CAJUN CHICKEN & GARLIC PIZZA

Yummmm!! More Chicken & Garlic!! This has to be one of my favorite meals to eat!! Not so bad to eat either...you can substitute the pizza dough for wheat & make with fat free mozzerella! I love this pizza as a veggie version too!

Ingredients:
~1 med chicken breast, diced
~cajun spice to taste
~ground pepper to taste
~2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
~1 can Dei Fratelli pizza sauce (the best pizza sauce!!)
~1 pkg. Betty Crocker pizza crust (just add hot water)
~1 cup Mozzerella cheese; shredded (I have used fat free)
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 tomato, chopped
~1 small onion, chopped (red or white)
~1 small green/red pepper, chopped if desired
~1-2 tsp. dried basil or 3 fresh leaves, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees;
Fix pizza dough according to package. Spray cooking spray on pizza pan or baking sheet. Form pizza dough into circular shape or square. In a skillet, heat evoo & add diced chicken. Season chicken with pepper & cajun spice, toss to coat. Cook chicken approx 4 minutes on each side or cooked thru. Remove from heat, and set aside. Mix together the pizza sauce & dried basil in a bowl. Spread sauce onto pizza dough; sprinkle mozzarella onto sauce. Arange chopped veggies & minced garlic over the shredded cheese; add chicken on top. *Tip* Do not over accessorize your pizza with sauce & toppings, b/c it will make dough soggy. Instead try using minimal sauce, and set aside extra for dipping ;)

Bake for approx 15 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted & crust is golden brown.

ASPARAGUS WITH VIN SANTO VINAIGRETTE

Chad loves asparagus, and we usually cook the asparagus with olive oil & pepper over the stove or grill...tonight I wanted to try something different as a side dish with our pot roast! This is supper good, and I will make it again with a steak or chicken dish! This recipe is from my Everyday Pasta cook book. Please excuse my terribly chopped almonds...next time I will use a nut chopper, lol!

Ingredients:

~1 1/2 cups Vin Santo (I used red wine)

~1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

~1 tbsp. lemon juice
~1 tbsp. dijon mustard

~1/4 tsp. salt (I omitted)

~1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

~1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed

~6 bibb lettuce leaves, for garnish (I omitted)

~1 hard cooked egg, peeled & chopped (I omitted)

~1/4 cup chopped & toasted almonds (see below)

In small saucepan, reduce the Vin Santo or red wine to 1/3 cup over medium heat, about 10-15 minutes.
In a small jar or plastic container with a tight fitting lid, combine the reduced Vin Santo, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake to combine, making sure the mustard is fully incorporated.

Bring a large pot salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the trimmed asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl filled with ice water and let cool, about 3 minutes. Drain the asparagus & pat dry with paper towels. (I drained and placed on a serving dish). Arrange the lettuce leaves in a serving bowl or dish, add the asparagus on top. Top with the hard-cooked egg and chopped almonds. Drizzle the entire salad with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Toasting the almonds*:
Spread almonds on a baking sheet & place in a 350 degree oven for approx 5-10 minutes, or until fragrant & golden brown. Stir them once or twice as they toast & watch to see that they dont get too dark.

CROCK POT GARLIC BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN

Again....LOVE.our.Crock.Pot...can't get enough of it!! I am always looking for new recipes to use with it, so I came upon this from recipezaar and I couldn't pass it up! Simply our favorite ingredients ever, garlic & chicken + the crock pot! This is super yummy & makes the house smell amazing while it's cooking all day!!

Ingredients:
~1lb chicken breasts (I used 3 medium; frozen)
~1 cup packed brown sugar (I reduced to 3/4 cup)
~2/3 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
~1/4 cup Sprite or 7-Up soda (I used Sprite Zero)
~2 tbsp. garlic; minced
~2 tbsp. soy sauce (I used low sodium)
~1 tsp. regular black or cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 tsp. of each)
~1 small onion; chopped if desired
~1 green pepper or tomato; chopped if desired

Coat bottom & sides of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in crock pot over chopped onions. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Serve over rice or noodles with a side salad.

(We ate over Barilla Plus thin spaghetti noodles)

Enjoy!!

NO PUDGE BROWNIES!!!

