Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

With a little help from Emeril (ok, fine…more than just a little), I made this delicious key lime pie! It’s great—and soooo easy! I know it sounds a little funny, but the topping is what really makes this dish special. But, you can always omit it if you like.

You need:
1. 9” pre-made pie crust
2. 2-14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3. 2 eggs
4. 1 cup lime juice (I used a combination of fresh and bottled)
5. 8 oz plain Greek yogurt
6. 4 tbsp powdered sugar

You will:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Whisk together milk, eggs, and lime juice.
3. Pour it into the piecrust. Note: I could find the pre-made 9” crust, so I bought the 8”. That’s fine, but just beware the pie crust will be VERY full. You can hold a little back, or just fill it that full—completely up to you. I used all the mix because I really like the thickness of the pie.
4. Place pie crust pan on a cookie sheet. Cook in oven for 20 minutes.
5. Allow pie to cool to room temperature.
6. Mix yogurt and sugar in small bowl. Emeril uses sour cream here instead of yogurt. I prefer the yogurt, and Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, so it’s a good substitution.
7. Spread yogurt mixture over the top of cooled pie.
8. Cover with pie pan top (comes with the crust) and chill for at least 1 hour. Or, up to a week—I made this over a week ago and I just had the last piece!

Nom! Nom!

Stuffed Shells with Spicy Sausage Marinara

Stuffed Shells with Spicy Sausage Marinara

You need:
1. ½ lb spicy Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
2. 2 cloves minced garlic
3. ½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
4. 1 packet spaghetti seasoning
5. 6 oz can of tomato paste
6. 15 oz stewed tomatoes
7. 1 tspn parsley
8. ¼ tspn red pepper flakes
9. 1 package cheese stuffed shells (I used Rosetto)
10. ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese (optional)

You do:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Remove sausage from casings and brown in medium saucepan. Add garlic and onion while browning.
3. Once meat is browned, add seasoning and stir to coat meat.
4. Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, parsley and red pepper flakes to meat. Stir well.
5. Spread shells, open side down, in an oven-safe dish like Pyrex or Corning. At a minimum, you’ll need an 8”x8” dish with deep sides—this makes more than I thought it would!
6. Pour tomato mixture over shells. Do not stir.
7. Cover dish with lid or aluminum foil.
8. Cook 45 minutes at 400F.
9. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top if desired.
10. Serve alongside a salad and bread for an easy, yummy Italian meal!

Nom! Nom!

Roasted Lemon Chicken

Roasted Lemon Chicken

This is one of those dishes that takes a long time to cook, but with only about a 5 minute prep time, you can put it in the oven and then get busy doing something else. Works great for busy weekends! But, it’s a nice dish that’s a great centerpiece to any meal. So, if you have 4-6 people over for dinner, it would also be ideal because while it’s in the oven, you can be doing other things, like last minute cleaning! Haha.

You need:
1. 1 whole chicken (about 5-6 lbs)
2. 2 lemons
3. 1 medium yellow onion
4. 1 tspn salt
5. 1 tspn black pepper
6. 2 tspn lemon pepper

You do:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Empty cavity of chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry.
3. Place chicken in baking dish.
4. Cut lemons into 8 pieces each—cut into 4 wedges, and then cut each wedge in half.
5. Squeeze lemon pieces so that juice runs over chicken.
6. Cut onion into wedges as well.
7. Stuff chicken with lemon and onion—any pieces that won’t fit, you can place around the chicken.
8. Mix salt, pepper and lemon pepper together in small ramekin.
9. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken. Rub the seasoning with your hands to get under the drumsticks and wings.
10. Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 400F for 75-90 min (this time varies based on the size of your chicken, so make sure it’s done all the way to the bone).

Nom! Nom!

Meatcakes

Meatcakes—as in meatloaf cupcakes! Sound gross? Get over it! It’s deeeelicious! And, cute to boot. If you cook meatloaf, chances are you serve it with potatoes anyway, so why not combine the two into a really nice looking, creative entrée. Talk about bringing something new to the table…

You’ll need:
1. 1 lb ground chuck
2. 3 tbsp ketchup
3. 2 tbsp marinade (such as Dale’s or Moore’s)
4. 1 tspn Worcestershire sauce
5. ½ tspn salt
6. ½ tspn black pepper
7. ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8. 1 egg, lightly beaten
9. ¼ cup baking mix (such as Bisquick)
10. 2 baking potatoes
11. 3 tbsp butter
12. 3 tbsp sour cream
13. 2 tbsp milk
14. ½ tspn onion powder
15. Salt and pepper to taste
16. Parsley (optional)

