Mmmm Umm Good

Broccoli Chicken Divan

2010-11-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

This recipe was super easy and delicious and makes a lot. A great recipe for a large family it will last me and the hubbie all week. He loved it.

Ingredients

1 pound chopped fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat( I boiled 3 chicken breast with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin.)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Place the cooked broccoli in a 9x13 pan. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

Garlic-Lime Shrimp Quesadillas

2010-11-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

So I have been away from this blog way too long. So much has been going on and I really plan to get back blogging. Been a busy little bee lately. But anyways I made these Garlic Lime shrimp Quesadillas and they were so good, quick and easy.

Ingredients ~
3/4 lb medium shrimp, cooked
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 ounce cream cheese (1/3 of a small package), softened
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
4 10-inch flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
Guacamole and sour cream

Directions ~
Peel the shrimp completely, including tails. Chop them into 1/2-inch pieces and place them in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the lime juice and garlic and toss to combine. Set aside for 25 minutes to marinate, then drain off any liquid that has accumulated. Add the lime zest, and jalapeños and mix well.

In a separate bowl, blend the softened cream cheese, scallions and cilantro with a fork. Add in 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese and combine thoroughly.

Prepare the tortillas by spreading 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto one half of each tortilla.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and swirl the pan to coat evenly. Place one tortilla in the pan, cheese side up. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/4 of the shrimp mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack on top of the shrimp, fold the other side of the tortilla up over the mixture and press gently.

Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese on the bottom has melted and the tortilla is golden brown. Flip carefully and cook for another minute until all the cheese has melted and that side is golden brown as well. Transfer to a platter to keep warm and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

This turned out so good. So quick easy and tasty.

Broccoli & Shrimp Ravioli

2010-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

This was super easy and so good. I bought a bag of Trader Joes four cheese ravioli and boiled for about 12 mins then set aside. Then in separate pan saute shrimp, 1 teaspoon EVOO, 2 cloves of garlic minced salt and pepper. Steamed a bunch of fresh broccoli and mixed with the shrimp. Then tossed together with Trader Joe Alfredo sauce. And topped with grated Asiago cheese. Total meal took about 20mins tops.

Fuego and Fadi's...

2010-09-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

I did a lot of traveling this summer (Houston, Detroit, Chicago, New Jersey, Philly, Virginia Beach) so this is why there has been a big gap in updates to my blog from June-Aug. During this summer I have had the chance to try out a some nice new places while I was on vacay! This pic here is from Fuego's is this awesome Halal Mexican restrauant in Dearborn Michigan. The food is so good and reasonably priced. I ordered a mixed sampler, wings, tortillas , stuffed mushrooms, jalapeno poppers. My brothers ordered tacos and quesadillas which were awesome. Cant wait to go back ! :-)

<----- This picture is from Fadi's Grill in Houston Texas. OMG this was so good. I had lamb almond rice, beef humus and artichoke salad. Fadi's is a must if your in the Houston area. They are 100% halal and serve many organic foods and everything is fresh and delicious. Also you can get a huge plate for around $9. Its a Mediterranean restaurant which everything is served cafeteria style but really fresh and good. They have about 6 different kinds of humus and a dozen different salads to choose from.

Pan Fried Catfish

2010-09-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy for nice southern dinner. I made these with mac and cheese , corn bread and cabbage nice southern classic.

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 (4 ounce) fillets catfish
1 cup milk
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

In a mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, cayenne pepper, paprika and onion powder. Mix well. Pour mixture onto a large sheet of waxed paper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Pour milk into a medium bowl. Dip catfish fillets into milk and hold up and let the milk drip off. Roll the milk-soaked fillet in the cornmeal mixture until completely covered. Set aside.
Fry the garlic in the hot skillet, but do not burn. Add the coated catfish fillets and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, sprinkling salt on the fish after each turn. Cook until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels.

Gourmet Chicken Salad

2010-09-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make something light and quick with some leftover chicken breast I had. This was so good and perfect for lunch. I actually made this for dinner with sweet potato fries.

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) cans chicken chunks, drained
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (8 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup creamy cucumber salad dressing

Directions

Mix together chicken, grapes, nuts, celery, oranges, and dressing. Chill.

Banana Pudding ..an Eid favorite !!

2010-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

This Banana Pudding recipe is so easy and good. We usually try to make it for Eid and for iftar dinners. We made some this year for our Eid dinner and it was gone in 60 secs. Another variation of this that I have tried is use shortbread cookies and vanilla wafers and mix as you layer. This is really good.

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.
Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

2010-06-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a cheesecake for our anniversary since we had cheesecake on our wedding day and red velvet cake for our Walima. But ended up making this a few days after our anniversary today. This cake was really good but takes way to long to make. Plan on making a day prior to the day you plan on serving. The frosting was really good but got kinda messy was my first time using an icing bag. Note to self next time chill the frosting before icing the cake. Otherwise it still was really good but very rich.

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Crust Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Red Velvet Filling Ingredients:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, beaten slightly
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 (1 ounce) bottles red food coloring

Topping Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberries for garnish

Red Velvet Cheesecake Directions:

1. Mix together chocolate graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add melted butter and mix well.

2. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes; cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and sugar and beat with a mixer until combined.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Add cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and red food coloring and continue to beat until filling is smooth and well mixed.

6. Pour batter into prepared crust and bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake looks almost set. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool in pan. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight (in pan).

7. To make the topping: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of spring-form pan and garnish if desired with fresh strawberries.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

2010-05-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

These were so good. This recipe made a lot. The chicken and black bean combination is really filling. Made this with cilantro lime rice was amazing!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup prepared sweet corn salsa
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey jack and or Cheddar
fajita season or taco seasoning mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add chicken and saute 5 minutes,Add taco seasoning mix , cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

In 2nd pan .stir in black beans, and salsa and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Arrange 4 tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken mixture, and black beans, add cheese. Coat shallow baking dish with enchilada sauce. Roll up tortillas and place side by side in a shallow baking dish. Top tortillas with Enchiladas sauce and shredded cheese (1/3 cup per tortilla).

Bake enchiladas 15 minutes, until cheese is golden and gooey!

Easy Chicken Stirfry

2010-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yum yum and then some. This meal was super easy, quick and tasty. I used pre-cooked chicken, and store bought Teriyaki marinade. If you have the time to make your own marinade here is a simple recipe that I've used before that is pretty awesome. But since finals were coming up I went with the bottle.
Teriyaki Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Ingredients

2-cups chicken cut up
2 cups Asian vegetable medley stir-fry mix (wally world has huge bag for $5)
Teriyaki sauce
Basmati rice 1 1/2 cups
1 tablespoon Garlic ginger paste (from local Indian market)
salt
pepper
1 red bell pepper sliced
1/2 white onion diced
1 1/2 tablespoon EVOO

Directions:
Make small pot of rice ~set aside.
Saute chicken in EVOO , add garlic ginger paste, bell pepper, onion, spices, and cook until chicken is done. Add veggies and Teriyaki sauce, cook another 10mins until veggies are done. Serve over rice. Viola. Using precooked chicken and marinade this only takes about 20-25mins tops. Enjoy!

High protien Parfait

2010-05-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

Ok so, I have really been slacking on this amazing blog. But for good reason. This semester has been crazy, and it is finally over. I'm free, free at last. That's cause enough for celebration. Oh did I mention I graduated this past week. Yeah I know , I'm kinda a big deal. Ok, back to reality. I still have been cooking this whole time during crunch time and finals. Nothing extra special, no 5 course award winning meals coming out this kitchen this last month but still tasty. So the next couple of post will be updates of what I made , quick easy dishes, that I had no time to blog about.

Prior to this post, lots of my updates have been filled with chocolate, something fating, or something with melted cheese on it. Its not that I don't eat healthy, I do I promise, its just no time for updates. Anyhoo during this semester this was one of my favorite things for breakfast. Much better than the little .99 cent fruit and yogurt parfait from MickyDs. Start with 6-80z of Greek Yogurt. Must get the Greek kind has 13g of protein in it. Add strawberries, bananas, more yogurt and sprinkle with granola cereal. This little breakfast combo kept me energized and full for hours of studying. And was High in protein, and low in fat, a great combination.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza ..omg so good

2010-04-11T16:57:00.001-07:00

Omg this pizza was so good. Ok so if you read the previous post you can see I made Buffalo chicken wraps. If you didn't read the previous post shame on you, because you are missing out on wraps that are borderline amazing. So anyways, although the wraps were oh so yummy they kept falling apart, partly due to the greediness of over stuffing them. (note to self buy bigger wraps next time). So since I still had quite a bit of the buffalo chicken left I decided to make some buffalo chicken pizza. After all you know what they say, a meal is a terrible thing to waste.

Ingredients:
1 Boboli original pizza crust
1 cup cut buffalo chicken strips
1/4 red onion sliced small
*about* 1/3 cup Blue cheese dressing
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
Sargento Italian cheese mix (however much you like)
Franks redhot hot sauce
Directions :

Pour blue cheese dressing onto pizza crust, but do not go overboard, blue cheese dressing does not dry up when baking like traditional tomato base pizza sauce. You do not want a soupy pizza.
Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese. Add chicken and dash of redhot sauce , add onions, and cheddar and Italian cheeses.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 mins depending on oven.
Viola! amazing party in your mouth pizza.

Buffalo chicken wraps

2010-04-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make something light since it was nice and sunny outside and also didn't feel like slaving in the kitchen for 5 hours. So, decided to go with Buffalo chicken wraps and waffle fries. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/3 cup red hot hotsauce
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
dash salt, pepper, garlic power
lettuce
mozzarella cheese
blue cheese dressing
10in. honey wheat tortilla wraps

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper and marinate for at least one hour.
Remove chicken from fridge and grill in George foreman (or bake if you choose)
Melt butter and mix with Franks red hotsauce . Cut chicken into slices and add to hot sauce mix well to all chicken is coated.
Place chicken in tortilla wrap, add lettuce, cheese and blue cheese dressing, fold tortilla over and wrap to close.
Enjoy.
I wanted my cheese melted in this recipe so after I wrapped the tortillas I added them back to the George foreman grill and melted the cheese. YUMM.

Baked Ziti

2010-04-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

This was really good. I made two big pans of this one for my bestie who just had the cutest little pumpkin baby. This recipe defiantly makes a lot so you should be prepared... or have greedy people on hand. I used ground lamb instead of ground beef and whole wheat pasta, and low fat sour cream for a healthier version.

Ingredients

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Butter chicken and Mac & Cheese

2010-04-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

This was so good. The chicken turned out moist and delicious :-)

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 Italian bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.
Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter around the chicken.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Mac & Cheese

Its hard for me to give this exact recipe because I just eye ball the measurements. And go based on taste.But this mac & cheese is so good always. The key is the evaporated milk , makes the cheese sauce
taste much richer than regular 2% milk.

Ingredients
1 1lb. box elbow macaroni
2 cups grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter
1 1/3 cup shredded muenster cheese
salt, pepper
olive oil
dash season salt.

Directions:

Boil noodles in tablespoon of olive oil and dash of salt until done.Drain and set aside
melt butter in large pot slowly adding the evaporated milk. Once butter and milk bubbly slowly add 1/2 of the cheddar and all muenster cheese. Stirring constantly until cheese sauce is nice consistency. If desired add corn starch to thicken. Add salt and pepper to cheese sauce. Add the noddles and then stir the rest of the cheeses.
sprinkle with season salt and serve. Viola!

Chicken Tetrazzini ...Pawl loves it LOL

2010-04-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

So one day I am watching talk soup on E! and they showed this oh so funny clip of a woman on Maury saying her best friend is seducing her boyfriend with chicken tetrazzini. So naturally I had to go to Youtube and watch it about 10 times, then I thought hmm...well if Pawl loves it maybe my hubbie will too..lol So without further ado here is the infamous chicken tetrazini video and recipe. This was my first time making it, I had never heard of such a recipe until Maury/via talk soup. The wonders of t.v bringing me countless laughs and good eats ... one meal at a time.

Ingredients

1 pound cooked and drained spaghetti
5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or 1 cream mushroom 1 cream broccoli)
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup butter
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Fresh veggies steamed i used broccli
3/4 cups mushrooms sliced
1 small onion diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
1-2 tablespoons EVOO
salt, pepper, garlic power to taste.

Directions

Boil chicken breast then cube or shred and set aside.
Cook pasta and set aside. Saute diced onion, garlic, and mushrooms in EVOO.
Steam broccoli season with salt, pepper.
In medium saucepan heat together soup, water, butter, and bouillon. Bring to a boil and then add pasta and chicken. Add veggies , onion, & mushrooms. Pour into 9X13 pan.
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cheese melted.

(I found this recipe at allrecipes then I added a the mushrooms, onion and garlic, and broccoli)
***Video does contain cursing may or may not be appropriate for the workplace ***

Sweet Balsamic Salmon

2010-04-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

We love salmon and I like to try new things with it since we eat it often. I marinaded 4 salmon fillets in a sweet balsamic marinade which was super easy to make. If you aren't as awesome as me then you can use any store marinade and it will still taste good. I served this with loaded baked potato and steamed veggies.

Marinade Ingredients

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup finely minced sweet onion
cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, brown sugar, onion, and pepper. Pour over salmon, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours, turning meat occasionally.
Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place salmon in shallow baking dish and add sliced onions. Bake for 15-20mins or until salmon is golden and glazed. Delish!

Strawberry Pecan Salad so good

2010-03-31T22:22:00.001-07:00

This salad was so good. I wanted a new salad from the usual boring tossed salad mix so decided to buy a new dressing and try out some flavor combination ...wow this was amazing I am like some salad genius. There should be some best salad award named after me, that's how good this salad is. This salad is a really good kick off to spring, its light and fresh and sweet. The pear Gorgonzola dressing is the perfect combination with the strawberries and pecans.

Ingredients:
4 ripe strawberries
handful of dried cranberries
candied pecans
crumbled goat cheese
Romain lettuce
iceberg lettuce
purple cabbage
Dressing Trader Joes Pear vinaigrette

Directions:
Toss all the ingredients in one large bowl and serve fresh with Pear dressing.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

2010-03-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

Because I don't have a personal assistant and refuse to eat fast food my slowcooker has become my new favorite little helper. Any busy girl needs a slow cooker, it's a must. We eat lamb stroganoff pretty often and love it so I wanted to see about a chicken stroganoff recipe. The recipe calls for chicken breast, but I made with a whole chicken, next time I will use chicken breast so I wont have to worry abut the bones. Right before serving I sauteed fresh mushrooms and onions in EVOO and garlic and added to the dish. So delicious! I found this recipe at all recipes but it is pretty basic so I added a few things.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1/8 cup margarine
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 small potatoes cut up
garlic power , salt, pepper to taste
1/3 pack of lipton onion soup mix
1/2 onion diced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Directions
1. Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix, spices, onion soup mix, potatoes, in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.
3. Before serving, saute garlic, mushrooms and onion in olive oil until golden brown then mix into crock pot.
4. serve over rice or noodles.

