Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa

It's Cherry season! If you haven't picked up some fresh cherries at the market I highly suggest you do so now. They are super fresh and at a good price this time of year. Then you can make Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa.

This is a great sweet and savory meal and is super easy to make. I just drizzled some EVOO and sprinkled some salt and pepper on pork chops and then baked in the oven for about 25-30 mins. While the pork chops were baking I whipped up this easy recipe for cherry salsa which took all of maybe 5-8 mins. The hardest part I'll admit was pitting all of the cherries, but even that didn't take too much time. AND, you can always snack on some delicious cherries while you are pitting them...bonus! :)

The cherry salsa was super tasty. I wanted to just eat it right from the bowl with a spoon! I think you could do a lot with this cherry salsa, so even if you don't like pork, spoon it over chicken, or use on top of bread for a unique bruschetta. Or it might even be good on beef, the possibilities are endless!

Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa
From Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cherries, pitted & roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 pork chops (or chicken)
• extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Drizzle some EVOO and sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chops. Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 mins.

2. While the pork chops are baking, mix up your salsa. Combine cherries, red onion, lemon juice, basil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt in a bowl. Place into the refrigerator until ready.

3. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before topping with fresh cherry salsa.

4. Enjoy!

I could actually eat this salsa straight out of this bowl, and I might have done just that! :)

Summer Spaghetti with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

I love cooking with fresh veggies in the summer. I also love it when you can find a pasta recipe that is light and flavorful and doesn't weigh you down during those HOT summer dinners.

When I first came across this recipe I was so excited at the idea of combining zucchini (which I LOVE) with spaghetti. I'll admit I was a little skeptable because there wasn't really a sauce in this recipe. I am used to including some sort of red, white or cheese sauce in my pasta dishes and I was afraid it was going to be kind of dry and bland. I also use gluten-free rice pasta, which sometimes can taste a little off if you don't have thick sauce to go with it. It does have a different taste than typical pasta, and until you get used to the different taste you kind of need a thick sauce to cover up the flavor a bit. I am getting used to it, so that probably helped as well.

This dish turned out to be very flavorful and will probably become one of my regulars. I used a spicy Italian chicken sausage with fire roasted peppers which helped to make the dish flavorful and a little spicy. The garlic infused olive oil also helped to add some flavor. I also reserved some of the pasta water to help keep the spaghetti from drying out and it helps the dish to thicken up a bit and kind of form a sauce with the garlic infused olive oil.

Picture from BHG

(mine didn't turn out very well, so the next time

I make this I am going to update with a new pic)

Summer Spaghetti with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats & BHG

Ingredients:

· 16 oz spaghetti, dry

· 3/4 lb spicy Italian chicken sausage with fire roasted peppers removed from their casings (I used the Meijer brand)

· 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 1 garlic clove (I used minced garlic and the original recipe called for 4 garlic cloves. I used less because of food allergies)

· 2 zucchinis, halved and sliced

· salt & pepper

· 10oz cherry tomatoes

· Fresh basil (although I totally forgot to put this on my dish :(

· Romano or parmesan cheese, if desired (I did not include cheese because of food allergies and it was still very good!)

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from their casings, add to the skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Turn heat down to medium and add extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. Add garlic and cook until smelling flavorful, about 1 minute. Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper, then sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes then place a lid on top of the skillet and allow tomatoes to get hot and tender, about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. I cooked 8 oz of gluten free rice pasta and 8 oz of regular pasta. Make sure to reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Because I was preparing a gluten free version, I used the pasta water from the pot of rice pasta to keep out all of the gluten.

4. Add cooked chicken sausage to the skillet with the zucchini and tomatoes. Add this mixture to the top of your pasta and drizzle a little pasta water over your serving. Serve topped with torn fresh basil, and grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

5. Enjoy!

Peachy Chicken

I originally posted this recipe last fall, but am posting this again because it is just that delicious! Oh and I am updating with a new picture :)

I love fresh peaches, and when I came across this recipe over at Iowa Girl Eats, I just knew I had to try it. BTW: Iowa Girl Eats is one of my favorite food blogs. Lots of great recipes so check it out.

This was very sweet and almost like dessert chicken, if there ever was such a thing. The brown sugar melting into the peaches, and just a hint of asian flair with the soy sauce and rice vinegar. I think next time I might add in some snap peas and make it more like a stir fry, only with fruit. It's a great sweet and savory dish.

