Protein fix

Lately, I've been eat a bunch of chicken (cooked, of course). I usually cook 7-12 chicken breasts at a time and chop up the meat for salads and quick protein. It's much easier to chose a salad when the meat is already ready and in the fridge. :-)

Side note: G, my trainer, wants me to get in 120-140 grams of protein daily. So every bit helps.

Onto my favorite chicken recipe that is so simple and easy it's just THAT good.

Quick & Simple Italian chicken

Ingredients
+ Chicken breasts

+ Target's Archer Farms Italian seasoning

+ Salt and pepper

+ Olive oil

Instructions
Preheat oven at 375*.

Align 9x13 pan pan with foil.

Drizzle oil oil on bottom of lined pan. Sprinkle seasoning around pan. Sprinkle one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon pepper on bottom of pan.

Place chicken in pan. Drizzle oil on top and then sprinkle seasoning on top of chicken. Sprinkle enough to coat chicken.

Top pan with foil and place pan in the oven for 60-75 minutes.

Periodically check on chicken.

Remove foil to brown tops 15 minutes before removing from oven.

Allow to cool before chopping chicken.
Enjoy

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Raspberry ganache tart

This weekend, I made two raspberry ganache tarts. They were fantastic and I got several rave reviews. Totally patting myself on the back for this one. :)

Looks like heaven I'll tell ya!

Raspberry ganache tart 

Makes: 1 tart or 9 inch pan

Ingredients 

Crust 

~ 2 bags of Chocolate cookies (such as animal crackers, teddy grahams, ect)*

~ 1.5 sticks of butter

~ 1/4 cup sugar

Filling 

~ 1 cup heavy cream

~ 1 10oz bag chocolate chips {Used Enjoy Life's}

Layers 

~ 1/4 cup raspberry jam {Used Smuckers' simply Raspberry}**

~ 2 cartons of Raspberries or fruit you have around

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350*.

In a food processor, grind cookies. If you don't have one, no worries! Place cookies in a zip lock bag and use a medal scoop or ladle and smash cookies into a fine crumble. Melt butter in large bowl. Add cookie crumbs to butter and mix together. Add sugar and mix well. In a greased tart or circular pan, add mixture and press it on the bottom and sides of the pan. Place in oven for 8 minutes. This will "set" the crust. It won't brown. Once the time is up, remove from oven and set aside.

Heat cream until it reaches a boiling point. I used the microwave. Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour boiling cream over chocolate chips and let it set for five minutes. This is "magic" as the chips and cream combine to make a luscious ganache. After five minutes, stir mixture. If mixture is too soupy, add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken. Pour mixture into "tart" crust. Place pan in freezer or refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, melt jam and set aside.

Once 30 minutes are up, pour and spread jam onto tart. Add fruit and then place back in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 more minutes. Once pan is completely cool to touch, store in fridge before and after serving.

Piece of heaven which was served Saturday at a party.

Sunday's dessert for the family. Used raspberries and blueberries to top.

Notes

* For top 8 free, allergy-friendly chocolate crackers, I used Orgran's Outback Animals cookies that weigh 6.2oz per bag. If you use a 10oz bag of regular teddy grahams or cookies, use 1 and 1/2 bags for crust.

** You are welcome to use a different fruit jam if you'd like. I just grabbed raspberry out the fridge first.

Enjoy! 

Green bean melt

Good Tuesday to you all. Last night, I thought about today's good and tasty Tuesday link up and wondered what I'd put up. Then, as I was eating dinner, it dawned on me to look down and share what I made last night. A one bowl creation that was so good and easy to make. Green bean melt was created with three ingredients and was in one bowl. Easy peasy! Plus a great left over user.

Green bean melt
Serves: 1

Ingredients
* Leftover grilled meat (used 3/4 cup)
* 1 cup green beans
* 1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

Directions
In a microwaveable bowl, place chicken on the bottom. Next, pour in the green beans and top with cheese. Microwave for 2 minutes and enjoy!

There you have it. An easy and quick meal! Enjoy!

Good & Tasty Tuesday-Rubbed pork over tossed salad

How's your week going? I know, I know. It's only Tuesday. BUT when you're rudely awakened at 5:30 on Monday; it seems the week is already passing by faster than it really is. Ever had one of those days? It actually was pretty good aside from the too early wake up call.

Okay, enough babbling...here's my recipe for Good and Tasty Tuesday...

