Fudgy Brownies

February's food network magazine was focused on chocolate.  There was also an insert with 50 different brownie recipes!  Jason loves brownies, so I made a normal chocolate fudgy kind.  The recipe below makes 15 servings.

Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  Spray bottom of metal 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Do not spray sides.  Preheat oven to 325F.
2.  Melt chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Turn off heat and whisk in white and brown sugar.  Cool slightly.
3.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Stir in 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt.
4.  Spread into pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted 2" from side comes out clean. Enjoy!

Jason's Rating: 6/10
Beth's Rating: 7/10

Nutrition:
320 calories
16 fat (9g saturated)
70mg cholesterol
160mg sodium
45g carbohydrates
0g fiber
36g sugar
2g protein

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Yum Yum Yum.  I love sweet potatoes and fries!  This recipe makes two large servings.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, washed, dried and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
garlic powder
paprika
cayenne pepper
Greek yogurt for dipping

Directions:
1.  Toss sweet potato slices in oil and seasonings.
2.  Bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden brown.  Halfway through baking flip all the pieces to bake evenly.
3.  Serve with Greek yogurt for dipping!  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 7/10

Nutrition:
300 calories
14g fat (2g saturated)
0mg cholesterol
800mg sodium
40g carbohydrates
7g fiber
14g sugar
6g protein

Pasta with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

I found this recipe on Pinterest awhile ago.  It sounded tasty and simple, and it was!  This recipe makes 4 large servings.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 lb pasta
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Heat the oven to 400F.  Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them.  Cut the spears into 1 inch pieces.  Toss the pieces with the olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile, put 1/2 cup vinegar in a small saucepan.  Simmer until 3 Tbsp remain.  Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining pepper.  Remove from heat.
3.  Cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, all the vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan and the remaining salt.  Serve with additional Parmesan.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 5/10

Nutrition:
800 calories
18g fat (8g saturated)
30mg cholesterol
900mg sodium
140g carbohydrates
1g fiber
6g sugar
24g protein

Red Bell Pepper Cornbread

When Jason and I made the fancy pizza awhile ago, we had to buy cornmeal to get the pizza to slide off the pan. Since we had almost an entire bag left I wanted to use some.  I found this recipe in my book: "100 Foods to Stay Young".  The rich yellow color of corn derives from its high carotenoid levels, which provide protection against aging for the eyes, brain, skin and heart.  It was crumbly but good.  This recipe makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
heaping 1 cup fine cornmeal or polenta
heaping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
heaping 1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling (I would use butter next time to grease the pan)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Lightly oil an 8 x 4 x-inch loaf pan.  Arrange the red bell pepper slices on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until tender and the sin begins to blister.  Set aside to cool slightly, then peel away the skin.
2.  Meanwhile, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  Beat the milk, eggs and oil together in a separate bowl and gradually add to the flour mixture.  Beat with a wooden spoon to make a thick, smooth, batterlike consistency.
3.  Finely chop the red bell pepper and fold into cornmeal mixture, then spoon into the loaf pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 30minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn onto a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Jason's Rating: 3/10 (Jason doesn't like cornbread)
Beth's Rating: 5/10

Nutrition:
210 calories
7g fat (1g saturated)
50mg cholesterol
400mg sodium
30g carbohydrates
2g fiber
3g sugar
6g protein

Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast

I got my first issue of Food Network magazine!  It is a chocolate issue, but it also had week night meal recipes.  I found this interesting, yet simple one with chicken.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cup into 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp paprika
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 lemons (1 juices, 1 cut into wedges)
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Directions:
1.  Position a rack in the upper third of the oven.  Place a large cast-iron baking dish or rimmed baking sheet on a rack and preheat to 500F (we used a glass baking dish and didn't preheat).  Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 Tbsp water and 1/2 tsp salt in a large microwave-safe bowl and toss to coat.  Cover and microwave for 8 minutes to partially cook.
2.  Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and transfer to bowl.  Sprinkle with paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Add 2 Tbsp parsley and lemon juice; toss to coat.  Set aside.
3.  Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes and spread in an even layer.  Scatter the onions on top.  Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.
4.  Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 Tbsp parsley.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Enjoy!

