Mint Chocolate - Or Chocolate - Cheesecake

I made this for my work party a couple of weeks ago & it was a HIT!! :) (In fact it was gone before I could have a piece.....)

Ingredients:

3 Packages (8 oz.) of Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Container (8 oz.) of Reduced-Fat Whipped Topping (Thawed)

1 1/2 c. Chopped 3 Musketeers or 3 Musketeers Mint

Graham Cracker Pie Crust (You can either make or buy)

Directions:

Beat cream cheese & sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Fold in whipped topping & 3 musketeers into the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon mixture over Graham Cracker Pie Crust (You can make your own or buy it.) Refrigerate until set (About 4 hours)

Serve & enjoy.

Cinnamon Sensation Cake

Now that the holidays are here you might all enjoy making this cake - I know I do!

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. Butter

1/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Pecan Halves (Optional)

1 Tube of Cinnamon Rolls (I use the Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls w/icing)

1 Hershey's Chocolate Bar

1 bag of Snicker's Mini's - or 3 King size Snicker's Bars (chopped)

Directions:

Melt butter & brown sugar together. Spread across bottom of a greased 8-inch round pan. Spread pecans across the bottom of the pan. Unroll cinnamon rolls place Snicker's evenly between the cinnamon roll & roll back up. (You can put as many or as little as you like here - I used the chopped snickers the first time but liked the Mini's better because there was less mess & less clean-up) Place the cinnamon rolls around the pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden. (About 20 - 25 minutes). Let cool for 5 minutes then tranfer to serving plate. (I flip them upside down so all of the stuff on the bottom ends up on top. :) )

Place Hershey's chocolate bar (broken up) into a microwave safe cup/bowl - along with either the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls - or with 2 tbs. of powdered sugar & 2 tbs. of milk. Heat until chocolate is melted (about 35-40 seconds). Stir until all the ingredients are mixed well then take your spoon & drizzle the chocolate over the top.

Cut like you would a cake/pie & enjoy!!

(Serves about 12)

Rosemary Sweet-potato Steak Fries

For all of those who don't like sweet potatoes give these a try. My husband hates sweet potatoes and he couldn't get enough of these. We ate them with ranch dressing I made myself with light sour cream and the hidden valley ranch dry packet mix.

You will need

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into steak fry sized pieces
1 1/2 TBSP freshly minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 450

Place sweet potatoes in a zip lock bag and add the garlic, rosemary, EVOO, and salt. Seal bag and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange in a single layer, not touching, on a large nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the potato pieces and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until tender inside.

Makes 6 servings

Again I got this from the Biggest Loser cookbook, I am loving it by the way :).

Per serving there are 120 cal, 2 g protein, 24 g carbs, 2 g fate (trace saturated) 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 169 mg sodium.

Peppered Pot Roast

Ok so pot roast in the slow cooker is great but it takes forever! I discovered this new recipe in the biggest loser cookbook. It's super yummy and is HEALTHY :)

1 tsp EVOO
1 (1 3/4 lb) trimmed top round roast
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
salt, to taste ( I didn't use and it was great)

Preheat oven to 350

Rub the olive oil evenly over the roast and season with the pepper and seasoned salt. Let stand for 15 minutes

Place a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the roast and sear on all sides, including the ends, until just browned, 45-60 second per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes for medium rare.

Take out of oven and loosely place a piece of foil over the roast (not the whole pan just the roast) and let stand for 10 minutes.

Slice the roast against the grain into thin slices and serve immediately.

This makes about 6 4-oz servings.

137 cal, 28 g protein, trace carbs, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 58 mg cholesterol, trace fiver, 123 mg sodium.

I paired this with Rosemary sweet-potato steak fries with ranch, and about a half cup of steamed zucchini with a touch of smart balance. The whole dinner was only 431 calories. Not to shabby and it was plenty filling. :)

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, (see Note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 medium carrot, shredded

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed

1 ripe avocado

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced red onion

4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Preparation

1.Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

2.Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.

