Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Oven Baked Beef and Bean Tacos
So this past week I cooked up these Oven Baked Beef and Bean Tacos to try something new for our Taco Night and they were so delicious of course I had to share the recipe with you all.
Taco Night is a family favorite in my house and normally just do hard and soft tacos that we fill how we want, but I saw this recipe via Six Sister’s Stuff website, where they share all kinds of yummy recipes, and thought I would give it a try.
Not only were these tasty, but I loved how they are Oven Baked and once out of the oven you just grab one and add all the topping you like on top – such as Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Taco Sauce etc.. And my very favorite part is the meat stays in the Taco Shell vs. falling out all over the place.
They are made with both Beef and Beans so lots of protein in these babies !!
Here is what you will need to make these Oven Baked Tacos:
- 1 lb Ground Beef (Lean)
- 1 Can Black Beans (15 ounce) drained and rinsed
- 1 Medium Onion, Diced
- 1 Package of Taco Seasoning
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced (I use the minced Garlic in a jar – so much easier)
- 1 Cup Chunky Salsa
- 12 Hard Taco Shells
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
And then have all the stuff you like to top your Tacos with ready !!
Ok now here is what you do:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
In a large pan saute your Onion and Garlic in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add in your Ground Beef and Taco Seasoning until your beef is nicely browned. Next add in your Black Beans and Salsa. Let that cook up for a bit so your flavors blend and it can thicken up some.
Next line a 9×13 Casserole Dish with your 12 Hard Taco Shells and fill each one with your Beef Mixture. Top them with your Shredded Cheddar Cheese and then stick those babies in the oven and let cook for about 8-10 minutes or until your cheese is melted.
Now you are ready to add your topping and gobble up!!!
I will DEFINITELY make these again, loved the flavor and how EASY they were to make. I guess I did not stuff mine enough because I had some left over meat, but it was perfect the next day heated up for another meal.
Enjoy !!
Delicious Layered Salad Recipe
Oh Boy Oh Boy I have another delicious recipe to share. I made this one the other night per a request from a friend who was here visiting from New York.
My friend Laura and her hubby both had Bariatric Surgery this year and this is a favorite recipe of theirs. The only problem is that it makes so much and if they made it for themselves it would be very hard for them to finish – so she asked if I would make it when they came and so I did. I had no idea what it would be like and it turned out to be so tasty and everyone, even the kids liked it.
Now let me say that normally it should look all pretty and made in a clear trifle bowl for effect, but mine seemed a bit too small to hold all the ingredients. Oh well – u know what layers in a clear bowl would look like right? ok good, so no biggy.
Ok so here are all the ingredients you need to create this:
- A Head of Lettuce (Iceburg is just fine) Chopped up
- 1 Cup of Chopped Celery
- 4 Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
- 1 Box Frozen Peas, Defrosted
- 1/2 Cup Green Pepper, Chopped
- 1 Small Red Onion, Choopped
- 8 (or more – more is best) of Cooked Bacon, Chopped or Crumbled
- 2 Cups of Mayo + 2 Tbsp Sugar – Mixed Well
- 8 ounces of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Can Black Olives, Whole, Sliced or Chopped (u decide)
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Then in a large trifle bowl or big bowl just layer all your ingredients starting with the lettuce first and work your way down the list. When you are ready to eat just grab a big serving spoon and grab all the way to the bottom to get a little of everything.
I am tellin’ ya this was soooo good and honestly completely fool proof. You can add or remove items you do not like too. Oh and this is a great recipe to bring to a BBQ or Picnic.
My hubby who is not a fan of Celery even ate it and loved it and the crazy thing is that later that night he ate the leftovers and finished it off – I was in complete shock.
Zucchini Parmesan Crispy Chips Recipe
Always lots of great veggies in the summer time especially Zucchini which is one of my favorites. So my sister and I are always looking for new recipes to try and make with them. These Zucchini Parmesan Crispy Chips are one we found and tried tonight and it was worthy of a share with you all.
Now these are served warm and not cold like potato chips. They make a great side dish or would be great to eat just by themselves if you are good with just eating veggies for dinner. I had them as a side with some London Broil and rice. You can see my post for my Meat Marinade HERE.
Zucchini Parmesan Crispy Chips Recipe:
- 2 Medium Size Zuchinni
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan
- 1/4 Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Pepper to taste
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
How to Cook
Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- So here is what you do. Slice up your Zucchini into 1/4″ slices. Mix up Panko, Parm Cheese, Salt and Pepper in a wide bowl or a plate.
- Coat each Zucchini slice in the oil and then coat both sides in the mixture. You just want a light coating on them. If you have any mixture left over just sprinkle the remaining amount on the top of your slices.
- Then line them up in a single layer on your baking sheet.
- Stick in the oven and back for about 25 minutes or so until they are golden brown. Best part is there is no need to flip them when they cook either!!
These were so yummy and if you like Zucchini you have to give them a try. We did half of them with Plain Panko Bread crumbs and then the other half with Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs – both were delicious.
If you give this recipe a try I would love to know what you think so leave a comment below.
Enjoy !!
