Mango Pudding Cups

This is officially my new favorite healthy dessert. Seriously, I have printed this recipe out to give to a few people at work who are trying to eat healthier too, it's that good! Chris and I were out to eat at North Star Cafe last weekend, our favorite vegan restaurant in C-Bus. They have a slew of magazines there, and I found this recipe in an issue of Eating Well. I found several other recipes I liked in the magazine, so I went to the grocery and bought it. I think next time I may reduce the amount of nonfat sweetened condensed milk to make it even healthier.

Recipe:

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 c water

5 c diced frozen mango, thawed (2 packages)

1 14-oz can nonfat sweetened condensed milk

5 T lime juice

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Microwave on high about 15-20 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth. Do NOT let harden.

2. Blend mango in a blender or food processor. Stir in remaining ingredients including gelatin.

3. Divide into ramekins or small bowls. Refrigerate to set for about 2 hours.

Source: Eating Well

Joyful Heart Muffins (Improvised)

So I have been seriously slacking on my blogging and cooking, so I am about to overwhelm you all with some new recipes. I actually did a lot of baking over Christmas, but I forgot to post all of my yummy goodies (we scarfed them down). Since I have been back in school and working full-time, I haven't had much time (or willingness) to cook. I put myself on the stereotypical new year's healthy eating plan, so I have been experiementing with new healthy recipes. No more cookies and brownies for this gal!

I love Bethenny Frankel's book and all of the recipes I have tried out of it so far. All of the recipes are made of natural foods, so I had to do some minor improvisions based on what I had on hand at the time. These muffins are fabulous and you can't even tell they are healthy. I am wondering why I haven't made them sooner! I think they are something like 100 calories per muffin too!

Recipe:

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c. raw sugar (or regular)

1 t vanilla

1 t almond extract (I didn't have this so I doubled the vanilla)

1 t canola oil

3/4 oat or whole wheat flour

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder (I left this out)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Dash of cinnamon

1/2 blueberries or began chocolate chips

Source: Bethenny Frankel, "Naturally Thin"

S'mores Cookie Bars

Really yummy, really rich s'mores cookie bars. I love s'mores so much that when I saw this recipe on a blog, I knew I had to try it myself. This is my first cookie recipe I've been for Christmas. This weekend I plan to have a cookie-making extravaganza, so many more recipes will follow soon!

Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (7 sheets of graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick.Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff.Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned.Cool completely before cutting into bars

*I crushed the graham crackers in a big zip lock bag with a rolling pin.

Source: Baking Bites

Hot Bean and Cheese Dip

This dip tasted like something right out of a Mexican restaurant! I think I've had something very similar at El Vaquero. While this is definitely not the healthiest dip, it is very delish! Use to dip with chips, veggies, bread, or whatever you'd like. This would be perfect for a football party or a cold winter day!

Recipe:
1 tbsp. olive oil½ onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (optional, I left it out)
1 (14.5 oz) can refried beans
2 tbsp. sour cream
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, in ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup pepper jack cheese, in ½-inch cubes

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeno, and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the refried beans and cook until smooth, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook until the cheese is melted. Transfer to a bowl and serve hot with tortilla chips.

Source: Annies Eats

Low Cal Artichoke Dip

I know the picture doesn't look that appealing, but the dip is actually pretty good. Chris really liked it, but he's also a big veggies and dip person...I'm still getting there. I made this dip and served it with broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers.

Recipe:
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or low fat)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch cayenne pepper, to taste (I left this out...not a big cayenne fan)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Spoon into one or two shallow, oven-proof baking dishes. Bake the dip until golden on top and heated all the way through, about 15 minutes.

Source: Eating Well

Darling Chicken

This is an amazing chicken dish I found on another blog. It is sooo yummy and I'll definitely be making it again. It makes a really pretty presentation, plus the smell when the dish is cooking is fabulous.

Recipe:
1/2+ lb chicken breast, diced
1 lb rotini or cheese tortellini cooked (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced
1 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1 cup pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 T veg oil
Parmesan cheese

Saute chicken, garlic, and oil in a large sauce pan until chicken is cooked. Stir in tomatoes, peppers, pesto, and pine nuts. Remove from heat and mix in pasta (optional - I didn't use pasta to make this a low carb dish). Top with grated parm cheese.

Source: Use Real Butter

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

Very yummy, healthy, quick, and easy. You can't tell by the picture, but there's a lot of chicken under the bean, corn, and salsa mix on top.

Recipe:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 jar salsa

Cheddar cheese (optional)

Rice (optional)

Put chicken on bottom of crockpot. Layer everything else on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Top with cheese when done cooking. Serve with rice.

Source: Crockpot