Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice

This rice was amazing! It tasted just like a yummy resturant dish! I had pineapple rice at a Thai resturant a while back and this recipe is me recreating it. I was so excteid that it turned out so good! Make this next time you are craving fried rice, you won't be disappointed!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water
3 beaten eggs
2 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced carrots, diced and steamed or boiled for about 8 min.
1 small white onion, chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped into cubes
teriyaki chicken (I just marinated a couple chiken breasts in
teriyaki sauce and grilled it)

1. First you need to cook your rice hours in advance. I have found that it makes fried rice dishes SO much better if you use cooked and cooled rice. So, cook your rice a couple hours in advance.  Just bring 1 1/2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn in to simmer and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on. After it is done cooking, spread it out into a 9x13 pan. Cover it and put it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
2. Alright, this comes together pretty fast so have all your ingredients ready to go! Heat a large pan to medium high heat and add your sesame oil. Toss in your carrots and onions. Let them cook for about 5 minutes to soften and get a bit of color. While the veggies cook, cook and scramble your eggs in a nonstick skillet. When they are cooked just set them off to the side....you will need them in just a minute.
3. After the veggies are soft and cooked add in your rice and soy sauce. Stir to combine and then add in your eggs, green onions, and pineapple. Toss it all together and taste for seasoning.
4. Dish up and top with cooked teriyaki chicken. Serve along side steamed broccoli.

Creamy Taco Pasta

I love creamy pasta. I love it even more when I don't feel bad eating a heaping bowl of it! This recipe is so yummy! It is spicy and creamy and everyone loved it. It comes together really quick and can be made on any busy week night. Pair this pasta with a crisp green salad and dinner is served. I promise this will become a family favorite!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey

8 oz. small pasta shapes

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup salsa (I used medium heat to make it a bit spicy)

1 package taco seasoning

3 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and toss in your pasta. Cook according to package.... usually about 9- 11 minutes. While your pasta is cooking you will make the yummy sauce!

2. In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil and soften up your onions and garlic. After about 3-4 minutes add in your ground turkey and brown until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Next add in your salsa, taco seasoning, sour cream and cream cheese. Let the heat of the ground turkey soften and melt the cream cheese into the rest of the mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combine.

3. Drain your noodles and add them right into the creamy sauce. (Save a bit of pasta water to thin out sauce if you need too) Stir the noodles and sauce together. Add any pasta water if your pasta is too thick. Dish up and top with cilantro, sour cream and a bit of shredded cheese. Perfect dinner is ready!

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Oh, how I love brownies. And mint. And chocolate and mint together. So good. Oh, and I love cheesecake too. So when I dreamt up these brownies up one night while rocking my sweet baby to sleep, I couldn't wait to make them. And they were everything I thought they would be. Rich, creamy and the perfect amount of mint. I was really nice and shared with my husband. Please make them...soon! You will be so happy. And as all my recipes, these are low fat. Yep.... these are awesome.

Ingredients:

1/2 applesauce
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg beaters
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
6 oz. low fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
24 Andies mints, chopped
chocolate chips

1.  Turn the oven on to 350. First make the brownies. Mix the applesauce, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla together until all combined. Add in the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
2.  Next is the cream cheese filling. Mix the cream cheese, egg white, sugar, and vanilla together with a hand mixer until smooth. Fold in the mints. Set aside.
3. Ok, grease your 8x8 baking pan with non stick spray and pour half the brownie batter into the pan. Carefully make 9 plops of cream cheese mixture on the brownies. Approximately 3 rows of 3. Next carefully pour the rest of the brownie batter over the blobs. Repeat the blob process on top of the batter again. Now, take a knife and swirl around the cream cheese through the batter.
4. Toss your pan in the oven for 25 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick. If it isn't clean then give them a few more minutes and check again. Right when they come out sprinkle a handful (or two) of chocolate chips on top. When they are shinny, use a knife and smooth out the chocolate to make a thin frosting. Let them cool....or don't and dig in!

Chicken, Avocado and Pesto Panini

I love sandwiches. They are so yummy. And there are so many different ways to make them. My wonderful step mom and dad got me a panini press. I LOVE it! It is amazing I tell you! I keep trying to think up new ideas of what I can press between this contraption that instantly makes food wonderful! This sandwich was no disappointment. A soft sandwich roll stuffed with pesto, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cheese and avocado......ahhh yes please. This is one of those recipes where you can make as many or as little as you want!

