Lemon Angel Hair Pasta Recipe

Made with lemon juice and zest, this pasta dish is light enough to complement just about any main dish. Or you can turn it into a complete meal by topping it with grilled or saute'd shrimp or chicken and a green vegetable.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• Juice of 1 to 2 lemons (1/4 cup or so)

• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and mint
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring often, until they are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a bowl.
2. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and pour in the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir it often, until it softens and becomes fragrant, about 45 to 60 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lemon zest and juice. Set the pan aside.
3. When the water boils, season it with 1 tablespoon of salt and bring it back to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook it al dente (for about 4 to 5 minutes or as the package instructs).
4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of water from the cooking pot into a small bowl and set it aside. Then drain the pasta well. Return the pasta to the pot. Pour the reserved cooking water and the lemon juice mixture over the pasta and toss it well. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and pine nuts.
5. Season the mixture with the salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

S'mores Dip

My kids LOVE Smore's and they always get super messy making them which is probably half the fun. This is a great alternative to make at home when you don't have a traditional campfire.  Now with this yummy recipe we can have it at home for dessert after a barbecue or anytime we want!

S’mores Dip

11.5 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
7 oz. of marshmallow fluff
graham cracker sticks, for dipping

Combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a heatproof bowl, and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir until melted and smooth.  If needed, microwave for 10 additional second increments until chocolate has completely melted.  Dot the surface of the chocolate mixture with spoonfuls of marshmallow fluff.  Stir marshmallow into chocolate to create a marbled effect.  Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Kids Love these!!!

Recipe courtesy of: Chef's in Training

Makes: 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Mexican  cheese
• small flour or corn tortillas
• kosher salt to taste
• non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.  Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze:  Before baking, flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months.  To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.  (Flash Freeze means freezing the taquitos in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (until hardened) so that when you add them to the freezer bag, they will not all stick together).

Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza Recipe

This Recipe is like Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza, but it's Healthy for you!!!  

Gotta try this!.... My Kids love it!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 c. refried beans
• 3/4 lb. ground beef, browned with a package of taco seasoning
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced finely
• 2/3 c. shredded cheese 
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a skillet or griddle with the non-stick spray and carefully brown the tortillas on each side, flipping frequently so they don’t burn. You want them to get nice and crispy. Carefully remove the tortillas to a plate.

Heat refried beans either over the stovetop or in the microwave.

Place one tortilla onto a cookie sheet and spread 1/2 c. refried beans onto it.

Sprinkle the ground beef over the beans.

Place a second tortilla over the beans and meat.

Spread about 3 T. of enchilada sauce evenly on top of the tortilla.

Sprinkle half of the diced tomatoes on top of the sauce.

Next sprinkle half of the cheese.

Then the green onions!

Repeat the layering steps for the second pizza, then place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven and cook about 8 minutes, just until the cheese is well melted.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and enjoy!

To keep it vegetarian, you could either just use beans or add veggies like peppers and onions in place of the meat.   This is an awesome recipe, similar to Taco Bell, but so much more healthier!   Real food always wins!

4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars!

This is a great after school snack that Kids can make, and it's Healthy too!

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
2 cups rolled oats, uncooked
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 cup pitted, chopped dried dates
1/4 cup chopped nuts — such as walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
Grated nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)

non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9"x 9" square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Peel the bananas and mash in a medium mixing bowl until no large chunks remain.  The bananas should be essentially liquid. 
4. Stir in the vanilla (optional).  Add the oats, stirring well.   Add the dates, nuts, and salt (optional).
5. Pat the thick mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. If desired, sprinkle the top lightly with nutmeg or cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or unti the edges just begin to crisp up.
6. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the pan from the oven.
7. When completely cool, cut into bars.  Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Ginger at Friesen Cold