Big “Dill” Chicken Breast

Talk about a flavorful and delicious weeknight chicken recipe. If you’re anything like me your always on the lookout for quick and simple chicken dishes. I had seen recipes featuring mayo as a topping lately and decided to jump on that band wagon too, after all it is Low Amylose safe. Wink.

All these years I have been getting baked whitefish at Luby’s Cafeteria and every time I eat it I think “golly, what is this amazing topping?” Well guess what you guys, this beats that amazing topping hands down. I will be using this topping on baked fish very soon.

I plan on making this again and again in different variations, maybe without dill, maybe with chives, minced garlic, perhaps some capers, etc. The options are endless.



Big “Dill” Chicken Breast

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried dill

Stir the cheese, mayo and seasonings together in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the chicken breasts and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.



By the time I took this out of the oven my mouth was watering and my stomach was growling. I was so ready to try this and boy am I ever glad that I did. Amazing!

To serve along side it I made a weekly favorite in our house Oven Roasted Asparagus.

Baconed Brussels Sprouts

I came across this recipe while reading a book I just got in the mail, Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure, and for anyone who struggles regarding weight loss or getting healthier I would highly recommend reading it. She did a wonderful job of giving strong inspirations throughout the entire book but mostly she quotes a lot of scripture that just hammers home what she is trying to teach. I love it, I’m still reading it but so far I really have been enjoying it. I’ve gone back and re-read some chapters and highlighted good sections. Anyhow, enough about that, this recipe is completely yum. We really liked it. I used this as the main dish and am completely satisfied by it. Even Baby Cakes loved it, and he’s not much for veggies, sure he eats them but he would always rather have something else.

I did remake this recipe per say. I shrunk it a bit, basically halved the recipe and then omitted some of the bacon as well.

Baconed Brussels Sprouts
recipe lightly adapted from Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure, pg. 62

10 thick slices bacon, large diced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
seasoning blend, your choice, to taste

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until browned, about 8 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pat off excess fat.

Add the onion and garlic to the skillet; reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the softened vegetables from the pan and set aside.

Add the Brussels sprouts in batches and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown on the outside. Add the reserved bacon and vegetables to the Brussels sprouts in the pan along with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Now this skillet, as a main dish, made 4 servings at 336 calories each. At that amount you can still afford some side items as well.

We loved it! The carmelized sprouts and crispy bacon. Seriously yummy.

Smothered Cabbage with Sausage

First and foremost, I’m back y’all! I had a lovely break, although I continued cooking to restock my posts, but even still it was a lovely little break from blogging. Now I can’t promise I won’t be having a few more of these throughout the summer due to real vacations and some other personal things, in fact, I am 100% sure I will be taking a couple more blogger breaks before this summer is over, just so you know. Grin.

It’s no secret I love sausage, although I know it’s not something I should be eating regularly, and cabbage? Forgetaboutit! In the Baby Cakes household we eat cabbage regularly and proudly. So when I came across this recipe on my reader I was all for it and wouldn’t you know it, I had everything on hand to make this delicious meal.

Smothered Cabbage with Sausage
recipe slightly adapted from thesouthernladycooks.com

1/2 stick butter
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. pork link sausage, sliced into coins
1 teaspoon olive oil
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; brown the sausage coins. Transfer to a paper towel lined dish and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same skillet; add the onion and green pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until just softened. Stir in the cabbage and cook about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the browned sausage; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Golly Gee this was good! Like seriously gonna want thirds good. Then again, anything cooked in butter is. I would, and will, totally be making this again, and again, and again in the very near future. Baby Cakes raved throughout his entire two helpings about how great it was.


1 serving has 336 calories.


Don’t you just love cabbage? It is so low in calories and yet is so filling. You would never guess that the entire bowl full of goodness has so few calories.    

Crockpot Oriental Chicken Thighs

Whew has my world been crazy busy as of late. It has been madness. My schedule at work has been wonky, not to mention my baby brother’s wedding is almost upon us so both Baby Cakes and I have been partaking in those festivities. Because I have been so busy I haven’t been cooking, here’s a little secret, we tend to go through seasons at our house, seasons where I cook almost daily and then to the total opposite end of the spectrum where we’re frequenting restaurants and I never cook. Apparently this is a restaurant season because I have officially run out of back up posts. The plus side in that is I get to cook more?


Ah my crockpot. It has been awhile hasn’t it? The weather is turning warmer and with that our schedules are getting tighter, no better excuse to pull out that old comeback kid the crockpot. I’m not going to lie, I adore mine, we go way back. Baby Cakes gets to take the credit for this delicious meal, I prepped everything the evening before and when he woke up he put it all in the crockpot, turned it on and then had to sit and wait all the while smelling it’s wonderful enticing aroma. He’s a strong man! I have broken by enduring less.

The word I would use to describe this recipe would have to be, Amazing!, simply amazing.

Crockpot Oriental Chicken Thighs
slightly adapted from food.com

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
5 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons dried green onion flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
hot cooked rice
sliced green onions

Stack the chicken thighs in crock pot sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with a liner.

Combine olive oil, water, brown sugar, orange juice, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, allspice, and green onions; pour that mixture over the chicken thighs. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

Combine cornstarch and water; add the slurry into the crock pot and stir; Cook on high 30 minutes longer or until thickened.



Serve the chicken over rice with a colorful steamed vegetable.

I know that they don’t look that pretty but I cannot stress enough how delicious these chicken thighs were. The hardest part about this recipe was chopping the garlic and I can live with only having to chop garlic for sure. As long as I keep finding incredibly easy and incredibly flavorful recipes like this one I honestly have no excuse to not cook dinner almost every night. But hush; don’t tell Baby Cakes that I said that. Grin!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie, have you ever even heard of it before? I hadn’t until a blogger I follow recently made it. The idea peaked my interest only I wanted to make it a touch more adult, although I won’t lie, if I had leftover spaghetti and sauce I would making her version but seeing how I am making all the components just for this recipe I am stepping it up a few notches.

My Mother in Law makes really good lasagna; I had it for the first time a few months ago and really enjoyed it, so much so that I plan on making it and sharing it here sometime in the future but for the time being I am using her idea of using cream cheese in the place of ricotta and making my own version of spaghetti pie.


This “pie” has 4 delicious layers, the noodle crust, a cream cheese and spinach cheese layer, the meat sauce layer and then the bubbling gooey cheese topping. It is phenomenal, a truly delicious play on spaghetti and lasagna mixed together.


Spaghetti Pie

Crust:
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Meat Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound hamburger meat, thawed
13 ounce can spaghetti sauce

Filling:
10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
8 ounce cream cheese, room temp.
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
black pepper

Topping:
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 inch pie plate with butter, set aside.

Toss hot cooked noodles in leftover butter. Mix the eggs and 1/3 cup shredded parmesan together in a small bowl. Toss with spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to prepared pie plate and shape into a crust shape gong up the sides of the plate.

Cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are just translucent. Add the hamburger meat to the skillet and cook until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the pasta sauce and heat through. You’re looking for a thick meat sauce, remember this is being used as a filling so it needs to be a firm layer when cut into.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and combine with spinach by removing small amounts of spinach from the colander, squeezing vigorously to remove remaining moisture, and then adding to the cream cheese. Add the black pepper and the rest of the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

To assemble you put the cheese mixture into the middle of the “crust” and smooth out. Top with the meat sauce and bake, uncovered, 25 minutes.

Top with the mozzarella and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes, then slice and serve, like a pie.


The end result was an incredibly tasty “pie” that was about the same amount of work as making homemade lasagna.

Would I make this again? Absolutely, we loved it, I am already thinking of ways to adapt it in the future. I also see this as a perfect halloween recipe with a clever name. It will be showing up on our table again in the near future.

Grandma Lolly’s Salmon Croquettes

I know I am a few days short with my posting, sorry about that, I didn’t have anything new to share. Apparently, I get into ruts every once in a while where ease trumps creativity. But, with the help of my Grandma I have a new (new to you anyway) recipe to share. These are just one of the things that Grandma always made. I have shared a salmon cake recipe before, I thought at the time that I might find my own recipe, you know start my own tradition, but truth is the tradition I had already was better than all the new recipes I tried.

