Blackened Tilapia Sandwich

This is a quick and easy recipe that never disappoints. I use Zatarain's blackening spice mix, but you can use whatever kind you like. I like it because it has just enough spiciness but it isn't too hot. I also use fat free tarter sauce to cool the spice a little.


Ingredients:
* 2 tilapia filets
* Zatarain's blackening spice mix
* wheat buns
* lettuce
* tomato slices
* fat free tarter sauce

Directions:
1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle both sides of tilapia with blackening spice.
3. Place tilapia in skillet and cook about 3 minutes per side or until fish is opaque and can be flaked with a fork. ( I always cut my piece in half to make sure it is cooked through because obviously you want it to be done, but you don't want to cook too long because it can dry out)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I saw this recipe on the blog, Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, and she made it look so delicious that I knew I had to try it. I made the blondies for Nick's Valentine's Day treat. He really liked them- so much that he had one for dessert and then again for breakfast the next morning! (I loved them too, but not for breakfast...) And he says this is a treat that he won't be taking to work because he wants to eat the entire pan himself.

8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
3 ounces Mascarpone cheese (I just used cream cheese because it is cheaper- not sure what the difference with Mascarpone would be)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)- (I used 1/3 cup sugar and 4tsps cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and move pan around to make sure that the bottom and sides are coated. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cream of tarter.
Using an stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat for three minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the Mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated.
Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
On low speed add the sifted flour mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. This will be hard as it is a thick batter. I found it easiest to just wet my hands a little and press the batter into the pan. Then even it out afterwards with a spatula.
Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

BBQ Turkey Burgers

These BBQ Turkey Burgers are from Cooking Light. I love turkey burgers and think I should branch out and try new recipes, but I always keep coming back to this one because I know it's good! It also comes together really fast so it is a great recipe for a weeknight meal. For the BBQ sauce, I use Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue because I like the hint of sweetness, but you can use your favorite sauce.



Ingredients

* 1/4 cup finely diced onion
* 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
* 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
* 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
* 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 pound ground turkey (I use the 99% fat free and they aren't too dry)
* Cooking spray
* 4 large leaf lettuce leaves
* 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
* 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns ( I like to use whole wheat)

Preparation

Combine the onion, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, breadcrumbs, and the next 5 ingredients (breadcrumbs through turkey) in a medium bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1 1/2 inch-thick patty.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. Spread each patty with 1 1/2 teaspoons barbecue sauce. Cover with top halves of buns.

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta

I made this for Nick's birthday this year. We have had it several times because my mom used to cook it pretty often and always when we go to the beach. It has always been a favorite and a crowd pleaser :) I usually serve it over whole wheat pasta and with steamed green beans as a side. YUMMY!


Ingredients:
*1 lb. unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
*5 green onions, sliced
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*2 Tbsp. olive oil ( I only use 1 Tbsp)
*1 (12 oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts,undrained (I used canned quartered artichoke hearts- not marinated to cut back on fat and calories)
* 1/4 cup white wine
*6 plum tomatoes, chopped
*1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
*2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
*1/4 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1/4 tsp. pepper
*fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until tender.
2. Add wine, Italian seasoning, and rosemary.
3. Stir in artichokes, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook until vegetables are tender, and then add the shrimp and cook until pink.
6. Serve over pasta and add fresh grated Parmesan on top, if desired.

Serves 4 people.

Low Fat Banana Bread

I made this low fat banana bread for "Healthy Alternative" goodie day at work. I had read about it for a while on Cookie Madness, one of my favorite blogs. Since it had gotten such good reviews, I knew I had to make it. It was delicious, and I could not tell that it was low fat! I highly recommend you try it! Sorry the picture isn't great- I think I need to hire a new photographer :) But it does look a lot better in real life and when you cut into it.



Recipe (from Epicurious)

Ingredients:
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
* 1/3 cup buttermilk
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Spray a 9×5 inch metal loaf pan with flour-added cooking spray.
3.Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy and light (about 5 minutes). Mix in smashed bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
5. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir just until blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
6. Bake bread until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn bread out onto rack and cool.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

I think that butternut squash gets my vote as my favorite vegetable. I could eat it for every meal every day! My favorite way to cook it is roasting it with a little olive oil and maple syrup. It is kind of a pain to peel and cut, but well worth it (especially since that is usually Nick's job)!



Ingredients:
- Butternut squash
- olive oil
- maple syrup
- salt

Directions:
1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. (We have found that a spoon is the best tool for scraping out the seeds.)
2. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Pour about a tablespoon or so of maple syrup into a small dish, and then use a brush (silicone if you have one) to lightly brush maple syrup over the cubed squash.
4. Sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake at 400 until tender and they begin to caramelize- I would start checking them around 25 minutes, but may take longer- it will depend on the size of your cubes.

Balsamic roasted brussels sprouts

A lot of people claim they don't like brussels sprouts, but I love these! Roasting them brings out a much better flavor than steaming them in my opinion. These are really easy to make and very healthy!



Ingredients:
Brussels sprouts
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Trim the stem ends of the brussels sprouts and then halve them.
2. Drizzle brussels sprouts with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat evenly.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Bake at 400 until tender- not sure how long- I would start checking them at 20 minutes.

Super Bowl Chili

I have been wanting to try this recipe from Cooking Light for a while so I figured the Super Bowl would be the perfect occasion. Nick and I both liked it a lot, and I will definitely be making it again. I especially liked the flavor the black beans added to it. I did make a couple of changes to the original- the main one being that I added some ground beef to it because Nick claims that it can't be chili without meat in it. It would be good either way. The recipe as I made it is below.


Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 lb 96% lean ground beef
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
* 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.