Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

12 Eggs
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
4 Slices Bacon
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tsbp mustard

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.

2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.

3. Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.

Feedback:

These were GREAT! I made them for Mother's Day for something a little different than our usual and they were a hit. The plate cleared in no time and I've now been designated the holiday deviled egg maker!

Hungry Girl Mini Pizzas

I saw these both on the Hungry Girl website, and also in her cookbook. They were a great little treat and still on our Weight Watcher's diet. While her recipe called for using English Muffins, I opted for Sandwich Thins.

1 Sandwich Thin, Opened to create 2 Flats
2 Oz Candadian Bacon, cubed
Store Bought Marinara
1 Stick Mozzerella String Cheese (I sliced into rounds)
Pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the sandwich thins flat, and place desired amount of marinara on top. Place half of the cheese onto each flat. Place half of the candian bacon onto each round (1oz each) and then top with desired amount of pineapple.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are heated thru.

Feedback: I would make these again for sure! The only variation I would make is I probably would follow the Hungry Girl instructions and use english muffins. The sandwich thins, while more pizza crust like, didn't hold up well to the marinara.

Santa Fe Chicken

I saw this recipe on another blog which I read (www.thesouthernbellebaby.com), and she got it from www.skinytaste.com. As I've stated before I LOVE my crockpot - but being on Weight Watchers I always fear making things up as I go along because I'm afraid I will calculate the points wrong. Skinny Taste does all of that for me - I love her site!



Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
14 ounce can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can of black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients but the chicken. Place the mixture into your crock pot. Season the chicken with salt and lay on top of mixture. Cook on low heat for 10 hours, or high for 6 hours. Half an hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker, stir in. Serve over rice.

Feedback:

I loved this recipe, though I did make some adjustments. I never removed the chicken to shred it, and we ate it whole. Next time however, I will follow the shredding durections because I think this would make a great taco mixture. I cooked the recipe on high for 6 hours, using frozen chicken breasts, and I didn't use any cayenne pepper. I don't like things very hot and I felt that my ROTEL tomatoes would add enough spice to the dish. For myself and my taste, I was right.

Husband liked it, I am so pleased that it was WW friendly, and I can't wait to make it again!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 oz uncooked potato(es), fingerling, well-scrubbed, sliced in half lengthwise
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 Tbsp rosemary, fresh (plus extra sprigs for garnish)
1/8 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small roasting pan, combine potatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup of broth, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 minutes (broth will evaporate); add remaining broth, flip potatoes and roast for 15 minutes more. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Feedback:
This went with the salmon in my last post on Father's day. They were simple, easy, and a nice change from just rice or mashed potatoes with dinner.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Herb Crust

My husband and I have been doing Weight Watchers and this recipe actually came off of their site. I made it for my husband and my brother for Father's Day.



Ingredients:

3 Tbsp rosemary, leaves, fresh, chopped
3 Tbsp thyme, fresh, leaves, stemmed
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 1/4 pound(s) salmon fillet(s), with or without skin, though skinless recommended, Atlantic-variety (four 5-ounce pieces)
4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard, regular or grainy-variety

Instructions:

Prepare the grill for direct, medium-heat cooking.


Mix the rosemary, thyme and pepper in a small bowl.


Spray the bottom of the fish fillets with cooking spray (that is, spray the piece of the fillet where the skin would have been, usually with some gray or brown mottling on it).


Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on the top of each fillet. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the herb mixture on top of each.


Place fish herb-side up on the grate directly over the heat. Cover the grill and cook until the fish flakes when gently scraped with a fork, about 12 minutes. Transfer to plates with a wide spatula.



Feedback:

Very, very good! As it turns out my grill was out of propane so I ended up baking it in the oven but this fish was so good. I think next time I might use slightly more mustard but overall it is a recipe that I will do again for certain.

Pasta in Vodka Sauce

1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound penne

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.


Feedback: I found this just by Googling and came up with Giada De Laurentis' recipe. I've always heard of vodka sauce but never made it, or even tried it in a restaurant. It was wonderful and I will again make it. My only search will be for a different marinara sauce - this one was a little bit twangy. Overall though, a success.

Penne with Asparagus and Pecorino Cheese

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons shaved fresh pecorino Romano cheese

1. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add asparagus to pan; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add broth, lemon rind, and garlic to pan; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 6 minutes). Return asparagus to pan. Add pasta, grated cheese, salt, and pepper; toss well. Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons shaved cheese.

Feedback: Very good, though I will use a little more garlic and lemon rind next time. I got the recipe from Cooking Light magazine, though they called for using garganelli pasta. My local Whole Foods didn't have that available so I replaced it with Penne. It was really easy and quick to make. This will go on my "make again" list.

Pan Seared Cod with Basil Sauce

1/4 cup fresh basil, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2-1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6 ounce) cod fish fillets or 4 (6 ounce) other similar fish
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
cooking spray


Combine basil, broth, cheese, oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and garlic in a small bowl.

Sprinkle fish with 1/2 tsp salt (I omit) and pepper.

Coat a large nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.

Saute fish for 5 minutes on each side or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Spoon basil sauce over fish to serve.

Feedback: Not even worth a review. Don't waste your time.

Joy Behar's Lasagna

Apologies that it's been so long since I blogged but I'm learning that a crawlng, and now walking baby takes up a lot of time! That and the fact that he loves to stand and try and pull down my pants when I'm at the stove so I can't move around makes it harder to spend my days cooking. However, I love lasagna so when Joy Behar showed everyone how to make her lasagna recipe on The View I had to try it! The recipe is as follows:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 ½ Lbs. Sweet Italian Sausage (Out Of Casings)
1 Large 28oz Can Crushed Italian Tomatoes
1 6oz Can Tomato Paste
¼ cup Chopped Parsley
½ cup Chopped Basil Leaves
2 Tsp Sea Salt
¾ Tsp Pepper

½ Box Lasagna Noodles
1 Lb Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Extra Large Egg
1 Lb Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese For Sprinkling At End

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and position the oven rack in the middle.

2. To make the meat sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for one more minute. Then add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat. Breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fully cooked and no longer pink. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

3. Soak lasagna noodles in hot tap water.

4. While the sauce is simmering, make the cheese filling In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of Parmesan, the beaten egg, chopped parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

5. Ladle one third of the meat sauce into a 9”x 12”x 2” casserole or baking pan. Spread the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add approximately half the pasta (in one layer, cover the sauce with the noodles), half the sliced mozzarella, half the cheese mixture, and one third of the sauce. Add another single layer of noodles, mozzarella, ricotta, and the remaining sauce Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan.

6. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.

Feedback: The lasagna was good but I have had much better. I did however like the mixture of the parmesan with the egg etc, and I also liked the way that the mozerella was not shredded but fresh and just laid down disc by disc. It really assisted with making a nice gooey, thick lasagna - just how I like it! I would continue constructing my lasagna the same way if I could find a better tomato sauce recipe.