Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. ground turkey (could substitute ground beef)
4 oz. cream cheese
Approx. 2 cups salsa
Approx. 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
Sour cream, black olives, and chives for topping (optional)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  Cook the pasta shells according to package directions. While shells are cooking, brown the ground turkey with the all the seasonings in a frying pan.

2. When the shells are done, drain and lay them out on a cutting board to cool and dry off a little (if you leave them in the pot too long, they begin to stick together and are very difficult to work with!).

3. When the meat is done, add the cream cheese and mix until it melts. Then remove from heat and allow it to cool down.

4. Pour some salsa into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture and arrangement in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining salsa. (I didn't actually measure out the salsa, I just used an amount that looked good)

5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from oven, add the cheese (again, I didn't measure, just estimated a good amount), and bake for another 10-15 minutes without the foil until cheese is nice and melted.

We topped ours with some sour cream, chives and black olives, and served with a box of Zatarain's black beans and rice. It was a great meal!

The inspiration for this dish was found here.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef roast, fat removed, cut into a few pieces for better flavor penetration
1/2 red onion
2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped up a little, with the sauce
About 1/2 head of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cloves
About 1/4 of a bunch of fresh cilantro
1 can chicken stock
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Throw everything in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  When it's done, drain most of the liquid into a bowl and set aside.  Using two forks, shred the beef (this was super easy because it just falls apart!).  Add back in a little bit of the liquid, so it's nice and juicy.

We served our meat in burritos, with some shredded cheese, sour cream, and a very basic homemade salsa (see recipe below), but I'm sure there are lots of ways you could eat it.

The verdict: it was amazing!!!  Mike said it was one of the best meals I've ever made.  He requested we have it regularly. :)  I have to agree, it was absolutely delicious!  If you're really sensitive to spicy foods, cut back on the chipotle peppers - maybe only use a couple.  But I thought the flavor was perfect, and not too spicy at all.

The fresh salsa is really key.  You can make it the night before or just before serving, but I highly recommend making some.  I just threw together 6 roma tomatoes (chopped), the other half of the red onion (diced), 1 jalapeno pepper (diced, with seeds), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 3/4 bunch of cilantro (chopped), a couple Tablespoons of lime juice, and a little salt.  It's quick and easy but far better than anything you'll find in the store!

Fish Tacos

I never thought I would like fish tacos.  Something about them just sounded gross to me.  But one day, when I was feeling adventurous, I decided to give them a try.  Wow, are they good!  Now I deeply regret all those years I went without this amazing dish in my life!  So I'm making up for lost time by eating these on a regular basis now. :)

Ingredients
1 lb white fish (so far I've tried tilapia and halibut, both were great!)
1 Tbs oil
Tortillas
Salsa or other toppings of choice

For the cilantro cream sauce (this really makes the tacos, so don't skip!):
1 small container sour cream
4 Tbs fresh cilantro, minced
2 Tbs lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Cook the fish in a frying pan over medium heat with the oil.  It should only take about 3 minutes per side.  Fish is done when it begins to flake apart easily.

To make the cilantro cream sauce, simply mix together all the ingredients listed.

Shred the fish and serve in the tortillas with toppings of choice.  I decided to serve mine with my favorite fresh avocado salsa, which I thought was perfect!

Note: the original recipe calls for marinating the fish prior to cooking, but I find that the toppings (cilantro and lime sour cream mixture plus the salsa) have all the flavoring you need, so I save time by skipping that step.

Adapted from this recipe. 

Shrimp Veracruzana

I'm trying to lose a few pounds before our upcoming trip to Germany (which is now just 1 month away - yippee!!!), so I've been searching the internet for low calorie dinner recipes.  I found this one on eatingwell.com, and it looked yummy, so I decided to give it a try.  I thought it turned out really well!  It was light and summery.  I served it with a box of long grain Spanish rice from Rice a Roni.  When the rice and shrimp are divided up into four servings, it's just a 300 calorie dinner!  I thought it made a satisfying meal, although Mike was still a little hungry when he finished, so in the future I may have to come up with another side dish to go along with it.  But all in all, I recommend it.

One note on buying shrimp (and this is kind of my own personal environmental crusade, but I think it's important!): do NOT buy shrimp imported from Asia!!!  This is basically going to be all the cheap shrimp in the supermarket (sorry).  Unless the package specifically identifies a U.S. or Canadian source, it's most likely from South East Asia and should be avoided.  I know the shrimp from the U.S. (or Canada) can be pricey, but I think the better alternative is to watch for sales and make shrimp a special treat, so that you can afford to pay a little more for it.  But the environmental impact of buying the shrimp imported from Asia is serious, and simply not worth saving a few bucks. 

