Mini Cannoli Cream Cups

Colleen's take: "Boy do I love a Cannoli, I am Italian after all! This recipe was a delicious fix to satisfy any cannoli craving that you might have and pretty darned easy, I used a cup lid to cut the cannoli liners."

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Start to Finish: 40 minutes

Servings: about 16 mini cups

Ingredients:

For Cups

•  Flour for dusting surface
• 1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts
• 3 tablespoons coarse natural sugar (Turbinado)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For Filling (If you want the cream to be extra thick see my tips below)

• 1 (15oz) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting finished cups
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine all ingredients for the filling except the chocolate chips and mix well until creamy. Place the filling in a 1-gallon plastic storage bag and chill while you make the cups. Filling may seem thin but will firm up slightly when it’s refrigerated. For thicker cream see notes below.

Heat oven to 425°F. Unroll the piecrusts onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the top of each crust with the natural sugar and the cinnamon. Lightly roll over it with a rolling pin so that sugar and cinnamon are pressed into the dough.

With a 2 1/2-3 inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out circles and lightly press them inside an ungreased mini muffin or mini cupcake pan to create a pastry cup.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until cups are golden. Remove from oven and allow cups to cool. Once cups are cool they can be removed from tin and filled.

Remove filling from refrigerator, cut one of the bottom corners off the bag and pipe a little less than a tablespoon of filling into the cooled cannoli cups.

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Pinterest Link to the recipe

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

Colleen's take: "I made this dish for a baby shower and it was pinned on the guest of honors Pinterest wall. Normally it's something I wouldn't make, but it ended up being pretty delicious in contrast with everything else at the party. I did feel like it was missing a certain pop of flavor but I couldn't place my finger on it. I'd try this one if you are looking for something different to serve at a party, everyone seemed to appreciate it."

Crisp Cucumber Salsa
Yield 2-1/2 cups

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

1/4 cup (w/out chips) equals 16 calories

Link to this recipe.

Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

  This recipe was pretty good. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it just didn't have really strong flavors. I thought that the goat cheese would have had a tart/salty flavor, but I think it was washed out by the cream and the pumpkin. I had to add a lot of Parmesan cheese to bring up the flavor level. 

  I forgot to buy sage so that was not in my dish. I also spilled my heavy cream, so it ended up being 1/8 of heavy cream and  3/8 of half and half.  Try this recipe if you love pumpkin. Otherwise skip this recipe and save your pumpkin for the pancakes I made a couple of weeks ago or for one of my other up coming pumpkin recipes.

1 pound campanelle or penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 oz goat cheese
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper (or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
 

Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots, crushed red pepper (if using), and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the  broth, pumpkin, salt, pepper and cream. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk in the goat cheese and 1 tablespoon of the fresh sage.  Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Can add a little of the Parmesan cheese here if you like.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes or so.  Place in a serving bowl and top with the remaining fresh sage and a good dusting of the Parmesan cheese.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese at the table.

Original recipe from Circle B Kitchen

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

  
  Well it is officially chilly here, bring on the soups, stews, and chili's! We both thought that this chili had great flavor. Tyler thought that it tasted better with the chicken, I thought my meatless version was filling with great flavor. 
  The flavor of the cilantro was lost amongst all the other ingredients. Although it is pretty I don't think it was worth buying the cilantro. This is a thicker chili, so if you like it with more liquid add another can or two of tomato sauce. 
  I will for sure use this instead of my old chili recipe ( I used to buy the chili packet and the ingredients it called for on the back, pretty boring). We also garnished the chili with Fritos because that's what Texans do.Thank you pinterest!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points). 

Original recipe from skinny taste

Easy Peasy Skillet Lasagna

Colleen: "This dish was excellent, I did make one mistake I didn't break apart the lasagna noodles like it asked, but it didn't take away from the taste one bit. Everyone loved it, especially my husband! I loved it because it had the flavors of lasagna without all the tedious work & it's  a ton less calories too,Weight Watchers gives it 7 points. I added sausage to it because I was craving it!" 

Easy Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: >10 minutes

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers One Pot cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• About 6 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds & fully cooked
• 2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.
2. Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley.  Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick.
3. Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.

