Chicken Tortilla Dippers

Found this recipe at Sunday Baker.  It's fabulous and super easy.  The original recipe calls for using the oven, but we made these in our quesadilla maker.  My toddler actually ate spinach (and for that matter, so did my husband!) with these!

Ingredients:

2 whole wheat tortillas

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

Finely chopped spinach

1/4 c. shredded mozzarella

1/8 c. shredded Parmesan

1 T. olive oil

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 c. marinara sauce

What to Do:

1. Preheat the quesadilla maker (or your oven to 400*F).  Spread 1/2 T. of the olive oil on the top of a tortilla.  Sprinkle with half of the minced garlic.  Top with the chicken, spinach, and cheese.  Spread the remaining garlic and olive oil on the bottom of the other tortillas and put over the top.

2.  Close into the quesadilla maker and cook until done (or cook in oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the tortilla is crispy golden and the cheese is melted).

3.  Serve with a side of warm marinara dipping sauce.

Gingerbread Men

This cookie recipe gives you that fabulous gingerbread taste without the molasses, which can be overpowering in other recipes.  The cookies are soft and yummy!  This recipe if from allrecipes.com and submitted under the title name by Kim.  Try it - you'll love them!

Ingredients:

1 (3.5 oz) pkg. cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

What to Do:

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth.  Stir in the egg.  Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; stir into the pudding mixture.  Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease baking sheets.  On a floured board, roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into man shapes using a cookie cutter.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (you'll want to make sure they have room because they fluff up and grow!).

3.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges.  Cool on wire racks.  Frost with frosting or icing (you'll want one of the other).  

Strawberry Bread

We picked a bunch of very ripe and juicy strawberries from our backyard this weekend. After gorging ourselves on them, we decided that we'd better do something with the rest. Enter my online recipe search which resulted in this glorious bread! It's so moist and yummy - we're in heaven! I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, posted by Ellen Rainey. However, I used some of the comments made by others to create the recipe you see below. Enjoy! It's amazing!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. fresh strawberries

1 1/2 c. and 1 Tb. flour

1 c. white sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tb. vanilla

What to Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2.  Slice strawberries and place in medium-sized bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

3.  Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in large bowl; mix well.  Blend oil, eggs, and vanilla into strawberries.  Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened.  

4.  Bake for 45-50 minutes (or until knife inserted comes out clean).  Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn loaf out and cool completely.

Cake Box Cookies

Need some cookies fast but don't have all the ingredients?  These cookies are so fabulous when you're in a pinch.  I always try to pick up a cake mix or two when they're on mega-sale, and then you will always have these available to you.  I feel a little chagrined that I can't give the website where I found this exact recipe, but I'll just say this recipe is not my own, and you can find it online at cooks.com - I do know that much!  Super easy, super yummy, super versatile! PS - The picture below is of chocolate cake box cookies made by my 9 year old cousin for cub scouts - they are that easy!

Ingredients:

18 oz package cake mix (any flavor - I've done from chocolate to spice to lemon - really, ANY flavor works!)

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

(Special Note:  If using chocolate cake mix, add 2 Tb. water along with the egg.)

(You can also add chocolate chips, candy pieces, chopped nuts, or oatmeal - totally up to you!)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  

2.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients at low speed until thoroughly mixed.  

3.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

4.  Bake in oven for 9 - 12 minutes.  Cool two minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool.

5.  Serve plain or with store-bought frosting, or an easy icing (mix powdered sugar and water until you have the consistency you desire) depending on your preference.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

My husband made this wonderful dessert for us the other night, and it was super yummy!  It was a recipe we'd heard of and tried before, so we researched many different ones online and came up with this.  (I might also add that my sweet husband made it more diabetic friendly by using a Sprite Zero and Sugar-Free cake mix - just an idea if you're looking to make it healthier as well!) As with all dutch oven recipes, I'll tell you how to make it in the dutch oven, and how to make it in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

2 cans peaches, with juice

1 can Sprite

Directions - Campfire:

1.  Place dutch oven over 15 hot charcoals.  

2.  Put peaches in oven.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over top.  Cover with can of Sprite.

3.  Put lid on top and place 10 hot charcoals on top in a checkerboard pattern.

4.  Bake for about 45 minutes (or until done).

(Thanks to Camp Dutch Oven Cooking 101 for info on the number of coals needed and how to place them!)

Directions - In Home Oven:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.

2.  Put peaches in dutch oven.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over top.  Cover with can of Sprite.

3.  Put lid on top and cook in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes (or until done).

Serve with ice cream!  It's fabulous!

Mountain Man Breakfast

This is from the Camp Dutch Oven Cooking 101 Cookbook.  We've always loved Mountain Man breakfast, but had had it with bread instead of potatoes.  Both Shawn and I agreed that we like it with potatoes much better!  This recipes is quick, easy, and great! I'll give you two ways to make it, first you'll see the directions for real dutch oven campfire cooking.  Second, you'll get directions for cooking it in your dutch oven in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sausage

2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes

8-10 eggs, beaten with 1/4 c. water

2-3 c. cheese, grated

Directions - Campfire:

1. In a 12-inch dutch oven, over a full bed of hot coals, fry and crumble sausage.  Remove cooked sausage and drain on paper towels.  