Garlic Mashed potatoes

2010-03-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

This meal was delish. Here is a quick easy and delicious recipe for garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.

Ingredients:

8 large potatoes cubed
1 can chicken broth or bouillon cube
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sourcream
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
3-5 garlic cloves crushed

Boil the cut potatoes in chicken broth until soft. Drain potatoes then set aside. In medium saucepan melt butter, add crushed garlic and cheese, add potatoes. Slowly pour milk for perfect consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. I served this with Lamb meat loaf garlic bread and an amazing salad.

The best chocolate chip cookies ever..really

2010-03-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been quite awhile since I have posted to my blog mid February to be exact. So I figured now is a good time as ever to finally give some updates. These cookies are most defiantly blog worthy so I had to share them. They are so good and so soft, and they bake up nice and big and thick. I think the only thing I will do next time is add walnuts. This recipe makes for 72 cookies so if your not as greedy half it for less. The key with this recipe is the vanilla pudding. Make sure you mix it dry. Do not attempt to make the pudding then add to the mix, just put in in dry and viola! Amazing chocolate goodness.

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

2010-02-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

Mmmm Ummm Good! Lasagna is a favorite in our house but I wanted to try something different with it. I am so glad I tried this recipe. It does take a crazy long time to make and you will probably dirty every pot and pan you own but the result is well worth it. I first marinated the chicken in Garlic paste , EVOO and salt and pepper for 2 hours. I then cooked in the George Foreman grill and followed the recipe below. I did make about 1/3 more cheese sauce and added broccoli to the mix. It was so delicious!

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make some white chocolate chip cookies for quite awhile now but haven't been able to find macadamia nuts. Instead I found this recipe and I had everything else on hand so I made these. OMG so good and not overly sweet. I also added some candied pecans (Trader Joes gotta luv that store)

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened (or butter flavored crisco)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
2/3 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup pecans optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine oats, flour, salt, and baking soda; stir into butter mixture one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Southern Peach Cobbler

2010-01-19T08:26:00.001-08:00

Yum. I made this the other day for the hubbie. It was gone in 60 secs. Very easy recipe and turned out delish. Serve with Vanilla Ice cream or cool whip. I got the recipe here at all recipes.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 (29 ounce) can sliced canned peaches, drained
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Pour milk into dry ingredients and then stir in melted margarine. Mix thoroughly.
Grease pan with butter to avoid sticking.Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Arrange peaches on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Ginger Chutney

2010-01-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try out something new for dinner so I decided to make some grilled Mahi Mahi. This was so good. Recipe also works well with chicken. Or the pre made Ginger mango chutney that you can buy from Trader Joes. I used the george forman grill since its way too cold to go outdoors for grilling.

Ingredients

2 pounds mahi mahi
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and pureed 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons oil 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mango Chutney
2 large ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tablespoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Preparation

Rinse Mahi mahi and pat dry. Pierce surface of fish with a fork and place in a resealable plastic bag with pureed mango, balsamic vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Combine all chutney ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes more to cook off excess liquid; let cool. (May be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.) When ready to serve, remove fish from marinade and grill over medium coals for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with Mango Chutney and rice.

Edamame...eda what?

2010-01-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

Edamame are baby soybeans still in the pod and are so good. I tried them for the first time last week at a place called XS in downtown Baltimore and became instantly hooked. Thanks to the lovely Aidah for putting me on to these. I feel like I have been missing out on these my whole life. They are really easy to make and a great healthy snack. Trader Joe's offers the salted and non-salted kind. They both are 10 grams protein and 5 grams of fiber ! I made these tonight with Mahi mahi and brown rice. I am trying to kick the new year off eating healthier dishes :-)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Edamame
Salt - dash of salt

Directions
Boil or steam Edamame of 5 mins.
Sprinkle with salt and serve. Voila! So good.

Buffalo Hot Wings Mmm Umm Good !

2010-01-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make some good game night ready food. Me and the hubbie watch a lot of football so decided to make some hot wings and pizza. This recipe was super easy and they were so good. The recipe is supposed to be as close to hooters wings as possible. I cant vouch for that , I have never had Hooters wings but these wings are awesome. These were inhaled at my house, gone in 60 secs lol. Perfect with blue cheese dressing!

Ingredients

oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 chicken wings

Directions

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Chocolate chip banana nut muffins

2010-01-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Omg these were so awesome! I had a few bananas going to waste and I hate wasting food. Wasting food is like some sort of crime ...if not it should be. So I decided to make some banana nut muffins. I used a recipe from all recipes then added a few key ingredients to make it delish! These turned out really really good. Perfect for brunch or dessert even. The chocolate chips are not part of the original recipe but give the muffins a nice chocolaty kick.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1 teas. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Almond extract
4 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (6-7 bananas)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
*For extra yumminess place cream cheese squares in middle on each muffin then add more batter to cover.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

<--- note the cream cheese center in the sliced muffin on the left :-) yum yum

Chicken fried Rice & Crab Rangoon :-)

2010-01-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

Yum Yum and dem some! I really wanted to expand my culinary palate and try out cooking some more Asian dishes so decided to try to make chicken fried rice and crab rangoons. Both of these recipes were super easy .The rice was good not 100% like the local Chinese joint , more like 85% but still yummy. The crab Rangoon's omg so so so good, taste 110% authentic

Chicken fried Rice

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 onion
1 1/2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken meat
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large carrots, diced
2 green onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup fresh pea pods, halved
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
2 cups cooked white rice (make sure rice is cold)
3 eggs
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas

Directions

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat and butter. Add onion and saute until soft, then add chicken and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in carrots, green onion, red bell pepper, pea pods and green bell pepper and stir-fry another 5 minutes. Then add rice and stir thoroughly.
Finally, stir in scrambled eggs and 1/3 cup soy sauce, heat through and serve hot.

Crab Rangoon Recipe

Ingredients

1- 8oz pack of Philly cream cheese
1- 6oz can of Crab meat
2 - green scallions cut small
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
pack of won ton wraps
small bowl of warm water

Directions:
This recipe was really easy , however the hardest part about making these are folding them.

Mix all ingredient in large bowl.
Place small amount of mix in won ton
with finger apply water along the bottom of the won ton wrap then fold the top over to seal
After triangle is made with the won ton, push the middle part in with thumb and add water to left corner of won ton.
Fold over the two corners. Finished product will look like the picture if done correctly.
Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce. Enjoy!

I have added this video that shows step by step directions for the crab Rangoon's and the recipe I used. These are super easy once you get the hang of it and turned out so good. These were easy but takes about 1 hr to make the whole batch (around 34 Rangoon's) Another thing to remember when sealing the corners make sure you press down firmly to ensure that there are no spaces where the mix will pop out when frying.

Curried Coconut Chicken

2010-01-02T22:01:00.001-08:00

Ok ,wow its been awhile since I have updated my blog. Final exam week was crazy...then I went on a lil tour to visit the fam now I am back. I made this dish new years eve ...kick off the year with a bang lots of spices but so good. I found the recipe of course from allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit. I served with some Garlic Naan bread and it was Delish!

