Foodie Fridays: Healthy Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

This weird weather has my allergies going Kookoo, and that means a yucky throat.  This hit the spot, was healthy and super easy!

Healthy Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

1 small Onion, minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, minced (remove seeds if you don't want it too spicy)
2 medium sized Sweet Potatoes
2 14 oz cans of  chopped Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
1 14 oz can Black Beans
2 T Butter or Olive Oil
2 t Chili Powder
1/2 t Salt
1.5 lbs Chicken Breast, poached and shredded.( I just used a roasted chicken from the grocery and shredded it by hand)
5 cups organic Chicken Broth
3 T ground Flaxmeal
Cilantro
Cojita Cheese

Saute garlic, onion, and jalapeno in butter in large soup pot over medium heat until tender. Add Chili Powder, salt  and potatoes and saute until until sweet potatoes are lightly browned. Add tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken, and broth.  Stir and cover with a tight fitting lid and keep over medium for 45 minutes without stirring.  After 45 minutes, uncover. If you want your stir a little more soupy, add 2 cups of water or less and stir to combine. Add flax and stir again.  Serve with chopped Cilantro and Cojita cheese.


Photo and Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Foodie Fridays: Brie and Apple Cresecents

So last Friday night was a girl's night at my place ala "Pinterest Party."  All of the girls brought something they have pinned but haven't gotten around to making and we made tulle and Ribbon Wreaths.  A few of the recipes were definite keepers. So today I'm sharing Amanda's Brie Crescents (and I don't really even like brie y'all)....so good!

Brie and Apple Crescents

1 green apple (sliced thin and peeled)
1 package of crescent dough
Brie, sliced in about 1" pieces
Whole Pecans
Honey

Roll out crescent dough on non stick surface, use pre-cut triangle shapes.  Layer a slice of apple, slice of brie, one whole pecan and a light drizzle of honey.  Wrap up and secure the dough on all sides so no filling is showing, otherwise the cheese will run out like the picture.  Repeat for all, then bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or so until lightly browned.

Bathroom Progress: Photo Fail

So our shiny new bathroom and I had an amazing photo session last night.  I was contorting my body for great angles, the bathroom was popping its hip and make sure its double chin wasn't showing....it was chemistry.  Cut to this morning, I skipped my happy butt into work to download my 75 images and make magic and Murphy's Law- I can't open the RAW files.......... #!$*&@!

So I will be re-shooting this weekend and promise to show the reveal on Monday *sigh* very anticlimactic, I know, so sorry!

But on somewhat happier news I have an Amazeballs recipe for ya'll today.  If you live anywhere near a Chuy's Tex Mex (they just opened one less than a mile from mi casa-HEAVEN).  The greatness that is Creamy Jalepeno is probably the top reason I go.  I mean, I dip my chips in it, I put it on my salad, I use it in my shrimp tacos.  Its liquid crack basically.  Well found a copycat recipe and NAILED it.  Try it ya'll!

CopyCat Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 (4oz) can chopped jalapenos, drained
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (1oz) packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp fresh garlic

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  That's it!

Foodie Fridays: Naughty Deep Dish Bourbon Apple Pie

About a month ago we had a Birthday Crawl for a friend through the up and coming Bishop Arts in South Dallas's Oak Cliff. And for desert we ended up at Emporium Pies which of course-was in a cute 1920's house that was completely renovated to an adorable pie shop and kitchen and stacked at least 30 people out of the door.

The Hubs and I shared the Snowball (I'm a sucker to coconut!) and the Lord of the Pies with Ice Cream (apple).  Well the LOTP won and I should've known because it was the only pie that was $1 more.  Talk about flaky crust, stacks of apples(apparently 10 whole apples go in to every pie), warm caramel and crunchy cinnamon streusel - it was so worthy of a copy cat or something!

Well I got an itch this week to re-create or at least find an equally drool worthy recipe (this one is Naughty because it has a little extra kick with the Bourbon), and with a few tweaks from a couple of recipes I think I found it.  And Holla!....the Hubs said it was equally as good- but Ice cream is a must (I used homemade whip). Let me put this out there though, this took a LONG time to make.  Fulfilling, but long.  However- this baby might help out and shave like 25-30 minutes from your prep time, I sure could have used it!  Also, these pies tend to get a little Paula Deen with the butter, so I cut some of that down as well as used Xylitol instead of white sugar to cut back (a little).

