Tuna Melt

Leaha’s healthy Tuna Melt

Serving s-  3 sandwiches

 

Ingredients:

3 cans Trader Joes tuna- drained. This tuna is in water no salt added.

½ cups chopped bell peppers- I used red and yellow

1 jalapeno chopped with seeds

2 tablespoons chopped onion- red or sweet onion

2 tablespoons Trader Joes fat free sour cream

¼ cup horseradish mustard

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

1 small garlic clove chopped

Dash of salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Melting cheese- I like fontina cheese or sharp cheddar.

Bread: Miltons or even a soft rye bread.

Butter for the bread

 

Preparation:

Mix the 10 ingredients in a bowl. You might need to add a little more sour cream, you can decide. Cover and refrigerate for a short time to let the flavors come together. Get your bread, cheese and butter ready for grilling. Butter your bread then place it into your grilling pan. Place the tuna on the bread then the cheese and top it with the other slice of bread. I would say about 2 minutes each side until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is nice and brown on the outside.  

Cupcakes!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Cupcakes:

3/4 cup Cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar- I used brown sugar
1- tsp baking soda

12oz Stout beer- I used Murphy's Stout- they come in 16oz cans I measured 12oz and enjoyed the rest.
1 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
2 eggs- I used egg whites- set your eggs out to become room temp.
3/4 cup fat free sour cream

Frosting: Double the recipe if you like more frosting.

1 4oz package of cream cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 small drops of green food coloring
4 tablespoons brandy or Baileys Irish cream- I used Brandy because that is what I had. Baileys is kind of expensive for cooking with.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the liners lightly with non stick cooking spray.

Sift flour & cocoa powder into a bowl. Then add sugar and baking soda. set aside.

Before I combined the liquid ingredients I made my frosting so it has time to set up in the refrigerator.

I softened my cream cheese and butter in the microwave for 20 seconds. Then slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Then added the brandy and peppermint extract. I scooped the mixture into a plastic bag then put it into the refrigerator. I use the bag for piping the frosting on. I just cut a small opening in the corner of the plastic sandwich bag and decorate.


Combine stout, butter and vanilla in a small pan. Heat on low until the ingredients just blend together and everything is the same temp. DO NOT SIMMER OR BOIL the ingredients! let the mixture cool. Then whisk in your eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream. Mix dry ingredients into the wet. Add the dry one cup at a time so the batter is nice and smooth.

Fill the 12 cup paper lined muffin tin with the batter. I used a 1/3 cup to fill them. You will have batter left after filling the 12 cup tin. If you have a second muffin tin fill it up with the rest of your batter. I had a mini muffin tin so I made mini cupcakes.

After you have the batter into the tin bake them at 350 for 12 minutes. Then turn the pan around and bake for another 12 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating. Pipe the frosting on and sprinkle the top with green sprinkles! now you are ready for St. Patricks Day.

Macaroni with no cheese!

Cheese is one of my favorite things to eat. I love cheese dip, grilled cheese, cheese on crackers, cheese with wine I could go on. This year I decided to cut down on my cheese intake I have come up with a great a mac and no cheese. It has flavor without the extra calories and fat. I hope you will try it and let me know what you think. I made this dish for my husband who likes his food to be real and tasty and he loved it.

Mac and no cheese

1 box pasta of choice- I used Gemelli pasta
Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package.

The sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups Almond milk
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 jalapeno or hot pepper chopped with seeds
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup Nutritional yeast seasoning

In a 3 quart pan melt butter. Add the flour and whisk them together to make a paste. Then add the Almond milk whisk until it becomes thick. Add celery seeds and salt and pepper. Then fold in the nutritional yeast seasoning and the hot pepper. Then fold in the cooked pasta. Serve in a bowl sprinkle with a little yeast seasoning and enjoy!

cookies and beer

Chocolate stout cookies with salted caramel frosting

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

 

1Tbsp dark cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

6 ounces stout- I used Murphy's stout

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 bag of salted pretzels

 

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter

Pinch of salt

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream- I use the whipping cream from Trader Joes.

 

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

1 cup Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Beat butter with sugars with a mixer using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the beer. Beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.

Chill dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until firm enough to scoop.

Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool on pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel Frosting

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, salt and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil unstirred for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream.  Whisk in vanilla. Cool 5-10 minutes, and then stir in 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk briskly to smooth out any lumps. Add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking briskly between each addition, until frosting is firm enough that the whisk tracks don’t sink all the way back into the frosting.

