Baked Zucchini Sticks with Marinara

As a family we have been trying to eat a little better and with that I have switched over to baking everything instead of frying everything in oil and butter. I have to honestly tell you that I have truly felt better since making this little change. I have more energy and can tell a difference in my whole well being. I recently came across this recipe on line and it is a huge hit at our home. I love French fries and this is the next best thing...Baked Zucchini sticks with Marinara Dipping sauce. These are guiltlessly delicious! My kids love them because they get to dip and dunk them. I love them because they are a perfect snack or even an impressive side dish! Plus as an added bonus the kids don't realize they are getting a helping of veggies! What mom doesn't love that?

Baked Zucchini Sticks with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini, sliced and cut into 3"X 1/2" sticks

1 Large Egg White

1/3 c. whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tsp. Romano or Parmesean cheese, grated

cooking spray

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt

Fresh pepper

Quick Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes

1 small bay leaf

1 tsp oregano

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to love. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat egg white and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumbs and cheese mixture a few at a time and shake to coat.

Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spary more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 c. marinara sauce for dipping!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes

There is no need to give up your favorite comfort foods when trying to cut calories and eat better!! These Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes are sure to hit the spot when you make this "lightened" up recipe using low fat ingredients, garlic and fresh herbs.

Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Servings: 5 Servings - Size: 3/4 cup- Calories: 160

2 lbs. ( 4 medium) Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/4 c. fat free sour cream

1/4 c. Chicken broth

2 T. skim milk

1 Tbsp. Light Butter

salt to taste

dash of fresh pepper

1/4 c. herbs of your choice: parsley, thyme, or tarragon

Directions:

Put potatoes and garlic in a large pot with salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients. Using a masher, mash until Smooth. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite Holiday Recipes!! I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com a couple of years ago and it has become a family favorite. This Sweet Potato Casserole is more of a dessert than a side dish because of the pecan, brown sugar, flour and butter topping. I will guarantee that when you serve this scrumptious casserole that your guests will rave and even those NON-SWEET POTATO EATERS will be IMPRESSED!! I have taken this casserole to a couple of holiday potlucks and I never leave without handing out the recipe. This recipe is very easy to make and doesn't require a lot of effort... Don't you just love recipes like that? I know I do!!

Give this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe a try for your Thanksgiving or Christmas Festivities this year, I promise your guests will be impressed!

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

3 c. cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

2/3 c. white sugar

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, white sugar, 1/4 c. margarine, vanilla, milk and beaten eggs. Mix well. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and 1/4 c. butter. Mix well. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

*Note* To save yourself some time and relieve some stress during the Holiday Season, you could make this several days before you are ready to serve this dish by covering the dish with tin foil and placing in the freezer. Take out the day before your are ready to serve it and let thaw in fridge. Make sure that it is completely thawed before cooking it in the oven.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Savory Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries are sure to be a hit with your youngsters. My two cute kidlets can't get enough of these. I also don't feel so bad feeding these fries to them because they are baked and not fried. These fries are lightly coated with olive oil and then are lightly coated with two different seasonings. This is definitely a side dish you don't have to feel guilty about serving to your family!!! These fries go great with steaks, burgers, sandwiches or even a side dish for a special occasion such as Thanks giving!! These would also be a yummy after school snack!

Savory Sweet Potato Fries

recipe from "Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

5 small yams ( sweet potatoes are whitish in color on the inside you want the lovely yellow colored yams for this recipe.)

3 T. Olive oil, or extra virgin

2 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 t. Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Directions:

Peel your yams, and cut them into nice thin slices. Not too thin or thick. Just eyeball it. You want them uniform so they will all cook evenly. Place into a bowl and Drizzle with olive oil and coat with seasonings. Toss with your hands until all pieces of yams are coated with seasonings and olive oil. Place fries on two greased cookie sheets. Fries should not touch.. this will help all fries to bake evenly. Place cookie sheets in oven and Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. After those 8 minutes are up take cookie sheets from oven and turn fries over with spatula and place back into oven for and additional 8 minutes. This helps the fries to cook evenly.