Naughty Deep Dish Bourbon Apple Pie

Crust:
2 Cups All Purpose
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Xylitol
11 tablespoons of chilled butter, cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Using a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, salt and Xylitol.  Add butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Add 4 tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough begins to form a ball or crumbles.  If it seems like it never gets there, add the 5th tablespoon and pulse. Gently mold the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Once chilled, roll out with a rolling pin or similar until the dough will cover bottom and a little over half way up the side of a 10" spring form pan.  Fold down side to make it a little extra thick and even all the way around.

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted
1/3 cup Xylitol
3 tablespoons of brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour
5 tablespoons chilled butter

Coarsely chop toasted nuts (I put them on a baking sheet and popped them in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes, be careful! They burn easily!)  In food processor, process sugars, cinnamon, salt and flour for about a minute. Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly.  Stir is pecans and and then refrigerate, covered until ready for use.

Filling:
5 to 6 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced thin(I used a mandolin, so the filling will look more layered)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
1 cup Xylitol
3/4 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Set oven to 375 degrees.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium and add sugar, cinnamon and sugar, stir until combined.  Pour in bourbon and simmer at least 5 minutes for the alcohol to burn off. Add cream and continue to cook until mixture starts to thicken.  Add peeled, sliced apples and gently stir until coated.

Pour filling into unbaked crust and evenly top with crumb topping.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping has browned.  Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

Photo via

    

Foodie Fridays: Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

I made this for our Superbowl Dip Party, and it was a complete hit.  Like so good people were asking for the recipe good.  It was practically crack desert dip.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 creamy peanut butter
8 oz, cream cheese, softened
3/4 powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
8 oz pkg of Reese's peanut butter cup mini ( or about 1 1/2 cup chopped Reese's cups)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in sugar and heat until sugar dissolves (about a minute)  Remove from heat immediately , add vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature (IMPORTANT!)

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and peanut butter until creamy (about 3-4 minutes, don't skimp on this!)  On low, add in cooled brown sugar mixture.  Mix until combined.   Fold in chocolate chips and cups.  Serve or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Enjoy with pretzels, animal crackers and graham sticks.

Recipe and Photo via Shugary Sweets

Foodie Fridays: Cauliflower au Gratin

When the weather is cold, we all run to the comfort of sweatpants, blankets and cheese :)  But that doesn't mean carb heavy!

I first ran into this Cauliflower Gratin at the hot food bar at Whole Foods (I still scan the bar everytime for those lovely mushroom crepes) and I was hooked.  This recipe I kind of eyeballed, so if you need to make adjustments, no worries.

Cauliflower au Gratin

1 large head of Cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1 jar of light Alfredo sauce
4 T Goat Cheese
Shredded/Sliced Cheese, I used Swiss
Panko bread crumbs
Garlic Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chopped cauliflower in microwave save dish, add water to bottom of dish, cover and microwave until fork tender (about 5-7 minutes).  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan saute chopped onions in butter until soft, add Alfredo, goat cheese and seasonings until all is melted.

Drain cauliflower and place into 9x13 oven safe dish, pour cheese sauce and gently mix until combined. Top with shredded/sliced cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes, then broil a few minutes until breadcrumbs toast up to a golden brown.

Photo

Foodie Fridays: Man Dip

Sorry for the late post, ya know- deadlines and Friday and all that.

Today's post is what I'm planning on cooking for the Hub's Football watching extravaganza.  Its called Man Dip...what comes to mind when you hear that title?  Lots of meat!  But rest assured ladies, its good and its couldn't be any easier.

Man Dip:

2-8oz packages of Cream Cheese (don't do fat free-no good)
1 can Rotel Hot
1 lb Hot pork sausage

Brown Sausage in a skillet, add Rotel and Cream Cheese.  Heat until melted. Keep warm in crock.  Serve hot with Tortilla Chips or Frito Scoops.

How easy is that?  Believe me, they will hover around the crock pot.

