Recipes

Honey-Glazed Chicken

I used to make this recipe quite a bit many years ago. For some reason I haven’t made it for a while. I don’t know why. It’s delicious and very easy to make. The recipe calls for a broiler/fryer chicken cut up but when I make it I like to use chicken thighs. Love chicken thighs. It also works with any chicken parts you want. I will also swap the honey for agave nectar and brown sugar for Splenda brown sugar substitute. But that’s just me. Feel free to use regular honey and sugar.

This is a great meal for family dinners and even to serve to company. I will definitely be making it again very soon. I will have to be planning my dinner menus out now so this will be one of the first ones I add to the menu. It will be a hit. I also like to serve this with my recipe for Spiced Carrot Strips. (Recipe will be posted tomorrow!)

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup all-purpose flour (or soy flour)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 broiler/fryer chicken or parts (about 3 pounds), cut up

½ cup butter or margarine, melted, divided

¼ cup packed brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup honey or agave nectar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1½ teaspoons curry powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl or bag, combine flour, salt and cayenne pepper; add the chicken pieces and dredge or shake to coat.

2. Pour 4 tablespoons butter into a 13″x9″x2″ baking pan; place chicken in pan, turning pieces once to coat.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Combine the brown sugar, honey/agave, lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder and remaining butter; pour over chicken.

4. Bake 45 minutes more or until chicken is tender, basting several times with pan drippings.

Makes 4-6 servings

Pesto Chicken Pizza

I keep finding such yummy recipes on the back of the mozzarella cheese labels these days. Yummy and easy recipes!!  This pizza uses a pre-cooked pizza crust. Just use your favorite crust. I like using the Pillsbury thin pizza crusts. Just roll out and bake! So simple. Love that little doughboy! (giggle)

This recipe also has only 4 ingredients. Simple, fast and delicious. Chicken is a great protein when we want to be eating right. And who says pizza has to be a bad thing! Pizza is our friend! I’ve been making pizzas alot lately and this is my next one! I haven’t made it yet but it just sounds so good. The pesto it calls for is store-bought but if you feel like making it yourself go ahead.

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces sliced, pre-cooked chicken breast

1- 12″ thin pre-baked pizza crust

¼ cup prepared pesto

4-8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Spread the prepared pizza crust with the pesto. Sprinkle with chicken and top with mozzarella cheese.

2. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Makes 4 servings

Mozzarella Sausage Balls

I found this recipe on the label from a package of mozzarella cheese. It looks like a very simple recipe and  if you use part-skim cheese it saves some calories and fat. Not only is the recipe easy but prep time is only about 15 minutes and cooking time is 10-18 minutes so these will be ready in about 30 minutes! These can be a great snack for a brunch too. I’m all about saving time these days as I am going back to work in the real world and I’ll be looking for ways to save time when making snacks and meals. I’ll also be trying to get back to a healthier diet so I can lose some extra pounds. The recipe calls for hot breakfast sausage. If you can find chicken breakfast sausages you can also save some calories and fat too!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound hot/spicy breakfast sausage (your choice)

16 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced into small pieces

1 egg, beaten

1 cup biscuit mix (your choice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until blended. Form into 1″ balls and place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 375ºF for 10-18 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked through.

Makes 12 servings

NY Jets & Green Bay Packer Cocktails

Yes we are NY Jets fans in this house. Doesn’t matter that we live in Florida. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. It’s been very exciting for the last few weeks to say the least. I predicted weeks ago, before the Jets miraculous win over the Colts, that the Super Bowl would be the Jets vs Packers. My husband is also a Packers fan having lived in Wisconsin many years ago. But Jets come first. So when it’s down to the final game we will be cheering for the Jets.(I am very optimistic aren’t I?) So today’s post, in honor of those two teams, are two cocktails, that are green. Both teams main colors are green. No there won’t be any cheese flavored cocktails for the Packers. Ewww… They are both green and we’ll leave it at that. Try them both this weekend. One for each game!  Or make them both for both games! It’ll give everyone up north something to do in this snowy weather, yet again! The first martini is very simple. The second one isn’t really difficult but it’s got more ingredients. They both have Midori in them. Be adventurous! Take a chance!

Go Jets! Go Packers!

GREEN-TINI

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces vodka (your choice)

3 ounces Midori melon liqueur (or any melon liqueur you wish)

Lime wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with limes.

Makes 2 martinis


ZEN COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces Zen Green Tea Liqueur (this is pretty readily available)

1 ounce Midori melon liqueur

6 ounces mango juice

white pepper

4 ounces cream

mint leaves for garnish

grated nutmeg for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into chilled champagne flutes or other slender class.