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can of sweet peas (optional)

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

2009-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

This was ummm... good. I needed to make something quick and easy the hubbie had to go to halakah so this was perfect. I wasnt too excited with the end result, I hate using a recipe from all recipes and people are all like "OMG this was the best thing since sliced bread". Next thing you know you make it and feel like you wasted your ingredients. My husband really liked it, but i felt it didn't live up to the hype. Next time will use the chicken for Alfredo or something more yummier.The chicken itself was really good, the combination of it with the noodles...umm not so much. Maybe more sauce was needed. Who knows. lol. I used this base recipe from all recipes and changed a few things, I added more garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning to the bread crumb mix. I also salt/pepper the chicken before I added the egg and crumb mix.

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces pasta sauce
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Pour tomato sauce into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over each breast, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Easy Spinach Lasagna

2009-11-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

I wanted to some lasagna but wanted to use a quicker recipe than what I normally use. This was quick and easy and so good. Made a brownie cheesecake to go with this . Stay posted for the recipe and pics.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1/2 lb sausage

1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 jar pasta sauce :-)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1(15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup asaigo cheese
Easy just bake lasagna noodles (12)
half bag frozen spinach

Directions : In skillet saute garlic and sausage, add ground beef and spices cook till brown. Add pasta sauce and tomato sauce to meat. Steam spinach and set aside .Add Spinach to large bowl. Add 1 egg , salt, to ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and mix. Layer pasta sauce mix, noodles, ricotta spinach mix, pasta meat sauce, mozzarella cheese, asaigo cheese and continue until done. Bake in preheated oven for 40mins.

Rosemary Salmon Burgers with Portobello Mushroom caps...And Sweet Potato Fries ! Yum

2009-11-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try something new with salmon and these burgers were so good, very flavorful and the mushroom caps instead of buns made a nice juicy combination. I paired these burgers with home made sweet potato fries and turned out delicious . Nice healthy dinner!

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds king salmon fillet, skinned and de-boned
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Prepare the salmon by cutting into strips, cutting the strips crosswise, and chopping the fish until well minced. Be sure to remove any remaining bones.
In a large bowl, mix the minced salmon with bread crumbs, red onion, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and eggs. Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Chill at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Form the salmon mixture into 8 burger patties. Lightly coat each patty with olive oil.
Place salmon patties on the grill, and cook 8 mins.I used my George forman grill and the burgers turned out nice and juicy didn't miss the beef at all.
Grill 4 large mushroom caps to use instead of buns.

Sweet potato fries: Cut 2 large sweet potatoes into fries, place 2tbs Olive oil into zip lock bag, add seasoning salt, garlic powder and peper , shake....and bake for 40 turning fries every 20mins.

Pastrami Grilled Cheese with provolone and cheddar

2009-11-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Yum Yum and then some. Made this the other day for lunch just now getting around to blogging about it. Used whole wheat 7 grain bread, few pieces of pastrami and lots of cheese. Ok so for those of you who need the directions for a grilled cheese sandwich , hmm well I feel sorry for you. Kidding ...ok here are the ingredients and simple steps to make a quick easy satisfying lunch. I paired this with some sliced apples so my lunch was sort of healthy. Sometimes you have to apply the 80-20 rule to cooking. As long as you work out, it will work out in the end.

Ingredients :
2 pieces whole wheat bread
2 pieces pastrami
1 slice provolone cheese
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter or landolakes spreadable butter

Directions:
First heat pastrami in skillet on med heat for 3 mins. Set aside.
spread butter on bread place 1 piece of bread butter side down in skillet. Add provolone cheese, pastrami , cheddar cheese slice, then other piece of bread butter side up. After about 2 mins flip sandwich , allow bread to cook on other side and voila , quick yummy meal/snack if your greedy.

Cod with Italian Crumb Topping

2009-11-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

This was scrumptious. I used a recipe I found on all recipes to give this cod a little more flavor. It turned out really good and is really healthy only 131 calories which is awesome considering some of the other dishes I've been making lately. On a side note, I dropped my camera and it started wiggin out so my LCD screen isn't working on it right now, this is why the picture is sideways.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (3 ounce) fillets cod fillets
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
In a small shallow bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, cheese, cornmeal, oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper; set aside.
Coat the rack of a broiling pan with cooking spray. Place the cod on the rack, folding under any thin edges of the filets. Brush with the egg white, then spoon the crumb mixture evenly on top.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-10-30T22:27:00.001-07:00

Omg this was so good. I know I say this every time I make something but this was so flavorful. Ok so I wanted to make some sweet sour meatballs since its been ages since I've had them. Found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I made a few changes to the recipe listed on the site. I only used half the amount of vinegar, and I added pineapple chunks and green pepper, also garlic power and used Italian bread crumbs and 2 eggs instead of the 1. LOL but besides those minor changes the recipe was the same . The hubbie loved it and it was super easy. I will defiantly make again. Below is my recipe.

1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry bread crumbs (Italian style)
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 can of pineapple chunks
1/2 green pepper finely sliced

Directions :

mix , ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, seasonings, in bowl. Roll into meatballs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the meatballs until browned on all sides.Remove from pan and bake @ 350 until done about 10mins.
In skillet saute green pepper put aside.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, ketchup, cornstarch, sugar and soy sauce. Pour into pan allow sauce to thicken. Add green pepper, pineapple chunks and meatballs. Continue to heat until the sauce just starts to bubble.
Serve over white rice

Teriyaki Mahi Mahi, Crab Legs,Garlic Mashed potatoes Yummy

2009-10-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Yummy, Ok so I have really been slacking on updating my blog. But this meal has been by far one of the yummiest dinners I have cooked in awhile and so deserves to be blogged about. Ok, little background info on this, I never have cooked Mahi Mahi before, or tried it so it was defiantly a new treat. Originally I wanted to cook Orange roughy but they didn't have any at the market... bummer. Mahi Mahi was on sale so I picked some of it up. I made a teryiaki marinade and let the mahi mahi sit in the fridge for 35mins to soak up some flavor. When it was ready I cooked on the george forman for about 5 mins then I poured the rest of the marinade over it and baked until done. OMG so good. The hubbie is a big seafood lover so steamed some crablegs and made some garlic mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes
6 idaho potatoes cut up boiled in broth
once done added 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 table spoons butter, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup grated parmesean,1/4 c cheddar cheese, 2 roasted garlic cloves. Mix well . Serve

Crab Legs super easy :
Directions
In large steamer pot steam with old bay until done. Serve with garlic butter.

Oreo cheesecake

2009-09-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a really good dessert for our first Iftar dinner of Ramadan. We both love cheesecake so decided on this, this was amazing! Found this recipe on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; firmly press mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 5 minutes; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup whipping cream, flour, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Top with 1 1/2 cups cookie pieces; pour in remaining batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly on cheesecake. Continue baking for 7 minutes. Turn oven off and leave in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Combine 1 cup whipping cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts, and then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour mixture over cheesecake while still warm. Refrigerate until serving time. Should be at least 8 hours for refrigerator time, remove about 1/2 hour to 1 hour before serving, remove ring from springform pan, decorate to choice and get out your fork!

Laughing Cow Chicken

2009-08-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try this recipe for awhile now but have kept forgetting to get the cheese. I saw thing awhile back on Mollys blog, who got if from Monica's blog who originally got if from Lindsay. .. I did modify the recipe a bit and I loved how it turned out. My husband loved it.

