With all this feta in the house I had to try upgrading my traditional love of cheese and crackers. My strategy for combatting my gross overindulgence of cheese is to make a pretty snack plate instead of grabbing a knife and going to town. So I took the feta, a roasted red pepper and made myself this simple snack. Oh my… So tasty! Would be fun for a party, no? :)

• 1/2 serving of Triscuits thin crisps (7 crackers)
• 1 oz feta cheese (2 thin slices)
• 1 jarred roasted red pepper
• Sprinkle of dried parsley

Lay out the crackers.

Cut the cheese into small pieces matching the number of crackers. It won’t be much but you don’t need much! The feta flavor is great.

Cut the roasted red pepper into small pieces as well.

Top the crackers with the bit of cheese, a piece of the roasted red pepper and a sprinkle of parsley.

Enjoy!

Isn’t it pretty? :)

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have partnered with ATHENOS Feta to serve as one of ATHENOS Change for the Feta Bloggers. I am compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes blogging about my cooking experiences with ATHENOS Feta. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for my Change for the Feta creations. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Click here to see all my Feta Ideas!!

With the tacos I usually like to make at least one side dish that actually ends up being my taco filler as it’s usually bean based like Spicy Black Beans and Zucchini. Well last night was no different except I had a craving for crunchy chips dipped in salsa. So I decided to make a hearty salsa/taco filler with what I had on hand. This is what I came up with. . .

• 1 15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (preferably petite but I didn’t have any)
• 1 7oz can corn drained
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 2 thinck slices of sweet onion diced
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

We dipped baked scoops in it and used it as salsa on our tacos. Actually I used it as my taco filling. I didn’t even miss the meat. ;)

I loosely measured out 9 1/2 cups so I’m going to use that as a serving.

So tonight while watching TV and craving something, anything. I decided to pass up the husband’s chocolate chip cookies and the kid’s Devil Dogs to make my own snack. I find that when I take the few extra minutes to actually make something and consciously include fruits or veggies, I am ultimately more satisfied then if I would have just grabbed a bag of chips or break open a box of cookies.

Tonight this is what I did but remember the options are really endless. You can fill these things with all your fav veggies, beans, chicken, anything! So yummy!

• 1 oz/28g of Baked Scoops (I got 13 when I weighed them out)
• 3 pepper stripes (I used 1 yellow and 2 green)
• About 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp ready made salsa
• 1/2 oz fancy shredded mexican cheese blend.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Fill the scoops with the veggies, dab with a bit of salsa and top with cheese.

Bake for 5-6 minutes.

Here’s how I built mine…

Aaaa…. HA!

Simple breaded chicken! It’s a favorite of mine. There’s just something about "fried" breaded things dipped in ketchup. ALWAYS fun. :)

So these are pretty basic but I spiced them up a bit. For me there is just something utterly more satisfying with a bit of flavor. Of course you can use any of your favorite spices to change it up a bit.

• 1 boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces (about 8oz)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (30g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp chili power
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 ground mustard seed

Place all the spices in a quart sized and mix together.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Place in the bag and shake until well coated.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the chicken about 4 minutes a side. You may have to lower the heat to medium to prevent burning if the pan gets too hot .

Serve with a spat of ketchup! :) I’m counting the whole recipe as a serving because it’s all I ate but you can split it into two. Just half the nutrition info.

Boy am I glad I did. So simple, yet SO delicious. Plus you get a healthy oil in paired with tomatoes which is said to be a powerful combo!

• 1 tsp olive oil (5g)
• 1 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Basil or Italian Seasoning
• 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5g)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small roasting or pyrex dish add the oil and swirl around a bit. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with spices and cheese.

Roast for about 18 minutes shaking once.

Transfer to a bowl making sure to get all the toasted spices and cheese. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Here’s a little before and after cooking shot.

Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little but you get my point. I’m a fan. The problem is it’s so darn hard to find. At least in my area it is. And even If you are lucky enough to find it you have to be willing to drop 4-5 buck on a jar that tries to tell you 2 tablespoons is a serving. HA! My jar is normally gone in 2 sittings.

