Tilapia and Sweet Potato Fries

Tonight was a big step in my cooking career, I made a meal without a recipe! I've been making sweet potato fries for a while now but I've always used a recipe for cooking fish. Tonight, I wanted to create a healthy recipe with ingredients I already had at home. Overall, I was a quick meal to prepare, inexpensive, and yummy! Derek said the tilapia tasted like fish sticks! The sweet potato fries were the perfect combination of salty and sweet. This dinner will make an appearance again very soon!

Tilapia
Ingredients:
2 pieces of Tilapia
4 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers
4 Tbs. Egg Beaters
2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Lightly spray pan with cooking spray.
3. In a plastic bag crush Ritz crackers. Mix in paprika and salt.
4. Dip fish in eggs beaters and coat with cracker mixture on both sides.
5. Place on baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
2 med. Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbs. Light Cooking Oil
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt

Directions:
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch wedges.
2. Place cut sweet potatoes into an empty bowls.
3. Stir in the oil, spices and salt into the sweet potatoes.
4. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Tuna Cakes

Here is another healthy and fabulous recipe for the week from Kraftfoods.com. I was a little apprehensive about this one, but I loved the way it came out. We omitted the carrots because we didn't have any, but I still thought it was great. It was not too fishy and went perfectly with steamed veggies. If you are looking for a filling but healthy meal, this is it!

what you need!
2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish
make it!

1MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

2HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.

3FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.

**We cooked our on a griddle to eliminate some calories.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

With my wedding just around the corner and the house process moving along, I am looking for two things when planning my dinners for the week: affordable and healthy. I went to Kraftfoods.com and found a few recipes that I am excited to try this week. The first one was a great success, it was amazing! I used reduced fat cream cheese, parmesan cheese, ritz crackers, and served the chicken with whole wheat pasta. Those are the only changes from the recipe, other than that we followed it to a T and will make it again!

what you need!
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated
make it!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

Mexican Chicken

This wonderful recipe came into my life last year. Derek and I were looking for a meal to make for Valentine's last year and we knew just who to call, my soon to be mother in law! This recipe has a few steps to it, but it is absolutely delicious and worth the time. We loved this recipe so much, it has since turned into our "special occasion" meal.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (set aside 1/4 of it for topping)
3 tbs. El Pinto green chili (or any green chili)
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
Yellow rice
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt to taste
Wax paper
Cooking Spray
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Mix black beans, green chili, and cheddar cheese in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them out with a meat tenderizer until they are thin. Cover meat with sheet of wax paper to prevent an unwanted mess.
3. Spray a lg, cooking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Bread both sides of the chicken with the parmesan bread crumbs. Use your hands to massage in the bread crumbs, no egg is needed.
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of the bean mixture onto one side of the butterflied chicken. Do this to each piece of chicken and set aside the rest of the bean mixture.
6. Fold over the other side of the chicken breast and secure with toothpicks.
7. Bake chicken for 20 minutes at 350 until cooked through.
8. Take out chicken and spread the remaining bean mixture over the top of each piece of chicken. Put back in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
9. Take toothpicks out and serve with yellow rice.
ENJOY!!

Derek and I use El Pinto green chili.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars
This semi-homemade cookie recipe was a hit for New Years Eve. I wanted something quick, simple and delicious. I think I found the recipe I was looking for! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen.

Annie's Fruit Salsa

MUST TRY RECIPE!!! I found this recipe a few years ago on AllRecipes.com and it has become a must have for every party. The dip is simple to make and takes no time at all. Instead of making home made cinnamon chips (which I attempted once), I buy Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips. They are the perfect match for this delicious dip, and half the work. ENJOY!


Ingredients:
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves.
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Chips:

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Tomato Mozzarella Tray

I love the tomato mozzarella combination. It's always easy to make and is the perfect addition to any party.

Tomato Mozzarella Tray
Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes
2 packages of fresh mozzarella
Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
Fresh basil (1 TBS)

Directions:
1. Wash then slice tomatoes.
2. Slice mozzarella cheese the same way you sliced the tomatoes.
3. Chop basil
4. Layer cheese and tomatoes one after another on a tray.
5. Sprinkle basil over tray.
**I put a little dressing over the tray and also put a little bowl of the dressing on the side**

Peanut Butter- Chocolate Balls

This is my favorite Christmas "cookie" recipe. If you are a fan of chocolate and peanut butter like I am, these are a must make!