I doubled the recipe I for 4 chicken breast.

Ingredients

* 4 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally 3/4 of the way through (so you can stuff the inside)

* 4 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese (one per breast)

* Italian seasoning to taste

* 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (we used seasoned)

* Handful grated parmesan cheese

* Cooking spray

(I added the last 3 ingredients they're not called for in original recipe )
* 3 slices cooked bacon diced
* salt pepper to taste
* Garlic powder

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Open each chicken breast up and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow inside the middle I used 1 1/2 per chicken breast, Then topped with the diced bacon, Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic powder inside to taste. Fold chicken back over to original shape.

3. Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray and then dip in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on baking sheet.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

*I also added a little Garlic powder to the Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese mix before i coated the chicken. Was sooooo good I served it with mashed potatoes and spinach :-)

Earthquake Cake

2009-08-01T12:06:00.001-07:00

My sister made this for my dads birthday its his favorite cake so just wanted to share this awesome recipe. We have been making this in our family for years.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 1 cup chopped pecans on the bottom of a buttered 13x9 cake pan. On top of nuts put 1 cup coconut, then pour the following batter over the nuts and coconut mixture without stirring.

Mix 1 box German chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker) according to package directions.

Pour the batter gently over the coconut and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt one stick of butter (1/4 lb) and one (8 ounce) package of Phildadelphia cream cheese. Stir in one box of confectioners sugar (1 lb).

Pay very close attention to the mixture in the pan as it will scorch easily. For this reason, it's best to use a heavy bottom pan.

Pour the cream cheese, sugar and butter mixture over the top of the cake batter without stirring.

Bake in a preheated 350°F for 45 minutes.

The cake will crack in the middle. That's why it is called Earthquake cake

Slow cooker Beef Stroganoff

2009-07-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

It was another scorching day as usual in Va. I decided I did not want to slave over a hot stove for hours and needed to put my crock pot to good use. I found this recipe online at of course allrecipes.com . With a little tweaks this came out great. The original recipe for this is kinda bland , but after reading some of the reviews I decided to make a few adjustments. This turned out delicious made this with some greens and biscuits my husband loved it. Defiantly some good summer comfort food.

1 pound cubed beef stew meat
2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 teas. pepper
1/2 pack french onion soup mix
beef bouillon cube

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

World's Best Lasagna...you be the judge

2009-06-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

So the hubbie's favorite dish is lasagna. Being the nice wonderful wifey I decide to make some. Also I wanted to make something we could have leftovers with its much to hot too cook everyday. So I scoured the internet looking for the best authentic recipe. LOL well not really, just googled a bit and found this one from allrecipes.com. This recipe has 2,785 reviews and five stars so the rumor on the steet is it must be pretty tasty. Well after making this, i must say this was the best lasagna I have ever had. The combination of th fresh basil, parsley and fennel seeds defianly do the trick. I made this with beef sausage and ground beef also I added more basil than the recipe called for. Yumm. Five stars.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving ( I baked mine for 35mins uncovered was delish)

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

2009-06-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wow , I have really been slacking on updating this oh so fabulous blog of mine. Well here I go. I made this dish awhile back using a recipe from allrecipes.com . The lamb chops turned out delicious so tender and juicy with so much flavor. To complete the meal I made fresh steamed broccoli, cornbread muffins and mashed potatoes yummy comfort food and about a billion calories oh well . The hubbie loved these lamb chops so I will probably keep this recipe in rotation in our kitchen.

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter.
Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. If you don't, the sauce will be runny and not good. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Pour over the lamb chops, and serve.

Pineapple Upside down cake

2009-04-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

I wanted to try this cake. Actually it was requested for me to make this . But this was my first time making Pineapple upside down cake so was a bit nervous about the whole process lol. Well I used a recipe from allrecipes.com and it turned out great. The original recipe calls for a cast iron skillet to bake it in, I do not have one. So I used 9x 11 pan instead. It came out great, moist and delicious. Will defiantly make again but will try it next time with the cast iron skillet.

The Good Stuff....who knew

2009-04-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

Its always a good idea to keep healthy snacks on hand. Most days I end up running late for work and stop by 7-11 or Wawa to buy some over priced protein bar that taste like cardboard. I was beginning to get tired of this routine so I decided to try out these protein bars from Beachbody. Wow , seriously this doesn't even taste healthy . Taste like a candy bar, and the best part is that its so good for you. Its packed with 20grams of protein and 0 trans fat. This is the best tasting protein bar I have ever tired. I was really surprised .I ordered the new flavor chocolate peanut butter and love it. I defiantly plan to keep this in heavy rotation . Great Stuff right here.

The truth about Asparagus

2009-02-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, so pretty much my entire life I have always stayed away from asparagus. I had only tried it once as a kid and immediately decided it was gross and vowed never to eat it again. Well ... never say never. Lately I have been making my usual veggies broccoli and spinach in heavy rotation and decided it was time to give the forbidden Asparagus another try. OMG who knew it was so good and why didn't anyone tell me? I steamed a handful of it , only a handful because I was still weary of the taste and didn't want to waste it if it was bad. I added a few dashes of Mrs.Dash spice, salt, and this yummy Olive oil butter. It was so very good. Seriously I feel jipped , like I have been missing out on asparagus my whole life. Oh well . I will be keeping this in my green veggie rotation now that I love it and am looking forward to trying out some new recipes. Stay posted.

Chicken Shawarma ..umm

2009-02-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Ok so I had some shawarma spice on hand so decided to make some chicken breast. This was so good. Ok first I just want to say I made up this recipe so it has no real authenticity to real Lebanese shawarma besides the fact that i used shawarma spice lol . I took 2 chicken breast marinated them in 1/2 the juice of a fresh lemon, 1 tablespoon Olive oil. and covered the chicken breast in lots of shawarma spice. I let this marinate for a few hours. Then baked covered with foil untill almost done then removed the foil last 15mins. Chicken was nice and juicy. I served with steamed broccoli and brown rice. Total calories for the meal about 400 maybe less.

If you don't have a middle eastern meat market in your area that sells shawarma spice you can make your own. Its made of 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground cardamom 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika also fresh garlic to taste.

Fitness is a journey

2009-02-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited . I decided to switch up my normal boring workout routine and will be starting slim in six from beach body. Usually I am not one to give in to the late night infomercials , BUT my friend Kenny and beach body Coach, put me on to the whole beach body wonderfulness (which im sure isn't a word ). The beach body has a series of workouts P90x, Turbo Jam, slim in 6, Chalene Extreme , Hiphop Abs , just a few fabulous intense workouts in the series. Once I complete the slim in six program I will be moving on to others in the beach body series. The slim in six is an intense 6 week workout program where you workout for six days a week for 6 weeks. After reading lots and lots of reviews and seeing Kenny's results on the P90x I decided to give the beach body workouts a try. I have ordered it and it should be arriving any day now. I will be updating my blog on the progress. Here is a little video of the wonderful beach body products I will give reviews on the programs as I do them. Also anyone interested in P90x check out Kens blog he is having great results with it.

