Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Taken From add a pinch

Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast

For the jalapeno popper topping:
3 slices bacon, diced (I substituted with Turkey Bacon)
2 jalapenos, deveined, deseeded and diced
¼ cup diced onion
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For the topping:
½ cup crushed butter crackers (I used the whole wheat ritz crackers)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425º F. Place chicken breasts in a small casserole dish and bake until juices run clear when pricked, about 45 minutes.
While chicken is baking, prepare jalapeno popper topping for chicken. Add bacon, jalapenos, and onions to a small skillet and fry until bacon is crispy and jalapenos and onions are tender. Remove from heat and add to a small mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise or yogurt, and cheeses to mixing bowl and cream together with bacon mixture until well-combined.
Remove chicken from oven and reduce oven heat to 350º F. Spread jalapeno popper topping on top of chicken until well-covered.
For the topping, mix together crushed crackers, cheese, and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of jalapeno popper topped chicken. Bake until crackers are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Serve warm.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

Taken From Six Sisters Stuff

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter, melted (or 1 cup oil or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Directions
In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter (or oil/applesauce) and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until breads test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Taken From eat 2 gather

1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (or I substitute for applesauce)
1 cup canned Pumpkin Puree
1 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Oatmeal
1/2 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
dash of Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Muffin Batter: Mix Oatmeal and buttermilk together in bowl and let set for 10 minutes. In large bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Back to the oatmeal buttermilk mixture, add in one egg, vegetable oil, and brown sugar, blend well. Combine flour mixture, pumpkin, and oatmeal mixture with a spatula.

Streusel Topping: Combine flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, and cut stick of butter into dry ingredients until you get a consistent crumble topping. A pastry cutter or a fork work good for this, or if you like you can use your food processor for a real speedy job!
Spoon muffin batter into paper lined muffin tins, cover top of batter with streusel topping, be generous. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Southwest Quinoa Bites

INGREDIENTS*yields 12 regular muffin sized bites

2 cups cooked Quinoa

1 cup shredded, cooked chicken

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 cup canned corn

1 medium red pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 scallions, chopped small

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 eggs, lightly beaten

salt & pepper to taste

ranch dressing for dipping

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place your Quinoa, bread crumbs, cooked chicken and cheeses in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3) Heat your olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once the oil is heated, add your black beans, corn, red pepper, garlic, scallions, cumin and chili powder and saute for 3-5 minutes.  The goal here isn’t to cook the vegetables through, but simply allow the flavor of everything to combine a bit before adding it to the rest of the mixture.

4) Add the veggie/spice mixture to the quinoa/chicken/bread crumbs/cheese and allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs (about 5 minutes).  You can then add the beaten eggs and combine the mixture.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Take a regular sized muffin tin (12 muffins) and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Add about 1/3 cup of the mixture to each muffin slot.

4) Bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Serve with a side of Ranch dressing for dipping!

Since this was dinner, I decided to use a regular sized muffin tin vs. the mini-muffin tin, but these would certainly be great bite sized as well!  Served with a nice side salad, it was a perfect, healthy and scrumptious dinner.  If you wanted to add a little kick to these, you could always toss some crushed red pepper flakes in with the cumin and chili powder! 

We had this for dinner tonight and loved it! Well, Gary and I did. The kids didn't seem to care for it, strangely enough. I actually never made or ate quinoa before this week, but this week we've had it 3 times. I LOVE it!! It's a great alternative to brown rice, which I don't care for and this cooks ten times faster! Yea for healthy eating!

Recipe from And They Cooked Happily Ever After

We ate this with a yummy Fiesta Bean Salad found here. We served it on top of spinach because it seemed like it needed a little something else. Both delicious recipes, but probably a little excessive on the beans all in one meal!!!

Chicken Taco Soup

6 cups water
6 chicken bullion cubes
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 or 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 (29 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup rice (brown rice doesn't cook enough in an hour)
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained

Corn chips
Cheese, grated
Cilantro, chopped
Sour cream
2 limes, quartered

In a large pot, bring water to a boil; dissolve bullion cubes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cubed chicken, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, sugar, rice, and garbanzo beans. Simmer for about 1 hour. When ready to serve, add remaining ingredients as toppings to individual servings. Makes about 8 servings.

*Dustin and I love this soup and think the lime is a must have.

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

This recipe is from my friend's recipe blog,  Leesh & Lu's Recipe Box 

Ingredients:

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For the blackened chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

For the sauce:
1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons cajun/creole seasoning (some brands are spicier than others, so season gradually and taste as you go)
1- 15 ounce jar alfredo sauce (or make your own- This is a good recipe to make, but you only need about 1/2 of it for this particular recipe....I used the rest for my kids since they don't do spicy. Also, I found it to be a little salty, so I suggest adding a little salt at a time, to taste)

1/2 pound linguini, or other pasta, cooked and drained (we like whole wheat or the vegetable pasta)

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 350. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot.
Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.

Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness.  When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165, remove chicken breasts from skillet and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  While chicken is resting, cook your pasta and prepare sauce.  

* I'm lazy, so I actually just cubed my chicken and cooked it in a frying pan with a little bit of EVOO and added my spices to it

In a medium saucepan, combine crushed tomatoes, alfredo sauce, and cajun/creole seasoning. Heat over med-low, until hot and bubbly.  Slice chicken and serve with sauce over hot pasta.  .  

