Penne Beef Bake

This healthy pasta dish is packed full of great flavor.  This recipe, courteous of Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking, makes a large amount, so I froze the leftovers in portion sizes 1 1/3 cup).  That way when you are in need of a quick meal, you can just pop it the microwave.  One severing is 395 calories, but if you were looking to make it even healthier you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1 (12 oz) whole wheat penne pasta

     1 pound of lean ground beef (90% lean)

     2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
     1 large green pepper, finely chopped
     1 small onion, chopped
     1 jar (24 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
     1 1/2 cups of reduced-fat Alfredo sauce
     1 cup of low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
     1/4 tsp of garlic powder




     Cook the penne according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, zucchini, pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the spaghetti sauce, Alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and garlic powder.  Drain the penne; stir into meat mixture.
     Transfer to a 13x9 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and then bake uncovered for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. 

    

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins that I found on Pinterest are to die for!!  While searching on Pinterest I also found a great tip for making muffins and cupcakes that I used with these and it made a huge difference from other muffins that I have made.  Most muffins or cupcakes, say to back them at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes, but instead fill the cups 3/4 full and then bake them at 325 degrees for a couple minutes longer, around 25 minutes.  It made these muffins more fluffy and light!  Try it the next time you make your favorite muffins.  In addition, I did make a couple of changes to the recipe.  For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 2/3 cup of white flour
     1 cup of sugar
     1 tsp of ground cinnamon
     1/2 tsp of ginger
     1/2 tsp of ground cloves
     1 tsp of nutmeg
     1 tsp of baking soda
     1/4 tsp of baking powder
     1/4 tsp of salt
     2 eggs
     1 cup of pumpkin
     1 tsp of vanilla
     4 oz of unsalted butter, melted
     6 oz (half a bag) of white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, and butter.  Add in the white chocolate chips.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the dry are moistened.  Do not over mix.  Scoop batter into greased or paper cup lined muffin cups.  Bake for 25-27 minutes or until puffed and springy to the touch.  Makes about a dozen!

Zucchini Tots

While I am not a big fan of Tatar tots, I could eat these tots every day!  Despite how this picture looks, yes these are round like Tatar tots.  I have never made Tatar tots, but these tots are so easy to make!  They require a mini muffin pan which is my new favorite baking tool.  It makes things like these, muffins, and many other food items bite size.  The first time I made these I did not have a mini muffin pan and I did use a regular muffin pan, but they were not as crispy, you have to cook them longer, and you certainly cannot pop them in your mouth in one bite!  I found this recipe on a great cooking website skinnytaste.com and they are only 108 calories only for 4 tots!  For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 cup of grated zucchini
     1 large egg
     1/4 cup of onion, chopped
     1/4 cup of low fat cheddar cheese
     1/4 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
     salt and pepper to taste

 



Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the mini muffin pan with cooking spray. 

Combine all the ingredients in and bowl, mixing them with your hands.

Add salt and pepper.

 

Fill each muffin cup to the top, pushing down on the filling with the back of a spoon,

 so it is nice and compact, that way they will not fall apart. 

Bake 16-18 minutes until they are golden brown!



Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

With the start of the fall weather, comes the start of the pumpkin inspired dishes.  Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pies, and these delicious chocolate chip pumpkin bars.  This recipe comes from a baking blog I found through Pinterest - bakeat 350.blogspot.com.  Like most pumpkin inspired recipes, this only uses a portion of a can of the pumpkin, which means that you will be left with extra pumpkin.  Thankfully, pumpkin is very easy to freeze.  I just save it in 1 cup portions in freezer bags and then I have pumpkin all year long.  For this recipe you will need the following:
     2 cups all purpose flour
     1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
     3/4 tsp ginger
     1/2 tsp nutmeg
     1/8 tsp gloves
     1 tsp baking soda
     3/4 tsp coarse salt
     1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
     1 1/4 cup sugar
     1 egg
     2 tsp vanilla
     1 cup pumpkin puree
     1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips



Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom and sides of 13x9 baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the sides.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.  Cream together the butter and sugar using a mixer on medium-high until smooth. 

 

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

 



 

Beat in the pumpkin puree.  Don't worry if it looks curdled,

it is suppose to look like that!

