Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

The reason I love to marinate meat is to infuse the flavors and with the right ingredients it will tenderize it as well. I am happy to say that this recipe does both. The chicken was so tender and moist. I can see where this one can become a family favorite. So try a new one, I don't know about you but as much as I have my old favorites I crave a new recipe at times.

Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

• 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 tsp. dried Thyme
• 4 Chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
• 1 large gallon size Ziploc freezer bag

In a small bowl mix together first 4 ingredients well with a wire whisk. Place chicken breast in bag and add marinate, seal and refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

We cooked ours on our gas grill on high at 400 degrees by a direct cooking over flames for 12 minutes. Of course every grill is different, just cook until no longer pink inside. Or you may bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until no longer pink inside.

If you want a tender moist chicken breast then this is a must try for you. I believe this marinade would go well on pork or beef too, even though I did not try it. Enjoy!

Bok Choy Salad

 Tis the season to try to make up for a few extra pounds over the holidays. The dreaded reality has set in and now we either pay the price or eat our way into a slimmer person. I'm here to tell you that yes, you can do that. The trouble with me is that I like to eat and I want to eat food that tastes good, and sometimes it can be hard to compromise calories and flavor. So, this is my low calorie version of Bok Choy Salad. It is so good I'll bet you can't eat just one serving.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 Bok Choy, chopped
• 6 - 8 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• Dry roasted sunflower seeds for garnish, optional

Wash and drain Bok Choy and green onions. Chop off about 2 inches of the end of the Bok Choy and discard. Then dice and chop the leafy part and the white celery like stalks into bite size pieces. Next chop off root end of green onions and about 2 inches off of the green end and discard, then chop remainder of the onion thin. Toss Bok Choy and onion into a large bowl.  

In 2 cup size measuring cup add in order: olive oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then blend well with a small wire whisk. After it is mixed well add Splenda and mix well again until well blended. 

This will give you about 1 cup of dressing for you to toss over greens. Serve immediately with sunflower seeds on top for garnish. You may prepare greens and dressing in advance and toss just before serving. Enjoy!

You may want to double or triple this recipe because this is one that people will want to eat seconds on. Another great thing about this is that if you manage to have leftovers it will keep for a few days for you to munch on and it will stay crispy.

Toaster Hash Browns

May I safely say that this is an amazing bargain. I used to buy packages of 4 toaster hash browns from Ore-Ida at $5 a box, but I recently found that Aldi, a chain of deep-discount groceries, sells a box of 20 hash browns for only $3.29. Well I was timid about going there at first, as it sounded too good to be true, but my son urged me to check it out and I was sure glad that I did. Our store in Frederick, Md is small but very clean, with great prices too. You need to put a quarter into the shopping cart to unlock it, and it will hold onto your quarter until you return it. See how they save money, no carts running loose in the parking lot and no employees needed to round them up. They accept cash, debit cards and recently started accepting credit cards. Oh, and if you don't bring your own bags you will need to purchase them for 6 cents each. I love how they encourage you to recycle, and pass on the savings. So we found out that you can toast these babies in a toaster (and no need to buy the special Ore-Ida hash browns at higher prices). No hot grease to heat up and stink up your house and it's lower in fat too. I'll tell you it's a lower fat, fast and frugal hash brown. A win win situation, enjoy!

Toaster Hash Browns

Plug in your toaster and set at the medium setting. Drop in the frozen hash brown and toast it three separate times, turning between toasting. Be careful not to get burned or shocked here, you use toaster tongs if you have them. Safety calls for unplugging toaster while digging in there to flip the hash brown and avoid a shock. My Stud Muffin says I have leather fingers and can pick up hot items, but I think he's a sissy when it comes to hot food. Serve immediately after toasting. Keep in mind all toasters vary a lot so find the right heat setting and amount of time that will work best for your "Toaster Hash Brown." Fast and frugal always wins for me.

Eggnog Cake with Rum Glaze

I don't think the Holidays would be the same without Eggnog, and it's a tradition that most of us treasure. This is a cake that tastes like Eggnog. Get rid of your excess Eggnog with dignity. Happy Holidays!

Eggnog Cake with Rum Glaze

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup Eggnog
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp. rum extract
• 4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With a electric mixer cream together sugar and butter on high speed until well blended. Then add remaining ingredients and blend until mixed well on low speed, then raise to medium speed once dry ingredients have blended in well and mix for 2 minutes.

Spray a tube pan (or you may use two 9x5x3 inch pans) with Pam baking spray and evenly place batter into pan. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile about 15 minute before cake comes out of oven prepare Rum Glaze.

Rum Glaze

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 - 2 tsp. rum extract

In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat. Then combine sugar and water and raise heat to med/low whisking occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Turn off when all sugar crystals are dissolved. As soon as cake is removed fro m oven add rum extract and whisk well then pour immediately over hot cake.