Rubbed pork over tossed salad

Serves: 5+

Ingredients

Four butterflied pork chops

2 teaspoons Garlic powder

1 teaspoon chives

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

A few drizzles of olive oil

Romaine lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Choice of salad dressing

Directions

In a small pan, drizzle olive oil on meat. Combine spices and rub onto meat. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow flavors to seep in. Grill pork chops over an open flame for 21-28 minutes on medium to low.

Chop or tear romaine lettuce into salad bowl. Dice tomatoes and toss. Serve salad to plates and top with meat. Add your favorite salad dressing and dig in. Enjoy!

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Good & Tasty Tuesday-16 minute lasagna

Hi everyone. For this week's good and tasty Tuesday Tuesday, I got creative last week. You see, it was 110+* last week and the oven was not a favorite to turn on since it was so bloody hot. So, the family went out to football practice and to shops bit and I got creative.

16 minute lasagna was created last week. It was delish.

This recipe can be made with wheat but, due to my food allergies, I used rice pasta. This recipe does have cheese but you can sub out that if you can't have dairy.

This recipe only used pasta sauce. Meat sauce can be used for extra protein.

Serves 2-4 (depending on layers/choice)

Ingredients:

1 box Tinkyada lasagna pasta

1 cup pasta sauce (I used Prego)

1 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to box instructions. Coincidentally, the pasta cooked for 15 minutes. Drain pasta.

On a plate, layer pasta, sauce, and cheese. I used about 1T of cheese and 2T of sauce per layer. No need to heat sauce. That's what the microwave is for. :)

Once done layering, pop servings and/or plates in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This allows the cheese to melt and the pasta sauce to heat up.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: AppleGate Chicken and Sage Sausage

Good morning, everyone!! Can I say that I've been up since an ungodly hour this morning? My brother left for a boy scout adventure and was banging stuff at 3:50 this morning. My plan was to go back to bed and sleep. My body thought otherwise. SO it's going to be a LONG day.

{Image source: AppleGate}

I discovered AppleGate's products several months ago when I was looking for a safe hotdog to settle with me and still stay away from my anaphylactic allergies. AppleGate was my solution. On Sunday, I went to the market and saw these delicious sausages. Oh my yum! They were that GOOD. So I tried them and I am now hooked. I like them with a teaspoon of mustard.

The BEST part about them is the nutritional content. I mean, two little sausages (that I just pop in the microwave to warm up) have 7 grams of protein, 90 calories per two sausage links, no sugar, and no carbohydrates. My calorie counter, that I use, is even happy with me.

If you try them, let me know. Hope you enjoyed today's recipe/new product {for me} find.

I am participating in Stay at Home Babe's Good and Tasty Tuesday recipe link up. Want awesome and GOOD for you recipes and ideas? Then hop on over to her blog post today here.

Tasty Tuesday...Baked squash tops grilled pork chops

Howdy everyone! I hope you had a great fourth of July! Don't live in the US, well I hope you had a fantastic Monday.

I thought about Tasty Tuesday all day on Monday. What could I showcase that was good for you and still had good taste? Then it came to me. This is one of my latest creations that came to me in late May. It is just simple, mouth watering, and that good. {If I do say so myself :)}

Baked squash tops grilled pork chops
Serves: 4

What you need

* Squash-about 6-8 (boiled until tender)

* Cubed Pork Chops (cooked/grilled)-4

* Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese-shredded (I used 1 block)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*

In a oven-safe pan, cube squash. About half way through the cubing, layer squash with cheese.

Place the remaining squash on top and top with cheese. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes while allowing the cheese to melt.

Place cubed pork chop in a bowl that you will use to eat. Use about 1/2 to 2/3 cup per person. It's about a small handful.

Once the cheese on the squash is melted, take dish out of the oven. Using a serving spoon, place a generous helping of squash on top of the cubed pork chop. Allow cheese to melt onto meat. (About a minute).

Simple, fast, and ready in under 30-35 minutes. I've been told that's good for a one bowl meal. ;)

Enjoy!!


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Yoplait Smoothies

Need a quick breakfast idea or delicious and yummy snack? Well look no further. Yoplait has made it easy to get in one serving of fruit per serving through a fantastic smoothie. The smoothie comes in three flavors: triple berry (my favorite), strawberry banana pineapple, and strawberry banana. These yummy mixes can be found in your grocer's freezer.

The package makes about 2 (good size-12 to 16 oz) servings. All you need is a blender, smoothie packet, and milk. The package says to add 1cup milk but unless you want to drink a super THICK smoothie, I would recommend adding 1.25 or 1.5cups milk. Blend and enjoy. The excess can go directly into the refrigerator or can be popped into the freezer for a delightful treat :)

I give the triple berry smoothie 5 out of 5 stars. It is that good!