 



 

Fold into the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.

 

Stir in the chocolate chips.

 



 

Using a spatula, spread the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely in the pan. 

Lift the bars from the pan, peel from the foil, and cut into squares.







Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia with Quinoa Side Dish

This is a light and healthy meal that has great flavor.  When I made this I wished that I had made the whole recipe because I could have ate more of the fish because it was so tasty.  The tilapia recipe I adapted from the Wegmans monthly cooking magazine and I cut the recipe in half .  I love cooking with tilapia because it is so easy to make and it is very versatile.  If you are a fan of tilapia, be sure to check out my very first post ever of fish tacos!  I found the quinoa dish on Pinterest and the flavors are a good match for the tilapia.  It would be a good side dish for other meats that have garlic flavors as the base.  For the tilapia recipe you will need the following:

Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia (for 4 servings)
     4 tbsp of butter, melted
     3/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs
     2 tsp of garlic salt
     2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
     1 tbsp of basting oil (or you can use olive oil and sprinkle it with the seasoning of your choice)
     4 tilapia fillets

 

Pre heat the oven to 400. 

Combine the butter, bread crumbs, and garlic salt in small bowl; mix well.

Add the cheese and mix well.

 



Coat a baking sheet thinly with basting oil or olive oil. 

Place the tilapia on the baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.

 



    

Top each fillet with about 3 tbsp of the bread crumb mixture;

press to cover entire top of fillet.  Bake 12-15 minutes;

remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes.

 

 

For the quinoa you will need the following:

     1 tbsp of butter

     1 cup of quinoa

     2 cups of chicken or veggie broth

     2 tsp minced garlic

     2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

     1/4 tsp of salt

     1 small onion, chopped

 

 

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add quinoa and toast,

stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

 

 





 

Stir in broth, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and

cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

 

 

Combine the quinoa, garlic, onion, parsley, and salt, then serve and enjoy!



Black Bean and Corn Tacos

In trying to keep up with my sister's idea of one veggie meal a week, I made these tacos the other week.  They were very good and the recipe makes a large amount, so I was able to have tacos for lunch two other times that week.  I added salsa Verde which was the prefect compliment to the tacos.  This recipe comes from my favorite cooking magazine, Taste of Home Healthy Cooking.  The serving size is 2 tacos and they are 423 calories.  For this recipe you will need the following:
    
     1 medium red onion, finely chopped
     1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
     1 small red pepper, finely chopped
     1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
     2 large plum/roma tomatoes, chopped
     2 cups of shredded cabbage
     1 cup of fresh or frozen corn
     2 tbsp of reduced sodium taco seasoning
     2 tbsp of lime juice
     2 garlic gloves, minced
     1 cup of cooked brown rice (I used Minute
        Rice)
     8 taco shells, warmed
     1/2 cup of shredded reduced-fat Mexican
       cheese

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute onion and peppers until crisp-tender.

Add beans, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, taco seasoning, lime juice, and garlic.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in the rice and heat through.  Spoon mixture into shells and sprinkle with cheese!

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Yet another fabulous recipe from Pinterest!  If you are not pinning, I recommend you start!  This was the first time I have made baked oatmeal, so I think it turned out pretty good.  It would have been even better with brown sugar baked on the top so next time I will do that!  With regards to the walnuts, you can buy a bag of already chopped walnuts, but I suggest chopping those to make them finer.  You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.  You can also use raspberries instead.  And thanks again to my Uncle Ron for the great blueberries!!  For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
     1/4 cup of chopped walnuts, divided
     1/2 tsp of baking powder
     3/4 tsp of cinnamon
     Pinch of salt
     1/4 cup of maple syrup (I used low fat)
     1 cup of milk (I used skim)
     1 large egg, lightly beaten
     2 tbsp of butter, melted and slightly cooled
     1 tsp of vanilla extract
     2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
     1 cup of blueberries, divided





Preheat the oven to 375.  Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.  In a medium bowl mix oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir to combine.



In a liquid measuring cup combine milk, syrup, egg, butter, and vanilla.

Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.

Top with half the berries.  Sprinkle the dry oats mixture over the fruit in an even layer.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the oats. 

Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving!