New Year...New Resolution to actually USE this blog!

We had great intentions when we started this blog 2 years ago (yikes, really? 2 years!!!). Back to the drawing board we go. As I focus on trying to drop the baby weight (yes, Garrett is 3 1/2) and becoming more healthy, I've gone back into the cookbooks trying to find those "healthy" recipes I've been avoiding. So, thanks to my Cooking Light magazines, WW cookbooks, and various blogs etc., here is where I begin (again).   Having said that, here are a couple of the recipes I've made this week (all liked by family).

Homemade Fish Sticks

3 fish filets (I used Mahi-Mahi but had to skin it; will use tilapia or cod next time)
2 egg whites, beaten
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to  450 degrees.

Lay a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray it with non-stick spray.
Cut the tilapia once down the middle, then in half, creating four “sticks.” Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, beat the 2 egg whites. In a separate bowl, add the panko, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Dip each fish stick in egg whites, than in the panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Lay on the wire rack and spritz with olive oil.

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve hot!

From the blog: How Sweet It Is (www.howsweeteats.com)

Creamy Chicken Pasta (from Cooking Light Magazine Jan/Feb 2012)

9 oz. uncooked orecchiette pasta
cooking spray
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 t. kosher salt, divided
3/4 t. black pepper, divided
1 c. unsalted chicken broth, divided
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. half and half (I used fat free)
1/3 c. mascarpone cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 t. minced fresh garlic
1 t. chopped fresh thyme
8 ounces chopped wild mushroom blend (I just used baby bellas)
3 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions, omitting salt and fat
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 mins, turning to brown on all sides. Combine 1/4 cup stock and flour. Add flour mixture, 3/4 cup stock, and half-and-half to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 mins. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, mascarpone, and 2 T. parsley.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 mins. Add thyme and mushrooms; cook 8 mins. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, vinegar, and mustard; cook 30 seconds. Add pasta and chicken mixture; toss. Sprinkle with 2 T. parsley. (Serves 6)

*Earlier in the week, I had boiled and cubed several chicken breasts, storing them in the frig. I took out what I needed and instead of cooking them for the time listed above, I simply heated them through. Worked great and saved a bit of time.

Sweetly Succulent Mahi Mahi

So the boys have cholesterol issues...I have to find ways to sneak (unfried) fish into Brian's diet and this particular recipe was a huge hit. When Harris Teeter puts their Mahi Mahi on sale, I buy. Caroline and Garrett both ate this--Caroline really liked it. It's super easy and I served it with a side of steamed broccoli and orzo pasta with mushrooms.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tbsp water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
24oz raw mahi mahi fillets, cut in 4
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the sugar, water, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil.
Season fish fillets lightly with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish.
Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
Preheat broiler.
Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade.
Place fish on a baking tray and broil 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and reduce until the mixture reduces to a glaze.
Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 240.3

• Total Fat: 3.1
• Total Carbs: 12.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
• Protein: 40.9 g

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

* Borrowed from my mother, Janet Cornwell, this casserole has become one of our favorite casseroles and can be served as a meal in itself or accompanied by yellow saffron rice.  Enjoy!

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 2  cups  chopped cooked chicken
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1  (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
• 1  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 12  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.
Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Lunch for a Cold Day...Broccoli & Cheese Soup with Beer Bread

Our family has been in major "soup mode" given all the snow and cold temperatures outside. Caroline got her first taste of broccoli and cheese soup last week on a visit to Jason's Deli. So, I set out to make a similar soup today. It was delicious and my favorite part of the dish was the bread! Yum (and easy...I am NOT a bread maker).

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

1 tsp real butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups, fat-free, no sodium chicken broth
1 (16 oz) package of frozen broccoli florets (can thaw to save some time, but not necessary)
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 oz 2% Velveeta Cheese

Chop the onion and garlic and cube the cheese. The soup doesn't take too long to make, so you might want to wait until the bread has been baking for about 30 minutes to get things started. When you're ready, heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the butter. Then add the garlic and onion and saute it for about 3 minutes.

Next, add the broth and broccoli; bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce it to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour and stir with a whisk until it's well-blended and there is no flour on the bottom. Add that to the broccoli mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the pepper and remove from the heat, then add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts.

If you don't have an immersion blender, scoop about 1/3 of the soup into a blender or Magic Bullet and blend until smooth. Then, return the soup to the pot and stir.

For the Bread:

3 cups of flour (self rising or all purpose)
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 cups beer (any kind)
Optional glaze 1 egg, 2 tsp. water--beaten together

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and make the bread by combining all the ingredients. If you decide to use the glaze, only use half. Put the bread into a loaf pan (can line with parchment paper if you prefer) and bake for 40 minutes. (It will be tight in the loaf pan, but mine didn't burn in a dark pan--I cooked mine for approximately 37 minutes). Let cool in pan for 10 mins and on a rack for 10 more out of the pan.

Lindsey's Great Idea

During our latest "family lunch," sister-in-law, Lindsey, suggested that we start a "recipe blog" since we spend much of our time in conversation saying, "can I get the recipe for that?" So, here it goes...a place for the four of us to share our recipes in a much less time consuming fashion! :-)