Archive for the ‘Wednesday: Recipes!’ Category
Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips Recipe
Here, in Florida, we haven’t had much of a winter. Actually, we have only had a handful of cold days and maybe 3 freezing days. Take today for example, the high is supposed to be in the 80′s, in February. That’s crazy! However, all of this heat makes me think of summer and summer makes me think of fresh fruit…. ah, my mouth is already watering.
I love fruit and I love chips and salsa so when I came upon this recipe it seemed like the best of both worlds! I really like this recipe because I can bring it with me to the kids belts office and snack on it throughout the day and not feel too guilty about it. It is fruit, afterall. 
I found the recipe on Allrecipes, their site has never let me down!
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
1 tablespoon white sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas (you can find all kinds of low cal versions out there)
butter flavored cooking spray
Cinnamon sugar:
1 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Spray each side of the flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and then dredge the wedges in the cinnamon sugar. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
4.Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be serve with cinnamon graham grackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.
Yummy and what a great way to get the kids to eat their fruit, too! You can reduce/eliminate the sugar if you like. The riper the fruit, the sweeter it will be naturally so you may not need to add much sugar at all. I hope you enjoy it, I know I will!
Blessings,
Breakfast Muffins
My assistant is constantly bombarding me with stories about how long she is running (she’s training for a 5K), how great she’s eating, and how wonderful she feels after her boot camp work out (Boot camp? Seriously? Why would you do that to yourself if you aren’t actually in the military?). Blah… Blah… Blah… Don’t get me wrong, I love her dearly and very proud of the progress she is making, but now, she has crossed the line. That’s right, she has motivated me to get up and move and to stay strong with my new healthy lifestyle…. Can you believe her? I mean, who does she think she is to help me?? Ahh, I joke, it is really nice to have someone at the kids belts office to help hold me accountable and she is a pretty good cheerleader.
One of the really nice things is that we can share recipes. Breakfast is a hard one because it seems like we are always rushing to get ready and out the door for school so we grab something quick to shovel into our mouths which is not always the most healthy thing we can do. After talking to my assistant about it, she shared this recipe for these low calorie, super tasty, and very filling breakfast muffins. She makes them up on Sunday and then has them for the rest of the week to grab and go (only takes about 50 seconds in the microwave to reheat).
Breakfast Muffins
1 Can Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
8 Egg Whites
8 Precooked Tennessee Pride Turkey Sausage Patties
1 Cup Diced Onions
1 Cup Chopped Spinach
1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
3oz 50% Reduced Fat Cabot Cheese (Finely Shredded) Save a little to top each muffin
Black Pepper
Red Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin pan (not a cupcake pan) with one crescent roll per muffin hole. In a bowl, scramble the egg whites, milk, onions, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and cheese. Once it is mixed well, pour equal amounts of the mixture in each muffin hole. Dice the turkey sausage patties and top each muffin with equal portions. Finish off by topping each muffin with the reserved shredded cheddar and then bake until the cheese on the top begins to brown.
I love the fact that once prepared these are super easy to heat up in the morning. They are great for busy mornings and so much quicker (and healthier) than running through the drive-thru. Plus each muffin is less than 200 calories!
Hope you enjoy!
Blessings,
Baked Asparagus
Time to get in the kitchen! I know I share a lot of recipes on on my kids belts blog, but it seems like I share mostly entrees and desserts, so I thought I would share a side dish recipe today!
This recipe may not go over well with the kiddos (although my assistant says her 2 year old loves it), but if you are a fan of asparagus, you are going to love this one. The tips of the asparagus get a nutty flavor when they start to caramelize and the garlic and the bite of the Parmesan, oh my, I’m starting to drool just thinking about it. The nice thing about this dish is that it goes well with anything from steak to chicken to even pasta dishes like baked ziti, but the very BEST thing about this recipe is that it’s SUPER quick and easy!!
This recipe serves two, but you can always add to it to serve more people! They will love it!
