Skinny Taco Dip

I wanted a new dip recipe for football parties and this one didn't disappoint! I love the fact that it is healthier!

Source: adapted from skinnytaste.com
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream (I substitute non-fat greek yogurt)
16 oz. jar mild salsa
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
2.25 oz. black olives

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning. Mix well with an electric mixer.


2. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar and black olives.


3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

These are delicious! Ideally, they are meant to be hors d'oeuvres size, but I like to make them bigger (muffin size) and eat them for breakfast.

Source: Elizabeth's Edible Experience (adapted from Cooking Light December 2001)
Serves: 8 (3 frittatas each)

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped reduced fat ham (about 2 oz)
1/2 cup (about 1.5 oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 large egg whites
1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes or until crisp-tender and lightly browned. Add ham; saute about 3 minutes.


3. Remove from heat; let cool while you combine the other ingredients. Combine eggs, pepper, thyme, cayenne, and cheese in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.


4. Add ham and onion mixture, stirring with a whisk. Spoon mixture into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. (Each muffin cup will only hold about two tsp of the mixture). If you want them bigger (the size of a mini cupcake), only fill 12 of the muffin cups.


5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until set.

Frozen Banana Bites

Source: Seasalthwithfood
Servings: Makes about 12 bites

Ingredients:
2 bananas, peeled and sliced (about 3/4 inch chunks)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
pinch of sea salt
unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Place the banana chunks on a large plate lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for about an hour.


2. Spread the shredded coconut on a large plate.


3. Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and sea salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for one minute; stir until smooth.


4. Dip the frozen banana chunks in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Then place it on the shredded coconut and roll lightly to coat all sides. Repeat with remainder of the chunks. Transfer to the freezer for another hour before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Chili Pork Chops

These were delicious, with just the right amount of heat!

Source: Cooking Light's Fresh Food Superfast cookbook
Serves: 4

Cooking spray
4 4oz. boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1 Tbl brown sugar
2 Tbl low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbl chili past with garlic (sambal oelek)
1 Tbl hoisin sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over med high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3-4 mins per side. Remove pan from heat; let pork stand 30 seconds.


2. While pork cooks, combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add sauce to pork, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Turn pork over in sauce to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.

Ultimate Sriracha Burgers

Yes, these are the latest craze, but I just had to try them. They did not disappoint! Until recently, we never used sriracha. We didn't know what we were missing!

Source: Oishii
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
5 Tbsp sriracha, divided
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1 large sweet onion
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
4 brioche buns
4 slices swiss cheese
1 tomato, sliced
arugula

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, soy sauce, 2.5 Tbsp sriracha, and the pepper. Do not overmix. Form the mixture into 4 patties and set aside, on a parchment-lined plate, covered, in the refrigerator.


2. Preheat grill to medium high heat. In a medium frying pan, cook bacon over medium-low heat. While bacon is cooking, peel and quarter the onion. Cut each section into 1/4 in. slices. Once the bacon is cooked through, remove the slices from teh pan, cut each in half crosswise, and drain onto paper towls, reserving the remaining bacon fat in the pan. Cook the sliced onions in the bacon fat over med-low heat until they carmelize, about 20-25 mins.


3. Grill the burgers, turning once, 4-4 1/2 minutes on each side.


4. While the burgers are cooking, combine the blue cheese with the remaining 2 Tbsp sriracha in a small bowl.


5. Lightly toast the buns on the grill during the last minute of cooking time.


6. Assemble burgers. Spread blue cheese mixture on both halves of each bun. Stack a patty, slice of swiss, bacon, onions, slice of tomato and a small handful of arugula between each bun.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

We absolutely loved these! I'm a huge fan of chicken, but not chicken legs. This recipe changed my mind!

Source: skinnytaste.com
Serves: 4

8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
spray oil
1 cup water
1 Tbl. Sriracha hot sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup lite soy sauce
4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 Tbl chives or scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a heavy large sauce pan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil.


2. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, and hot sauce. Cook on high until liquid comes to a boil.


3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.


4. Remove cover and bring to high heat, allowing sauce to reduce down (about 8-10 minutes). Sauce will bcome a thick glaze. Turn chicken occasionally. Keep an eye on the glaze; it could burn once it becomes thick.


5. Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

Chili Basil Shrimp with Edamame Rice

This was good, but has more heat than I expected! Next time, I will reduce the chili garlic sauce to 1 tsp.

Source: Savour the Senses
Serves 4

Ingredients:
24 shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh basil (sliced into thin strips)
2 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 cups uncooked brown rice
1 cup shelled edamame
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Cook the rice according to directions; set aside and keep warm.


2. Stir the cornstarch into the chili garlic sauce, then toss with the shrimp. Cover and let shrimp marinate for 10 minutes.


3. Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat and add the shrimp, scraping all the sauce into the skillet. Saute the shrimp until mostly cooked through, about 2 minutes per side).


4. Increase the heat to med-high and add the chicken broth, deglazing the pan. Continue to cook the shrimp until most of th broth has cooked off, then toss in the basil.


5. Steam the edamame in water until heated through (about 2 minutes).


6. Stir the vinegar and edamame into the rice and season to taste with salt and pepper.


7. Separate the rice into bowls and top with 6 shrimp each.