Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

These spicy and yummy! The sauce is delicious, in fact, I used a little on my broccoli too.

I halved the recipe posted below.

Meatballs:

1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs*
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

Firecracker sauce:
½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on spice preference)



Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the ingredients of the firecracker sauce over medium high heat, allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks thin.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, salt pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It’s easier to tell when he ingredients are combined when using hands. Do not overmix, it will result in drier meatballs.

Shape the meat mixture into balls, about 3 tablespoons of meat per ball. Place shaped meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked.

Using 2 tablespoons, dip each individual meatball into the sauce. Alternately, you can brush each meatball with the sauce. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.

Original recipe found here.

Fiesta Taco Bubble-Up

First of all, this is a Weight Watcher's recipe - yay! I love these bubble-up dishes made with biscuits. I would make this every week - it's that good. The leftovers were super good too; I had those for lunch today.

Check out these other Bubble-Up dishes I've made:
Bubble-Up Enchiladas (WW recipe)
Chicken & Biscuits Alfredo Bubble-Up (not as healthy, but delicious of course)

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 7.5 oz package refrigerated biscuits, (10 biscuits to the pack) (I had to buy 2 5-packs)
taco seasoning packet
1⅓ c salsa
2 c diced peppers, I used red, orange and yellow
1 c diced onion, I used red onion
1 c light shredded cheese, I used 2% Mexican blend
green onions
fat-free sour cream for topping, optional


Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Brown your ground beef and add taco seasoning. Mix ground beef and salsa together in a bowl. Cut up peppers & onion, and cut your biscuits into 6 pieces each.


Place half of your biscuit pieces in the bottom of your casserole dish, top with half of your meat mixture, half of your peppers and onions and half of your cheese. Repeat layers and finish with your chopped green onion on top.

Loosely cover with foil and bake in oven for 35 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into 6 servings. Top with a spoon of fat free sour cream (optional)



Original recipe found here.

Asian Zucchini Noodle Stir-Fry

First - this is supposed to be made with shrimp! I made this on a night when Will wasn't going to be home, so I just left the shrimp off and went veggie. But it would be delicious with shrimp, or even chicken too! The sauce is the best.

I'm posting the recipe WITH shrimp. Just skip that step if you keep it veggie.

1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 lb jumbo shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 medium bell pepper, sliced

1/2 c shredded carrots
2/3 c sliced red onions
1 c sugar snap peas
2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles (I used 4 smaller)

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside.

Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring as needed, until the shrimp are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan, then add the bell pepper, carrots, red onions and snow peas and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp but tender. Add the prepared sauce and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. 

Return the shrimp to the pan, stirring to combine, then add the zucchini noodles and cook, tossing to coat, for 1 minute. Transfer the stir-fry to serving plates, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Original recipe found here.

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

I haven't made a new post on this blog since AUGUST 5th, 2015!! Needless to say, this school year has kind of been out-of-control crazy. Between teaching a brand new grade level that is nothing like I'm used to, AND getting knocked up, I haven't had much time to do anything.

But this is SO DELICIOUS, it requires an entry in the blog. This weather is perfect for soup, so make this now!

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (3 c)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used real bacon bits)
• 1/4 c butter, diced into 1 tbsp pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 c)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 c)
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, seeded for less heat if desired, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 6 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (3 c)
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 c fresh or frozen corn
• 1 1/2 c half and half
• Green onions and seeded, finely chopped jalapenos (optional), for serving

• In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. While stirring, slowly add in chicken broth and whisk until well blended.
  
• Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
  
• Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 10 - 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm topped bacon, green onions, and optional jalapeno peppers.
  
  Original recipe found here.
  

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

I made this twice in one week - that's how amazing it is! The combo of pretzels & panko gets super crispy, sticks to the chicken really well, and the sauce.... omg, the sauce. Delicious on its own. This is a must-make dish!

1 c Panko crumbs
1 c pretzel crumbs (I used sourdough pretzels)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ c Dijon mustard
⅓ c honey
¼ c water
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt/black pepper
1 + ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts (I used thin sliced breasts)
½ c flour

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil. Spray with olive oil.

