BBQ Shrimp Salad

First, I have to thank my friend Katie who introduced me to a variation of this recipe. Thanks Katie!!

4 oz. Shrimp or Chicken
1/2 cup black beans drained
1/3 cup canned corn drained
1/3 cup red bell pepper (you can use green too or a combination)
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 avocado
1 romaine heart

Dressing
1 tbsp ranch dressing (I use light Hidden Valley)
1 tbsp barbecue sauce (I use light)

Cook shrimp or chicken in a pan. I cook with a dash of olive oil and a few tsp of lemon or lime juice. Chop peppers, onions and avocado. Wash and tear lettuce and layer on plate. Add corn, black beans, avocado, peppers and onions and then top with shrimp or chicken. Mix together ranch and barbecue sauce for dressing. I always serve on the side.

Brunch Egg Casserole

Brunch Egg Casserole

4 slices bread (I use whole wheat)
4 slices turkey bacon
2 cups egg beaters (you can use 8 eggs if you prefer)
1/2 shredded cheese (I use 2% sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 8x8 pan with olive oil spray. Dice up bread into 1 inch pieces and spread in bottom of pan. Slice up turkey bacon and sprinkle over bread chunks. Dump egg beaters over bread and turkey bacon making sure you cover all the bread. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is lightly golden.

Brie's Lasagna

My lasagna is always a little bit different but I follow the same general recipe each time. I don't measure any of the seasonings so you can go with what your family likes or what you prefer. I use garlic when it is for a potluck or something but don't use garlic at home since I am allergic.

Sauce
Meat of your choice (1 lb ground beef, 1 lb chicken or 1 lb ground turkey) -- I prefer chicken but it is really up to you.
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 lb mushrooms
2 medium onions
1 tbsp butter or olive oil (you decide)
3 large tomatoes
Oregano, garlic, black pepper, basil (season to taste)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (you decide the size of the pinch)

Saute mushrooms and chopped onions with 1 tbsp butter or olive oil. At the same time start the tomato sauce warming in a sauce pan. Add seasonings. Chop tomatoes and mix into warming sauce. Add mushrooms and onions once they are nicely sauteed (translucent in color). Brown meat of your choice and add to sauce once cooked. Simmer sauce for 30-60 minutes to get nicely seasoned.

Other ingredients
1 pkg whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 container light cottage cheese
1 8 oz pkg shredded cheese (I prefer 2% sharp cheddar or 2% mozzarella or a combo of the two)
Spinach (if you want to add, sometimes I do sometimes I don't)

Cook noodles according to package and set aside to cool.

Once sauce is done simmering begin to layer your lasagna. Sauce in first followed by a layer of noodles and a layer of sauce topped with your cheeses. Keep repeating layers until you reach the top of your pan. If you want to add spinach I layer throughout.

Bake 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with tin foil for the first 45 minutes. Cook uncovered to melt your cheese to a golden brown for the last 15 minutes.

Turkey BLT Wraps

This is one of my absolute favorite dinners and I think part of the reason why I have been successful on weight watchers :-)

Serving for 1

2 tortillas (I like La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat)
3 strips turkey bacon
1 wedge laughing cow light swiss cheese
1 small tomato
Romaine Lettuce

Cook your turkey bacon (I prefer a pan on the stove, but many people use the microwave). While the bacon is cooking spread half the wedge of cheese on each tortilla down the center. Slice your tomato and separate between the tortillas. Add your bacon and lettuce once cooked and done.

Super easy, super yummy, and super healthy!!

Also good to substitute avocado for the laughing cow cheese.

Only 6 weight watchers points for the whole meal.

Baked Chicken Tacos

Per Dionne's Request here is my Baked Chicken Tacos recipe.

2 lbs chicken (boneless)
1 pkg Taco Seasoning (I use the hot)
1 pkg (8) tortillas (I like La Tortilla Factory High Fiber Whole Wheat)
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese (I like 2% sharp cheddar)
Olive oil or spray olive oil

Cut up chicken in approximately 1 inch squares. Brown in pan on stove top. Once golden brown add taco seasoning.

Divide chicken amongst tortillas. Line center and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tortillas and place on foil covered cookie sheet. Light brush or spray with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. Bake approximately 10-12 minutes. Watch carefully because they burn very quickly once they are done.

Once baked top with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, onions, olives, guacamole, salsa and any of your other favorite taco toppings.