 

Crush the pretzels in a ziploc bag. Sprinkle them on the cookies. Press down lightly so the pretzels stick. The cookies will keep in an air tight container for a few days.

Chili

Leaha's spicy white chicken chili

 

 

1 whole 3-4 pound chicken

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 whole garlic bulb (top cut off)

1 fresh rosemary sprig (or dried chopped rosemary)

1 large sweet onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)

2 jalapenos (chopped with seeds)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon dried ground red hot peppers
(a great mixture from my moms garden in Illinois)
 

1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans or another can of cannellini beans

1 cup chicken broth (divided)

Cilantro for garnish

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat up a dutch oven or deep pan with a tablespoon canola oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side. Place the chicken breast side down and brown it for 4 minutes. Once it is brown turn off the heat leave the chicken in the pan or dutch oven. Flip the chicken back over. Place the garlic bulb inside the cavity along with the rosemary sprigs. If you are using dried chopped rosemary just rub it all over the chicken. Then add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bake the chicken for 1 hour.

 

Meanwhile, get a bowl and chop all your veggies. The onion, bell peppers and jalapenos. Add your herbs and spices to the veggies and mix well. Set the bowl of veggies aside while the chicken is cooking.

 

When the chicken is done the internal temp will reach 165. Test the chickens dark meat for the internal temp. The dark meat takes the longest to cook. Also the juices will run clear and chicken will fall apart. Remove the chicken from the pan and place the chicken on a cutting board to rest and cool while you prepare the chili.

 

The chicken will have left a wonderful juice at the bottom of the dutch oven or pan. Bring the juices to a small simmer on the stove. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and two tablespoons of flour. Whisk until the mixture is thick. Then add all your veggies, if when you add your veggies the mixture seems too thick add a little more chicken broth. Let the veggies simmer for 10 minutes.

 

While the veggies are simmering prepare the chicken for the chili. Separate the white meat and dark meat from the chicken. Shred the chicken up and put it in a bowl. Then add it to the veggie mixture. Then add your beans and stir. let it simmer for a few minutes to warm up the beans. Top with cilantro serve and enjoy!

 



 

 

 

 

 

Asian Tacos

 

 

Sriracha chicken cut into cubes- I always have some left over from my crispy sriracha chicken recipe.

1 package Guerrero corn tortillas

1 pan of white rice- I use Jasmine rice from Trader Joes

Bok choy- rinsed and thinly sliced

Nori seasoning

Wasabi sauce

Sriracha


Start by making your rice according to the instructions on the bag. While the rice is cooking chop up your chicken into cubes. Next chop up your bok choy. When the rice is done it is time to assemble your tacos.

I take my tortilla and toast it over the flame on the stove. Then I add my rice, nori seasoning, chicken, bok choy and then my wasabi sauce and sriracha. Thats it! now enjoy.

Stuffing

 

Thanksgiving Stuffing

serves 8

 

1 pan of skillet cornbread cut into large cubes

 

l loaf sourdough bread cut into large cubes

 

1 loaf beer bread cut into large cubes

 

1 stick of butter

 

1 large sweet onion chopped

 

3 cups celery chopped

 

4 cups chicken broth

 

1 tsp Fresh chopped sage

 

1/4 cup Fresh chopped parsley

 

1 teaspoon Dried chopped rosemary

 

1 tespoon Dried Thyme

 

salt and pepper to taste

 

I use three loafs of bread. I like to use my beer bread recipe and skillet cornbread from The Pioneer Woman. Any other bread will do just fine. French bread or sourdough bread works well also.

 

If you have time cut the bread into cubes and let it dry out on cookie sheets over night. If you are baking the stuffing the same day just use less chicken broth. While I stir everything together I decide how moist I want the stuffing.

 

Preheat the oven to 400.

 

Cut the bread into large cubes and place them in a large pan so you can easily stir everything together.

 

heat up a large skillet add butter. Then onion and celery. Then add herbs. Cook until onion and celery are soft. Add all of this to the pan with the cubes of bread. Then start to laddle the chicken broth into the mixture. Stir carefully so that you don't break up the bread too much. Make sure it is nice and soft, but not soggy.

Transfer the stuffing to a 9x13 pan. Place into the preheated oven for 30 minutes covered. Then take the foil or oven safe lid off and baked for 25 more minutes or until golden brown on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 I have added a few suggestions below:
 

If you want to make the two breads I added to my stuffing:

the skillet cornbread can be found at http://thepioneerwoman.com/ just search for it in her recipes. My beer bread is located on my blog. If you have the time it really makes a difference using fresh baked bread.