Air Fryer Oreos

I’m still loving my air fryer! It was probably one of the best items I’ve purchased recently. I love kitchen items, obviously! But this gadget is awesome! I decided to give Oreos a try in the air fryer. I personally don’t like the idea of the ones with crescent dough. I feel like it would be a little on the doughy side for me. I made mine with pancake mix and I loved the way they came out. Do they taste like a fried Oreo you get a carnival or state fair… probably not. BUT these are delicious nonetheless! If you are looking for a “fried” treat with no guilt this is it! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Air Fryer Oreos

Ingredients:
1/2 cup complete pancake mix
1/3 cup water
10 Oreos (or other chocolate sandwich cookes)
cooking spray
powder sugar, to taste

Directions: Preheat air fryer. (Mine preheats at 400 for 4 minutes) In a small bowl mix together pancake mix and water until combined. If the mix seems to wet you can add more pancake mix. You want it to be thicker and not to runny. Spray the air fryer rack with cooking spray. Dip the cookie in the pancake mix and make sure it’s fully covered. Lay on the air fryer rack. Complete with all Oreos and make sure they are not touching. Place in the air fryer and cook at 400 for about 7-8 minutes flipping halfway through. Remove from air fryer and sprinkle with powder sugar. You can use parchment paper for a smoother bottom! I just put on the rack vs using the parchment paper.

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Easy Italian Pasta Salad

It’s so sad Summer is almost coming to a close. I can’t believe we are already halfway through August. WOW! No clue where 2021 has gone. I figured I better share this recipe before the snow hits the ground so here goes! This easy Italian Pasta Salad is quick it make and is always a hit! It’s best to make this in advance so the flavors can marry!! Give this a try and you won’t regret it!

Easy Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1lb multi-color pasta, cooked
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 green pepper, diced
1 can black olives, cut in half
8 oz block mozzarella, diced (I usually add extra as cheese is the my favorite)
1-2 cups bottled Italian dressing
1/2 packet dried Italian dressing packet
salt/pepper to taste

Directions: In a large bowl mix cooked pasta with the dressing. dressing packet, olives and green peppers, refrigerate. Add in the tomatoes and cheese about 2 hours before serving. The longer this sits the more flavor it will have. This salad is easily customizable. Switch up the cheese for fresh mozzarella or you’re favorite kind. Add diced or sliced salami or pepperoni for an extra kick. Add onions, or red peppers for other veggies you may like. I made this for a family gathering at my brother’s house and he doesn’t like onions. I love them so this salad would be great with some red onions or green onions!

Note: You may need to adjust the seasoning and dressing once the salad sets and is refrigerated. Add more or less depending on taste.

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Pasta Chips with Ricotta DIp (Viral Recipe)

I had to jump on this band wagon and give these pasta chips a try! I never in my life thought that making pasta into a chip would be a thing but here we are. 2021 making pasta chips in an air fryer! I gave it a try to share my thoughts. They came out delicious and cripsy. I made a whipped up ricotta dip to eat these chips with. These can easily be eaten with any favorite dip! Check it out!

Pasta Chips with Whipped Ricotta Dip

Ingredients:
12 oz uncooked pasta (any pasta will work but if you plan to dip try and use slightly bigger)
1-2 bsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
(Note: you can use any seasoning you like)

Whipped Ricotta

Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp lemon juice, fresh
salt/pepper to taste
chopped chives, for garnish

Directions: In a medium bowl add in all ingredients for the ricotta dip (minus the chives) and mix well till fully combined. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water till al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a bowl or add back to the pot. Toss pasta with olive, seasoning and grated cheese. Preheat air fryer (note: I have an oven air fryer and mine preheats at 400° for 4 minutes) Add the pasta in a single layer to the rack and place in the air fryer at 400° for 10-13 minutes shaking halfway through. Cook in batches if needed. You are looking for a nice golden color with a perfect crunch. Remove from air fryer and serve with whipped ricotta dip or any dip of choice. (Note: You can also bake these in the oven at 400° for 20-25 minutes.

Note: Cook times may vary based on pasta size and type of air fryer. Keep an eye on the pasta towards the end of the cook time, my 2nd batch I forgot and burnt rather quick! Oops!! 🙂 Use any spices of your choice!

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Cheesy Mushroom Chicken

Hi all! I just got back from an amazing vacation and I’m trying to dedicate more time to my cooking as it is such a huge passion. My new job has been super busy still, but I’m getting a new partner soon so hopefully things will get to normal and I can be more active with this blog! Don’t worry I’m cooking, I’m just not able to get the recipes shared!!