The recipe below makes two servings which I think is great portion sizes, but then again I don't typically eat large portions to begin with. I have actually doubled the recipe as well and it turned out just as great. I also had the leftovers for lunch the next day. It wasn't as pretty the next day because the peaches were a little brown due to the sauce soaking in and not being as fresh, but the flavors had more time to soak into the chicken and the rice so it was a little tastier the next day.

Peachy Chicken
Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats
Serves 2

Ingredients:
-- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
-- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
-- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
-- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (although I cheated and used bottled orange juice)
-- 1/2 cup chicken broth
-- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
-- 2 chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
-- salt & pepper
-- 1" knob fresh ginger, grated or finely minced (although I used ginger from my spice rack and just shook in a bunch until it looked good =)
-- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
-- 2 peaches, sliced thin
-- White or brown rice
-- Additional chicken stock and/or water to cook the brown rice

Directions:
1. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice and chicken broth in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then place in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, ~4 minutes total. Chicken will not be cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the hot pan and stir constantly for no more than 10 seconds. Add the brown sugar/chicken broth mixture and sliced peaches to the pan, and increase heat to high. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until sauce has thickened and peaches start to become soft.
4. Nestle chicken back into the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, place a lid on top and cook for 5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve on top of white or brown rice cooked in chicken broth.

Couple of things to note:
1. When smashing/pounding your chicken, I put my chicken on a rubber cutting board, covered with plastic wrap and then pounded with a small skillet. It's great to think of someone you aren't happy with and get your aggressions out on the chicken. Please make sure to remove anything from your counters that can bounce around, fall off, and hit your pup dog on the head. Just a warning!
2. The first time I made this I cooked the brown rice in half chicken broth/half water. I forgot to do this the second time and just cooked white rice in water. It was ok, but cooking in chicken broth makes it much more flavorful.
3. I did use dry ginger spice, although I think fresh ginger would be better. I just always have dry spices on hand, so it's easier.

Charred Corn Salad

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We went downtown to Red, White and Boom on Tues to see some amazing fireworks.

We also had the best funnel cake EVER (or at least that is what the sign said).

It was such a nice day, very sunny, but also very HOT!

The downtown skyline was so beautiful at night. 

I then had my family over for a cookout and pool time on Wed. We were originally going to go to my parents house for the 4th, but since they have been without power since Fri, and it was going to be in the high 90's, we figured it would be better for everyone to come over to my place, despite it's tiny little space, to enjoy a little AC. Oh and the fact that I have access to a pool, helped with the decision also...ha!

I have a few recipes to share from our cookout, but one of my favorites is this Charred Corn Salad. This recipe was featured on the Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen last weekend, and it looked so refreshing and totally easy. I actually made it twice this week (once over the weekend and again for our cookout on the 4th), and modified it slightly. I ended up using more lime juice to give it a little more flavor, and also omitted the onions due to an onion allergy. I also grilled my corn, where Jamie charred his in a cast-iron skillet.

This salad is not only very easy to make, but it is very light and perfect for a hot summer day. Also, it is even better the next day after the dressing has had a chance to sink into all of the ingredients, so you can make it a day or two ahead and just pull it out when your guests get there. It's like the perfect salad to take for a cookout or pot-luck!

Charred Corn Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 ears corn on the cob, husked
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice (I used bottled lime juice)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice
• Cilantro to garnish

Directions:

Remove the husks and char the ears of corn, rotating on all sides, on the grill. You could also do this in a skillet on the stove like Jamie Deen did (see his recipe). Let cool, and then remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, rice, and cooled corn to a large bowl. Toss with the lime vinaigrette and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Did you enjoy any fun cookout recipes for your 4th?

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe was adapted from Iowa Girl Eats and it was so easy and delish! I did make a few substitutions and used the veggies that I prefer and have on-hand. You can always switch out and use whatever veggies you have on-hand or prefer. This took all of 20 mins to make and is for about 2 - 3 servings (you could double the recipe for a family). It does have a little kick to it, but not overly spicy (maybe a little much for kids). I think it would be fun to mix it up and try it with different veggie combinations. Overall it's a dish I can totally see adding to my go-to collection.

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
-- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
-- 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
-- black pepper
-- 2/3 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
-- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
-- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Thai chili garlic sauce
-- 4 cloves garlic, minced
-- 2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
-- snap peas (I used half a bag of frozen snap peas)
-- bell peppers (I used half of a yellow and half of a red bell pepper)
-- cashews (handfull or however many you would like
-- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, cooked according to package directions

Directions:
1. Toss together chicken, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, plus a couple grinds of black pepper in a bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, Thai chili garlic sauce, and garlic. Microwave for 20 seconds in the microwave, then stir and set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside, about 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables, and remaining oil if needed, then stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Add the sauce and cashews to the the wok/skillet, then let sauce bubble for 2 minutes. Serve over cooked white rice.