Pistachio Mousse Brownie Torte

I am making this recipe tomorrow evening for my Spring Work Potluck. I will let you know how it turns out.

Cake
1 box fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup canola oil (I use 1/2 cup applesauce)
1/4 cup water
3 eggs (I use egg beaters)

Mousse
1 box (4 oz.) instant pistachio pudding
3/4 cup whole milk (I use 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 light vanilla soy milk)
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream (I use light cool whip)
1/2 cup pistachio nuts coarsely chopped (I used walnuts -- cause I forgot to buy pistachios)

Glaze
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I use 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 light vanilla soy milk)
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp light corn syrup

Garnish
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I use light cool whip)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablesppon pistachio pudding (saved from above)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with No-Stick Cooking Spray. Line bottoms of pans with cooking parchment paper; lightly spray paper with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs 50 strokes with spoon. Spread half of batter (1 1/2 cups) evenly in each pan.

3. Bake 27 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge of pan comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen. Place cooling rack upside down on 1 pan; turn rack and pan over. Remove pan and parchment paper. Repeat with second brownie layer. Place racks with brownie layers in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, measure 1 tablespoon of the pudding mix; reserve for garnish. In large bowl, beat remaining pudding mix, the milk and 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in nuts. Cover; refrigerate.

5. Carefully cut each brownie layer horizontally in half, using long serrated knife, to make 4 layers. On serving plate, place 1 brownie layer, cut side down. Spread 1/3 of the mousse (3/4 cup) evenly to edge of brownie. Repeat layering twice, using 2 brownie layers (place cut sides down) and remaining mousse. Top with remaining brownie layer, cut side down. Refrigerate torte while making glaze.

6. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup whipping cream over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until bubbles start to form at edge of saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir constantly until smooth. Stir in vanilla and corn syrup; let stand 10 minutes. Stir glaze; spoon over top of torte, allowing some to run down side. Return torte to refrigerator while making garnish.

7. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream, the powdered sugar and reserved 1 tablespoon pudding mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon mixture into decorating bag fitted with star tip and pipe rosettes on top of torte, or spoon dollops of mixture on torte. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining torte.

Dutch Apple Tart

This one I did not have a recipe for I just used what I had on hand to make a dessert.

8 apples
1 store boughten pie crust
1 package low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup splenda, 1/2 cup sugar (mix together)
1/2 apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a 9 inch spring form pan cut the store boughten pie crust so it just covers the bottom of the pan. Mix together cream cheese, half of sugar/splenda mixture, and egg beaters spread over top of pie crust. Slice and peel your apples. Toss apples with the other half of the sugar/slenda mixture and the apple sauce. Mix together oatmeal, cinnamon and brown sugar. Dump overtop apples. Sprinkle with I can't believe it's not butter spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Should be bubbly and top should be golden brown. If it is not you may want to bake a bit longer, but be careful not to burn it.

First Recipes

Sorry the photos are blurry :-)



Below is my first recipe posting. These are two cakes that I made this weekend for a friend's birthday and going away party. I will post the original recipe and then what I did to adapt it to make it a bit healthier. That will be the protocol I will follow when I post all my recipes so here goes.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake

•4 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
•1/2 cup butter (I use 1/2 cup applesauce)
•1 cup water
•2 cups flour
•2 cups sugar (I use half splenda/half sugar)
•pinch of salt
•1/2 cup buttermilk (I use light vanilla soy milk)
•1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
•2 eggs, beaten (I use egg beaters)
•1 tsp. vanilla
•1 cup sour cream (I use light sour cream)
•1 pkg (4 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix
•1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, melt 4 squares chocolate and 1/2 cup butter in the hot water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add flour, sugar, pudding mix and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk or eggbeater.

Then stir in milk, baking soda, eggs sour cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together everything except chocolate chips. Batter will be think. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into two 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake 35 mins. Do the toothpick test if the cake is not done yet cook for 5 mins at a time until passing the toothpick check.

I used the same recipe for the cake on each where I differed was the frosting. I used buttercream on one and other I added peanut butter to the frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1 cup shortening (Crisco)
4 cups powered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla and whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

For the peanut butter version I just added 1/2 cup of peanut butter and continue to beat the frosting. Then I topped with chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

**I got this recipe from another blog and just adapted it with my healthy changes.**