Honey Balsamic Salmon

Cooking spray
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb frozen salmon fillets (4 fillets, 2 ounces each), thawed
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large skillet with cooking spray then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Heat to medium high.
Place salmon in skillet and cook on each side about 3-4 minutes until browned and salmon is cooked through.
Remove salmon and keep warm.
Mix together vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together. Pour into skillet (careful - the vinegar fumes can be powerful). Stir and heat until reduced by half.
Pour 1 tbsp of the honey vinegar sauce over each fillet to when serving.

Serves 4
(original recipe from Weight Watchers - I made some modifications - 6 points per serving)

Bunny Bread

I found this recipe many years ago in Quick Cooking magazine. My whole family loves it!


2 1-lb loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed (or your homemade bread dough for 2 1-lb loaves)
dried cherries or raisins
slivered almonds
1 egg

From 1 loaf, take 1/4 and make a pear shape for the head. Place on a greased cooking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make several diagonal cuts on each side of the head for the whiskers.
With remaining 3/4 loaf, shape a rectangle for the body, place below the head.

Divide the second loaf into 4 equal portions. Take 2 of the portions and make ropes, fold over and place ends next to head for the ears.
Take a third portion and divide into half, making 2 balls, place at the bottom sides of the body for the hind legs. Make 2 slits using a sharp knife on the outer edges.
Take the remaining portion and divide in half. From one half, make 3 small balls (one should be slightly smaller than the other two) and place on face for cheeks and nose.
From the other half, make 2 balls and place near the top of the body for front legs, using a sharp knife make two slits on the outer edges.
Place raisins or cherries for eyes and almonds for teeth.
Brush with beaten egg.


Let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.


Once cool cut out the tummy to create a bowl for serving dip. (I used a cream cheese container as a pattern for the circle)


I inserted the cream cheese container in the tummy to hold the dip but you can just put the dip into the tummy if you like. I just prefer to not have the soggy bread around the dip.

Place bunny on a serving tray and surround with lettuce and fresh vegetables. Everyone will love it!

I served Fiesta Dip in the tummy- it is a Ranch dressing recipe. Take 2 cups sour cream, stir in one package of Ranch Fiesta dip mix and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with carrots, celery, radishes and green pepper slices.

Shepherd's Pie (Freezer Meal)

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 small onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
1/3 cup beef broth
1 tbsp corn starch

Mix all together well and can be frozen for later use.

Thaw ground beef mixture and spread evenly in a pie plate.

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Prepare 2 2/3 cup stiff mashed potatoes (can use leftover mashed potatoes). Stir in 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Spread potatoes over meat mixture. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until lightly browned. Top with additional cheese if desired and return to oven until cheese has melted.

Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving to absorb juices.

Makes 6 servings.

Spinach Lasagna

16 oz ricotta cheese, part skim
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
4 cups spaghetti sauce (or more if you like lots of sauce)
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease 8 x 11 baking dish ( can use a 9 x 13 inch but I don't think it firms up as much when that is used).

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, egg, spinach, salt, oregano and basil. Spread 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on 3 of the lasagna noodles. Place side by side, cheese side up, over the sauce in the pan. Spread about 1 to 1 1/3 cup sauce over the noodles. Make 2 more layers of noodles and sauce. Pour water around the edges.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and back uncovered an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to firm up before serving.

Serving size -1/8 of casserole

To make a meat version - omit the spinach and add 1 lb browned ground beef or Italian sausage to the spaghetti sauce after the 1/2 cup is spread in the bottom of the baking dish.

Greek Pizza

Pita bread - split into 2 layers
Black olives, sliced
Green peppers, diced
Scallions, diced
Feta cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place pita bread layers on cooking sheet.
Spread the vegetables on the pita bread. Sprinkle the cheeses on top. Bake until cheeses are melted.

Southwestern Corn Salad

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup scallions, diced
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup diced green pepper
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 Tbsp Ranch dressing (I found a Spicy Ranch dressing that is really good on this)

Mix all together.

Roasted Vegetables

Fresh veggies - cut up into bite size pieces, I like using carrots, peppers, scallions, zucchini or yellow squash. Can be anything that you like.
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
thyme
salt
pepper

Place cut up veggies in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil over then and stir well. Spray a cooking sheet with oil and spread veggies in a single layer. Sprinkle with seasonings.
Broil on high setting until tender and slightly browned.