Rachel Ray's doggie treat of the month!

This was a very quick and easy recipe that my dogs just loved!

I will give you a warning though. If you have other people that live in your home, let them know that this is not cornbread. These are dog treats. Ha! Ha! or don't tell them and play a mean trick on them! It's your choice, I'm just giving you the warning!

1 can tuna (in water, do not drain)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8" square baking dish.

In a food processor, combine the tuna with its liquid and the eggs;pulse to blend. Add the flour and pulse until crumbly.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and press into an even layer.

Bake until set, about 5 min. Let cool for about 15 min. then cut into 3 dozen squares. Once the treats cool completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Sweet and spicy Kabobs

I took 2 skinless chicken breasts and pounded them down to about 1/2" thick. Then I cut them into 1" pieces. I also took 10-12 large shrimp(deveined and shells off).

Place the proteins in a large bowl and add a season all salt, lemon pepper and a touch of Cayenne pepper. Mix well.

In the meantime I cut up 5 mini peppers(or 1 1/2 large sweet peppers), 1/2 of red onion (all in 1" slices) and 1 pkg. of mushrooms.

Place the proteins as well as the vegetables in a large ziploc bag with 1/3 cup of pineapple juice(from a can), 1/4 cup of olive or grapeseed oil, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and red pepper to taste(as much as you like).

Mix well and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Place on wooded skewers alternating veggies and meat. I put the chicken and shrimp on separate skewers due to the fact that the shrimp will cook faster than the chicken.

I than wrapped a few of the skewers with turkey bacon. 2 Slices per skewer and keep in place with toothpicks.

Then place on a hot grill for 15-20 min. turning ever 3-5 min. Take off of the grill and take the food off of the skewers and place on a plate.

Serve with your favorite sides and waaallllaaahhhhaaa! Happy eating y'all!

Chicken Hoagies with a cabbage slaw

This is a very easy recipe with a whole lot of flavor!!!

I took 2 chicken breasts and marinated on a plate with about a teaspoon of rice vinegar, spicy mustard and lime juice. Make sure that both sides have the liquid on them. Then evenly sprinkle some season salt, garlic salt and ground pepper over both sides of the chicken breast as well. Allow to marinate for 15-30 min. Then cook the chicken on a grill, panini press or skillet. I prefer grilled. Allow to cook until the chicken breasts is 165 degrees. About 8-10 min. per side. (depending on how hot your grill is)

While your chicken is cooking chop up 1/4-1/2 of a head of red and white cabbage, a red bell pepper, 1/2 sweet onion and 1 tomatillo(or tomato), place in a large bowl and mix with some minced garlic, salt, pepper, feta cheese,  and a light caesar dressing(like Ken's).

Mix well

Toast the hoagie rolls in the oven until crisp. Then add either mustard or mayo to the bun. I like mustard and my husband likes mayo. They both worked out well. Then add a slice of your favorite cheese. I used swiss, but a sharp cheddar would be amazing as well! Slice your chicken breasts into strips and place on top of the cheese. then add that amazing slaw... And wallllaaaaahhhhh!!! Happy eating y'all!

A healthier twist on popcorn.

Ok, so we have all been told that popcorn is a healthy snack. BUT, the popcorn that you buy in the microwave bags really are not good for you. I used to buy the 100 calorie packs until I found this healthier and cheaper way to make a popcorn snack. I learned this from the nutritionist that works on the biggest loser show and I just had to try it out. Now, I am hooked!

Take a brown paper lunch bag and place 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels inside the bag. Fold the bag over 2 times.

Place in the microwave for 2 min. Two tablespoons will fill a small bowl up perfectly. Then take whatever seasonings that you want, spray some butter and wallllaaahhhh so healthy and soooo much cheaper!

Happy snacking y'all!

Non-fried chicken panini w/ Tzatziki sauce and veggies w/ a lime dressing

This dish EXPLODES with flavor and is very healthy!

I started out by taking 2 chicken breasts and pounding them flat. About 1/2-1/4" thick. Season with salt and pepper and place in a large freezer bag along with 3 tablespoons of greek yogart.

In a separate bowl generously pour a mixture of 1/2 panko and 1/2 cornflakes breading...

Dredge the chicken breast in the breading mixture and place on a baking sheet.

I like to place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and then place the chicken. This allows for the chicken to get crispy all over, no soggy bottom!

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 min. or until the chicken is 160 degrees.

While that is cooking it is time to make the veggies and the sauces.

For the veggies.... I took 1 lb. of fresh green beans(ends trimmed) and placed in a bowling pot of water for 5 min.

Take out of the water with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Then take 1 head of corn, cut off the cob and place in the boiling water for 2 min. and set aside.

Then dice up a red bell pepper, 1/2 a tub of mushrooms,  and 1/2 sweet onion and place in a hot skillet for about 5 min. or until the onions start to become opaque.

For the Vegetable medley dressing....

1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons of lime zest
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup of olive or grapeseed oil
salt and pepper

Mix well and place over the vegetables while in the skillet.

For the Tzatziki sauce(this is the sauce that I put in pita sandwiches)....

I took 1 tub of greek yogurt
1/2 a cucumber that I de-seeded, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon of dill
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of minced garlic

Mix well. And this sauce has only 36 calories per serving(there are 4 servings)!!!!!

Now it is time to take out your chicken from the oven. Let it rest for 5 min. and then thinly slice.
Take your pita bread and place a spoonful of your Tzatziki sauce, some fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes(not in oil) and your chicken slices.

Add your vegetable medley to the plate and you have a healthy meal!!! I also served with a side of sweet potato fries.

And that's it! It seems like a lot, but if you make the sauces ahead of time, you can have this meal done in about 35 min.!

waaalllllaaaahhhh! Happy eating y'all!

Chicken and Shrimp taco salad.

I have really been trying to put together some healthy recipes. I work out daily, but I am moving to Florida towards the end of the year!!!!! Need I say more??? LOL!

So, last night I created my own version of a taco salad. It not only turned out great, but was quite filling! Here is what I did.....

I sliced 1 chicken breast (placed in a bowl), and in took (9) large gulf shrimp and seasoned with my favorite seasonings... pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, fajita seasoning, and garlic salt. I sprayed a pan with cooking spray and cooked for about 7-10 min.(or until there is no pink left in the meat).

In a separate saute pan, I mixed a can o kidney beans and great northern beans(both drained). Placed on low until warm.

While the protein and beans are cooking, I diced up the following veggies.... Cilantro,onions, tomatoes and red peppers.

Once everything is done (which only takes about 20 min. from start to finish), I took fresh spinach(instead of lettuce) and placed on a plate. Top with the meat mixture, veggies, salsa and hot sauce (homemade or store bought) and "sour cream" See below for my low fat version... Add some tortilla chips around the plate and top with some shredded cheese.

Instead of sour cream... I mix 1 tub of greek yogurt along with a can of green chili's. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.. you will never know the difference.

Waalllllaaahhhhhhaaaa! Happy, healthy eating y'all!

Pan seared tilapia w/ shrimp, scallops and veggies!

This was a very healthy meal that I literally just threw together. I keep fresh veggies as a staple in my home and I keep all of my meat in the freezer until the day that I am ready to cook(this way the meat does not go bad). So, I saw that I had some great seafood in the freezer and decided to make a seafood "stir fry" if you will. It really was delicious and very healthy!

I started off by taking about 1/2lb- 3/4 lb. of large gulf shrimp and 1 4 oz. pkg of baby scallops, and placed them in a bowl. Seasoned with a about a teaspoon of fish oil, season salt, pepper, garlic salt and crushed red pepper(optional).  I let that marinate while I prepared the rest of the meal. About 20-30 min.

While the seafood is marinating, I cup up my veggies. You can use whatever that you have in the refrigerator. I cut up 3 whole mushrooms, 1/4 sweet red pepper, 1 stalk of celery, 2 small asparagus stalks, 1 parsnip(or carrot), 1 jalapeno(optional), 1/2 sweet onion, 1/2 cup of red cabbage and about 1 cup of broccoli florets.

I know that sounds like a lot of vegetables! That is why I suggest that you just go through what you have instead of buying just for this recipe. That could get expensive! I honestly just chopped up what I had!

I then seasoned those veggies with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoon's of lite Caesar dressing, some salt and pepper. I also cut up (2) slices of turkey bacon and mixed well...

I took my slices of tilapia and seasoned with the dry ingredients that I placed on the seafood. Then I heated one pan with cooking spray(i used cast iron, but it is not necessary) for the tilapia and heated a wok for the veggies and the seafood. The reason that I used a wok is b.c that is a lot of food, but if you don't have a wok, I would just use 2 separate pans. One for the veggie mix and another for the seafood mix. So you would have 3 pans going at one time.

If you are using a wok, place the seafood in first. For about 3 min. or until it turns pink. Then add the veggies and stir fry for another 7 min.

For the tilapia.... On med-high heat cook each side for 5 min.(or until flaky).

Place your veggie/seafood mixture on a plate and add the pan seared tilapia and Waaalllaahhh... you have a healthy, delicious meal! Happy eating Y'all!

Picks of the week

I have 2 picks this week.

The first is......

My birthday was last weekend and my husband did not want to buy me a cake b.c he knew that he would be the one to eat it all! I do not have a huge sweet tooth. What I do love is Samoa girl scout cookies(maybe b.c you can only get them once a year lol). Funny thing about this pick of the week.... My husband has still ate most of it!

For my second pick.....

Now, I know that this is not food,but.... this really makes life just a little simpler. I love the brand as it is and use it on everything except my dark clothes. Then I use Woolite for darks. But anyway, I love just popping the tablets in and calling it a day!

Chicken tacos/burritos

I took 2 chicken breasts, cut them into chunks and seasoned with my favorite seasonings. You can use whatever seasonings you like. I like to use a season all salt,garlic powder, CUMIN(cumin is a MUST in any tex mex or Mexican dish), and pepper.

I let that "marinate" for about 30 min.

Then take your chicken and place in a hot skillet. I did not use oil, rather just some cooking spray. This will aid in keeping the calories down. Cook until browned (about 10 min. on med.-high heat).

While the chicken was browning I took a can of beans, placed in a pot with about a quarter cup of diced onions, slice fresh jalapenos and chopped cilantro.

Then once that was warmed up(about 5 min. on med. heat) I started to put together the tacos.

I made one like taco bell with the hard shell and the soft. I took 1 flour tortilla and placed some melted Velveeta(processed cheese). This will act as the "glue" so to speak. Then I filled with chicken, the bean mixture, salsa and some spinach leaves(instead of lettuce).

For the burrito, I repeated the process minus the hard shell and added rice.

This time I chose not to use "Sour cream". But, a lighter version is Greek yogurt! I mix in a can of green chili's and it is delicious on any dish!

And waalllaaahhh. Happy eating y'all!