You’ll do:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Bring water to boil in large pot.
3. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Drop in boiling water
4. Mix ground chuck with ingredients 2-9 above, until well blended.
5. Line 8 cups in a cupcake pan with foil liners. You can use paper, but the little grease these produce will make that kind of a mess. Either way, though, they’re prettier if you remove the liner at the end.
6. Separate meat mixture into 8 equal segments and roll each into a ball. Place one ball in each cupcake liner, and press down lightly to flatten on the bottom.
7. Place meatcakes in the oven on 350F and cook for 15-18 minutes.
8. Once potatoes are soft to the touch, drain the water off and put potatoes into a large bowl. Add milk and sour cream to potatoes and mix with a hand mixer.
9. Add salt, pepper, butter, and onion powder to potatoes and blend until mostly smooth. You don’t want any large chunks, but small ones are fine.
10. When meatcakes are done, remove from oven and allow to rest about 10 minutes.
11. Transfer creamed potatoes to sandwich-size Ziploc bag and cut the corner off.
12. Remove liners from meatcakes (if you want, but this step isn’t necessary). Place meatcakes on serving dish.
13. Pipe creamed potatoes onto the top of each meatcake in circles, beginning on the edge and working towards the middle.
14. Pair with a salad, some extra creamed potatoes, or a green vegetable and you’ve got a fun, creative twist on a traditional meal!

Nom! Nom!

Sausage Manicotti

Sausage Manicotti--this recipe isn't expensive and it makes enough to feed a small army! Serve it to company alongside a tossed salad. Add some powdered doughnuts for dessert and you've got a yummy, filling meal!

You’ll need:
1. 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2. 1 can tomato paste
3. 1 medium onion diced, divided
4. 1 tspn garlic, divided
5. ¼ cup sugar
6. 1 tspn basil
7. 2 tspn parsley, divided
8. 1 tspn salt
9. ½ tspn black pepper
10. ¼ tspn red pepper flakes
11. 14 manicotti shells
12. ½ lb Italian sausage
13. 15 oz ricotta cheese
14. 2 cups mozzarella
15. 1 egg, lightly beaten

You’ll do:
1. In medium boiler, mix stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, ½ diced onion, and ½ tspn diced garlic. Bring tomato mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add sugar, basil, 1 tspn parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Once water is boiling, add manicotti shells and cook until done, approximately 12 minutes.
3. Begin to brown sausage in medium saucepan. Add ½ tspn diced garlic and other ½ of the diced onion to meat. Continue to cook until meat is browned through.
4. Once meat is brown, place meat mixture on paper towel to drain grease.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 pan.
6. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 ½ cups mozzarella, 1 tspn parsley, and egg. Add meat.
7. When done, drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
8. Fill Ziploc bag with ricotta/meat mixture. Snip corner off of Ziploc bag.
9. Fill manicotti shells with ricotta/meat mixture.
10. Place filled manicotti shells in greased pan. Pour tomato sauce over shells.
11. Cook in 350F oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella and cook another 10 minutes.

Nam! Nam!

Pancakes with Warm Berry Compote

Pancakes with Warm Berry Compote
You’ll need:
1. 2 cup pancake mix (such as Bisquick)
2. 2 egg
3. 1 cup milk
4. 1 pint strawberries
5. ½ pint blueberries
6. ½ cup orange juice
7. 4 tbsp granulated sugar
8. 2 tspn powdered sugar

You’ll do:
1. Cut the strawberries into quarters and place them in a bowl that has a lid
2. Add blueberries, orange juice, and sugar to the bowl with strawberries. Shake to mix and set aside.
3. Mix pancake mix, egg, and milk in medium size bowl.
4. Heat large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
5. Pour batter onto skillet, 2 at a time. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. You can keep cooked pancakes warm on a cookie sheet in a 200F oven.
6. Meanwhile, pour berry mixture into a medium saucepan on medium heat. Heat berry mixture until liquid is reduced to half, about 10 minutes.
7. Serve compote on top of pancakes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

You can serve this with bacon for a yummy breakfast (or dinner) for 2!
Nam! Nam!

Sicilian Spaghetti

Delicioso! Or, something like that! This is a yummy recipe for mostly made-from-scratch spaghetti that will have your house smelling like Sicily! Just grab your honey and go for a gondola ride when you're finished eating! :)

You'll need:

1. 1 lb lean ground beef
2. 1 medium onion, chopped
3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
4. 2 15oz. cans tomato sauce
5. 5 oz. can Italian (or regular) tomato paste
6. 1/4 cup sugar
7. 1 tspn basil
8. 1 tspn dried parsley
9. 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper flakes
10. 1 box thin spaghetti or vermicelli

You'll do:

1. Heat medium pan over med-hi heat.
2. Add ground beef, onion.
3. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break up beef, until beef is browned completely and onion is tender.
4. Drain meat and wipe out pan with paper towel.
5. Place meat/onion mixture in medium-sized pot on medium-hi heat.
6. Add garlic to pot.
7. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste.
8. Fill 1 empty tomato sauce can with water, and add to pot.
9. Add basil, parsley, sugar, and red pepper flakes to tomato sauce in pot.
10. Bring sauce to a boil and then decrease heat to low.
11. Allow sauce to simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
12. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente.
13. Serve sauce over pasta, with bread and salad.

