Thin Mint Fudge Brownies

St. Patrick's Day is this weekend so I decided to whip something up to share at the office. Of course, my chocoholic husband snuck a few too! This recipe combines my love of brownies and girl scout cookies into one dessert. Enjoy!

 

Thin Mint Fudge Brownies

From Inside BruCrew Life

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix
3 1/4 cups white chocolate
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz. container marshmallow fluff
2 packet Duncan Hines Mint Chocolate Frosting Creations
1 cup Thin Mints (or mint chocolate cookies), coarsely chopped

Bake the brownies according to the directions on the box (use the 2 egg recipe) in a 9x13 glass dish. Add white chocolate chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk to a large saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until smooth. Stir in the mint chocolate flavoring packets and marshmallow fluff, stirring until smooth. Pour the fudge mixture over the cooled brownies. Evenly sprinkle cookie crumbs on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours then cut into small squares.

 

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

From Life as A Lofthouse

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
4 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into flour then into egg. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook until browned on all sides. Place chicken into a greased 9x13 glass pan. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour. Turn the chicken every 15 minutes, tossing with the sauce to coat. Serve with steamed rice and broccoli.

Tip: Invest in a rice steamer to make perfect rice every time! I couldn't live without mine!

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

I make these muffins for my husband to take to work for breakfast. He loves them because they're chocolate and I love them because they're healthy. They're only about 140 calories each, but I didn't tell him!

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

From Dashing Dish

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup oats
3 egg whites
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup hot water
½ cup sugar
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a blender, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into muffin tin. Add half of the chocolate chips to each muffin and stir gently to combine. Bake for 10 minutes. Add remaining chocolate chips to tops of the muffins. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Tips: Try Splenda or Stevia instead of sugar for an even lower calorie muffin!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

It's finally starting to feel like Spring is on the way and I'm getting very excited for summer! This sweet and spicy chicken is perfect for a summer barbecue or an easy weeknight dinner. It's really quick and has soo much flavor. Let's be honest...anything wrapped in bacon is pretty much amazing. Serve with some grilled veggies and a salad!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe

From Diary of a Recipe Addict

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Hot chili powder
1 lb. bacon
Brown sugar

 

Fire up your grill! Season chicken strips with spices, to taste. Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken strip. Roll each bacon wrapped chicken strip in brown sugar, making sure they are well coated. Place chicken on grill and cook until done. 

Tip: If you're not up to grilling, try baking it at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

These tomatoes are a great, super easy, healthy dish. Serve the tomatoes with crusty Italian bread as an appetizer or alone as a side.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

Adapted from My Kitchen Affair

Ingredients:
Medium tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices (about 1/3 inch thick). Place the tomatoes on baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese over tomatoes, to taste. Add about 1 tsp. feta cheese to top of each tomato and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Tip: I usually turn the broiler on at the end for a minute or so, until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. You can really play around with the ingredients. Try using fresh Parmesan instead of the feta. Or fresh basil and mozzarella. The possibilities are endless! 

 

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I made this recipe last night for a family Sunday dinner. I prepped the veggies before the family came over which made it so much easier. It was quick to throw together and perfect to feed a crowd. The best part...it's healthy! It makes 8 servings and it's only about 375 calories for each portion. Just add a salad and some Italian bread!

Ingredients:
16 oz. linguine
1 pound chicken, cut into thin strips
1 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. flour
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
2 tsp. salt
3 green onions, chopped

Season chicken with 2 tsp. Creole seasoning, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and sauté over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes on each side. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes with lid on until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to skillet and reduce to medium heat. Add peppers, onions and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté for 4 minutes. The vegetables should be tender. Season with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and pepper. Cook linguine according to package directions. In a blender, combine milk, flour and cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Add chicken broth and cream mixture to skillet and simmer for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken and 1 tsp. Creole seasoning to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss with linguine and top with green onions. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Tip: Try adding shrimp instead of chicken. If you like it spicier, add more Creole seasoning!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The first time I made this soup, I followed the recipe exactly. It was SOOO spicy. My husband and I could barely eat it. We literally had tears streaming down our faces! The underlying flavors were delicious, so we finished our bowls even though we were choking with every bite and laughing at ourselves the entire time. Once I adjusted the spices, it became one of our favorite recipes. It's really quick to throw together and it's perfect for a weeknight meal.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Original recipe from All the Best

Ingredients:
6 whole Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin oil oil, divided
1 tsp. salt
pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 bunch celery, diced
1 pasilla chili pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. spicy chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded chicken
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes. In a large pot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Saute onion, celery, peppers, and garlic, stirring frequently. Add chicken stock, lime juice, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika and bay leaf. Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove roasted tomatoes from oven and carefully chop into bite size pieces (you could also use the food processor). Add to soup. Add shredded chicken and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado or any toppings you like.

Tip: Adjust the cayenne pepper and chili powder according to your desired level of spiciness!