Baked Asparagus
Ingredients
1/2 tbsp Onion powder
2 Garlic Cloves
40 Asparagus Spears
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Chop off the bottoms of the Asparagus. Place all ingredients in a gallon zip lock bag. Seal bag and shake until Asparagus is coated evenly. Place on a cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake until tips of asparagus begin to caramelize.
Yep, that’s it! I think it may take about 5 minutes to prepare and maybe 30 minutes or so (depending on how thick the asparagus stalks are) to bake (you can use that time to cook the entree). It is so simple that you could add it to your weekly rotation of side dishes and not even have to think about it. You never know, the kids may even like it.
I hope you enjoy!
Blessings,
Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Are you looking for something to do with all of those left over candy canes? If you’re family is like mine, they beg for them, but then only eat 2 or 3 and the rest are just hanging there on the tree. This year I decided not to inundate the guys at the kids belts factory with our candy canes so I turned to my trusty internet to help me find a recipe to put them to good use. I came across this recipe and they are delicious!
I like that it’s not very time consuming and the cookies bake quickly. Plus, it’s chocolate, can you really go wrong with chocolate?
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies
Makes 12-14 cookies
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter softened to room temp (not melted!)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
A handful or so of chocolate chips
2 candy canes
Powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Mix together all the ingredients except the chocolate chips, candy canes and powdered sugar. You may have to use your hands to really blend it as it is thick.
Mix in a handful or so of chocolate chips, not too many or they will just fall out.
Lay the candy canes on the counter and cover with a towel. Hit the cane with a hammer just hard enough to break it but not rip the package then work you way down the cane. Then you can just open the package and it will fall out onto the counter. Mix one of the crushed candy canes into the cookie batter. Leave the other candy cane on the counter.
Roll a golf ball size of the batter in your hands, flatten slightly and place on the cookie sheet. Then press it down a little more in the middle to make room for the crushed candy canes and to ensure they won’t all roll off. Top with a sprinkle or so of the candy cane. Don’t go to close to the edge or it will melt off of the cookie.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely and sift some powdered sugar on the top to look like snow and ENJOY!
My family loved these and they are super cute and festive, so they would be great to bring to a holiday party, as well!
Blessings,
Vegetarian Lasagna
- 1 1/2 quarts spaghetti sauce (your favorite homemade or jar spaghetti sauce)
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 6 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed and well drained
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Mix carrots, oregano, and spaghetti sauce together.
- Mix Ricotta, spinach, and eggs together in separate bowl.
- Spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ½ remaining sauce, ½ Ricotta mixture, ½ sliced zucchini, ½ sliced mushrooms, ½ Mozzarella, and ½ Parmesan.
- Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
- Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes.
Makes 8 servings!
Candy is Dandy!
We have moved from turkey season to candy season! Yay! So, today I have decided to take a break from making kids belts to share some super yummy candy recipes!
Are you a fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? How about Heath Bars? What about the red cinnamon candies? Yes, yes and yes! Well I stumbled across some recipes for all of those and I am going to share with you!
Peanut Butter Cups
- 1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
- 1 Lb Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- 1/4 Lb Butter
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- Wilton’s Light Cocoa Candy Melts (2 or 3 bags)
Place candy melts in a crock pot on low and stir occasionally. Mix all of the other ingredients together (it will make a very thick dough). Roll dough in to dime size pieces (if you are using the Wilton’s Peanut Butter Cups candy mold). Once the chocolate is melted, spoon a small amount into the molds (just enough to coat the bottoms and sides). Place in freezer until hard. Remove from freezer and place the dough in the middle and then cover with more chocolate. Put back in freezer to harden. When they are fully set, they will come out of the mold with no problem when you turn it upside down. Repeat the process. WARNING: This makes a TON of peanut butter cups so be prepared to eat or giveaway!
Chocolate Toffee Bars
- 1/2 Cup Butter (no substitutions)
- 1 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
- Wilton’s Light Cocoa Candy Melts (2 or 3 bags)
Place candy melts in a crock pot on low and stir occasionally. Cook sugar and butter together over low heat until butter is melted. Stir constantly to blend well. Cook over medium heat with continued stirring to 300 degrees F (using a candy thermometer). Mixture will be just starting to brown. Remove from heat and stir in nuts (keeping a few aside to top later) and vanilla. Mix well and pour onto ungreased pan. When toffee has cooled slightly, score with a knife into squares. When candy is thoroughly cooled, break apart the squares and dip in melted chocolate, place on wax paper and top with some of the reserved pecans. Place in freezer until chocolate hardens.
