Lemon and Brown Butter Fish Fillets

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This was a great, light, summer meal. It would have been even better had I remembered to make the bread I was planning on. Even mashed potatoes would have been a good side.






What's Needed:
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint red grape tomatoes
1/2 C. parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. tilapia fillets
All-purpose flour
4 T. cold, unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat a large skillet over high heat with 2 T. of olive oil.

2. Add the grape tomatoes in an even layer and sear for 2 minutes. Add half of the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until tomatoes start to burst. Remove them from the pan and cover with aluminum foil.








3. Wipe out the skillet. Return stove to medium-high heat.

4. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.


5. Add 2 T. olive oil to skillet. Once oil is hot, shake extra flour from the fish and add to the skillet.

6. Cook fish for 4-5 minutes on each side. Once cooked, transfer the fish to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil.











7. Wipe skillet clean. Return stove to medium-high heat.

8. Melt butter. Once butter is brown and smells slightly nutty, add lemon juice and remaining parsley.

9. Pour brown butter over fish and top with tomatoes.

PointsPlus: 10 (1 fillet with sauce and tomatoes)
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: Rachel Ray: 365 and No Repeats

Pinterest Recipe Review: Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles

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I LOVE Pinterest, especially for finding yummy new recipes! Seriously, if you haven't checked it out yet, request an invite for Pinterest soon.

This was one of the first recipes I found while browsing pins on other people's boards. I made a few changes (as I almost always do). This recipe said it served 4. I beg to differ. As my picture will show, this could easily feed 6.

What's Needed:
6 oz. extra-wide egg noodles
1 2- to 2-1/4-lb. purchased roasted chicken (I used chicken tenders that I had pre-cooked with a little bit of garlic and basil.)
1 cup frozen peas
1.5 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 C. Plain Bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Snipped fresh thyme (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Bring 6 cups of salted water to boiling; add noodles. Cook 10 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. Remove chicken from bones. Shred chicken.

3. In saucepan, combine chicken, peas, garlic, and milk. Heat through. Cover and keep warm.

4.In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/4 of the Parmesan, and butter.

5. Stir noodles and remaining Parmesan into hot chicken mixture. Heat and stir until bubbly.

6. Put in a 9x13 casserole dish (or divide into 4 small casserole dishes). Top each with the bread crumb mixture. Bake 5 minutes or until top begins to brown.

PointsPlus: 11
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: Better Homes and Gardens Recipe, as pinned on Pinterest

Sausage Bean Soup and Italian Grilled Cheese

Sinfully delish! That's exactly how I would describe this meal--especially the grilled cheese. It's the best grilled cheese because it's right in between grilled cheese and savory french toast. Make sure you save points for this meal, because you're going to need them.




What's Needed:
Soup:
3/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (15 oz) garbonzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) beef broth
1 tsp. dried basil
Parmesan cheese (optional, and will be additional points)

Grilled Cheese:
4 slices Italian bread (1 in. thick)--I cut mine in half and made mini-sandwiches.
4 slices provolone cheese
3 eggs
1/2 C. milk
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2/3 C. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs.

Soup:
1. In a large saucepan, cook sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink. Drain.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and basil.

3. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serves: 6

Grilled Cheese:
1. Cut the 4 slices of bread in half. Place a slice of cheese in the middle and top with the other half.

2. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Soak bread for 2 minutes on each side.

3. Coat bread with bread crumbs.

4. Cook on a greased hot griddle until golden brown on both sides.
Serves 8

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus--Soup: 9 for 1/6 of the recipe
PointsPlus--Sandwich: 8 for 2 mini-sandwiches

Inspired by: TasteofHome Classic Cookbook

Cheese Ravioli Lasagna

Easy and very tastey. This was a win all the way around!

What's Needed:

2 24 oz. jars pasta sauce with tomato and basil
12 oz. bulk Italian sausage
2 C. chopped tomatoes
1 15-oz. carton ricotta cheese
1/2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 9-oz. packages refrigerated light cheese-filled ravioli
1 1/2 C. shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spread about 1/2 C. of the pasta sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish. Set the remaining pasta sauce aside.

2. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain off fat. Stir the remaining pasta sauce and chopped tomatoes into cooked sausage; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine ricatta cheese, milk, nutmeg; set aside.

4. Layer half of the uncooked ravioli over pasta sauce in baking dish. Spoon half of the sausag emixture over ravioli in dish; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining ravioli; spoon ricotta mixture over ravioli and top with remaining meat sauce.

5. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through and ravioli is cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, top with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Serves 10.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 11

Inspired by: 9x13: The Pan That Can

Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything more perfect than the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven? I think not. That smell brings back many happy childhood memories. My mom would make those every time my Nana and Papa came to town because Papa loved them so much. This is officially my new Christmas Eve tradition--cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Boy, were they a hit!










What's Needed:
4 1/2 - 5 C. All-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 C. milk
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. butter

For the Powdered Sugar Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 C. of the flour and the yeast; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 1/3 C. butter, granulated sugar, and salt; heat and stir just until warm (120-130 F) and butter is almost melted.

3. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape into ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours).

5. Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.

6. For the filling, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, the 1/4 C. flour and the cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/2 C. butter until crumbly.

7. Roll out dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling over dough. STarting from a long side, roll up dough rectangle into a spiral. Press seam to seal. Cut spiral into 12 equal pieces. Arrange slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan.

8. Loosely cover; let dough rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 45 minutes).

9. Preheat oven to 375. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully invert cinnamon rolls onto a wire rack; remove pan. Cool slightly. Invert again onto a serving platter.

10. Make the icing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until icing is of drizzling consistency.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 10 (but oh, so worth it!)

Inspired by: 9x13: The Pan That Can

Mac and Cheese

This was good. It would have been better had I not overcalculated the amount of milk needed. I ended up with a very soupy mac and cheese. I have adjusted the recipe accordingly. I must say--this was even BETTER as left-overs.

What's Needed:
1/4 stick butter (2 T.)
1 1/2 C. UNcooked macaroni
3 C. milk
3 C. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Microwave butter for 30 seconds or until melted.

2. Scrape the butter into the crockpot. Add macaroni, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Stir well.

3. Cover the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 3 hours.

Husband's Grade: B
PointsPlus: 11 (serves 4)

Inspired by Fix-It and Forget-It Kids Cookbook

Mexican Cornbread

This was good. By the time I got home, the cornbread was burned a bit on the sides. If I were to make this again, I'd try to be home around the time it was going to be finished.

What's Needed:
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, browned
16 oz. can cream-style corn
1 C. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 C. oil
1 C. fat-free milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. taco sauce
2 C. shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, oil, milk, eggs, and taco sauce. Pour half of the mixture into the crockpot.

2. Layer cheese, onion, garlic, and ground beef on top of cornmeal mixture. Cover with remaining cornmeal mixture.

3. Cover. Cook on HIGH 1 hour and on LOW 3.5-4 hours; or only on LOW 6 hours.

Husband's Grade: B+
PointsPlus: 11 (1/6 of the crockpot)

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Garlic Butter-Burger

Another recipe from my two favorite boys: The Deen Brothers!

What's Needed:
1/4 C. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 T. parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 8 oz. hamburger patties (the leaner the better--it will help with the points)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Prepare grill or grill pan for medium heat.

2. In a small bowl, mash together the butter, parsley, garlic. Form into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

3. Cut a slit 1/2 inch deep into the side of each burger. Cut the butter log into 8 slices; tuck 1 slice into the slit in each burger, pressing it deep into the burger. Pinch the slits closed so the meat totally covers the butter.

4. Grill or broil the burgers for 7-9 minutes per side (medium rare) or 12-13 minutes (well done), turning once.

5. Spread the remaining butter slices on each half of the hamburger buns. Toast under a broiler.

6. If desired, top with tomato, onion, and lettuce.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 10 (WITHOUT the bun!)

Inspired by: The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat by Jaimie & Bobby Deen

Quick Lasagna

Very good, but needed more sauce. I made a change in the recipe for next time to use 2 jars of sauce instead of one.

What's Needed:
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
12-oz. package broad egg noodles
1 C. fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 C. shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 16 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Set aside
2. Cook noodles and drain. Toss noodles with cottage, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.
3. Mix together browned beef and 1 jar of spaghetti sauce.
4. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, plus 1/3 of the 2nd jar of spaghetti sauce.
5. Layer in half of the noodles. Repeat layers.
6. Cover. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 10 for 1/6 of the crockpot

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Carnitas

I was introduced to carnitas by my father-in-law, who brought it home from the store one night for dinner. Turns out, this is one of my husband's favorite things, so when I stumbled across a crockpot recipe for it, I was very excited.

What's Needed:
1 2-lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 T. whole black peppercorns
2 tsp. cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 14-oz. cans chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
12 6-inch crisp corn tortillas
Your choice of salsa and sour cream

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place in crockpot.

2. Make a bouquet garni by cutting a 6-inch square from a double thickness of 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Place peppercorns, cumin seeds, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves in the center of the square. Bring up the corners and tie with clean 100%-cottom kitchen string (or, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together--that's what I normally do). If you don't have cheesecloth, use a coffee filter.

3. Add bouquet garni to the crockpot and pour broth over meat.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or on HIGH for 4.5-5 hours.

5. Using a slotted spatula, remove meat from slow cooker. Discart bouquet garni and cooking liquid. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds; discard any fat.

6. Sprinkle meat with lime juice; toss to mix. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, and salsa.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 10 (about 5 oz. of meat and two corn tortillas)

Breakfast :)

It was my grade-level's turn to make breakfast for the hungry teachers at school. My donation to the cause was this totally easy, very scrumptious strata. It was a cinch to put together the night before. In the morning, all I had to do was stick it in the oven while I got ready for work! I wish I had taken pictures, because they looked as good as they tasted.

