Chicken Cordon Bleu

A rooster will usually perform a special waltz or dance in an attempt to attract a mate

Ingredients  

One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet 

1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature 1 oz. (about 3 slices)  ham slices 

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat mallet or a heavy can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it. Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese. Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Egg Mug

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
One slice fat-free American cheese, chopped
One Boca Burger Patty
1 tbsp. ketchup





Directions:
Microwave Boca patty for 1 minute, and then chop into pieces. Spray a large microwave-safe mug lightly with nonstick spray. Add egg substitute, chopped Boca patty, and cheese, and stir. Microwave for about a minute. Stir gently, and then microwave for another 30 - 45 seconds, until scramble is just set. Stir, top with ketchup, and enjoy!

Pizza Luau

Traditionally pineapple juice was used as a diuretic and to induce labor. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. low-fat marinara sauce

1 whole-wheat English muffin, split in half

1 stick light string cheese

2 slices deli ham, chopped
1 pineapple ring packed in juice, drained and chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped red onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 1 Tbsp. sauce on each muffin half. Tear string cheese into shreds and chop. Distribute cheese, ham, pineapple, and onion evenly over the muffin halves. Place muffin halves on baking sheet lightly sprayed with nonstick butter spray and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Three Cheese Bacon Apple Frittata

A hen can lay about 250 eggs per year.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 cup chopped portabello mushrooms
1 large apple, finely chopped
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 slices reduced-fat swiss cheese chopped
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. fat-free half & half
1 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

In a medium bowl, combine egg substitute and creamer. Whisk together for 1 minute. Add Swiss cheese and cheddar cheese. Set aside. Bring a large oven-safe pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add bacon and mushrooms, and cook until bacon is slightly crispy and mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add apple and continue to cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Pour egg mixture into the pan, and tilt pan back and forth to ensure egg mixture is evenly distributed. Make sure cheese is evenly distributed, as well. If needed, run a spatula along the sides of the pan to help egg to flow underneath the bacon, mushrooms, and apple. Cook for 2 minutes, and then remove from heat. Sprinkle Parm-style topping evenly on top of the frittata. Place under the broiler. Allow to cook for about 4 minutes, until the egg has puffed up and the mixture is set. Allow to cool, and then cut into quarters. (Frittata may look runny, but it's just all the cheese oozing out!) Enjoy!

Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Wine Sauce

People do tend to mistake beef as a high in saturated fat food. The reality of it is that half of beef is really monounsaturated. This is the same thing that you would find in salmon and olive oil. 


Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter, divided
3 tbsp. shallots, minced
1/4 C. fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
3/4 C. dry red wine, divided (cabernet is nice)
5 fl. oz. beef consomme
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 (4 ounce) filet mignon steaks
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dried thyme

Instructions:
 In a nonstick frying pan, saute shallots and mushrooms in 1 tbsp butter for about 4 mins, til tender.
Add 1/2 cup of red wine and 3 fl. oz consomme. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the mushrooms from sauce, set aside. Boil wine mixture over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Combine sauce with mushrooms in bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, combine combine soy sauce with cornstarch. Set aside. Sprinkle filets with pepper to taste. Saute steaks in remaining 1 tbsp butter over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side for a 1-inch thick steak. Reduce fire to medium-low heat; cook steaks until desired level of doneness. Remove from pan, keep warm.Add the rest of the red wine and beef consommé to the skillet, scraping to deglaze pan and incorporate tasty steak bits into the sauce. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Add mushroom/sauce mixture, cornstarch/soy sauce mixture, and the thyme. Boil one minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. Place steaks on plate and pour sauce over.

This dish is super yummy with mashed potatoes and asparagus! This has to be one of my fav. recipes because you can use almost any steak or beef with it and it always tastes yummy!

PASTA WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE

The act of salting and rinsing eggplant to reduce bitterness is called "degorging." An old practice, it is not as necessary these days because modern eggplants are less bitter but I still prefer to let my eggplant set out for about an hour with salt on it before cooking.

 

1 can of crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
tomato paste
1 eggplant or 2 baby eggplants
1 lb. sausage (all sweet or half hot)
1 box of rigatoni or other favorite pasta
1-4 teaspoons salt
1-4 teaspoons pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon basil, dried or fresh

Add olive oil to a large sauce pot on medium heat. Sauté chopped garlic in oil until translucent. Add tomatoes and enough paste to slightly thicken. Let simmer. In a skillet, sauté sausage in a little olive oil until browned.

Cut sausage into slices. Add to the tomato sauce and cover pot halfway. Cut eggplant into thin slices leaving skin on. Add to sauce, cover halfway and let sauce reduce.Cook pasta until al denté. Save some of the pasta water to thin the sauce out to the consistency you would like it. Add sauce to pasta with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

The greatest loves..

There are a lot of things in life that I enjoy. For example , I love my family! I love my son and my husband more than life itself and I love being with them all the time. I love my new home and its location. We were able to find a quiet neighborhood, in the school district we wanted, with private access to the St. Johns River so we can sail, fish, and swim. I love sitting out by my pool every day watching the goats behind my house while drinking my morning coffee before my day starts. When I am sad, I can always be cheered up by the Beatles (which I listen to a lot now that my husband is living in another state). And then there is nothing like the smell, feel, and sound of the ocean! But the one thing that I can say I enjoy every day, no matter what mood I am in, is cooking. Its a passion I have! Following recipes, tweaking recipes, and even making up my own! I love it! I love cooking for my husband, who loves eating! I do love company from time to time for dinner because it means I get to cook for a new audience. There are times I will put on a pair of head phones and listen to my mp3 player while dancing around the kitchen cooking. To me, food is an expression of how you feel and depending on your mood at the time, your food will come out tasting different. Sir Thomas Moore described it best when he wrote, “A man taking basil from a woman will love her always.” This blog will mostly consist of recipes from my family book, recipes I have made up or modified, and then recipes that I have tried and will be reviewing. I will post as many pics as I can from what I have made so you can see the final outcome and I am always looking for feedback on what you think I can change, add, or if you think its just horrible or great!