Nam! Nam!

Turkey-Apple Sandwiches

These were a last-minute concoction that turned out quite yummy! They're very simple, with no cooking (duh--it's a sandwich!), but they have some tart granny smith apple slices for an added crunch.

You'll need (for 4 sandwiches):

1. 8 slices Wheat bread (I used 9-gram Sara Lee because they are large slices)
2. 1/2 lb. thick sliced turkey (again, Sara Lee, sliced fresh in the grocery store deli)
3. 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced
4. Spicy or Dijon Mustard

You'll make them by:

1. Preheat your oven broiler on high.
2. Place all the bread slices on a large cookie sheet and brown them for about 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. I like the soft, freshness of wheat bread, so I only toast one side of it. But, if you want both sides toasted, just flip the slices over and toast another 2 minutes. It's helpful to toast at least one side to keep the bread from getting soggy if not eating the sandwiches immediately.
3. Spread mustard lightly on the toasted side of each bread slice.
4. Place apple slice(s) on 4 of the pieces of toast atop the mustard.
5. Top the apple with 2 oz. of turkey for each sandwich.
6. Place the other bread slice, mustard side down on top of the turkey.
7. Cut diagonally and serve with veggies and dip, fruit salad, or chips!

Nam! Nam!

Deviled Eggs

Cheap. Easy. And, makes a lot. What else can you possibly want?

You need:

1. Dozen large eggs
2. 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
3. 2 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
4. 1 tspn worcestershire sauce
5. 1/2 tspn salt
6. 1/2 tspn black pepper
7. 1/4 tspn smoked tarragon

You will:

1. Boil the eggs in a large pot for 15 minutes, or until hard boiled.
2. Allow eggs to cool.
3. Carefully peel eggs and discard shell.
4. Cut eggs in half lengthwise
5. Remove yolks from all eggs and place the yolks into a medium bowl.
6. Add pickles and mayonnaise to yolks and mix with a fork to break up all yolk pieces.
7. Add mayonnaise to yolk mixture and mix with spoon until you have one big blob.
8. Add worcestershire, salt, pepper and tarragon and mix well.
9. Taste, and add any more of the ingredients that suits your taste.
10. Using a teaspoon, fill each egg with the yolk mixture.
11. Serve with dill pickles for a great appetizer, side dish, or snack!

Nam! Nam!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This is a super healthy dip, with protein and fiber, and it's a way of forcing myself to eat veggies like celery!

You need:

1. 8 oz. roasted red peppers
2. 16 oz can garbanza or cannellini beans
3. 1 tspn dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4. 2 tspn minced garlic
5. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6. 3 tbsp olive oil
7. pinch of salt and pepper

You will:

1. Add red peppers and beans to food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add basil, garlic and vinegar. Blend about 30 seconds.
3. Add olive oil and blend about a minute.
4. Transfer dip to bowl and stir in salt and pepper.
5. Serve with veggies and/or pita chips.

Nam! Nam!

Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

Craving a burger, but don't want to down that many calories in a meal? Well, here's a tasty alternative to a beefy cheeseburger. It's full of flavor, and can be served alongside a tossed salad or sliced, fresh veggies.

You need:

1. 1 lb. ground turkey
2. 2 tspn dijon mustard
3. 1 tspn cajun seasoning
4. 1 tspn garlic powder
5. 1/2 tspn dried parsley
6. 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
7. 1/2 pint sliced mushrooms
8. 3 tspn teriyaki sauce
9. 1 tbsp water
10. 2 tspn dry red wine
11. 1 tspn olive oil
12. 4 hamburger buns
13. 4 slices Swiss cheese

You will:

1. Turn oven broiler on high.
2. Combine turkey, mustard, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and parsley in a large bowl. Form into 4 patties and set aside.
3. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms to pan, and cook for about 6 minutes.
4. Combine teriyaki sauce, red wine and water in a small bowl.
5. Add about 3 tspn of teriyaki mixture to pan with onions and mushrooms. Stir constantly, until sauce is reduced, about 1 minute.
6. Place vegetables in a bowl off to the side and replace pan on stove eye.
7. Add olive oil to pan and rotate the pan so that the oil covers all of the bottom.
8. Place the patties in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
9. Spoon about a tspn of the teriyaki mixture onto each patty and turn them. Cook on the second side about 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
10. Open 4 hamburger buns on a cookie sheet. Place one piece of Swiss cheese on each of the bottom buns, and place under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes, until cheese is melted.
11. Spread dijon mustard on the top buns. Place a patty on each of the bottom buns. Top with 1/4 of the onion-mushroom mixture. Add the top bun, and serve.