In a food processor pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground (small crumbs with some small pretzel pieces) then add them to a medium bowl and mix with the panko crumbs. Wipe the crumbs out of the food processor.

Add the oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar to the food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your own tastes by adding more mustard or honey.

Pound the chicken breasts out to an even thickness using a mallet. (I didn't do this because I bought thinly sliced!) Season well with salt and pepper.

Set up a dredging station:

Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl or dish, put the flour on a large plate and add half the pretzel mixture to a large, shallow bowl or dish (add the remaining half pretzel crumbs to the dish as needed).

Working one at a time and using tongs dredge the chicken in the flour then into the dressing allowing excess to drip off then into the pretzel crumbs patting them on if needed. Place on greased cooking rack. Bake 16 - 25 minutes depending on their thickness/size or until cooked through. Mine were perfect at 20 minutes. Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving with the remaining honey mustard dressing.

Original recipe found here.

Mexcian Cabbage Rolls

Y'all, these are basically enchiladas made with cabbage leaves instead of tortillas. The lean ground beef is mixed with lots of veggie to help lighten it up as well. The tomato sauce is tasty and creamy, the mixture is delicious, and the gooey cheese tops it off. I'm not saying it replaces real enchiladas made with tortillas, but it is a delicious lower carb alternative!!

1 head of cabbage

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, divided, minced
2 tbsp flour, divided
1 c skim milk
1 – 14.5 oz can tomato sauce 

2 tbsp chili powder, divided 

4 tsp ground cumin, divided 

1 lb extra lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced 

1 small yellow squash, diced 

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced 

2 tbsp water 

3/4 c 2% shredded Mexican cheese blend

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut a small circle around the core of the cabbage head and remove. Once the water is boiling, drop the cabbage head in. In a few minutes, the outside leaf will come lose. Using tongs, pull it out and lay to to dry. A minute or so later another leaf will come off. Repeat this until you have 10-12 leaves. There will probably be a couple you can't use anyway. Set leaves aside to cool.

In a sauce pan, heat 1tbsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of the minced garlic over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1 tbsp of flour and whisk, cooking the flour for a minute. Add the cup of milk, and whisk to combine with the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, 1tbsp of chili powder, and 2 tsp of ground cumin. Stir to combine, and simmer while preparing the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x11" baking dish with cooking spray. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, yellow squash, remaining 2 tsp garlic, and jalapeños. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of flour, remaining 1 tbsp of chili powder, and remaining 2 tsp of ground cumin. Add the 2 tbsp of water, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Ladle some of the tomato sauce into the baking dish, coating the entire bottom of the dish. Spoon some of the beef mixture into the center of each cooked cabbage leaf. Roll the cabbage leaf, tucking in the sides, similar to wrapping a burrito. Place each cabbage roll seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Original recipe found here.

Turkey Sausage Peppers & Sweet Potato Hash

Clearly I'm obsessed with making stir-fry/skillets/stove-top meal since I've been out on summer break - 6 days now. :) I'm sure it's because typically these take a longer time to prep - all the veggie chopping and whatnot. But even so, I could always prep it on Sunday! Once it's prepped, it took less than 20 min to put together. So yummy.

The original recipe used kielbasa.. I used turkey sausage. I also added mushrooms, and instead of regular potatoes, I used sweet potatoes. I finally found a way Will will eat sweet potatoes - roasted, brown, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. So I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven instead of cooking them in a separate skillet like the recipe called for.

Low carb and deliciousness all in one dish... mmmm!

1 (14 ounce) pkg turkey sausage, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, diced
6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
olive oil spray
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put foil on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Put the diced sweet potatoes in a bowl, and drizzle a little olive oil over them. Sprinkle some salt/pepper and toss. Spread the potatoes on the foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, toss, and then bake them about 10 more minutes. Remove from oven & set aside.