2.  Using the sausage drippings in the pan, brown potatoes, and spread them evenly in bottom of dutch oven. Place cooked sausage over potatoes.  Pour eggs over sausage layer.  Sprinkle top with cheese.

3.  Cook with 8 coals underneath and 16 on top for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are cooked.

Directions - In Home Oven:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.

2.  In a skillet, fry and crumble sausage, remove cooked sausage and drain on paper towels.

3.  Using the sausage drippings in the pan, brown potatoes and spread them evenly in bottom of seasoned dutch oven.  Place cooked sausage over potatoes.  Pour eggs over sausage layer.  Sprinkle top with cheese.

4.  Cook in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until eggs are cooked.

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter-Chocolate Brownies

Let me begin by saying these are in no way shape or form diabetic friendly.  However, I did figure out exactly how many carbs are in one piece, so you can see that below if you want.  The calorie and fat content are actually not too bad!  This recipe is from Cooking Light (Sept. 2010), but I was introduced to it through Our Best Bites - LOVE that website!  My husband just looked as this picture as I was typing and started remembering how good these were!  AND THEY ARE!  YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!

Ingredients:

3/4 c. sweetened condensed milk, divided

1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

1/4 c. non-fat milk

1 box devil's food cake mix (18.25 oz)

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

cooking spray

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme (abt. 1 3/4 c.)

1/2 c. peanut butter morsels

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

2.  With an electric mixer, combine 1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk, milk, butter, cake mix, and egg white.  Mixture will be very thick. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.  (Use either floured hands, or spray your hands with cooking spray in order to press it down.) The layer will be thin.  Bake for 10 minutes.

3.  Combine 1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow creme in a bowl and combine until smooth.  Stir in peanut butter morsels.  Spread marshmallow layer over brownie layer in pan.  Carefully drop remaining brownie batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture.  Bake at 350*F for abt. 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

Makes 12 big brownies with 9 g. fat, 380 calories, and 68 carbs each.

Italian Hodgepodge

This is a no-fail easy recipe that uses whatever you have in your house and makes it look like you meant to plan on that meal!  I created it on one of those days where you just can't figure out what else to make, and we really enjoyed it - it's very versatile, so don't be afraid to mix it up!

Ingredients:

1 box whole wheat pasta (any kind) cooked and drained

2 c. protein (chicken, beef, pepperoni, etc....)

1/2 c. cottage cheese

1 -2 jar(s) spaghetti sauce (depends on how saucy you like it)

1 c. frozen veggies (whatever you have in your freezer)

1 c. shredded cheese (divided in two equal parts)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  

2.  In a 9x13 inch baking dish mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT for 1/2 c. of the cheese.

3.  Bake in oven for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. of cheese on top.  Bake for 5 more minutes.

Fejoada

My friend, Darci Clark, lived in Brazil for many years as a child, and she has worked for a bit to get these recipes the way she remembers them.  Fejoada is a fabulous bean and meat dish from Brazil, and it's sure to fill you up.  Thanks for the recipe Darci!

Ingredients:

2 c. black beans

1 lime

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 green pepper

1 ring of kilbasa

1 ham hock (or a couple chunks of ham)

Olive Oil

Water

Directions:

1. In your crockpot - soak 2 cups of black beans overnight. Rinse beans in the morning and add enough water to cover beans maybe a few inches more. 

2. In blender blend juice of one lime, handful of cilantro and half a green pepper and a couple Tbs of olive oil. Pour on top of beans.

3. Add 1 ring of kilbasa (cut into portion pieces). Add a ham hock or a couple chunks of ham.

4. Let it simmer for the day. (In Darci's words, "Usually I open it 5 hours in and take the bone out from ham and add a bit of corn starch/water mixture.")

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken

The original recipe is from Elizabeth Hinlely, from allrecipes.com. On that site it's called Oven Fried Chicken III. However, using a few of the comments left by others, I adjusted this recipe to how it appears below.  We served it for company the other night, and we all enjoyed it.  It has just enough bite to be interesting, but it's not overpowering.  

Ingredients:

2 - 3 lbs. of chicken (can be white or dark meat, with or without bones)

1 c. dried Italian bread crumbs

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 c. Miracle Whip

1/4 c. Milk

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.  In a medium bowl mix together the bread crumbs and spices.

3.  In another small bowl mix together the Miracle Whip and milk.  Coat the chicken pieces with the Miracle Whip mixtures.  Place chicken pieces in the bread crumb mixture and turn until well coated.  

4. Place in baking dish and bake for 45 - 60 minutes (until juices run clear).