Category Archives: Bites

A Week of Celebration

Posted on by
Reply

Do you know what tomorrow is? I mean, other than the day that adorable little Phil will tell us when Spring is set to arrive.

Tomorrow is my blog’s birthday! Or is it anniversary?

Let’s go with birthday since that’s the theme of the week. On Monday I said farewell to my 20’s – so today, as a way of celebrating this lovely occasion, my blog will say farewell to something too. Have you figured out the surprise? Check the top of your computer screen:

www.cookingonthebrightside.com

My blog has its’ own domain name now! Very nerdy of me to be excited about, I know, but hey – if you’ve been with me for a year, you expect it by now, right?

Have no fear – any older links will still take you to your favorite recipe. Now it’s just abbreviated, which means it’s easier to remember for when you’re passing it along to your friends. (Wink wink).

In addition to tomorrow being a very special day for my blog – Sunday is a very special day  for football lovers (like myself) and for food lovers (um, duh) and for those of us who just enjoy fun celebratory occasions in general.

So if you’re hosting a party for 50 on Sunday or just getting together with a small group and maybe tuning in to the Puppy Bowl – here’s a little recipe roundup for your menu planning!

Pre Game

AppCollage

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Buffa-faux Chicken Tenders

Mexican Dip

Skinny Faux-Fried Mozzarella Sticks

The Main Event

Main Course Collage

Buffalo Chicken Soft Tacos

Buffalo Chicken Soup

BBQ Chicken Stromboli

Cheeseburger Soup

Pizza Soup

Spicy Pulled Beef

Turkey Beer Chili

Of course, you can always jazz your party up with a fun theme. I’m talking about New Orleans. So serve up some festively Cajun recipes and throw back a Louisiana-brewed beer  (might I recommend Abita? Light and Amber are delicious!) and you’ll feel like you’re celebrating in the Big Easy!

Lagniappe (translation: a little something extra)

CajunCollage

“Fried Shrimp” with Spicy Sauce (or make some po boys cut up into sliders!)

Cajun Shrimp Casserole

Creole Stew

I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend celebrating – as they say in N’awlins…

“Laissez les bons temps rouler!”

Wasabi Shrimp Bites

Posted on by
2

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starting to feel the pressure!

I absolutely love this time of year but it can really be stressful – I just feel like there isn’t enough time to get everything done. Figuring out schedules, bringing food to parties, organizing lists, planning parties, baking, getting gifts ordered, wrapping gifts…oh, and trying not to gain 10 pounds if you can help it!

Well, I can’t take care of your Aunt Mildred’s gift or tell you what to do with that door prize you won at the office, but I can at least arm you with a delicious dish to take to your parties that you can snack on without any guilt! (Okay, well, maybe a little guilt since you might show up the store-bought deli tray and the shady looking jello mold…)

I actually found these on the Weight Watchers website over a year ago and they are now a family favorite. I’ve modified them slightly to make them even easier to prepare, but they are seriously delicious and easy to make – and nobody can even tell they are “diet-friendly.”

Wasabi Shrimp Bites (Makes 24 pieces / 2 pieces = 1 WW point)

Ingredients

24 small-medium cooked shrimp (1/2 pound should work)

1 cucumber

1 avocado

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 tsp. Wasabi paste

1 tsp. soy sauce

Begin by mixing together your mayonnaise, soy sauce and wasabi paste. Adjust according to taste – I usually add a little more wasabi for more of a kick. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Soy

Rinse shrimp and remove tails.

Slice your cucumber into 24 slices and cut avocado into 24 small pieces.

CucumberAvocado

To assemble, spread about 1/2 tsp. wasabi-mayo mixture on each cucumber slice. Add a piece of avocado and top with 1 shrimp.

Top

Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then dig in…

Instagram

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Cranberry Brie Tartlets

Posted on by
3

So if I had a magic lamp and a blue genie with the voice of Robin Williams popped out, it might be incredibly difficult to come up with just 3 wishes. And you know the rules people – you can’t wish for more wishes!