Cinnamon Rock Candy
- 1 cup water
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon oil
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
The Perfect Turkey
Every year for our Annual kids belts Christmas Party, I bring the turkey. “Why”, you ask? Because everyone requests it, for like months prior to the party. Now that could be because I am their boss and they are just trying to make me feel good, or it could be because this is the BEST TURKEY RECIPE EVER! I’m inclined to believe the latter.
For the Brine:
For 12 -14 lbs turkey, washed and cleaned out
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 quarts water
2 Tbs Rosemary
Boil for 5 minutes and let sit to cool to room temp. Once at room temp, add ice to chill. Put in large bag and take out all air so brine covers the whole bird inside and out. Brine turkey overnight.
In the morning, drain the brine from the turkey, rinse the bird, pat the skin dry, and follow the cooking recipe.
Cook (The Safeway 2 Hour Turkey cooking method – seriously makes the BEST turkey EVAH!!!):
For the Turkey
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1-2 days before cooking
Clean your oven to prevent smoking of burned-on grease when cooking at high heat.
DO NOT USE A CONVECTION OVEN.
30 minutes before cooking
Preheat oven to 475º and use oven thermometer to check temperature.
- Remove and discard truss that holds turkey legs together. See Tip A. Pull or trim off and discard lumps of fat in neck and body cavity.
- Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub turkey skin all over generously with olive oil. Set bird breast down and sprinkle back with salt and pepper.
- Place the adjustable V-shaped rack in the roasting pan (set rack sides so the bird is a minimum of 2 inches from pan bottom). Put turkey, breast up, on rack; sprinkle breast with salt and pepper. Fold wing tips under. See Tip B.
- Using aluminum foil, form caps over the tips of each drumstick. If wing tips extend beyond pan rim, fashion a foil collar underneath to make sure drippings flow back into pan. See Tip C. Leave legs untied. Do not add stuffing or close body cavity.
- Insert the oven-safe meat thermometer near center of breast through thickest part of breast to bone (the coldest part of the turkey and most accurate spot to check doneness). See Tip D.
- Set pan on the lowest rack in a 475° oven (do not use convection heat; it causes excessive smoking). Roast according to above time chart, checking as directed during cooking, until thermometer reaches 160°. Halfway through roasting time, rotate pan in oven to assure even cooking and browning. See Tip E. If areas on turkey breast start to get browner than you like, lay a piece of foil over the dark spots. If there is any smoke, check pan and wings for drips into oven; adjust foil under wings, or slide roasting pan onto a larger, shallow-rimmed pan.
- Remove pan from oven, set in a warm, draft-free spot, and loosely cover pan with foil to keep it warm. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes. The resting period will allow the internal temperature to reach 165°, the USDA safe cooking temperature for poultry.
- Drain juices from body cavity (often plentiful in unstuffed birds) into roasting pan. If making gravy, spoon off and discard fat from drippings in pan. If drippings are dry, skim any fat from pan, then add 1 cup fat-free chicken broth; scrape drippings free. Use in Amber Gravy as directed (see 6 Delicious Side Dishes for recipe).
- Cut off turkey legs at thigh joint. See Tip F. If joint is red or pink, return legs to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes (at 300° to 475°) or heat in a microwave oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carve the rest of the turkey. Turkey juices may be clear to pink or rosy; both are fine. Save juices to pour into gravy for richer flavor, if desired.
You’re welcome, I’ll go ahead and say it in advance because I know you are going to love this recipe and it will become the way you cook your holiday turkey’s from here on out. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Brrrr… It’s Chili Out!
There is a chill in the air and you know what that means? It’s Chili weather! When the weather changes, the kids belts warehouse stays on the cold side because it’s a warehouse and and by nature they are difficult to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. So what is my method of warming up? Making a nice big pot of chili! I love chili, but not your standard, run of the mill chili, I am in the mood for some White Chicken Chili.