BEST Meat Marinade Recipe
I have to share with you one of my all time favorite meat marinades that I have been using for years. It was given to me many many years ago by a friend of the family and it is delicious.
This marinade works on any kind of meat, but I prefer it on beef. Tonight I used it on London Broil. Normally I will marinade my meat overnight which I think works best to really get the flavor in, but I did it for 5 hours and it was still A-Mazing. I also took a meat tenderizer and pounded it a bit to tenderize it and make some holes for the marinade to makes it s way in.
Here is the recipe for the Marinade:
- 1 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Ginger Powder
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced (I use the minced garlic in a jar)
- 2 Generous spoonfuls of Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Minced Onion
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Mix all of that together and pour it on top of the meat you want to marinade. That is it !!! Super EASY and sooo good, Trust!!
If you give this marinade a try I would love to know what you think so leave a comment below.
Enjoy !!
The Best NY Cheesecake Recipe EVER
If you are a Cheesecake Lover than this recipe is for you. This is the only Cheesecake Recipe we make in my family due to how delicious, rich and moist it is – once you try this recipe you will be hooked and never try another – trust me.
My sister has been making this NY Cheesecake Recipe for so many years now and I never use to be a fan of Cheesecake until my older age – now I just love it. We don’t make it often, but when we do it goes quick. Today I made one for my hubby for Father’s Day – he loves it as well. Nice of me right? Ok I was craving it – shhhh don’t tell him that.
I do think it is funny that I am posting a recipe for Cheesecake on my Gastric Bypass Blog, but I shared a photo on my Facebook Page and everyone wanted the recipe *Giggling*. Honestly this Cheesecake is pretty much all protein less the sugar so if you do not eat the entire thing I think it is just fine. Anyway this cake is so rich you can only eat a small sliver and be satisfied.
Of course it is not low fat and full of calories, but every now and then in moderation it is ok to splurge a tiny bit. This Cheesecake is soooo worth the splurge. Ok now let me get to the secret recipe…..
NY Cheesecake Recipe:
- 1 1/2 Cup of Sugar
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 4 (8 ounce) packages of Cream Cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) Sour Cream
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 5 Eggs
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
* Make sure all ingredients are at Room Temperature – so take them out a few hours prior to making this recipe
Now here is what you do:
- In your mixing bowl cream together Sugar and Butter.
- Using a mixer mix in your Cream Cheese one block at a time.
- Mix in your Sour Cream.
- Add in Cornstarch and Vanilla.
- Mix in your eggs one at a time.
- Blend that all until smooth.
- Pre Heat your oven to 375 degrees
- Pour your mixture into a well greased 10″ Spring Form Pan.
- Place your Spring Form Pan into a roasting pan or large baking dish and fill it half way with water – this is important for a moist Cheesecake and to avoid it cracking.
- Then bake that goodness for 1 hour.
- Take it out and let it cool, once cool stick the Cheesecake still in spring form pan into your refrigerator to get cold. We find it best to make it the night before so it gets nice and cold – cake is best very cold.
- Then take it out, remove spring form pan side, slice that baby up and get ready to be in heaven !!
If you try this recipe I would love to know what you think.
Enjoy !!
Delicious Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
I have to share this yummy recipe for Oven Fried Chicken I made the other night that was delicious. It had the flavor of Kentucky Fried Chicken, but it is baked in the oven and not fried so a bit better for us.
The chicken turned out nice and moist and while the breading was not super crunchy the way Kentucky Fried is it was still crisp and very tasty. I really enjoyed it and think it was worth the share – plus it was super EASY to make as well, BONUS.
Here is what you will need to make this Oven Fried Chicken:
- Chicken of course – I just took a package of chicken boobs and cut them into strips
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp season all (important)
- 3/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 Cup Flour
- 2 tsp Paprika
- Milk
- 1/2 Stick Butter
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
How to Cook
- First what I did was cut up my Chicken Boobs into strips. Then place them in a bowl and cover them with Milk. Let them soak for about 30 Minutes.
- Next in a large bowl mix together your Salt, Season All, Pepper, Flour and Paprika.
- Then Coat each piece of Chicken with that mixture.
- Next preheat your oven to 400 degrees and take your 1/2 Stick of butter and melt it in your baking dish. Make sure the butter coats the entire pan and if you need to you can add some non stick spray as well before placing in the chicken.
- Carefully lay your chicken strips in your baking dish on top of the melted butter.
- Let them bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes flip them over. Yes sometimes they will stick and some of the coating will come off – it happens. Try to use a fork and flip carefully. Cook for another 20 minutes.
- Now take them out of the oven and fill your belly with yumminess !!
Like I said I really enjoyed the flavor of these and if you have any leftovers they would be great added to a salad cold.
Enjoy !!
Avocado Hummus Dip – This is soooo good!!!
I have been meaning to post this recipe for Avocado Hummus Dip my sista peep made a few weeks ago that was sooooo good. Better late then never right?
Not only does this dip taste so good – it s pretty good for you too and being it has beans that means it has protein – Yippee!!!