Anyways….back to the food. I made this super basic chicken recipe tonight. I say basic as it’s really got only a few ingredients and it’s great for a weeknight meal. It’s relatively healthy and can easily be turned into a low carb/keto dish. I’ve been trying to keep things a little more simple during the week so that’s where this recipe came from. Give it a try!

Cheesy Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 thin chicken cutlets
1/2 cup flour
16 oz sliced mushrooms (any kind)
1 cup aged white cheddar, grated (I used a rustic bigger grater)
3-4 T olive oil
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Directions: Heat a large sauté pan on high heat. In a medium bowl add in the flour and season with 1 t garlic powder, 1 t onion powder, half the salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the chicken and dredge in the flour and shake off excess flour and set aside. Complete with all chicken cutlets.

Once pan is heated add 1-2 T of olive oil to pan and let heat 2 minutes swirl the oil around in the pan. Add in the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. About 3 minutes on each side on medium heat. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add in another tablespoon of oil and add in the sliced mushrooms. Season with the remainder of the spices, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook these mushrooms till as much of the water is cooked out as possible most. TRUST ME you will be happy you did. The mushrooms will get golden brown in color and the flavors will really come through. Remove mushrooms from the pan and add the chicken back in.

Top the chicken cutlets with the golden delicious mushrooms and sprinkle over the aged white cheddar. You can use as much and as little as you like. I was trying to be a little healthier and used less cheese but honestly I should have smothered it with cheese! Turn pan on low and cover until cheese is melted.

Remove from the pan, serve and enjoy!

Notes: Adjust the cooked time based on the thickness of the chicken you are using. The chicken should be cooked to 165°. The flour can easily be omitted for low carb lifestyles.

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Viral Baked Feta & Tomato Chicken Verison

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you missed me?? I’m so sorry I’ve been so MIA. My focus is on my new job and I’ve been beyond busy haven’t really spent to much time cooking up new recipes, unfortunately. I have made a few but not as many as I’d like.

I decided to give this viral baked feta and tomatoes recipe a try! I mean it’a all over, I had to! I’m watching the carbs so decided to do a chicken version of this viral recipe. O.M.G. It came out delicious. Full of flavor. You can easily do this with chicken breast which I’ll probably use next time. I made with chicken thighs.

You need to make sure to try this dish! It’s so yummy and you don’t even miss the pasta… well maybe a little.

Baked Feta & Tomato Chicken

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
1 8oz block feta cheese
3 garlic cloves minced or grated
1-1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
3 T extra virgin olive oil (Use the good stuff here)
1/2 T Italian seasoning
2 t pepper
2 T fresh basil

Directions: Preheat oven 400°. In a medium size baking dish add in the tomatoes. Make a whole in the middle and add in the block of feta cheese. Drizzle the extra virgin over the tomatoes and completely cover the top of the feta cheese. Season the tomatoes and feta with Italian seasoning and pepper and mix tomatoes to fully coat. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered.

Remove pan from the oven and smash the feta cheese and mix in with the tomatoes. Add in the garlic and mix well. Spoon the feta mixture over the chicken thighs and return to the oven at 375°and bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Internal temperature needs to reach 165°.

Remove chicken from oven let rest for a few minutes and then top with basil and serve. This dish would be great served with a vegetable side, over rice or mashed potatoes.


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Light Biscuits & Gravy Casserole

My Mom loves biscuits and gravy. Up until a few years ago it usually was something she’d get while out to breakfast. However, over the last few years I’ve been making it at home. I like making it as I can usually give it a little be of a lighter/healthier take! This casserole is exactly that. This recipe is definitely different than my other homemade biscuits and gravy recipe. I like this recipe because the flavors scream biscuits and gravy but the fat, not so much!

Give this recipe a try and please comment how you like it!

Cheers!

Light Biscuits & Gravy Casserole

Ingredients:
6 oz pork sausage, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups egg beaters
3/4 cup reduced fat cheese
1 country sausage packet (I use McCormick, try and look for a reduced sodium if possible)
4 grands biscuits, cut into bite size pieces

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Prepare the gravy with water per package, set aside. Evenly spread the biscuits on the bottom of the pan. Add the egg beaters to the pan and top with the gravy. Next sprinkle the sausage over the top and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cheese and bake for 10 more minutes. Take out the casserole and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. I cut a piece and add some of the sauce from the casserole right on top! Enjoy!

Notes: You can use turkey sausage for even healthier take, personally I don’t like the flavor as much. Sometimes you can even find reduce fat biscuits, those would work great as well.

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