Clean Hummus

A few months ago I tried a 10-day cleanse. I had to eat "clean" for 10 days and it actually wasn't as hard as I had expected it to be. I came across this recipe for a clean hummus and it was a great way to make veggies more interesting. It was rather easy, and only required getting out my food processor (although cleaning food processors are never fun...ha!).

The recipe here is actually called Clean Hummus by Audrea's Aunt Sandy, but since I don't know who Andrea or Aunt Sandy is (I do have one though), I am just calling it Clean Hummus. I also added in some cayenne pepper and some fresh ground black pepper because I thought it was a little bland. Now season to taste and start by adding slowly. What I think is a ton may not be the same as what you think a ton is.

Please note that tahini looks like peanut butter, but it is really a paste of ground sesame seeds. I had an aweful time trying to find this, but finally found at Krogers in the organic peanut butter section. It looks like a jar of peanut butter, but more expensive -- like $8. I put it in my fridge to last longer.

~ Clean Hummus ~

Ingredients:

·    2 cans chick peas, drained

·    1/3C lemon juice

·    1/3 C olive oil

·    1 Tbsp garlic (I used minced garlic from the jar)

·    1/8 tsp sea salt

·    1 heaping tbsp tahini (The recipe suggested blending the whole jar of tahini first until smooth and put back in jar before adding to hummus. I was lazy and just stirred with a knife, but you may get better results by doing this)

·   Cayenne pepper and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Blend in food processor a long time (The recipe said 10ish minutes, but I think I maybe mixed it for about 3-4 mins). Add more lemon juice (or olive oil depending on your taste, the more lemon juice you add the more it will taste like lemon) for a good consistency.

For lunch over the weekend I had a little crudite type plate out on the patio. Some carrots with the clean hummus, cheese and apples with peanut butter is a great summer lunch or snack. And very heathy especially if you use the natural peanut butter that is just ground peanuts and nothing else. Meijer has an organic brand version of this that is great. No salt or other ingredients, just ground peanuts...yum!

Cheers to summer eating!

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats and am kind of obsessed with it. So obsessed I have made this for dinner 3 weeks in a row! It's just so easy, you can make it in the time it takes to brown ground meat, and it's healthy...holla!

I changed it up a little by using ground turkey instead of ground chicken breast and I omitted a few ingredients based on my own likings. Simple, easy, delish, and tastes like the real thing...I have had 3 other taste testers confirm and then they ate it all up in like 2 mins...no leftovers for this one!

I get about 12 wraps out of this recipe, so it's serves about 3-4 people for a light dinner (me) or an appetizer.

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• salt & pepper, a dash of each
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon water
• 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
• dash of fresh pepper
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
• 10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add ground turkey, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until turkey is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.

Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

Sunday Brunch: Bacon & Cheese Quinoa Cups

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago from Iowa Girl Eats for Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups. I have never cooked with Quinoa before and had been wanting to try it for a while. Quinoa is a grain that is like little seeds that after cooked puff up into a somewhat rice like consistency. It is a great healthy option to pasta or rice because it contains many essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, and iron - and it's gluten free!


So back to the recipe. These cups are kind of like little mini frittatas in single serving ramekins. I modified IGE's recipe slightly. I used turkey bacon instead of ham, and I decreased the recipe slightly. I ended up with 4 single servings (she made her's in mini muffin cups for a bite-sized version), although I ended up eating 2 because I was going to be working out in a few hours and didn't want to be hungry. If you are making other items for brunch I think one cup would be enough, but if you are just eating this for breakfast or brunch, you might want two (or find bigger ramekins!).


This was so very tastey and adding the Quinoa to the eggs helped to make it a more fulfilling meal. I think it would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner...and especially good for brunch!


Bacon & Cheese Quinoa Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (read package to determine cooking directions
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cooked turkey bacon
• 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First make quinoa based on package directions. Then combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Liberally spray ramekins with non-stick spray and spoon mixture to the top of each cup (they won't puff up too much so you can leave only about 1/4 of an inch at the top). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes and enjoy!

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe in the September 2011 Issue of Everyday Food and made it for dinner last week. This year I grew green bell peppers in my garden, and they were just getting ripe, so I was so happy to come across this recipe and couldn't wait to try it.