3.To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Stuffed Jalepenos.

Ok so after the Auntious posted her recipe for stuffed jalepenos it made me think of one of our favorite appetizers called La Bomba's they are jalepenos stuffed with cheese bacon and a whole shrimp. I decided to look and see if I could find a recipe that was kind of like them to try and I found a recipe but I modified it a bit and this is what I came up with.

12 oz softened cream cheese
4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 pieces of bacon crisped and chopped
1-2 c flour
1-2 c milk
1-2 c bread crumbs
15-20 large jalepenos halved and seeded

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Stuff your jalepenos with this mixture. Dip the stuffed jalepenos in milk and then roll in flour covering them completely. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Dip them in the milk again and roll them in the bread crumbs. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Dip them again in milk and roll again in bread crumbs, making sure it is completely covered. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. If you want to give them a crisp outer cover you can either spray them with Pam before putting them in the oven or you can deep fry them for a couple of minutes after taking them out of the oven.

These are great served with ranch! I didn't stick the shrimp in them but it would be so easy to do. They are a little spicy so you can always cut out the pepper jack and just use cheddar or whatever other type of cheese you would like.

The resting time in between the steps is crucial! Also please remember to wear gloves when handling the peppers!

Easy-Cheesy Stuffed Jalapenos

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 2 x 1/2 x 1/4-inch strips
15 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup real bacon bits

Be VERY careful when you handle jalapeno peppers.  Use gloves and be sure to NOT touch your eyes

Place a cheese strip in each pepper half; sprinkle with bread crumbs and bacon. Grill peppers, covered, over medium-hot heat for 4-6 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted.

Hunny's Yummy Tri-Tip

Get a tri-tip roast poke holes all over in it with a big serving sized fork and set aside.
Mix (in a BIG bowl) 1 large bottle of Famous Dave's Original BBQ and a 1/2 bottle of the Zesty.
Add about 2/3 cup of no pulp orange juice, 1/3 cup honey, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
Put the roast in and cover completely then cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least 6 hrs but overnight is better. Grill it outside turning it often. The sugar in the sauce carmelizes and makes a REALLLLLLY yummy crust type outside and juicy tender inside. It's the BEST!!!!!!! Slice thick and ENJOY!! :)

Low Carb Cheesecake Cupcakes

These are soooo easy and really good!

For Cupcakes:
3-8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup Splenda
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

For Filling:
6 oz Sour Cream
5 tsp Splenda
1/8 tsp vanilla

Brink cream cheese to room temperature. Place cream cheese in a bowl and add one egg at a time beating with a mixer. Slowly add the Splenda and vanilla. *The batter will be thin* Pour into cupcake liners about an 1/8 inch from the top. Bake in a 300F oven for 30-35 minutes or until large cracks appear on the top. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Mix all ingredients for filling in a small bowl.

After the cupcakes have cooled for five minutes add 1 tsp to the top of each cupcake and stick back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

I would put them in the fridge or freezer and keep them cold until you eat them. Mine were a bit soggy on the bottom but they were sitting on the counter and I used cream cheese that was previously frozen so that may have been a factor as well. They were still good.

This makes 15 cupcakes. I calculated the nutrition for each and they come out to be 200.9 Calories, 19.9 g of Fat, 125.8 mg of Cholesterol, 161.4 mg of Sodium, 91.4 mg of Potassium, 4.1 g Total Carbohydrates and 5.9 g of Protein.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 - 16 oz container of fat free sour cream
1 packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch original dressing
Half of a medium sized onion
1 tomatillo
1.5 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp of garlic

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

This makes 18 servings :)

Chicken Salad with Mango Salsa

Chicken filling/topping ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 c Salsa
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can black beans drained

Pico de Gallo
1 medium sized tomato
half of a medium sized onion
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lime juice

Mango Salsa

half of a mango, cubed

1/2 med sized tomato chopped
1/3 of a red onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

6 cups of shredded romaine lettuce

Chicken filling - Cube the chicken and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice while cooking.
Start your rice cooking (if you are doing instant should be about 10 minutes if not then you need to start it about 45 minutes prior to cooking your chicken)
When the chicken is done add the salsa and the can of beans, lower heat, cover and simmer until the rice is done.

