Zucchini Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)

Frosting:

1/4 cup margarine
6 TBS unsweetened cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. It will still be pretty powdery, but mix until well blended. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in to the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.

The batter will be very crumbling. Pour and then press it into your pan. Don't worry, the zucchini will add plenty of moisture as it cooks.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven. Brownies should spring back when gently touched.

To make the frosting, melt together the 1/4 cup margarine and 6 TBS cocoa over medium heat; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. I blended these with my hand mixer.

Spread over cooled brownies!

*I've made these twice and my family loves them. They are chewy and moist. The first time the bottom had a sugary texture, but the second time around I didn't find that at all. I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Pasta with Shrimp Scampi

I saw this recipe while watching the food network the other day and my mouth was watering just watching it. It tasted as good as it looked and it is one of our family favorites now. It is from the show Barefoot Contessa.


Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large raw shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes


Directions


Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.


Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.



*Just a couple of tips I picked up from watching her cook this. Everyone probably already knows these things, but maybe there is someone out there like me who had no idea these things made a difference.

When defrosting raw or cooked shrimp, never defrost under running water. It toughens the shrimp. Defrost in the refrigerator or watching closely at room temperature.

When she cooked the shrimp she placed them in the skillet and let them sit for about 2 minutes then flipped them over and let them sit for about two more minutes. That way they cooked evenly and they don't overcook and become tough.

Once the shrimp was pink she immediately removed them from the heat.


**I doubled this recipe because my whole family is huge shrimp fans. We had the perfect amount with just enough for a couple of plates of leftovers for tomorrow. I also forgot to pick up fresh lemons and so I used lemon juice from the bottle and I didn't do the zest. I can't imagine it tasting any yummier, but I will try fresh lemons next time. :)

Garlic and Herb Oven Fried Halibut

I found this recipe on http://www.myrecipes.com/ when I searched "kid friendly halibut recipe." It was so YUMMY!!! My kids thought it was chicken and could not get enough of it. We loved it too and it was just a bonus that it was such an easy fix and so healthy and good for you.

(Sorry for the picture, it smelled so good that we forgot to take a "pretty picture" once we had it dished up.)

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (I used Italian flavored breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place egg whites and egg in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining fish. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

**I didn't plan in advance and so I used dried spices in stead of fresh. Also, I cut my fillets pretty thick, I will cut them a lot thinner next time. The 6 minutes at 450 was plenty of time even for the thick fillets that we had. Just be careful to not overcook. My kids loved how tender it was.

Pulled Pork on Buns

Put in your crock pot:

2lbs of pork (chops, spare ribs, loin, etc)
16-24 oz of BBQ sauce, (Sweet Baby Ray's is our fave)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, break it up with a wooden spoon and stir occasionally.

Put in your bread maker, on dough setting:

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup oil
2 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp salt
4 cups flour (We like 3 white and 1 wheat best, but any combo will work)
2 tsp dry yeast

When the dough is done, divide in to 16-20 rolls. I kind of pat them into a flattish circle. Bake at 400*, I usually check mine between 12-14 minutes. I think my oven runs hot because the original recipe said 20 minutes.

Let them cool, then slice like a hamburger bun. Fill with pork, and enjoy! I like to serve these with fresh fruit and veggies.

I usually load the crock pot late morning, and start the dough. Then I bake the buns after I get my son down for his nap. I love not having to rush at dinner time!

Some New Inspiration for Dinner

I just heard about this website, created by Tamra Davis..... She created all these great little cooking shows at home. I really enjoyed watching them and felt very inspired to create some new, healthy meals. My favorite thing about the shows is how she let her little boys help make dinner and how creative she lets them be.

If you have a few minutes, you should check it out:

http://www.tamradaviscookingshow.com/

Let me know what you think.... : )

Halibut and Hearts

This was a quick and yummy recipe I saw on Food Network. I don't know how much of a difference the Saffron makes. I used marinated Artichoke Hearts and we served it over rice. I think the chicken broth and artichoke hearts gave the majority of the flavor.

3/4 cup Chicken Broth
12 ounce can Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped - halved or quartered (marinated or plain)
1 tsp. saffron threads
4 halibut fillets
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Heat Olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season all sides of halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Sear the halibut in the heated oil. (About 2 minutes each side) You want the halibut to be a nice golden brown. Remove Halibut and set aside away from heat. In the same pan, add chicken broth, artichoke hearts, and saffron. Bring this mixture to a simmer and return halibut to the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes (until fish is fork tender.) DO NOT OVERCOOK. Halibut will cook VERY quickly and can get rubbery if overcooked. Quickly remove from heat and serve.

Chicken with Feta Cheese

I made this last night because I was totally craving feta cheese and I loved this recipe! The only thing I didn't think about was how my kids aren't really fans of feta.... so they weren't so into it. Next time I will make their chicken with mozzarella in the middle and I know they would LOVE it! The sauce that this recipe makes is so good! (Picture and recipe from everydayfood.com)

Serves 4

• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, (about 3 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine feta and oregano. Make a pocket in chicken breasts: Holding chicken flat with palm of one hand, make an incision in thicker side of each breast with a paring knife. Carefully pivot the knife to create a deep pocket, keeping the other side of the chicken breast intact. Stuff pockets with feta mixture, dividing evenly; generously season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until browned on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes per side.
3. Cover skillet, and continue cooking until chicken is opaque throughout and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160 degrees. about 5 minutes more. Remove chicken to a platter, and keep warm.
4. To the skillet, add chicken stock, and cook, stirring up brown bits with a wooden spoon until reduced slightly. Add lemon juice and butter. Reduce the heat to low, and swirl pan until butter is melted, and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve chicken drizzled with sauce.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is an easy soup that I make for my family often in the winter. It's kid friendly because it isn't spicy, but you could add some tobasco if you like it with some heat.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into bite sized cubes
1 T. oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp chili powder
1 ¾ tsp oregano
1 sweet red, yellow, or orange pepper (or a combination), chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
24 oz. chicken stock (or I use 3 c. water & 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
3 T. fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano; cook for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the chicken cubes, chopped peppers and cook until chicken is done. Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 7 minutes. Add corn and black beans; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Add cilantro just before serving. Ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips.

Usually, I'll serve the soup with cheese quesidillas and chips and salsa.

Twisted Kisses

I have seen these on lots of other blogs but I thought I would post them here. My family loved this super easy recipe and my kids loved being so involved. I LOVE the way they taste and just how easy they are to make and I love that there is no mess!!

1 package Hershey Kisses (we used hugs too.)

1 package milk chocolate M&M's (we used Reese's pieces)

1 package pretzles

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or tinfoil

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Lay out pretzles on the wax paper and place a Hershey Kiss on each pretzle.

Place in the oven for 4-6 minutes (remove when the kisses have softened)

Once out of the oven press an M&M on each kiss.

ENJOY!!

Chocolate Sandwiches

These were absolutely to die for!

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
4 large slices challah or Italian bread, (cut 3/4 inch thick)
4 ounces thin semisweet chocolate bar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


1) In a large, shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.

2) Form two sandwiches with the bread and chocolate (break chocolate as necessary to cover bread without extending over edges); dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture to coat.

3) Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; transfer sandwiches to skillet. Cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cut in half, and dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.