So because of all the reason listed above I set out to make my own. A few months ago I took my hand at some Black Bean dip, which is good but considering I don’t have a food processor right now and my blender broke (probably because I used it to make bean dip all the time) I set off for a quicker, easier bean dip fix.

So I present to you the fastest, easiest bean dip idea ever. I’ll tell you this, I have no plans on buying the jarred stuff again (except maybe Trader Joe’s Black Bean Dip, that stuff is sweet nectar from the gods!).

• 1 can (16 oz) fat free refried beans
• 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1 tbsp lime juice, raw
• 1 tsp hot sauce (to taste)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spoon. The dip will get nice and creamy.

Separate into 4 1/2 cup servings and dip away! You can share if you want but I don’t. The husband doesn’t like bean dip (*yesssss*)

My favorite Bean dip dippers… baked tortilla chop, soy crisps and carrot sticks. Oh! and pepper strips.

For some reason I bought an 8 oz package of mushrooms last weekend. I had no idea what I was going to do with them but they looked so darn good! This morning I decided I better use them before I was forced to throw them out. Especially considering this weekend is so jam packed with events I’ll never have time to cook.

So I came up with a stuffed mushroom idea. I wanted something light and tasty using what I had on hand. I have to admit, I hit the nail on the head. They were awesome! I didn’t even offer any to the husband in fears he would actually want to try one. :~P

I’m also excited as this is my first recipe to receive 5 out of 5 stars for weight loss and optimal health on NutritionData.com.

This food is low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamin, Calcium, Iron and Zinc, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium.

Not too shabby for a quick mid day invention! :~P

• 8 oz package of white button mushrooms
• 3 large cloves of garlic minced
• 4 cups of baby spinach leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp (10g) parmesan, shredded
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• Olive Oil cooking spray

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

Clean the mushrooms and remove stems. Mince the stems and set aside as they will be part of your stuffing.

Mince the garlic.

Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray. Add the minced garlic and mushroom stems. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. While cooking, chop the spinach, you don’t want large pieces or stems.

Add the spinach to the skillet a little at a time and cook down sprinkling a bit more salt and pepper.

Remove filling from heat. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Stuff the mushrooms with the spinach mixture. Really jam it in there you just have more then enough.

Top with parmesan cheese and bake for about 20 minutes!

So, like usual, take this idea and run with it! Use a tortilla or even a rolled out slice of bread! Fill it with your favorite veggies and shred or slice them. Even skip the mustard in the roll and serve to your kids on the side as a dipping sauce with chopsticks! Whatever works!

Here’s how I made the ones pictured (which was my lunch today, by the way!)

• ½ slice of Lavash bread (I use because it’s square, If you can’t find it, try flat out bread or a tortilla would work too!)
• 1 laughing cow cheese wedge
• squirt of honey mustard
• 3 slices of thin sliced turkey breast
• 1 slice then sliced lean ham
• 3 slices of turkey pepperoni
• 5-6 baby spinach leaves with the stems removed
• 2 baby carrots shredded

Smear he cheese and mustard on the bread and then start layering the ingredients as seen in the pictures. Notice I leave about 2 inches on the end “free”. As you roll the fillings will squish outwards.

Roll as tightly as you can. Cut chunks with a serrated knife (more like lightly saw through as to not squish). I normally cut the very end off to get a flat edge.

Have FUN! ;~)

I was just going to make some homemade hummus but upon inspection of my almost barren cupboard I discovered no Chickpeas. Just an old can of Butter Beans.

Butter Beans are just canned large Lima Beans. they have a fairly dry texture but “smoosh” up very easily. They tend to be what most kids have in there head as “Yuck beans!” but for some odd reason I always liked them. Even going as far a serving them cold to the toddler when he was younger as finger food. He used to eat them, now? not so much.

So the idea was just a high protein filling dip of sorts for the two vegetables I did have in the house, carrots and peppers. I LOVED it with the carrots, the peppers? I ended up eating them plain. Honestly, I’d make it again, but I’d chose hummus over it if I had the choice. I guess I NEED to start stocking chickpeas! ;~P

• 1 15oz can butter beans rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp fat free unflavored yogurt
• 1 tsp red curry powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder

Put every thing in a bowl and blend, mix, or in my case smash. My blender broke and I don’t have a food processor so I used my hand potato masher and a fork. Worked like a charm!