What's Needed:
1 1-lb. loaf cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 eggs, slightly beaten
2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 21-oz. can pie filling (either apple, cherry, or peach)
1/2 C. slivered almonds, toasted
Powdered sugar

1. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Place prepared bread in pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and almond extract. Stir in your choice of pie filling and half of the almonds. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread in the pan. Press down lightly with the back of a wooden spoon to moisten all of the bread. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325. Bake, uncovered, about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Sift powdered sugar over. Makes 8 (rather big) servings

Co-workers rating: (based on the comments I received) A
PointsPlus: 10

Inspired by: Better Homes and Gardens: 9x13 Pan That Can

Wine-sauced chicken and veggies

I went on a playdate with Joey with some of my school friends today. By the time I got back, I could smell this before I walked in the door. There's nothing like being greeted with the smell of a home-cooked meal :)

What's Needed:
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, quartered
2 C. frozen carrots
1 small onion, sliced
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. snipped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fat-free chicken broth
1 C. dry white wine
3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour

1. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in crockpot. Place chicken on vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley, salt, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and garlic; add chicken broth and wine.

2. Cover; cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-4.5 hours.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to a warm plate. Cover to keep chicken and vegetables warm.

4. For gravy: skim and discard fat from cooking juices; strain juices. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Add cooking juices. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.

DH Rating: A-
PointsPlus: 10 for chicken, vegetables, and gravy

Paella

This was very good--and very much a comfort food. If you're looking for something low in points, this is NOT the meal you are looking for.

What's Needed
1 T. olive oil
4 chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 C. Arborio rice
4 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. frozen peas, thawed

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken. Place in crockpot.

2. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic, sausage, tomatoes, rice, and broth. Pour mixture over chicken.

3. Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and fluff rice with fork. Stir in peas. Spoon rice onto plate with chicken.


Husband's Rating: B
PointsPlus 12

Inspired by: Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker

Chicken 'Fettuccine'

I haven't posted in a while--we've been eating the frozen left-overs of my steady cooking. Good news is--they're just as good the second time around ;)

What's Needed:
1 T. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 C. cooked chicken, cut in strips
1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
1 C. milk
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
3 C. hot cooked fettuccine

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in butter 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Stir in chicken, soup, milk, and cheese. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. To serve, pour over fettuccine; toss to coat.

Husband's Rating: A
PointsPlus: 10 (1 1/4 C. serving)

Inspired by: Treasury of Campbell's Recipes

Italian Chicken with Pasta

What's Needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 9-oz. package frozen green beans
1 small onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 14.5 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can Italian-style tomato paste
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken into 1-in. pieces; set aside.

2. Place green beans and onion in the crockpot. Place chicken on top of vegetables.

3. In small bowl, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Pour over chicken.

4. Cover; cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 2.5-3 hours. Serve over hot cooked fettuccine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Husband Rating: A
PointsPlus: 10 (1 chicken breast, 1.5 oz. fettuccine, and small ladle of sauce)

Inspired by:
Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

Chicken with Peas, Prosciutto and Cream

A crockpot recipe in three parts. Luckily, the other two parts don't take a whole lot of time, so this could easily be done on a workday. It was absolutely delicious!

What's Needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper, to taste
5 oz. prosciutto, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
4 C. farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked al dente

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in crockpot with prosciutto, onion, and wine. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 1/2 to 4 hours or on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

2. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add frozen peas and heavy cream to crockpot.

3. Remove chicken. Carve meat and set aside.

4. Combine cornstarch and water. Add to crockpot. Cover; cook on HIGH 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

5. Put pasta on plates. Place chicken on top of pasta. Top with sauce.

Husband Rating: A+

PointsPlus: 12 for 3/4 C. pasta, 1/2 chicken breast, and sauce.

Inspired by:
Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker
Chicken Cookbook

Chicken Stew with Herb Dumplings

This was very yummy, but something I would only make on the weekend. There were several steps to this crockpot meal, but it turned out DELISH! (I'm trying to start including pictures of the final result. My first attempt at food photography was not that great--please excuse the bad picture)

What's needed:
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth, divided
2 C. sliced carrots
1 C. chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
2/3 C. all-purpose flour
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1 large potato, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black papper
1/4 C. whipping cream

For the herb dumplings
1 C. Bisquick
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. dried tarragon
1/3 C. milk

1. Reserve 1 C. chicken broth. Combine carrots, onion, bell pepper, and remaining chicken broth in crockpot. Cover; cook on LOW for 2 hours.

2. In a medium bow, stir 1 C. broth into flour until smooth. Stir this into the crockpot. Add chicken, potato, peas, 1 tsp. basil, 3/4 tsp. rosemary, and 1/4 tsp. tarragon. Cover; cook 4 hours or until veggies and chicken are tender. Stir in salt, black pepper, and cream.

3. To make the biscuits, combine Bisquick, 1/4 tsp. basil, 1/4 tsp. rosemary, and 1/8 tsp. tarragon in a small bowl. Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon dumpling mixture on top of stew.

4. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Cover; cook 30-45 minutes or until dumplings are firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 4.

Husband Rating: A-

PointsPlus: 10 for one big dumpling and 3/4-1 C. of soup

Inspired by:
Crock-Pot: The Original Slow Cooker
Chicken