Banana Pudding Poke Cake

 Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (and ingredients as listed on box)

2 3.4oz packages instant banana pudding

4 cups milk

1 8oz Cool Whip

2 bananas

20 vanilla wafers

Instructions:

1. Prepare cake in 9x13in pan as directed on box. Let cool for a few minutes.

2. Using a round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake.

3. Mix pudding mix and milk. Pour over top of cake. Let cool completely in refrigerator.

4. Slice bananas and place on top of pudding layer.

5. Spread cool whip over top of bananas.

6. Crush vanilla wafers and sprinkle over top. 

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

I made this on one of our snow days this past week.  It was a great, warm, comfort-food meal without too much guilt.  This was much easier than I anticipated to throw together, and Brett absolutely loved it.

You will need:

• 1 (12 oz.) package whole wheat egg noodles
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• 1 onion, finely chopped (I used onion powder instead- personal preference)
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan 
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 cubes beef bouillon
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

To make the meatballs: Mix ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, 1/2 of the onion, salt, and Parmesan in a large mixing bowl.  Form meatballs the size of golf balls.  Place in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until done). 

While the meatballs are baking, cook the egg noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

To make the sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Whisk in beef bouillon, flour, and pepper until thick.  Stir in water and cook while whisking until it thickens to a gravy consistency.  Lower heat.  Stir in soup and Worcestershire until well blended, then fold in sour cream, mushrooms, and the other 1/2 of the onion.  

Stir the sauce and meatballs into the noodles, serve and enjoy! 

Spicy Corn Dip

I made this for a party last weekend, and it was such a hit that I'm making it again this weekend!  Wanted to get it down in writing before I forget how to make it!

You will need:

• 1 can yellow corn, drained
• 1 can white corn, drained
• 1 can Rotel, drained
• 1 block of cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 1/2 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Pour into greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring about halfway through to incorporate all of the cream cheese.  Serve with "scoops" tortilla chips.

Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these for the second time this morning, and we love them enough that they deserve a blog post!  Quick, easy, and perfect for the overripe bananas that I always seem to have at the end of the week! 

Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
(adapted from Skinny Taste)

You will need:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I always use white whole wheat flour for baking- it's a little milder than regular whole wheat)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar using electric mixer.  Add in bananas, applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla, and mix well on medium.

Stir in flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Mix on low just until blended. 

Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. 

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

We had some overnight guests this week, and I wanted to make something light for breakfast because we had a heavy dinner the night before.  These were quick and easy, and paired with some fresh fruit, made for a delicious breakfast!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins (from Skinny Taste)

You will need:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour.  I couldn't find this and instead used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, egg, vanilla, and melted butter.  Add to the flour mixture and stir just until well blended.  If your batter seems too dry at this point (mine did), add a few tablespoons of milk.  Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly before serving. 

Rattlesnake Pasta

I've made this dish twice now and it has not disappointed!  Rattlesnake Pasta is a favorite of my mom's and mine at the restaurant J. Alexander's, so I decided to make it for Mother's Day and recently made it again.  Warning: this dish definitely has a pretty high spice level, and is not a "light" dish by any stretch of the imagination!

Rattlesnake Pasta (adapted from Tastebook)

You will need:

• 1 lb. linguine (I've used whole wheat and regular pasta- both were good!)
• 8 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1 yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. grilled chicken (Brett has grilled fresh chicken for me both times I've made this, but the orignal recipe says you can use the pre-cooked stuff as well)
• Seasoning mix:
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large saucepan over low to medium heat.  Add flour and work in with a wire whisk.  Work in remaining butter (I inadvertently skipped this step this time, and did not notice any difference in the flavor or consistency of the sauce.  So you could definitely cut down on the butter if you'd like).  Slowly add the cream using the whisk.  Add parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until melted.

Add seasoning mixture to sauce.  Like I mentioned, this recipe has a good kick to it, so you may want to start lighter on the spices and work your way up to the recommended amounts if you can handle the spice!

Combine chicken, peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice and add to sauce.  Continue to saute until sauce is creamy and all ingredients are hot. 

Meanwhile, cook linguine to al dente and drain.  Combine pasta and sauce, toss well, and enjoy! 

Chicken Fajita Chowder

Living in the South for 6 months has officially made us wimps... the 30 degree days we've had the past few days have felt brutally cold compared to the nice 50s and 60s we've been experiencing lately.  But, I can't say I totally mind.  I am really, really, really missing snow and Missouri winters (call me crazy) and so the cold weather has just made it all that more enjoyable for me to snuggle in and cook some good, warming, winter soups. 

Tonight I tried a recipe given to me by a friend last year- one that I never got around to trying myself until tonight.  It was a winner!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Chicken Fajita Chowder
Makes 8 servings
1 1/4 cups= 7 Points Plus

You will need:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup 2% shredded cheese (I used cheddar because it's what I had- a mexican blend would be good too)
• 1 cup fat free sour cream

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large soup pot.  Cook chicken, peppers, and onions in oil until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. 

Stir in corn, enchilada sauce, chiles, rice, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and sour cream.