Pao de Queijo (Brazillian Cheese Bread

Hey all, if you are looking for a healthy post, I'm sorry, I can't help you. This is definitely an everything in moderation scenario. Husband and I were at the farmer's market for our anniversary weekend and we stumbled across a new booth selling brazillian cheese bread. They had a HUGE sign that said GLUTEN FREE!!! so of course I had to sample and then inevitably purchase the treats. After demolishing the ones I bought in under an hour I knew I had to have them again. I went to my favorite gluten free store, Against the Grain and found that they sold the dough. So I bought that and ate it in about the same amount of time. Then I took to Google and Pinterest and found 4 different recipes for these delicious treats. I found some tapioca flour at Kitchen Kneads for a great price so it was just a matter of time. We tweaked this recipe a little by using Cojita cheese. We also were going to add diced jalapenos but decided to master the recipe first and then add the peppers. Consider it mastered. It was super easy! Thing 2 who is gluten free gobbled up 2 and a half of these things he calls cupcakes. Even super picky, super sweet niece ate one! I decided to use them as hamburger buns since we were having a 4th of July BBQ and oh my goodness. I am never eating a hambuger on a normal gluten free bun again! They even tasted better than normal buns or ciabattas! They are totally high calorie for which I apologize but it is a great gluten free alternative to a normal roll or bun or bread. 5 out of 5 stars and 2 thumbs way, way up!!! Just some advise, when it says serve warm, they mean it. Heat it in the microwave if you are eating it the next day. Also we didn't have to add any additional flour after the 3 1/2 cups.

Source: chefinyou.com

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3-1/2 cups tapioca flour + 2 tbsp
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 cup grated farmer's cheese or any firm, fresh cows milk cheese (I used fresh Mozzarella)
• 2-3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (optional)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil.
2. As soon as it boils, remove from heat. Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture.
3. Stir in the eggs and the cheese, and mix well.
4. Let mixture cool for 15-30 minutes, so that it will be easier to handle.The recipe mentions refrigeration for 15 minutes. But if you see the picture below with the measurement they provided it was more of a bread broth and when I added extra flour it became like this. Much better. The measurement I have provided makes it easy to roll into balls.But then as I mentioned previously add it with discretion. Its still sticky but flouring your hands make it easier.
5. With floured (tapioca flour) hands, shape the dough into small balls. and place them on a baking sheet.
6. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed up and are golden. They will rise slowly and puff up mostly in the last 5 or 10 minutes. You know they are done when there is amazing aroma wafting (tapioc'ish (#!#$?) smell?), the bread puffs up with lots of cracks (looks like some dinosaur egg hatching!) and it gets this v. slight yellowish glow with flecks of yellow here and there (cheese flecks?)
7. Serve warm
               

And yes, that is mayonaise and BBQ sauce dripping from my burger. Don't judge.

Gluten Free Favorites

I wanted to do a quick blog to tell you about some of our favorite gluten free brands for certain things. Here we go:

 This is our favorite pizza crust. So much so that when we make pizza now we all eat it on this crust. Even my 5 year old eats it. It's pretty pricey but it's one of those things that is quick and easy and nice to keep in the cupboard. We get this at Sprouts Market.

This bread is available at the Costco by us and I can't tell you how much it has changed the way I eat. Before I wouldn't eat Gluten Free bread unless I absolutely had to but with this I actually have toast and sandwiches! I love that they sell it at Costco because it is only $7.99 for 2 loaves which is a great deal for Gluten Free.

This is my newest discovery. While wandering Trader Joe's I found this little gem and decided to try it. I got the cranberry maple nut and LOVED IT! I eat it dry but I bet it would be good in yogurt or with milk. It is pretty reasonably priced and has a really good shelf life!

These have been great for my 2 year old who is Gluten Free. They are a lot like cheese its. Warning: they are pretty salty, but no more than regular gold fish crackers and a great alternative. I get these at Sprouts Market and they are usually on sale. We've tried the other flavors but these are our favorite.

