Herb Bubble Bread

Christmas and the holidays mean LOTS of cooking in our home. On Christmas Eve we have a party for family and friends and I prep for days ahead of time. Nothing big- just lots of little things. Appetizers in the form of dips, spreads, hot and cold snacks. It's yummy. To compliment my husband's white chicken chili recipe this year, I tried this.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil and rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine cheese and seasonings. In another bowl, combine butter and garlic; set aside.

Divide dough into 16 pieces. Roll into balls. Coat balls in butter mixture, then dip in cheese mixture. Place in a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 22-26 minutes or until golden brown. (Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly.) Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

VERDICT

This was phenomenal. There was nothing left within 15 minutes.

We tried it again a few days later for another party, but this time I didn't have bread dough. Instead I used canned dinner rolls and chopped them into 3 or 4 pieces each (kind of like monkey bread). Same result. Delicious. You must try this.

NUTRTION

Sorry, this was a Christmas-time recipe. And calories don't count at Christmas.

The Cookie Tree

This weekend was a crazy baking weekend. It started Friday night with sugar cookies. And then peanut butter kiss cookies. And then dough for ginger bread.

By Saturday afternoon there were five varieties of cookies made and I was running out of containers to keep them all in. There were snickerdoodles and peppermint candy canes... and chocolate covered pretzels!

Mark began to get nervous. "The last time you baked like this you were nesting."

No, I'm not pregnant. Just in the holiday spirit! But he cut me off from any making more cookies anyways. However, he didn't specify that I couldn't make ornaments. And if cookies are good, cookies that double as ornaments and can be hung on a tree are even better! Especially when I can give them out to people who come to our house on Christmas Eve. I have four varieties that are going on the table top cookie tree, this recipe is the best of them all.
GINGERBREAD COOKIE ORNAMENTS

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. Mrs. Butterworth's syrup
2 c. unsifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ground ginger

DIRECTIONS

In medium bowl cream butter, sugar and syrup. Sift dry ingredients together; blend into creamed mixture. Chill 30 minutes.

Roll dough on floured board to 1/8 inch thickness, cut with cookie cutter. Using a straw, cut a hole at the top of the cutout.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes. Thread a ribbon through the hole and hang on tree!

Yield: 2 dozen (5 1/2-inch) cookies).

VERDICT

Yum! I even made some extras for the kids in my son's preschool class. A present that's pretty AND yummy. Perfect!

Pineapple & Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry

We're about 6 months into the whole "lets eat healthier" thing. And so far it's going well. Aside from the whole cauliflower pizza experiment, all of the recipes have tasted, well... good. A lot of the recipes have come from my friend Gina (ok, she's not really my friend, but it would be really cool if she was because her dinners are always delicious and her pictures are to die for!) at skinnytaste.com. Since I never post recipes of things I don't eat, like ground beef or veal, you should check out her blog for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp Thai Kitchen fish sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 cups cubed assorted colors bell peppers (1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 red chili pepper, chopped (optional or to taste)
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Pineapple & Chili dipping sauce
• cilantro leaves (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Mix chicken and fish sauce in medium bowl. Add cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and
ginger; stir fry 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, chili pepper if using and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp. Add sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet.
Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. Return bell pepper mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Garnish with cilantro.VERDICT

My husband was coming home late the night I made this. I plated the meal and put in the oven to keep warm. It was that good- I didn't want him to ruin it with the microwave!
NUTRITION

Servings: 4 • Size: 1.25 cups • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 186.6 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 15.5 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Protein: 20.8 g • Sugar: 8.3
Sodium: 557.2

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

The last time I made mac & cheese in the crockpot the recipe called for dried mustard. I hate the taste (even the smell!) of mustard, but I followed directions and added it in. I figured the cook who created the recipe knew better than me. I should have listened to my own advice. Yuck!

So it was with some reserve that I tried out this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

16 oz macaroni noodles, cooked al dente

2 eggs, beaten

12 oz evaporated milk

12 oz milk (skim, 2 %, or whole, your choice)

16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook noodles until they are still slightly firm. Drain and put in Crock Pot.

Whisk eggs, and add to evaporated milk and milk. Add salt and pepper to

taste. Pour over noodles and stir. Add cheeses, saving a little to sprinkle on

top. Cook on low 3-4 hours.

VERDICT

Wow. That's a lot of cheese in the ingredient list. This recipe can't be good for you. But it does taste good. Especially if you're the natural kind-of-gritty browned on top mac & cheese kind of person. Personally I like my mac & cheese smooth. Out of the Kraft box smooth. But this wasn't bad. My husband loved it.

You can't beat this kind of simplicity on a cold winter night.

