Roasted asparagus

Clean and trim asparagus spears.

Spread on a baking sheet and spray liberally with olive oil. 

Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. 

Roast in preheated 400 oven for 12 minutes or until just starting to brownon the  tips.   I like mine done a little longer so cooked an additional 5 minutes. 

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

 

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

 

 

 

The original recipe is in the Betty Crocker cookbook but I adjusted it to fit the ingredients I had on hand.

2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips

2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb total 

1 can refried beans

1 cup salsa

2 small jalapeño peppers, diced

1/2 cup sour cream plus extra for tipping

1 medium tomato, diced

1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese plus more for tipping if desired

Taco sauce

Place chicken breasts in a pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook. Drain and while still warm shred. I use my Kitchenaid on setting 1 or 2 with the flat paddle and it works great.

Add the refried beans, salsa and peppers and continue to mix until well blended.
 

Place the crushed chips in the bottom of an ungreased 2 qt casserole.  Top with the chicken mixture. I have found the easiest way to do that is to spoon mounds of the chicken on top of the chips.  Smooth out the chicken to cover the chips.

 

Top the chicken layer with the sour cream. Add the tomato and cheese   I did not measure the cheese so not sure how much.  I'm sure it was more than 1 cup but less than 2.  Just put on however much you like.

 

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

 Here it is served on the plate.  You can add taco sauce, shredded lettuce or black olive if you like. Also some additoinal cheese or sour cream.

Cucumber and tomato salad

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp sea salt

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin

 2 medium tomatoes , diced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil 

Black pepper and additional salt to taste

Mix together vinegar, salt, and sugar in mixing bowl. Add cucumber slices. Toss to coat. Set aside for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

Add tomatoes, onion, oil, salt and pepper. Stir to mix 

Angel Food Cookies

 

 

1 box angel food cake mix ( I had the mix with 2 packets inside, I just mixed them together)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix all together.  It will be thick but fairly runny.  Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon on the baking sheet  for each cookie.  I used the Pampered Chef cookie scoop but did not fill it as that made them larger than I wanted.   The batter will spread out a little bit into a flat layer.

Bake until browned  - about 10 minutes. These taste like the brown crusty part of an angel food cake.  You can cook them just until they are slightly browned if you want a softer cookie.

 

You can use any liquid for the water.  Some recipes use 1/2 cup diet soda (to keep them low calorie).  I plan to try some other variations like using lemon extract instead of the vanilla.  Or adding some confetti sprinkles like a confetti angel food cake.

 

Another recipe suggests icing them with flavored cool whip.  I think that would get soggy so maybe just prior to serving. 

 

I did not grease my cookie sheet but might try parchment paper the next time.  They were a little hard to get off the sheet but gave a characterisitc angel food look to the bottom of the cookie.

 



At any rate, they are very low fat, low calorie - and quick and easy!

Roasted Garlic Beans and Mushrooms

1 1/2 lb fresh green beans, washed, trimmed and snapped in half if long

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced

4 tsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp minced garlic

 

Place beans and mushrooms in an 8 cup plastic container that has a tight fitting lid.

Mis the rest of the ingredients and pour over the beans and mushrooms.   Close with the lid and shake to coat the beans and mushrooms with the sauce. 

Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

 

About 30 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 425. Spread a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with oil.  

Spread the beans and mushrooms on the foil and back for 25 minutes. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 425.
Place potato cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.  Add the other ingredients and toss to coat well. 
Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with oil.  Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the foil.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes, remove and flip potatoes over - then bake another 15 minutes.

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (I used 6 frozen ones without thawing, there is enough sauce to do 8 or even a whole 3 lb bag)
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's sauce - the smaller bottle
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup water, more or less
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder

Place chicken breasts in the crock pot.   Pour out the bbq sauce into a large bowl.  Rinse out the bottle with some water - 1/2 cup approx.  If there is still sauce in the bottle, add a little more water and swish around to get it all. 
Add the vinegar, pepper flakes, brown sugar and garlic powder to the bbq sauce and stir until well mixed.
Pour over the chicken breasts and rearrange them to make sure they are all coated.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours- a little longer if they were frozen.

Serve with the extra sauce on the side if desired.

Honey Cinnamon Spread

Honey Cinnamon Spread
(Can't call it Honey Cinnamon Butter since it uses margarine :-)

1/2 cup margarine
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Stir until mixed. Place in the frig until ready to serve.   Adjust the honey and cinnamon to your taste.

Roasted Zucchini Romano

Roasted Zucchini Romano (original recipe found on Pinterest)

Sliced Zucchini (I used one medium zucchini and got 20 slices)
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
garlic powder
Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim the ends of the zucchini and slice lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick (you could probably just cut slices crosswise).  Lay the slices a single layer on the parchment paper. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. (If you use garlic salt, omit the sea salt)

 



Top with grated Romano cheese.    Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. 

So good!