Healthy AND tasty start for 2012

So I've discovered Pinterest ... and I'm addicted!! If you've not checked it out yet, you should. It's not all drama filled like Facebook tends to be. Here's how it works: you create your account then you create boards (basically catagories of your interest) and you can pin links to it of things you like, things you want to try, ect. You look through the home page or search what you're interested in, cooking, kids, crafts, whatever! You click on the picture and it takes you to the source! I've downloaded the tab on my browser bar so when I find something I want to share I click it and it sends it directly to my board of choice!! How fun is that?!?!?! It's a great way to check out others ideas and share with everyone! I literally have been a part of Pinterest for a few weeks and have found so many cool, neat, innovative ideas!!
So this is where I found this latest recipe and of course I've tweaked it to my liking!! This is literally 160 calorie meal!! I'm in love, I spent a total of 30 minutes preparing this and I even had to shell my shrimp!!

Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli
2lbs broccoli florets (I only had 1 bag frozen (1lb) so I simply adjusted everything else!)
1lb large, shelled and devained shrimp
4Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
1/2tsp coriander
1/2tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/8tsp chili powder (I added a good pinch which would be a little more!)
lemon zest (recipe calls from entire lemon to be zested, I prefer only 1/2, here again adjust to your liking)

Heat oven to 425.

On a large cookie sheet, toss together broccoli (best if it's dry, rinse and pat dry with several paper towels, this will keep the broccoli from getting to soggy), 2Tbsp EVOO and seasonings. Spread into a single layer and pop into the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together shrimp with remaining EVOO, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

When the broccoli’s been in the oven 10 minutes, add the shrimp to the broccoli and toss (carefully.) Slide back in the oven and let it go another 10 minutes.

I squeezed a little of the lemon juice over top before serving. Enjoy!!

New Format, ready... set... GO!!!

I know, I know, I've not posted in weeks because A.) our budget simply can't support my cooking habit! Ha B.) I was preparing for my first race (yea, me it was awesome!!), I had talked about in one of my first post C.) Dummy me spilled water (better than milk- yeah I've done that too) all over the computer. finally D.) We were having problems with the internet and router, so we ended up replacing both the modem and router....OK, Lord I'll take a break!!

I've decided with my busy schedule and limited funds I'm going to post a handful of recipes a month, I'm going to try to fix them before hand so I can post a picture with the recipe so you have an idea what you're fixing!! Again any suggestions or ideas to make it better and easier to follow, please send my way!!
Here we go!!

Better-than-ever-Cheesy Meat Lasagna

3/4lb extra-lean ground beef (can sub turkey too!)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2tsp dried oregano

1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce (or make your own!)

1lg tomato, chopped

1 egg

1- 16oz container cottage cheese

1/4cup grated Parmesan Cheese

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 pkg (7oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375
Brown meat with garlic and oregano in large saucepan. Stir in spaghetti sauce (I used tomato sauce added, some chopped onion, very little oregano (since meat has it already), some basil, little salt and pepper and fresh garlic, simmered while meat cooked); simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes.
In separate bowl, mix egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce (I just used enough to thinly cover bottom of pan) onto bottom of 13x9 baking dish; top with layer of 3 noodles (I don't think I cooked my noodles before hand, and I took the broken pieces to fill in the gaps on the end!!), layer 1/2 cheese mixture (be careful here, I used a small scoop to keep it from sinking into the noodles and making a mess, easier to spread from a bunch of small scoops), 1/2cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown. let stand 5 minutes before serving!

This boast 320 cal servings, however making your own sauce can cut down on the salt and using whole wheat noodles can add a nutty flavor as well as bring the cals down too!!

Kraftrecipes.com

Chicken and Apple Pot Pies

2Tbsp EVOO

2 1/2lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

salt and pepper

3Tbsp butter

3 Empire, Gala or Honey Crisp apples, peeled and chopped

3-4 small ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

2Tbsp fresh Thyme, or 2tsp dried

2Tbsp flour

1cup apple cider

1cup chicken stock

1 sheet puff pastry sheet, thawed (I didn't have any so I just used bisquick like making dumplings)

1 egg beaten with water

Preheat oven to 400

Heat EVOO in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and brown 7-8 minutes then remove.

Add butter to skillet and melt. Add apples, celery, onion, bay, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook to soften, 8-10mins. Sprinkle with flour, stir 1 min then whisk in cider and stock. Slide chicken back into pan and simmer a few mins to thicken sauce.