If you want to know what else I eat, just ask. I make lots of substitutions that I don't even think about which make it so I can eat pretty normal. Still trying to find the perfect Gluten Free donut though. If you find that be sure to let me know!

Lemon Risotto with Asparagus

This meal was prepared by a guest chef and then I made it again for myself. Her's was prettier so I went with her picture. My fake mom was visiting while Husband was out of town and we scrambled around trying to find stuff to make for dinner. Luckily I had my new cooking light magazine handy so we looked in there and Fauxma was so excited to find microwave risotto that we just had to try it. We both LOVED it! Super easy super tasty and makes lots of leftovers if you don't have three helpings that night which is hard. I made it for Husband last night even though he does not like asparagus in attempt to force him to eat his veggies and he said it is probably the best asparagus dish I've made. I'll take that. The way the lemon mixes with the asparagus is really tasty and fresh and this meal is surprisingly light and doesn't sit in your stomach like rice sometimes does. Husband gave this a 4 but Fauxma and I both gave it a 5 out of 5 stars. I would rate it higher if the scale allowed!

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus about 1 pound
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions

1. Bring broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and rind; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 3 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in asparagus. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese and juice. Sprinkle with thyme.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 307
Fat: 4.9g
Cholesterol: 6mg
Sodium: 532mg
Fiber: 2.7g
Protein: 11.7g

Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Portobellos

This is out of the realm of my comfort zone but being a naturally gluten free food we went for it. Pleasantly surprised! When we started putting the kalamata olives in I was a little concerned (even though I love them!!!) but they really added a great flavor! Husband was not a fan of the texture of the mushroom but he still gave it a 4.5 out of 5 which says something about the taste. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this one!

Source: www.eatingwell.com

Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 40 Min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper divided
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese divided
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, olives, Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.
4. When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 201
Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 680 mg
Carbohydrate: 13 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 14 g

Blueberry-Almond Streusel Muffins

Alright, you may notice the lack of streusel on this streusel muffin. I'm weird. Sometimes having something on top on a muffin like this makes for too much of a texture difference and I'm not a fan. I think next time I will try it with the streusel on top though. The flavor of this muffin is really good. We used an all purpose gluten free flour mixture which gave it a bit of a weird texture but it was still really good. Yours will be even better though using normal flour. We used fresh blueberries which really satisfied a craving I've been having and the almond flavor was so good with it! Make sure to spray your muffin liners as always and try heating this up for 30 seconds in the microwave before eating. I give the gluten free version of this 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup 2% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup light ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups blueberries
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon reduced-calorie stick margarine melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 6 ingredients (milk through egg whites); stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
3. Combine 1/4 cup flour and remaining ingredients; sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until done. Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 171
Fat: 0.0g
Cholesterol: 1mg
Sodium: 139mg
Fiber: 1.4g
Protein: 4g

Playgroup Granola Bars

Since Husband is a full time student and I work to support the family we don't have a lot of extra funds for sweet treats and snacks and are forced to make them. I searched the web for a healthy granola bar recipe since that is a snack we will all eat and I found this one. I've always had this negative opinion on homemade granola bars for some reason but not any more. These literally taste like Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!! Hooray! I didn't have wheat germ so I called my sneaky chef sister in law and she had some milled flax seed she said I could use. It seemed to work great especially since I have never used either and wouldn't know the difference anyway. Thing 2 devoured it and thing one humored me with a bite. When I said it tasted like a cookie he fought me on it saying cookies don't have raisins they have chocolate chips. Someone needs a cookie education class. I'm definitely interested in what Husband will think of these... Anyway, these are great and made a bunch which I put in snack baggies to store for easy snacking. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min
Total Time: 50 Min

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup raisins optional
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 161
Fat: 5.5g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Sodium: 79mg
Sugar: 15.7g
Carbohydrate: 26.6g
Fiber: 1.4g
Protein: 2.4g

Open-Faced Hummus Sandwiches

Sometimes I am a mean wife and plan things that I know Husband won't like just because I want them and I make the meal plan. This is definitely one of those things. I had thought maybe, just maybe he might like it but alas, no dice. He couldn't even finish it. I, on the other hand, LOVED it. The whole thing ended up blowing up in my face when I could not restrain myself from eating the rest of his sandwich when he didn't finish. That'll teach me. So here's the thing about this recipe... If you like all of the ingredients you will absolutely love this if not you probably won't like it at all. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. We won't talk about what Husband would give it...