This review was not compensated and done out of the goodness to share this product with you.

Friday Ramblings

I am taking it upon myself to ramble today...so bare with me :)

** I took a two hour and forty minute test yesterday. It was hellacious...let me tell you. That was my SIXTH test of the week. Oh and I had TWO HUGE presentations this week...so I am glad it is Friday people.

** It was 90+* yesterday and today is 45* and raining...oh Texas weather! Gotta just laugh :o

** I slept for 12 hours last night and it was HEAVEN. So you moms who gave me a hard time about being up late this week...I finally slept more than 6 hours and it feels like HEAVEN!!!

** I LOVE the cooler weather outside...this just is the icing on top of my cake today.

** Oh & I am excited about baking/cooking tonight...I think I am making pumpkin bake, chocolate cookies (w/new recipe), and mashed sweet potatoes (with of course brown sugar and butter...my favorite)!

FALL has arrived in the small town and I LOVE it!

TGIF

Del Monte...Fruit chillers...in TUBES

Have you seen these yet??? Well if not...I MUST tell you that the strawberry snow storm flavor is AMAZING. This tube is a frozen fruit sorbet with NO HFCS, Wheat, Gluten, Peanuts, Tree nuts, fish, Egg, Milk, or Soy!!! Do you know why I am so excited about this??? This is something I can enjoy with out worrying about my oh-so lovely food allergies!!!

I must say why I LOVE this product:
NO High Fructose Corn Syrup
NONE of my food allergies
Only 11grams of Sugar
REAL fruit used
ONLY 55 cal/serving
Tastes GREAT!!!

You can find this product near the fruit cups and I HIGHLY recommend this product. Click on the picture for more information and NO I did not get paid to advertise or write this! It is just that good :)

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Favorite Recipe or dish with Bloghop

Ok, so if you are new to my blog, WELCOME! If you are not, then you know by know that I ADORE to cook. Being a college student during the fall/spring allows me time to become creative and express myself on a whole new level. One of my favorite recipe's is Black Bean Stew. It is easy to make, throw in the crock pot, and just leave it to cook. It is easy, quick, and relatively inexpensive as well!

Black Bean Stew: makes about 8 servings...great leftovers

3 or 4 15oz cans black beans, drained
1.5 cups finely chopped onion
1.5 cups finely chopped green bell pepper
1.5 cups chopped celery
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp grounded thyme
1.5 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional...it gives a BIG kick if wanted)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)

Put everything in a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Mine says that 6 hours was high, but just do what ever your crock pot has. Serve with brown/white rice.

This is a HUGE hit in my home as I store it in the refrigerator for several days and just make more rice as need. Easy to make on a cold day or just when life throws you one curve ball after another. ENJOY!!!

Being normal for a few minutes

Most of you know that I have several food allergies. Well tonight it was cold outside so I thought I would do a little experimenting. I baked an acorn squash as noted on the directions, then took out the good pulp and put it in the food processor. Then I added some sour cream and shredded cheese. Pulsed it all up and it was sure creamy. Warmed it up a little and melted cheese on top. Was it yummy or what!

This "soup" allowed me to be normal for a few minutes. Most canned soups have soy or wheat or a by product of the two in them. Yes it is frustrating, but I made something that I found out that I like. I just wanted to share my findings and encourage you all to experiment with the foods you eat. They may surprise you. This soup is something that I will be able to enjoy for a long time and all it took was experimentation.

I do not feel sorry for myself and the allergies I have. I embrace it and find new ways to eat and enjoy food. My life may be a little more chaotic and I may spend LOTS of time explaining myself to people, but it is all good. No reason sweating the small stuff :)

Thanks for reading!!!!

What's Cookin'...

Lately I have making some very yummy, one bowl/plate meals. This is not what I have planned, but it is easy and fun in the process.
A few of my favorites include: (breakfast)
** Scrambled eggs with fruit on the side
** Fruit mixed in with yogurt
** Oatmeal with fat-free milk and brown sugar
A few of my favorites include: (lunch/dinner)
** Hamburger surprise (meat, canned tomatoes with orageno, and Prego mushroom sauce, plus spices)
** Fiesta salad (lettuce, mild sauce, sour cream, and tortilla chips)
** Pasta (cooked pasta that I can eat with a hint of butter and 5-cheese mix)
** Tortilla melt (cheese melted with mild sauce and sour cream mixed)

These have been really easy and quick too. I also eat LOTS of fruits and veggies along with everything else too. I never plan to make it easy, it just turns out that way. Plus the leftovers are great and filling!!! :)

Have a great evening!!!!