Nam! Nam!

Ham and Mushroom Quiche

1. This is a great main dish to any breakfast or brunch. Full of protein plus some veggies, for an extra nutritious punch!

You need:

1. 6-8 oz turkey sausage, diced
2. 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3. 3/4 cup diced mushrooms
4. tspn butter
5. 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
6. 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
7. 5 oz evaporated milk
8. 8 oz light sour cream
9. 2 large eggs
10. 2 large egg whites
11. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12. 1 tspn baking powder
13. 1 tspn parsley
14. 1 tspn salt
15. 1/2 tspn black pepper

You will:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease an 8-inch round baking dish with the butter.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Heat mushrooms and onions over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Saute about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add diced sausage to pan with onions and mushrooms. Allow to cook about 5 minutes, or until onion is brown and mushrooms are tender.
6. In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, sour cream and evaporated milk.
7. In a smaller bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
8. Using a fork or whisk, add flour mixture to egg mixture while stirring constantly.
9. Add parmesan and cheddar cheeses, salt, black pepper, and parsley to egg mixture.
10. Add meat and veggies into baking dish. Spread mixture so that it is in an even layer.
11. Pour egg mixture over the meat and veggies.
12. Place baking dish on a cookie sheet (in case the quiche runs over) in the oven for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Allow quiche to sit on counter for 10 minutes.
14. Slice and serve alongside grits, biscuits, and fruit salad for a scrumptio-deli-uptious brunch!

Nam! Nam!

Chicken Fajitas

These are easy, quick, and relatively cheap--the three things I look for most in weeknight dinners!! And, you can top them with any number of condiments and veggies. Serve them with black beans and corn for a dinner party.

You'll need:

1. 1 lb chicken breasts (or chicken breast tenders)
2. 1 tspn oil
3. 1 green bell pepper
4. 1 red bell pepper
5. 1 small red onion
6. 1 packet taco seasoning
7. 1/2 cup water

Toppings:

1. lettuce, shredded
2. tomatoes, diced
3. cheddar cheese, shredded
4. salsa
5. guacamole
6. sour cream

You'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil.
3. Place chicken tenders on the foil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until done (but don't overcook).
4. While chicken is cooking, heat 1 tspn oil over medium heat in large skillet.
5. Slice peppers and onions thinly and place in preheated skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. When done, remove chicken from oven and let rest on pan for about 5 minutes.
7. After resting period, slice chicken vertically to make thin strips.
8. Add chicken, water and taco seasoning packet to pan. Stir thoroughly to coat chicken with seasoning.
9. Reduce heat to low and cover pan.
10. Allow meat and veggies to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Serve fajita mix with tortillas and toppings. For sides, try grilled corn on the cob or seasoned black beans.

Nam! Nam!

Rosemary Marmalade Chicken

This is an excellent one-dish dinner...and it's great for leftovers if you're only feeding one or two people. The best part: it only has a few ingredients, and those aren't very expensive!

You'll need:

1. 5 lb. whole chicken
2. 4 medium russet potatoes
3. 1 large purple onion
4. 2 cups orange marmalade (I used sugar-free to save the calories)
5. 1/4 cup olive oil
6. 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
7. salt and pepper

You'll:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. First, remove the inner bag from the chicken and discard (don't look--it's pretty gross to me!). Then, wash the chicken with tap water inside and out. Set aside.
3. Wash and cut potatoes into cubes, bite-size or slightly larger. Place potatoes in the bottom of a large roasting pan, or 9x13 deep baking dish.
4. Cut onion into wedges. Spread onion over potatoes, and gently toss with your hands to mix them together.
5. Sprinkle potatoes and onions with about 1 tspn of salt and 1 tspn of pepper, or until your little heart is content.
6. Strip the leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle them over the potatoes and onion.
7. Place the chicken, with wings tucked under, on top of the potato/onion mixture in the dish.
8. In a bowl, mix orange marmalade, leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, oil, 1/4 tspn salt, and 1/4 tspn pepper.
9. Spoon marmalade mixture on top of chicken, and put about a tablespoonful inside the chicken (just for good measure).
10. Cover dish with lid, if available, or securely with aluminum foil.
11. Place in a 400F oven, and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until completely done. Cooking time is altered depending on the size of your chicken. For a shorter cooking time, about 1 hour, you can use 2 2-lb chickens. To check for done-ness, cut all the way to the bone after resting period.
12. After removing pan from oven, uncover and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
13. With a large serving spoon, spoon some of the juices onto the chicken. Transfer to a serving dish, or serve it in the same one you cooked it in (I certainly did!). Face it--there is nothing prettier than a centerpiece of a whole bird! HaHa! Enjoy. You can serve it with another side dish if you would like. I recommend something green, perhaps a salad.