Place in casserole dish or individual casserole dishes arranged on baking sheet to catch drips. Cover with parsley, brush with egg wash and bake until golden.

rachaelrayshow.com

Smokey Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Crust
31/2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
5tsp quick-rise yeast (it equals out to be a little more than 3 pks, I stopped at 3pks and had not problem)
1 1/2tsp salt
1tsp honey
1 1/2- 1 2/3 cups warm water

Mix flours, yeast and salt in a blender with a kneading attachment. Add honey, mix well, gradually add water until a ball forms. Once ball has formed process 60 seconds more to kneed dough.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; shape into a ball, let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into quarters (I did ours into 3rds to make a bigger pizza.) Use immediately or freeze for later use.

Toppings
1 1/2cups (6ozs) shredded Colby/ Monterey Jack cheese blended, divided
2cups chopped cooked chicken (we prefer shredded!!)
1/2cup barbecue sauce (working on our own recipe w/ a little heat!!)
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers (I did thinly sliced)
1/2cup thinly sliced red onion (can use regular onion, if that's all you have)

Preheat oven to 450.
Lightly brush Pizza stone with EVOO.
On a lightly floured surface; shape and stretch 1 portion of dough to form a 12" crust; transfer to prepared pan.
Combine cooked chicken and BBQ sauce, toss to coat. (We prefer grilling chicken with dry bbq seasoning, adding to BBQ sauce, should be kinda soggy, to give pizza more sauce.)
Top crust with about 1 cup cheese (this keeps crust from getting soggy). Top with chicken, peppers and onions. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 15-20 minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is browned. (To use frozen crust let thaw in fridge overnight)

Crust from Tasteofhome.com
Pizza from Pampered Chef

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie
Crust:
11/2cups slivered almonds
2Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor (or blender, or food chopper), combine almonds, sugar and salt. Pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in melted butter. Turn into 9" pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides with fingers, till form a firm even layer. Bake 8-10 mins until lightly golden. Don't over brown or crust will have an overwhelming flavor!!!
Allow to cool completely on a rack. Transfer to freezer until ready to use, may be made up to a week in advance, frozen and tightly wrapped.

Blueberry Sauce:
3cups blueberries, rinsed, well drained and carefully picked through for damaged berries
1/3cup granulated sugar
1tsp cornstarch
1/4tsp salt
1tsp grated lemon zest
2tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
few grates of nutmeg (about 1/8tsp)
1Tbsp water

In large, wide skillet combine berries, sugar, cornstarch, salt- stir well with a spoon to distribute sugar and cornstarch. Add zest, lemon juice, water and few gratings of fresh nutmeg. stir again to blend.
Cook and stir over med heat until berries begin to pop, give off juice and come to a full simmer. Simmer, stirring gently for 1 min until sauce is lightly thickened and cornstarch is well cooked.
Set aside to cool; refrigerate sauce until completely chilled before proceeding.

Assemble:

1qt homemade or purchased vanilla ice cream
3/4cup blueberry sauce, chilled
1/2cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2cup heavy cream
1Tbsp sugar
2cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, and well drained on paper towel-lined baking sheets
Remaining Blueberry sauce, heated

Transfer ice cream to a mixing bowl and let stand in fridge for 30 mins or until just soft
Spoon 1/2 into prepared crust. Spread even layer and top with chilled sauce. Spoon remaining ice cream and spread to edges.
Cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight until firmly set.

Serve:
In chilled mixing bowl, whisk creams, and sugar until just thickened to spreading consistency. Do not over beat, will go from smooth to grainy. Spread cream mixture over pie; top with blueberries. Serve heated sauce on the side.

10 servings
bhg.com (june 2011)

**Will post a picture as soon as I can!!!**

Weekend Review #13 (7/9/2011)

FUN WEEK for us!! I feel a little more fluent in hispanic cooking, good bye plain boring tacos!! HA Now my truely hispanic friends may not agree with it's authenticity but it's still good for this La Caretta fan!!!

Margarita Chicken I've had a version of this at Chili's not long ago and thought this would be a good one to try and improve this week! So here goes... I'm not a black bean fan, so I left them out. Instead I looked up spanish rice online and made that instead. It's simply brown rice cooked in chicken stock, a little water, tomato sauce, butter, minced garlic, onion and red pepper. Next time I will cut my red pepper smaller and maybe even add some chili powder or crushed red pepper. I grilled my chicken in Pampered Chef's Southwest Seasoning. I like salsa verde but instead used the fresh salsa listed below! I topped it with pico de gallo and cilantro since that's what they do at Chili's and I loved it all!! Very filling and not too bad on time if you make your pico and salsa ahead of time!!