NUTRITION

Servings: 10

Calories: 5oo, Carbs: 41g, Fat: 27g, Protein: 25g

Homemade Apple Pie

Who would have thought a recipe created in 7th grade home-ec would still be so important today. This picture doesn't even begin to do this pie justice. Crust by me.

Filling by my mother.

Teamwork at its best.

As for the recipe... it's a family secret. Hungry yet?

Pork Chops with Peppers

First off, let me apologize for the quality of the pictures. I left my memory card in the office because I was uploading pictures for the last post. So I had to use my cellphone camera. Which was apparently set on "sunset."

Thus, red/orange pictures. And proof that I'm not technically advanced enough to own a smartphone.

But I digress. Here is your recipe:INGREDIENTS

4 center cut pork chops

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, divided

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

1 yellow (or orange) bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook for 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn pork over. Add 1 tsp. rosemary, garlic and bell peppers; cook 9 minutes or until peppers are tender and pork is done. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with remaining 1/2 tsp. rosemary and serve.

VERDICT

By now you know my love/hate relationship with pork chops. I don't like them. They're dry. They're bland. And yet nearly every time I try a new recipe I like it.

This recipe is in that category. It's good. Very good. And very simple. A one-dish meal that's done in 20 minutes. Just make sure you don't overcook the pork- taking the skillet off the stove when they're still pink in the middle assures that you won't have those dried out porkchops I detest so much.

NUTRITION

Servings: 4 Serving Size: 1 pork chop + 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture Calories: 215 Fat: 10.1 g Carbs: 5 g Fiber: 1.4 g Protein: 25.2 g

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Baked Tilapia

Do you still have any pumpkins on your porch? Yes? Good. Go bring one in, cut it open, and roast the seeds. Not only are pumpkin seeds packed with good things for you, they are also delicious in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp raw, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds (if you don't know how to make your own, directions are at the bottom)
  
• 2 tbsp panko crumbs
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• course salt such as kosher
• fresh cracked pepper
• 4 pieces (5.5 oz each) tilapia filets
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS

Grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder. Combine crushed pumpkin seeds, panko, parsley, pinch of salt and fresh pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Drizzle 1/4 tsp oil on each tilapia filet. Rub over fish to coat, season with salt and pepper and top with crushed garlic.

Add crumbs to the top, mist with a little oil and place in the center of the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through, then broil for 1 - 2 minutes, or until crumbs are golden (be careful not to burn).

For roasted seeds: This is a great way to enjoy pumpkin seeds- even if you're not doing this recipe. Pull the seeds out of the pumpkin, rinse off and the 'gunk', and spread onto a baking pan. Lightly salt. Bake for 10 minutes on 350. Turn seeds once and cook an additional 10 minutes.

VERDICT

This. Is. Delicious.

I'm still trying to figure out how I can preserve pumpkin seeds year round so I can make this recipe in other seasons aside from fall.

The panko & pumpkin seed topping is crispy and delicious. Go cut open that last pumpkin. You'll be glad you did!

NUTRITION

Calories: 184.5 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 31.3 g • Carb: 2.3 g • Fiber: 0.2 g • Sugar: 0.1
Sodium: 67.1 (without salt)

Sesame Chicken Fingers

INGREDIENTS

• 18 oz chicken tenderloins
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp course salt
• 4 tbsp panko
• olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray.

Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt and panko in another.

Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well.

Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 - 10 minutes.

Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes longer or until cooked through.

VERDICT

Grown up chicken nuggets! Delicious!

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Servings: 4 1/2 • Serving Size: 2 chicken tenders •
Calories: 196.9 • Fat: 9.1 g • Protein: 22.9 g • Carb: 5.7 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Sugar: 0.3 g Sodium: 400 mg

Tilapia in Lemon and Caper Sauce (Tilapia Piccata)

I realize that this is a very similar recipe to the Chicken Scallopini, which I just posted, but this is pretty darn good too. And since I already had the fresh lemons and capers, it made sense to try this one out too.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons butter
• Lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Combine first 3 ingredients.
• Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.
• While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.
• Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired

VERDICT

I wouldn't cook this the same week as the chicken, but it's a simple, fast and tasty recipe for fish. My only complaint is how runny the sauce makes everything else on the plate. I'm a big sucker for each food having it's own little place on the plate and not touching- so this drove me nuts. But it was a good sauce, so it did make the vegetables and rice taste good too.

NUTRITION INFO

Calories: 282 Calories from fat: 26% Fat: 8.3g Saturated fat: 3.2g Monounsaturated fat: 2g Polyunsaturated fat: 2.1g Protein: 35g Carbohydrate: 15.3g Fiber: 0.8g Cholesterol: 92mg Iron: 1.5mg Sodium: 739mg Calcium: 43mg