In a cast iron skillet sprayed with olive oil, brown the sliced turkey sausage for around 5 minutes over medium high heat. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Spray pan, and add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add sliced mushrooms and stir for another minute or so. Last, add the cooked sweet potatoes and turkey sausage to the skillet with the onions/peppers/mushrooms and mix everything together. Serve nice and hot!

Original recipe found here.

Asian Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry

This was the best! A favorite out of all the Asian stir-fry dishes I've made. (Click here for other Asian stir-fry recipes!) I found this super thin flat sliced sirloin at HEB. Side note - HEB is the best. Anyway, all I had to do was slice the thin, flat pieces into strips. The beef in takeout is always so thin, and that's one of the things I love. Most of the time I'm not able to get mine that thin, but thanks to HEB this was perfect!

The original recipe just included mushrooms and snow peas. I went ahead and added additional vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and then squash & green beans from my mom's garden! Steak delicious, sauce delicious, veggies delicious. Thumbs up big time!

Oh also - the original recipe called for serving over rice, which would be delicious. But trying not to cook with as many carbs right now. The extra veggies made it perfect and filling!

Homemade Asian Sauce:
1/2 cup light soy sauce (or low-sodium soy sauce)
5 tbsp brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ginger (I use the tube kind)
2 tap rice vinegar

Beef:
10 oz snow peas
4 tablespoons olive oil
10 oz mushrooms, sliced thinly
* Add whatever veggies - I added squash, green beans, broccoli, and bell peppers
1 lb beef, thinly sliced (sirloin steak strips, flank steak, or any other steak)


Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl - whisk to combine. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet until hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let it sizzle. Immediately add thinly sliced meat. You might want to do this in 2 batches, because you will want each slice of meat to touch the bottom of the skillet and for meat slices not to be crowded - I was able to do all of mine in a really large pan. This will ensure that meat will brown on high heat. Cook meat on one side until it browns nicely. Turn over all meat slices to the opposite side, and cook more, on high heat, until all slices brown nicely. Remove this batch to a bowl. Add a second batch of meat, and repeat (if needed).

With meat sitting aside, add a little oil to the pan. Add in garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds. Then add your veggies you have - first I added the broccoli and green beans, cooked those for about 2 min. Next I added in the squash and snow peas, cooked those for maybe another 2 minutes. Last I put the mushrooms in, continued stir-frying for about 1 minute.

Return all of the cooked meat back to the skillet. Add in your prepared Asian sauce. On high heat - stir everything to combine, for about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Cover the skillet with a lid.
Serve over rice (if you want to!),

Original recipe found here.

Guacamole Stuffed Chicken

These were so yummy! Yes, a little time consuming, so probably not the best for when you're short on time. But if you have a little time and want a delicious meal, this is it!

3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp diced red onion
¼ c chopped tomato
1 tsp lime juice
¾ tsp salt, divided
2 large eggs
1 c plain panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp lime zest
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a mallet to pound each chicken breast thin and flat. I put mine in a big ziploc bag and put a towel under & on top of it. Set aside.

Remove the peel and seed from the avocado. Place the avocado in a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onion, tomato, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

Divide the guacamole between the chicken pieces and spread it into a thin layer. Roll up the chicken, starting with the skinniest edge (the part that comes to a point). Secure the seam with toothpicks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. In a separate shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, lime zest, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Stir to combine. Roll the stuffed chicken in the eggs. Let the excess egg drip off. Press and roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place the chicken seam-side down in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and it’s coating is golden brown and crispy.

Original recipe found here. 

We had this with roasted okra and one of our fave kale salad mixes.

Summer Veggie & Shrimp Stir-Fry

I can't think of a much better way to use all these amazing summer veggies! My mom is kind of notorious for making meals out of stir-frying a ton of different veggies together... except she usually likes her stir-fry with pasta! So this reminds me of her, I just wish I had the veggies from her garden to use! No pasta for us though - trying to reduce those unnecessary carbs. ;) This yummy recipe idea comes to you from The Pioneer Woman.