Ingredients:
3 cups of rice krispies cereal
1 box of confectioners sugar
2 cups of crunchy peanut butter
1 stick melted butter
3/4 bag of chocolate chips
1/2 stick of paraffin wax

Directions:
1. Toss rice krispies, confectioners sugar, and peanut butter with a fork.
2. Add butter and mix well.
3. Roll into balls and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Melt the chocolate chips in a double broiler.
5. Add the paraffin wax (cut into slivers, using a potato peeler)
6. Mix until smooth.
7. Get the peanut butter balls out of the refrigerator.
8. Dip balls in melted chocolate and place on wax paper to dry.

ENJOY!
**Since this recipe has been in my family for a long time, I am not sure where it originally came from.**

Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies

Chocolate and mint are one of my favorite combinations. My mom made these for our annual Christmas Eve Party this year and they were light and refreshing. She found the recipe on the back of a bag of Andes Creme de Menthe baking pieces.


Ingredients
1/2 cup salted butter - softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package Andes creme de menthe baking chips
2 2/3 sifted all purpose flour

Directions
Mix butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until well blended.
Stir in baking chips and then flour.
Chill for about one hour in the refrigerator.
Form 1 ounce balls and flatten with a fork.
Raise the oven rack one level above the middle.
Bake on non-stick baking pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
Cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing.
Makes around 4 dozen cookies.

Coconut Cornflake Macaroons

I love anything coconut, so I was thrilled when my mom found a new macaroon recipe in the St. Petersburg Times. These cookies were delicious and hard to put down. If you like regular macaroons but haven't been able to get the recipe just right....these are the ones to try next!

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed mile
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups coconut
2 cups cornflakes

Directions:
1. Combine milk and vanilla. Stir well.
2. Add coconut and cornflakes. Mix well until combined and milk is distributed throughout mixture.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cherry Chocolate Cookies

I made these cookies last year and by request....they made another appearance this year as well. I found the recipe on All Recipes.com. The cookies are very sweet and chocolaty with a touch of cherry flavor. When the recipe calls for walnut size balls of dough, keep them small. The chocolate topping was a little tricky to keep neat. I thought it would spread in the over, but it didn't. I would recommend covering the entire cherry with the chocolate sauce before putting them in the oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb.
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball.
In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Man Dip #2

I decided to try the buffalo chicken dip aka "man dip" in the oven, instead of the crock pot this time. I liked this recipe much better than the first one I posted. Perfect for any super bowl party!

Ingrediants:
1/3 cup of blue cheese dressing
1/3 cup of buffalo wing sauce
3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken meat
1/2 cup of mozzarella or cheddar cheese
8oz package of cream cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spread cream cheese into the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish.
3. Mix blue cheese, wing sauce, and chicken in a medium size bowl.
4. Pour mixture over cream cheese and spread evenly.
5. Top with mozzarella cheese.
6. Cook for 20 minutes.

**Serve with celery, tostodo chips, or crackers.

Turkey Chili

I love using my crock pot, and I love meals with not too many ingredients. This turkey chili is simple to make but we love it and make almost once a week in the winter. Derek doesn't like onions and I don't like kidney beans, which is why they aren't included in the recipe.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
27 oz can of pinto beans
8z can of tomato sauce
1.25lb ground turkey
packet of McCormick Chili seasoning
cup of shredded cheddar cheese
tsp salt and pepper to season meat

Directions:
1. Cook and season the turkey meat in a skillet.
2. Add the beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the crock pot and stir.
3. Add the cooked chili to the crock pot.
4. Mix in the chili seasoning.
5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

**Serve with sprinkled cheddar cheese on top and cornbread!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

WARNING...The following recipe makes 12 1/2 dozen cookies. If you are not interested in spending hours in the kitchen....cut down the recipe. Other than that, this was a delightful cookie. I found the recipe in my new The Best Loved Cookies and Bars Taste of Home magazine. I omitted the raisins and used mini chocolate chips instead of regular ones. I found that 11 minutes was the perfect time in my oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups quick-cooking oats
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/2 cups raisins
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in water and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. (Transfer to a larger bowl if necessary.) Stir in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 12-1/2 dozen.