If you haven't found out about these No Pudge fat-free brownies, I feel sorry for you!! All you do is add 1 cup of vanilla or plain fat-free yogurt to the dry mix! They come in 4 different flavors...Original, Mint, Cappuccino, and Raspberry! I bought this box at Nino's, but some Kroger's carry them too. I used to buy them at Whole Food's type stores too. I have tried the Original & Cappuccino...but Mint sounds yummy too!! These are a fast fix for my sweet tooth, and you dont have to feel guilty eating them!!

FAB CHICKEN DIVAN

I was craving chicken divan...it just sounded so good! My mom used to make this for us growing up. I absolutely despise broccoli, but I make dishes with it because Chad loves it. Not my favorite thing in the world, but I loved it in this dish! It's perfect, and very mourish tasting!

Ingredients:

~1 small bag of frozen broccoli; steamed

~2 cups of shredded or cubed chicken, cooked

~2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used low sodium c. of chicken)

~1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

~1 cup sour cream (I used light)

~1 cup grated sharp cheddar

~1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

~1 tsp. curry powder (I didn't have so I used Paprika)

~salt & pepper to taste

~1/2 cup dry white cooking wine

~1/2 cup grated parmesan

~1/2 cup italian bread crumbs

~2 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam broccoli according to package; drain & place on bottom of greased casserole dish (I used 9" square). Add shredded or diced chicken on top of broccoli.

In medium bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt & pepper to taste & wine. Whisk together to make the sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli & chicken. Pat down evenly & spread with spatula. Combine the parmesan, bread crumbs & melted butter; sprinkle over the top of sauce.

Bake for approx. 40 minutes in oven or until top is browned; enjoy!!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

I was craving peanut butter cookies all last week!! I had to make these ASAP. They were really yummy, & I substituted the AP flour for wheat flour & used reduced fat peanut butter!

Ingredients:
~1 cup peanut butter (I used reduced fat)
~1/2 cup butter, softened
~1/2 cup white sugar
~1/2 cup packed brown sugar
~1 egg
~3 tbsp. milk (I used non-fat)
~1 tsp. vanilla extract
~1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used wheat)
~3/4 tsp. baking powder
~1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar, brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart. Press each ball once with fork tines.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. (I left mine in for 8 minutes, because I like them mushy inside!!)

MMMM CAJUN CHICKEN SANDWICH ON CIABATTA

We had leftover Ciabatta bread from Saturday that I didnt want to waste + 1 chicken breast...so of course I get home & Chad already left for the gym (once again I am not working out tonight) boo...so I wanted something quick, and a chicken sandwich sounded perfect!! I almost tried to make a version of the chicken crescent pockets with blackened chicken...hmmm, dont know how that would have turned out!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

~1 med-large chicken breast, cut into strips

~extra virgin olive oil

~cajun spice to taste

~2 lime slices

~shredded sharp cheddar cheese

~sun dried tomato pesto

~red onion, cut into thin rings (next time I will add lettuce & tomato!)

~ciabatta bread, cut 3/4' thick

Heat evoo in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breast strips, and squeeze lime over chicken. Sprinkle cajun spice, and toss to coat. Cook chicken on each side until no longer pink & blackened. When chicken is cooked thru, push to middle of pan & sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of chicken. Cook until melted. Place bread slices on pan with foil. Drizzle evoo on 1 side of slices, and place under broiler for a few minutes ~ make sure to watch, so it doesn't burn! Spread tomato pesto on toasts; remove chicken from pan with spatula & place on toasts. Add toppings & enjoy!!

CHICKEN STUFFED PASTA SHELLS & TOASTED CIABATTA WITH BALSAMIC SYRUP

WOW! This recipe I found in my Everyday Pasta cookbook...it is super yummy! It went perfect with our chicken stuffed pasta shells & salad...I am for sure going to make this again soon, Chad loved it & so did our guests!!

Ingredients:
~1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
~3 tbsp. granulated sugar
~12 1/2"-inch thick slices of ciabatta bread (I bought a fresh loaf from Nino's)
~2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (I used way more ti wasnt enough)

Boil the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp of sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally, approx. 20 minutes.

Toast the bread slices. Spread the butter over the toasts. Arrange toasts on platter. Drizzle the reduced balsamic syrup over the toasts. If desired, sprinkle sugar & serve!

