Baked Tilapia

Pre heat oven to 350 Take 1lb tilapia, rinsed and patted dry and place in baking dish. Drizzle extra virgen olive oil on both sides, just enough to coat. Juice 2 limes and our over both sides of fish. Sprinkle with pepper, sea salt and Italian dried herbs to taste. Pour one drained can diced tomatoes with green chili (I use rotelle) one diced jalapeño, 1/2 a small white onion diced very fine, 2 celery stalks diced, 2 carrots diced, chopped cilantro to taste (I use a lot). Cover with foil bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately! You can serve over wild rice or on corn tortillas for fish tacos. We tend to eat it in big butter leaf lettuce for a healthier option and garnish with avocado!

Skip A Step Spinach Lasagna

1/2 pound lasagna noodles (do not cook)
16 oz. lowfat cottage or ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded moszzarella cheese
10 oz. frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
2 egg whites
30 oz. jar Ragu thick & hearty muchroom sauce

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Mix cottage/ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, and egg whites together.
Layer as follows in a 13x9 pan: sauce, noddles, then chesse and spinach mixture. Repeat. Make sure to cover the top with the Ragu sauce. Pour 1 T. water into each corner and cover tightly with aluminum foil. By doing this, the noodles will be cooked when the dish is done!
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
I often add more mushrooms to the sauce or some other veggie that I might have in the crisper (finely chopped zuccihni or yellow squash).

Andi will not each spinach in any other form than this dish!! I love that it is heart healthy and only takes a few minutes to put together. And there are always left overs, I think it taste better the next day.

Turkey & Veggie Meatloaf Minis

1/2 cup grated onion
7 T. Ketchup
1 1/4 pound ground turkey
3 cups broccoli coleslaw (chopped well)
1/2 cup fatfree egg substitute
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
nonstick spray
Muffin pan

Preheat 350 degrees

Spray 9 compartments of muffin tin with nonstick spray.
Combine all ingredients except 3 T. ketchup in mixing bowl. Distrubute mixture evenly amoung the muffin tin cups. Brush each meatloaf with the remaining 3 T. ketchup.
Bake until firm with lightly browned edges. 30-35 mins.

Andi loves these and has no idea that she is getting a hidden veggie. If you don't have turkey burger you can use hamburger.

easy granola... with walnuts

Delicious granola with hidden walnuts, so that the kiddos will eat some nuts! Deceptive... and delicious... but not from the book. Easy granola recipe from my MIL.

2/3 cup oil
8 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey


Heat in skillet and coat with ingredients until warm, then bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring and baking more until golden, 5 minutes at a time.

That's it. But I food processed walnuts to give some added healthy benefits.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna in a Crock Pot

Today is Scott's birthday and for dinner I made Buffalo Chicken Lasagna. It's super easy and very tasty. And who doesn't love a crock pot recipe.
--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles (I used Tinkyada brand)
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crockpot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients. In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit.Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into. Or it will fall apart.

For dessert I made a Baker's Square French Silk Pie. This was a partial disaster and success. I'll let you know how it tastes once we dive in to it later. There were raw eggs in the main part so I thought I'd bake it for about 5-10 minutes to make sure there was no more raw egg. Well I didn't realize it'd expand as much as it did as it poured all over our non-self-cleaning oven :( I took it out and put it in a bowl to cool. Once everything was cooled I put it together and it is now setting in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• Whipped cream or Cool Whip
• Baked pie crust

Instructions

1. Bake a pie crust or use a Pillsbury refrigerated crust and make according to package directions for a fully baked crust.
2. Beat sugar and butter on medium high until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Add chocolate and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add eggs, two at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow filling to chill for 2-3 hours before adding to cooled pie crust. Add prepared whipped topping, You can garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate as well.
3. Best if left overnight to set.