The Grateful Girl Cooks!

01
Feb
2019

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

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It’s so EASY to make this buttery, scrumptious crescent roll coffeecake, using a can of crescent rolls, jam, and a few other common ingredients!

What do you do with a roll of crescent rolls you find in the refrigerator? That was my dilemna recently after discovering a can of crescent rolls in the back of our refrigerator. They had been “hiding out” in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and needed to be used. I knew I didn’t want to simply make rolls for dinner… I wanted to make something more “fun”!

This recipe for crescent roll coffeecake was one I had found on Pinterest and saved, so I pulled the recipe and made a DELICIOUS breakfast for my husband and myself! Talk about EASY! This recipe is just that, and you can even customize it with your FAVORITE jam!

We were VERY surprised at just how absolutely yummy this crescent roll coffeecake was! Here’s how to make it, and I am positive you will really enjoy it, too!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make A Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Place granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract into a medium sized bowl. Beat these ingredients well, with an electric mixer, until batter is smooth. Stir all purpose flour into the batter, then set this mixture aside.

Carefully unroll one 8 serving package of refrigerated crescent roll dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Separate the dough into 8 triangles, by slicing through the perforations. I found using a pizza cutter to do this was very handy!

Preparing The Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Spread one Tablespoon of jam (or jelly) onto each crescent roll triangle. The coffeecake I made this time used homemade boysenberry jam, but you can use your favorite flavor. Roll up each crescent roll beginning at the short side, as shown below in the photo. Place each crescent roll (once rolled), into a 9″ cake pan, that has been sprayed with a non stick spray.

You can see from the photo below, that the eight crescent rolls touch the edge of the pan, and all point to the center of the pan. Don’t worry if they look a bit “messy”. They will be covered up!

Spoon the reserved egg batter over crescent roll coffeecake. You should have enough batter to completely cover everything in the pan. Sprinkle the top of the crescent roll coffeecake with chopped pecans (or walnuts). Don’t skip this step, because it will add a nice crunch to the dish! Now the coffeecake is ready to bake!

Bake the crescent roll coffeecake in a preheated 375° F. oven. Bake it for 25 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and the center of the coffeecake is set. Once done, remove the pan from the oven, and place the pan onto a wire rack to cool. The photo below shows you what the crescent roll coffeecake looked like, fresh out of the oven.

While the coffeecake is cooling, quickly mix up the glaze by stirring powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl, until smooth.

Glaze The Baked Crescent Roll Coffeecake Before Serving

Once the crescent roll coffeecake has cooled some, but is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the surface of the coffeecake. Let the icing firm up just a bit as the coffeecake continues to cool, and then it’s ready to eat!

Once the crescent roll coffeecake has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to serve! Time to slice a piece! In the photos below, you can see the jam filling, and the buttery, golden brown topping. The coffeecake slices nicely and holds together wonderfully!

Make 8 slices, cutting in between each the crescent rolls, and you’re done! Grab a fork, and a piece of this delicious crescent roll coffeecake (with a cup of coffee), and DIG IN! It tastes wonderful!

Hope you and those you love enjoy this breakfast treat! My husband and I LOVED this coffeecake, and the leftovers were yummy, as well. Have a GREAT day, friends.

Looking For More Coffeecake Recipes?

All my recipes can be found in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite coffeecake recipes include:

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Recipe Source: thesouthernladycooks.com/2017/04/21/crescent-roll-coffee-cake/

0 from 0 votes

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

It's so EASY to make this buttery, scrumptious crescent roll coffeecake, using a can of crescent rolls, jam, and a few other common ingredients!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crescent roll coffeecake

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 364 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter , softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all purpose flour
8 ounce can crescent dinner rolls (1 can)
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts) , chopped
8 Tablespoons boysenberry or blackberry jam (or jam of choice)

For Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract into a medium sized bowl. Beat well, with an electric mixer, until batter is smooth. Stir all purpose flour into the batter, then set mixture aside.
Carefully unroll one 8 serving package of refrigerated crescent roll dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Separate the dough into 8 triangles, by slicing through the perforations.
Spread one Tablespoon of jam (or jelly) onto each crescent roll triangle. Roll up each crescent roll beginning at the short side. Place each crescent roll (once rolled), into a 9" cake pan, that's been sprayed with a non stick spray. Place one end each crescent roll touching the edge of the pan, and the other end pointing to the center of the pan. Spoon the reserved egg batter over the rolls. You should have enough batter to completely cover everything in the pan. Sprinkle the top of the coffeecake with chopped pecans (or walnuts).
Bake in a preheated 375° F. oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and center of the coffeecake is set. Once done, remove from oven, and place pan on a wire rack to cool.

For Glaze:

Stir powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl, until smooth.Once coffeecake has cooled some, but is still warm, drizzle glaze over the surface of coffeecake. Let glaze firm up a bit, and then it's ready to eat! Slice into 8 pieces between each of the crescent rolls, serve, and ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 364 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 68mg23%

Sodium 301mg13%

Potassium 67mg2%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Sugar 33g37%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 260IU5%

Vitamin C 1.7mg2%

Calcium 24mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

30
Jan
2019

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

categories: Tip Of The Day

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Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!