Grandma had a few tips when I called her and asked for her exact recipe, you know for research purposes; don’t drain the canned salmon, that’s where the flavor is. You have to play the cracker crumbs by feel, start with a little and add until the “dough” sticks together in patties. Some people debone the salmon but the bones crumble so it doesn’t bother her. Also, cook them in hot oil; you want that crisp crust on them and if the oil isn’t hot enough they’ll drink it up. She once tried cooking them on a grill pan and they just weren’t the same.

If you don’t already know, my Grandma was/is my cooking teacher. My cooking style is mirrored after her and my Daddy, her son. I just love her!


Grandma Lolly’s Salmon Croquettes

2 cans salmon, not drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion, diced fine
1 tablespoons seasoning blend, your choice
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pinch salt
dash pepper
1 sleeve crackers, crushed to crumbs

Mix all the ingredients together until combined. You want to add ½ of the crackers and then slowly add more until you can form a ball that stays together. Form patties and set on cookie sheet to cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Heat about an inch of oil in a skillet until fry ready; gently place 4 of the patties into the oil and cook until golden brown on both sides; cooking in batches of 4 until all patties are cooked, makes 12 patties.

Let rest on a paper towel lined plate.

Serve warm either on buns with lettuce and cheese or with side dishes.


I can’t say enough about these delicious little salmon patties are. We had company for supper and even they gave a ton of kudos.

Also, as a little side note, these are one of Baby Cakes' favorite things to eat. The only thing he doesn't like are when I leave the little bones in. He and Grandma apparently differ in that one tiny area. I don't go crazy removing them all, as they don't bother me, but for him I do remove the majority of them. If you have picky children you might want to do the same. However, bones or no bones they are stellar!

Boursin Mushroom Chicken

I’m sure you’ve seen this somewhere on the blogosphere as of late; I know I have, hence why I am sharing it with you today. I am honestly ashamed to admit I had never tried or really heard of Boursin cheese until I saw this recipe a few weeks ago, well, being a cheese lover I can admit that I was intrigued.

It was a really easy recipe to throw together, it created a flavorful sauce that Baby Cakes loved. For the sake of being honest I am going to keep it just that, honest. I wouldn't make it again unless Baby Cakes really wanted me to. It would make for a great companies coming for dinner dish but I wasn't personally crazy about it. Who knows though, it could have been because I'm sick. So, I might have to revisit it sometime in the future.


Boursin Mushroom Chicken
recipe from Stephanie Cooks

2 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup boursin garlic and herb cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Season your chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet heat your oil. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through, remove to a plate and cover with foil.

Melt the butter to the same pan and add the mushrooms, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced onion and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan, cooking until most of the broth reduces. Add the cheese and parsley, stirring well.

Top the chicken with the sauce mix. Serve hot.


Just like the previous poster said it would be good served with mashed potatoes and extra sauce.

Cremoso Caldo de Camaron (Creamy Shrimp Soup)

You might remember when I made the Shrimp Soup, Caldo de Camaron, from a few weeks back. You also might remember how I told you it was so good but too spicy for me (I admit freely to being a wimp). Well, the idea, and the version I had at our favorite Mexican restaurant, was too good to let slip by without a second glance so I am going a second take on the soup from before.

Here’s what I knew to be the only problem, in my eyes anyway, it was too spicy. Flavor wise it is wonderful but heat wise it was a tad too spicy for me. I would like to point out though that Baby Cakes loves spicy food so he was in heaven, but I being the wimp that I am (again, not ashamed) it needs to be toned down a bit. How to tone it down was my next question. Simple, add starch and creamy elements. Easy enough to do, below is how I did it…


Cremoso Caldo de Camarón (Creamy Shrimp Soup)
slightly adapted from Caldo de Camaron

2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
28 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes
2 medium carrots, diced
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste
2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning
1 pound cleaned frozen shrimp
8 ounces sour cream

Add the chilies, onion, garlic, and canned tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth.

Fill a large pot halfway full with water (approximately 6 cups) and add all the ingredients, including the chile mixture and cook over medium heat until the squash and potatoes are fork tender.

Add the shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes more or until pink.

Just before serving stir in the sour cream until thoroughly combined.

Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the creamy spicy soup.