Can you tell Aladdin was on last night?

Anyways, I think last week if I could have been granted any wish – it would probably have been to make the saying that “Holiday calories don’t count” true. I mean, two Thanksgivings in one day. Wine. Leftovers. And you know, pie. And leftover pie.

Oh, and it was my Mom’s birthday on Sunday – so the husband and I had my parents over for a special birthday dinner. Which of course involved more food. And dessert.

And now, we are about to enter December – which means endless holiday parties filled with delicious (and likely calorie-laden) foods. Lucky for you, I have a super easy and delicious recipe that will be a huge hit at your parties. The best part (other than it includes my favorite – Brie) is that it’s guilt free!

Cranberry Brie Tartlets (Makes 15 pieces/1 WW pt. per piece)

1 package mini fillo shells (15 shells per box)

1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

1 tsp. orange zest

2 3/4 oz. light Brie

Mix together cranberry sauce and orange zest. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Preheat oven to 350. Place shells to baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

While shells are baking, remove rind from brie and divide into 15 pieces.

Reduce heat to 300 and add one piece of brie to each shell. Top with a dollop of cranberry mixture and return to oven for 6-7 minutes until cheese has melted.

Beware…these disappear very quickly!

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Posted on by
4

I have a serious issue.

I mean beyond my fear of balloons (also known as “globophobia” – which means I am not alone!). And okay, I’m also overlooking the rage incited within me when somebody confuses the words “flavor” and “scent.” Yeah, let that one marinate for a minute..it’s maddening!

The issue I’m talking about is my love for all things buffalo-flavored.

You’d think I would have fun out of buffalo inspired recipes by now. You, my dear friend, would be wrong.

I also have an obsession with potato skins. I love potatoes in pretty much every form – but roasted until crispy and topped with cheese and bacon? Right, no words needed.

Clearly, not exactly the healthiest of choices – but in my defense, I usually order this “appetizer” as a main meal. I’ll be debating my selection and the husband will look up from his menu and be like “You’re ordering potato skins aren’t you?” Yes, over that delicious famous local burger or yummy spicy hot wings. Over hot wings people – that speaks volumes, does it not?

Well, I have finally found a way to combine my two loves – and the best part is that this recipe is healthy for either a main meal or a snack! It’s the perfect thing to enjoy while watching college football this weekend – or to snack on next week when you’re burnt out on turkey!

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins (2 WW pts. per skin with 1/2 Tbsp. Ranch dressing)

6 small russet potatoes

8 oz. raw chicken breast

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce

6 Tbsp. reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles

1/2 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella

1 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

6 Tbsp. fat-free Ranch dressing

Salt and pepper

Olive oil spray

Preheat your oven to 450.

Slice all of your potatoes in half. This will give you 12 halves. See? Math is fun!

Now scoop out the insides of your potatoes, leaving about 1/4 inch border to hold your filling and well, allow you to taste the potato. I used a melon baller to scoop since the potatoes are still raw.

Spray both sides of your potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. I sprinkled a little Ranch seasoning on the inside to give it a little extra boost of flavor – yum! Place skins on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the potato flesh is tender and the skins are slightly crispy.

While the potatoes are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and add your chicken. When chicken is cooked (8-10 minutes is good) let chicken cool slightly and shred with 2 forks. Add about 2-3 Tbsp. hot sauce and mix well.

When your potato skins are cooked, remove from the oven and begin to assemble!

Add your shredded chicken and celery. Then add about 1/2 Tbsp. each of blue cheese crumbles and shredded mozzarella.

Return to oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese has melted.

Remove and drizzle remaining 2-3 Tbsp. hot sauce on potato skins. I also sprinkled with some dried chives due to lack of green onion, but that’s up to you!

Serve with some fat-free Ranch dressing for dipping and devour!

Try them while you’re rooting on your team this weekend…you won’t regret it!