Foodie Friday: Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

I've had this recipe tucked away in my recipe collection for quite a awhile and decided to give it try for my annual Christmas baking and this was pretty awesome.  It seems like every Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe that I've ever come across produces a crispy, crunchy cookie.  Not this one- nothing but chewy goodness.  And I like that the PB ratio is a tad higher, for more oomph on the PB flavor.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (not natural or old fashioned)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 salt

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Ii a large bowl, cream together PB, butter, and sugars until well blended.  Beat in egg, milk, vanilla one at a time.  Combine Flour, baking powder, and salr: stir into creamed mixture. With your hands, roll tablespoons full of dough in balls (or use a cookie scoop).   Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Press each ball with fork tines to create crisscut pattern.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just lightly browned.  Don't over cook or they wont be chewy.  Cool on cookie sheet and store in airtight container.

Make 36 cookies.

Foodie Fridays: Deviled Bacon Egg and Cheese

Huge fan of Deviled eggs, in fact i'm pretty sure they are an amazing crowd pleaser- They never seem to last, but if they do, they are great to have in the fridge as a little protein snack and so easy! So on my quest to find my favorite version (like looking for the holy grail, because they are all pretty dang good).

Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs

12 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup + 2 T of real mayo
6 T of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon , plus some to garnish
1 seeded and chopped fresh jalapeno (optional)
1 T yellow mustard
Pinch of salt
Paprika to garnish

Slice eggs lengthwise and place all yolks in a bowl.  Add may, cheese, bacon, mustard, and salt, and mix together.

Fill each egg half with a rounded teaspoon full of yolk mixture.  Garnish with paprika and bacon crumbles or any other color you have on hand (chopped bell peppers give it another nice crunch). Chill until ready to serve.

Foodie Fridays: Hot Corn Dip

So I had the pleasure of attending a dear friend of mine's last night as a bacherlorette with a group of great girls- and that means drinks and food.  One of the hostesses made this pin from our said Bachelorette's Pin board and I couldn't stop inhaling it.  It will definitely make it to next week's Thanksgiving feast.  Try this one ya'll!!!

Hot Corn Dip:

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
2 T Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce, diced small
1 small can (4oz) diced Green Chiles, undrained
1/2 cup Mayo
1/4 t Garlic powder
1 11oz can of Corn, drained
1 small Tomato
2 T Cilantro, chopped
2 T Green Onions, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix cheeses, chipotle and green peppers, mayo, garlic powder and corn together.  Pour into oven safe dish.

Bake 20 mintues, or until hot and bubbly.  Top with diced tomatoes, cilantro and green onions.  Serve with tortillas chips.

Photo and Recipe via

Foodie Fridays: Low Carb Cassarole

I've been trying to low carb it lately (very loosely might I add) in time for holiday dresses and indulgent treats.  But when the weather turns cool, who wants a salad?  Well I think I found the casserole to hit the spot when you need feel like something heavier and not add to your waistline.  Even the hubs liked it!!  Of course, its meat on meat :)

Low Carb Chicken Cassarole:

3-4 cups diced cooked Chicken (I used a store-bought rotisserie to make it quick)
1 lb pork Sausage
4 stalks of Celery, chopped
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 lb Mushrooms
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 large head of Cauliflower, rough chopped
8 oz, sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste

Brown sausage with celery, onion and mushrooms.  Stir the softened cream cheese into the mixture until well blended.  Add cauliflower, cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix, then spread into a greased 9"x 13" baking dish.  Dust with Paprika.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly and top is lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Foodie Friday: Pulled Pork BBQ

I'm still on the crock pot kick, let’s hear it for not enough hours in the day!  And sandwiches always sound good to me-diet picks up next week.  This was pretty dang tasty with the slaw (mix your own or just the dry mix), pickles and BBQ sauce.  And it makes a ton!

Pulled Pork BBQ Carolina Style:

3-4 pounds pork butt roast
2 medium onions, sliced

2 T brown sugar
1 t paprika
2 t sea salt
1 t fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 t Woozy sauce
1 t red pepper flakes
2 t sugar
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4-1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Coleslaw (mix or dried)
Pickles
Hoagie Buns

Place sliced onions at bottom of crock.

Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper into a dry rub.  Rub all over roast, then place on top on onions in the crock.

Combine vinegar, woozy, red pepper, sugar, mustard, garlic salt, and cayenne.  Whisk until blended well.  Drizzle one half vinegar mixture on to roast, reserving remaining mixture in the fridge.

Cover the crock pot and cook on Low for 10-12 hours or until falls apart.  During last half of cook, drizzle last half of mixture.

