Skinny Tuna Casserole

Tonight I made a lightened up version of a classic tuna casserole. There is no butter or cream but it still tastes rich and satisfying. Plus it's cheap to make! 

Boil one 16 oz box of penne pasta in salted water. 

While the pasta cooks chop 1/2 a large yellow onion. 

In a LARGE sauce pan warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

Sauté the onion in that oil. salt and pepper the onion. Cook until tender. 

Add 4 tablespoons flour to the onion and stir so all the onion is well coated. 

Slowly add 3 and a half cups of chicken stock to the onions. Bring it to a boil then summer so it can thicken. This can take up to ten minutes. Also add 1/2 a cup of whole milk. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Add 2 cans chunk light tuna to the sauce. Then add a cup and a half of peas to the sauce. Mix with the cooked pasta and taste. Add salt or pepper as needed. 

Place pasta mixture in 9x13 pan. Cover with sprinkling of Parmesan cheese powder. Then with about a cup or so of Panko bread crumbs. 

Spray the top with an olive oil mist. Place in 425 degree oven for 17-18 minutes until golden brown on top. 

Lazy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks

I'm calling these "lazy" drumsticks because I was going to go to the effort if making a homemade marinade for these, soaking them overnight, and reducing the sauce the next day. Well I decided I was going to take the easy way out and just use a bottle of teriyaki sauce. They turned out great and were a cinch! Plus drumsticks are super affordable. We made four servings for just over $2! 

Preheat oven to 425

Pat your drumsticks dry with a paper towel. 

Salt and pepper your drumsticks.

Brush with your favorite teriyaki sauce. 

Place tinfoil down on your favorite baking sheet, then a wire rack over that. Cook your drumsticks for 15 minutes.

Take out, brush with sauce again. Turn oven down to 400. Bake for another 10 minutes. 

Take out, brush with sauce again. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Once outside looks crispy enough, check internal temp to make sure it's at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Take out one final time and brush with teriyaki suave again then sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

It's that easy. Let cool/rest for at least 5 minutes. Those bones will be hot! 

Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe was super easy. The thing I liked about it was it tastes super rich and creamy, but it's not full of calories. 

Sorry again for my terrible photography. 

Salt & Pepper 3 chicken breasts 

Cut them open on one side 

Stuff each breast with 1/3 of the following mixture:

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup cream cheese 

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes 

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp Herbs de Provence 

Cook over stove in 1 tbs olive oil on medium for about 7 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. 

Lemon Dill Salmon

Came up with another fish recipe that doesn't taste like fish! Don't you love when the planets align like that? 

This serves 2 people, multiply as needed.

Put down a large sheet of foil on a pan

 

Place 2 Salmon Filets on the foil 

Salt and Pepper the fish

Place fresh dill on the fish

Cut 1 Tbs Butter into 8 pats 

Place butter onto fish 

Cut up 1 lemon into 8 slices

Place lemon on the fish 

Tent the foil around the fish so no steam will escape. 

Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

We paired this with rosemary red potatoes and just roasted the potatoes at the same time as the fish. You could also add asparagus or another vegetable to the foil. Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Lavender Honey Carrot Muffins

My husband has been requesting that I bake something "healthy" for awhile. I always distrust healthy recipes I see on blogs because most people that cook healthy all the time have distorted taste buds on what is actually yummy. Well this muffin recipe won't disappoint. My one year old scarfed down two whole muffins before I could even get a bite in. They were great, and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like non-healthy muffins. 

Mix on medium speed:

1 stick softened butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup lavender honey (I get mine from www.thelavenderapple.com)

Add on slow speed:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ginger 

Batter will seem extra thick at this point. Here is what mine looked like at the end:

Then fold in by hand:

1 cup apple sauce 

1 small cup of grated carrots 

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tins. Makes 12 delicious muffins. 

 

Mexican Skillet

This was a relatively easy weeknight meal. The only ahead prep is cooking the brown rice because brown rice always takes forEVER to cook. 

Sorry my photos aren't beautiful. Maybe someday I'll whip out my big camera, but today is not that day. 

Prep 2 cups dry brown rice (add a 1/2 cup extra water on top of what your rice cooker says to keep it moist)

While that cooks shred 1 cup cheddar cheese. Set aside. 

Then dice 1 large avacado. Dice 1 large tomato. Mince 1 bunch cilantro. Mix avacado, tomato, and cilantro. Season with salt and cover in the juice of one lime. Set aside. 

Cut up 1 small onion (I used a red one)

Add oil in LARGE skillet and brown onion with a little salt. 

Add 1lb lean ground turkey to skillet and brown it up. Add 1/2 pkg taco seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. 

Add 1 ear fresh cut corn kernels sliced off of the husk. 

Add 1 can drain and rinsed black beans to skillet. 

Once rice is cooked, add that to the skillet with the meat. 

Bring skillet, cheese, and tomato/avacado mix to table and let your guests mix their own skillet bowls to taste.