Nam! Nam!

Ranch House Burgers

These are simple to make, but have a very unique and complex flavor profile. The awesome part is that you don't have to add a hundred different spices to get the flavor--instead, just a packet of mix! I just serve these with a dill spear and some canned baked beans for a complete meal that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish!

You need:

1. 1 lb. ground hamburger meat
2. 4 tbsp barbecue sauce
3. 1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dip mix
4. 16 dill hamburger chips
5. 2 tbsp flour
6. 2 tbsp corn meal mix
7. Dash of black pepper
8. 1/8 cup vegetable oil
9. 4 tbsp sour cream
10. 4 slices cheddar cheese
11. 8 rings of purple onion
12. 4 hamburger buns

You do:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over med-hi heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix hamburger meat, 2 tbsp barbecue sauce, and ranch packet.
3. Divide the hamburger meat into 4 sections, and pat each section into a patty.
4. There are several ways to cook these burgers: grill, George Foreman grill, oven, or stovetop. I use a small George Foreman on high. So, the patties each cook for 4 minutes. On a regular grill, you'll probably want to cook them about 5 minutes per side. In a 400F oven, cook them for about 15 minutes, and on the stovetop, cook them over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes per side.
5. While the first round of burgers are cooking, add pickles, flour, corn meal, and black pepper to a ziploc bag and shake to thoroughly coat each pickle.
6. Don't forget to check the burger patties if you are having to cook 1 or 2 at a time.
7. Add coated pickles, in batches, to hot oil in the saucepan. Cook each pickle so that it is brown on both sides (about 1.5 minutes per side).
8. Once browned, place the pickles on a paper towel to drain off any oil.
9. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and 2 tbsp barbecue sauce.
10. Heat the buns for 15 seconds in a microwave.
11. Spread the sour cream/barbecue mixture on all of the top and bottom buns.
12. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on the bottom bun.
13. Atop the cheese, place a hamburger patty.
14. Stack 2 onion slices and 4 fried pickles on top of each patty.
15. Top with bun top. Serve with baked beans for a delicious, comforting meal!

Nam! Nam!

Chicken Stir-fry

I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any easier than this homemade dish that easily serves 4! Serve it with an eggroll (found in your grocer's freezer case) and you have a complete Asian-inspired meal. And, hey--there are so many good-for-you ingredients in this one, too! The vegetable mix I used includes broccoli and pea pods, and something else that I'm not sure about!

You need:

1. 1 tbsp vegetable oil
2. 12 oz. package fresh stir-fry veggies (produce section)
3. 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
4. 1/2 cup sliced purple onion
5. 1 lb. chicken, cut into small pieces
6. 4 cups cooked whole-grain or white rice
7. 1/2 cup orange juice
8. 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
9. 1 tspn soy sauce
10. 2 squirts of ketchup
11. 1 tspn corn starch

You do:

1. Heat oil in large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add vegetables to pan (bell pepper, onion, and stir-fry mix). Cook for 5 minutes, or until veggies are slightly tender. (If you so desire, you can add a can of mini corn, or carrot matchsticks at this point as well.)
3. Add chicken to pan with veggies. Stir frequently and cook about 8 minutes, or until all chicken is cooked.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, and cornstarch.
5. Once chicken is cooked, add juice mixture to pan.
6. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
7. Allow mixture to simmer, tossing from time to time, for about 5 minutes.
8. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Nam! Nam!

Balsamic Steak Sandwiches

I got this awesome recipe out of a magazine called Real Simple. It is the greatest magazine that I've ever read for sure! The only thing I changed about this recipe is the bread and the cheese. They suggested blue cheese, which I'm sure is great, but I'm not a fan, so I went for another white cheese--Provolone!

You need:

1. 2 lbs strip steak
2. 1/2 large purple onion, sliced
3. 5 roma tomatoes, sliced
4. 1 tspn salt
5. 1 tspn black pepper
6. 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
7. 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8. 6 slices provolone cheese
9. 6 sandwich rolls (I use Pepperidge Farm Sesame Seed Buns)

You do:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Be sure the cookie sheet have four sides to keep any liquid from dripping off.
3. Sprinkle the strip steak with 1/2 tspn salt and 1/2 tspn black pepper. Place on one side of the cookie sheet.
4. In a small bowl, mix tomato slices, onion slices, 1/2 tspn salt, 1/2 tspn pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Be sure to toss the tomatoes lightly, but coat all the vegetables thoroughly with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. Pour the vegetables out on the opposite side of the cookie sheet. Separate the vegetables so that all of them will get exposure to the heat.
6. Cook the steak and vegetables in the oven for 6 minutes. When removing it from the oven, allow the steak to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.
7. Meanwhile, open sandwich rolls and place them on a clean cookie sheet. Lay a piece of cheese on each roll. Heat in oven about 3 minutes, or until cheese is slightly melted to roll.
8. Slice strip steak into small strips, about 1/2-inch (think fajitas), or thicker if desired.
9. Divide cut steak, and marinated veggies on each roll. Serve with chips, or fries, or a mixed greens salad.