Now this version I can totally jive with. I was able to eat an entire bowl full and would happily eat it again if Baby Cakes hadn’t of claimed it as his lunch tomorrow. The things we do for love. Grin.

Peggy Hill’s Frito Chili Pie

Sunday was the perfect chili day her in my neck of the woods, may have just been the last cold rainy snap that we get if this year ends up being anything like last year was. I pray that it is not, we lost 2 oak trees in our front yard and really do not want to lose anymore due to a drought, or due to anything really. These last few weeks of rain are a God sent and they have been wonderful for our menu, lots of soups, stews and now chili, not just any chili but Peggy Hill’s Frito Chili Pie.

The name made me laugh, as someone who used to watch King of the Hill regularly I knew Peggy Hill had a few dishes that she was very proud of on the cartoon, and this was one of them, frito pie. There was even mention of how she made it during one episode, when Hank let his love for Wolf Brand chili be known, so I imagine she didn’t make the chili from scratch. But either way, from scratch or not I second Peppy Hill in saying I also make the world’s best frito pie, now that I found this recipe that is.


Peggy Hill’s Frito Chili Pie
recipe adapted from Adventures in Cooking

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 jalapeno, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
29 ounce can tomato puree
5 cups water
can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons seasoning blend, your choice
1 bag fritos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream, if desired

Pour the olive oil into a preheated dutch oven; add the meat using a utensil to break it up into bite sized pieces. Season the meat with the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and seasoning blend of your choice. Cook over medium high heat until meat is cooked through.

Stir in the onions, carrot, garlic, diced jalapeno and the bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften a bit. Then add the tomato puree and water and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the mixture to boil for 60-80 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Before serving scoop out about 1/2 cup of the broth and place it in a small bowl. Using a whisk or a fork, add the flour and blend quickly until a smooth paste is formed. Add the paste back into the chili and stir until well blended. Allow the mixture to simmer for another 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.

To assemble: Place about ½ cup fritos into the bottom of a deep bowl; add about a cup of chili and then top with shredded cheese and, if desired, sour cream.


We loved it. It was the perfect early Sunday supper. The both of us kept going back for a tiny bit more throughout the afternoon and evening. A very well spend cold and rainy Sunday evening at home.

Caldo de Camarón (Shrimp Soup)

I don’t have to remind you that Baby Cakes loves Mexican food, or that I am a soup lover, or that we both love seafood. No, I think you might know if you’ve followed me very long. Heck, we live in Texas, southern Texas at that, seafood and Mexican food know no bounds here and we are both most assuredly fine with that.

I actually had never tried this soup until recently, we went out for supper and the weather was just right for soup, overcast, cold, and rainy, so in lieu of my go to chicken tortilla I ordered this. How had I never had it before? It was so good. This is the first restaurant soup recipe I have ever tried to recreate, that alone says something.

When I ate it at the restaurant I could pick up on the taste of crab boil. You know, that seasoning blend you use for shrimp, crab or crawfish boils? It didn’t overpower but it was certainly there. So I researched and came across so many recipes for this soup, none of which used boil seasoning. This is my adaptation; it was created by recalling the way I remember it tasting only adding some butternut squash instead of potatoes to save some calories.

Here is the only downfall I found about my recipe, it was way too spicy for a big baby like me. Next time I'll 86 the chipotles and only use the crab boil seasoning. However, Baby Cakes loves it! He even took it to lunch the next day.


Caldo de Camarón (Shrimp Soup)

2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
28 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes
2 medium carrots, diced
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste
2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning
1 pound cleaned frozen shrimp

Add the chilies, onion, garlic, and canned tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth.

Fill a large pot halfway full with water (approximately 6 cups) and add all the ingredients, including the chile mixture and cook over medium heat until the squash is fork tender.

Add the shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes more or until pink.

Serve in a big bowl with a side of brown rice or with some crusty french bread for dipping.


It really is an incredibly simple weeknight meal, especially a rainy weeknight like tonight. The french bread really did cut the spice.

1/4 of the pot worth of soup, about 2 cups, equals 265 calories. That's it! Amazing, I know. (That means I get some garlic bread too! Yipee!)

Add this soup recipe to your rotation or just try it for pete's sake. It is delicioso!

