No~Bake Eclair Cake

This is a very easy dessert to make!,,,I have been making a version of this for years and it is one of my family's favorites,,,,I usually layer chocolate pudding between the graham crackers and top with cool whip,,,which is very yummy too!,,,Well here is a new version I tried and it was a big hit also!,,,Here is what I did,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 5.9 oz. Box Instant Vanilla Pudding

8 0z container Cool Whip

3 Cups Milk

graham crackers (about 19)

1 tub chocolate frosting

 

 

 

 

 

In a bowl mix pudding and milk until thick.

Fold in cool whip mixing well

set aside

In a 9x13 glass dish layer graham crackers (this doesn't have to look pretty!)

Top graham crackers with 1/2 the pudding mixture

then top with another layer of grahams

add other half of pudding end with a layer of graham crackers

cover with plastic and put in Fridge to set for 30 minutes

Once set take tub of frosting remove lid and foil and microwave for 25 seconds

This will make it easier to pour and spread for your final layer

Cover and refrigerate... overnight is best!

 

Zucchini Parmesan

One of my husbands most favorite dishes I make would have to be my eggplant parmesan ( I will post soon!)
Well I happened to have some zucchini on hand, which got me to thinking,,,how about trying it with zucchini!!,,,So here is what I did,,,There are no measurements to this so I will tell you what I used and how I assembled it,,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Thinly sliced zucchini (washed with skin left on) I used 3

olive oil

marinara sauce (small jar) * see below

Italian bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

shredded mozzarella

 

 

 

 

In a small casserole dish add some marinara sauce to cover bottom.

Then add the thinly sliced zucchini

Drizzle with olive oil

Then sprinkle with breadcrumbs

 sprinkle with parmesan cheese

next top with mozzarella

add more sauce

then another row of zucchini

repeat with olive oil, breadcrumbs

parmesan, mozzarella and sauce

add another row of the same

ending with the mozzarella topped with sauce

cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until it looks done

and all cheeses are melted

 

 

 

* The sauce I use happens to have my parents picture on it!...I love it for my parmesan recipes

and I even add some to my homemade spaghetti sauce!

Spinach~Ricotta Chicken Roll~Ups

This is a great chicken dish,,,,after rolling I dipped the whole stuffed roll into the egg then breadcrumbs, but I am thinking you could probably bread the chicken first and then add the stuffing and roll up! The choice is yours! Here is what I did!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

 

4 Chicken Breast

3 eggs (divided)

1 Cup Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs

6 T parmesan cheese (divided)

1 Cup frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed)

1 Cup Ricotta cheese

1 Cup shredded mozzarella

2 Cups marinara sauce

salt and pepper

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

Prepare chicken breast by pounding, to thin out for rolling.

salt and pepper breast

 

in a bowl beat 2 of the eggs (set aside)

add breadcrumbs 2 T parmesan cheese to another dish (set aside)

 

FILLING

mix together spinach, ricotta cheese, 4 T parmesan cheese and 1 egg

add some salt and pepper

 

place about 2 T of filling onto chicken breast and roll

 

Take a baking dish and add 1 Cup of sauce in bottom of it

 

Dip roll into eggs and then breadcrumbs and place in a baking dish

seam side down

once all of the chicken is rolled and in the dish top with the other cup of sauce

cover and bake for 45-60 minutes

once done top with mozzarella and bake until melted!

 

Stuffed Artichokes

It was always such a treat when my Mom would make Stuffed Artichokes for us!!,,,And now my family feels the same way when I make them!,,Probably because I don't make them very often, and the reason for that is because they can be time consuming to make,,,but they are so worth it because everyone enjoys them so much!,,,So I decided to make and post the recipe!,,,Also,,,my Mom would par boil before cooking, and that does make for a more tender leaf, so that is an option too,,,you would just boil artichokes for about 20 minutes,,,drain and cool before stuffing,,,This would also result in less cooking time,,,Here is what I did,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

4 Artichokes

2 Cups Italian breadcrumbs

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 t granulated garlic salt

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 cups water

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Prepare artichokes by cutting off stems so they sit flat

Slice the top off and then trim the sharp tip from each petal (scissors work best)

 

 

Then place each artichoke upside down in a bowl of water, set aside.

 

 

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic salt and salt and pepper in a bowl, drizzle

with about 4 T of olive oil and mix well.

 

Take an artichoke and squeeze water out and dry them with a towel

Place in a bowl and start stuffing by stretching leaves out, stuff mixture into leaves

filling openings as much as you can, once each artichoke is stuffed, place in a Dutch oven

or large pot,,,,,pour 2 cups of water in bottom, drizzle each one with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and bring to boil, then turn to low and simmer, (checking to make sure there is always water in the pot) for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until leaves are tender.