Notes:

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The chicken is a bit spicy, if you want to reduce the spiciness, cut back on the cayenne pepper.
This is also really yummy using shrimp instead of chicken.  
If you have leftover chicken and sauce--use them on a pizza! :)

Banana Bread

This recipe is from my favorite banana bread recipe. Since we are trying to make eating healthier a lifestyle change I am trying to make changes to some of our favorite foods.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/8 cup wheat germ
• 1/8 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Beat the cream cheese. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the applesauce,  mashed bananas and vanilla. Add flour, wheat germ, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and soda; mix until batter is just moist.
2. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and cinnamon. (I often omit this step altogether or sometimes just add a bit of cinnamon to the ingredients)
3. Divide 1/2 batter into two greased and floured 8x4 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over batter in pans, and top with remaining batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

When I first told Gary about how I made the banana bread he said, "So, it's gonna taste gross?!" But guess what? He REALLY liked it! I have not tried it yet, but I imagine you could substitute the sugar with something like agave or pure maple syrup....I just can't vouch for such fantastic results if you do. You can also cut back on the amount of sugar you use.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Granola

I'm not sure how to post recipes on the Challenge Recipe Blog, but I have a few recipes to share, so you will probably notice a few on here over the next few days.

Recipe from:
Skinnytaste.com 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and pat dry with paper towel
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats*
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup pepitas (or other seed)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup (or honey) - I used agave
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree - I used homemade pumpkin puree I had in the freezer
• 1 tsp oil (coconut or canola)
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (or more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I also added some wheat germ and sunflower seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F. 

Spread oats* and quinoa out on a parchment lined baking pan. Toast in the oven 10 minutes, stirring once.

Remove the oats from the oven, pour the toasted oats into a medium bowl and add the ground flaxseeds, pepitas, pecans and dried fruit.

Reduce oven to 300° F.

In a second medium bowl, combine maple syrup, pumpkin puree, oil, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Pour over oats and stir together with a spatula. Spread back onto a baking sheet and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden.

Makes 3 2/3 cups.

*Use gluten free oats for gluten allergies.

Chocolate cookie dough cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

1 Betty Crocker Devils Food cake mix
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cube butter
1 1/4 cup milk

1 pkg. Nestlé MINI chocolate chip cookie dough, frozen (I make my own chocolate chip cookie dough, roll into balls and freeze too)

Freeze cookie dough before starting this!!

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, butter and milk until well blended. Spoon about 1 TBS batter into each cupcake liner. Add frozen cookie dough in center. Cover with additional batter about 1 TBS, making the liner 2/3 full. Place in oven then turn oven down to 325 and bake 20-22 minutes. You know they are done when you press the top and it springs back.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 cubes butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter with 1/2 tsp sea salt

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and mix on high for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Then add peanut butter. **I do sometimes need to add more powdered sugar**.

RECIPES

So, I'm hoping that everyone is willing to share some fabulous recipes. I'm always looking for new recipes, but especially while doing the challenge and I can't fall back on some of my go-to recipes (because they aren't necessarily very healthy). So, I posted a couple to get us started. I know there's already a few on here, but PLEASE share some of your favorite healthy recipes....I need dinner ideas :) Thanks!!

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Recipe from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

• 6 cups uncooked cauliflower florets (about 1 large) cut small
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Combine cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper well so all the florets are coated and seasoned. Place in a large shallow roasting pan and place in the center of the oven.

Roast for about 25-35 minutes, turning florets occasionally so they are evenly cooked.Remove from oven and top with Parmigiano Reggiano and additional salt and pepper if needed.

*We also like doing this with broccoli or even mixing the two. And our kids all love it!!

Black Bean Chicken

2 cans black beans (I usually just use 1)
16 oz jar salsa
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 lb chicken breast

- Place frozen chicken breast in sprayed crock pot. Pour beans, rice and salsa over chicken. Cook low 8-10 hours (my crockpot cooks hotter and faster) and serve.
- If you thaw the chicken just a bit, you can cut the cooking time in half.
-This is a low fat, low carb meal. 

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Recipe by Alton Brown, variations by Our Best Bites

1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast (I used rapid rise yeast)
22 oz all-purpose flour, about 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
optional: additional melted butter and cinnamon-sugar
optional: powdered sugar, milk, melted butter for dipping

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour (tip: don’t add all the flour at once, just in case you don’t need it all.  Reserve a small amount and add as needed for a soft dough) and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, scrape the bowl clean and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. If you’re making pretzel “bites” put in as many as will fit without crowding.  Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula (a metal spider works great). Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt or kosher salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Version: Prepare as directed but don’t sprinkle with salt before baking.  Immediately after removing pretzels from oven, brush with melted butter and toss in a bowl of cinnamon-sugar.

Cinnamon Sugar Dippers:  Instead of shaping pretzels into the traditional shape, roll dough into ropes and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.  Continue preparing as recipe instructs, brushing with butter immediately after removing from oven and tossing in cinnamon sugar.  Create a dipping glaze by mixing about a cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons melted butter and then add milk as needed, whisking until smooth.  Serve warm.

**If you like the pretzels you get at the mall, then you will love these! I made pretzel bites instead of actual pretzels. They were super easy and my kids helped me. I made mine with kosher salt and then some with garlic and parmesan cheese that we ate with spaghetti. Next time we will definitely be trying the sweet ones! SOOOO good!!