Nam! Nam!

Cran-Orange Chicken

I'm not sure what to say about this...I was surprised at how good it turned out! It has a sweet fruit, an acidic fruit, and aromatic onion. It's just good!

You need:

1. 4 chicken breasts (or 8 tenders)
2. 4 green onion stalks
3. 15 oz can whole cranberry sauce
4. 10 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
5. 1 tspn garlic salt
6. 1/4 tspn salt
7. 1/2 tspn black pepper

You do:

1. Preheat to 350F.
2. If using chicken breasts, cut them as if forming a butterfly, but continue the cut. If using tenders, no cutting is necessary since there are already 8 pieces.
3. Place the chicken between two pieces of saran wrap and beat with a mallet until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick and the thickness is even throughout.
4. Once thinned, sprinkle each piece of chicken with the garlic salt and pepper on both sides.
5. Cut 2 of the green onion stalks into 2 to 3 inch sections so that you get at least sections from each stalk.
6. Place a 2-inch section of the onion on the edge of a chicken piece and roll the chicken up (mush like a crescent roll) around the onion. Place the chicken roll on a lined cookie sheet or glass dish. Repeat this for all 8 pieces of chicken.
7. Place dish with chicken in oven for 15-18 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
8. While chicken is cooking, put oranges in medium bowl. Using a fork, break up the oranges into small pieces.
9. Add the cranberry sauce to the bowl with oranges. And, break up the cranberry sauce with the fork, mixing the oranges in.
10. Add about 1/8 cup of diced green onions to the cranberry-orange sauce if desired.
11. Mix in 1/4 tspn of salt with cran-orange sauce. Cover bowl and refrigerate until serving.
12. Cut the last green onion stalk into 1-2 inch pieces.
13. For the last 3 minutes of cooking the chicken, place the green onion pieces on the dish also so that they can get crispy.
14. When finished cooking, place chicken rolls side by side on a dish (preferrably rectangle). Remove cran-orange sauce from refrigerator and spoon onto the top of chicken. Serve immediately.

Nam! Nam!

Mixed Berry Cobbler

This is the simplest dessert that I've ever made...and, there are so many more great things about it! It makes my house smell wonderful. The ingredients don't spoil, so you can keep the items in the kitchen for the time you can't figure out what to cook, or for the company that just "drops by".

What you need:

1. 16 oz package frozen mixed berries (usually includes blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2. 1/2 cup of water
3. 1 box of butter cake mix
4. 1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine
5. chopped pecans (optional)
6. ice cream (optional)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Empty the berries into a 9x13 dish.
3. Add the water to the dish.
4. Add the cake mix on top of the berries, making sure to get it somewhat even throughout the dish. I use the back of a spoon to even it out.
5. Thinly slice the sticks of butter and place them on top of the cake mix.
6. Place in oven for 60 minutes or until cake mix is brown and fruit is bubbly. If you choose to use the pecans, sprinkle them on the top for the last 10 minutes of cook time.
7. Serve hot with ice cream on top. If I use pecans on the cobbler, I serve it with Vanilla Bean ice cream. If I omit the pecans, I serve it with Buttered Pecan ice cream (this is my favorite).

This is great, even leftover!

Nam! Nam!

Appetizer

This was dubbed simply "appetizer" by my younger sister, who loves it anytime!

You need:

1. 8 oz. bar 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2. tube of 4 crescent rolls
3. ~3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
4. 1 egg yolk, beaten
5. crackers

You do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Unroll the crescent rolls and lay them flat on a clean counter.
3. Pinch all of the seams together so that the roll dough is one piece.
4. Place the block of cream cheese in the center of the roll dough.
5. Generously cover the top of the cream cheese with dill. I would estimate that I use about 2 tbsp.
6. Pull the dough up over the cream cheese block and pinch the seams together so that there are no holes.
7. Lightly brush the top of the bread with some of the egg yolk.
8. Sprinkle some dill on the top for color.
9. Place appetizer on cookie sheet or glass dish and cook for 12-14 minutes (or until golden brown).
10. Serve warm with crackers.

Nam! Nam!

Caribbean Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

This dish is yummy and full of flavor. And, well...it's colorful to boot!