Pico de gallo -
Chop one tomato, half of an onion and 2 tbs of cilantro. Combine in a bowl add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice. Let sit to let the flavors combine.

Mango Salsa -
Chop one half of a large mango, a third of a large red onion, and half of a medium sized tomato. Combine in bowl with 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp of lime juice.

Divide the lettuce among four plates. Add 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 1/4 of the pico and 1/4 of the mango salsa. Top with 2 tbsp Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

This only has 256 calories, 2.7 g fat, 232.3 mg sodium, 45.9 g carbs (and complex ones at that) and 14.9 g protein per serving :) and that includes the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in the other post :)

Beer Cheese Dip

Another dip recipe that is sooooo easy and sooooo yummy. I am all about easy and yummy when it comes to entertaining.

Ingredients:

16 oz of cream cheese
16 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c beer

Directions:
1. Put cheeses in a sauce pan and heat over med/low heat until melted
2. pour cheese mixture, beer and garlic powder in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. (you can also skip step one and just mix every thing in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth, doesn't get much easier than that.)

You can garnish with green onions and shredded cheese. Its great served inside of a bread bowl, with pretzels or even fresh veggies!

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

This dip is so easy and so great! People often ask me for the recipe. I love putting this in a bread bowl :)

Ingredients:
1/2 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 c artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
dash ground pepper

Directions:
1. Simmer the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water in a small sauce pan over med heat until tender (about 10 minutes)
2. Drain in colander when done
3. Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for one minute (high setting) or use a sauce pan to heat the cheese over med heat just until soft.
4. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to the cream cheese and stir well
5. Stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper combining well.

Serve hot with crackers, or toasted bread for dipping. Works great with untoasted bread too.

San Remo Seafood Dip

Here is another good party recipe.

Ingredients:

6 oz can of tiny shrimp, drained, reserve the liquid
6 oz can crab meat, drained, reserve the liquid
2 oz cream cheese, room temp and cubed
2 T olive oil
2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/8 t crushed garlic
1 t prepared horseradish
1/3 c asiago cheese, grated
2 T parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 - 3/4 c half and half
1 1/2 c pasta sauce, drained to remove excess liquid
1/4 c fresh parmesan cheese, finely shredded for topping

Directions:
1. Put the pasta sauce in a colander to drain and preheat the oven to 325 F
2. In a 2 qt sauce pan over med/low heat olive oil and blend in flour.
3. Add the reserved liquid from the shrimp and crab, stir well.
4. Add cubed cream cheese, salt, crushed garlic, horseradish, and stir until smooth
5. Add shrimp and crab, blend well
6. Simmer until heated through
7. Add half & Half a little at a time until it starts to simmer and begins to resemble warm pudding.
8. Continue to simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.
9. Spray a shallow 9" baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
10. Add drained pasta sauce and then carefully spoon the seafood mixture on top.
11. Sprinkle with fresh parmesean and place in oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. (Dip should not brown on top)

Serve with bread.