Minty and Delicious!

Mint Thins!!

I made these cookies last year and couldn't wait to make them again this year. They seem easy to make and for the most part, they are.  They are just messy, so prepare to get your hands covered in chocolate! 

 In order to get the chocolate to a perfect consistency I used a fondu pot, which kept the chocolate nice and warm.  It also made it much easier for me to dip the crackers.  

These cookies taste just like Thin Mint cookies!

Enjoy.  

Recipe Adapted from Kraft Foods 

Ingredients: 

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 sleeve RITZ Crackers (36 crackers)
1 cup of peppermint baking bits

Make It!

MIX chocolate and extract.

DIP crackers in chocolate, turning to completely coat each cracker. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets; sprinkle with baking bits, I pressed them down a bit so they wouldn't fall off.

REFRIGERATE 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Kris Kringle Cookies

If you're looking for a BIG batch of cookies to make, you've found the perfect recipe! For me,  I wanted to try a cookie recipe that was different, beyond he typical chocolate chip cookie.  This one has white chocolate, pecans and cranberries…it screams Christmas! 

I made the cookies as directed and refrigerated the dough for an hour. 10 minutes was the perfect baking time, and then I moved them to a cooling rack. The cookies were a little thin, but I enjoyed the taste of the cranberries. If I made these again I would use chocolate chips instead of white chocolate for a twist.

Recipe Courtesy of Kraft Foods 

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 pkg. (6 squares each) BAKER'S White Chocolate, chopped
2 cups PLANTERS Chopped Pecans, toasted
2 cups dried cranberries
Make It!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BEAT butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate, nuts and cranberries.

DROP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.

BAKE 9 to 11 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 3 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Apple Pie Dip

First, sorry for the blurry picture (I will post a new one when I make it again). So, I was determined to find some new recipes for my holiday parties. I came across this one on Kraftfoods.com and it caught my eye. I prepared the dip a few hours before the party and made a few additions. I added a few more spices (cinnamon & pumpkin pie) to the top of the dip before I put it in the oven. I also served it with Stacy's Cinnamon & Sugar pita chips. Overall, a simple and delicious recipe.

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 apple, chopped, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped PLANTERS Pecan Pieces
WHEAT THINS Original Crackers

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F.

MIX reduced-fat cream cheese, sugar and spice in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in half of the apples.

SPREAD into pie plate or small casserole dish. Top with remaining apples, Cheddar and nuts.

BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until heated through. Serve with crackers.

Classic Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Classic peanut butter kiss cookies.  One of my favorites.  Also a Christmas tradition in our house.  I always looked forward to the day my mom made these.  You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.  Not at all.  

 These cookies will be one of the cookies at the cookie bar at our wedding. Believe it or not, I've never attempted to make these cookies on my own. D had a request for these cookies from a co-worker....so I tested them out for the last USF football game today. I used the Betty Crocker recipe for the peanut butter cookies and placed Hershey kisses on them when they came out of the oven. I followed the recipe below, but put the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour after mixing, before baking.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.
2. Heat oven to 375ºF.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into sugar.
4. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Pretty Pumpkins

Look at what a little ribbon can do!
I bought a bunch of pumpkins after Halloween on sale from JoAnn Fabrics. I found decorative fall ribbon and hot glued it around the pumpkin. It ended up making a perfect little gift and was a great decoration for the house!

Candy Cookie Surprise

I love to bake, but that doesn't mean I like spending all day in the kitchen. I like recipes that are easy, different, and delicious. This recipe is all of the above! I needed a quick recipe for a going away party and this was sure to be a hit! I found the recipe in the Taste of Home magazine Best Loved Cookies and Bars. I followed the recipe exactly and they were fantastic.

Ingredients:
1/2 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all purpose flour
24 miniature Snickers candy bars

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. Shape 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of dough around each candy bar.
2. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Makes 2 Dozen