Mock Champagne Punch

I decided to throw my sister's baby shower, and cook all the food myself, and I wanted her to have a special fun cocktail for her to enjoy even though she cant have the sangria everyone else was drinking....it was pretty good....once I added vodka to it later ( :

Mock Champagne Punch
1/2 C sugar
1 C water
6oz can frozen OJ concentrate
6oz can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1/3 C grenadine
1 Liter bottle ginger ale
orange slices

Combine sugar and water in saucepan, boil 5 minutes and cool. Add frozen juices and grenadine. Refrigerate over night. Just before serving add ginger ale and orange slices.

Quinoa and Black Beans

This dish was even tastier than I thought. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa), is known as the "Mother Grain." it has been around for centuries and is so high in nutrients, protein, and fiber. This recipe was tasty and healthy. I served it one night as a main meal with vegetables and the next night as a side dish. It is even good cold!

Quinoa and Black Beans

1 T EVOO
1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C uncooked quinoa
1/4 C dry white wine
3/4 C Chicken stock (can sub vegetable stock)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
zest and juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 C frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
large handful chopped fresh cilantro
1 heaping tsp cream cheese
1 heaping tsp queso sauce

Heat EVOO over medium heat, stir in the onion and saute until translucent (about 5-7 min), add garlic, saute 1-2 minutes. Add wine and stir. Add quinoa, chicken stock, lime juice and zest, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to med low and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir corn and black beans into saucepan and simmer 5 minutes more. Mix in cilantro, cream cheese and queso and stir until well combined. Voila!

Cornflake Encrusted Oven "Fried" Chicken

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the Food Network Magazine, but I changed it to suit my tastes....it really came out great, the chicken was so moist from the yogurt and the coating was so crispy! KFC look out ( : I served this with roasted asparagus and leftover quinoa. Warning: I was just throwing this together so the measurements for most of the ingredients are approximate.

Cornflake Encrusted Oven "Fried" Chicken

Cooking Spray
3 large handfuls of Cornflakes (about 2 and1/2 C), crushed slightly
2 C plain bagel chips, processed in food processor
cayenne pepper to taste (I did a few shakes)
3 tsp EVOO (approx, I just drizzled it on until it looked right)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 C plain low fat greek yogurt (2%)
1 tsp dijon mustard
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix bagel chip crumbs and slightly crushed cornflakes (just crush them with your hands), cayenne, EVOO, salt and pepper in shallow dish. In another shallow dish, mix yogurt and dijon mustard and whisk together.

Coat chicken breasts with yogurt mixture and then coat with cornflake mixture (there should be a lot of cornflake mixture, pack it on), and transfer to 9 X 13 baking dish lined with nonstick foil. When done I put the remaining cornflake mixture over top of the chicken. Spray with cooking spray and Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust

I am so happy that I am getting better at making up baking recipes, because they are so much harder! So my pregnant sister requested Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving and I, of course, will oblige her. So here is my recipe for Sweet Potato Pie....you will NOT be dissapointed!

Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Crust:
30 gingersnap cookies ( I used keebler), crushed in food processor
7 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix gingersnap crumbs with melted butter and put in a 9 inch pie plate and press in and up the sides. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 med size (about 1 and 1/2 lbs) sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/4 C butter, softened
1 (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large mixer bowl, beat cooled peeled sweet potatoes with butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into cooled pie crust and bake 50-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into middle is dry. Cool and serve. I usually make this a day ahead

Pollo Boracho (Drunken Chicken) with a Mango Cucumber Salsa

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

2T tequila blanco
Juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
salt and pepper
3 T EVOO
1/2 C Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all marinade ingredients and whisk. Place chicken and marinade into large ziploc bag and massage bag to assure that marinade covers the meat. Marinate for about 15 minutes, do not marinate too long, lime juice will start to cook (aka toughen) the chicken.

Mango Cucumber Salsa

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 mangos, peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion diced small
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 Jalepeno, very small dice (almost minced)
juice and zest of 1 lime
drizzle of EVOO
1/2 C Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine

Combine all ingredients and let sit in fridge while marinating and cooking chicken. Cook chicken in grill pan or saute pan until done, discard marinade. Top with Mango Cucumber Salsa.

Creamed Spinach

I love real creamed spinach from a steakhouse, but it's not exactly a health food. This recipe is a little better, because I make a roux with fat free milk and use a tiny bit of heavy cream....hope you like it!

Creamed Spinach

10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and all moisture squeezed out
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 Tbsp of flour
3/4 C fat free milk
1 oz (2 Tbsp) heavy cream
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
salt to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add flour and whisk. Cook about 2 minutes until golden. Add milk and heavy cream, and whisk constantly so no lumps form. Cook on medium high until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg, parmesan and salt. Stir until cheese is melted. Add drained thawed spinach and stir. Cook until heated through.

Creamy Two Tomato, Mushroom, and Meatball Casserole

1 lb. whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used fusilli)
1 T Evoo
2 lg cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C dry sherry
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C marinara sauce of your choice
6 oz low fat cream cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp fat free half and half
10 pre-made turkey meatballs (I like Shady Brook Farms), cut in half
3/4 C fresh grated parmesan cheese
3/4 C shredded mozzerella, part skim
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (whole wheat pasta takes a little longer...about 11-15 min), drain, toss with a little butter

While pasta is boiling, Saute garlic and red pepper flakes over med heat 1-2 min. Add mushrooms and stir. Add dry sherry, increase temp and bring to simmer and allow to cook down, about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked. Add tomato paste and marinara sauce and stir. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Add fat free half and half and add parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in pasta and meatballs. Place in baking dish, sprinkle with mozzerella cheese and grape tomatoes and cover. Bake 25-30 min until cheese is melted.