Nutritional information per 1 cup: 

Calories: 275
Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points: 7

Recipe found at nutritionfor.us

Pineapple Dessert Squares

"This dish was yummy! I made it last night and refrigerated it so it would be ready for my party today at noon, it hit the spot! I did have to cook it a little longer, i'd say 15 minutes extra. The only annoy thing about this recipe is that I had to use my mixer 3 different times, meaning I kept having to wash the bowl. But I'd consider it worth it, my husband asked for it for his birthday cake next month!" 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
• FILLING:
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Whole milk
• Ground cinnamon

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Combine flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture. Add egg; mix until well blended and crumbly. Add milk and blend until dough forms a soft ball.
• Pat dough onto bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place pineapple in a sieve over a 4-cup glass measure; press with the back of a spoon to squeeze dry. Spread pineapple evenly over bottom crust, reserving juice in glass measure; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Add enough milk to reserved pineapple juice to measure 2-1/2 cups. Stir milk mixture into cream cheese mixture until well combined.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff. Fold filling mixture into egg whites. Gently pour into crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Chill until serving. Yield: 12-15 servings.

 Recipe sourced from tasteofhome.com

Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas

Colleen: "I was disappointed by this dish. The tortillas gummed up into a mushy mess, I used the carb light flour tortillas, I think corn or whole wheat would have been a better choice. I also used the wrong condensed soup mix, I used cream of mushroom instead of chicken, simply because I thought I had chicken in the pantry and didn't. Maybe I would have liked it better if I had the correct ingredients. I was really looking for that Sour Cream taste and didn't really get it." 

Ingredients

• 16 oz. fat free sour cream
• 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 tbls. fresh chopped cilantro (1/2 tbls. dried)
• 2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1 can Mexican Rotel
• 1 cup chopped onions (optional)
• 8 low carb tortillas
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack and colby cheese blend

• 1 can diced green chilies  

Directions

In a saucepan, mix together sour cream, soup and cilantro. Heat through and set aside.

Combine the chicken, rotel, onions and green chiles in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Heat until onions are transparent. Or if you omit onions like I have done, for a few minutes to blend the flavors and juices.

Warm the tortillas until flexible. (I microwave them for 10 seconds sandwiched between two dam paper towels.)

Fill each tortilla with about 2 tbls. of the chicken mixture.

Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down (or they will unravel and you will be annoyed.) in a 8×11 dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Pour/Spread the sour cream sauce over enchiladas

Top with the remaining cheese

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Recipe sourced from skinnymom.com

Quesadilla Casserole

Colleen: "One of my girlfriends is having a baby in a few weeks so I decided to make her a casserole that would freeze well so she can thaw it out and eat whenever after those extremely exhausting days when they are adjusting to new baby. I made a few extra for my family too, I enjoyed this recipe. It's no secret that I love black beans & mexican flavors, but I think this recipe would be wonderful with ground turkey or no meat a all. I omitted the red pepper flakes & used minced fresh garlic instead of dried (because I couldn't find it). Hope you try this one out!"

Quesadilla Casserole

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

16 oz tomato sauce

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can (4 1/2 oz) green chilies, undrained

6 flour tortillas (8 inch size)

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Brown beef and onion in a large skillet on medium-high. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies. Mix well. Stir in all of the spices except the red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat low and simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper to taste if desired.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 9X13 pan (sprayed with pam). I like to use the foil pans for freezer meals. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.

3. Double wrap with heavy duty foil and label. 

Cooking Instructions: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe sourced from Joyful Momma's Kitchen Blog

Quinoa and Black Beans {Annah}

 I have been on a search for a delicious Mexican rice/quinoa for many years now. I enjoy the pre-made Mexican rice sold at grocery stores, but I hate that they have MSG in them. Sadly this is still not it. This dish was pretty bland, even with the cilantro and the spices just added heat.

I wish I would have had black beans I think that would have made it a little better. Pinto beans to me have a more subtle flavor and are more mushy. So I continue to search for the delicious side dish to my burritos and enchiladas. If you have a favorite please share it, I would love to try it!

Ingredients 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked)

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

1 cup corn kernels (frozen) (I used a can of corn)

30 ozs black beans (rinsed and drained) (I used pinto beans)

12 cup fresh cilantro (chopped) 

Directions

	Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
	Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
	Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Thai Fried Quinoa {Annah}

I was excited about this recipe because it was something I had never tried to make before (fried rice/quinoa). Although the recipe sounded exciting the flavor was less then exciting.

I did have most the ingredients which is always nice with a new recipe to see if it is going to be an easy go to dinner. The flavor just did not taste right. I am not sure if it was the mix of vegetable broth with coconut milk or what. I will say that I thought the second and third day tasted a little more blended then the night I made it. Now I was shocked when the husband said he liked it. Usually if I am if-y on it he never likes it.