 

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
• 1 1/2 cups quartered grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until toasted. (Or put it in the toaster like we did...)
3. Combine tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through garlic). Spread about 1/4 cup hummus over each bread slice. Divide tomato mixture evenly among servings. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 358

Fat: 20.1g

Cholesterol: 7mg

Sodium: 811mg

Fiber: 4.3g

Protein: 12.3g

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I am seriously kicking myself for not blogging this sooner since now I can't remember much about it. I do remember that everyone ate it and enjoyed it and I remember that we decided we would make it again substituting with smoked gouda to add another good flavor. We also substituted panko for the bread crumbs and froze half for another day. We had decide on 4 out of 5 stars so I guess that means it was pretty good.

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• Pam butter flavored spray

Directions

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once it becomes thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach. Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts

Calories: 296.67 • Fat: 9.7 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 5.3 g

Crock Pot "Baked" Potatoes

Never making baked potatoes the old fashioned way again! Cooked perfectly!!! We did 8 small potatoes and it worked great. Nothing more to say. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• aluminum foil
• Toppings (extra pts): light sour cream, fresh chives, bacon bits, broccoli, cheese

Directions

1. Wash and scrub potatoes until clean. Dry thoroughly. When dry, prick potatoes with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 potato • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 4 (large is 5 points+)

Spinach Tortellini en Brodo

Ok, Husband and I disagree about this. I concede that it is good but I don't think it as good as our other tortellini soup recipe and he says it is better. I think he prefers this one because the other one has a tartness from the balsamic vinegar and this one has a more "chicken noodlie" taste. I obviously did like as we made it a few days ago and I just ate more for lunch today. That's the really good news... makes lots of leftovers. The other good news: it is surprisingly kid friendly. Thing 1 ate a little and then moved on to something else but Thing 2 kept on eating. I've actually given him this several times since we've made it but I mostly just fish the tortellini out and cut it up for him. Still, if I can make something for us and tweak it a little so the kids will eat it I'm a happy mom. As always we left out the celery. You can pretty much bet that if something contains celery it will be left out. It is my compromise with Husband. I get to keep olives if I give up celery. DEAL! Anyway, I really liked the freshness of this soup and it came when I had a yucky cold so it was a very welcomed dish. I will go with Husband on this one and give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 tsp butter
• 2 stalks of celery, choppeds
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 small Parmigiano Reggiano Rind optional
• 18 oz spinach cheese tortellini Buitoni
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups baby spinach
• salt to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot & garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken broth, water, rind and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, add salt (to taste), pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add tortellini. Simmer until tortellini cooks to al dente.
3. Once cooked, remove the rind, and add the baby spinach. Stir to combine. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano!
4. Makes 12 cups

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1-1/2 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts

Calories: 226.6 • Fat: 5.3 g • Carb: 33.8 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Protein: 11.3 g

Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

The only thing better that breakfast in bed is when it is heart-shaped and yummy. Husband even cut my bananas like hearts. Awww.... So these are from that fantastic site mentioned in the previous post and I am still super happy with it. Luckily we had the heart shaped pancake molds already. I love the banana flavor and it makes me feel like I am living a Jack Johnson song which makes it even better. All in all 5 out of 5 stars.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 2 pancakes • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts* 

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached white or white whole wheat flour  
• 2 tsps baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 large banana, ripe, mashed well
• 1 cup 1% milk or almond milk
• 3 larges egg whites
• 2 tsps oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, egg white, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas in another medium sized bowl and mix until smooth.
2. Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well with a wooden spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don't over-mix.
3. Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat. If you are using a heart shaped pancake mold, you will want to spray it lightly with cooking spray so the batter doesn't stick to it.
4. Lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray, place the mold on the hot skillet and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. Add 1 teaspoon of chocolate chips in each pancake. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.
5. Makes about 3 cups of batter which yields 12 pancakes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 179.6 • Fat: 5.2 g • Protein: 5.9 g • Carb: 28.4 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 572.1 mg

