Blackened Tilapia

I was in the mood for fish and decided to try it blackened. I found a basic recipe on Sparkrecipes and added a few of my own ingredients.

Blackened Tilapia:

3 tablespoons of paprika powder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of celery seed
1 pinch of garlic powder
1 pound of Tilapia fillets
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Create a spice blend by pouring paprika powder, salt, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, celery seed and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag. Shake till will blended. Add tilapia, shake til coated, and allow them to sit for 30 minutes in room temperature. Cover with foil and bake for 20 min. Remove from oven, move oven rack to top level, and switch to broil. Remove foil and broil for 10 min. Squeeze lemon juice over the Blackened Tilapia. Enjoy!

Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 0.0g
Calories:79.3
Protein: 18.0g

Butternut Squash

I have never made a butternut suash and decided that since they are in season I would give it a try. I loved it and made an acorn squash the next day. I have a mini pumpkin that is begging me to make something yummy out of it. Maybe I will make it tonight. :)

Butternut Squash:

1 butternut squash

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cut squash in half and remove the seeds. In a baking dish with one inch of water, place squash skin side up. Bake 20-30 min or til done. Remove from water and top with brown sugar and butter.

Ranch Chops

So easy and so delicious! These pork chops were moist, tasty, and required only 2 ingredients! I used 2 butterflied pork steaks and cut them in to 4 pieces. You can use bone in chops, too.

Ranch Chops:

2 boneless, butterflied pork steaks
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch packet
1 tsp lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put chops in a baking dish and sprinkle ranch packet and lemon pepper evenly over chops. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake and additional 10-15 min or till done.

Serves 2

Calories: 141.2
Total Fat: 8.0 g
Total Carbs: 0.3 g
Protein: 15.8 g

Peanut Chicken

I liked it! I didn't have creamy peanut butter so I put the sauce ingredients in my magic bullet and blended it. It was very thick, next time I might thin it out. I also think the sauce recipe needs to be doubled. I would have liked to coat the entire piece of chicken with it.

Peanut Chicken:

2 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 teaspoon curry powder
1 dash ground cayenne pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Place chicken in a baking dish and brush with the peanut sauce. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.

Serves 4

Calories: 176
Total Fat: 5.6g
Cholesterol: 67mg
Total Carbs: 3.7g

Parmesan Dijon Chicken

Easy, quick, and delicious. All the things I love in a meal. :)

Parmesan Dijon Chicken:

2 Chicken Breasts

4 tsp Dijon Mustard

4 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Trim all excess fat from the chicken.Season with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes (if you desire)Spread Dijon on one side of the chicken breast, then sprinkle cheese.Put that side down on a pan sprayed lightly with non-stick spray and repeat on the other side.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until done all the way through.

Serves 2

Fat: 6.0g
Carbohydrates: 0.4g
Calories:315.2g
Protein: 58.6g

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My man raved about this chicken. It was my first time eating goat cheese and it tasted really good. The next time I make it I will bake it instead of in a pan on the stove. I hate the mess the oil makes!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 C chopped shallots, divided
1 tsp Splenda3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 T balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 C (2 oz) crumbled goat cheese - to cut down on the fat, find the lowest-fat variety
2 T chopped fresh basil
3/4 tsp salt, divided
4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 C shallots, Splenda, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tsp vinegar.Combine chopped tomatoes, shallot mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring well.Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 T cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper.Heat 1 tsp oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add broth, remaining shallots, 2 T vinegar, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over chicken.

Serves 4

Fat: 7.0g
Carbohydrates: 8.9g
Calories:192.7
Protein: 23.1g

Ground Beef Ricotta Bake

Ground Beef Ricotta Bake:

1/3 box pasta
1 TBS margarine
1 pound lean ground beef
1 TBS minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c. part skim ricotta
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 large tomato, chopped
4 TBS ketchup
1/2 c. part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. While waiting, brown ground beef. Drain. Add minced onion, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. After pasta is cooked and drained, add to an 8x8 square baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Mix 1 TBS of margarine into spaghetti. Spread in an even layer. Add ricotta to the ground beef in its skillet. Mix well. Spread beef and ricotta mixture evenly over spaghetti. Sprinkle basil, oregano, and rosemary over the top. Cover this layer with chopped tomatoes. Distribute ketchup evenly over tomatoes. Cover it all with the mozzarella cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Calories: 367.5
Fat: 21.2g
Carbohydrates: 20.1g
Protein: 23.1g

Chicken Capri

This is a really easy and tasty chicken dish that is low in calories. It is incredibly juicy and the flavor pops in your mouth.

Chicken Capri:

1 Cup Reduced-Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Crushed Tomaotes
4 slices Reduced-Fat Mozzarella Cheese (or Provolone)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend ricotta, oregano, salt, and pepper in processor or belnder. Rub the chicken breasts with the garlic powder. Heat 2 T (all) extra virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for about 12 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and allow to cool in a large baking dish. When chicken has cooled, spoon 1/4 cup of chese mixture and 1/4 cup of crushed tomatoes on each breast half. Top each with slice of the reduced fat mozzarella and bake for 30-45 minutes or until chicken is done and juices run clear.

Serves 4

Calories: 377.1
Total Fat: 17.5 g
Cholesterol: 136.4 mg
Total Carbs: 9.2 g

Mexican Lasagna

I like to order Chilaquiles when we go to the Mexican restaurant and decided to try my own version of this dish in the form of a Mexican lasagna. I used flour tortillas because that is what I had on hand. Next time I will try it with the corn ones.

Mexican Lasagna:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (14 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded Colby cheese

1 can refried beans

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

Black olives

Sour Cream

Lettuce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef with onions and garlic, drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, refried beans, and tomatoes. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1/3 of the tortillas. Spoon 1/3 the beef mixture onto the tortillas, then layer the remaining tortillas and meat mix. Spread salsa and olives on top, cover with cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with lettuce and sour cream.