rolls.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a touch of oil swirling to coat the bottom.  When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for a couple minutes.  Then turn roll and cook it on all sides in the same way.  Cook until desired doneness.  Sprinkle with desired steak seasoning when cooking in the skillet.

Remove the toothpick and serve with the balsamic glaze sauce spooned over the top of each roll.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Strawberry Cheesecake Pastry Bites

(Courtesy of Reallifedinner.com)
Berries and puff pastries

Ingredients:
30 puff pastry shells
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. white granulated sugar
Berries of your choice, such as raspberries or chopped strawberries

Directions:
Remove puff pastries from packaging.  

In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and granulated sugar.  Mix by hand or with a hand mixer until completely combined and smooth.

Put the cream cheese mixture in a ziploc bag and snip the end to squeeze into pastry shells.

Fill each shell with approximately 1-1 1/2 Tbsp. filling.  Top with the berries of your choice.  Keep refrigerated until serving.  Best if served within 2-5 hours of making.  Shells will soften the longer the filling is in them.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Lemon Garlic Butter

(Courtesy of Sams Club)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, smashed and minced
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
Put butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook the garlic slowly in the butter for about 5 minutes.

Add the lemon zest and juice and continue to heat gently for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Golden Daiquiri

(Courtesy of Food Network)
Golden Daiquiri

Ingredients:
6 fresh raspberries
1 packed Tbsp. dark brown sugar
Ice cubes
2 oz. golden rum
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 Tbsp.)

Directions:
Muddle raspberries with sugar in a rocks glass.  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the rum and lime juice, shake until chilled.  (In general, the drink is ready by the time the shaker mists up).  Pour drink with some ice of the berries in the glass.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Ice Cream In A Bag

(Courtesy of More Recipes from the Heart of Union County)

Ingredients:
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
6 Tbsp. salt
1 pt. ziploc bag
1 gal. ziploc bag

Directions:
Put sugar, milk and vanilla in the pint bag and seal well.  Fill large bag half full of ice; add salt.  Place small bag inside of large bag, seal carefully.  Shake until mixture is ice cream (about 5 minutes).  Wipe top of small bag before opening.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Stuffed Shells

(Courtesy of More Recipes from the Heart of Union County)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. browned ground beef
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. fine bread crumbs
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
Onion, finely diced
36-40 shells, cooked according to package directions
3 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce
Cheese sauce or cheddar cheese soup (2 cans soup and 1 c. milk mixture) or shredded cheese

Directions:
Mix together first 8 ingredients.  Stuff into the cooked shells.  Place the shells into a baking pan.  Pour the spaghetti sauce over top.  Top with the cheese sauce, soup mixture or shredded cheese.  Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Courtesy of Taste of Home)
Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 c.
FROSTING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 3/4-4 c. confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in bananas.

Spread into greased 15x10 baking pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake).  Cool.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy.  Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency.  Frost bars.  Store in the refrigerator.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Philly Cheesesteak Stew

(Courtesy of thecozyapron.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. very thinly sliced beef sirloin or ribeye
Salt 
Cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
Olive oil
2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
4 c. beef stock, hot
4 sourdough bread bowls, centers hollowed out and reserved for dipping
4 sliced provolone cheese

Directions:
Add the thinly sliced beef to a large bowl and season with a couple pinches of salt and cracked black pepper, plus the onion powder and toss to coat; sprinkle over 2 Tbsp. of the flour, and again, toss to coat.

Place a non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 3-4 Tbsp. of oil; once hot, add about half of the beef in, and allow it to sear for about a minute or two, then toss/stir, and allow it to sear/brown on the other sides for another 1-2 minutes, and remove onto a plate to hold (the meat may still be a little pink inside); repeat with the remaining half of the beef, and set aside.

Next, add a little more oil to the pot if needed, and add in the sliced onion, along with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper; allow the onions to caramelize for roughly 6 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning them, until golden-brown and softened; then, add in the mushrooms, and allow them to continue sauteing with the onions for another 6 minutes or so, stirring frequently.

Add in the dried thyme and the garlic, and stir to incorporate.