Garnish with mint leaves and a dash of nutmeg.

Makes 2 cocktails

** I just tried to buy the Zen Green Tea Liqueur, it’s pricey!! $30 a bottle! Yikes. I am looking for a smaller bottle now.

Scallop & Broccoli Casserole

Well earlier today when I was trying to decide on what recipe to use in today’s blog I was stumped. I did come across a great breakfast dish I found in a magazine while I was in the gym (I read my food magazines while on the LifeCycle). But then I started making dinner with what I found in the fridge and freezer. So that became today’s blog. The final finished picture will be added to the post once it finishes baking!


Well 10 days from today I am returning to the land of the employed. I got a job at AAA South. It is a temporary seasonal position but hopefully it’ll become more. I will be working the reception desk. This will be a huge challenge for me as anyone who knows me, knows “the face”. I will leave it at that. But this job will also take time away from blogging. So I am going to try and get ahead for the first work week anyway. We will see how that works. Because as it is now I am just getting around to the blog and it’s almost 8pm! Imagine when I have a real job! So bear with me  when I start working (Jan.31 to be exact). So here is today’s recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bay scallops

2 cups cooked brown rice (I like jasmine)

2 cups chopped broccoli, no stems

2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, chopped (I used French Onion)

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped (Less if you aren’t a fan of garlic! Perish the thought)

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup white wine (any kind you choose)

1 cup Locatelli romano cheese (or any kind of grated parmesan/romano you want)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

TOPPING:

4 tablespoons butter/butter substitute melted

1 cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large heated sauté pan add olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until just tender. Add the chopped Laughing Cow cheese.

2. Add the broccoli and sauté for about 3-5 minutes until all liquid seems to be evaporated. Add the basil, oregano and pepper flakes. Stir. Add ¼ cup of the white wine and sauté for another 5 minutes.

3. Place the rice in a large bowl. Add the veggie mix to the rice.

4. Add the scallops to the pan and cook for a minute or so. Add another ¼ cup of the wine and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until the scallops are opaque. Add them to the bowl of rice and vegetables.

5. Add the romano cheese to mixture and stir thoroughly. Add to casserole dish of choice.

6. Blend the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.


7. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 45 minutes. Topping should be browned and bubbly.


Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

First let me say that I have not actually made this recipe yet. But I will, soon. My husband loves gumbo. Me, I could take it or leave it. Mainly because there are peppers in it. Remember, I am the one Italian who doesn’t like sweet peppers. I know, weird. But I am willing to give this a try and I will make sure I chop the pepper very small so I can’t pick them out! You should see me at restaurants! Anyway, I got this recipe in my email today from Cooking Light. It’s actually from their November 2002 issue! So it’s been around a long time. I have changed a few things of course (though I am leaving the peppers in!). The recipe calls for boil-in-bag rice. Not happening in this house. I will use jasmine brown rice. I always make a huge batch and freeze it in small packages, for occasions just like this! And it also called for turkey kielbasa. I will use chicken sausages of some kind. The recipe originally called for bottled minced garlic. Again, not in my house! I will use fresh garlic and probably double it!

What is also really great about this recipe is that most of it uses frozen vegetables. This will save time if you’re making it last-minute. But if it’s last-minute you might not have the ingredients on hand so think ahead anyway. And if you do not like to use frozen vegetables like onion, peppers, okra etc. use fresh. But remember the frozen ones are already all cut up for you and cook faster! Another way to make this a little different is to add some shrimp to the last step also. Probably about a half pound or so of uncooked. It will cook fast so be careful.

Illustration courtesy of Cooking Light magazine

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked rice of choice (I prefer jasmine brown rice)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup frozen chopped onion

1 cup frozen chopped green bell pepper

1 cup frozen cut okra

1 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)

8 ounces chicken sausage of your choice, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes with peppers and onion

1 (14½ ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. If you are cooking rice now make the gumbo while it is cooking.

2. Combine the flour and oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Saute over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, okra, celery, garlic, thyme, and ground red pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

3. Stir in the chicken, sausage, tomatoes, and broth, cook 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings (1½ cups gumbo and ½ cup rice)

Quick & Easy Creamed Spinach

My husband loves creamed spinach. So I’ve been trying to find good recipes for making it a little on the healthier side. I’ve found several recipes that I’ve made but this one seems to be the easiest and fastest! No fuss no muss! Using frozen spinach and Laughing Cow Cheese! It goes great with any meal. I like it with steak. It goes great with pork, chicken, meatloaf, anything you wish!