Skinny Faux-Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Posted on by
3

I’m not sure if I was more excited for a 3-day weekend or happier that this “short” week is almost over!

So as I said, I love college football and have always been a huge fan. Last Friday night was like my Christmas Eve – making Saturday my Christmas Day!

I wake up early and dance around singing “It’s College Gaaaame Day!”  – which I used to do to wake up my friends when we’d spend Labor Day weekend together. So this year, I just sent them all a voice recording so they didn’t miss out. It was nice getting to annoy them without getting their glares of death.

Well, after watching my team’s game early Saturday at the bar and eating some not so healthy football food, I decided that football food needed a healthy twist on Saturday night.

Enter Skinny Faux-Fried Mozzarella Sticks. Who (besides my crazy sister) doesn’t love delicious, melty, fried cheesy goodness dipped in marinara sauce?

That’s what I thought.

Skinny Faux-Fried Mozzarella Sticks  (1 WW point per piece)

6 pieces Weight Watchers String Cheese

2 Tbsp. Egg Beaters

1 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour

2 1/2 Tbsp. Panko bread crumbs

2 1/2 Tbsp. Italian-style bread crumbs

1 tsp. reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 cup marinara sauce (I used Newman’s Own)

Cut cheese sticks in half.

In a medium bowl, mix together  bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley and garlic salt.

Set up your assembly line. First, a small bowl with flour. Next, another small bowl with the egg. Then the bread crumb mixture. Lastly, a small pan or dish lined with wax paper.

Roll cheese in flour, coating lightly. Then dip in egg, letting any excess drip off.

Then press cheese into crumb mixture, coating well. Then place on wax paper.

Repeat until all cheese is coated. Place coated cheese sticks in the freezer for at least 30 minutes – otherwise, you’ll end up with a melty mess! I also think this step make this recipe awesome for company because you can do all of the “work” ahead of time!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

When you are ready to bake, move your mozzarella sticks to baking sheet lined with lightly greased foil. Spray tops lightly with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and roll mozzarella sticks and bake another 5 minutes.

Heat your marinara sauce in the microwave until warm.

Serve mozzarella sticks warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

Mmmm, I might have to make these again very soon…

Happy Friday everybody – have a great weekend!

Chipotle Chicken Croquettes

Posted on by
Reply

Okay, I am officially running around like a crazy person this week getting ready for one of my best friend’s bachelorette parties this weekend! I’m so excited to get a weekend with my girls – and I’m sure I’ll have some fun things to share with y’all when I return!

So when I find myself super stressed out, for some reason, I turn to the kitchen. I recall one time in college I gave up sweets and caffeine around Valentine’s Day. Not to cut back on calories, but to prepare my body for a 48-hour dance marathon! Well, I got super stressed out and turned to baking. Yes, that thing I have a love/hate relationship with. I made a ton of cookies, peanut butter and chocolate rice crispy treats, brownies and another type of cookie. Luckily we had male neighbors in our apartment building…so home-baked treats were easy to pawn off on them!

The other day, I went for something more practical and good for me so I wouldn’t be extra stressed trying to shed pounds from eating a bucket of baked goods! I had written down a recipe a while back that I ran across on a fabulous website (she also does WW recipes!) and so with a big ole chicken breast thawed, I decided to try a new recipe for dinner.

Chipotle Chicken Croquettes (Serves 2 – slightly modified from “Eat Yourself Skinny“)

1 Tbsp. reduced-calorie margarine

2 1/2 Tbsp. minced orange bell pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp. minced green bell pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp. minced onion

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (I just used 1 big chicken breast I had, about 8-10oz.)

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. Chipotle mustard

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. chipotle powder

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

Spicy Mustard Sauce

1/2 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 fat-free sour cream

1/2 Tbsp. Chipotle mustard

1/2 Tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. chipotle powder

About 1-2 hours before you’re ready to eat, whisk together garlic, mayo, sour cream, mustard, lime juice and chipotle powder until smooth. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the chicken. Reduce to medium-high and cook 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. While chicken is cooking, go ahead and chop your veggies. Saute them in 1/2 Tbsp. margarine.