Remove pork and onions to a bowl to shred the pork with two forks.  Pour on BBQ sauce to taste.  Serve as sandwiches, with slaw and pickles.

Recipe and Photo

Foodie Fridays: French Dip Pot Roast

Since things are settling down and I'm getting used to my new Kitchen (yay!!!) I've decided to, at the very least, start back up with the Foodie Fridays-Holla!

So Pot Roast has never been one of those things that I get excited about, the meat seems like its dry in nature and not a ton of flavor, plus I'm not a fan of the carrots and potatoes its usually paired with.  Anywhoo, I surprisingly really enjoyed the Pot Roast sandwich from McAlisters Deli so I thought I'd give this recipe a try- and DANG!!!!  Now on the Crock pot rotation in our house!

French Dip Pot Roast (from a Crock):

1 3-4 pound boneless Roast Beef (chuck or round roast)

1 cup Beef Broth

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Honey

1 teaspoon Red Pepper lakes

4 cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

8 Crusty Bread hoagie

Mix Beef Broth, Balsamic, Woozy, Soy Sauce, Honey, Red Pepper and Garlic together then pour into the bottom of the crock, Cut Beef into quarters (cut out as much fat as possible) and arrange in crock, covered in sauce.  Cook on Low for 8 hours.

Once the beef is cooked, take meat out and shred with fork, set aside.  Put crock juice into a small sauce pan with brown sugar on High, stirring until sugar dissolved.  Reduce to Medium High and let simmer until it begins to thicken.  Enjoy Beef on a toasty hoagie and dip into sauce.

Photo Credit from Add a Pinch

Foodie Friday: Tomato Artichoke Chicken Bake

This a good one ya'll, and pretty stinking healthy :)  Happy Friday!

Tomato Artichoke Chicken Bake

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-5 Roma Tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 jars of artichoke hearts in water, quartered
2 tablespoons of flour (to absorb liquid)
1 teaspoon stevia
salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated mozzarella cheese
fresh basil, chopped

Salt and Pepper your thawed chicken, set aside.  In another bowl combine tomatoes, garlic, artichokes, flour, stevia.  Place the tomato mixture in with the chicken in a oven safe dish.  Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is almost done, about 30 min.  Take out of oven and top with mozzarella then put back in oven until chicken runs clear and the vegetables are caramelized.  Take out of oven and top with fresh basil.  Serve by itself or over cook spaghetti squash "pasta."

Recipe/Photo adapted  

Foodie Friday: Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Ok so I consider myself a Mac and Cheese fan, powdery, fake cheese just doesn't cut it if I'm going to spend the calories, only sharp cheddar will do.  So when I came across a healthy mac and cheese, with a veggie I had to try.

From my taste perspective, this wasn't as cheesy tasting as I would have liked so I would sub cheddar instead of gruyere (which I did below).  BUT this recipe does have its place.... with the kiddies.  By just looking at it, it looks like cheesy overload, so I think its a great way to fool the kids into another veggie.  So this is for you Moms/Nannies out there, one veggie down!

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

1 large sweet potato, cubed
1 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cups organic milk
2 garlic cloves
1 t sea salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
3 T greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the sweet potato, veggie broth, milk and garlic to e medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. Remove from the heat.

Place the hot sweet potato mixture in a blender. Add the salt, pepper and the Greek yogurt. Be sure to remove the center piece to the blender lid to allow the steam to escape. Place a towel over the blender lid. Blend until smooth.Place the blended sweet potato mixture in a bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, Romano and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add the pasta to the sweet potato mixture and combine well. Spread mixture evenly in a 13×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 4.

Inspired by “Mac n’ Cheese:  The Creamiest Ever”, Cooking Light, September 2011

Foodie Fridays: Tuna Cassarole- Low Carb Style

I was craving something to soothe the soul, since the weather has been pretty down, but since New Year's resolution started it had to be healthy-- Enter Low Carb.  This was seriously good ya'll (unless you don't like tuna of course.)  It will definitely be in my rotation.