Overall, I would say it is worth a try for your family, because it had mixed reviews with us. Tell me if you like it or if you modified the recipe. By the way I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and of course it looked delicious.

Thai Fried Quinoa

Makes 4 servings

• 1 c. dry quinoa
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 c. vegetable broth
• 1/3 c. chopped green onions
• 1 T. minced ginger
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1 c. pineapple
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 1 T. lime juice (I did not have this on hand)
• 2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c. scrambled tofu (I did not put this in)
• Optional garnishes: lime wedges, peanuts, cilantro, cherry tomatoes

1. Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add quinoa, stirring every minute or so until quinoa is toasted.
2. Combine coconut milk and vegetable broth and add to quinoa.
3. Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray or a light spritz of oil and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or two.
5.  Add peas, pineapple and cilantro and saute for an additional minute.
6.  Add quinoa to the skillet and cook until starting to slightly brown and crisp.
7.  Finish with lime juice and soy sauce and add in scrambled tofu, if using.
8.  Serve and garnish.

Cake Batter Martinis

Colleen: "I made this a few weeks ago, it was quite an investment on the alcohol front but I have a fierce love for all things cake flavored and I was throwing a party so it seemed the perfect time to try it out. For the most part it was a success, some people did say it was too sweet or they could only drink one cause it's s.t.r.o.n.g.. But that couldn't detour me as it was true love!"

Ingredients:

1 oz amaretto
1 1/2 oz whipped cream vodka
1 1/2 oz creme de cacao
1/2 oz white chocolate liqueur
1 oz heavy cream
assorted sprinkles
icing

Using your finger, coat the rim of your glass with frosting – make sure not to miss any spots! Dump sprinkles on a plate and press glass rim into sprinkles, pressing to adhere. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into glass and drink!

Original recipe sourced from howsweeteats.com

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato and Cream Sauce {Annah}

    This recipe was lacking in flavor. It came out really creamy and it was really fast to make, but needed more spice. This was a really easy recipe to make that anyone could do it. I have never thought to use a use a can of evaporated milk for Macaroni and cheese, but I think I might use it more often. Tyler thought that this recipe was too creamy and thick, I usually have a problem with my mac & cheese coming out dry.

  This recipe came off pinterest, and I am sure we have all seen something that looked so delicious and easy on there not living up to the hype. I would say this is a pinterest fail. For the amount of calories in this recipe it is not worth the splurge. The only flavor that this recipe has going for it is the sun dried tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend (I only had Mozzarella)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling pasta water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Yields 7 servings 

Mexican Fish

Colleen: "This recipe made the fish very moist & tasty at a very low cost with a BAM in flavor! Not to mention it was super easy! (I did not use fresh salsa)"

For each serving, pile 1 tilapia fillet, 1/2 cup fresh salsa, 4 olives, and olive oil and lime juice on a sheet of foil. Form a packet. Grill over high heat, 10 minutes. 

Recipe sourced from Food Network

Zucchini Boats

Colleen: "This dish was easy, good, & fun."

Just cut a zucchini in half lengthwise and trim a little off the bottom so it sit still in a baking dish*** Scoop out the center where the seeds are with a spoon*** Brush the surface with a mixture of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper*** Arrange halved grape tomatoes into the grooves, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes*** Remove and place diced fontina or mozzarella in between the tomatoes, place them back in, but now under the broiler til golden and bubbling***Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. You will love this as a side dish!

Recipe sourced from prouditaliancook.blogspot.com

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Colleen: "Well lets put this dish down in the books as a fail. It was edible but I just don't enjoy mushy crock pot chicken & disintegrated (expensive) bell peppers. From the looks of this blog post (that i pinned from Pinterest) the recipe looked delish & would have been the perfect end to a busy day with everyones favorite, fajitas! Wrong wrong wrong. Perhaps I went wrong somewhere but this recipe seems pretty cut & dry. So good luck if you try it out."

Ingredients: 

1 yellow onion, sliced

3 sweet peppers, sliced

1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs

½ cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cumin

1 ½ tablespoons chili powder

Squirt of lime juice

Tortillas

Fajita fixings

Combine sliced onion and peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Give a nice quirt of lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve meat mixture with slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings. 

Original recipe sourced from stacymakescents.com