Quesadilla Chicken

Recipe from: Simply Made...with Love

Ingredients:
1 cup miniature cheese crackers, crushed (I used Reduced Fat Cheez-Its)
1-1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
5 tablespoons butter, softened, divided (Omitted/ Used Egg Beaters)
3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies (Used the Old El Paso brand)
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, combine cracker crumbs and taco seasoning; set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine 3 tablespoons butter, cheese, chilies, onion and salt. Shape mixture into six balls. (This was hard for me; so, I just used a palm-ful
3. Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness.
4. Place filling in the center of each.
5. Roll up and secure with toothpicks.
6. In a shallow microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining butter.
7. Dip chicken in butter, then coat evenly with cracker mixture.
8. Place seam side down in a greased shallow round 3-qt. microwave-safe dish.
9. Bake on 350 for 40 minutes

**With this dish, I served taco seasoned red potatoes. You take 6 small red potatoes (cubed), one tablespoon of olive oil, and half a packet of taco seasoning. Put all ingredients in a large plastic bag and mix together. Place an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake along side the chicken. And I served a salad.

This recipe was awesome!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

Recipe from my friend, Leslie

Ingredients:
1 lb strawberries
8 oz raspberries
2 Golden Delicious apples
2 kiwis
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves

For the Chips:
cinnamon
white sugar
tortillas
butter cooking spray

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

*Leslie brought this over to my house for a cookout and it was absolutely delicious. I loved it! It's great for a summer treat!

Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar

12 ounces cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

9 lasagna noodles
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain. In another skillet over medium heat, cook onion until translucent. Combine beef and onion in a large saucepan with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour.
2. While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg until smooth. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with one-third of remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella; top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.
6. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

*I was impressed at how easy it was to make. It was delicious and my family enjoyed it! Too bad I forgot to take a picture!

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple-Pepper Relish

Recipe from: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used crushed red pepper)
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple chunks (I used an 8 oz. can of Dole crushed pineapple)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 lime wedges (one per piece of fish)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle fish evenly with spice mixture. Add fish to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Combine pineapple and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a large bowl, stirring gently. Serve pineapple mixture with fish. Garnish with lime wedges.

*I cooked this by placing one piece of tilapia on a piece of alumninum foil (one filet per piece of foil) and spooning some relish mixture over each piece of fish. I then folded the foil around the tilapia and baked it in the oven on 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It really allowed all of the flavors to cook together.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Triffle

Recipe from: Simply Made...with Love

Serves: 10-12
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (12 oz) Reese's peanut butter chips
1 bag (12 oz) Reese's Peanut Butter cups
4 cups of cold milk
2 pkgs. of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip

Directions:
1. Prepare chocolate cake mix according to box directions. Add peanut butter chips to the cake batter. Bake according to directions on box. Cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Prepare pudding mix as directed on box in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then mix in 2 tbsp. peanut butter. Mix until peanut butter is blended into pudding. Then, take 1/2 of the cool whip (4 oz) and fold into pudding mixture. Set in fridge to cool.
3. Cut peanut butter cups into quarters. Set aside.
4. In a trifle bowl place 1/2 of the chocolate cake pieces into the bottom of the trifle bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top of the cake layer. Then, pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top of the cake/candy. Layer the remaining cake pieces onto the pudding mixture, followed by 1/3 of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Pour the remaining pudding mixture onto the top of the 2nd cake layer. Spread the second 1/2 of the Cool Whip on top of the pudding mixture. Top with remaining pieces of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Serve and ENJOY!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box white cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Dipped Strawberries
1 pint (2 cups) medium-large strawberries (18 to 20 strawberries)
1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 teaspoon shortening or vegetable oil

Filling and Frosting
1 cup seedless strawberry jam
1 container milk chocolate frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, mix cake mix and gelatin. Beat in water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally (batter will be lumpy). Pour into pans.
2. Bake as directed on box for 9-inch round cake pans. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (must be completely dry). Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-quart saucepan, melt vanilla baking chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
4. Dip lower half of each strawberry into vanilla chip mixture; allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until coating is firm, about 30 minutes, or until serving time.
5. Split each cake horizontally into 2 layers. On serving plate, place top of 1 layer, cut side up; spread with 1/3 cup of the jam. Add bottom half of layer, cut side down; spread with 1/3 cup jam. Add top of second layer, cut side up; spread with remaining 1/3 cup jam. Add bottom of remaining layer. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Arrange dipped strawberries around top of cake. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe can be found here.

Pineapple Baked Tilapia

Recipe by: Simply Made...with Love
Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
8 oz. crushed pineapple
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs. mustard (I used brown)
2 tsp. soy sauce
aluminum foil (2 square pieces)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Season tilapia with salt and pepper.
3. Place tilapia on one piece of aluminum foil. (one piece on each)
4. Coat tilapia with pineapple mixture.
5. Fold foil around tilapia.
6. Place foil on cookie sheet, ready to bake.
7. Bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes apart. ]
8. Unwrap foil and enjoy.