You'll need:

1. 1/4 cup Caribbean Jerk sauce or marinade
2. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
3. 1-1/2 cups orange juice
4. 10-12 chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts
5. 1 package saffron rice
6. 15 oz. can of black beans
7. small can of pineapple tidbits (I think it's 8 or 10 oz)
8. 1/4 cup scallions, chopped

You'll do:

1. Coat a large teflon coated pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat pan to medium heat.
3. Place chicken in pan and cook on each side for 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, bring 2-1/4 cups of water to a boil in a boiler and add rice. Cover and cook for 20 minutues.
5. In a small bowl, mix jerk sauce, vinegar, and orange juice.
6. Once chicken is cooked through, reduce heat to low-simmer. Add juice mixture to the pan with chicken. Cover pan and allow to simmer 20 minutes, turning once.
7. Meanwhile, drain juice from pineapples.
8. Mix pineapples with scallions in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.
9. Drain black beans and rinse with cold water.
10. Once rice is cooked, mix rice with beans in a large bowl.
11. Serve chicken on top of rice and beans. Spoon a couple tablespoons of juice from pan on top of chicken. Add pineapple salsa to the top and serve.

MaMaw's Chicken Salad Sandwiches

This recipe can be adapted for simplicity and health!

What you'll need:

1. 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
2. 1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
3. 2 boiled eggs, diced
4. 2 tbsp mayonnaise
5. 8 slices wheat toast

What you'll do:

1. Mix the chicken, pickles, eggs, and mayonnaise in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Spread the mixture equally on 4 pieces of toast. Top with remaining pieces of toast.

For speed/simplicity: Use boiled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or canned shredded chicken. Instead of diced pickles, use dill relish, and buy the eggs already boiled in the produce department of upscale grocery stores. These pre-made ingredients make this a very quick meal!

For lower fat: Omit the egg yolks, and use light mayonnaise or miracle whip.

Serve with chips and fruit.

Nam! Nam!

S'mores Cups

Alright...I dreamed these up after having a S'mores milkshake and loving it. Knowing that milkshakes are impossible to transport to BCS championship parties (or any other party, for that matter), I came up with a non-frozen variety. And, well...it's darn good! I made these in single serving cups, but this can also be made as one dish in a trifle bowl. This recipe makes 10 servings, but easy to scale up or down as you wish. If you want to make this in a trifle bowl, you will need to double the recipe, to make a total of 20 servings.

You'll need:

1. 5.9 oz box of chocolate instant pudding mix
2. 3 cups milk
3. 10 tbsp graham cracker crumbs, plus some for sprinkling
4. Dark chocolate bar, just regular size
5. miniature marshmallows
6. 2.5 sheets of graham crackers (broken into 10 rectangle pieces)
7. 10 9oz clear cups, or your preference for serving dishes

You'll do:

1. Preheat oven to broil Hi.
2. Make pudding according to package directions (most brands use 3 cups of milk, whisking for 2 minutes) and then refrigerate.
3. Line the bottom of each cup with a tbsp of graham cracker crumbs.
4. With a large knife, cut chocolate bar into very small pieces.
5. Remove pudding from refrigerator. Mix chocolate pieces into pudding.
6. Add about 3 tbsp of pudding to each cup, atop the graham cracker crumbs.
7. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
8. Place marshmallows on wax paper in clusters of 5-6.
9. Put pan in preheated oven for 30 seconds to brown tops of marshmallows.
10. Let marshmallows cool about 10 minutes before trying to remove them.
11. Lightly dust each pudding cup with graham cracker crumbs.
12. Break each graham cracker rectangle into 2 equal pieces and place on opposite sides of the pudding cup so that they are mostly sticking out of the pudding.
13. With a clean, non-stick spatula, remove each cluster of marshmallows from the wax paper and place on the top of pudding.
14. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 4 hours. If you want to make this ahead of time, just wait until the last minute to add the graham cracker pieces to the top--everything else can be done 1-2 days in advance.

Nam! Nam!

Pigs in a Blanket

I realize these are traditional pigs in blankets--nothing special. But, I figure there might be someone out there who doesn't know exactly what to make them with. And, well, they are one of my fave tailgate foods...

You'll need:

1. 1 package lil' smokies
2. 3 large packages refrigerated crescent rolls

You'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Open first package of crescent rolls and separate dough at perforations. Lay 1 dough triangle on cutting board and cut into 3 pieces with a pizza cutter. I cut them into 3 smaller triangles, but experiment and use what works best for you!
3. Once cut into pieces, lay a lil' smoky on one end of a cut dough piece, and roll so that the dough wraps completely around the sausage.
4. Place each pig in a blanket on a cookie sheet with the exposed end on the bottom.
5. Cook on 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. (Consult the crescent roll package cooking instructions for exact cooking time)
6. Serve immediately.