Pico de Gallo I will make sure and chop the onion smaller next time, otherwise very good and simple garnish/ topping!! See picture above!

Cheesy Shrimp Tortillas YUM!!! The shrimp had great flavor and the chipotle had just enough heat (just remember THIN layer!!) to compliment. We ended up eating them with some of the fresh salsa (listed below). I of course used whole wheat tortillas and added very little salt, but it honestly didn't need it! This would be good with steak strips or grilled chicken as well (sans the lemon though)!!

Spicy Queso Dip Well, I've made the white cheese sauce (kinda like they serve at La Caretta) before so I knew that it would need to be thinned out since I wasn't using Velvetta like the recipe suggest. I forgot till the end and by then it just over heated the cheese and it fell apart. I think the taste would be there if I had done the recipe right!! Sigh.... maybe next time I hit the store I can try it again!! If I do I'll post an update!


Fresh Salsa Great and easy recipe (easier if I had a food processor instead of using my big blender!! hint hint JEFF!! hee hee) I did go back and add some chili powder and cumin to give it a little extra umph!

Honey Baked Tortilla Chips I tried a few with the seasame seeds, and couldn't see the point in it. The honey wasn't bad though. It was a nice balance with the salsa. I will have to try them with my red pepper hummus as well!! Once again I used a whole wheat/ low carb tortilla, these were about 35-40 calories lower than the regular tortillas!! I've used them for tacos before and the kept falling apart, but this is a perfect use for them!!

Sopaipillas with Chocolate Sauce Easy and yummy!! I used whole wheat tortillas, sprayed a little butter  non-stick cooking spray on them and baked them at 400 for about 8-10 minutes, they worked and tasted great!

Oven-Baked Churros with Coconut Sauce NICE!! Very simple and very very yummy!!I personally felt like the sauce was too heavy but everyone raved about it! I have a recipe to make the dough from scratch and may try that with whole wheat next time to see how that compliments!! If it's good I'll pass it along!!

Week #13 (7/3/2011)

This week were heading south of the border with some yummy Mexican dishes and sides. There are several recipes on this one but some are as a topping or side. Check it out, and if you have a better version on the salsa or chips please pass them my way!!!

Margarita Chicken
1/2 can (14-16 oz) black beans, drained
1/4 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp EVOO
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (6 oz each)
1cup prepared salsa,preferably salsa verde
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450. Combine the black beans and cumin in a saucepan and heat all the way through. Squeeze in the lime juice and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, but warm before serving.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in the hot pan for 3-4 minutes on the first side, until a nice crust develops, then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, then spoon the salsa over the meat, top with cheese, and place in the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is fully melted and bubbling, no more than 5 minutes. Divide the beans among 4plate, Top with the chicken and garnish with cilantro.
(330 calories)

In back of one of the Eat this not that books

alternative topping for Margarita Chicken
Pico de  Gallo
4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, minced
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine the tomato , onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


Cheesy Shrimp Tortillas

2Tbsp butter
2- 2lb bags frozen RAW shrimp (31-40 per lb), thawed and tails removed
1Tbsp finely chopped garlic
salt and pepper
1 lemon, halved
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
12- 10" flour tortillas
1lb gouda cheese, shredded (I looked it up and if you can't spring for the gouda, looks like Monterey Jack is a close sub!!)

In large, deep skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add shrimp, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are just opaque, about 4 mins. Squeeze lemon halves over shrimp.
In small bowl, mash chipotles with adobo sauce. (Heads up!! If you tried the Smokey Buffalo style Chili in wk 6 you can just use a little of the thawed out puree from that!!) Spread paste in a thin layer on each tortilla. Cover 1/2 of each tortilla with single layer of shrimp. Sprinkle cheese over shrimp; fold tort. in 1/2.
Cook 1 meal now: In lg nonstick skillet, working in 2 batches, cook 2 quesadillas, cheese side down, over med-high heat until golden, about 2 mins on each side. Cut into wedges.
Freeze 2 meals for later: Wrap each quesadilla in foil and stack 4 each into 2 resealable 1 gal freezer bags; seal, label and freeze. THAW quesadillas at room temp for 2 hours. Cook as directed above.

rachaelraymag.com

Here are a few sides/ appetizers to go with the above dishes:
Spicy Queso Dip

1small onion, diced
1Tbsp oil
1garlic clove, minced
1 (16oz) pk pepper jack velveeta (now I'm not a fan of Velveeta, I think I will try a fresh mix of cheddar and pepper jack cheese, this should help with the calorie and salt issues)
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Cook onion in hot oil in lg nonstick skillet over med-high heat, 8 mins or until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 min. Remove from heat.
Combine cheese, tomatoes, and onion mixture in lg microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring every 2.5 mins. Stir in cilantro.


