Oreo Brownies

These little beauties are truly an Oreo Brownie...
Not just the frosting and little oreo bite on top, but inside is filled with an entire double-stuff oreo!
I'm talking true Oreo bliss here people!

These are so simple to make but are so impressive too!

Oreo Brownies

Spray 24 cups in a couple muffin/cupcake pans very well with cooking spray
Use your favorite brownie mix and prepare as directed
(yes, I really said use a mix...I suppose a scratch recipe would work too, but why mess with simplicity?)

Dip an entire Double-stuffed oreo into the brownie batter, covering completely, and drop into one of the sprayed cups.  Continue until all batter is used
Bake as directed on box, modifying time to 10-12 min -( just check for doneness)

That's it...you're finished!  (See, I told you it was simple)
Or you can take it a step further and frost with Cream Cheese Oreo frosting and top with a mini oreo
(This really takes it to the next level!)
Either way, it is super duper delicious!

Mint Brownies

These are soooo Yummy!
I have tried making these before, but wasn't happy with the results.
So this time I found 2 similar recipes and did a little combo of both to come up with this end result!

So fudgy, chocolaty,  minty... and yummy!

Mint Brownies
Brownie:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet, milk, white, or mint...I used milk)

Frosting
4 Tbs butter (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbs. milk
1/2 - 1 tsp peppermint extract (depends on how minty you like it)
green food coloring

Glaze
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or milk) (again, I used milk)
6 Tbs butter

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 9x13 pan with foil & spray with cooking spray
In mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt...set aside
Melt butter and add to sugar in large mixing bowl - stir well
Blend in eggs until frothy.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
Gently stir in chocolate chips
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 minutes, until brownies are set in middle and pull away from sides slightly -DO NOT OVERBAKE
Allow to cool completely before frosting

Frosting:
Beat together butter, sugar, mint extract and milk
Add  green food coloring until desired color is achieved.
Frost cooled brownies and refrigerate for 1 hour

Glaze:
Melt chocolate and butter on stovetop or in microwave
Drizzle & spread over mint frosting
Chill for another half hour
Cut & Serve!

Cauliflower Salad

I can't remember where I got this recipe, but I've had it for quite a while.
It's a nice change from the classic Potato salad.
If you're watching your carbs, this is a great way to go :)

Cauliflower Salad

1 head cauliflower

2-4 eggs - boil & dice

4 celery stalks - chopped

1 small onion - chopped

1 can diced olives

3-4 strips cooked bacon - crumbled

Sauce

1Tbs. dijon mustard

1 tsp each of salt, pepper, celery seed & dill week

Mayonnaise (maybe 1 cup - not sure)

Steam Cauliflower until fork tender

Cut into bite size pieces

Mix in remaining ingredients except sauce.

Mix sauce then add to vegies & mix well

Top with crumbled bacon

Chill and enjoy!

Toasted Pita & Bean Salad

I've been trying to eat clean since starting to work out.  This salad is the perfect fit for my new lifestyle.  I hope you enjoy it too.

2 6-inch whole-wheat pita breads, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups cooked pinto beans, well drained and slightly warmed (see Tip)
1 cup diced plum tomatoes or 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint*

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Spread pita pieces out on a large baking sheet. Bake until crisp and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on the pan.

3. Mash garlic and salt with the back of a chef’s knife to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add lemon juice and ground cumin and whisk to blend. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking continually. Season with pepper.

4. Place beans, tomatoes and cucumber in a serving bowl. Add the toasted pita, lettuce, feta, parsley, mint and the dressing; toss to mix. Season with more pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving: 442 calories; 21 g fat (7 g sat, 10 g mono); 33 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 13 g fiber; 697 mg sodium; 658 mg potassium.

*I sometimes forget to put the parsley and mint on the salad and it still tastes just as good..

Stir Fry

I've tried a lot of different recipes for stir-fry before finding this one.
In fact, Granny introduced me to this recipe. She used a "secret" ingredient that she wouldn't tell me about, (but it was only because she thought I wouldn't eat it if she did)

The secret to this yummy stir-fry is Oyster sauce.
Now all you non-seafood eaters like me, do not fret. It is so yummy and you can't even tell it's in there except to make it delicious.

Now the quantities will vary depending on how many you are feeding.

  I just make enough for the 4 of us so if you want more, just double the amounts :) 

Stir- Fry

2 Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)

Stir-fry vegetables (cut into bite size pieces) (use whatever you have on hand or your favorites)

  red & green peppers

  broccoli

  carrots

  snow peas

   green onions

  zucchini

  water chestnuts

   etc... (really anything goes here)

Chicken broth

corn starch

soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Start by cooking the chicken pieces in olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add in about 1/2 cup chicken broth to pan and all vegetables (ok, so granny never gave me exact measurements so I'm just making this up as I go along :)
Cover pan and simmer until vegies are almost finished stirring occasionally
Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup chicken broth in small bowl, add 3 Tbs (or so) of corn starch and a lot of shakes of soy sauce and 2 Tbs of oyster sauce (again, not exact measurements, just guessing)

Stir cornstarch mix in with vegies and simmer until thickens.
mix chicken back in with vegies to re-reat.
Serve over rice.

See, super easy and soooo yummy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Oh my goodness this is heavenly.  Just enough spice and soo full of flavor.  Super easy to put together and just delicious.  I hope you like it too.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 15 oz cans of black beans, undrained
2 15 oz cans of Mexican stewed tomatoes or Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 cup low sodium salsa (mild, medium, or hot, whichever you prefer)
4 oz can chopped green chilies, undrained
14 1/2 oz can low sodium tomato sauce
1 Tbsp  cumin (we add this just for some added mexican flair) 
baked tortilla chips
2 cups grated fat-free cheese


Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in a large slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours

Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup.

To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl.  Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese. 

Balsamic Spinach sauce

I saw this recipe in a magazine and it just jumped out at me and I just had to try it!
We grilled some sirloin steak and I prepared the sauce to go over the top. It was a big hit with our family and I will certainly try it again soon.
Balsamic Spinach Sauce

1 Tbs olive oil
1 lg onion - chopped
1 red pepper - chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs fresh rosemary chopped
7oz bag fresh baby spinach

Heat oil in skillet.
Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook until vegies are tender-crisp, stirring often.
Stir soup, water, vinegar and rosemary in skillet and heat to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, and stir in spinach
Cover and cook 2 minutes or until desired doneness.