Boneless Hot Wings (like Applebees)

I am in love with the hot boneless wings at Applebees and wanted to find a way to make them at home. I found this recipe and it's pretty dang close and oh so good. My whole family loves them :)

Ingredients:
1 c butter
1/2 c Louisiana hot sauce
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
2 c flour
1 t paprika
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
15-20 chicken tenders cut into 1 inch pieces (or you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts)
vegetable oil, for frying

For the coating you will need:
1 c butter
1/2 c hot sauce
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t ground black pepper

Directions:
1. If your wings are frozen make sure to defrost
2. Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a LARGE bowl.
3. Mix together in a seperate bowl 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup hot sauce. a dash of garlic powder and a dash of pepper. Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds stir to mix well. Set aside.
4. Put the wings into the large bowl of flour mixture, coating each wing evenly.
5. Dip each wing into the butter mixture then back into the flour mixture.
6. Place all the wings on a plate or baking sheet and place them in the fridge for 60-90 minutes (this helps the breading stick to the wings when fried)
7. Heat oil in the deep fryer to 375 F (you want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely)
8. Fry the wings for 10-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.
9. Remove the wings with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. (don't let them sit too long as you want to serve them hot)

For the coating.
10. Combine the other cup of butter, 1/2 cup of hot sauce, ground pepper and garlic powder in a low sauce pan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.
11. Quickly put the wings into a large bowl or plastic container with a lid
12. Add the coating mixture and stir, coating all the wings evenly or you can shake them if your container has a lid.

These are great for that Super Bowl party you have coming up :)

Lime Chicken Chimichangas with Sweet Rice, Green Chile Chutney and Mango Salsa

So I was craving Bajio, which they obviously don't have down here, and I thought why not make my own so I went on a hunt for some recipes. I didn't exactly duplicate it but it was mmm mmm good.

Ok... For the CHICKEN you need:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1/2 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 c oil
2-3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
black pepper
salt

1. In a bowl whisk together everything but the chicken.
2. Place chicken in a ziploc bag or shallow baking dish
3. pour marinade over chicken and seal bag or cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours
4. grill or broil for about 2-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through.

SWEET RICE

You will need:
1/2-1 Tbs oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1-1/3 c white rice
3 c chicken broth
1/4 c white sugar

1. heat oil in a pan over med/high heat.
2. Add chopped onion and cook until tender
3. Add chopped cilantro and cook for about 1 minute more
4. Add white rice and cook until light brown, be careful not to burn it
5. Combine chicken broth and sugar, letting sugar dissolve. Stir into the rice and let it come to a boil
5. Cover and reduce heat. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.
6. Fluff with fork before serving.

GREEN CHILE CHUTNEY

You will need:

3 large Anaheim Peppers, halved, seeds removed
2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds removed
5-7 tomatillos, husks removed
1 large white onion, halved
4 oz can diced green chiles
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 c sugar (it was really sweet I may suggest reducing this by half)
dash chili powder
dash cumin
dash salt

1. Place peppers, tomatillos, & onion on baking sheet/rack. Roast at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Place tomatillos & 1/4 onion in a blender and process until smooth
3. Dice peppers
4. Add all ingredients except the remaining onion into a large pot and cook over med/low heat for about 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced.

Now for that remaining 1/4 onion you roasted slice it up and saute it with a bit of the green sauce and you will get nice carmelized onions you can top your chimi with or even place inside.

ENCHILADA SAUCE (for those that like it a bit more spicy and not as sweet)

You will need:

2 c chicken broth
4 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 heaping tsp of garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cinnamon
1/3 tsp sugar
5 Tbsp cold water
5 Tbsp white flour

1. Combine all ingredients except the cold water and flour in a pot on the stove.
2. Heat to a boil while whisking frequently to avoid lumps.
3. Reduce heat and continue with a low boil for 3 minutes, remember to keep whisking often.
4. While the sauce is on a low boil combine your flour with your cold water in a small bowl one Tbsp at a time making sure to whisk vigorously to avoid lumps.
5. Turn the heat back up on your sauce and SLOWLY add the flour mixture into the sauce making sure to whisk vigorously the entire time to avoid lumps.
6. After the flour mixture is in continue to whisk for one minute while the sauce is still boiling.
7. Remove from heat and serve.
*depending on how thick you want your sauce you don't have to add all of the roux. I only use about half or less but it's up to you*


MANGO SALSA

You will need:

1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 c red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 limes juice
1/8 tsp chili powder

Combine, let stand to let flavors mix. Store in an air tight container in fridge.