Dipping Sauce:

1/3 c. Miracle Whip

1/3 c. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (this is my favorite BBQ Sauce- you won't be disappointed in using this even if it is a little more pricey at the grocery store)

Mix until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with Sweet Potato Fries.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

A wee bit Irish!

I have been searching through cook books and cooking websites to find something yummy to make for our St. Patrick's day celebration this coming Wednesday. It is so much fun for me to watch my kids get excited when the holidays roll around. Along with fun activities, I have decided that good food is also what makes a holiday special and memorable! I found several recipes that I am going to incorporate into our little celebration this year. I am planning on making the traditional Corned beef with Cabbage and Carrots. I found a crock pot recipe that looks and sounds delicious-this will be the main course. I found an Irish Soda bread recipe on the Betty Crocker website- this will be one of the sides along with a rich Grasshopper cake for dessert! For the beverage I am going to mix Sprite with Lime Sherbet and make a punch! I am looking forward to our Irish celebration! May you have a Have a Happy St. Patty's!!

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrots

1 head of Cabbage cut into 6 wedges
1 bag(4 ounces) baby carrots
1 corned beef (3 lbs.) with Seasoning Packet**
1 quart of water
1/3 c. prepared mustard
1/3 c. honey
** If seasoning packet is not perforated then poke several holes with the tip of paring knife.

1. Place cabbage in Crock pot slow cooker, top with carrots. Place seasoning packet on top of veggies. Place corned beef, fat side up, over seasoning packet and vegetables. Add water. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours.
2. Combine mustard and honey in small bowl.
3. Discard seasoning packet. Slice beef and serve with veggies and mustard sauce.
Makes 6 servings

Irish Soda Bread

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker website

3 T. Margarine or Butter
2 1/2 c. Flour
2 T. Sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. Salt
1/3 c. raisins
3/4 c. Buttermilk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cooking sheet. Cut butter into flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins and just enough buttermilk so dough leaves side of bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Shape into round loaf, about 6 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X shape about 1/2 inch deep through loaf with floured knife.Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter or margarine, softened, if desired.

Did you Know?....Why the "X" is on top of Irish soda bread? Legend tells us that this cross is meant to scare away evil spirits. Spooky!

Grasshopper Fudge Cake

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker Website

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake mix
1 1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mint extract
3 egg whites
12 drops green food coloring
2 (16 oz.) hot fudge topping
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping
5 drops yellow food coloring
Andes Mints

1.	Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2.	Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.
3.	Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan 1/4 turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.
4.	Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5.	Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon extract, remaining 9 drops green food color and the yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite things to order at a burger joint is Sweet Potato Fries. I always feel a little less guilty for wolfing down sweet potato fries than if I had ordered the traditional fries (because of the nutrients that are found in Sweet Potatoes). Lately, I have been in search for an "out of this world" sweet potato fry recipe that would be a healthy alternative to the greasy stuff you'd find at Burger Joints. I think I have finally found a recipe that is all that and a bag of "chips!" This recipe calls for seasonings that are on hand in your spice cabinet and a couple of good sized Sweet Potatoes or Yams. My kids love these baked fries and don't even notice that they aren't soaked in grease and drive thru ordered. You can make these as a snack, or a side dish for burgers or baked fish!

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

6 sweet potatoes, cut into French fries (I use two huge potatoes)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/8- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, canola oil, taco seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.

**Note: My hubby and I like things spicy so we enjoy using 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. It is very spicy with the 1/4 teaspoon so if you are faint of heart in the heat department then I would recommend going with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Also the original recipe asks that you cook the fries at 425 degrees but I feel like the fries cook too fast and get burned so I like to reduce the temperature. Keep your eye on the fries after the first 30 minutes of cooking, they tend to cook fast and can burn.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen