Yummy Healthy Cookies!

RECIPE OF THE DAY: 

Ingredients
3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup raisins or nuts
1 cup good chocolate chunks
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees
bake for 15-20 minutes
Cool and Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE TRIFLE

I recommend starting with cubed cake, then strawberries then vanilla cheesecake mousse in that order.  Depending on the size and depth of the bowl used, the layers could come together differently, so consider the size of the bowl you’re using when separating the ingredients into layers. This is a fun dessert to make and serve and there’s never a spoonful leftover.

Ingredients you’ll need:
Strawberries: 
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and cubed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 [21 oz] can strawberry pie filling
Vanilla cheesecake mousse: 
2 [8] oz cream cheese, softened
2 cup powdered sugar, divided
4 cup heavy cream, divided
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 angel food or vanilla pound cake, cubed

Directions:
Mix together the cubed strawberries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 juiced lemon.   Stir well then set aside to macerate while you make the filling.  Whip together 2 [8] oz softened cream cheese with 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Add 1 Tbsp pure vanilla.  Whip for 2-3 minutes until creamy, fluffy and combined.  In a  separate bowl, whip the remaining 2 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, more if desired.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Fold 2 cup of the whipped sweetened fresh cream into the cheesecake mixture by hand.  Reserve the remaining whipped sweetened fresh cream for the top of the trifle.

Add the strawberry pie filling to the macerated strawberries, mix well.

To assemble, alternate layers of cubed cake, strawberries, and vanilla cheesecake mousse.  Repeat until all ingredients have been used.  Top with the remaining sweetened fresh whipped cream and garnish as desired. Store chilled.  Yield: 14-16 servings

Cook’s note:
If desired, you may use 8 oz frozen whipped topping [i.e. Cool Whip] for the cheesecake mousse in place of the 2 cup of  whipped sweetened fresh cream.  Also, you’ll also need an additional 8 oz whipped topping to garnish the top.

Cheesy Party Burgers (AKA Diamond Burgers)

Total deliciousness in every bite. These Cheesy Party Burgers know how to blow the party up!!! :)

Cheesy Party Burgers (AKA Diamond Burgers)

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, drained
• 12 slices cheddar cheese
• 12 dinner rolls

Glaze

• ½ cup (8 tablespoons) butter
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place a large skillet on the stovetop over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the beef and season with salt, pepper, cumin, mustard powder, and paprika. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and onions are golden. Stir in drained tomatoes until well combined.
3. Place bottom half of buns in prepared pan. Top with beef & sliced cheese. Finish off with the top half of the bun.
4. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a sauce pan over medium heat until melted, smooth and combined. Pour over the buns.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Makes: 12 burgers.

20 Minute Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan

20 Minute Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan

 

Ingredients

• 6-8 small chicken cutlets or breast filets (1.5-2 lbs)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups of your favorite Traditional Sauce
• 2 cup chopped baby spinach
• 1 cup grated mozzarella

 

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Combine panko and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
3. Coat the chicken with the bread crumb mixture pressing gently to adhere.
4. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the cutlets (do in batches to avoid crowding) and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. (Wipe skillet before repeating with remaining chicken pieces.)
6. Remove chicken from skillet and pour half of the pasta sauce onto the bottom of the skillet.
7. Gently lay the chicken on top.
8. Top each piece of chicken with a couple tablespoons of sauce, ¼ cup chopped spinach, and two tablespoons of mozzarella. Just spoon and sprinkle till it looks right :)
9. Place in broiler for 2-4 minutes until cheese just begins to turn golden brown.
10. Serve immediately.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups -

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups -

loaded with Mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil!
Ingredients
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup marinara sauce, recipe follows
Simple Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).

Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.

Simple Marinara Sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sautéing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).

STUFFED ITALIAN BREAD!!!!!

STUFFED ITALIAN BREAD!!!!!

1 Italian loaf, about 12 inches long
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tsp minced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3 tsp chopped parsley (add more if you wish)
12 oz grated cheese (use a mix of white cheddar and Monterrey jack.)(Or your choice)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds and parsley in a bowl.

Cut the bread into cubes with X slices without cutting all the way through the bottom crust.

Pour the butter-onion garlic mixture carefully into those X cracks using a small spoon and over the top of the bread. Fill those delicious cracks with the grated cheese. (It seems like a lot of work and trouble but it's all worth it. Yes.)

Wrap the entire loaf with foil, sealing the sides properly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.

Muffaletta Tortellini Salad

Muffaletta Tortellini Salad is all your favorite things about a pasta salad and the classic Italian flavors of the Muffaletta sandwich rolled into one amazing summer salad. An easy recipe that you will be making all year round .

4 ounces Genoa salami, cut into bite size pieces
4 ounces mortadella, cut into bite size pieces
4 ounces capicola, cut into bite size pieces
4 ounces provolone cheese, cut into bite size pieces
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into bite size pieces
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen tortellini

Olive Salad
¼ cup  red wine vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 (6 ounce) jar Italian mix giardiniera, chopped
½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
½ cup  pimento stuffed olives, sliced
½ cup sliced kalamata olives, halved
½ cup  sliced black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained

Prepare the olive salad: Reserve 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a medium bowl combine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley and black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside. Cut up remaining ingredients according to ingredient list. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Toss well until combined and coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (up to overnight).

Meanwhile: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Remove from heat and drain.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare deli meats and cheeses: cut meats and cheese into bite size pieces, approximately ¼”- ½” in size. Shred Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons reserved olive oil over drained tortellini. Stir to combine. Add olive salad to drained tortellini and gently stir until well combined. Toss in chopped meats and cheeses.

Serve and enjoy.

COOK’S NOTES: Meats and cheeses and be purchased at your grocery store deli counter. As for them to be thick cut (approximately ¼”- ½”).

Giardiniera is an Italian mix of pickled vegetables and can be found in your grocery store near the pickles and olives.

Recipe can be halved.

Salad can be prepped ahead several days ahead by making the olive salad and placing in the refrigerator. Cut meats and cheeses and refrigerate. On the day you wish to serve cook tortellini and prepare salad.

Muffaletta Tortellini Salad will keep for several days to a week in the fridge.