Do you enjoy learning new tips to make cooking easier? Well, I sure do! In the past I’ve shared several tips (or kitchen hacks) on this blog, to save time and money in the kitchen. It’s always fun to learn new tricks and tips to make kitchen work easier!

Today I want to share an EASY tip that will allow you to have frozen bell peppers on hand ANY TIME you need them for a soup or casserole, etc. By simply planning ahead, you will not need to add one more trip to the grocery store, should you need a bell pepper for a stove top, crock pot or baked recipe!

Scroll Down For A Printable “Recipe” Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Flash Freeze Bell Peppers

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper. Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside.

Once the peppers have been de-seeded, cut the bell peppers into 2″ wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2″ portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut into long, thin strips, if desired. If there’s a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.

To flash freeze bell peppers, place the dry pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into your freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour (or more). Using this method is how you will successfully flash freeze bell peppers!

Once the bell pepper pieces are flash frozen, they will feel like little rocks! This is what they looked like, after an hour in the freezer.

Storing Frozen Bell Peppers

Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from the baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic re-sealable freezer bag, remove the air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and include the date frozen on it, if desired.

Place the bag back in the freezer, and whenever you need bell peppers for a casserole or soup, etc., you can simply pull out the bag and remove the amount you need! Now you know how to freeze bell peppers! In the past, I have kept them in the freezer and used them, for up to 10 months.

Do You Need To Thaw Frozen Bell Peppers To Use?

No. I throw frozen bell pepper pieces into recipes (such as soups or casseroles) all the time! There’s no need to thaw them before adding them to a recipe. If you need smaller pieces, simply cut them while still frozen. It’s EASY!

For me, it has been wonderful and convenient way to always have frozen bell peppers handy, to add to a recipe if a fresh bell pepper is not immediately available. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have been thankful for this little tip! Have a GREAT day! It’s raining here in Oregon today as I write this blog post. We have had a drier than normal winter here, but we are grateful to have a bit of “liquid” sunshine today!

Interested In More Kitchen Tips?

I have several tips available in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple of these handy tips include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Have a GREAT day!

0 from 0 votes

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Freezing Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!

Category: Tip

Cuisine: American

Keyword: freeze bell peppers

Servings: 1 quart (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 large bell peppers , any color

Instructions

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper. Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside. Slice the bell peppers into 2" wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2" portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut the peppers into long, thin strips, if desired. If there's a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.
Place the dry bell pepper pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour. When done, they will be hard as a rock!
Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic zip-loc freezer bag, remove air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and place the date on it, if desired. They should keep many months in the freezer, if properly sealed.

Recipe Notes

Three large bell peppers will yield approximately one quart sized bag of frozen peppers. The caloric calculation is based on the TOTAL amount, using three large bell peppers.

Nutrition Facts

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

Amount Per Serving (1 quart)

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 19mg1%

Potassium 1038mg30%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 10g42%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 15405IU308%

Vitamin C 628.3mg762%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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28
Jan
2019

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

categories: Asian, Main Dishes, Seafood

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Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!

Since receiving a spiralizer appliance with a gift card I was given, it’s been fun to search and try some new recipes using spiralized veggies. We really enjoyed a couple recent meals which featured Kung Pao Zoodles and a delicious Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing!

This recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles was a wonderful experiment for me. Using zucchini noodles instead of pasta cuts down on the carbs, and significantly reduces the total calories of this meal.

The large shrimp are a delicious low calorie source of protein, and the amazing Asian inspired sauce only has three ingredients! This recipe is totally EASY to prepare, and tastes GREAT! Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Prepare The Zoodles

To make this dish, you will first need to spiralize the zucchini to make the noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade, for long noodles. NOTE: If you do not own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized), if desired.

Place the “zoodles” into a colander, which is set on top of a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle the zoodles with salt, and gently mix to combine. Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into a refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain off their excess liquid for about 30 minutes.

When done, remove the zoodles from the fridge. Spread them out on a large dish towel. Blot the zoodles dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb most of the extra moisture. Set aside.

Make The Sweet Chili Sauce For The Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

The sweet chili sauce is VERY easy to make! In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce (I used Mae Ploy), sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce.

Whisk these 3 ingredients together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to save for later!

Prepare The Shrimp

Rinse, peel and de-vein the shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add the shrimp to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sweet chili sauce.

Cooking Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium temperature. When the skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities of this dish, you can cook the shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch.

Cook the shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn the shrimp over and continue to cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Spoon some of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp (the cooked side). Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate, and cover, to keep warm.

Turn the heat on the stove up to medium-high, and add the spiralized zucchini to the same skillet you cooked the shrimp in.

Cook the zoodles for 1 minute, then add the 1/2 cup of reserved sauce into the skillet. Give the zoodles a toss, to mix the sauce with the zucchini. Cook this mixture for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles until heated through ( a minute or two).