Had to make this dish after I saw it on love deliciousness blog! I always joke that I think I am secretly Italian because all I want to eat is pasta, pasta & more pasta!! I could eat spaghetti three times a day!! I have no italian blood in me, but Chad is like 25% italian...and he wishes I would stop making things with tomatoes & onion for at least a week...LOL! Poor guy...I could seriously live on green peppers, onions & tomatoes!! Sorry, you can't really see the shells because I poured so much sauce over mine! These were so good, and we had the left overs for lunch today...4 shells each was enough for us. I also made homemade spaghetti sauce with ours instead of using jar pasta sauce ;)

Ingredients:

~1 box jumbo shell pasta (I used 1 box of Barilla)

~6 garlic cloves

~2 med chicken breasts cooked & shredded

~30 oz. ricotta (part skim)

~1/3 cup italian bread crumbs

~1 1/2 tsp. salt (I only used a few dashes)

~1/2 tsp. pepper

~1 1/2 tsp. parsley (I used fresh chopped)

~6 large basil leaves, torn

~1/3 cup of half & half

~1/4 cup parmesan cheese

~24 oz. pasta sauce (I made homemade, see bottom for receipe)

Cook pasta shells according to package. Drain shells, and place on wax paper to prevent them sticking together; let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients from garlic to half & half in food processor (I just mixed together in med size bowl). Spoon ricotta mixture into shells; coat spaghetti sauce to bottom of 9x13" pan. Place shells in pan, open end up. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over shells. Cover pan with foil & bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil & bake for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan over shells & serve!!

Spaghetti Sauce:

~1 large can of diced tomatoes

~1 large can of tomato sauce

~1 small tomato paste w/ italian seasonings

~1 med onion chopped

~4 garlic cloves minced

~1 tbsp. basil to taste

~1 tsp. oregano to taste or italian seasonings

~1 green pepper chopped if desired

If you are using ground beef. Brown beef in saucepan until browned with garlic & onion; add ground beef to crock pot with sauces.

Add all ingredients into crock pot & cook on low for 8 hours; or high for 4 hours. You can also leave simmering all day.

COOKING WITH MY NEW APRON WHILE DRINKING APPLETINI'S!

So excited to show off my cute apron!! I got this as a shower gift from my co-workers back in April (hence the name "Domestic Diva")...but this is the first time I got to wear it! Excuse the pic, but Chad was in the shower at the time I took this photo...lol! We were having our friends Nick & Wendy over for the first time for dinner last night!!

As I was cooking I started off with one of my favorite martini's ever...an Appletini ;) Yummm!!

~1 part Kettle One vodka

~1 part Rose's appletini mix
~1 splash of Sprite Zero

~1 slice of a granny smith apple for garnish

EASY CHICKEN POT PIE

I was in the mood for a chicken pot pie...not sure why...but I thought it was a good idea, since I never made one before!! My mom has a super simple recipe, but I sort of combined a few different ones for this!

Ingredients:

~2 cup frozen veggies; thawed (I used corn, potato, carrots & celery)

~1 can cream of chicken, mushroom soup, cheese (I used healthy request cream of chicken)

~1 chicken breast cooked or can chicken (I used large can of Swanson)

~1 tsp. chicken seasoning to taste (I used frankenmuth chicken seasoning)

~1 cup bisquick (I used reduced fat)

~1/2 cup milk (I used non-fat)

~1 egg

~3 tbsp. melted butter

~1/4 tsp. pepper (I used a little more & added garlic salt too)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine veggies, soup, can of chicken, seasonings, and melted butter in bowl; mix well. (I had to defrost the veggies in the microwave for a few minutes) Place the mixture in a lightly greased glass 9" pan. Mix together the bisquick, egg, & milk in a seperate bowl; pour over veggie mixture in pan. Cook for approx. 30 minutes or until top is browned.

**I actually think this would have been better if I used a pre-made pie dough & put it into a pie plate; added the filling above & added the dough to the top too...the bisquick was a little spongy on top. My mom makes hers with the pre-made pie crust & uses a can of 'Veg All' with the can of Swanson chicken...you could always try that too!

PEPPER STEAK

I am so excited that I finally got to make this dish! My mom made this for us growing up...and I just love it! It is so good, and even if you dont like steak you could always make a veggie version of this dish! I love the peppers w/ the sauce & rice....mmmmmm! I can't wait to call my mom, and let her know it came out just like hers ;) You will love this, I just know it!

