Brownie Pie with Graham Cracker Crust & Banana Cheesecake topping

Amazing with whipped cream on top... 

Get the recipe here:
http://carissacooks.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/brownie-pie-with-graham-cracker-crust-and-banana-cheesecake-topping/

Tailgating Season

Low-fat Vegetable Dip 

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup mayo (or use light mayo for even less fat, but I like full-fat mayo for flavor in this)

2 tsp. dried dill weed

2 tsp. Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt, Beau Monde Seasoning, or Trocomare Seasoning

 Add all ingredients to the bowl and stir together with a whisk Chill an hour or so before serving. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

*Serve with carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. 

Tailgating Season

Delicious Black Bean Salsa

2 cups firm-cooked black beans
 (rinse well) 

3-4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
 (maybe more if you love spice)

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and finely diced
 

1 poblano chile, seeded and finely diced


3/4 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced


3/4 cup corn kernels (fresh & cooked or frozen & thawed)


½ cup finely diced red onion


½ teaspoon ground cumin


3 tablespoons lime juice


2 tablespoons olive oil


½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro


Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients for the salsa in a mixing bowl and toss well. Add more salt or lime juice as needed. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

*If you are going to be out in the sun, I would forget the avocado. (It will brown so fast!) 

Colorful black bean salsa for tailgating!! 

Time to Tailgate!

I LOVE TCU FOOTBALL 

Fear the Frog Flag over the student section

Sept. 8, 2012- The first TCU home game vs Grambling State.   

TCU Rangers running the flags after a TD

TCU with an almost perfect 56-0 victory, making Gary Patterson the all-time winningest coach at TCU. 

Tailgating before the game

 Overall, a day of perfect weather, a great game, & a beautiful new stadium. 

Pad Thai 2.0

I made pad thai again tonight, at the request of my roommate! I decided this time, to add chicken & I am really happy that I did. For the chicken, I marinated it in the same sauce as what is used in the recipe. I think it brought out the flavor of the lime & Sriracha sauce. I also served the pad thai with a fresh salad tonight to cut down the amount of carb/serving of noodle. (I think the noodle is a carb? Correct me if i'm wrong!)

Chicken and Cornmeal Dumplings

I am beginning to appreciate the ease of using a slow cooker. I can get things done around the apartment while it's cooking & the meals turn out great! A few weeks ago, I made BBQ chicken by putting chicken breast, BBQ sauce, and sliced onions into the cooker & leaving it for 3 1/2 hours. I was able to shred the chicken easily for sandwiches and soups. SO easy! Today I made a dumpling soup from a recipe online at: http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/30-minute/easy-recipes-in-a-bowl/ . It will make great leftovers to take to work! 

MAKES: 2 servings (for me the recipe actually made 4 servings)

SERVING SIZE: 2 dumplings with 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture per serving                  

•            2 
stalks celery & 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced 
•             1 
cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
•             1/2
 of a medium onion, thinly sliced
•             2 
cloves garlic, minced
•             1 
teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary 
•             1/4 
teaspoon ground black pepper
•             1 chicken breast (I used frozen)
•             2 
cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•             1/2
 cup fat-free milk
•             1 
tablespoon all-purpose flour
•             1 
recipe Cornmeal Dumplings (see recipe below)
•             
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

1. In a 1 1/2- or 2-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, corn, onion, garlic, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with chicken. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken off bones; discard bones. Chop chicken; return to mixture in cooker. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour until smooth. Stir into mixture in cooker.

4. Using two spoons, drop Cornmeal Dumplings dough into four mounds on top of hot chicken mixture. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. (Do not lift cover during cooking.) If desired, sprinkle each serving with coarse pepper.

Cornmeal Dumplings 

            1/4
cup flour

            1/4
cup cornmeal

            1/2
teaspoon baking powder

            
Dash salt

            1 
egg white

            1 
tablespoon fat-free milk

            1 
tablespoon canola oil

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine egg white, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Salsa Addict

Today at work we brought Mexican food to lunch for a going away party for one of the nurses. I tried this Peach salsa & right away I was addicted! It was just enough sweet & just enough spice. Literally, could have eaten the entire jar! 

You can buy it from Wal-Mart apparently. I definitely will buy a jar and I highly suggest it for Salsa lovers.