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

So, the picture is not so great but the soup is actually really good. It helped that I was sick and soup just hit the spot. I loved all the fresh veggies. Yum. We didn't have parmesean rind so we left it out and we didn't have fresh spinach so we used arugula instead. It worked just as well. I am now in love with the website we got this from and you will be seeing it more and more!! I say make this and enjoy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Minestrone soup is a classic hearty Italian soup with tomatoes, white beans, pasta and vegetables. You can use Swiss chard or kale instead of spinach if you wish and you don't have to puree the beans, it's just my preference. I modified this for the crock pot but I prefer to make this soup on the stove and let it simmer for about 45 minutes before adding the zucchini and pasta. The crock pot however is so convenient when you are working all day and want to come home to a cooked meal. I highly recommend adding the Parmesan cheese rind. This is also great with mini turkey meatballs, or even some sauteed crumbled turkey sausage."- www.skinnytaste.com


Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

 

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed cannellini or navy
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarians
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows al dente
• extra parmesan cheese to top extra pts

Directions

1. Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.
2. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 0.7 g • Protein: 8.7 g • Carb: 42.0 g • Fiber: 6.7 g 

Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Penne Salad with Goat Cheese

I've made this several times and for some reason it has never made it to the blog. Probably because we devour it before we can get an adequate picture. I made this for a work potluck and for a church function and both times it was gone before I even reached the bowl. I guess that is a good sign. We LOVE this recipe! It is one of those fresh tasting but filling meals that you could just eat and eat and eat. Consider yourself warned. This is the recipe that first got Husband loving arugula. Yum. Can't say that enough. This might be my all time favorite recipe. Definitely in my top 5 for sure. Here's a tip: We had to stop making this for a while because the goat cheese can be a little pricey. Luckily I stumbled upon some at Costco that was an AMAZING deal. Hooray! Happy eating. A BIG 5 out of  5 stars!!!

Serve immediately or cover and chill for 2 hours for a cold pasta salad. (We like it warm)

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked penne or mostaccioli (tube-shaped pasta)
• 12 asparagus spears
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• ³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt divided
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons honey
• ¹⁄₂ cup pitted kalamata olives halved
• 2 cups baby arugula
• ¹⁄₂ cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside. 3. Place asparagus and tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss gently to coat; arrange asparagus and tomato mixture in a single layer. Bake at 400 for 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from pan. Place pan back in oven, and bake tomatoes an additional 4 minutes. Remove tomatoes from pan; let asparagus and tomatoes stand 10 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths; halve tomatoes. 4. Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 5. Place pasta, asparagus, tomato, olives, and arugula in a large bowl; toss. Drizzle juice mixture over pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 408

Fat: 22.3g

Cholesterol: 11mg

Sodium: 584mg

Carbohydrate: 42.9g

Fiber: 3.5g

Protein: 11.3g

Real Bagels

We had some good friends over for breakfast this morning so we decided to give these a whirl last night. We didn't have enough bread flour so we used all purpose. We also didn't have the barley malt syrup so we left it out. We were very nervous at first, ok I'll be honest, we were nervous the whole way through, but they actually turned out pretty good. The boiling is weird but gives them that outer crust. A few tips. Don't use the wax paper. It sticks to the bottom. And we had to broil them for a minute or so to get them slightly golden. All in all they tasted like bagels which in my mind is a success. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 28 ¹⁄₂ ounces bread flour divided (about 6 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup (omit if you cannot find)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 12 cups water
• ³⁄₄ cup sugar

Directions

1. Combine 2 cups warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. Weigh or lightly spoon 28.13 ounces flour (about 6 1/4 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, syrup, and salt to yeast mixture. Mix dough at low speed 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic; add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 12 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), shape each portion into a ball. Make a hole in the center of each ball using your index finger. Using fingers of both hands, gently pull dough away from center to make a 1 1/2-inch hole. Place bagels on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat bagels with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 10 minutes (bagels will rise only slightly).
3. Preheat oven to 450°.
4. Combine 12 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar in a Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Gently lower 3 bagels into pan. Cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the bagels to a wire rack lightly coated with cooking spray. Repeat the procedure with remaining bagels, working in batches of 3. Divide the bagels between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Rotate pans, and bake for 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
5. Note: Omit barley malt syrup if you can't find it.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 255

Fat: 1.1g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 322mg

Fiber: 1.7g

Protein: 8.3g

Tortellini Tuscan Stew

Another school night crock pot recipe. Sadly Husband didn't get to try it before he left so you only get one opinion on this one. I came home to a fantastic smell which made me super excited to eat! The veggies were great (my favorite was the green beans) and the tortellini was even better. I think this makes more like 7 or 8 servings because it was SO much food and all 5 of my tupperwares were full to the brim. I was stuffed. Other than the enormous serving which may appeal to some I thought it was a really good meal. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Serves: 6 (more like 7 or 8)

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large zucchini cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 large yellow summer squash cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 large red bell pepper cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 4 ounce(s) thin green beans trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
• 1 can(s) (28-ounce ) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano chopped
• 1.5 teaspoon(s) chopped garlic
• 0.75 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 package(s) (9-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 bag(s) (5-ounce) baby spinach
• 3 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours.
2. Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover: continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender.
3. Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 254

Fat: 5g

Carbohydrate: 48g

Protein: 12g

Tomato-Provolone Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo

This was another "what do we have in the kitchen" recipe. We used our homemade pesto and the honey-oatmeal wheat bread and although it tasted great I think it would be even better on sourdough as the recipe says. Husband and I gobbled this up pretty quick so it must have been a 5 out of 5 stars and super easy to make.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons organic canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum)
• 5 teaspoons refrigerated pesto
• 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
• 4 (1/2-ounce) slices provolone cheese
• 1 cup arugula leaves
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine mayonnaise and pesto in a bowl, stirring well.
3. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil bread 2 minutes or until toasted. Turn bread over; place 1 cheese slice on each of 4 bread slices. Broil 1 minute or until cheese is bubbly. Spread about 2 teaspoons pesto mixture over each cheese-topped bread slice. Arrange 1/4 cup arugula and 2 tomato slices over pesto mixture; sprinkle tomato slices evenly with pepper and salt. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of remaining pesto mixture evenly over one side of each remaining bread slice; place 1 slice, pesto-side down, on top of each sandwich.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 329

Fat: 16.7g

Cholesterol: 16mg

Sodium: 630mg

Fiber: 2.9g

Protein: 11g

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins

I don't have much to say about these besides yummy. My advice is to warm them up before eating them because it makes the top softer. Husband and Thing 1 approved. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking light

Serves: 18

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped pecans
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¹⁄₄ cup butter softened
• ¹⁄₂ cup egg substitute
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ³⁄₄ cups all-purpose flour (about 7 3/4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice
• Dash of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add egg substitute; beat 3 minutes. Beat in sour cream, water, and vanilla.
4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture; add sour cream mixture. Stir just until combined.
5. Place 3 tablespoons brown sugar mixture in a small bowl; set aside. Sprinkle surface of batter with remaining brown sugar mixture. Gently fold batter 4 times.
6. Place 18 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Sprinkle batter evenly with reserved brown sugar mixture. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes.
7. Combine powdered sugar, juice, and dash of salt in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle powdered sugar mixture evenly over muffins.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 182