To Serve Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

When the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles are heated through, they are ready to serve! Use tongs to place zoodles and shrimp onto individual plates, or into serving bowls. Spoon any of the leftover sauce in the skillet onto the sesame shrimp zoodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

I really hope you will consider trying this delicious recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles! We really enjoyed this meal, and trust you will, too! Have a wonderful day, friends.

Interested In More SHRIMP Recipes?

You can find all my seafood recipe in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite shrimp recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Adapted From: https://iowagirleats.com/2017/06/14/sweet-chili-sesame-shrimp-and-zoodles/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

27 mins

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!

Category: Dinner, Seafood

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame shrimp zoodles

Servings: 2

Calories Per Serving: 391 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini , end trimmed
7 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce , I used Mae Ploy
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce , or Tamari sauce
1½ teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 pound large shrimp , peel, deveined, patted dry

For Garnish (optional):

1 stem green onion (scallion) , sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spiralize the zucchini to make noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade. NOTE: If you don't own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and then slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized). Place zoodles in a colander, set on top of a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle with salt; gently mix to combine. Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain their extra liquid for about 30 minutes. When done, spread zoodles onto a dish towel. Blot dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb any extra moisture. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce. Whisk them together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to reserve for later!
Rinse, peel and de-vein shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add them to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sauce.
Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium. When skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities, you can cook shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch. Cook shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn shrimp over and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Spoon a little bit of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp while cooking (cooked side). Transfer shrimp to a plate; keep warm.
Turn the heat on stove to medium-high. Add zucchini noodles to the skillet you cooked the shrimp in. Cook for 1 minute, then add the reserved sauce. Give zoodles a toss, to coat with the sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook until heated through (1-2 minutes), then transfer to serving plates. Spoon any leftover sauce in the skillet onto the shrimp, and garnish dish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I used 2 green zucchini, and 1 yellow zucchini for this dish.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 391 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 428mg143%

Sodium 3002mg131%

Potassium 960mg27%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 36g40%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 590IU12%

Vitamin C 59.6mg72%

Calcium 309mg31%

Iron 5.5mg31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

25
Jan
2019

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

categories: Salads, Side Dishes

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You’ll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Several months ago I discovered “pearl couscous“, or as it is also called “Israeli couscous”. This tiny pasta is called “ptitim” in Israel, and apparently was developed there, back in the 1950’s when rice was scarce. This tiny little pasta is about the size of a pearl, which also helps to explain it’s name.

I had already used this type of couscous in soup, and in another salad. When I found a recipe that closely resembled a salad found at Trader Joes, I saved it to my Pinterest boards. However, I kept “thinking” about making the recipe for a couple weeks, so finally I made my own cranberry orange Israeli couscous!

I made a couple minor changes to the recipe, but found it to be an absolutely EASY and delicious salad to make, in about 15 minutes. Now, we can’t stay out of it (seriously!)… it’s sooo good! Here’s how to make this delicious side dish or salad.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Toast The Pecans For the Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Salad

This step is very easy to do while the couscous is cooking, which will also save you time. Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat.

Continue to cook and stir occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don’t burn them!

This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes. Remove the pecans from the skillet, and let them cool down.

Cook The Israeli Couscous

To cook the couscous, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous to the water, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the couscous is finished cooking, pour it into a colander and let it drain. Place the drained couscous into a large serving bowl.

Add the chopped green onions and dried cranberries to the couscous. It already looks pretty, with the pop of color, right?

Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined.

Once fully combined, pour the dressing over the warm couscous, green onions and dried cranberries. It is best to add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir well, to blend the salad and coat everything with the dressing.

Add the chopped pecans or walnuts to the couscous, and stir to combine. OPTIONAL: If you are not going to be serving the cranberry orange Israeli couscous right away, you can wait (if you want) to add the pecans until just before serving, for maximum crunch!

Once all ingredients for the cranberry orange Israeli couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it’s very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have really developed.

The Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Is Ready To Eat!

When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to “fluff it up”), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad! It is absolutely DELICIOUS!

We “might” have dipped into it for dinner, lunch, and (*cough, cough*) even breakfast! It is so incredibly GOOD.

There will enough couscous for about 10 servings, so there is plenty to go around! Hooray! Now that we have eaten it all, I guess it’s time to make some more! YUM. Any leftover cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad will keep for several days, if placed in an airtight container, and kept in the fridge.

I really believe you will LOVE this delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad. Once made, it truly was hard to stay out of it! My fork kept wanting just one more taste, and how could I say no to my fork?

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes which are located in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a great day, and please come back soon for more recipes.

Looking For More Couscous Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring couscous on my blog, including:

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Recipe Adapted From: http://artisanalfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/israeli-couscous-with-cranberries-and.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You'll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Category: Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange Israeli couscous

Servings: 10 side servings

Calories Per Serving: 320 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli couscous (uncooked)
1¼ cups chopped pecans , lightly toasted
1¼ cups dried cranberries
3 scallions (green onions) , chopped (white and green parts)

For Orange Herb Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola/grapeseed)
1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1 orange (juice and zest)
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don't burn them! This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes (to save time, toast pecans while couscous is cooking). Remove the pecans from the skillet, set aside and let them cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add couscous, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished cooking, pour couscous into a colander; let it drain. Place couscous into a large bowl. Add the green onions and cranberries.
Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined. Once combined, pour dressing over warm couscous, green onions and cranberries. Add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir, to blend the salad.
Add the chopped pecans or walnuts, and stir to combine. Once all ingredients for couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it's very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have developed. When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to "fluff it up"), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad!

