JELLO Magic Mousse

If you're looking for an incredibly simple, inexpensive, light, and guilt-free dessert, look no further! I largely ignore the recipes that are often found on packaging, but this one sounded too easy to pass up. The multi-textured layers amp up the same old JELLO flavor and can be suited to any flavor. Here I used the sugar-free versions, but feel free to go the traditional route as well!

1 pkg. Sugar-free JELLO, any flavor 

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 carton Sugar-free Cool Whip (small)

Whisk JELLO and boiling water together 2 minutes, or until completely dissolved. Whisk in Cool Whip until combined and smooth. Refrigerate 6-8 hours until firm. 

Apple-Oat Coffee Cake

What goes better with an afternoon tea than coffee cake? (Well, maybe scones, but that's for a different day) When I found myself hosting a tea for some friends last week, I decided to delve into a bit of baking and turned to my trusted friend, Betty Crocker, for some inspiration. I love my new Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices cookbook - the recipes I've tried consistently taste great and don't make me feel guilty afterwards. This coffee cake was moist, delicious, and packed with fiber. 

Oat Streusel (see below) 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup margarine, softened

1 cup skim milk

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. allspice

2 egg whites

2 medium apples, chopped (about 2 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease square baking dish. Prepare Oat Streusel (below) and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat remaining ingredients, except apples, with an electric mixer on low, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in apples. Spread half the batter in the pan; sprinkle with half of the streusel. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining streusel. Bake 40-50 minutes, until completely firm and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Oat Streusel

3 T. margarine, firm

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cut margarine into oats, flour, and brown sugar using a pastry blender or fork, until crumbly. Stir in nuts if desired.

Fettuccine and Pink Sauce with Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Italian food is great for experimenting because the tastes are so subjective. Play with the flavors of this dish until you find something just right for you!

Sauce:

½ batch of Almost Scratch “No Chunks” Tomato Sauce, minus Italian sausage 

1 cup half & half

½ cup shredded parmesan

1 pkg. fettuccine noodles, prepared per package instructions

Chicken:

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

½ cup shredded parmesan

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

3 T. olive oil

Prepare Almost Scratch “No Chunks” Tomato Sauce (or thaw from frozen).

Meanwhile, pound chicken with mallet until thin; season with salt and pepper. Beat egg into a shallow dish; mix parmesan and breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip each chicken breast into the egg, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. In a large skillet, preheat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side and cooked through. Cover with foil and set aside.

Stir in half & half and parmesan into smooth tomato sauce. Simmer approximately 5-10 minutes more, until flavors combine and sauce is heated through. Serve sauce over prepared fettuccine and top with chicken.

Dill Drumettes with Lemony Aritchokes

Great for an appetizer or main dish, try these drumettes in lieu of chicken breasts at your next BBQ! (The marinade would also go great with salmon!) Also check out the bonus recipe below for lemony artichokes that will delight even non-veggie lovers.

1-2 lbs. chicken drumettes 

Salt & pepper

¼ cup orange juice

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. dill

4 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread drumettes on greased cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Stir orange juice, lemon juice, and dill into melted butter. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for serving. Brush marinade onto one side of the drumettes. Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and brush with remaining marinade; bake for an additional 20 minutes, until chicken is caramelized and cooked through. Serve with reserved marinade.

Lemony Artichokes

                             

1-4 whole artichokes

1 lemon, ½ quartered, the other half reserved

Salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 T. butter, melted

Boil a large pot of water; add salt and lemon quarters. Trim the top ¾-inches off of the artichokes; cut off stem and peel away any wilted leaves. Boil artichokes 30-40 minutes, covered, until leaves pull away easily.

Stir garlic powder and the juice of the remaining lemon half into melted butter; serve artichoke leaves with butter sauce for dipping.

Almost Scratch "No Chunks" Tomato Sauce

A good tomato sauce is the key to so many Italian dishes. When I'm in a hurry, I stick with my simple, "No Chunks" Tomato Sauce, but if I have time for slow cooking, the flavors of this "almost" from scratch sauce cannot be beat. (I say almost because I still used canned tomato sauce, not whole tomatoes) Since I prefer my sauce "chunkless" I use my handy immersion blender at the end of the cooking process for a smooth texture. While I often use Italian sausage, this sauce would be equally good with ground beef or turkey, or even meatless. 

2-3 ribs celery, chopped 

1 red onion, diced

1-2 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. butter

Salt & pepper

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. basil

½ - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 (28-oz) cans tomato sauce

½ cup red wine

1 tsp. sugar

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

Saute celery, onion, carrots, and garlic in butter until softened; season with salt and pepper. Add Italian seasoning, basil, and red pepper flakes; stir to coat vegetables. Add tomato sauce, wine, and sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer 2-3 hours. (Can also be cooked in a Crockpot for 4-6 hours)

Brown sausage in a skillet. While sausage cooks, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce. (If you do not have an immersion blender, mix, in batches, in a regular blender) Add browned sausage to sauce; simmer 5-10 minutes more. Serve with preferred pasta.

Shredded Beef Tacos

There are two main reasons I love my Crockpot: 1) Dinner is ready (within reason) when I am. For a schedule as varied as ours, this simple fact is a Godsend. 2) It makes my entire house smell yummy all day. These tacos smelled so delicious, I couldn't wait for dinner-time to arrive! 

Beef:

1 ½ - 2 lbs. beef top round 

Salt & pepper

1 jalapeño, finely minced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ onion, chopped

1 T. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne

3 T. lime juice

½ bottle amber beer

Tacos:

6-8 taco shells

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Diced tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Season roast with salt and pepper and place in a Crockpot; add remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on low about 6 hours. Once cooked, remove meat from pot. Shred beef with two forks, going with the grain. Add shredded beef back into the pot and stir into sauce; let heat 5-10 additional minutes. Prepare tacos with desired ingredients and spoon in meat.

Crab Melts

This unusual recipe was a product of experimentation with some of my favorite flavors. Slathered with hollandaise sauce, this dish makes a great meal, any time of day.

2 English muffins, split 

2 T. butter or margarine

1 cup crab meat

2 T. lemon juice

¼ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ onion, sliced and sautéed

1 pkg. hollandaise sauce, prepared per instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread butter lightly on English muffins and place on a cookie sheet. Top each muffin with sautéed onions (if using), crab meat, lemon juice, and cheese. Bake approximately 10 minutes, until muffins are crispy and cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, prepare hollandaise sauce per package instructions. Pour over baked muffins.

Citrus-Herb Marinade

The great thing about a good marinade is its versatility. Try this light recipe to add a fresh zing to chicken or fish. Great for grilling!

½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed 

½ cup water

2 T. Dijon mustard

1 packet ranch dressing mix

4-6 chicken breasts or fish fillets

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add marinade and fish or chicken to a large resealable bag; toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.