Ingredients:

high quality bread or soft rolls

sliced mozzarella cheese ( provolone or monterey jack would be great too!)

sliced tomato

cooked chicken breasts, sliced horizontally to make two thin pieces

sliced avocado

pesto, store bought or I have a quick way to make your own (and cut out calories and fat)

1. First lets talk pesto. It is delicious. You can buy premade pesto at your grocery store or make it fresh from a bunch of basil (which is great in the summer when I have basil) or cheat like me and make it THIS way. Buy a packet of KNORR pesto mix. Don't pay any attention to the actual instructions. Get out a small sauce pan and dump the packet right in there. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of water and whisk away. Turn your heat to medium. You will continue to add water until you get to a spreadable consistency. You don't want it super thick or super thin.....somewhere in between. Ok, pesto is done..... lets assemble.

2. Spread both sides of your bread, hogie, or rolls with your yummy pesto. Next, add your chicken, cheese, tomato and avocado. Top with your other half of bread.

3. Place it on your panin press and let it grill. If you don't have a panini press, do not fear. You can simply cook it like a grilled cheese. When you sandwich is cooking place another pan on top of your sandwich to slightly flatten it. A cast iron skillet works great but any pan will do. Just use your muscles to squish it.Then flip it and press again until done.

4. When your sandwich is done cooking, slice it in half and dig in! Serve it with fruit salad, baked chips, or a salad and you will have one tasty meal.

Apple Pie Enchiladas and a baby!!

I am back! Finally! We have been busy......

This little sweet girl joined our family almost 2 weeks ago and we have been in baby heaven ever since! We are getting into the routine of having 4 (!) girls around here and I love it! I have been so busy with getting ready for baby that I have been slacking on my food blogging but I am ready to start up again! So to kick off the weekend here is a yummy dessert (I found on pinterest) that you should most definitely make!!

Ingredients:

5-6 apples, peeled and cut into cubes (you could use apple pie filling if you want)
3 tablespoons sugar with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon mixed in

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1. Put your cut up apples into a sauce pan and add a splash of water. Cook at medium/high heat for about 5 minutes until they start to get nice and soft. Add in your 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to sweeten them up and give it a stir. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

2. Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.

3. Spoon a heaping pile of warm apples in the center of your tortilla. Start to roll it up while tucking the sides in as well forming a nice little roll. Place seam side down in your pan. Repeat with the next 5 tortillas. You should be able to fit 4 tortillas side by side and two and the top of the pan.....if that makes any sense.

4. Ok, now for the sauce. In a medium sauce pan combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar and water. Bring to a boil and STIRRING constantly. Turn the heat to simmer and cook for 3 more minutes.

5. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

6. Turn your oven to 350 and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Now serve with vanilla ice cream and spoon some of the yummy sauce right on the top!

Food blogging problems!

I am sorry to all my followers out there that it has been sooooo long from my last post. I am super frustrated with blogger because it will not allow me to upload any photos at all!! I am one of those girls who loves a good photo with a recipe so I know what I am making. If anyone has any suggestiongs on how to fix this problem, please let me know! I will be up and blogging as soon as I can! Thanks!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This may be the best tasting pasta dish I have ever made!! No kidding!! It was so good! The flavors were amazing. It is a bit spicy and creamy and just the right balance of everything. And it is light! I am trying really hard not to make it again right now :) We all loved it and I found it on Pinterest from a blog, Skinny Taste. You HAVE to make this and then make it again because it is amazing!

Ingredients:

          8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

          1 pound chicken breast strips, thawed 

          1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)

          1 tbsp olive oil

          1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

          1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

          8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

          1/2 onion, sliced

          3 cloves garlic, minced

          2 medium tomatoes, diced

          1 cup fat free sodium chicken broth

          1/3 cup skim milk

          1 tbsp flour

          3 tbsp light cream cheese

          fresh cracked pepper

          2 scallions, chopped

          salt to taste

          Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:

1. Cut and slice all your vegetables. My husband isn't a fan of peppers or mushrooms so I left them out. So ours was basically a lot of tomatoes and onions, but SO good!! Ok, next in a small blender make a smooth mixture by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set that aside. Season your chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.

2. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

3. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and add your chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Set  aside. I put mine on a plate and covered it in foil to keep warm.
4. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

6. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in your creamy mixture, stirring about 2 minutes.

7. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste and cook another minute or two until hot. Next add your pasta and toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!

* great with salad and garlic bread or bread sticks!
* excellent leftovers too :)