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/10th of total))

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 4mg0%

Potassium 152mg4%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 75IU2%

Vitamin C 7.8mg9%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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21
Jan
2019

Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood

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Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) and low-calorie meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with a light, fresh salsa!

Recently I was on the phone with my sister Julie, who lives in Florida. She told me about about a spice mixture for fish she had seen (and used) in a recipe for tilapia with papaya salsa. She read me the 4 easy ingredients for the spices from her cookbook, and I jotted them down.

We chatted a bit about fruit salsas using papaya or mango to top the fish, and it started me brainstorming once our call ended. I decided to create a recipe pulling this information together, but with a couple tweaks!

My slight twist was to use Dover sole (instead of tilapia) for the fish, and mango (instead of papaya) as the primary fruit for the salsa.

I’ve made FRUIT salsa several times over the years, so I used that as my inspiration. This recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa is the result! YUM!!!

The recipe itself is incredibly EASY to prepare. Dover sole fillets are lightly seasoned, pan-seared in a skillet, and then served with an absolutely delicious mango avocado salsa on top! This dish is quick to fix, low in calories, and huge in flavor! Here’s how easy it is to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Mango Avocado Salsa For the Dover Sole Fillets

To make the salsa, you will first need to place all the salsa ingredients except the mango and avocado in a medium sized bowl. These ingredients are mango (cut into cubes), avocado (cut into cubes), cilantro, red onion, bell pepper, lime juice, and jalapeño.

How To Cut A Mango Into Cubes For The Salsa

Mangoes have a very large pit in the center, so you need to cut from top to bottom on either side of the pit.

Once you have the mango cut, take a paring knife and carefully slice “grid lines” through the fruit, being careful to not cut all the way though the skin.

Once the cubes are cut, turn the mango inside out (the middle photo below), by holding both ends and flipping it with your fingers.

You can then easily cut the mango cubes off the skin, and add it to the salsa ingredients in bowl.

How To Cut An Avocado Into Cubes For The Salsa

Slice the avocado from top to bottom. Remove seed (you can do this by carefully smacking a knife blade into the seed, then turning to twist and remove seed from avocado.

Using a paring knife, carefully cut gridlines both ways in each avocado half, being careful to not cut all the way through to the peel. Slice top to bottom, and side to side.

Once you have the gridlines cut both ways, take a large spoon, and carefully go around the edges of the avocado, and scoop out the cubes. Add them to the mango salsa in the bowl.

Give the mango avocado salsa a stir. The photo below shows what the mango avocado salsa (for the dover sole fillets) looked like once combined.

Prepare The Dover Sole Fillets

Combine the spice mix for the Dover sole fillets in a small bowl. The spice mix only has four ingredients: Salt, ground coriander, paprika, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

Lay the Dover sole fillets out, and blot them dry with a paper towel.

Sprinkle each of the Dover sole fillets lightly with the spice mix. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish..

You can cook the Dover sole fillets in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes you’ll see the bottom edges of the fish are getting golden and crispy.

Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).

Ready To Serve And EAT!

When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer to individual serving plates. Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve!

The mildly seasoned Dover sole fillets pair really well with the creamy avocado, the sweet mango, and the other flavorful salsa ingredients! Every bite of this dish tasted wonderful, and we enjoyed it with some steamed rice on the side!

I really hope you will try this delicious recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa! May you, and those you love, enjoy this “made with love” meal! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SEAFOOD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful seafood dishes to enjoy, including:

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Recipe Adapted From: The cookbook titled “Favorite Brand Name Recipes-All New Low Carb”, Volume 7- #27, Published by Publications International, LTD, 2003, page 42

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Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

7 mins

Total Time

22 mins

Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with light, fresh salsa!

Category: Entree-Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dover sole fillets

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 198 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Mango Avocado Salsa:

1 large mango , peeled, cubed
1/3 cup cilantro , chopped
1/4 cup red onion , chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper , chopped
1/2 medium jalapeno , seeded, finely chopped
1/2 large lime (juice of)
1 avocado , peeled, cubed

For Fish:

1 Tablespoon olive oil , to cook fish in
4 (4 oz. each) Dover Sole fillets (skinless)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or more if you want heat

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the mango avocado salsa, by gently mixing all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. (see blog post for tips on cubing the mango and avocado). Set aside.
Combine the spice mix (paprika, salt, cayenne, coriander) in a small bowl.
Blot fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each fillet lightly with the spice mix, and pat down. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish. Cook the fish in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes the bottom edges will be golden in color and crispy. Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).
When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer fish to individual serving plates. Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

Amount Per Serving (1 fillet with salsa)

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 51mg17%

Sodium 776mg34%

Potassium 467mg13%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 505IU10%

Vitamin C 13.6mg16%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Jan
2019

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

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This simple, delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on mixed spring greens, topped with homemade ginger salad dressing!