Cool upright on wire rack for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Optional garnishes: vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.

Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

You are only three ingredients away, well, four if you count the olive oil spray from these delicious stuffed peppers. The first part that blew me away was that it only took me about 5 minutes to prepare these. Then we ate them and I realized that I nailed it on ease of preparation with limited ingredients, and the scrumptious level went through the roof. I served mine with risotto and kale but I could see these going well with mashed potatoes and a veggie. My goodness it would be so good served with spaghetti too. Let your mind wander about your possibilities as you savor the aroma of these babies baking on a cold day. 

I always try to cut back on fat without compromising flavor, and hence the use of turkey sausage. I have tried many brands and Shady Brooks Farms is by far my favorite. Parmesan cheese is a high calcium low fat cheese. So enjoy low fat, Italian style.

Of course if you may substitute an Italian Sausage of your choice.

Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

• About 5 Cubanelle peppers
• 1 can Pizza sauce, 15oz.
• 1 pkg Shady Brook Farms Sweet or Hot Italian turkey Sausage, 1.25 lbs

Pick through peppers at store to find ones that will have a easier shape to stuff. Some are curly and others are more straight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the tops of peppers and remove seeds leaving a hollow pepper tube. Open package of sausage and slice through casing, then remove the meat. Gently stuff meat into hollowed out peppers, some will need a little more then one link and some will only take one link to fill up pepper. I found that the six links filled the five peppers generously. Just eye this because peppers will vary in shape and size.

Place in a rectangular glass pyrex dish sprayed with Pam Olive Oil spray, then spray tops of peppers too then cover peppers with pizza sauce. Cover peppers with foil and bake for 60 minutes. Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese.

Blackened Fish Tacos

Chilly weather does not stop us from using the grill, it's a year round event for us. Talk about a quick and easy meal that is delicious, it does not get any better than this. I like my fish tacos seared, not fried. Also you may replace the Tilapia loins with another mild white fish filet if you want to. The best fish taco recipe is right here in front of you so please enjoy it.

Blackened Fish Tacos

• 3 tilapia loins
• 3 tortillas, about 10 inch size
• Smart balance margarine
• Sargento's reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream
• romaine lettuce, chopped
• jalapeno slices, pickled in jar
• Cholula hot sauce, original
• blackened seasoning

You will need a gas grill with a side burner and a 12 inch cast iron skillet with a lid for this recipe. Preheat skillet on high for 5 minutes. Meanwhile generously sprinkle the Tilapia with the blackened seasoning and wash and chop romaine.

After skillet is preheated melt 2 heaping Tbsp. of margarine into skillet and add fish after it is melted. Sear fish on both sides over high heat for 2 1/2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet to platter.

I like one fish filet per tortilla but my Stud Muffin is a heartier eater then I and likes to eat two filets per tortilla. Flatten fish filet out off to one side with a spatula to spread over half of tortilla, then sprinkle with some cheese on top. Fold over in half and microwave it for 30-50 seconds to warm up the tortilla and melt the cheese.

Serve immediately and my preferred toppings are sour cream, lettuce, jalapenos and hot sauce. Also I like to serve this with my red beans and rice recipe. If you want to cook for a crowd just heat up the grill on medium/ low and place a large pyrex dish inside of grill. This will keep fish warm while you are blackening the rest of the filets. Repeat directions for remaining fish, never cooking more the three per skillet at a time.

I buy my Tilapia loins at Costco in the frozen fish section. Place them in refrigerator the night before to thaw or soak in sink in cold water for about 30 minutes or until thawed. These are great because you can have plenty of fresh tasting filets for a quick and easy dinner.

I find the La Tortilla Factory Tortillas at my local Giant or Weis stores in front of the deli section. I like the traditional flavor the best that is made with extra virgin olive oil. I love the fact that they are only 90 calories, 3 g of fat and 13 g of fiber.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

 Oh, how I love it when I nail a new recipe on the first try. Yes, these babies are sure to be a favorite. I love a soft cookie and the spices of the cookie are perfectly complimented by the cream cheese icing. Simple to make, and delicious to eat. It does not get any better then that.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 box Duncan Hines Spice cake mix
• 1 cup of canned pumpkin 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• parchment paper
• cookie dough dropper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile with a electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin, then add the egg. Slowly add the cake mix blending on low and mix well for 2-3 minutes or until well blended.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop cookie dough onto paper evenly spacing a dozen cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Once cookies have completely cooled it is time to prepare icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz cream cheese 1/3 less fat, softened
• 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

With a electric mixer cream together butter and cream cheese, add vanilla. Slowly add powered sugar over low speed and raise once it is blended. Whip for about 3 minutes over med/high speed. Spread a generous amount of icing onto cookies and refrigerate single layer to harden the icing. Once it is hard enough place in a air tight container with wax paper separating the layers. Makes 3 dozen.