Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

This is a great baked oatmeal recipe.  I have struggled finding good baked oatmeal recipes that are a solid consistency....or maybe I just do not make them correctly lol.  Anyways, this is great for those who like pumpkin flavored dishes and it is easy to make.  It is not a sweet dish, so I did sprinkle brown sugar on top to make it a bit sweeter.  I modified this recipe from one I found on Pinterest, and you can find the original on my pinterst page, where there is the recipe to make a one serving amount of this.  The recipe I posted here makes four servings.  In addition, that recipe uses almond milk instead of regular milk.  I kept the dish in the frig for up to about 5 days and it was still good.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 cups regular rolled oats
     2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
     1 tsp baking powder
     1/8 tsp salt
     1 cup milk
     1/2 cup water
     1 cup pumpkin puree
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     4 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, mix oats, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until combined.  In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, milk, water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.  Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Stir until they are combined.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-27 minutes. 

Spinach Stuffed Tilapia

The hardest part about doing this blog is figuring out what to write as a little blurb before I write the recipe.  I mean it is boring just to say this recipe is good lol, but it is!  I was surprised at how filling it was since Tilapia is is light, but it is very filling.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 tilapia fillets
     1 egg, lightly beaten
     2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
     2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
     1 tsp Italian seasoning
     1/2 tsp garlic powder
     1/2 tsp paprika
     salt and pepper, to taste
     1 tsp olive oil
     1/2 cup onion, small diced
     2 cloves of garlic, minced
     5 oz baby spinach
     1/2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (I used the new Greek yogurt cream cheese)
     1 tsp crushed red pepper
     1 tsp basil

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a small baking sheet or pan with parchment paper; set aside.  Heat oil in skilled over medium-high heat.  Saute onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add spinach and completely wilt down.  Season with crushed red pepper, basil, salt, and pepper.  Remove from the heat and stir in cream cheese until it's coated all the filling. 
   In one shallow pan, place beaten egg.  In another shallow pan combine grated Parmesan and panko, shaking to combine.  Season both sides of the fish with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Place the filling on fish fillet and fold fillet over, securing with toothpicks.  Dip in beaten egg, and use hands if needed to ensure the egg is all over the fish.  Move fish to the breading mixture.  Shake pan back and forth in order to ensure the bottom of the fish is nicely coated.  Then use your fingers to press the breading mixture to the top and sides of the fish. 
   Place in baking sheet, spray the top with nonstick cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is flaky and cooked through. 

Homemade Tomato Soup

With the cold winter weather on the horizon, there is nothing like a good homemade soup to keep you.  This is a very easy recipe to make your own homemade tomato soup, free of the preservatives found in canned tomato soup.  In addition, it is easy to freeze for another time.  I made one change to the recipe which came from Taste of Home magazine.  I used chicken stock instead of chicken broth to make it thicker.  This does however change the calorie count, which with the broth is only 120 calories.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with or without additional seasoning, undrained
     1/4 cup of butter
     1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion
     2 garlic cloves, minced
     6 tbsp all purpose flour
     48 oz of chicken broth (I used chicken stock)
     optional: grated cheese of your choice

     In a blender, process tomatoes with juices until pureed; set aside.  In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium high heat.  Add onion; cook and stir until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. 
     Remove from the heat; stir in flour until smooth.  Place back on the heat and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the broth.  Add pureed tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with your favorite flavor of cheese and enjoy.