Italian Style Green Bean Salad

Easy to make, low calorie and low fat never tasted so good. A recipe will not get any easier then this one, but do not be fooled as it is tasty, too. Cool beans for a hot day. Enjoy!

Italian Style Green Bean Salad

• Two 14.5 oz. cans green beans, drained
• 4 slices red onion, sliced thin, then quartered
• 1/4 cup light balsamic dressing, I used Ken's light options
• 1/4 tsp. dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic, chopped from jar
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Drain green beans and place into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and cover, chill for several hours or overnight.

Giant Basil

I'll tell you my secret to growing "Mutant Basil" and it is so simple. My Stud Muffin came up with the solo cup idea for support and it really makes a difference. How about that, another clever use for the Red Solo cup.

I love fresh basil on tomato and mozzarella salad, Tuscan Bean Salad, and of course in my spaghetti and pesto sauce just to name a few. I use fresh snippings all summer long, just remember to never take off more then 1/3 of the plant at a time. 

Right around the end of September my hubby picks off the leaves from the plants for me. Then I wash and dry the leaves well, at this time I will freeze the rest of the leaves for pasta sauce in the winter. Just load into a Ziploc freezer bag with the freshly washed leaves and pop into the freezer. This is my favorite trick as you will not need to chop the basil, it will crumble easily once it is froze. You may also make pesto and  freeze in ice cube trays and then load cubes into Ziploc freezer bags. Enjoy your summer's bounty all winter long.

How to grow Giant Basil plants

• 1 live Basil plant, from grocery store produce section
• Miracle Gro Moisture control potting mix
• red solo cup, it has to be red (just kidding)
• 1 large ceramic pot with drain holes
• small stones

After the danger of frost when it is starting to warm up outside in spring is the best time to plant. I have found they do well planted directly into the ground as well if you don't want to use a planter. I live in Maryland so that is mid May to early June for me.

I like to line the bottom of the ceramic pot with about 1 inch of small stones. Then fill to the top with soil and press soil down with your hands to compact it. Dig out a small hole that is just deep enough to cover the soil mound and roots that are on the bottom of the basil plant.

Remove basil from plastic bag and plant in soil and press firmly around the edges. Then cut down one side of the solo cup to the bottom and then cut the bottom completely off. Now open the cup up and warp it around the Basil plant and this will hold the plant up until if gets strong enough to stay up on its own.

How do you like my little happy face? When it is strong enough to stand tall by itself carefully remove the cup. Keep basil moist but not saturated. My plants do well in partial sun, beside my basement door right up against the house. The cup holds the plant up and lets is still spread out some.

Don't forget to pinch off flowers as you do not want the plant to go to seed. Also your Basil will grow better if you use it regular and if you do not just prune some off.

Bang Bang Chicken

Bang Bang Chicken Tacos or Bang Bang Chicken Tenders, you decide. I love spicy and I love crispy too, you can have both with these babies. Dinner or appetizer, you cannot go wrong. Quick and easy, oh, how I love that. Enjoy!

Bang Bang Chicken

• ½ cup Hellman's light mayonnaise
• 1 - 2 Tbsp. Tuong ot Sriracha sauce & extra for garnish
• 1 - 2 Tbsp. Sweet Chili sauce, by Maggi Taste of Asia
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• About 1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenderloins
• 2 cups Canola oil

Trim chicken of cartilage with kitchen scissors if there is any. Add 1 cup of Panko to large dinner plate and press tenderloins one at a time into Panko on both sides of chicken. Cover and refrigerate after all are coated.

In a large nonstick skillet add canola oil and heat over a medium heat. You can tell when oil is hot enough by dropping in one Panko bread crumb, if it has bubbles around it and starts to brown the oil is hot enough. You may want to use a splatter screen for the top of the skillet. Place tenders into oil and cook on both sides for 4 minutes or until no longer pink in center. After both sides are cooked place on a paper lined serving platter to drain excess oil.

You may serve these with the sauce on the side for dipping or coat tenders with sauce and serve as a soft taco. If you like your tacos spicy add more Sriracha sauce.

I had a 1.18 lb pack of Chicken Breast Tenderloins and it made 8 chicken tenders.

Shrimp Cocktail

 This is my Stud Muffin's favorite appetizer. It is so quick and easy. Also you may prepare it in advance, I just love that. Now you can scrounge up any kind of glass for this, martini, margarita, etc. You can prepare this and eat it right away or wrap plastic over and refrigerate until ready to eat. A nice cold app for a hot summer day.

Shrimp Cocktail

• I bag frozen salad style precooked shrimp 100-150 per pound, only using 3 cups
• Chopped lettuce of your choice
• 4 martini glasses
• 1 lemon

Cocktail sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup horseradish in jar
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. mustard powder

About 24 hours before place frozen shrimp in air tight container in refrigerator to thaw. The next day mix together the cocktail sauce and chop the lettuce. Drain shrimp in wire mesh strainer and pat dry with a clean paper towel or two.

Place chopped lettuce in martini glasses then top with shrimp and a generous dollop of cocktail sauce. Serve with a wedge of lemon on the side. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Hummus

Hummus so expensive to buy, yet so inexpensive and easy to make. It makes for a great dip or a nice roll up and it's healthy to boot. So you may want to serve this as a dip with crackers or pita chips. Also it makes a great roll up. I like to add fat free Feta, onion slices and lettuce or broccoli slaw to my tortilla roll up. Guess what I had for lunch today. Yum yum!

Jalapeno Hummus

• 1 can Goya Garbonzo beans (1 lb, 13 oz.), drained & rinsed
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno slices 

Add above ingredients into a food processor and whirl for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Refrigerate overnight to let flavors meld. Serve with crackers, pita crisps, or make a hummus roll up for lunch.

Mac and Cheese for a Crowd

I just love it when I do a make-ahead dish for a crowd. I came up with this variation when we were having a crab feasty at our house. There were some young kids coming and they requested Mac & Cheese for the little ones. Seems to me the adults there enjoyed it just as much as the kids did. This was perfect because it stayed hot while the people straggled in to eat. It's makes for a flexible meal schedule. Who doesn't need that these days. Enjoy!

Macaroni & Cheese for a crowd

• 1 16 oz. box elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
• 5 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

You will need a crockpot with a warm setting and a removable crock. Cook pasta according to package directions
adding 4 minutes to longest suggested cooking time. This will make your Mac & Cheese more tender.

Meanwhile place crock into oven then preheat oven to 350 degrees leaving crock to heat up with the oven.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Then blend in flour, salt & pepper; gradually whisking in milk. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. In a very large bowl mix together cheese mixture with cooked pasta.

Remove preheated crock with hot pads and be careful not to get burned. Spray crock with cooking spray;  add Mac & Cheese to crock.

Place crock back into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir mixture together well, you will notice some separation; place crock into heating element and turn onto warm setting. This will feed a large crowd and stays hot in the crockpot. A great make ahead side for a get together.

Skinny Caesar

My Stud Muffin just loves a Caesar salad and he eats one every chance he can get, yes that's my chubby hubby. They can be so high in fat and my guy does not need that. So hence this is my version of "The Skinny Caesar." I managed to cut back on the fat without cutting back on the flavor. You can always top this with some grilled chicken or shrimp so it can be a side salad or a complete meal. This recipe is for one main meal salad or two side salads. If you want to make lots just remember 1 part salad dressing to 2 parts sour cream. Hot days ahead call for a cold salad for lunch or dinner. Lower fat, quick and easy, it doesn't get any better then that. Enjoy!

Low Fat Caesar Salad 

• 1 head of Romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/4 cup Ken's Steak house Lite Caesar salad dressing
• Shredded Parmesan
• Croutons
• Freshly grated Black Peppercorns, to taste
• Anchovies, strictly optional here

Place salad plate in freezer to chill. Then wash and chop Romaine and place in a large bowl. Dry off excess water on lettuce with a paper towel and set aside. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together sour cream and salad dressing. Pour mixture onto lettuce and toss until completely coated well. Place salad on a chilled plate and top with black pepper, parmesan cheese, croutons, and anchovies. Serve immediately.