Yesterday I made a comfort food meal, not a traditional stew or pasta based comfort but a fried food comfort meal. For me, there is just something about a big ‘ole plate of fried foods and a puddle of ketchup. It reminds me of those appetizer samplers at Denny’s or the local Diner. Anyway, this my homemade, healthy recreation and let me tell you. It was pure comfort!

I started of my “fried” food fest with the quintessential fried food, french fries! I took one white and one sweet potato, cut them in fry like pieces and placed then on a cookie sheet with a bit of olive oil spray and kosher salt. They went into my preheated 425 degree oven while I worked on my breaded treats.

Normally I “bread” things in high fiber cereal, like in Baked Zucchini Fries and Crispy Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia. I really like it but the husband is always a bit curious. Even though it tastes good he’s not a fan of cereal on his fish.

Anyway, the other day I saw a post from Jack about Chicken Toes which reminded me some good old fashion whole wheat bread would work too! So I took the two ends of my whole wheat potato bread and an old whole grain bun and threw them in the food processor. Well, not really, I used my magic bullet knock off, but it worked all the same! I had actual bread crumbs!

I mixed in some spices -a bit of garlic, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, chili pepper, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper- and started breading. My foods of choice, a medium zucchini and some boneless chicken breast cut into nugget pieces.

I popped the chicken in the oven (turning the fries) and started to clean up. After about 10 minutes I turned the broiler on and popped the zucchini in. Flipped once and viola! My Fried food fest was complete. Everyone was happy! The husband even ate the zucchini! I couldn’t believe it!

As we were were cleaning up the mess, he says to me. “That was really good, especially the chicken. What did you bread it in, I’m sure it was something horrible.” My response was simply, bread. Yup, that’s right, bread, WHO KNEW!?

I’ll make the chicken again and do an “official” recipe post. I already have a post for the Sweet Potato Fries (just skip the curry) and Baked Zucchini Fries.

So I pulled the good old wonton wrappers out of the freezer and hit the leftover produce in my fridge.

Now, I made these with spinach and carrots because that’s what I had on hand but cabbage may have added a bit more crunch. Really, you could put anything you like in these. The wonton is just a vessel for you favorite fillings and I just tried a new way to wrap them, and I must admit, it worked perfectly.

The toddler ate one but he wasn’t into them. He’s not into shrimp that much. The husband? Well he wasn’t around to try them but he wouldn’t like them anyway. Not because they’re bad but because he’s weird. ;~P my verdict… LOVED them!

• 3 oz cooked shrimp chopped
• 1 cup (30g) baby spinach leaves chopped
• ½ cup (110g) shredded carrots
• 1 clove garlic grated or minced
• about 1 inch fresh ginger root grated or minced
• 1 green onion stalk diced
• 16 small wonton wraps

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the shrimp, spinach, carrots, garlic, ginger and onion in a small bowl to make the filling. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mix.

Using a tablespoon, place filling in the middle of a wrapper. Fold two opposing corners in. Then using the opposite corner closest to you roll over the filling. Dab the final corner with water and seal. OK, I’m trying, pictures may help!

Lay on a aluminum covered cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spray tops with a bit more spray. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning once.
I served with a simple dipping sauce made from soy sauce, honey and ground ginger.

So upon returning from the store I whipped up a quick marinade, let the shrimp sit for about 20 minutes while I put the groceries away and then I grilled them on skewers.

To my surprise the husband offered up his dinner praises without being prompted. I almost fell out of my chair! He only had one complaint about the shrimp being hard to shell. Hey, I can live with that!

• 3 cloves of garlic run through a garlic press
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey (21g)
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• 1 pound of uncooked shrimp (I used 26-30 count)

Mix the garlic, oil, lemon juice, honey, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper in a medium bowl.

Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss to coat. let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Skewer the shrimp and grill about 3-4 minutes a side until pink all the way through.