I used Butterball turkey sausage (dinner sausage) instead of the italian sausage in my version and it was so very good. I also omitted the breadcrumbs because I am trying to cut out wheat, so I just topped mine with cheese. I loved the zucchini in the stuffing because it gave it some extra texture.

I sort of halved the recipe and only used two peppers, so I got two servings out of the recipe below. Feel free to go to the link above for the original recipe.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Two servings

Recipe from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 1/4 pound turkey sausage (casings removed if yours comes in casings)
• 1 small zucchini, diced small
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
• More Parmesan for the topping
• 2 bell peppers (any color), halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a medium bowl.

3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet along with zucchini, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

4. Add zucchini mixture to bowl with sausage, along with Parmesan, rice, and 1 teaspoon oil; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.

5. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil and arrange bell peppers, cut side up, on sheet (or use foil like I did).

6. Divide rice mixture among peppers and top with breadcrumbs (or cheese in my case). Bake until tops are browned and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Since my bell peppers were kind of small (probably due to growing them in a container), I had a ton of stuffing left over (and I halved the recipe!), so I ended up eating just the stuffing for lunch the next day. I added some parmesan cheese on top and it was really good just eating the stuffing by itself!

Crunchy Honey Chicken

I came across this recipe a few months or so ago, and it has become one of my favorites. It's one of those dishes that tastes great the first night, and seems to be just as good, if not better, the next night as left overs. I made it for some of my friends a few weeks back and they totally loved it.

I think what I love most is the sauce which is like a tangy sweet sauce which consists of soy sauce, a little garlic and lots of honey. The slight crunch from the chicken, snap peas and peppers makes it feel kind of hearty, but yet kind of healthy.

I have made a few changes to the original recipe, such as switching out the broccoli for more snap peas, but I think you could use whatever veggie you prefer. I have this weird love affair for snap peas and like to add them to lots of different dishes =) I get about 3 servings out of my version below and it is so delish. My variation is as follows:

Crunchy Honey Chicken
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
About 3 servings

Ingredients:
-- 2 large skinless chicken breasts
-- 2 egg whites
-- 1/3 cup cornstarch (for dredging)
-- 1 package of frozen snap peas
-- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
-- 1 clove garlic, minced
-- 3 tablespoons olive oil
-- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or more if desired, yes please!)
-- 1/4 cup honey (or more if desired, yes please!)
-- salt and pepper to taste
-- rice (brown, white or whatever you prefer)

Directions:
Prepare and slice all veggies – feel free to add whatever you would like. In 2 separate bowls, add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and the cornstarch or flour. (The cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, I just use the same to make it easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Continue with remaining chicken pieces, and do so in batches if needed.

Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Serve with rice.

Skinny Girl Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from the book Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel. They are extremely healthy and have very little oil, no eggs and they use oat flour instead of regular or wheat flour. They also use raw sugar because Bethenny says this is better for you because it hasn't been processed. And they are pretty darn tasty!

I couldn't find oat flour in my store, so I ended up making my own by taking 1.5 cups of old fashioned oats and putting them in my mini-food processor and grinding them up until they are a flour consistency. There will still be some chunks, but because I add even more oats, you don't have to worry about getting it completely fine. Just try and get it ground up the best you can.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

-- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
-- 3/4 cups rolled oats
-- 1/2 tsp baking powder
-- 1/2 tsp baking soda
-- 1/2 tsp salt
-- 1/2 cup raw sugar
-- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used special dark chips!)
-- 1 tsp canola oil
-- 1/3 cup soymilk (I used skim milk b/c I don't like soy milk)
-- 1/2 cup banana puree (1 med sized banana)
-- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Combine all of the wet ingredients into a separate bowl. Mix dry and wet ingredients together until well combined.

Using a med-sized ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 6 mins, then turn the pan and bake for an additional 4 – 6 mins until golden brown.

The recipe says you get 10 large sized cookies, but I made mine a little smaller and got about 18 cookies. Enjoy!

Low Fat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I love the chocolate chip banana coffee cake at Starbucks, and have been wanting to try and recreate it. I came across this recipe the other day which is very similar. I used Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips, which make anything good. It was pretty close, I just should have added some chocolate chips to the top before baking. I didn't think about it until it was half way done.

Low Fat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:
-- 3 ripe bananas mashed
-- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
-- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
-- 1/2 cup sugar
-- 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
-- 1 egg
-- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-- 1/2- 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix wet ingredients together: bananas, sugar, applesauce, egg, vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together: both types of flour, baking soda, baking powder. Slowly mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Once mixed well, scraping bowl to make sure everything is incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cups).