I came across this recipe and had to share…
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
- 1 cup water
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Preparation
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and coriander; sauté 1 minute. Stir in chiles; reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes, partially covered. Add the chicken, water, cannellini beans, and broth; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in hot sauce. Ladle 1 cup of chili into each of 8 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 tablespoon green onions.
I even like to serve this with a little sour cream and shredded cheese on top. Mmmm… my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Blessings,
Spaghetti Pie
Today, I thought I would change up my recipes a bit. I have been giving a lot of seasonal recipes lately and you may be thinking… “We are about to be overwhelmed with seasonal foods, don’t you have anything else for us?”
Well, of course I do! This one comes courtesy of one of my favorite websites, Weelicious. If you haven’t checked it out before, it really is a cool place. They focus on educating kids and involving them in the cooking process. They encourage parents to be honest – no sneaking veggies! Also, their recipes are quick, easy and nutritious and are made using fresh ingredients. The recipes appeal to a range of ages – from infants starting on solid foods to school-age kids and even adults – and are meant for parents to use as an inspirational feeding guide for their own families.
I really like that, good healthful foods that my kids will love and can even help prepare,which is great because the less I have to do, the better! I mean, I do spend the day slaving away making kids belts.
Spaghetti Pie (Serves 6)
8 oz Spaghetti, cooked (about 1/2 a package)
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 Lb Ground Turkey (you could also use ground beef or chicken)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce or 1 16 Oz Jar Marinara Sauce
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the cooked spaghetti in a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Combine the eggs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add mixture to the spaghetti and mix.
4. Place the spaghetti mixture into a greased deep-dish pie plate and spread to make a “pie crust”.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the ground turkey, salt, garlic and onion powder for 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
6. Pour the marinara sauce over the meat and stir to combine.
7. In a bowl stir the Ricotta cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs to combine.
8. Spread the Ricotta/Parmesan cheese mixture over the pasta, then layer the marinara mixture and finally, top with 1 cup of mozzarella.
9. Place dish on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Cool, cut into wedges and serve.
If you love spaghetti and lasagna you’ll love this creation because it’s the best of both worlds. It’s got spaghetti noodles, cheese, tomato sauce, cheese, turkey, cheese (can you tell what my favorite part is?), pretty much everything you could ask for in a meal! Serve it with some baked asparagus or a nice side salad and you have a very filling meal. I hope you all enjoy!
Blessings,
Cheesy Bacon Roasted Potatoes
I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I start gearing up for all of the holiday parties and get togethers. It seems like every weekend between here and the New Year is packed with stuff to do and people to see. I’m not complaining, mind you, I love socializing, it’s just I get tired of taking the same old standard green bean casserole to every event. Especially since everyone else brings green bean casserole and we are all just sitting around eating a bunch of green bean casserole and that is no fun at all.
I want something different, something more creative but something quick and easy to make, I don’t have a whole lot of time to cook and bake after juggling time for my family and making time for my kids belts. Plus, who wants to spend all day in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove unless you are a housewife circa 1920.
My assistant (Jen) shared her sister’s potato recipe with me and I am definitely adding this to the rotation of potluck dishes because it is so good and so easy! Jen says that if her sister can fix it, then anyone can because her sister admittedly hates to cook.
Cheesy Bacon Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
5lbs Red Potatoes(Chopped into Cubes)
1 8oz Block of Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
1 lb of Bacon (Cooked Crisp & Crumbled)
1 Cup of Melted Butter
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
Chives or Parsley (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just fork tender. Drain the water and place potatoes in a 9×13 baking dish. Mix the chopped garlic into the melted butter and pour evenly over all of the potatoes. Top with the shredded cheddar and the crumbled bacon. Bake until cheese starts to brown. When finished baking, top with chopped chives or fresh parsley. Serve warm.
Let me just say, this it a hearty dish that is sure to please anyone at your next get together. Who can beat a combination of bacon, cheese and butter? Isn’t that like the holy trinity of cooking??
Blessings,