2 tbsp light butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
12 whole jumbo shrimp, peeled/deveined (I just buy these frozen and thaw)
2 whole zucchini, sliced
2 ears corn, kernels sliced off (can also use frozen or canned)
1/2 c grape/cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
salt/pepper, to taste
chopped fresh herbs, if desired

After I thawed my frozen shrimp, I sprinkled salt, pepper, & garlic powder on them before cooking.

Heat 1 tbsp light butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. When oil/butter is hot, add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Do not clean skillet.
Add the rest of the butter and oil and heat over medium heat. Add zucchini slices in a single layer and cook for one minute, tossing once. Scoot the zucchini to the edges of the pan, then add corn kernels to the middle of the pan. Cook for one minute. Add grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and toss around, then add shrimp. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Serve on a big platter.

Original recipe found here.

Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Another delicious dish from SkinnyMom. This was perfect for a Sunday meal!

12 oz box jumbo shells pasta
10 oz bag frozen spinach
8 oz part-skim Ricotta cheese
¼ c Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp low moisture, part-skim, shredded mozzarella cheese
2½ cups Skinny Meat Pasta Sauce (below)

Skinny Meat Pasta Sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp minced onion
2 — 6 oz cans tomato paste
8 oz can tomato sauce, no salt added
14.5 oz can basil and oregano diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 fresh basil leaves, snipped small
2 tsp Stevia (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions for Meat Sauce:
In a large skillet, brown lean ground beef for 4-5 minutes. Add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking meat until no longer pink and the onions and peppers start to soften. Next, add tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to meat and onions. Add in 1/4 cup water and stir sauce. Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and Stevia to sauce and stir until well mixed. Add in basil leaves and turn heat down to low. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Instructions for Shells:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add pasta shells to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes until almost al dente. Drain pasta shells and spread pasta shells onto a sheet of wax paper to dry.

Place spinach in microwave and cook for 5-6 minutes as directed on package. Drain spinach and make sure to remove all of the moisture from spinach until it is dry. In a medium sized bowl, mix spinach, fat-free ricotta cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

Using a 9x13 casserole dish, spoon a small amount of Skinny Spaghetti and Meat Sauce to cover the bottom of dish.

Next, fill pasta shells with spinach mixture by using a spoon to place mixture inside each pasta shell.
Place filled pasta shells face up into casserole dish. Top filled pasta shells with Skinny Spaghetti Meat Sauce and sprinkle reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese on top. Heat pasta shells in oven for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.

Original recipe found here.

Chicken Tamale Pie

Words cannot... I mean it's just so good... I don't even know what to say. Blown away. BLOWN AWAY. The bottom corn/cornbread layer, the enchilada sauce, the shredded chicken, cheese... oh it was awesome. Make it... and make it it soon. 

⅓ c fat free milk
¼ c egg substitute
1½ tbsp taco seasoning, divided
¼ tsp ground red pepper
1 (14¾ oz) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
2 c shredded cooked chicken breast
¾ c shredded white cheese (I used 2% monterey jack)
cilantro

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just ½ tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round pie plate (mine was glass) coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. When corn is done - it will be just barely set and golden brown - pierce entire surface liberally with a fork (it might stick a little bit to the fork). Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. 

Original recipe found here.

Healthy Tuna Cakes with Chipotle Mayo

First time cooking with tuna!!! Does it get any easier? I opened a can. I mean come on! Anyway, these are delicious and we loved them. They got nice and crispy and the chipotle mayo is perfect with them. This is yet another recipe from one of my faves: SkinnyMom.

I doubled the recipe below because I wanted leftovers. I got about 9-10 patties out of it.

3 — 3 oz pouches chunk light tuna (I bought 2 large 10 oz cans since I was doubling)
½ yellow onion, chopped
⅓ cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
½ tbsp Old Bay® Seasoning (I used Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning!)
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 egg whites

Chipotle Mayo:
¼ c light mayonnaise
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lime juice

In a medium size bowl, fork out tuna from all 3 pouches (or cans). Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate tuna mixture for 1 hour before forming into patties (this helps the patties stick together better).