 

****If you like, these can also be baked in the oven, in covered pot,,, with water in bottom of pot also, making sure water doesn't evaporate, (just replace if it does)

The goal here is to steam stuffed artichokes until tender!****

 

Un~Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup

I love cabbage rolls!,,,,But they can be very time consuming to make, Here is a very easy way to get the taste of cabbage rolls without all of the work!,,,This is pretty much a one pot recipe with the exception of the rice which I cooked seperately,,,I used the boil in bag rice, I also used a little sugar, because the sauce in cabbage rolls is usually on the sweet side.,If you were to take a cabbage roll slice it all up in your plate before eating,,,this is what you would end up with!  And if you wanted to make this recipe Un~Stuffed Green Peppers, just switch out the cabbage for green peppers,,,I would use about 5 diced!...Here is what I did,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion (diced)

1 pound ground sirloin

2- cans 14 1/2 oz  petite diced tomatoes

1 15 0z can tomato sauce + 1/2 can water

1 T sugar

 salt and pepper

1 small head cabbage (chopped)

1 bag success rice - cooked

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Saute onion in olive oil about 5 minutes add ground sirloin, cook until no longer pink.

add all of the tomatoes, sauce and water, ...add sugar and salt and pepper

Stir and then add cabbage,,,cover and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until cabbage is cooked

(about 25 minutes)

You can then add cooked rice mix together and recover and simmer on low about

10 minutes

The longer you simmer the thicker it will get

You can garnish servings with parmesan cheese if you like!

 

 

One Pot Wonder Tomato/Spinach Pasta

Ok,,,Let me start by saying that I have been seeing a lot of these recipes for one pot pasta, and I must say I was very skeptical about it being any good!! So of course I had to try it!,,,And let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised!,,,,and then I started thinking about the endless possibilities to what you can add to this!,,,,I added frozen spinach this time, but next time I think I will add some diced zucchini or frozen peas!!,,,Well here is what I did,,you can be creative with this too,,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

12 oz Spaghetti (dry)

1 medium onion (sliced)

2 Cups frozen cut spinach (thawed and squeezed)

1- 15 0z can petite diced tomatoes (with juices)

4 Cups chicken broth or stock

1 t dry oregano

2 t dry basil

3 cloves garlic (minced)

salt and pepper

pinch of crushed red pepper

parmesan cheese (for garnish)

  

Here is everything I put in the pot!

 

Note,,,If using the box of Barilla Plus like shown,,,use 1 more cup of chicken broth

(this box is 14 1/2 ounces)

 

 DIRECTIONS

 

Add all ingredients to a Dutch Oven or large pot, push pasta in or break if you have to,,,,Cover and

bring to boil,,,,after it comes to boil stir together to mix ingredients

turn heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes,,,,stirring every couple of minutes

until liquid is absorbed,,,about 20 or so minutes

 

 

here it is finished,,,top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!!

***The next time I made this I added frozen peas!,,,It was amazing!***

 

 

 

Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage

Last year I started cooking my corned beef in the crock pot.....I would usually just boil the heck out of it, and then cook all of the veggies separate....So needless to say it was a lot easier to do in the slow cooker, and I really like the way it turned out!!....Here is what I did....Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 Corned Beef w/ seasoning packet (mine was 3 1/2 pounds)

12-14 small redskin potatoes (washed and scrubbed)

6 carrots (cut into chunks)

1 head cabbage (cleaned and wedged)

2 Cups chicken broth

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat your crockpot to High

(turn to Low after everything is added)

 

clean potatoes and add to bottom of crockpot ,,,I used enough to cover bottom

then add chunked carrots

pour chicken broth over vegetables and the lay the corned beef

on top with the seasoning packet poured on top

 

Cook on Low 9-10 Hours or High 6-7 Hours (I have cooked oh high before for 8 hours and it was fine)

then add cabbage wedges the last 2 hours of cooking

When done, transfer everything to a large platter slice corned beef against the grain and enjoy!

(this fed 6 people and we could have fed 2 more!)

 

**NOTE**

The last time I made Corned Beef in the Crock Pot I bought a brand I really like (below)

It stated it was supreme trimmed and flat cut...I highly suggest this cut if you can find it....It was a great texture and not stringy or tough

 

I cooked it on high for 3 hours and then turned to low the rest of the time about 6-7 hours

When done I cut against the grain and this is what it looked like

Also it did not come with a spice packet so I added Pickling spice on top...

I also just put a layer of whole carrots on the bottom of pot and laid the corned beef on top. I cooked the rest of the veggies separately

Here is what it looked like

 

 

 

Spaghetti Squash w/Tomato Sauce

Back in the day I used to make Spaghetti Squash totally different,,,,,I would cook in a bath of water,,,and then add butter and brown sugar when done (which is still good) , But I really like this new way I prepared it, The hardest thing about this recipe is cutting the Squash!!,,,Which has a very tough skin, so be sure to use a sharp knife and be very careful cutting!,,,,I also made a quick tomato sauce to top the Squash with, and I served it right out of the shell! This was a big hit with my daughter! Here is what I did, Enjoy!!

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 Spaghetti Squash

olive oil

salt and pepper

 

 

SAUCE

 

2 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1- 14 1/2 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes w/juices

3 Basil leaves (finely chopped)

1 T sugar

salt and pepper

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon,

drizzle inside of squash with olive oil and salt and pepper

Place squash flesh side down on baking sheet

and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Meanwhile for sauce

in a small saucepan add olive oil and minced garlic

cook on low for about 30 seconds (do not burn)

add tomatoes (whole can), basil, sugar and salt and pepper

raise heat and bring to a boil stirring

lower heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes

stirring occasionally

 

 

 

 Once Squash is done turn over and with a fork start at top and drag fork to shred the flesh

add sauce and mix together

Serve and Enjoy!