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, chipotle seasoning and salt.

Once your chicken has cooked and cooled, chop and shred. Add to a medium bowl with bread crumbs and add your sautéed veggies and combine.

Take the small bowl with the mayo/mustard mixture and add to the chicken. Combine with hands until blended and form into 5 patties.

Heat remaining 1/2 Tbsp. margarine in a skillet and cook the patties over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve with a dollop (or more if you desire!) of the spicy mustard sauce and dig in!

Note that this is probably a great appetizer, but I tested it for dinner and 2 1/2 patties was a great portion…

I’m a Guest Blogger!

Posted on by
1

Hey everybody – happy Friday!

I have a very special treat for you today – my dear friend Brittany over at “Everyday Thoughts” asked for me to do a guest blog for her “Foodie Friday” today and I was more than happy to oblige!

Brittany and I on my wedding day!

Brittany and her husband live in Atlanta and although we met as college football rivals (I’m Penn State, she’s that other Big 10 school in Ohio), we grew to be great friends and I miss having my partner in crime right down the street!

So, hop on over to her site for one of my favorite appetizers to make – a grilled sausage and cheese plate. While you’re there, check out some of her great posts on food, fashion and general musings!

The “after” picture – woops!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Taco Won Tons

Posted on by
2

So the husband and I have been on a huge Mexican food kick lately.

I am normally a total Mexican food snob – I don’t like the “hole in the wall” type places – but lately I’ve learned, some of them tend to have the best food and are incredibly and deliciously authentic. Previously it was hard for me to determine authentic since all I ordered were quesadillas and cheese dip!

I also think our two amazing trips to Mexico (one being our honeymoon) probably expanded my horizons quite a bit! I’m still not a huge fan of the rice or beans though – and I  am actually quite disgusted by re-fried beans.

However, the spices used in Mexican food and fresh avocados have definitely been game changers. And being introduced to chorizo. And obviously, melted cheese.

Also, throw in an ice-cold cerveza or margarita and I am one happy lady!

So for Cinco de Mayo, I knew we were going out later for Mexican – but I wanted to make something “light” for lunch that was also festive. Enter Taco Won Tons. I made them for lunch, but it was more testing out an “appetizer” – and I could totally see this one being a hit during the summer! A little spicy, pretty substantial, and goes great with a Corona or well, anything involving tequila. (I know, what doesn’t – right?)

The best part? These are 1 WW point per item. You. Are. Welcome.

Taco Won Tons (Meal – serves 2; Appetizer – serves 4-6 or more if doubled)

4 oz. extra lean ground beef (I used 94% lean)

2 Tbsp. yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. green bell pepper, chopped

3 3/4 oz. fat-free refried beans

2 Tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar

1/2 Tbsp. ketchup

3/4 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. taco seasoning

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional – we didn’t use but put a few dashes on top of won tons)

12-16 won ton wrappers

1/2 cup taco sauce

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium skillet, brown ground beef with onions and bell pepper.

Once beef is cooked through, scoop into a medium bowl. Add cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning.

Add your cheese, refried beans, ketchup and hot sauce. Mix until everything is incorporated.

Now, take your won tons and place one on a plate. Spoon about 1/2-3/4 Tbsp. in the center of each wrapper. Dip a pastry brush in water and spread a light amount over the edges of half the wrapper.

Fold “dry” half over on top of “wet” half and press together. Using the tip of a fork, press into the edges to “crimp” and ensure a good seal. (It also looks pretty!)

Repeat with all of mixture and add to baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake 5-7 minutes on one side. Flip and bake another 5 minutes until edges are lightly browned and won tons are crisp.

Serve with taco sauce for dipping – and devour!

So I’ve had these for lunch, and now I want to make them as an appetizer. First, I’d probably have to have a party though. Surely I can come up with a reason…