So here is what we used to make this Avocado Hummus Dip:
- 2 Ripe Avocados (cubed)
- 1 can of White Beans, drained and rinsed
- Lime Juice – A couple squirts from the Fake Lime or 1/2 Juice from a Real Lime
- 1 Tbsp EVOO -Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- A dash of Cayenne Pepper
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Now take all of that and add blend it up in a Food Processor. Now I do not own one so we did it in a blender and it worked fine. It took longer to blend, but in the end it came out delicious. We used some tortillas to dip in, but you can use whatever you like. This is now a new love of mine and I cannot wait to make up another batch of it – I am tellin’ ya you have to try it.
Enjoy !!
A Delicious Combo of Coffee and Protein
If you follow my posts you know I LOVE my Coffee. I have now found a new drink combo that combines both my protein and my coffee in a delicious flavorful drink with a grand total of 40.5 grams of protein – Boo Ya!!
I have combined my Protein Shakes and Coffee before (see my post Protein Iced Coffee Concoction), but this is a little bit different. One of my readers (Ryan R) is the one who told me about this combination and is now my new BFF, lol.
Over the summer I received some samples of the Click Mocha Espresso Protein Drink because I was looking for different ways to get in my caffeine and protein. I love this stuff and have combined it just with milk alone and loved it. Lately though I have not been good at getting in my protein like I should and that is when Ryan suggested this drink combo to me.
Here is what the drink combo is:
- 1 Cup Warm Milk (I just microwaved it) = 8 Grams Protein in 2%
- 1 Scoop Click Mocha Espresso Protein Drink = 7.5 Grams Protein
- 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Mix (I used CVS brand which I like) = 25 Grams Protein
- 1 Cup of fresh brewed Coffee
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
I mixed the Proteins in my shaker cup with the milk and then poured that in a bigger cup and mixed in my Coffee. I am not a fan of the Vanilla Protein alone and it has been sitting in my cabinet – I prefer the Chocolate when just making a shake. Well who knew I would love it mixed in with these other items.
I am so excited to now have a new drink that I love and that is filled with protein since I have been lacking. I drank it warm and because it was so much to drink at once when it got cold I just added in some ice cubes and it was even better cold.
So if you love coffee like me you have to try this – I thank Ryan for this recipe and now I will get in my protein for sure!!! I am actually finishing up one as I type.
Her I am over the summer enjoying my Click Mocha Espresso Drink which is tasty like I said even on its own and it also comes in Vanilla Latte – mmmmm.
Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole ~ No soup used
OMG I made the Best Tuna Noodle Casserole that was sooo creamy and delicious and not like the Tuna Noodle Casserole that most of us know. You so have to make this, Trust Me!!
I am not sure if you would consider this recipe extremely Gastric Bypass friendly, but I look at it this way – I have had Gastric Bypass, it has Protein, I ate it, I lived, it was fabulous and you are not eating the entire thing – so to me that is friendly enough right?
This was my first time making this and it was so good I could not keep it a secret. This Tuna Noodle Casserole is not made with the cream of mushroom soup which I use to think that was good, well no more. This has so much more flavor and so creamy – I will never go back.
Here is what you will need to make this deliciousness:
- 1 Can Mushrooms or Mushroom Pieces
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced (I use jarred – I am a cheater)
- 1 Medium Onion, Diced
- 1 Medium Green Pepper, Diced
- 1 (12 ounce) Package of Large Egg Noodles
- 1/4 Butter
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 2 1/2 Cups Milk
- 1 Package of Cream Cheese
- 2 Cans Tuna in Water, Drained
- 1 Small Can of Peas, Drained
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Cup Grated Sharp Cheese (I used Sharp White Cheddar)
- Durkee French Onions
Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator
Now follow along and watch how EASY this is to make:
I doubled the recipe because we love leftovers in my house, so that is why it looks like so much.
So here is what you do…..
In a frying pan saute up your Mushrooms, Garlic, Onions and Peppers to your desired tenderness. I added a little butter in the pan as well. When that is done set it aside.
Next boil the water with some salt in it for your Noodles.
While the noodles are cooking up melt your Butter in your frying pan and blend in your Flour. Then add you milk in slowly stirring constantly, bringing it to a slow boil. When that gets thick and creamy lower heat to medium and blend in your Cream Cheese until melted – still stirring.
Then add in your cooked Noddles and then the Tuna, Peas and the Onion, Pepper and Mushrooms. Season with some Salt and Pepper.
Put all of that into a Casserole Dish and Top with your Cheese and then top that with the Durkee Fried Onions.
Bake in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes.
Take out and chow down, but not too much for all you Gastric Bypassers like me. I was good with about a cup and then I was full and satisfied.
The kids and hubby loved it too and my daughter is not always a fan of Tuna Noodle Casserole the old way. The one thing my son asked to leave out next time I cook it was the peppers and I may just do that. Not because they tasted bad, but because the kids are not huge fans of the peppers and of course my hubby complained they were not soft enough for him. I like my cooked veggie with a tiny crunch – hubby likes the soft, I can never win with him, lol.
Let me know if you give it a try – trust me it will be a new family favorite.
Enjoy !!