Red Velvet Brownies

So yummy..I could eat half of the pan!! (but I'm not going to because I'm trying to get back into shape..haha - as I bite into one of these delicious, moist brownies!)


**Recipe from Southern Living**

INGREDIENTS

4 oz Bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 (1 oz) bottle liquid red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350.

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave in 20 second intervals for about 1 minute.  Pour into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time and then food coloring. Add flour and baking powder and stir in mixture.  Finally, add vanilla extract and salt.  Make sure all is stirred in well. 

Pour into a well greased baking dish - bake for 40-45 minutes.  Let cool and add frosting if you would like.  I'm not a huge fan of frosting on brownies (I know, it's crazy), but buttercream frosting would be great on these.

Cheesy Baked Taquitos

These are perfect...for game day or a mexican dinner.


INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup salsa
1/3 cup cream cheese (I always use the 1/3 less fat)
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
8-10 small, flour tortillas


Preheat oven to 425. 

Soften cream cheese and then mix all ingredients in with the cream cheese.  Heat tortillas in microwave so they're easy to work with (about 20 seconds).  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of mixture on tortillas.  Roll tightly and place on a greased baking sheet with foil. Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray.  Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until edges of tortillas are lightly brown and crispy.

Spicy Honey Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and changed it up to make it my own. The secret is boneless, skinless chicken thighs...they are very juicy and tender.

INGREDIENTS

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (usually comes in a pack of 8)
3 TBL honey
3 TBL apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic power
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes


                                   
DIRECTIONS

Mix together honey and vinegar, set aside.  Mix together all spices and set aside.  Place thighs on a baking sheet with foil greased with cooking spray.  Make sure thighs are placed flat on the baking sheet.  Season both sides. Cook on broil on low for 5 -7 minutes each side.  Then, put the vinegar/honey mixture on top of the thighs.  Bake for an additional 3 minutes and make sure internal temperature registers 165 degrees.


                                                          YUM!!!

Chicken Nachos

Really easy for a quick dinner!

INGREDIENTS

Tortilla Chips
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
jalapenos
homemade taco seasoning

Toppings:

lettuce
sour cream
salsa

DIRECTIONS

Empy a bag of tortilla chips onto a baking sheet with aluminum foil.   Before cooking chicken pieces, season with 2 TBL olive oil and 2 - 3 TBL of my taco seasoning  - stir all together.  http://carolinecuisine.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-taco-seasoning.html Cook chicken in a skillet on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until well done.  Place chicken on top of chips, and next place jalapeno slices.  Top with cheese and sprinkle it evenly.  Broil on low for about 5 minutes, watching carefully so nachos won't burn.

Instant Garlic Bread

Hi all!  So tonight I was making spaghetti and I realized I didn't have any garlic bread (I love the frozen kind)  Anyway...I was digging through the pantry and found hot dog buns.  Problem solved!  I just mixed a few tablespoons of butter (melted - put it in microwave, covered for about 10 seconds) with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and a little bit of minced garlic and spread it over the hot dog buns, which I split in half..and result = delicious garlic bread!  Just preheat the oven to 350 and bake about 4-5 minutes.