Phew..... Ok once you get all of that made which sounds like a lot more than it is you need your tortillas, cheese, and your hot oil.

Take a warmed tortilla and put a little bit of cheese on it, a small bit of the rice and some of the chicken and roll it on up and fry in the oil until it's a golden brown.
Let it drain on a paper towel and then top with the green chutney, sour cream, salsa, enchilada sauce, a little bit more cheese, whatever you want. I know the chutney is really sweet so I put regular salsa on mine too and it brings the flavors together nicely.

Put a little more of the rice on the side and some refried beans and you have your self a YUMMY meal. Next time I will take pics LOL

Stuffed Burgers

So I got this recipe from my mom and it was oh so delicious.... but I decided to put a new twist on it :)

You will need:

1.5 pounds ground beef
4-5 good sized strawberries
1 jalapeno
8 slices of pepper-jack cheese
creamy horseradish
canned mushrooms
diced green chiles
any seasonings and garnishes for your burgers you may want
4 buns


1. Take your strawberries and jalapeno and dice them really fine and combine them with your ground beef in a bowl


2. take a bit of the beef mixture roll it into a ball in your hand and then pat it out to make a patty. Repeat. It helps it you kind of make a lip around the bottom patty.


3. Spread a a bit of the horseradish on both patties and then add a slice of pepperjack cheese, a little bit of green chiles, and a few mushroom pieces. I did put two pieces of cheese in mine which is fine if you are planning on grilling them on a regular grill or even in a pan but if you are cooking them in a george foreman I don't recommend putting the other slice of cheese in but waiting until after and topping it. My grill kind of squished them and the cheese ran out :(


4. Slap the two patties together and seal them all up, season them if you would like, and throw them on the grill.

5. Top with whatever garnishments you want. Salsa is a great one. Tonight we just did lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, avocado, ketchup, mayo and mustard.

Ta-Da :)

Some may wonder why the heck I put strawberries in but they make the burgers really juicy and they give it just a bit of a sweet flavor. I know it sounds weird but seriously try it. When I use them with the jalapenos I don't season at all and they are oh so yummy.

Spicy Chicken Mac :)

Ok I know that I'm lame and have never posted on here but I made something pretty good tonight! I have always seen the commercials for Rotel + Velveeta Spicy Mac but I could NOT for the life of me find the recipe.... so I made my own! But beware it's spicy :) I like it like that though!

1 12oz package of Wacky Mac or any type of pasta you'd like
16 oz Velveeta (the mexican kind)
1 Can of Rotel
1 lb. Chicken (I used tenders but doesn't matter what you use)

Cube the chicken and place in skillet until cooked thoroughly. Add Rotel and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cube Velveeta and when chicken/Rotel mix is done simmering add a few cubes at a time stirring frequently.

While chicken is cooking in a deep sauce pan cook the pasta until done. Drain.

After the cheese is all melted with the chicken & Rotel add to the pasta. Stir well & it is ready to serve.

Fast, Easy & Spicy!!

(If the flavor is a little too dull for you add salt to taste!)

Yummy Hawaiin Chicken

Lawry's Hawaiian 30 minute Marinade
1 Lime
1 Cup Rice
1 Chicken Breast
2 Cups Green Beans
1/2 Can Chopped Pineapple

1. Marinade chicken in Lawry's from 30 min to 12 hours (I like to throw it in a bag, in the morning).

2. Cook rice according to directions.

3. Zest, and juice a lime.

4. Steam green beans with 1/4 can of pineapples.

5. Grill /pan fry/foreman chicken with 1/4 can of pineapple.

6. Add lime zest and lime juice to the rice once cooked.

7. Plate everything!!!!

8. Yum.

Serves 2.