Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers

These were fun to make.

6 medium green bell peppers
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
3 c cooked rice
1-1/4 c salsa, divided
1 tbsp chopped green chilies
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c shredded red-fat Mexican cheese blend

Cut the tops off peppers and remove all the seeds. Pour about 2 inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add peppers, cover, and cook 3-5 minutes. Remove peppers and rinse in cold water. Cook rice according to kg directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown ground beef along with celery and onions. Stir in cooked rice, 1 c salsa, chilies, chili powder, and salt. Spoon into peppers. Place peppers in a 9x13" cooking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Add 1/4 c water to dish and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add salsa and cheese to the top of peppers. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cinnamon Applesauce and Banana Pancakes

I woke up early on my last Friday morning off to make these!

1 1/2 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 mashed bananas
1/2 c (1 container) cinnamon applesauce
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients and mix in everything else!

Granola Bars

I made this on a whim - I saw the recipe and realized I had all the ingredients. Really good, especially since school is starting soon. You are really supposed to cut them into bars, but I had a hard time doing that so I kind of just tore them into bars.

3 c quick-cooking oats
1 c chopped almonds
1 egg
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c sunflower kernels
1/2 c flaked coconut
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats and almonds on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 min or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, combine egg, butter, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in in sunflower kernels, coconut, cranberries, brown sugar, and cinnamon. After oat mixture is done, stir that in as well. Press into baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 13-18 min or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cook on wire rack and cut (or tear!) into bars.

Cheesy Salsa Mini Meat Loaves

Such a fun idea... and tasty too! Mmm, looking at the picture below makes me want to go have another.

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 c finely chopped onions
1 egg
1/2 c crushed crackers (I used red-fat Ritz)
1 1/2 c, divided, Mexican cheese mix shredded
1 c salsa, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine beef, onions, egg, crackers, and 1 cup of cheese with 1/2 c salsa. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Use the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the center of each meatloaf. Put muffin pan on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 min. Top with remaining salsa and cheese, and bake for about 5 more minutes.

Baked Pesto Chicken

How can you go wrong with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella? Answer: You can't.

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like the thinly-sliced ones!)
1/2 c refrigerated pesto
2-3 plum tomatoes, sliced
block of part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Put the pesto in a medium bowl and toss chicken to coat. Put chicken on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 min or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven and cover with tomatoes and mozzarella. Bake for an additional 5 min or so until cheese is melted.

Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

Another really delicious Cooking Light bread recipe! Mmmmm.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 c diced onion
3 c flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c grated fontina cheese
1 bottle beer 12 oz (amber ale - I used Fat Tire)
1/4 c butter, melted and divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 6 min or until tender. Cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of mixture and add onion, cheese, and beer. Stir until just moist. Pour batter into an 8x4" loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle evenly with 2 tbsp butter. Bake for 25 minutes, then brush with remaining 2 tbsp butter, and continue baking about 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the middle of loaf comes out clean. Cool 5 min in pan, then cool on wire rack.

Citrus Squares

This is a Shape Magazine recipe I found. I baked these this morning and couldn't wait until tonight to try them. Really tasty and only about 150 cal per square.

For the shortbread:
1/2 c slivered almonds
1/2 c flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 8 chunks

For the filling:
1 c sugar
1/4 c flour
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated lime zest
1/4 c each lemon and lime juice
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease square 8x8 cooking pan. To make the shortbread, put the almonds in a food processor and process for 30 seconds or until coarsly ground. Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt and pulse 5 times until mixed. Add butter and process for 10-15 seconds or until no large chunks remain and the mixture is loose and sandy. Press into the bottom of cooking pan and bake for 22-24 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, make the filling. Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add lemon and lime zest, as well as lemon and lime juice. Add eggs and whisk mixture until smooth. Pour filling over crust and return to the oven and bake an additional 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over squares and garnish with lime before serving. You can also keep refrigerated for up to a day before serving.

French Dip Roast Beef (Slow-Cooker)

Definitely a favorite since I've been on my cooking streak. The flavor is so good and the broth you dip the sandwich in is amazing. Oh, and of course, it's super easy.

3.5-4 lbs boneless chuck roast
1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried garlic powder
1/2 c chopped onions
french rolls

Put roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic powder. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon cube, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary/thyme/garlic. Pour over roast, and add just enough water so the roast is almost covered. Sprinkle onions on top, and cook on low for 7 hours or until very tender. Remove roast and shred to serve on sandwich rolls. Reserve the broth and use it on the side to dip the sandwich in. Ah-mazing.