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon

Who knew that a grilled cheese sandwich could be blog worthy? I have made grilled cheese before sure, I do as my mother did and serve a grilled cheese made with slices of american cheese aside a bowl of canned tomato soup, easy and quick. I’ve had many happy thoughts of someday serving this to our future children on a rainy day for lunch. Just like my mom did for us. Only after eating one of these babies the sandwich in this daydream has changed a bit. I never really put much thought behind a grilled cheese’s health factor until I recently began caring about what I was putting in my body but now I have seen firsthand that with a smaller amount of higher quality ingredients you can make a far superior sandwich, not only in taste but also in nutrition.

When I told Baby Cakes what I was making for dinner he was so excited and after eating it, well, let’s just say it will be made again and again.

Now I did deviate from the original recipe a bit, although I have no doubts that it would have worked just fine made the Cook This Not That way, I just wanted it to be heartier since I wasn’t serving it with anything else and I only needed 2 sandwiches, one for him and one for myself, so I changed the amount of ingredients per sandwich. Overall still a healthy dinner.


Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon
adapted from Cook This Not That, pg. 130

1 tablespoon butter
4 slices rye bread
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
6 strips cooked bacon

Heat the butter in a large skillet or nonstick sauté pan over low heat. Slather 2 slices of bread with the mustard, and then divide the cheese, apples, and bacon among them. Top with the other bread slices and add to the hot pan. The key to a great grilled cheese (i.e., crispy crust, fully melted cheese) is patience, so cook these sandwiches slowly until each side is deep brown and crunchy, about 10 to 12 minutes total.


This really makes an amazingly delicious sandwich and it tops out at 440 calories. I’ll take it and even savor a few pretzel thins along with it.

Now to find the perfect tomato soup recipe to serve on that rainy day in the future.

Sausage and Cabbage Skillet

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared anything featuring sausage. Strange because boar sausage and venison are always in abundant supply at our house; it’s time to use some up.

There isn't anything like a skillet meal. While going through recipes I am always pulled towards one pot, crock pot, and casseroles recipes. Perhaps it's the ease of cooking or maybe the ease of cleaning but I am always up for trying a skillet recipe.

This one just seemed like something I would make, don't you agree? It even has brown sugar. Cabbage, sausage and brown sugar. Yum!


Sausage and Cabbage Skillet
recipe adapted from Taste of Home, October/November 2005, p. 39

1 pound link sausage, cut into 1/2-inch coins
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 onion, chopped
24 ounces canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
20 ounce bag frozen county style hash browns, thawed and drained

In a Dutch oven, brown the sausage in the butter; remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the cabbage and onions in the remaining butter and drippings until the onions are tender.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, sugar and paprika; pour over the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the reserved sausage. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.


It was so good! In fact, it's so good that from now on I am abandoning the old way I made stuffed cabbage casserole and using this sauce recipe. Oh, and I already have plans to try this recipe again only with hamburger meat in lieu of sausage. The sausage was good but I have bigger things for this recipe to evolve into.

Both Baby Cakes and I score this baby at a 10. You read that right a 10 across the board.

Now this recipes could have been made healthier, less brown sugar comes to mind, but even with all that brown sugar it equals a hearty helping with a fair amount of caloric heft. An 1/8 of the skillet equals 372 calories. Not exactly 'diet' friendly this is one of those times where flavor and health collide.

Chicken Pot Stickers

As of late when I have had a hankering for chinese food, and let me tell you that it happens often, I have been ordering special won ton soup (it’s my favorite!) and I might allow myself one eggroll if even one. But let’s face it, it is positively torturous to go to a chinese restaurant and only eat soup (although as I said above, I do love me some special won ton soup), I would much rather have lo mein noodles or crab puffs, oh or fried pot stickers. That is where this recipe comes in.

I would tell you that I intend to make special won ton soup but the little restaurant that is so conveniently located on my way in from work sells a massive amount of the liquid gold for way cheaper than it would cost me to make it. It is chalked full of dumplings, leeks, shrimp, pork, chicken, bamboo shoots, all kinds of good stuff. So instead I am going to focus on making the worst offenders healthier. And thanks to, once again, the Cook This Not That cookbook I am starting now.