You can garnish with parmesan cheese if you like!

 

Skinnier Fettuccine Alfredo

Here is a skinnier version of Fettuccine Alfredo,,,,usually when you make Alfredo sauce heavy whipping cream is used ,,,,which can be high in fat and calories,,,,,,,This sauce uses 2% milk,,,but you could also use skim milk if you wanted to and I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese,,,,I also used gluten free flour, but regular is fine too!...Here is what I did, Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

8-10 oz Fettuccine

2 T butter

2 T Flour

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 1/4 Cups 2% Milk

2 oz cream cheese

1/4 Cup parmesan cheese

2 T chopped parsley

salt and pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Boil pasta until done as directed,,,,,meanwhile start sauce by melting butter,,,once melted add flour

cooking about 1 minute while whisking,,,,stir in minced garlic then add milk still whisking add cream cheese and parmesan cheese,,,whisk until thick,,, add salt pepper and garlic powder,,,and then the parsley while stirring (if sauce looks too thick you can add a little more milk),,,add cooked pasta to a serving

 dish and pour sauce over it and toss,,,you can garnish  with more parmesan cheese

Oatmeal Cupcakes

This is a great recipe for Breakfast on the Go!!!,,,,,They are also gluten free,,,,a lot of the recipes for these out there don't include the brown sugar or cinnamon,,,,I really think it needed those 2 items included in this recipe, so that is what I did!,,, You can keep these in the fridge and even pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before eating!,,,You could also add ground flax meal or chia seeds if you like,,,,,Enjoy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

3 ripe bananas mashed

3 Cups quick oats (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free)

2 eggs (beaten)

1 Cup Almond milk

1 T baking powder

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

1/2 Cup brown sugar

4 T mini chocolate chips

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork....add oats and the rest of the ingredients

and mix well

line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray lightly with cooking spray

fill muffin tins with batter and bake for 25 minutes

 

 

Salad w/Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette

This is a great fresh strawberry salad dressing,,,so easy to make,,,you can add it to your favorite greens that you enjoy,,,but I will share with you how I use it!,,,I made this in my Nutri-Bullet,,,you could also use a blender,,,Here is what I do... Enjoy!!

 

SALAD

 

I used Romaine lettuce (chopped thinly)

toasted pine nuts

fresh strawberries (sliced)

garbanzo beans

(goat cheese would be great on here,,,if I had some!)

 

 

STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

 

8 large strawberries (halved)

1/4 Cup olive oil

3 T white balsamic vinegar

1 T diced shallot

1 T sugar or honey

salt and pepper

 

add all ingredients to bullet or blender and blend until smooth

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot~Cabbage Slaw

I recently went to a vegan restaurant that just opened in my area (it was fabulous by the way)!!
and along with the mushroom burger I ordered came this slaw,,,I asked the gal what was in it and she told me,,,purple cabbage, carrots and vegan mayonnaise,,,,well I didn't have any vegan mayo when I made this so I added greek yogurt, and it I think it turned out great!,,,so if you have vegan mayo you can add that or do what I did and use Greek yogurt,,,,I also added celery salt for some flavor,,,Here is what I did,,,Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 cups Julianne Carrots ( I used organic pre shredded)

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 t celery salt

salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Mix all ingredients together...cover and refrigerate

 

 

Ricotta Frittata w/ sausage and arugula

I recently returned from vacation with friends,,,,and while there my friend Brian made this recipe for everyone for breakfast,,,and it was a big hit!!,,,,This would be a great dish to make if you need to make breakfast or brunch for guests.....or why not make this for dinner!,,,,here is what he did,,,,Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 t fresh thyme or 1/4 t dry

salt and pepper

 

3 T butter

4 Italian sausage links (out of casing)

10 eggs

1 C shredded mozzarella

1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

2 C chopped baby arugula

1/4 C chopped parsley

salt and pepper

 

12 oz fresh ricotta

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

 

In a saucepan add tomatoes olive oil vinegar and thyme...cook on medium heat until

tomatoes are soft and able to mash with fork,,,,,then simmer  and stir set aside,,,this will go atop the frittata

 

 

start browning sausage (squeezed out of casing) in frying pan until cooked,,,drain and set aside

 

place ricotta in a bowl and season with salt and pepper

set aside

 

add eggs to bowl and whisk until fluffy,,,add sausage, mozzarella and parmesan cheese,,,also

add arugula and parsley,,and the salt and pepper

 

add butter to a 10 inch nonstick skillet

add egg mixture...cook until eggs set on bottom and sides of pan

transfer pan to oven (if handle is plastic, wrap in foil)

 

Bake until eggs are cooked 20-25 minutes

once done loosen sides with rubber spatula

and flip frittata onto a platter

Top with ricotta mixture

and then the tomato mixture

Cut like a pie,,,serve and Enjoy!