For the Love of Cheesecake

2009-02-03T18:57:00.001-08:00

Ok so last week a friend and I were talking about my love for cheesecake and I stated cheesecake factory has the best ever. So the other day my friend decides to give me 2 cheesecakes 1 carrot cake cheesecake and one brownie cheesecake from cheesecake factory. OMG. Seriously why when you decide to be healthy someone has to come along and try to sabotage your diet? So to be nice I had once small piece of the carrot cake cheesecake. After all cheesecake is a terrible thing to waste. Its just a crime really . Let me just say the carrot cake cheesecake is the best cheesecake in the world. If you have never tried this defiantly head to the nearest cheesecake factory and try this now! I have decided to donate the rest of the cake and the other brownie one to charity lol cant have temptation like that around. One slice is like 1000 calories. I have also found the copycat recipe from recipe zaar if you would like to try to make this yourself. I plan to make one later next with with substituting healthier ingredients.
Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE
16 ounces cream cheese (at room temp)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
CARROT CAKE
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash salt
1 (8 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
Directions
1To make cheesecake,
2In large bowl of electric mixer, beat together 2 pkgs cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth.
3Beat in 1 tablespoon flour, 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
4Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake: In large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly.
5Stir in 1 cup flour, baking soda, cinnamon and dash salt, mixing well.
6Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
7Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9-or 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
8Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter.
9Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife.
10Do not marble with a knife.
11Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.
12Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
13When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.
14In a bowl of electric mixer, combine 2 oz cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice and dash of salt.
15Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
16Frost top of cheesecake.
17Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

2009-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

So, I was wanted to make something with Tofu and had previously made this really good teriyaki
tofu ; so I decided to make it again instead of trying something new. I'm glad I did . This recipe is super easy and very good and good for you. Its about 10grams protein and around 90 calories per serving. So instead of making my own marinade i used trader Joe's Soyaki marinade. Originally was only going to marinade this for a few hours and cook but I sort of forgot about it and it ended up marinating overnight. Oh well. I then saute 1/2 red onion , 1 teaspoon minced garlic , 1 yellow bell pepper in tablespoon olive oil maybe less. I then added the tofu which i had cut up the night before and was already marinating. I cooked until Tofu was nice and golden color. I added some broccoli and served over brown rice. Yummy.

Side note. Make sure your get the extra firm tofu.

Super Easy Sesame Salmon

2009-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Ok ,so keeping with the good protein and Omega 3s . I wanted to throw something together that was easy and good and a twist on the usual Salmon.This was super easy and so yummy. I used this Soyaki Marinade from of course Trader Joe's. Marinaded it for 2 hours. Seasoned with fresh garlic ,sesame seeds, ginger , pinch of brown sugar. Made this with Baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli. Delish
!!!

This isnt the best picture but decided to update this recipe with the Soyaki marinade I used.

Yum Yum and then some Brown Sugar Meatloaf...And Cauliflower mashed

2008-12-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so keeping with the low carb vibe wanted to make a nice good comfort food dinner. So, I had some ground lamb on hand decided to throw it together for some awesome meatloaf. I searched on all recipes.com and found the top rated recipe for meat loaf and used this as a base and added a few other things and changed it a bit. This recipe called Brown Sugar meat loaf had 4.5 stars and some 2,800 reviews/ratings ...hmm all those cooks cant be wrong? Right?

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb (you can use lean ground beef or ground turkey)
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed Ritz buttery crackers
1/2 green pepper diced
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic power
1.tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Mix brown sugar and ketchup in bowl and set aside. Ok so here is what I did differently than the recipe on allrecipes.com. Ok , so in a non-stick frying pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the garlic , onion , and green pepper saute till done. About 8 mins. In a separate larger bowl mix all the other spices, crackers, milk , with the ground meat. (everything but brown sugar mix) .Then add the onion and green pepper mix to the meat. Toss together and add to baking loaf pan. Top with the brown sugar mix. Also if you add 2 pieces of plain bread doesn't matter what kind to the bottom of the loaf pan before you add the meat it will soak up the oil from the meat and make the meatloaf a little healthier. Then discard the bread after cooking.

I served this with Cauliflower mashed (yum taste just like mashed potatoes ) low-fat crescent rolls and zucchini squash. Delicious !

Ok so I do not have a separate pic of the cauliflower mashed so I will combining this post. So last week I was watching FitTV and saw Blaine's low Carb Kitchen. And he made what looked like some yummy cauliflower mashed. Basically for those that do not know its an alternative for mashed potatoes made with cauliflower and taste just like mashed potatoes. Great for low carb dieters. So , anyways was watching fit tv and became instantly inspired to try it. Little did I know this would be so easy and so tasty. I didn't use his exact recipe I kinda just made up my own as I went along and it turned out great.

3 cups cauliflower (approx. 1 head)
2/3 cup. light fat free sour cream
3 tablespoons low-fat butter spread
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese
1 tsp. paprika
1 small garlic clove .
Directions
Trim hard stems and leaves from cauliflower. Cut florets from stem (discard stem) and place in steamer . Steam until tender about 15mins.

Place hot cauliflower and garlic in food processor with large blade. Pulse while adding butter and sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mash into 1-quart oven-proof casserole dish and add in Parmesan cheese and mix. Then add cheddar cheese to top. Add a dash of paprika. Bake in oven for about 7mins. until cheese is bubbly.

This meal was soooooooo good .

Eggcellent Veggie omelet

2008-12-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/3 cup portobello mushrooms sliced
small onion diced
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon margarine
3/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 egg whites
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Egg beaters
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions :
In a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms, spinach, onion ,green pepper, & tomato in butter until tender. Add the oregano and pepper. Cook for 5 mins until veggies are done and drain any liquid, then set aside. Beat egg whites, water, and salt . Place egg beaters in another bowl then fold in egg white mixture. Pour egg mix into non-stick frying pan, then add veggies and half of the cheese. Fold over sides of omelet with spatula add remaining cheese . And serve.

Side note : This omelet was so good and healthy but, it makes a big omelet. I could only eat half of it . If you are feeling extra greedy then this is awesome or if you are sharing breakfast with someone this would be great as well. I made it with Morning Star farms veggie breakfast links umm great combination! Half the omelet is about 200 calories + the veggie links =320 calories. Not bad for a really good breakfast.

4-Cheese Spinach Alfredo Tortellini with Grilled Chicken

2008-12-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

This was soo soo good. I used a pack of 4- cheese Tortellini from Trader Joe's. Yum Good stuff right there. Cooked pasta and set aside. Then I made a quick Alfredo sauce. Here is the recipe

1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Then I tossed this with the pasta.

In sauce pan : saute 2 garlic cloves sliced, 1/2 diced yellow onion, and bag of fresh baby spinach until spinach cooks down. Drain any juices and add to the pasta.

Earlier I had 6 chicken breast marinating with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, Juice 1/2 lemon, 3 garlic cloves minced. About 1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt. A few shakes of fresh ground black pepper. 1/4 cup fresh parsley.
Directions after chicken marinated for 2hrs I grilled on the George forman till nice and juicy.

I added the chicken to the pasta and this made for one awesome dish . If you don't care about over doing it with the carbs then make with Texas toast.

Fat-Free No Pudge brownies

2008-12-21T00:04:00.000-08:00

Ok these aren't really from scratch, they are from a box . ...BUT, these are the best tasting fat-free brownies I have ever had so I just had to share. Now, even though I try to be health conscious and eat balanced meals some sweets in moderation is ok. With that being said, I'm still always skeptical when I see something that says fat-free and chocolate in the same product. It just doesn't look right. So, I was at Trader Joe's today and since I love that store so much and they have yet to steer me wrong decided to try the "No pudge fudge chocolate brownies". Wow these are so so good. The only thing you add to the mix is vanilla yogurt. (I used Trader Joe's organic low fat vanilla yogurt). Somewhere I read these are supposed to be like 2 ww points. Also, these are sticky so when making them defiantly use some Pam or make them in muffins pans. They turn out prettier this way and easier to cut. I made mine in muffin pans.