Wow… this sesame chicken salad with homemade ginger dressing tastes AMAZING! I found the original recipe in one of my OLD Weight Watchers cookbooks, while looking through it a couple weeks ago, and KNEW I wanted to try it!

This salad was a huge hit with my husband and I when we first tried it! Talk about quick and easy meals… this one has it all! The entirely EASY sesame chicken salad (and ginger dressing) was prepared in under 30 minutes, had GREAT flavor, and filled us up!

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Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

The yummy ginger salad dressing for this salad is incredibly simple to make, in only a few minutes! Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper into a small saucepan, and whisk to blend.

Bring the ginger salad dressing ingredients just to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, until you’re ready to serve the sesame chicken salad. See how easy that was?

Prepare The Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Place the sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a large piece of wax paper. Mix them with your fingers, to blend the ingredients. Spread them out on the wax paper.

Lightly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the sesame seed mixture, one at a time. Set chicken aside once coated. Repeat, until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you will need more topping.

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken breasts. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks.

Cook the sesame chicken for about 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once the chicken is done, place the pieces onto a cutting board, and let the chicken “rest” for 3-5 minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Arrange cold, mixed salad greens on individual serving plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad. Be sure to keep the chicken slices for each breast all together! Lightly sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of each piece of sesame chicken.

Drizzle the ginger salad dressing over each sesame chicken salad, and that’s it! You are ready to serve this delicious dish! Serve immediately. Seriously – Grab a fork, and DIG IN! I really think you will LOVE this delicious meal! There is a lot of flavor, the chicken is tender, and this sesame chicken salad is quite satisfying!

My husband and I enjoyed this dinner, AND we liked it so much we had another sesame chicken salad (with the leftover chicken and dressing) the next night for dinner, too! That means it REALLY was good!

Hope you will try this delicious main course salad… it is truly easy and delicious! Have a GREAT day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite main course salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Original Recipe source: One of my cookbooks titled “Weight Watchers – Great Cooking Every Day”, published 2001, by Weight Watchers International, Inc., page 45

0 from 0 votes

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped with a ginger salad dressing!

Category: Main Course Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame chicken salad

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 237 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Ginger Dressing:

2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled, minced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (dark)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

For The Chicken And Salad

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white) , or more, as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken breast halves (1/4 lb. each) boneless, skinless
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups spring greens mix (or romaine) , rinsed, shredded
1/4 cup sliced green onions , optional (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Ginger Salad Dressing:

Place soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, and whisk, to blend. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove pan from heat. Set aside.

To Prepare/Cook Chicken:

Place sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingers, to blend. Spread them out on the wax paper. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with the mixture. Repeat process until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you need more.
Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once done, place chicken on a cutting board, and let it "rest" for a couple minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).
To Serve: Arrange mixed salad greens on individual plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad, keeping the slices for each breast together! Sprinkle sliced green onions over chicken. Drizzle ginger dressing over each salad, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)

Calories 237 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 707mg31%

Potassium 565mg16%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 755IU15%

Vitamin C 15.3mg19%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Jan
2019

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

categories: Breakfast

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Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal is a filling, incredible tasting breakfast dish, with rolled oats, apples, crunchy pecans, and juicy blueberries!

Do you enjoy BAKED oatmeal? We are becoming big fans of this hearty breakfast treat, especially as we try new recipes for it, in our home.

Quite a while ago, I made Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal, and our family really enjoyed it, so when I saw THIS recipe, I knew we had to try it! Since this recipe for blueberry baked oatmeal had apples, blueberries AND pecans in it (personal favorites), I was certain it would be a big hit!

Let me tell you, it was a HUGE hit! My husband and I loved this easy to prepare, scrumptious breakfast! With a bottom layer of fresh blueberries and chopped apples, along with a topping of chopped pecans (or walnuts), there was fruit and crunch in every single bite! YUMMMM!

This recipe for blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal makes 8 servings, so there will be plenty for everyone! The leftovers taste fantastic, too. My husband and I enjoyed eating this filling breakfast for several days after it was made. Here’s how to make it:

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How To Make Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

The first thing you will need to do is to lightly coat an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray (bottom and sides). The second thing you need to do is preheat the oven to 325° F.

PLEASE NOTE: In the step below, note that only 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans are combined with the oat mixture. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans to top off the blueberry baked oatmeal with, before baking!

In a large bowl, combine the old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans (or walnuts), cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir until the ingredients are mixed. Set the bowl aside.

In a separate bowl, place the low-fat milk, egg, plain Greek yogurt, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and some vanilla extract.

Whisk these “wet” ingredients together, until they are fully blended and creamy. Set this bowl aside.

To Assemble The Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Evenly distribute the blueberries and then the chopped apples onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. I placed the blueberries down first, and then added the chopped apples on top.

Sprinkle the oats and pecan mixture evenly over the top of the blueberries and apples, to cover.

