Baked Apples

Delightfully Baked Apples
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/2 apple with topping • Points: 3 pts
Calories: 152.8 • Fat: 6.3 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Carb: 26.4 g • Fiber: 3.4 g
2 large apples, cut in half
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp quick oats
pinch of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350º. Cut apples in half and remove core and seeds with a small pairing knife or spoon.

In a small bowl combine butter, brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Spoon on top of the apple halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with fat free whipped cream or low fat ice cream.

DELICIOUS!!! :)

Banana Bread

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
Add the flour last, mix.
Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Cool on a rack.
Remove from pan and slice to serve.

*** I had never made banana bread before today- it was insanely easy! :) Roman "helped" me, too!

Maybe I'll start cooking a bit more...

;)

Haven't been cooking a bunch since it's been so hot. Doing lots of grilling (well, my husband has been!). Plus, our 2nd son was born @ the end of April, so we've all been adjusting to having that cutie patootie butterball! :)

Guilt-Free Fries

(from Health magazine)

4 baking potatoes, cut into wedges (leave skin on)
4 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss wedges w/ olive oil. Sprinkle w/ spices.

Bake 35 minutes or until crisp.

Chewy Granola Bars

4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease 9x13in. pan

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

Firmly press mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into bars.

Let bars cool completely before removing from pan.

Vegetarian Burrito Casserole

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cooked rice
1 (12 oz) package frozen soy burger-style crumbles
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix
2 (10 inch) burrito-size flour tortillas
1 (14.25oz) can vegetarian refried beans
2 fresh jalepeno peppers- seeded, sliced & divided
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F

Place soy crumbles, tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, chili powder, cumin & taco seasoning in medium frying pan over medium high heat. Cook & stir, breaking up tomatoes, for 10 minutes.

Lay 1 flour tortilla in a lightly grease 8x8 inch baking dish. Layer w/ 1/2 the beans, jalepeno slices, rice, salsa, soy mixture & 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Repeat layers w/ remaining ingredients, beginning w/ the flour tortilla & top w/ remaining 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through & cheese is melted. Serve immediately.


*I left out the jalepenos because I didn't want it to be too hot for Roman. And I left out the salsa because I didn't know if that would make it watery or not. Can always be added on top.

Baked Ziti

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef (which I obviously didn't use)

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

-In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.


-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

-Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

-Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Oh. My. Gosh!!! Sooooooooo insanely good! Seriously- SOOOOO good!