Tabbouleh

2008-12-20T23:54:00.000-08:00

Tabbouleh

2 bunches of parsley
2 tbs mint
1/2 cup Spanish onion
2 vine ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup bulghar wheat
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Place bulghar wheat in a bowl with the boiling water. Cover and let it stand for 20 minutes. Strain the bulghar wheat to drain off any excess water. Set aside.
Finely chop the parsley and mint. Place in a mixing bowl.
De-seed the tomatoes and dice. Dice the Spanish onion. Place tomato and onion in the mixing bowl with the parsley and mint.
Add the cooled bulghar wheat to the mixture. Add the lemon juice, remaining salt and olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate . This salad is soo good. I could eat this everyday. This is another recipe I found on Taste buddies blog thanks Syrie.

Hummus

2008-12-20T23:44:00.001-08:00

I love Hummus !!! This was my first try making it & it turned out great. I added extra garlic 4 cloves total and dash of cayenne pepper.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch paprika
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

(only 77 calories !!!!)

Lamb Samosa

2008-12-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) package spring roll wrappers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds ground Lamb
• 1 leek, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon water, or as needed
• 1 quart oil for frying

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add onions, leek and garlic, and cook, stirring until the onions are transparent. Add ground beef, and cook until about halfway done. Season with cumin,cardamom, salt and pepper. Mix well, and continue cooking until beef has browned.In a small dish or cup, mix together the flour and water to make a thin paste. Using one wrapper at a time, fold into the shape of a cone. Fill the cone with the meat mixture, close the top, and seal with thepaste. Repeat until wraps or filling are used up. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F ( 170 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy pot. There should be enough oil to submerge the wraps. Fry the Samosa a few at a time until golden brown. You can also make these with ground beef or turkey. This recipe is actually the Somalian version of Samosa not the Indian . I prefer the Somalian recipe , the combination of spices are makes it soo soo good.

Lebanese Rice and Shish Tahouk Chicken

2008-12-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Lebanese Rice and Shish Tahouk Chicken
This rice was super easy and so good.

1/4 c. oil
1 c. vermicelli noodles
4 1/2 c. water
4 bouillon cubes (chicken or beef)
2 c. Basmati rice

Crush vermicelli noodles and pour in pot with oil. On medium heat, stir continuously until browned. Pour water into pot. Cook on high until water boils. Stir in bouillon cubes and rice. Cover pan. Cook on medium for 10 minutes, then on low for 5 minutes. Take cover off and stir. I made this with only 3 Bouillon cubes because that was all that I had and used authentic imported noodles, don't know the brand package was not in English. It turned out great. The guy at the meat market recommended the imported brand over other vermicelli for this type of rice for better quality. I also used about 1/3 cup slivered almonds in the rice . And browned it with the noodles.

The Shish Tahouk Chicken I found this delicious easy recipe on one of my favorite blogs Taste Buddies
4 chicken breasts
6 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Mix the ingredients and add the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. The original recipe from taste buddies is for if you want to grill the chicken with skewers. Well , its December so instead of freezing outside I decided to nix the skewers step and use my George forman grill instead. I refrigerated the chicken for 2 hours then cooked on the George forman. Lots of flavor , next time I probably will let it marinate over night but it was still really good.

My big fat middle eastern dinner ...

2008-12-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Monday Dec. 8th was Eid -Al Adha. And of course I had to work. And since then I have been crazy busy so I haven't gotten around to making a big fabulous Eid dinner until today . Back home for Eid we always had food from Sultans, which is the best Lebanese restaurant in East Lansing. So since there are like -0 Lebanese places here I decided to hook up my own fabulous dinner and it turned out awesome. Since this dinner was so fabulous and yummy there will be several posts for this dinner, 1 for each dish..also I need to do multiple so that the whole labeling thing does not get all messed up. So I was able to find some authentic recipes and ended up making : Lebanese rice , Shish Tahouk Chicken, Tabbouleh (salad), Lamb Samosa , Hummus, and fat-free brownies. This meal was so yummy defiantly will make everything again. 5 stars. And low in fat. (well not the Samosa but everything else)

Let them eat cake...Cupcakes!!!

2008-12-15T22:51:00.001-08:00

Ok, so even though not really cooking right now since I am still on the Master cleanse for another week or so still need to blog to keep the fans happy lol. So I came across these super cute butterfly cupcake wrappers form Paper Orchid.
I think i will order some of these , will make some cupcakes one of these days. The site also has other designs but these are the best IMO.

Found this great Apple Banana cupcake recipe from all recipes 152 calories not too bad. Will try this maybe in a few weeks. Stay posted.

Chicken Bryan ..like Carrabba's

2008-12-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I love , love, love Carrabba's. My favorite dish of theirs is the Chicken Bryan. Its been a long time since I've had it from there so I decided to try to make it myself. After googling a bit found this awesome site Robbies copy cat recipes
They have recipes for almost any restaurant you can think of. So I decided to make this. Well , actually I made this about a month ago and I have been busy and a little lazy so just uploaded the pictures from my camera. Anyhoo... This turned out great. Only thing I did differently was add a lot of extra goat cheese and the sun dried tomato basil sauce on top. Sometimes restaurants get a little stingy on the extra toppings trying to save money with this whole economy crisis I guess. And gold star for me, this was my first time cooking with wine and I was really amazed at my genius culinary skills..lol recepie taste IMO just like the real thing. If your trying to save some money and want a really good Italian dinner make this yourself. I think they charge like $21 x dinner for 2 plus tip well over $50. All the ingredients cost roughly $25 tops and it makes enough for 6. Top pic is mine bottom pic from Carrabba's. I served this with Garlic red potatoes, steamed broccoli and Texas toast. (defiantly not diet friendly but soooo good) Also I used my george forman grill to grill the chicken super easy.
Calories : 540 .Calories from Fat :337

Chicken Bryan like Carrabba's®
Grilled chicken breast topped with

caprino cheese and
sun-dried tomato, basil, and lemon

butter sauce.

Serves: 6
Prep. Time: 0:55

1 Tbls. minced garlic
1 Tbls. minced yellow onion
2 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup cold butter - sliced
1 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
6 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
extra virgin olive oil - for brushing
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 oz. caprino OR other goat cheese - room temperature

-Sauté garlic and onion in 2 Tbls. butter in a large skillet over medium heat until tender.
-Stir wine and lemon juice into skillet, increase heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce by half.
-Reduce heat to low and stir in cold butter, one slice at a time.
-Stir in tomatoes, basil, kosher salt, and white pepper; remove from heat; set aside.
-Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
-Grill chicken over hot coals 15 - 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
-A couple of minutes before chicken is done, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast
-Spoon prepared sun-dried tomato sauce over chicken.