I did have trouble finding a bag of frozen pot stickers, or dumplings as I’ve also heard them called, but I finally found little boxes of them in asian section of frozen foods. I did have to buy 4 boxes to get to 24 of the pot stickers. Let me tell you, it took a lot of willpower not to toss in a box of egg rolls while I was at it. Although I should have just went crazy with the caloric faux pas I had. Let me explain...

I followed the recipe to a tee only it wasn't working. For starters it wasn't enough oil so I added more and then more to make the pot stickers un-stick, and then after the wontons where cooked and I added the soy sauce and rice vinegar it didn't make near enough sauce. I read and re-read the recipe. I followed it exactly to no avail. The pot stickers came with dipping sauce so I opened three of them and used them in the end. The only problem is that it raised the calorie count by a ton. However, it tasted really good.


Chicken Pot Stickers
adapted from the Cook This Not That cookbook, pg. 90

24 frozen pot stickers (chicken, pork, or vegetable)
1 tablespoon sesame or peanut oil
4 ounces mushrooms (preferably shiitake), stems removed, sliced
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, tough ends removed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 dipping sauce packets from the pot stickers boxes
2 scallions, sliced (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the pot stickers and cook for a few minutes until tender but not gummy. Drain.

Heat the oil a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the cooked pot stickers to the pan and cook, undisturbed, until crispy and brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pot stickers to a plate. Pour in the dipping sauce and bring to a simmer, toss in the snap peas and warm through.

Garnish with scallions (if using).


Now let me share what we thought of these little meat filled gems- simply put, Amazing! I could totally eat these instead of the fried resturant version for the rest of my life and never miss them although with my adaptations it really isn't any better for you.

By the book calories: ¼ of the skillet, 6 pot stickers and 1/4 cup of sauce with peas and mushrooms equals 202 calories.

Adapted calorie count: 1/4 of the skillet, 6 pot stickers and 1/4 cup of sauce with peas and mushrooms equals 465 calories. (I am ashames to say I ate 2 servings before I realized how many calories the sauce alone caused it to rise. That's a whopping 930 calories in 1 meal! Bad, very bad.)

Honey-Mustard Salmon

Part of getting healthy is not only losing weight but also about eating healthier things. It’s about the nutrients I have going into my body as well as the calories I take in.

Baby Cakes has never really been one for fish, sure he’ll eat one of my tuna fish sandwiches every once in a while but as far as simply eating some grilled tilapia, or baked whitefish, or some salmon, nah, he’ll pass. He no longer has a choice if he’s eating in my kitchen because we will be eating fish twice a week from now on. I’m sure I can spare you how healthy fish is for you, if cooked right that is. Battered and fried fish pretty much defeats the purpose of eating healthy fish.

I’ve noticed that I have been choosing a lot of recipes, I even have two more for next week, from my Cook This Not That cookbook and this is one of those recipes.


Honey-Mustard Salmon
recipe from Cook This Not That cookbook, pg. 232

1 tablespoon whipped butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
dash salt
dash pepper
4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

Preheat the oven to 400.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, until the butter and sugar have melted together. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan flesh side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fully browned and flip. Turn off heat and transfer to an over proof baking dish skin side down.

Brush with half of the glaze and place in the oven and bake until the salmon is firm and flaky (but before the white fat begins to form on the surface), about 5 minutes.

Remove, brush the salmon with more of the honey mustard, and serve warm.


In the book they recommend serving it with asparagus so that’s just what I did; so simple to make see that recipe here.

The calorie count per 6 ounce fillet with sauce already on it is 418 calories. Paired with the right side dish and you have a super healthy meal.

Huevos Rancheros

When it comes to breakfast and lunch in our household Baby Cakes and I are incredibly routine, the exception being the weekends as we’re almost always running the roads all weekend long. He eats the same breakfast every day and either the same sandwich or leftovers for lunch. I have a cup of coffee every morning with a banana and the same lunch consisting of the same salad along with the same snacks every single day. Now to some that might be boring and to a self-proclaimed food blogger I can admit that it is odd, but to keep things interesting I am always making and trying new recipes for supper and special occasions.