Nam! Nam!

Pinwheels

This appetizer recipe takes a few ingredients, most you would keep in your kitchen on a normal basis. And, it makes a huge tray of pinwheels--great for a low cost, yummy filler.

You'll need:

1. 10-12 10" tortillas (10 is usually plenty, but you may want a couple extras just in case)
2. 8 oz bar of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
3. 8 oz reduced fat sour cream (fat free is usually a little too runny)
4. 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
5. 3 green onion stalks
6. 1 tspn garlic powder (you may want to split this to 1/2 tspn garlic salt and 1/2 tspn garlic powder if you want some more salt flavor)

You'll do:

1. Mix cream cheese and sour cream with mixer.
2. Add shredded cheddar, green onions and garlic seasoning. Mix well with mixer.
3. Lay a tortilla flat on clean countertop. Drop a heaping teaspoon of mixture and thinly spread over entire tortilla with back of spoon. Be sure to get as close to the edge as possible.
4. Beginning at one side of the tortilla, roll tightly into a cylinder (about the shape of a taquito).
5. Repeat until all mixture is used.
6. Wrap rolled tortillas in saran wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. I make these a day ahead of the event I'm using them for, and just refrigerate overnight. Remember that the mixture will be good for as long as the sour cream would have been--that's the quickest thing to spoil of all the ingredients. I wouldn't recommend keeping them more than a couple days, just because the tortillas may get soggy (I've never tried keeping them that long before cutting).
7. Remove tortillas from saran wrap.
8. Place 1st rolled tortilla on cutting board and cut into slices, discarding ends where cheese mixture is missing or not plentiful. I cut them to probably about 1/3-1/4 inch slices, and I've never paid attention to how many slices come from each tortilla.
9. Slice remaining rolled tortillas.
10. Arrange on serving dish and serve with salsa or gaucamole.

Nam! Nam!

Breakfast Brownies

Their name may be decieving because they have no sugar, or cocoa, or anything else you would expect from a brownie. However, they have the shape of a brownie, and thanks to Alex for giving them a name for me! Because, let's face it--breakfast casserole is just plain boring! These are great--you prepare the mix ahead of time, so that all you have to do in the morning is throw them in the oven. They include oodles of protein and a little big of vegetable. Serve them with some pancakes, biscuits, or just by themselves for a yummy wake-up call!

You'll need:

1. 12 oz summer sausage (can substitute kielbasa, ham, bacon, or turkey sausage)
2. 1/2 medium sized white or yellow onion, chopped
3. 6 large eggs (only use 5 if you have extra-large)
4. 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
5. 2 heaping tbsp of baking mix (such as bisquick)
6. 1-1/2 cup milk
7. 1/4 tspn salt
8. 1/4 tspn pepper
9. 1 tspn parsley (optional)

You'll do:

1. Chop sausage into small, bite-size pieces.
2. Cook meat and onion in skillet on med heat until onion is tender and meat is slightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.
3. In bowl, add eggs and slightly beat with whisk.
4. Add remaining 6 ingredients to the eggs, and stir just until mixed.
5. Transfer cooked meat mixture to plate lined with paper towels to drain of any grease.
6. Lightly grease or spray a 9x13" dish (such as pyrex).
7. Add meat mixture to dish.
8. Pour egg mixture over meat in dish.
9. Stir until just mixed.
10. Cover and place in a refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
11. Preheat oven to 350F.
12. Cook covered for 45 minutes.
13. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes. Edges should be brown and middle should be firm when shaken.
14. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
15. Slice and serve immediately. (makes about 20 servings)

This is even good re-heated in the microwave. Place slice on microwave plate, cover, and heat 20 seconds on each side.

Nam! Nam!

Tangy Baked Chicken Tenders

I love chicken fingers, but the deep-fried version keeps my thighs looking way to healthy! So, these are a much lighter version, still full of flavor!

You'll need:

1. 6 chicken breast tenders (I used tyson)
2. 1 tbsp marinade (dale's low sodium for me)
3. 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
4. Lemon pepper (use as much of this as you would like--I probably sprinkle in about a teaspoon or so)

You'll do:

1. Defrost chicken tenders in large ziploc bag.
2. Add marinade, sauce, and lemon pepper to bag with chicken. Allow to sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours, if you want to marinade it in the morning before work).
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Arrange tenders in pyrex dish or on lined cookie sheet.
5. Pierce each tender 2-3 times with fork so that the marinade can infuse while cooking.
6. Cook at 350 for approximately 8-10 minutes on each side (cooking times vary based on your oven. check chicken for doneness by inserting a fork or knife, if the utensil goes in smooth with no resistance, chicken is done.)
7. Serve as finger food or with forks!

Nam! Nam!