Master Cleanse

2008-12-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ok so wont I be posting for awhile ...i know slacker girl, I was cooking few weeks ago I will update my blog soon with more recipes and pictures. Currently I am on the Master Cleanse. Its not really anything I cook, well if you count fresh squeeze lemons for the juice but I still wanted to blog on it. So far its been great. I am on day 10 of possibly 14 or 21 depending on how the days go. For those that are not familiar the Master cleanse or lemondade diet is a great detox which has been around for along time (give or take 40 yrs). So far I have lost 11.5 lbs. Although that wasnt my goal on the cleanse. I really want to stress that this is not a diet but a detox to purify your body and purge yourself from all that back junk and toxins you have built up. After I had a gluttony fest for thanksgiving I decided now was a good time as ever to do the cleanse. Also , there are lots of health benefits associated with detoxing , relieving yourself of body aches, allergies, headaches, eliminates waste, helps build a healthy blood stream, helps purify the glands, cells, and kidneys during this time. These are the claims , so far I am feeling great lots of energy so my experience the claims are true. A few days before the cleanse I went to see an allergy specialist for my eczema and sinus allergies . And surprise , she loaded me up with meds and sent me on my way. Well , I haven't even got the prescriptions filled let alone take the meds. But since I have been on the cleanse 10days now have lost 11.5lbs and no allergies, no sneezing, no eczema , skin is clear, hair is so shinny. AND lots of energy so will I always go the natural route from here on. The above picture is everything you need to get started water, organic lemons, organic Grade B Maple Syrup, Senna tea the flavored kind is good tasty.Cayenne pepper and salt.

Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating

2008-10-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ok , so if you have been following along thus far you know I am on somewhat of a health kick. Or at least i try to be. So once again wanted to try something new with fish . I love salmon and had some on had . I found this recipe from allrecipes.com, which had 4.5 stars and 389 ratings/reviews i figured I'd make it some 300+ people couldn't be wrong... right? So after reading some of the reviews that were rated most helpful I made a few minor changes. First I used Italian bread crumbs instead of plain. I didn't have plain and didn't feel like toasting bread. So used 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs and 4 Ritz butter crackers for the crumb mix and about 3/4 cup chopped pecans. I then baked it for 20mins on 350 ,then melted 1 tablespoon butter and drizzled it on top the fish (because some of the bread crumb mix wasn't toasted like i wanted. ) then baked for 8 more mins. I served this with Baked Sweet potato, and steamed fresh broccoli .

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
6 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Ok So overall I give this recipe 3 stars . It was super easy, and a switch to plain salmon but still undecided on the flavor. Not sure how excited I will be to make this again. Was expecting more. Think it could used more Dijon and more honey. Next time will try it with the plain bread crumbs the Italian may have took away from the Dijon /honey mix . The baked sweet potato was sooooooo good. 5 stars , and so was the broccoli.

Strawberry-Mango Parfait

2008-10-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ok so wanted something quick and easy for breakfast. So decided to make this yummy parfait.
Ingredients :
Vanilla yogurt (used Activa light fat free yogurt )
Granola (used Almond Vanilla granola cereal Trader Joes brand)
4- fresh strawberries
1/5 mango sliced and diced.
Cool Whip (fat free light)
Directions : Add yogurt to bottom of dish, then granola, top with fruit and cool whip. This recipe is crazy easy my 4 year old niece can make it. Also its virtually fat free, great breakfast or anytime healthy snack any fruit can be used, I also make it with pineapples and Mandarin oranges if i don't have fresh fruit on hand.

Pineapple Mango Salsa!! Omg its so good

2008-10-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so i love fresh salsa so decided to make some to go with the beanstuff I made. It is simply delicious and like zero fat great snack.

Ingredients

1 large mango, ripe but still firm, peeled and diced
1 large can pineapple tidbits
1 large red bell pepper seeded-and diced
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (optional for added kick I left them out I don't like jalapenos)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (juice of 2 limes were enough)
1 ripe vine tomato diced
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Directions :Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. Serve with Tostitos Lime chips. The picture doesn't do this meal justice .This salsa is the bomb. And fat free !!!

7-layer taco bake (a.k.a beanstuff)..

2008-10-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ok , so was craving this because while I was in Detroit this week my cousin made some and I had to catch my flight which by the way was delayed 1.5hrs so i didn't have time to eat. This dish is super easy, and has been in my family at least since i was a young bebe kid who knows maybe even longer. If you make it you have to make it with lime tortilla chips they are the bomb. Tostitos makes them. I made a few minor changes to my moms original recipe to make it a little healthier.

Ingredients
1lb-ground beef (I actually sub. beef for 12oz bag of Morningstar Farm meal starters like i said in prev post trying to be easy and limit my red meat)
2-cups shredded cheddar cheese (I sub for low-fat Kraft taco style shredded cheese)
2 -16oz. cans refried beans (fat free)
1 box Spanish rice mix (optional original recipe doesn't include rice however wanted to make it more filling my greedy little brother and cousin were joining us.)
1.5 cups shredded lettuce ( i used romaine better for you than iceberg lettuce)
1 -16oz container of sour cream (light sour cream)
1-pack taco seasoning mix
2 ripe vine tomatoes (diced)
1/3 cup onion and green pepper mix diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions : preheat oven at 350. Add refried beans to baking dish, season with garlic power and pepper add to oven.Let beans cook for 15. Cook Spanish rice then set aside. In medium bowl mix sour cream and 3/4 taco seasoning mix set aside. Saute green peppers and onions , add ground beef , the rest of the taco seasoning mix, few dashes of garlic, salt, pepper to taste, cook until done . Add sour cream mix to refried beans in the baking dish. then layer with rice, ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cilantro , then top with cheese and bake until cheese is all bubbly approximately 15-20 mins depending on oven. Serve with Tostitos lime chips.

I served this with sautéed sweet corn and Pineapple Mango salsa. Was sooooooooo good

Baked Parmesan Perch

2008-10-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

So I decided to limit my red meat intake and add more fish and lean meats into my diet. Its just much better the body for so many reasons. I had some perch and salmon on hand so wanted to try a twist on the usual baked fish. I found this recipe online at allrecipes.com . Most of the recipes that i will be reviewing will be from here. Its a great site, I love how you can change to serving amount to fit the number of people you need to cook for , also it gives you the nutrition info on all the recipes and great reviews. I used this basic recipe for "baked Parmesan Perch"
and added a few other ingredients to give it my own flavor.

Ingredients
5. pieces perch
1/4 cup. Italian bread crumbs instead of plain
3 tablespoons butter (actually used smart balance light butter spread)
1-tablespoon Onion flakes
couple shakes oregano (roughly 1 teaspoon) original recipe calls for basil didn't have any so sub for oregano.
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon-. Garlic powder

Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, in 2nd bowl melt butter in microwave for 20 secs. Dip fish in butter then in bread crumb mix. Add to greased baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 mins at 350 or until fish is flaky and good. (Side note, when i made this dish i forgot the paprika until the fish was already i the pan so I just added it to give a little color and flavor on top a few shakes.)

I made this with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed mixed veggies and garlic bread. ( pepperidge farm Texas toast to be exact omg i love that stuff. ) Give this recipe five stars was so good, and easy and had everything on hand which hardly ever happens. Also low in fat and calories for those that are counting, delicious source of protein ,great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin A.

Ok, so whats for dinner?

2008-10-13T18:46:00.001-07:00

Yay my first post . Ok, so recently decided that I need to up my game in the kitchen. After visiting with my family I realized my culinary skills have slipped...and fell . I used to be a domestic diva before I started working a million hours . So now i will be posting weekly updates of new dishes I will be cooking and recipes I will be reviewing. Will try to keep my recipes as health conscious as possible however, there will be some good old fashion comfort foods here and there. Stay posted will update blog weekly , would be daily if i had the luxury of not working. Anyhoo let the cooking begin.