Once the garlic becomes aromatic, sprinkle in the remaining 2 Tbsp. of flour (the tablespoons can be a bit heaping) over the onion/mushroom mixture, and stir well to combine and blend; next, slowly add in the hot beef stock, stirring all the while to avoid any flour lumps from forming.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow the stew to simmer gently for about 10 minutes, uncovered, just to "tighten" it up a bit, and to allow the flavors to marry, after 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and add the seared beef back in, along with any accumulated juices, and stir to combine; check to see if you need any additional salt or pepper.

To serve, ladle some stew into your hallowed out sourdough bowls, top with a slice of provolone, and place the bread bowls onto a foil-lined baking sheet until the broiler for just a couple moments to melt the cheese.

Serve with some of the hallowed out, left-over sourdough bread on the side, for dipping.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Sweet and Spicy Wasabi Snack Mix

(Courtesy of Diabetic Living)
Sweet and Spicy Wasabi Snack Mix

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. crispy corn and rice cereal
2 c. pretzel sticks
1 c. wasabi-flavored dried peas
3/4 c. whole almonds
1/4 c. light butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. snipped dried apricots

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine cereal, pretzel sticks, peas and almonds.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan heat and stir butter, vinegar, sesame seeds, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne over medium-low heat until butter melts.  Drizzle butter mixture over cereal mixture; stir gently to coat.  Transfer mixture to a 15x10 baking pan.

Bake about 30 minutes or until mixture is almost dry and almonds are lightly toasted, stirring twice.  Stir in apricots.  Spread mixture on a large piece of foil to cool.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Scrambled Egg Hash Brown Cups

(Courtesy of Taste of Home)
Scrambled Egg Hash Brown Cups Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (20 oz.) refrigerated Southwest-style shredded hash brown potatoes
6 eggs
1/2 c. 2% milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
10 thick-sliced bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 1/4 c. (5 oz.) shredded Cheddar Jack cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide potatoes among 12 greased muffin cups; press onto bottom and up sides to form cups.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  Pour in egg mixture; cook and stir until eggs are thickened and no liquid egg remains.  Stir in bacon and 3/4 c. cheese.  Spoon into cups; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheese.

Bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Note~ You can use leftover ham as a replacement of the bacon in this recipe.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Kool Aid Tie-Dye Easter Eggs

(Courtesy of Kraft)
Image result for kool aid tie dye easter eggs

Ingredients:
2 envelopes (0.13-0.16 oz. each) Kool Aid Unsweetened Drink Mix any red flavor
2 envelopes (0.13-0.16 oz. each) Kool Aid Unsweetened Drink Mix any orange flavor
2 envelopes (0.13-0.16 oz. each) Kool Aid Unsweetened Drink Mix any yellow or green flavor
2 envelopes (0.13-0.16 oz. each) Kool Aid Unsweetened Drink Mix any blue flavor
1/2 c. water, divided
1 1/2 dozen hard-cooked eggs, cooled

Directions:
Empty contents of 2 red (same flavored) drink mix envelope into 6-8 oz. container.  Add 2 Tbsp. water; stir until mixes are completely dissolved.  Repeat in 3 separate containers with remaining mixes and water.

Place eggs on cooling rack in sink; rinse with tap water.

Spoon mixtures, 1 at a time, over wet eggs to create tie-dye patterns.

Pour small amount of tap water over each egg to set colors.  Use tongs to transfer eggs to paper towel-covered baking sheet to dry.  Rinse sink immediately as needed.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

3 Ingredient Pancakes

(Courtesy of recipebyphoto.com)
3 Ingredient Pancakes! They actually taste really good. Gluten-free, Paleo Friendly, Low Calorie, High Protein breakfast. | Recipe By Photo

Ingredients:
1 large ripe banana
2 eggs
Cinnamon

Directions:
Mash the banana very well with a fork then whisk together eggs and cinnamon.  Heat skillet on low to medium setting.  Spray pan with cooking spray or butter.  Pour small pancakes into pan and heat on each side for about 2 minutes.  Flip after checking to see the bottoms are done.  

Note~  These tend to be flimsier than normal pancakes, so make them smaller so they are easier to flip.