Pour the milk/yogurt mixture over the oats. Using a spoon, press down all over the surface of the oats, so that the dry oat mixture is submerged into the liquid.

I firmly pressed the back of the spoon down over the entire surface of the oats, to do this step. This is an important step, which holds it all together, so don’t skip this one!

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans evenly over the top of the oats. If you want, you can lightly sprinkle the top with additional cinnamon, but it is not necessary. Now your blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal is ready for the oven!

Cook The Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Bake the oatmeal at 325° F. for approximately 40-45 minutes. When done, the top of the blueberry baked oatmeal will be a nice golden brown color, and the oats will be “set”, and not sloshy.

Once done, remove the pan with the blueberry baked oatmeal from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack for several minutes, before attempting to slice.

Blueberry baked oatmeal can be served warm, or at room temperature. Our favorite way to enjoy this dish was at room temperature! When ready to serve, slice the blueberry baked oatmeal into 8 portions, transfer to plates, grab a fork, and enjoy!

Do I Need To Add Anything Else To Serve Blueberry Baked Oatmeal?

NOPE! We think this blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal has so much going for it taste-wise, nothing else is needed, to serve! It is PERFECT, just the way it is.

If you want, you can always top it with more Greek yogurt or maple syrup, but give it a try, just the way it is. We’re pretty sure you’re gonna LOVE it!

My husband and I LOVED this blueberry baked oatmeal, served along with our morning coffee! What a DELICIOUS breakfast treat to awaken to each morning! If you keep the leftovers covered, there is no need to refrigerate this dish. We enjoyed it for several days!

The juicy blueberries and apples in each bite make this a wonderfully dense, but moist baked oatmeal. There is a lot of flavor in this breakfast, and I think you’re gonna love it, too! It’s texture, juicy fruit and crunchy pecans reminds me a bit of a yummy coffeecake. It’s so good. Sure do hope you will try this blueberry baked oatmeal! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More BREAKFAST Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy recipes for breakfast dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Adapted From: https://thefoodiephysician.com/dining-with-doc-blueberry-apple-walnut/

0 from 0 votes

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal is a filling, incredible tasting breakfast dish, with rolled oats, apples, crunchy pecans, and juicy blueberries!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry baked oatmeal

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 319 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1¼ cups pecans (or walnuts) , chopped), divided use
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups low-fat milk (1%)
1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (can substitute light sour cream)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil (can substitute unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups blueberries
1½ cups finely chopped, peeled apple

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Lightly coat an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray (bottom/sides). Preheat oven to 325° F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, 3/4 cup chopped pecans (reserve remaining pecans), cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir until ingredients are mixed. Set the bowl aside.
In a separate bowl, place milk, egg, plain Greek yogurt, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and some vanilla extract. Whisk these "wet" ingredients together, until fully blended and creamy. Set the bowl aside.
Evenly distribute the blueberries and then chopped apples on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the oats and pecan mixture evenly over the fruit layers, to cover. Pour the milk/yogurt mixture over the oats. Using the back of a spoon, press down firmly all over the surface of the oats, so the dry oat mixture is submerged into the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans evenly over the oats.
Bake at 325° F. for approximately 40-45 minutes. When done, the top of the oatmeal will be a nice golden brown color, and the oats will be "set", not sloshy. Remove pan from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack. Blueberry baked oatmeal can be served warm, or at room temperature (our favorite=room temp.). When ready to serve, slice into 8 portions, transfer to plates, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 319 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 109mg5%

Potassium 325mg9%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 120IU2%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 128mg13%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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11
Jan
2019

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern

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You’ll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Can I get a shout out for the humble, yet delicious casserole dishes that have made mealtimes easier for home cooks everywhere? This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is a perfectly simple but absolutely lip-smackin’ delicious casserole that will leave you smiling!

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and loved that you can use pre-cooked (think rotisserie or leftover) chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken, and canned corn and black beans, you’ve already saved yourself some time!

Making this fiesta chicken pasta casserole recipe is as simple as cooking pasta, whisking together a simple Southwestern flavored sauce, stirring in the rest of the ingredients, then baking it! The recipe is really quite simple. Let me show you how to make this yummy meal!

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How To Make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

The first thing you will need to do is spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set the dish aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the rigatoni pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

NOTE: No rigatoni? No problem! You can easily substitute rotini (spiral) pasta or penne pasta in this dish!

While the pasta noodles are cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

Building The Casserole

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce to the pasta in the bowl, and give it a good stir to mix it together. Once the sauce and pasta are combined, add the drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of grated cheddar cheese.

Reserve the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir the fiesta chicken pasta casserole together, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined.

Time To Bake The Casserole

Pour the fiesta chicken pasta casserole ingredients evenly into the baking dish, and spread out, to cover. Evenly distribute the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Once the casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven. The cheese will be melted, and the casserole will be slightly bubbly around the edges.

To Serve Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Garnish the fiesta chicken pasta casserole with some sliced green onions (or chives, as shown), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices for flavor and color. The casserole is now ready to serve! The recipe serves 8 (modest portions), or 6, if serving larger portions!

