Revel Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups quick cooking oats
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 1/4 c whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Pat 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top, and dot with remaining oat mixture.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut into bars.

I ended up making these to share at a get together we went to and didn't want to post the recipe until I had the reviews of the folks who tried it.  I was a little nervous bringing something I've never made before, but it had great reviews (5 stars!).  I think Carla put it best... something like this dessert is "God's gift to mankind"...lol! So yes, they were a hit!  And as promised, the recipe is now posted for sharing.  Definitely thought serving still slightly warm with a bit of vanilla ice cream was pretty heavenly and will be a repeater for sure!

Creamy Pesto Salmon

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillet
• 1/2 c pesto
• 3/4 c alfredo sauce
• 1/2  small sweet onion, sliced 1/4" thick

Directions:

1. Lay out two sheets of overlapping foil and place salmon meat side up.
2. Mix together pesto and alfredo sauce and spread over salmon.
3. Separate rings of sweet onion slices and place on top of sauce.

4. Pull together sides of foil to make "tent" for the salmon/sauce/onions.
5. Place tent on the grill for about 13-15 minutes. Check for salmon to be flaky.

By the way, this final picture is not the real thing.  We completely devoured ours before I remembered to take a pic, but you get the idea. :-) Also, in case you were wondering, I use the pesto and alfredo sauce from Costco - conveniently sitting next to each other in the refrigerated section! I wish I could give proper credit to the person who shared this recipe with me (Kim?) but you will absolutely love how easy and "gourmet" this recipe is with a 3 minute prep time!

Tuscan Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

16 oz. tri-flavored 7 cheese tortelloni
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
non-fat cooking spray
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup asparagus, chopped & steamed
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1/3 cup white onion, diced small
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Balsamic dressing
1 cup heart of romaine lettuce, chopped

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package instructions.  When finished, rinse with cold water and chill.  Prepare chicken for grilling by: coat chicken with non-fat cooking spray, sprinkle on garlic, basil, rosemary, salt & pepper.  Grill chicken tenders on medium-high for 5 minutes on each side, remove from grill and chill.  Rinse and halve tomatoes and place in a large serving bowl.  Chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces, put in a microwavable bowl, place cling wrap on the top and microwave on high for 2 minutes.  Stir asparagus in bowl, re-cover and microwave for 1 minute longer.  Add steamed asparagus with tomatoes.  Dice both the red pepper and white onion and add both to veggies in serving bowl.  Stir in pasta and chicken with the veggies, then add the olive oil and Balsamic dressing and mix together thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Toss in the romaine lettuce just before eating, so it will not become wilted.

Peachy Keen Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh or canned peaches (peeled if fresh, or in light syrup if canned)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
salt and pepper to season

Directions:

Place the peaches in a food processor and process to a smooth puree. Add the oil and honey and process briefly to blend; transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and close, squeezing out the air. Chill for at least 15 minutes (or you can do it the night before).

Prepare the grill (gas grill at medium), heat a grill pan over medium heat, or preheat the broiler. Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and place on a plate. Season lightly with salt and pepper and transfer to the grill. Cover and cook until charred underneath, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until charred and firm when poked with a finger, 4 to 5 minutes more. 

Note:  I serve this chicken with steamed brown rice, mango salsa, and Summer Asparagus Salad (also a SDC recipe :).

 

Chicken recipe from Epicurious.com

Taco Salad

This dinner hardly needs a recipe, but I'll add it as more of a reminder of what you can pull together quickly to make a dish your whole family will love.  I'll also throw in a few ideas to make it even healthier.

Usually I start with chips or crisped up tortillas (if you crisp your own tortillas, it will be even healthier!).  Then you can add a whole variety of toppings.  Some of these are pretty standard and some might peak your interest:

• lettuce, spinach, or cabbage
• grated cheddar or pepperjack cheese
• ground beef, ground turkey, pulled pork, or cubed/pulled chicken, fish for the meat
• chopped: tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers, 
• sliced: olives, green onions, jalapenos
• beans: my favorite are black also pinto (drained and washed)
• corn: my favorite is cut off the cob after being cooked/grilled
• dressing: fresh salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, plain non-fat yogurt, cilantro (or try mixing salsa with sour cream/yogurt together)

Red Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb. dried red lentils (I found these in the bulk section)
1 c. currants
1/3 c. capers
1 1/2 c. finely chopped red onion

Vinaigrette ingredients:
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
2 T sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t ground cumin
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t coriander

Directions:

1. Wash lentils.  Cook in boiling water 5-6 minutes or until just tender.  Rinse and drain well.
2. Combine with dressing and let sit overnight.
3. At least 2 hours before serving, add currants, capers, and onions to lentils. Allow to marinate for several hours more.
4. Place in bowl or on platter and garnish as you please.

I first had this salad with a fabulous salmon dinner made by my step-mom, Kris.  Instantly fell in lurve with this salad.  GREAT flavor and obviously pretty darn healthy for you.  This recipe is very easy to make although with the marinating time, you obviously have to plan ahead.  Fabulous dish to take to or serve at a BBQ or picnic this summer.  This recipe is only slightly modified from one found on Cooks.com

Curried Chicken with Pears

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  
• 2 fresh pears, unpeeled, cored, cut into eights
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

Directions

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Cook 5 minutes per side or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the pears and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
3. Add the onion and remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the curry powder and flour. Add the broth and ketchup and bring to a boil.
5. Return the chicken and pears to the pan and coat with the sauce.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Divide among plates.