Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cups

My little one turned two yesterday, so in honor of her birthday, I made her these oatmeal cups for breakfast. They were a big hit! Don't expect these to be a muffin like consistency. It's basically baked oatmeal, but it is a really really yummy breakfast, and the chocolate chips just makes you feel like you are eating dessert for breakfast. This would be a great snack too!

Ingredients
3 over ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chocolate soy milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups old fashioned or rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and put in lightly sprayed or lined muffin cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Cool on wire racks. Makes 12-15 cups.

Partially Clothed Chicken Parmesan

A while back I ran across this recipe for Naked Chicken Parmesan; essentially chicken parm without any breading. I was intrigued by the idea, but quite frankly, I really really love the traditional breading. I don't, however, like the extra calories it brings to the dish. So for my version I basically only cover half of the chicken which is enough to give me my breading fix and still remain a healthier version of the classic approach.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Salt and pepper

breadcrumbs

1 can tomato sauce

oregano

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

onion powder

mozzarella cheese

Directions
Place your chicken between two pieces of Saran wrap and pound to 1/2 " thin with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and then cook in a skillet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray for about 3 minutes on each side. Place the chicken in a casserole dish or baking sheet that has been either covered in foil or sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Top with enough breadcrumbs to cover most of the surface and spray very lightly with cooking spray. Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a small saucepan and season to taste with dried seasonings. Add sauce to top of chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through with no more pink in the middle.

Salmon Sticks

Looking for a quick Friday Lenten meal that is a bit more complex than grilled cheese sandwiches, but still something my family would enjoy, I came across this recipe for salmon fish sticks. Philip ate seconds and Michaela ate almost two, which is way more than she usually eats for dinner, so it was definitely a success.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons honey

2 medium skinless salmon fillets

Directions

Mix bread crumbs, spices, flaxseed and Parmesan together in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk egg and honey together. Cut salmon into sticks of your desired size. Dip the salmon into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Lay out on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Notes

*Although we enjoyed these, both Philip and I thought they could be better. Perhaps next time I would pulse the bread crumbs in a food processor so that they coated the fish more evenly, or maybe I would use molasses instead of honey. If you experiment with this recipe with success, let me know so that I can try out your version!

Not So Texan Texas Chili

According to Philip, this is sooo not Texas chili. I honestly wouldn't know since I've never really tasted any before other than a bite here or there when he orders it at a restaurant. What I do know is that I really enjoyed this meal, found originally on my new favorite food blog. I made the mistake of giving Michaela a bowl of it while it was still a little too warm, so after taking one bite and proclaiming "Hot!" she refused to touch it. It is a very mild chili, so I think I'll try again tomorrow with leftovers.

Ingredients

18 oz ground beef, browned

1/2 onion, finely diced

1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

10 oz sweet corn

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or equivalent fresh)

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

8 oz water

Directions

Put all the ingredients in the crockpot, mix, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.