The only thing left to do is dig into this absolutely delicious fiesta chicken pasta casserole! It has WONDERFUL flavor, and is not too spicy… trust me! The black beans add additional protein, and together with the corn, help to make this a well-rounded, nice and filling meal! It is SO GOOD!

I really hope you will consider trying this fiesta chicken pasta casserole. My husband and I LOVED it! Guess what? The leftovers tasted fantastic, too! I really think you will love this easy to make recipe, too! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Original Recipe Source: https://togetherasfamily.com/fiesta-chicken-casserole/

5 from 1 vote

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

You'll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Category: Entree - Casserole

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: fiesta chicken pasta casserole

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2¼ cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (can substitute spiral or penne pasta
1 cup salsa
1 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
15 ounces whole kernel corn (1 can) , drained
15 ounces black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken breasts , shredded or cubed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese , divided

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cook pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.
When pasta is done, drain, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce; stir to combine. Add drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of the grated cheddar cheese. Reserve remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to cover. Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking.
Remove finished casserole from oven. Garnish with sliced green onions (or chives), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation was calculated based on using light sour cream. Regular sour cream will work perfectly, but will increase calorie count for each portion.

Nutrition Facts

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 69mg23%

Sodium 657mg29%

Potassium 597mg17%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 680IU14%

Vitamin C 5.2mg6%

Calcium 285mg29%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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07
Jan
2019

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts

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Soft and chewy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, with a white chocolate drizzle on top, are easy to make, and sure to please kids of ALL ages!

Do you like cookies? We sure do, at our house! I recently made a LOT of Christmas goodies to give to all our neighbors, a tradition I have kept for many years! One of the treats I made this year were these white chocolate drizzled oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies!

The recipe was a twist on my standard recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, which I’ve been making for years. I simply made a few changes to the base recipe, and added a bit of “sparkle” on top, by drizzling each cookie with white chocolate! These simple chewy cookies turned out to be quite delicious, and today I’d like to share the easy recipe with you!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

You will want to preheat your oven to 350° F. first, because these cookies come together very quickly.

Using a large bowl and electric mixers (or a stand mixer), mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy (note: photo below does not show the brown sugar.. Add 2 eggs and vanilla extract to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, to combine ingredients.

In a separate, medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Once combined, add the flour mixture to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, until all the flour is incorporated into the cookie dough.

Add the chopped pecans, dried cranberries and old-fashioned rolled oats to the cookie dough. STIR these ingredients well, until they are fully combined. Now you have the dough ready to make some yummy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies!

Drop the cookie dough by rounded Tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Be sure to leave about 1 inch in between the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, because they will spread slightly. NOTE: I made “drop” cookies. If you prefer a slightly “flatter” cookie, you can lightly press down on the tops of the dough.

Bake The Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Bake the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies at 350° F. for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Since oven temps vary quite a bit, my advice is to check them at the eight minute mark. When done, take the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies out of the oven. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a minute, THEN transfer them to a wire rack, to cool completely.

Make The White Chocolate Drizzle For Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled, make the drizzle topping for the cookies, by melt the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in the microwave. To do this, place the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Put partially melted chocolate back in microwave and heat for another 30 seconds, Remove and stir, until creamy.

The reason for microwaving the chocolate in short amounts of time is so the chocolate won’t burn. If there are still lots of unmelted white chocolate chips left after two stints in the microwave, place in microwave one more time for 15 seconds, and stir well. Be careful to NOT burn the chocolate!

Place a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil UNDER the wire rack to catch drips (this will help with cleanup). When the white chocolate is smooth, drizzle it over the tops of each of the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, using a fork or spoon.

If you want to get fancy, you can place the melted chocolate into a pastry bag and “pipe” the white chocolate on, but in my humble opinion, it’s one more thing to wash! A simple drizzle (with a fork or spoon) works just fine for me! Let the white chocolate firm up, and then the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies are ready to eat! Store any leftover cookies in a covered container. YUM!

I really hope you will give these oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies a try! They are perfect to munch on, drop in a lunch box, or to serve as an afternoon or evening treat! Have a GREAT day!

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0 from 0 votes

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

23 mins

Soft and chewy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, with a white chocolate drizzle on top, are easy to make, and sure to please kids of ALL ages!

Category: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies

Servings: 48 cookies (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 142 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough

14 Tablespoons butter , softened
3/4 cup brown sugar , packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans

For Drizzle

10 ounces white chocolate chips (equivalent to 1¼ cups)
1½ Tablespoons vegetable shortening

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Cookie Dough:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Using a large bowl and electric mixers (or a stand mixer), mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add 2 eggs and vanilla extract to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, to combine ingredients.
In a separate, medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Once combined, add flour mixture to cookie dough batter. Mix well, until all flour is incorporated into cookie dough. Add chopped pecans, dried cranberries and old-fashioned oats. STIR ingredients well, until fully combined.
Drop dough by rounded Tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Leave 1 inch between cookies, because they will spread slightly. NOTE: If you want slightly "flatter" cookies, lightly press down on the tops of the dough. Bake at 350° F. for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Oven temps vary quite a bit, so check them at the 8 minute mark. When done, remove from oven. Leave cookies on sheet for a minute, THEN transfer onto wire rack, to cool completely.

To Make White Chocoate Drizzle:

Once the cookies have cooled, melt white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in the microwave. To do this, place white chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Put back in microwave and heat another 30 seconds, Remove and stir, until creamy. If there are still lots of unmelted white chocolate chips left, place in microwave for 15 seconds, and stir well. Be careful to NOT burn the chocolate!
Place a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil UNDER the wire rack to catch any drips (this will help with cleanup). Once chocolate is smooth, drizzle it over the tops of each cookie. Let the white chocolate firm up, and then cookies are ready to eat! Store cookies in a covered airtight container. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 142 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 17mg6%

Sodium 85mg4%

Potassium 55mg2%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 115IU2%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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04
Jan
2019

Eggplant Parmesan

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals

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Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Do you enjoy eggplant parmesan? Lots of people love this classic Italian dish, and today I am going to show you how you can make it at home! You can read some interesting information about this dish’s origins here.

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and made this meatless dish for my husband and I several months ago. Every now and then I love to make meatless dishes, and thought this one sounded really good, so I bought a gorgeous eggplant at our local Farmer’s Market.

Eggplant Parmesan has layers of lightly breaded eggplant slices, topped with marinara sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. The eggplant slices are lightly browned, then layered in casserole dish with the sauce and the cheeses.

Eggplant parmesan is baked until cooked through, and all that gooey cheese is melted throughout. Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Eggplant Parmesan

The first thing you will need to do is let excess water drain from the fresh eggplant. This step helps to reduce “sogginess” in the eggplant slices, by pulling out moisture before cooking.

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2″ thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted eggplant slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl.

Let the eggplant slices sit and “drain” or “sweat out” the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off the excess salt.

Preparing The Eggplant To Make Eggplant Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 375°F, and place two (shallow) plates on the kitchen counter. Spread the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs out, on one plate. Place the 3 slightly beaten eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk the eggs and milk together, until blended.

Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into the egg/milk mixture, making sure to cover both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip the eggplant into the breadcrumbs, until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate.

Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9×13 baking sheet in a single layer.

Browning The Eggplant

Put one Tablespoon of oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. I was able to cook 4 at a time.

Cook eggplant on both sides, until they are lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue this step for all the slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.

Assembling The Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Now you are ready to assemble the eggplant parmesan! Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. The first layer to go in is the eggplant slices. I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, so I was able to get about 4 eggplant slices in each layer.

Once you have a layer of eggplant slices, add a spoonful of marinara sauce to the top of each slice. Don’t drown the layers in sauce! Top the sauce with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. This time I used shredded Parmesan cheese, and slices of mozzarella cheese into my dish, but you can just as easily substitute grated mozzarella (instead of slices), if desired.

Repeat this process for a couple more layers (or until you run out of eggplant!). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the entire dish of eggplant parmesan, before baking.

Baking Eggplant Parmesan

Bake the eggplant parmesan for approximately 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, all that yummy cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Mine was done at 25 minutes.

NOTE: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Nobody wants burned cheese on top, right?

Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, serve it hot, and enjoy this classic Italian dish! You can also garnish the casserole with fresh, chopped basil, if desired.

I hope you enjoy this dish! For me, it’s always fun to experiment in the kitchen, and try new recipes. If you enjoy eggplant, be sure to check out my recipe for Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites! They’re delicious, too!

Have a wonderful day, please come back again soon, and thanks for stopping by!

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Original recipe source: https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/eggplant-parmesan/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time

1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices layered and baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Category: Meatless Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant parmesan

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 624 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant , cut in 1/2" slices
2 Tablespoons salt
1½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons olive oil , or vegetable oil
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella , shredded or slices
1 cup parmesan cheese , shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2" thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl. Let the eggplant sit and "drain" or "sweat out" the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off excess salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place two (shallow) plates on kitchen counter. Spread Italian breadcrumbs on one plate. Place eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk eggs and milk together. Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into egg/milk mixture, covering both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip eggplant into breadcrumbs until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate. Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9x13 baking sheet in a single layer.
Put 1 Tablespoon oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. Cook eggplant on both sides, until lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat this step for all slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.
Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of casserole dish. The first layer is eggplant slices (I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, and was able to get about 4 eggplant slices per layer). Onto that layer, add a little marinara sauce to the top of each piece (approx. 1/4 cup). Top the sauce with a layer of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat this process for two more layers (or until you run out of eggplant). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the dish off with, before baking.
Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, the cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Note: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, and serve it hot! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note that 45 minutes of the prep time listed is INACTIVE time (while zucchini drains).

You can also garnish the finished eggplant parmesan with chopped, fresh basil, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Eggplant Parmesan

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 624 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 5817mg253%

Potassium 817mg23%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1505IU30%

Vitamin C 14.1mg17%

Calcium 719mg72%

Iron 4.6mg26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!