Jason, Beth and Terri's Rating: 8.5/10

Nutrition:
450 calories
11g fat (3g saturated)
80mg cholesterol
900mg sodium
41g carbohydrates
8g fiber
7g sugar
39g protein

Baked Avocado Fries

I love Avocado!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it seemed so easy I had to try it.  This recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados sliced into wedges
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
salsa for dipping

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 450F.
2.  Coat Avocado slices in flour then egg then Panko bread crumbs.
3.  Spread on cooling rack and place that on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
4.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with salsa!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 7/10

Nutrition:
580 calories
32g fat (4g saturated)
0mg cholesterol
1800mg sodium
68g carbohydrates
12g fiber
3g sugar
9g protein

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

My brother-in-law John gave me some Quinoa for Christmas one year.  I was browsing Pinterest and found a recipe that used it!  These were really good and easy to make.  This recipe makes 12 servings.

Ingredients: 

2 cups cooked red quinoa

2 large eggs

3 Tbsp finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried cilantro

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 a jalapeno, finely chopped (or more to taste)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.

2.  Mix together all the ingredients.  Distribute mixture into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup about 1/3 full.

3.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 6/10

Nutrition (1 bite):

60 calories

2g fat (1g saturated)

40mg cholesterol

100mg sodium

6g carbohydrates

2g fiber

0g sugar

3g protein

Spicy Thai Shrimp with Lemongrass Dipping Sauce

This is a light recipe I got from the Julie, my sister-in-law.  She was going though her recipes and sent a few to me.  I love shrimp recipes.  They are so light and tasty!

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
For the grilling sauce:
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger (I used pickled ginger)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh jalapeno
1 Tbsp chopped scallion (green part only; save the white part for the dipping sauce)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup peanut oil (I used peanut sauce)

For the dipping sauce:
2 stalked lemongrass, end trimmed, tough outer leaves removed, tender white core finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp finely sliced scallion (white parts only)
1 Tbsp fish sauce (I didn't use any)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp light brown sugar
2 tsp Sriracha Chile sauce; more to taste

For the kebabs:
1 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Make the grilled sauce:
In a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, scallion, salt and peanut oil and process until well combined; the mixture will still be chunky.  (the grilling sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerated.)

Make the dipping sauce:
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and 3 Tbsp water; stir well.  (the dipping sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time.)

Prepare and grill the kebabs:
Build a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium high.  Oil the grill grate. Toss the shrimp in the grilling sauce in a bowl.  Thread the shrimp onto 2 parallel skewers to make flipping them easier.  Grill the shrimp skewers (uncovered on a charcoal grill; covered on a gas grill) until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.  If they begin to burn before softening, transfer them to a cooler part of the grill (if using gas, lower the heat a bit).

Remove the shrimp from the skewers and arrange on a platter.  Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of the dipping sauce and serve the remaining dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 8/10

Nutrition:
290 calories
18g fat (3g saturated)
200mg cholesterol
1000mg sodium
5g carbohydrates
0g fiber
2g sugar
28g protein

Bacon-Parmesan Burger

Since it was requested, we made a burger with bacon on it!  We got this recipe from the book: "Mastering the Grill".  Instead of all the toppings on top, we mixed them all in (except for the bacon on top!).  The recipe below makes 4 burgers.

Ingredients:
6 strips of bacon (2 strips chopped, and 1 for top of each burger)
1 pound of ground venison (or beef)
1/2 of a medium tomato, finely chopped (roughly a 1/4 cup)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp of kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
olive oil for coating grill grate
4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:
1.  Heat the grill as directed.
2.  Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crisp, place on to plate with paper towels to drain.
3.  Using your hands, mix the venison, tomato, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, and cooked bacon in a bowl until well blended.  Do no over mix.
4.  Using a light touch, form into 4 patties no more than 1 inch thick.  Refrigerate the burgers until the grill is ready.
5.  Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil.  Put the burgers on the grill, cover and cook for 7 minutes, flipping after 4 minutes, for medium done.  Add a minute per side for well-done.
6.  Toast the buns on the grill for the last minute of cooking.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 6/10

Nutrition:
350 calories
10g fat (2g saturated fat)
10mg cholesterol
400mg sodium
19g carbohydrates
2g fiber
3g sugar
44g protein