Ingredients:

~1lb sirloin steak or top round; thinly sliced about 1/8" thick, cut into 2 inch strips

~2 green bell peppers; cut into thin strips

~1 yellow onion; cut into bite sized pieces

~1 cup bean sprouts

~2 cups beef bouillon

~1/4 cup vegetable oil

~1/2 tsp. ground ginger

~1 tsp. garlic powder or salt

~1 tbsp. granulated sugar

~2 tbsp. cornstarch

~4 tbsp. soy sauce (I used low sodium)

~1 cup uncooked rice (I used Basmati rice, & substituted beef bouillon for the water)

Heat oil in large skillet until very hot. Add meat and stir-fry until nicely browned (dont worry about cooking all the way thru). Add the onion, water, garlic salt, and ginger. Bring mixture to a boil, cover & cook for about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers & sprouts, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Combine the sugar, corn starch, and soy sauce in a bowl & wisk together until well combined. Add this mixture to the meat and pepper mixture and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens.

Serve over steamed rice!

CROCK POT CREAMY ITALIAN CHICKEN

I found this recipe on Cdkitchen while I was searching for crock pot recipes! It is even better the next day heated up for lunch!

Ingredients:

~1lb chicken breasts

~Italian dressing packet (I used 4 seasons Italian)

~1/4 cup of Water (I used Swanson chicken broth)

~1 8oz. package of cream cheese softened (I used fat free)

~1 can of Cream of Chicken soup (I used Healthy Request low sodium)

~I added chopped onions to this recipe & you can also add garlic too)

~Egg noodles or pasta (I used Healthy Harvest wheat egg noodles)

Coat bottom of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Add chicken breasts; stir together chicken broth & italian dresssing packet & pour over chicken breasts. Cook on low for about 5 hours. Stir together cream cheese & soup, add to crock pot & cook for an additional hour. (I added the onion & garlic to this step). Serve over egg noodles or any kind of pasta!

CHICKEN FAJITAS & MEXICAN DIP

My sister was staying over on Friday night, and she requested my Chicken Fajitas for dinner! They are honestly super simple, but everyone loves them! I also made the fabulous cheese dip, that originated at family parties...it is the same recipe foodislove has on her blog, but I started using fat free cream cheese, 98% fat free Turkey chili & 2% taco cheese! So now I dont feel so guilty making it all the time ;)

Ingredients:

~1lb chicken breasts (I used Tyson thin chicken breasts)

~2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

~2 garlic cloves, minced

~1 med onion

~1 green & red bell pepper

~2 tbsp. Teriyaki sauce (I use low sodium)

~shredded taco cheese (I use 2% milk taco cheese)

~sour cream (I use light)

~salsa

~tortillas or taco shells (I use Mission low carb, or wheat tortillas)

Cut chicken into strips. Heat a frying pan with the evoo & minced garlic over med. heat; saute garlic for approx 15 seconds, add chicken & cook each side thru for approx 4 minutes on each side until browned.

Meanwhile, cut the onion & peppers; and place in another large frying pan in evoo. Add teryaki sauce to taste. Saute the veggies on medium heat until onions are clear. When chicken is done, add the chicken & left over garlic & oil to the veggies. Let cook for another few minutes. Serve with warm tortillas & toppings! Yummmy!

The Dip:

~1 8oz. package of cream cheese softened (I used fat free)

~1 can of Hormel Chili (I used the 98% fat free Turkey Chili w/o beans)

~1 cup of shredded taco cheese (I used Kraft 2% milk taco cheese)

~tortilla chips (We like the Tostito's Wheat Multi-grain tortilla chips) highly recommend!!

Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a microwave safe dish (glass pie plate); spread the chili over the top, & cook in microwave until bubbling (approx 2 1/2 minutes). Add shredded cheese & place in microwave until cheese is melted.

Serve hot with tortilla chips, Enjoy!!

VEGETABLE NOODLES ROMANOFF

Tonight I did not feel like cooking...so I searced the web, and came across this recipe & modified it a little with what I had in the frig! This was super easy, and soooo good!!