INGREDIENTS:

2 heads cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onion
1 jar prepared Light Alfredo sauce
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
2 cans water packed tuna
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen peas --I used more! :)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring large pot of water to boil. Cut cauliflower into small bite sized florets. Once water comes to rolling boil, salt water and stir in cauliflower pieces. Cook until cauliflower is soft. Drain and set aside. In same pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until soft, 5 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Pour in Alfredo sauce. Pour milk into jar of Alfredo sauce, replace lid and shake to remove any excess. Uncap and pour into pot. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese into sauce and stir until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. Pour in cauliflower, tuna, and frozen peas. Stir until everything is well mixed and coated in sauce. Splash in a little milk if sauce seems to thick. Transfer to oven safe dish or small dishes and smooth the top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Then place dish under hot broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve hot.

Recipe and photo adapted from

Foodie Fridays: White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

One of my favorite things about the weather getting colder is the Cranberry Bliss bars at Starbucks, and if you haven't had one, you are truly missing out my friends.  But the thing about loving a holiday treat, is just that, its only around for the holidays...boo! Doesn't this look great for Valentines day too?!?!?! So of course I hunted for the best replica I could find, and after a  little trial and error, I found it.  And it was a hit :)  PS- I know this isn't the healthiest thing on the planet, but we all have our weaknesses right?

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Blondie Layer

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Zest from 1 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave; stir in brown sugar. Scrape the butter & sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (the batter will be thick).

3. Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well-blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries and orange zest. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe and Photo adapted from RecipeGirl

Foodie Fridays: Spagehtti Squash and Tomato Bake

This is super yummy, and way better than carb-filled pasta bakes...OK who am I kidding, nothing beats pasta, but this is pretty darn good! If you have never had spaghetti squash, you need to its a mild squash that subs perfectly for spaghetti noodles with a little crunch.

About 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (1 medium one)

2 large garden tomatoes sliced

Kosher Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder,

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Dried Basil

Dried Parsley for sprinkling

5oz of fancy shredded Mexican cheese blend (separated)

Fresh Basil for Garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 11 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Spread about 1 cup of spaghetti squash on the bottom. Top with 1.5 oz of cheese.

Add another layer of squash, then tomatoes, spices and cheese. Add final layer of squash. Top with the last 2 oz of cheese and sprinkle with the spices one last time.  Bake for 30 minutes uncovered.

Image and Recipe

Foodie Fridays: Fish Tacos

I was in the mood for something light this week and fish tacos are one of those things that always sounds good to me, add in the cilantro lime sauce and I'm sold. 

However, I can tell this recipe is not be from south, seeing a though the seasoning was a little mild for my taste.  I think using some store bought blackening seasoning would be just as good and eliminate half of the ingredients.  That being said, the seasoning had some potential, I would just double the quantities and maybe add a little cayenne. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup thinly sliced white onion

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

1 tablespoon canola oil

(6-inch) corn tortillas

1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced

4 lime wedges

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine jalapeño sauce and onion in a small bowl.
2. Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through ground red pepper); sprinkle evenly over fish. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish, onion mixture, and avocado evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe via Cooking Light
MARCH 2011

 

Image via MyRecipe.com

Foodie Fridays: Chocolate Banana Bread

My freezer has gone bananas...literally.  I am the queen of not eating the bananas fast enough and low and behold, I end up with a freezer full of black bananas, but they are sooooo good to cook with so don't be scared.  Although, the typical banana muffins and bread are starting to get a little old to me even when I spice them up with agave, sugar free, nuts, flax.  So I was jumping at the chance to try this Chocolate Banana Bread recipe.  And so glad I did because it was super yummy.

I did change it up a bit, didn't use the marshmallows from the original recipe and made it sugar free (trying to be guilt free with something as decadent as Chocolate Banana Bread!)  I think next time I will try making it more dense like noted below, mine turned out with a traditional bread texture.

Chocolate Banana Bread

1 stick unsalted softened butter
1 cup  Xylitol (If you haven't tried this you need to, can't tell the dif from sugar, AND its natural)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 medium-large ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray bread pan (9×4 or 9×5 inch) with cooking spray.
Cream butter and sugar into a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla mixing to combine. Mash all bananas and add to bowl, mixing to combine. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, stirring to combine. Pour into prepared bread pan, spreading evenly on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until baked through. Remove and let cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. When cool, cut into slices and serve.

Note: If you want the bread to be dense and almost bread pudding like leave out the baking soda and baking powder and reduce the flour to 1 cup. For a more traditional textured bread pudding follow the recipe as stated

Original Recipe and Photo