Because we don’t often make breakfast on the weekends and I’ve already shared that we are creatures of habit during the work week I occasionally find myself making breakfast for dinner. I had taken notice that Baby Cakes orders Huevos Rancheros often so I thought I might try and make it. While thumbing through a cookbook I had stashed away I came across a delicious looking recipe for Huevos Rancheros, not to mention a healthy version. Sold!

The best part about this recipe, aside from the amazing flavor, is how quick it was to make, especially the second time. Because it makes 4 servings, I made the entire recipe and then split the ingredients. I used half of the salsa and beans and stored the other half in separate containers, as in beans in one and salsa in the other, so 2 days later I made it again but that time all I had to do was lightly nuke the beans to take the chill out, toast the tortillas and cook the eggs. Viola! A simple and really quick weeknight meal or heck a quick weekend breakfast, maybe I can talk Baby Cakes into staying in just once.


Huevos Rancheros
recipe from Cook This Not That cookbook, pg. 50

16 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper
juice of 1 lime, divided
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounce can black beans
pinch cumin
8 eggs
8 corn tortillas

Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle, cilantro, and half of the lime juice in a food processor and pulse until well blended but still slightly chunky; season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix the black beans, cumin and remaining lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Use the back of a fork to lightly mash up the beans, adding a splash of warm water if necessary.

Coat a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Break the eggs into the skillet; cook until the whites have set but the yolks are still loose and runny.

On a separate burner, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the tortillas, 2 at a time; cook for 1 minute on each side, until lightly toasted.

To assemble the dish, spread the tortillas with the beans, top with the eggs, and top the eggs with the salsa. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like, and serve immediately.


This recipe makes 4 servings and according to the book each serving is 480 calories. When I put the recipe into Calorie Count it came back with 522 calories per servings so to play it safe I would count the higher amount. Still, 522 calories for dinner is not bad, not bad at all.

Sausage Broccoli Calzone

While searching through the newest Taste of Home Magazine the other night I came across this recipe, among many others, that looked too yummy not to try. I put the ingredients on my shopping list and counted the days until I could make it.

I wasn’t 100% sure that it would turn out that well seeing how I tend to get mixed reviews on the recipes I try from this, and other, magazine(s), but I was pleasantly surprised. The sausage gave it quite a bit of flavor. I didn’t season anything and turns out I didn’t need to. The only thing I did differently was add onions, use sage sausage, and up the amount and modify from just broccoli to a broccoli and cauliflower mix.

This would make a great Super Bowl snack and I know that because Baby Cake hinted that I should make it for just that.


Sausage Broccoli Calzone
adapted from Taste of Home Magazine, February/March 2012, p37

12 ounces bulk sage pork sausage
½ onion, diced
1 tube refrigerated crusty french loaf
3 cups frozen chopped broccoli and cauliflower, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook the sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and onions are translucent; drain.

On an ungreased baking sheet, unroll dough starting at the seam; pat into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spoon the sausage lengthwise across the center of dough. Sprinkle with broccoli/cauliflower and cheeses. Bring the long sides of dough to the center over the filling; pinch seams to seal. Turn calzone seam side down.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.


Oh, we will be making this again and again and again. It was soooo good!

In the magazine it says that this makes 6 servings and that the calories per serving are 369 calories. I however, made it into 4 servings making the calorie count per serving 520 calories. No guilt though. It was totally worth it.

Cranberry Glazed Chicken Thighs

There was a sale on boneless skinless chicken thighs the other day when I swung by the store to pick up some chicken. The family pack was marked down to a great price so I bought it. Now Baby Cakes and I are only two people, although Baby Cakes does eat enough for 3 people, so I chose to break the package up to two meals. Hence why earlier this week we had Italian Honey Mustard Chicken and now we’re having Cranberry Glazed Chicken, both equally satisfying but I must admit I like the Cranberry one the best. Blame on my propensity for meat and fruit together but it is amazing!

You’ll be seeing an adaptation of this recipe very soon because I will be trying it on salmon next week.


Cranberry Glazed Chicken Thighs
recipe from Cully’s Kitchen

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion chopped
6 chicken thighs
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
8 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place the butter and onion in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 3 minutes; set aside.

Place the chicken thighs in a dish in a snug single layer.