Ingredients:

~3 cups cooked egg noodles (I used healthy harvest wheat egg noodles)

~1 cup cottage cheese (I used an 8oz. fat free cream cheese)

~1 cup sour cream (I used light)

~1/4 cup finely chopped white onion (I also added chopped tomato)

~1 clove garlic minced (I used 3 cloves)

~1 - 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I used 1 tbsp.)

~4 drops Tabasco sauce (I used a few dashes of chili powder)

~1/2 tsp. salt (I omitted & used ground pepper)

~1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar (I used grated white cheddar & some shredded parmesan)

~2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package. Meanwhile, place saucepan over medium heat with garlic & extra virgin olive oil. Add onion & saute for approx. 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, sour cream, worcestershire sauce, pepper, chili pepper & tomato; heat in saucepan until cheese is melted. Add cooked egg noodles to mixture; stir until well coated.

Combine all ingredients into a greased square baking dish. Pour mixture into pan, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese on top. Cook in oven until cheeses are melted for approx. 15 minutes.

ROASTED CHICKEN TENDERS

I found this recipe on Eating Well, while I was looking for healthy chicken recipes. It sounded good, and I had all the stuff to make it in the house (even better!) I served it with chicken & broccoli rice...it was seriously delish!

Ingredients:

~1 lb chicken tenders (I used Tyson thinly sliced chicken breasts)

~1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

~3 tbsp. lemon juice

~2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic (I usually use fresh, but I used jar garlic tonight instead)

~2 tbsp. finely chopped oregano (I used 1 tsp. of dried)

~2 tbsp. finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers (I omited & used 1/2 red bell pepper)

~2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

~1/2 tsp. salt

~1 red, yellow, orange bell pepper (I used green pepper)

~1/2 medium onion

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, jalapenos if using (I also thought of adding artichokes), oil & salt in bowl & coat bottom of 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Spread half the mixture on bottom of pan & add chicken pieces on top; pour rest of mixture over top & coat pieces. Add the bell pepper & onion; toss to coat (I made sure some veggies were under chicken pieces too). Make sure the mixture is spread evenly in pan. (I also drizzled extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar over pieces at this step); cover pan with foil. Bake until the chicken is cooked through & no longer pink in the middle (approx 30 minutes).

I suggest eating over the Lipton Chicken & Broccoli rice...It was fantastic! I also served with a side of mixed green salad w/ sun dried tomato feta!

FETA & ONION OMELETTES

Chad and I love to make breakfast on the weekends! I like to make these omelettes with whatever veggies we have left over in the fridge from the week. This morning I made egg white omelettes with feta cheese & scallions...but you can use whatever cheeses you have & toppings!

Ingredients:

~2-3 eggs (We use Eggland's best egg whites)

~handful of veggies (We used green onion, but I also like to add tomato, green pepper or onion)

~handful of your fav cheese (We used feta this time, but also use taco or cheddar)

~dash of garlic powder

~dash of ground pepper

Add eggs & veggies and mix in a bowl with fork. Add the pepper & garlic powder to taste. Heat frying pan on medium heat, and pour egg mixture into pan. Before the mixture becomes solid ~ add the cheese to center and fold over each side, to make an omelette shape. Flip over evenly on each side, until cheese is melted and serve!

CROCK POT CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Yet another recipe for the crock pot! You will see a lot of these coming thru in the future ;)
Again, DH and I love chicken so we cook with it very often! I already had all the ingredients in our kitchen for this so it was really easy!

Ingredients:
~Approx 3 chicken breasts (I used frozen med size)
~2 onions, sliced thin
~1 can of chopped tomatoes
~1 8oz. can tomato sauce
~1 tsp. salt
~1/4 tsp. pepper
~1 - 2 tsp. crushed oregano
~1/2 tsp. basil
~1 (40z.) can mushrooms (I omited & used red & green bell pepper)
~1/4 cup cooking white wine
~Spaghetti noodles or rice (I used Barilla PLUS, thin spaghetti noodles)

Spread chopped onion slices on bottom of crock pot (I used those slow cooker liners & tried them out tonight, they worked great!) Place frozen chicken breasts over top of onions. Mix together everything but the cans of tomatoes & tomato sauce & pour over chicken. Add all the tomato ingredients & cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. I cooked these on HIGH for about 5 hours. If you use unfrozen cut up chicken breasts, cookoking time can be reduced.

Serve over spahetti or rice!