Pour mixture into greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 - 50 mins. I put a piece of foil over the bread for the first 35 mins and then removed for the remaining 15 mins to make sure the bread didn't get too brown.

Pineapple Salsa and Homemade Tortilla Chips

I love making salsa, and I seem to be making some sort of salsa or dip every weekend. I am kind of addicted to perfecting the perfect salsa. This pineapple salsa is becoming one of my favorites, and I love making baked homemade tortilla chips. When made with whole wheat tortillas, they are lower in fat and calories than regular chips.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

-- 1 large can of pineapple tidbits
-- 1/4 of a red onion
-- 2 jalapeño peppers
-- 2 tablespoons of cilantro
-- 1 tablespoon lime juice
-- pinch of coarse salt to taste

Directions:

I like to put the red onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro in a small food processor to dice. You can also put the pineapple in for a couple of pulses if you want it crushed a little more (that is what I did in the picture above). Then mix in the lime juice and salt and enjoy!

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients:

-- Whole wheat tortillas cut into triangles (1 makes about 8 chips)
-- Spray butter or olive oil
-- Coarse salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cut tortillas into triangles and spread out on baking sheet. Spray with spray butter or brush with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle salt on one side. Bake for 5 mins, then turn them over and bake for an additional 2 mins until golden brown.

Skinnygirl Mojito

Saturday evening, I had a good friend over to watch a movie, and we tried these Skinnygirl Mojito's from Bethenny's book The Skinnygirl Dish. They were very good, but very strong. If you don't like them strong, I would recommend adding more soda (they are about half liquor/half soda).

Image from Bethenny's website

Skinnygirl Mojito

Ingredients:
-- 2 tbsp. fresh mint
-- 1/2 lime cut into 6 wedges
-- 1 cup ice
-- 1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
-- 1/2 tsp. gently warmed honey
-- 2 oz. clear rum
-- 4 oz. club soda (I used diet 7-up)
-- mint and lime for garnish

Directions:
In a martini shaker, use a long spoon to muddle the fresh mint (tear into smaller pieces first to release the flavor) and the 1/2 lime cut into 6 wedges. Add 1 cup ice and 1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice. Combine 1/2 tsp. gently warmed honey, 2 oz. clear rum and 4 oz. club soda. Add this combination to muddled mixture. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint and lime.

Squash and Zucchini Casserole

I tried this recipe a few weeks ago, and it was so delicious, I had to dig in before I could even get a picture (bad me!). This recipe came from the July/August 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen, and I was shocked there wasn’t any butter in it (especially since Paula usually cooks with at least a stick of butter). This was in the “light and luscious” section of the magazine and it was a lightened makeover of one of her recipes. I halved the recipe because I was cooking for myself, but I am providing the full recipe below.

Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:
-- 6 cups (1/4 inch thick) sliced yellow squash
-- 6 cups (1/4 inch thick) sliced zucchini
-- 1 teaspoon salt
-- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
-- 2 cups (1/4 inch thick) sliced yellow onion
-- 2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharper Cheddar cheese
-- 1 cup crushed reduced-fat round buttery crackers (Ritz)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine squash, zucchini, salt and pepper. Arrange half each of squash and zucchini in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the onion, and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Top with crushed crackers. Cover and bake until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until a lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Guilt-Free Spinach and Artichoke Dip

For my niece’s birthday party last weekend, I made a Guilt-Free Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Bethenny Frankle’s book Skinnygirl Dish. This dip was a big success, and I think almost everyone loved it. I modified it slightly for the ingredients I had available, but you can find the original recipe on Bethenny’s website.

Image from Bethenny's website

Ingredients:
-- 1 can of artichokes (about 9 ounces) well drained
-- 1 box spinach (about 9 ounces), defrosted and liquid drained
-- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-- 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
-- 1/4 container (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese
-- 2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise
-- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
-- 1 clove garlic, minced
-- 3/4 teaspoon salt
-- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
-- 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or more if you like it hot)

Directions:
Defrost the spinach in the refrigerator overnight (or in the microwave like I did), then drain in a colander in the sink or over a bowl. After drained, press with paper towels to get rid of any extra moisture that would dilute the dip’s flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese into a large bowl or into a food processor (I used the food processor). Blend or pulse until mostly smooth but leave some artichoke chunks for texture.

Pour the mixture into an oven-proof dish or casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just starting to bubble.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm with thin slices of baguette, raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips, crackers or pretzel sticks.