Fat: 5.7g

Cholesterol: 14mg

Sodium: 176mg

Fiber: 0.6g

Protein: 2.9g

Honey-Oatmeal Wheat Bread

This is definitely one of those recipes where if I can do it you can too. On my quest for the perfect sandwich bread I found this and since we had everything for it already I decided to give it a whirl. When adding all the ingredients I kept thinking "there is NO way this will taste good" with molasses and honey and oats but I am happy to report this was REALLY good. Thing 1 and I split a piece and he begged for more so it is definitely kid friendly. Husband gobbled up the bread butt so fast I could tell he wasn't lying when he said he loved it. It is a little more calories than I would hope for in a piece of bread but I figure with all the good stuff baked in to it I'd rather this than a piece of wonder bread. 5 out of 5 stars from everyone in the house.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour divided
• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup uncooked regular oats
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-cup glass measuring cup; let yeast mixture stand 5 minutes.
2. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, and salt.
3. Beat yeast mixture, 1 cup all-purpose flour, honey, and olive oil at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until well blended. Gradually add whole wheat flour mixture, beating at low speed until a soft dough forms.
4. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface, and knead 9 minutes, adding additional all-purpose flour (up to 6 tablespoons) as needed. (Dough will be slightly sticky.) Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray, turning to grease top of dough.
5. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 13- x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up each dough rectangle, starting at 1 short side, jelly-roll fashion; pinch ends to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, into 2 (8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk. Remove and discard plastic wrap.
8. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped and are golden. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans, and cool on wire racks.
9. Note: If you don't have a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, you may mix dough by hand with a wooden spoon.
10. This recipe makes two loaves, so freeze one after cooling to help it stay fresh longer. Slice first, if desired; then wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and place in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 1 month.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 150

Fat: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 297mg

Fiber: 2.4g

Protein: 4g

No-Knead Overnight Parmesan and Thyme Rolls

 

This was my latest attempt at bread making and it was fun! Anything that involves bread and cheese is good by me. Thing 1 helped me make these and was very interested in the process which was fun. There are a lot of strong flavors especially the thyme so make sure you like thyme before you make this recipe. I liked this a lot the night I first had it but it was even better the next day when I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and paired it with our yummy potato soup leftovers. That made it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¹⁄₃ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese divided
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 1 ¹⁄₁₀ ounces whole-wheat white flour (about 1/4 cup)
• 5 ³⁄₅ ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups) divided
• Cooking spray
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add thyme to pan; cook 1 minute or until bubbly and fragrant. Add thyme mixture and milk to yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk; add 1/4 cup cheese, sugar, salt, and egg, stirring well.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon whole-wheat white flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Using a wooden spoon, stir whole-wheat white flour into yeast mixture. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add all-purpose flour to yeast mixture, stirring well. Add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a smooth but very sticky dough. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Dough will not double in size.)
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Do not punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough into a 12 x 7–inch rectangle. Brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over dough; sprinkle with pepper. Beginning with a long side, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 8 (1 1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until rolls have risen slightly.
5. Preheat oven to 400°.
6. Place pan in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 375°. Bake rolls at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 161

Fat: 6.3g

Cholesterol: 32mg

Sodium: 246mg

Fiber: 1.3g

Protein: 6.3g

 

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Another slow cooker masterpiece. I had no idea you could do so many different things with a crock pot. This was one of those "we have a lot of the ingredients and not a lot of money recipes" so I wasn't sure how it would taste. We were pleasantly surprised! We used green enchilada sauce because that is what we had and Husband and I both agreed that we think that actually made it better. Next time we plan to double everything but the cornbread part because the cornbread was pretty overpowering. We would have to play around with the serving size though. I also don't think it needs the sour cream and the cilantro on top. The sour cream distracts from the other flavors (Husband disagrees) and there is already cilantro in the dish so the flavor becomes a little too strong if it is also on top. With these minor adjustments it would be a 5 but for now it gets a 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons diced green chiles divided
• ¹⁄₂ cup salsa
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped green onions
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 (11-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• ¹⁄₂ cup egg substitute
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
• 2 tablespoons chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons thinly sliced fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place 2 tablespoons green chiles and next 6 ingredients (through enchilada sauce) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 hours.
2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon green chiles, egg substitute, muffin mix, and roasted bell peppers in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over bean mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour or until corn bread is done.
3. Sprinkle cheese over corn bread. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top each serving with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 385

Fat: 13g

Cholesterol: 23mg

Sodium: 1129mg

Fiber: 5.1g

Protein: 16.6g