Banana Chocolate Parfait

I love to make parfaits! They are so quick and easy to prepare. Less preparation time means more time to enjoy! This is so good.

Ingredients

• 1 cup  of crushed dry roasted peanuts
• 1 (4) oz package of instant chocolate pudding,
•     prepared by the package directions
• 1 (8) oz container of whipped topping
• 3 - 4 bananas, sliced 
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional
• 4 (8) oz glasses

Directions


Prepare the parfait by first layering the sliced bananas (approx. 6),,2 Tbsp of chocolate pudding, 2 Tbsp of whipped topping, 2 Tbsp of the crushed dry roasted peanuts. Repeat in this order, two more times, or until the glass is full. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy! 

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Brush the banana slices with a small amount of lemon juice to keep the bananas from turning brown.

©Rolisweets

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

An afterschool treat for the kids. They were pleasantly surprised. :)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 (4) oz box of instant vanilla pudding 
•    and pie filling
• 1 Tbsp of Red Velvet Baking Emulsion
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of I white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand blender, mix together the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, red velvet baking emulsion, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Stir in the vanilla pudding and pie filling and mix just until blended. 

Add the flour mixture and, using a spoon or fork, stir just until all ingredients are well blended. Stir in the white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls  onto the prepared cookie sheet and place them two inches apart. (I usually measure out two tablespoons per cookie.)

Cook the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes or until the white chocolate chips are slightly brown and look as shown below.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy with a nice glass of milk or your favorite beverage!

©Rolisweets

Candied Sweet Potatoes

With Thanksgiving just a little over a week away, it's time to start thinking about what's for dinner. Sweet potatoes were always a part of our Thanksgiving, thanks to my mom. This recipe is so easy to make, and can slow-cook on the stove while other dishes are being prepared. The sauce created by this dish is sweet, with a light taste of butter. Mm-mm!

There's no need to worry about the potatoes breaking apart while they cook, as the sugar in this recipe serves as a preservative.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of peeled and sliced sweet potatoes, approx. 4 medium sized 
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter

The sweet potatoes should be slice approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Directions

Add the four cups of water to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes, sugar, and butter. boil on high for 10 miinutes.

Reduce the heat to medium heat and slow-cook the potatoes for 50 minutes or unil the water has boiled down to a syrup-like base.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 - 20 minutes as the syrup base will be very hot. 

Enjoy!

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Note:  This recipe can also be doubled to feed a larger group of people, just keep the ratio of 1 cup of sugar per each 2 cups of water. 

©Rolisweets

Cornbread Casserole

Dinner last night was so delicious! Cornbread is so good, especially when it's just cooked. I love this combination of flavors (the family did too).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb of ground turkey or beef
• 1 Tbsp of cumin
• 2 Tbsp of all purpose flour
• 2 cups of water
• 1 (14.5) oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of corn, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup of chopped onions
• 1 cup of minute rice
• 3 cups of thinly shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 package of cornbread mix, prepared by the package directions

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° degrees.

In a large skillet, add the ground turkey or beef and cumin and cook until the meat is well done. Stir in the flour and add the two cups of water and stir. Cook the mixture until it comes to a boils.  Add the diced tomatoes, corn, chopped onions, and minute rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer  and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the meat mixture from the heat. Stir in the cheese. 

Pour the prepared cornbread mix over the meat mixture. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

©Rolisweets

Baked Vegetable Omelette

Breakfast this morning! I'm trying to prepare breakfast dishes that are healthier and light on calories, without compromising flavor. This is definitely a keeper.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, whisked
• 4 slices of precooked bacon, sliced into small pieces (optional)
• 3 thin slices of pepperjack cheese, sliced into small pieces
• 2 cups of fresh or frozen kale
• 1/4 cup of chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of lowfat milk
• 2 Tbsp of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° degrees.

Lightly grease a 9-inch tart or pie pan and set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk until all ingredients are well blended. Add the mixture to the prepared tart pan. 

Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until the casserole is set. (This can be tested by touching the omelette to make certain that it springs back instead of sinking in.) Cool for 5 minutes and serve. Makes 6 servings. Enjoy!

Note: As the omelette gets closer to being done, keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking it.

©Rolisweets

Strawberry Milkshake

This shake is a good alternative if you're craving something sweet, but don't want all the calories.

Ingredients

• half of a large ripe banana
• 2 cups of almond milk 
• 2 cups of frozen strawberries

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until well blended. Enjoy as a dessert or as an afternoon snack. Makes 4 servings.

©Rolisweets