In the onion bowl, stir together the onions, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, and cranberry sauce. Pour half of the mixture over the chicken thighs and then bake for 25 minutes.

Pour the other half of cranberry mixture and return to the oven baking about 25 minutes more.


I served it along side butter beans and stewed okra and squash. Not really the side dishes you would normally put with chicken but Baby Cakes has been complaining that he wants more beans and I am more than happy to ablige. The okra and squash because we are down to the wire with fresh produce and those are what I had on hand. I just couldn't eat another green bean.

Again, this is the best cranberry glaze I have ever had. I can imagine eating it on fish, turkey, chicken breasts and anything else that might pair well with cranberries.

For 2 thighs and 2 tablespoons of the glaze it equals 268 calories.

Yum,

Italian Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

Apparently I have a chicken theme going. What can I say? It’s what’s for dinner.

In the past I shared an amazing chicken recipe with you all, you might remember it its Simply Great Chicken. It’s titled that because it is just that, simply great. Seriously, I have never had a better chicken thigh in my life. Well I because I have been cooking things I’ve made in the past instead of new recipes lately I thought I would play around with this recipe and see what happens. This is what happened.

I really have no logic behind the creation of this recipe. It just is. But boy am I glad it is. It was amazing! Now I don't know which chicken is better, the simply great chicken or this italian honey mustard chicken. It's a toss up.


Italian Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

6 boneless-skinless chicken thighs
1 packet of italian salad dressing mix
½ cup honey
½ cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the dry salad dressing mix with the honey and mustard.

Pat dry the chicken; Set into a casserole dish and pour/spread over ½ cup of the mixture.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes or until done.


We ate ours with black eyed peas and green beans, and because I once again know the calorie count I’ll share it. 2 chicken thighs with 2 tablespoon of sauce equal 282 calories. I can get down with that.

XOXO,

Pan-Fried Chicken Athena

A person can only eat so many grilled chicken breasts, (okay, it takes quite a bit before I wave the white flag and surrender when it comes to chicken, pork even, I am a white meat girl) but I am just about chickened out. So in my normal fashion I took to searching and because that never disappoints I found a wonderful recipe, one that I had ripped out of a magazine last month. I kinda have a crush on Taste of Home Magazines. I think it’s one sided though because I pay for its love and it won’t let me log on to share a link with you guys.

It was so simple to throw together and who isn’t about that on a weeknight?


Pan-Fried Chicken Athena
recipe adapted from Taste of Home, Dec./Jan. 2012

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
6 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
6 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Flatten the chicken breasts to ½ inch thickness.

Cook the chicken in butter in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a dish and keep warm.

Whisk in the lemon juice, worcestershire, mustard and salt into the pan drippings. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in the parsley.

Spoon over the chicken.


It seriously took no time at all and turned out wonderful. I know it's not much to look at but flavor wise it's wonderful. To peak Baby Cakes’ interest I sprinkled red pepper flakes over his before I served it.

1 chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of sauce equals 240 calories, I’m down with that.

Enjoy,

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a super simple crock pot recipe, at least I think it has, and this recipe couldn’t be any simpler. Simply throw all ingredients in the crock pot, no browning or searing or pre-cooking to mess with. Love it. I had the whole day to do other household things (or to sit around and catch up on my cooking shows).

I couldn’t have picked a better day to make this comforting warm chili; it’s in the 50’s here in my neck of the woods. Hallelujah!

The only thing I would change about this recipe is that I would add an extra can of beans, either black beans or another can of dark or light red kidney beans, just to give it a little extra weight. Other than that it seems to me to be the perfect easy supper to feed you on a cold night.


Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
recipe slightly adapted from Plain Chicken

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can corn
1 can rotel
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
8 ounces cream cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of the crockpot and top with the drained beans, the entire can of corn and the whole can of rotel.

Sprinkle on the seasonings, including the ranch mix and stir to combine all ingredients.

Once combined, dollop the cream cheese over the top.

Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat.

Transfer chicken breasts onto a plate and shred. Place back into the crock pot and stir to combine all ingredients.

Serve hot with some shredded cheese.


And because I know I’ll go ahead and share that ¼ of the chili is 228 calories. So feel free to eat away! I did. Grin.

XOXO,