INGREDIENTS:

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach

3 wedges light Laughing Cow cheese wedges (I like the blue cheese or garlic & herb one)

¼ cup grated locatelli romano cheese (or your favorite grated cheese)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook spinach according to package directions in a microwave safe bowl. Drain.

2. Add the Laughing Cow cheese and stir well until almost completely blended in.

3. Add the grated cheese, stir. Microwave on High for another 2 minutes until all cheeses are melted.

4 . Serve hot!

See, simple and easy and not a hassle. I also usually add some garlic powder or roasted garlic cloves to the mix as well. It’s up to you!

Tropical Pudding Shots

Yes pudding shots! I know you’ve all heard of jello shots. I also think it’s time for me to serve them at my next party. But pudding shots are almost the same but with pudding! This recipe calls for sugar-free fat-free pudding but if you’re not watching calories just use the regular pudding. I actually have not made them yet but I plan to soon! They sound delicious! This recipe also only makes 8 servings so if you have a huge crowd  adjust the amounts accordingly. And since I am allergic to the aspartame in the sugar-free jello puddings (and jello) I will have to find one with Splenda or just use the regular kind. Have fun and enjoy the weekend!

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces fat-free milk (I will probably use fat-free half-and-half)

1 small (4 serving) package Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (or any other kind you want)

3 ounces coconut rum

1 ounce lime juice

½ cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, not drained

1 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed (or regular if you wish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine milk and pudding in a bowl and whisk or mix until smooth. Add the rum, lime juice and pineapple. Stir well.

2. Fold in the Cool Whip. Once mixture is smooth throughout, divide it among 8 small cups.

3. Place in fridge until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes. Use a spoon to eat!

Makes 8 servings

Tuna Burgers with Tapenade Aioli

Well today is back to the normal routine. No more birthday wishes, till next year! So that means back to a healthier cooking style again. Today’s recipe is originally from Bobby Flay. I tweaked it a bit by using agave nectar instead of honey and I used a hot chinese red pepper sauce instead of the chipotle pepper purée he called for. We also did not have them on rolls. The tapenade aioli is a very nice sauce for these. It did however turn a pinkish-purple color, I’m guessing from the color in the kalamata olives. Either way it’s pretty and tasted very good! The recipe was supposed to make 8 burgers, I got only 7. No biggy, there’s only two of us eating them! This dish is loaded with protein from the tuna and since there are no “fillers” it’s even better for you! I served a side of green beans with a little butter and slivered almonds.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ pounds fresh tuna steak, finely chopped (I used the food processor)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red pepper sauce of your choice

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

2 green onions, thinly sliced

salt

black pepper

TAPENADE AIOLI:

¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 lemon, zested

½ lemon juiced

½ cup light mayonnaise

salt & pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the tuna, mustard, pepper sauce, oil, agave/honey and green onion in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Shape the chopped tuna mixture firmly into 8 uniform patties about 1½ inches thick. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. They will hold their shape better when very cold.

2. Grill the burger for 3 minutes on each side for medium doneness. I did them in a large frying pan and 3 minutes each side worked great.Use medium-high heat.

For the tapenade aioli:

1. Combine the olives, garlic lemon zest and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the mayonnaise and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes about 8 burgers. (I got 7)

Easy Steak Marinade

Well today is my birthday. And since it’s my birthday I was thinking of what I wanted for dinner. My husband and I will be going to my favorite restaurant, EVO,  on the weekend but for tonight I needed a dinner plan. Have to eat anyway so it may as well be my favorite, all time, go to dinner. Steak and mashed potatoes. Ever since I was a kid and even when I got older and went away to college I always wanted steak and mashed potatoes for my dinner. So off to the supermarket I went this morning to get a couple of rib eyes. I usually buy ribeyes when they are on sale and stash them in the freezer. So when I went to the supermarket I was beyond shocked at the regular price of them! Needless to say I didn’t get them. I instead went for a steak my Mom used to make for us all the time as kids growing up. Chuck steak. It is much cheaper and it really isn’t all that bad. I used to by them in college too. So I figured why not. And to be on the safe side I will marinate them. I found this marinade in a low-carb recipe cookbook and I’ve used it with several types of beef in the past. It was intended for sirloin but it works for pretty much everything. If it’s too much for what you are using just cut the recipe in half.  So I will be enjoying my steak and mashed potatoes tonight for my birthday! Yum Yum!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

½ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ medium onion, finely minced

1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ tablespoon wine vinegar

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the water, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic in a large measuring cup or bowl.

2. Place your steak in a large zipper-lock bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Place it on a plate or in a bowl and place in the fridge for at least several hours or overnight if you have time.

3. Remove the steak about 15 minutes before you are ready to cook.


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