Form into 4 equal size patties, or however many you're planning on making. Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook tuna patties over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden brown.
For Chipotle Mayo: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.

To serve, top tuna cakes with Chipotle Mayo.

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Eggs Benedict

I made this dish when my mom was in town in early March. Just now getting around to posting it. DELICIOUS - and Will loved it even though he claimed he doesn't like Eggs Benedict.

Ingredients for Eggs Benedict:

1 tsp vinegar

2 eggs

1 English muffin (whole wheat or multigrain), split

1 wedge Laughing Cow Light garlic and herb cheese or your favorite flavor

2 thin slices cooked ham

2 tomato slices

Ingredients for Skinny Hollandaise Sauce:

2 tbsp fat-free plain Greek yogurt

½ tbsp light mayo

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

1 tsp reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance light, melted in microwave for about 15 seconds (covered)

Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste

To Poach Eggs: Add enough water to the pot or pan to fill half full of water. Add vinegar. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to simmering (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Break one egg at a time into a measuring cup. Holding the lip of the cup as close to the water as possible, carefully slip egg into simmering water. Repeat with additional egg. Leave some space between each. Simmer eggs, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until the whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken a bit but are not hard. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs to a plate.

I actually have a pan for poaching eggs. I had never poached eggs before. Truth: My mom did it for me.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast English muffin halves and set aside. Spread the cut side of each muffin half with ½ of the cheese wedge. Place muffin halves, cheese side up, in prepared dish. Top each with the ham pieces. Place tomato slice or slices on top. Add a cooked egg to each.

To Make Hollandaise Sauce:  In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, butter and a little salt and pepper. Divide and spoon Hollandaise Sauce over eggs. Spread over top using the back of the spoon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for about 10-12 minutes until heated through.

Original recipe found here.

Honey Mustard Chicken

This chicken is so yummy! I usually don't post regular chicken breast recipes, but the sauce for this is so good I have to! Yum and yum.

The site with the original recipe grills the chicken. But our grill was out of propane. It also has some really pretty pictures too.

4 chicken breasts

1/2 c whole grain mustard (I used this)
1/2 c honey

juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve about 1/4 c of marinade. Then marinade the chicken in a bag or bowl with the remaining marinade for at least 45 minutes.

If grilling: Preheat the grill on medium- medium high heat, grill chicken for about 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is done.

Like I said, I didn't grill... I seared it in a pan with olive oil spray on both sides, then baked it in the oven until finished.

Pour the reserved 4 tablespoons of honey-mustard sauce over chicken and let rest under foil for about 5 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Sloppy Joes

So one day, I asked Will what he wanted for dinner... Sloppy Joes. Well, of course I searched for a "skinny" recipe... and of course, I found one from SkinnyTaste! It was SO GOOD. Will even said the best sloppy joe he's ever had. Big deal, guys. I love that it uses so many minced up veggies!

1.25 lbs very lean ground beef
1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
1 carrot, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
4 oz mushrooms, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste

I minced all the veggies up in my Ninja.

Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns.

Original recipe found here.

Slow-Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

YUM.

• 2 lbs ground chicken

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

• 1/2 c finely chopped yellow onion

• 1/2 c hoisin sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• salt and black pepper

• 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed

• 1 c cooked brown rice (I used minute rice, and added it without cooking first!)

• 3 green onions, sliced

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 
  

• Place ground chicken and garlic in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave mixture, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 - 6 minutes. (I just cooked on stove instead of microwaving). Drain off liquid and pour mixture into a 5 - 7 quart slow cooker. Add bell pepper, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss mixture. Cover and cook on low heat 2 - 3 hours until chicken is tender.
• 
  

• Stir in water chestnuts, cooked rice, green onions, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, cook until heated through 3 - 5 minutes. Season with additional salt as desired. Separate iceberg lettuce leaves and serve with chicken filling.
• 
  

Original recipe found here.