Fresh Salsa
1/4-1/2 med sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1sm garlic clove, quartered
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and quartered
1/4cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
2lb tomatoes
1 lime
1 1/4tsp salt

Pulse first 4 ingredients in food processor until finely chopped.
Cut each tomato into 4 pieces. Cut out core then add tomato pieces to food processor in batches, pulse each batch until well blended. Transfer to large bowl. Squeeze juice from lime over salsa, stir in salt.

(The 2 above recipes were from a Southern Cooking magazine, not sure of the name)


Honey-Baked Tortilla Chips
2Tbsp honey
4 small (8") flour tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
2tsp sesame seeds (not sure about this part, may leave it out!)

In small bowl, stir 2tsp water into honey to loosen. Place tortilla wedges on baking sheet, brush with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Toast at 350 until golden brown and crisp, 15-18 mins.
Can be served with salsa as well as hummus, bean dip or Greek yogurt

Rachaelraymag.com


Sopaipillas with Chocolate Sauce
FOR SAUCE
1/2cup packed light brown sugar
pinch Koshar salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3Tbsp butter
1/2tsp vanilla extract
FOR SOPAIPILLAS
veg oil, for frying
4 8-10in flour tortillas, cut into wedges or strips
Granulated sugar, for coating

Make sauce: Bring 1/4cup water, brown sugar and salt to a boil in a small sauce pan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. (Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days; reheat before serving)
Make sopaipillas: Heat 1/2" veg oil in lg deep skillet until deep fry temp regs 350. Working in batches, fry tortillas, turning once, until bubbly and golden on both sides, 1-2 mins per batch. (Return oil to 350 between batches.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle both sides with granulated sugar. Drizzle with chocolate sauce. (I think I may try baking some of these to see how the taste is affected)

food network magazine


Oven-Baked Churros with Coconut Sauce
1 (17.3oz)pkg frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/4cup melted butter
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4cup unsweetened coconut milk

For Churros: Preheat oven to 450. Unfold and cut puff pastry sheets in 1/2 length-wise, cut each 1/2 crosswise into 1" wide strips. Place strips on a lightly greased parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 10 mins or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon. Remove pastry strips from oven, dip in butter; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Let stand on a wire rack 5 mins or until dry.
For Sauce: Cook condensed milk in a med saucepan over med heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a light caramel color and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 10-15 mins. Gradually add coconut milk and whisk until smooth, about 5 mins. (Sauce can be refrigerated, covered up to 2 days; reheat before serving)

Whew... that seems like a lot but most can be done ahead and thrown together when you're in a pinch!!

Weekend Review wk #12 (7/2/11)

I think this week produced more failures than new favorites.... sounds kinda like the way our country's government has been doing anymore. Oh well, here's the run down!

Chicken and Waffles with Maple Apples This is the one recipe I think I'll keep from the week!! It was a great combo of flavors and something we'll do again! I used smuckers sugar free syrup and turkey bacon, both were a success!! I also used some Pampered Chef smokey bbq dry rub on the chicken which complimented very nicely as well!!

Grilled Chicken-and-Bacon Mac n' Cheese  Well.... Jeff likes it, but I think he's the only one!! I had to use a variety of different noodles but that's not the problem! There was too much thyme, I didn't care for it at all!!

Chicken Biscuit Stew Ewwwww!! Yogurt was not a good thing for this dish! Easy but eeewwwwwww! We actually threw this out after tasting a couple bites!! boooo

Apple Crumble Now this one had some potential. Granny Smiths are not the right choice for this dish, at all!!! Way too tart. Now a Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious or even a Gala would have been a smarter choice. And I think the oats were too soggy as well. I may try to taste them with a little butter next time!?!?!?

Week #12 (6/27/11)

I wanted to do a patriotic type theme week. So I thought about what dishes represent America to me, and being a Southern gal I thought Fried Chicken and Apple Pie of course. So we're taking chicken and apples in a different direction this week! In honor of my childhood best friend's preggo cravings I dedicate this week's dessert to her!! Enjoy!!

