Garlic Potatoes

This is a recipe I saw in an issue of Country Living magazine and it looked so good I had to try it. I changed it somewhat from the original recipe but it came out delicious and was easy to make which is a plus for me and a guarantee I will make it again!

This was a wonderful side dish to go along with the Mini Meatloaves in my previous post :)

GARLIC POTATOES

6 Medium potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch-thick half-moons
6 T butter, melted
Salt and pepper
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 T fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 C Pecorino or Asiago cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large baking pan, toss potatoes and melted butter together. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread potatoes and roast until golden, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, toss in garlic and parsley and mix well. Place back in oven for another 15 to 20 min or until potatoes are tender and lightly golden brown.

Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot.

Mini Meatloaves

This recipe was originally from the Food Network Magazine and I changed it up a little. You can never really go wrong with meatloaf and there are so many ways to make it that I never get tired of trying new versions. I used the leftovers from this meal to make some yummy Panini's. I took a sub roll and spread it with Onion and Chive Cream Cheese then placed slices of the meatloaf and provolone cheese and onion. I put it in the panini press until the bread was crispy on the outside. It was very good! Almost better than the original meal :)

MINI MEATLOAVES
1 cup breadcrumbs
½ cup uncooked oatmeal
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 med. onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef and pork)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix the breadcrumbs, oatmeal, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into 8 or 9 oval loaves.

Place on a greased baking sheet or large shallow baking dish. Whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and brush over the meat. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Peanut-Chocolate Mud Pie Squares

I was looking for a yummy cool dessert to have on these hot summer days and I decided to try the Philadelphia Cream Cheese website. They had a wonderful selection of meals and desserts and I saved a bunch to try. This was the first of several I made.

This is SO good but VERY rich so I would suggest serving this in very small portions!

PEANUT-CHOCOLATE MUD PIE SQUARES

20 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-2/3 cups), divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tub (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.)COOL WHIP, thawed, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped COCKTAIL Peanuts
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.)JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups cold milk

Line a 9-inch square pan with plastic wrap, with ends of wrap extending over sides. Mix 1-1/4 cups cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese spread, peanut butter and sugar in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spread over crust. Top with 1/4 cup of the remaining cookie crumbs.

Beat pudding mix and milk in same bowl with mixer on low speed 2 min. Stir in remaining COOL WHIP; spoon over crumb mixture. Top with remaining crumbs and nuts.

Freeze overnight. Remove dessert from freezer 20 min. before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Use plastic wrap handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into squares.

Baked Corn

I found this on the internet a while ago when I was looking for a moister version of cornbread. It was posted on a forum over 3 years ago and I was unable to find the original poster so my apologies to the creator of this recipe, I was unable to give proper credit or a link. In my version I added 3 chopped jalapenos and a few drops of hot pepper sauce but you can certainly omit those if you wish. It did not make it too hot, just added some extra flavor.

I usually serve this with my Chili Rellenos but it could also be a main dish when served with a salad.

BAKED CORN

2 Cans of cream style corn
1 Can whole kernel corn
1 6 1/2 oz. or 8 oz. Corn muffin mix
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted or soft butter or marg.
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
3 jalapeños (the canned kind not fresh), chopped

Mix together all ingredients pour into a 9x13 greased cake pan.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, check corn by sticking a knife in center if comes out clean it is done otherwise bake another 10 min. I usually bake it for about 1 hour and 45 min.

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Creamy Thick Jello Shakes

I don't even remember where my husband and I got the idea to add jello to milkshakes but OMG they come out SO good. Super thick and creamy. These are great during the summer when you want something cool and sweet and fruity yet thick and creamy.

You can of course use regular Jello, ice cream and milk if you aren't watching you calories or sugar intake but I have listed the ingredients I use which make this very Diabetic friendly. The amounts are approximates as it will depend on how thick you want it. Keep in mind it will continue to thicken up a bit after you are done making it.

JELLO SHAKES

1/2 Cup of No-Sugar-Added low fat vanilla ice cream - approx.
1 Cup prepared sugar free Jello (flavor of your choice) - approx.
1 Cup skim milk - approx.

In a blender place milk then the Jello and then the ice cream making sure to secure the top. Pulse a few times to make sure it starts to break down and then blend on high until well blended. If it is too thin add more ice cream and if it is too thick just keep adding splashes of milk to thin it out.

Pour in a glass, add a straw and enjoy!!!

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

This is another meal I kind of threw together and this also became a big hit. These are fairly easy to make and don't take long to cook. I am not putting any precise amounts to the ingredients because it all depends on how many you wish to make.




BEAN AND CHEESE QUESADILLAS

8" Flour tortillas
1 Can of fat free refried beans - heated in a pan until soft and spreadable. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed
Shredded cheese
Salsa - Jarred or homemade
Cooking Spray
Sour cream and salsa for dipping

For each quesadilla:

Heat up a skillet sprayed with cooking spray. When the pan is hot sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of shredded cheese in the bottom of the skillet and then place 1 flour tortilla over the cheese in the pan. spread a layer of refried beans on the tortilla, sprinkle evenly with cheese and then add spoonfulls of salsa here and there over the cheese. Don't make it a solid layer of salsa. Place another tortilla on top and press it down to flatten it all out. Spray top tortilla with cooking spray. Cook in the pan until the bottom tortillas looks lightly brown and crispy. Carefully remove to a plate and re-spray the pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with more cheese. Flip the quesadilla over and place back in the pan so that the top of the quesadilla is now on the bottom.

When the bottom is light brown and crispy remove to a cutting board. Cut it like you would a pizza and serve with salsa and sour cream or whatever sipping sauce you wish. Enjoy!!!

I'm Back and I Come Bearing Flautas!

I can't believe I have neglected my blog for so long! I wish I had some great excuse but really I don't :( I had no idea it had been so long. I have a few recipes to post so I will get right to it!

These Chicken Flautas are something I threw together one night and they became a big hit so I have now made them several times. There is not alot you can do to make these super healthy but using low fat cheese and low carb tortillas certainly helps. I also use fat free sour cream for dipping. Hey every little bit counts, right? Right?




CHICKEN FLAUTAS

2 Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Can of diced green chilis
1 Can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
1 ½ Cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
½ Cup diced onions
3 T Taco seasoning
½ Cup black beans
Flour tortillas, 8 inch size
Salsa, guacamole or sour cream for dipping (optional)

Boil chicken breasts in water until cooked. Cut into rough chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse a few times to get semi-finely chopped. Place in a medium frying pan.

Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas) and stir. When completely blended and the cheese is melted remove from heat. Soften tortillas in microwave by wrapping 5 at a time in damp paper towels for about 1 min.

Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons chicken mixture across one side of a tortilla and roll tightly. Make sure the filling reaches each end of the tortilla without spilling out the ends. As you roll, dampen the end of the tortilla with water so the end sticks when you are done rolling. Place in a pile until you have rolled all the tortillas using all the filling.

Heat oil in a medium fry pan just covering the bottom of the pan. Brown both sides of each flauta and place them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake for about 15 minutes

Serve with dipping sauces of your choice!