Chicken and Waffles with Maple Apples

4Tbsp Butter, plus some for brushing waffle iron
2 Gala or Honey Crisp apples, peeled and sliced
2 Cinnamon sticks
2cups maple syrup
8 slices bacon, baked until crisp on slotted pan at 375, finely chopped
2cups whole grain waffle mix
1/4tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2lg eggs
1 1/2- 2cups milk- start with 1 1/2 and if mix gets too thick, add more
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded 1/4" thick
EVOO
salt and pepper

Heat waffle iron
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet over med heat, add apples and saute 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add cinnamon sticks and maple syrup, bring to a bubble and cook at low boil while waffles cook.
Combine bacon, waffle mix, nutmeg, eggs, milk and stir. Brush waffle iron with butter and fill with batter, cook to crisp.
Heat a little EVOO a turn in the pan. Add chicken seasoned liberally with salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
Serve chicken on waffle topped with maple apples.

rachaelrayshow.com


Grilled Chicken-and-Bacon Mac n' Cheese

6 slices good-quality smoky bacon
salt and pepper
1lb whole wheat short-cut pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded
EVOO
1/2tsp sweet smoked paprika
4Tbsp butter
1lg onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2 rounded Tbsp flour
1/2cup apple cider or chicken broth
2cups milk
2Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1cup Gruye're cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 375
Arrange bacon on a slotted broiler pan or a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position rack in the center of the oven.
Bring a pot of water to boil, salt it, add pasta and cook 1 minute less than the instructed on box. Drain and return to the pot.
While pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle over med-high heat. Drizzle chicken with EVOO to coat lightly, then season evenly with paprika, salt and pepper. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a med size saucepan over med heat. Add onion and cook until light golden and very soft, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle in the four and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in cider (or stock), then milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until melted.
Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes.

Rachaelray.com


Chicken Biscuit Stew
Stew:
1cup julienned carrots
1cup thinly sliced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2tsp EVOO
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4cup water
3Tbsp chicken stock
1cup (8oz) plain yogurt
1cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4tsp each curry powder, salt, pepper, ground cumin and ginger
Biscuits:
1cup all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
4 1/2 tsps cold butter
1/2cup plain yogurt
1 1/2tsp dried parsley flakes

In large non-stick skillet, saute carrots, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Combine flour, water and broth until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in yogurt, peas and seasonings. Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2qt baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray; keep warm.
For biscuits, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in yogurt and parsley. Drop 8 mounds over warm chicken mixture. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and stew bubbles around edges.

cooking.com


Apple Crumble

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2cup apple juice
4Tbsp brown sugar
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg
1cup rolled oats
salt
2Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/4cup chopped almonds
Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 400. Combine apples, apple juice, 2Tbsp brown sugar, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and 1/8tsp nutmeg in lg mixing bowl.
In separate bowl, combine oats with remaining brown sugar,cinnamon and nutmeg, plus good pinch of salt. Add butter and work mixture with your fingertips until it comes together in moist clumps. Add almonds and work them in as well.
Divide apples among 4 ramekins and top with the oatmeal-almond mixture. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, until apples are hot and bubbling and crumble has begun to brown. (If topping isn't significantly brown, turn on the broiler for the last minute of cooking.) Let cool for a few minutes. Serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
(290 calories/ serving)

one of the "Eat This Not That" book

Weekend Review wk #11 (6/25/2011)

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken Oh yum!! This was great! Then only complaint I have is this: I got a hickory smoked BBQ sauce because it had the same calories as the regular. I didn't check the sodium, so I felt it tasted very salty (I didn't add any salt otherwise!!)! I will check with my dad, he use to make his own BBQ sauce that was awesome to see if I can't improve on it and the dish, even though the dish was great and made the house smell oh so yummy!!

"Classic" Apple Dumplings Oh my!! These were so yummy! They didn't look exactly like I thought they should, but they were very sweat and oh so good with Ice Cream... even for breakfast!! I got the smallest apples I could find at the store but I still think they should be smaller. Next time I'll just use 1/2 an apple that's peeled and cored. The dough had a hard time covering the apple without tearing. I like that you can fix the different parts early and then come back and "throw" it together when you're ready to fix them! This will be a definate repeat!!

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie And another one bites the dust.... yeah, not a fan!! My mom makes killer CPP, and even though this seemed oh so easy (and it was) it was not oh so good! The veggies were thawed, rinsed in warm water and still weren't cooked. I used cheddar cheese because Velveeta just isn't that good, still gave this dish a D-. Jeff and I agreed to try it again, hoping that when we re-heat the dish it will be better.... but we're not holding our breaths, the recipe is already in the trash!!

Fried Chocolate Pies SCORE!!! These were great! They cook very quickly and like the apple dumplings you can fix the different parts early then slap them together when you're ready to fix them. They literally cook in 2-3 minutes tops!!