If you want to learn more about the issue, google "environmental impact of shrimp" you'll see all sorts of articles describing how Asian countries are sadly destroying their natural resources in the way they catch shrimp and other seafood.  I think it's important for everyone to be informed about which types of seafood are harvested in environmentally sustainable ways.  A couple of great resources, with searchable databases and lists of environmentally safe alternatives, are the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.

I'll get off my soapbox now and give you the recipe. :)

INGREDIENTS

1 pound peeled and deveined raw from the U.S. or Canada (see why above)
2 medium tomatoes (original recipe calls for 3, but 2 was plenty and I think 3 would make it too juicy)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lime, cut into wedges 
1 Tbs Canola Oil (original recipe said 2 tsp, but my calorie count is based on 1 Tbs, which is only a tiny bit more but my frying pan needs it)
* A final note on other omissions: the original recipe called for 1/4 cup green olives, but I thought that sounded weird so I skipped it.  It also called for 1 bay leaf, but I didn't have one so I skipped that too.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion and jalapeño pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. 

2.  Add shrimp, cover, and cook until just pink, about 3-4 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the tomatoes are almost broken down, about 3 minutes.  Serve with lime wedges.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ

I normally don't really care for pork, but this recipe is incredibly good!  Mike raved about it, and it's now one of our favorite meals.  The best part? (well, probably second best part - best part is the taste)  It's SO easy!  And it makes a large quantity, so you can feed a big group, eat leftovers for days, or even put some in the freezer for a quick dinner another time.

INGREDIENTS

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder*
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
*Note: a 6-8 lb pork shoulder will make a LOT of food! Mine was 3-4 lbs, and we still had dinner for two for several nights

Spice rub:
**The quantities listed are for a 6-8 lb roast; if you use a smaller one, you'll need to cut back proportionally on all the ingredients. Alternatively, just save the surplus spice rub in a sealed container.
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs ground cumin
2 Tbs dark brown sugar
1 Tbs dried oregano
2 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Massage spice rub into meat.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I found it works best to just do this part the night before so it can sit overnight; for a stronger flavor, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days).

3. Unwrap road and place it in slow cooker.  Add 1/4 cup of water.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours (if using a smaller roast, I'd suggest just 8 hours) until meat is fork-tender.

4. Transfer roast to cutting board.  Discard liquid.  Pull the meat apart by tearing it into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers.  Discard fat.

5. Place shredded meat back in the slow cooker and toss with 1 cup of barbecue sauce.  Heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot.  Serve with additional barbecue sauce as desired.

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my favorite summer time foods.  I've tried many different chicken salad recipes over the years, but this is by far my favorite.  It's just the right combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy.  I'm so happy I am to have found a chicken salad recipe that meets my (admittedly high) expectations, I just had to share it with my blog readers!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
2 medium sized celery stalks, chopped
4 green onions, diced
2/3 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup green grapes, quartered
4 Tbs light mayo
2 Tbs light sour cream
1 tsp poultry seasoning

DIRECTIONS

1.  Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

2.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

3.  Serve as desired!  I love putting it on a big bun and eating it as a sandwich, but you could also put it over some lettuce and eat it as a salad.

Mango Glazed Salmon

I've been a bad blogger this past month. :(  I got a nasty cold just as spring arrived, and then for awhile after that I just didn't feel like much like cooking.  But I am excited to be back with this fantastic recipe!  I actually got this recipe from a cookbook that my sister Katie got me for Christmas called Cook Yourself Thin.  I guess there is a Cook Yourself Thin show on Lifetime, although I must admit I've never watched it.  But this book is very cool!  Lots of delicious looking, low calorie, most importantly - fast and easy - recipes.  I'm sure I'll be using it a lot this summer!  I especially like all the big, color photographs.  Pictures are must-have for cookbooks, in my opinion.

This recipe jumped out at me right away when I first flipped through the book.  Plus I needed a healthy fish entree for Fridays in Lent - something other than the old box of frozen fish sticks, you know?  I made just a couple small changes based on personal preference (and trial and error), but I think this is a FANTASTIC recipe!  I've made it three times already. :)

INGREDIENTS

5 ounces mango nectar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced ginger [I easily doubled this]
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick [I just used a couple sprinkles of ground cinnamon instead]
1 teaspoon rice vinegar [I didn't have rice vinegar, so I used red wine vinegar instead]

2 6-ounce salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick 

DIRECTIONS

So here's what the book said to do...

1. Stir together the first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour mango mixture through a wire-mesh strainer; discard solids. Return mango mixture to saucepan; keep warm.

2. Place salmon on a rack in a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 5 minutes. Brush fish with half of mango mixture. Broil 3 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Spoon remaining mango glaze evenly over fish.

And here's what I actually did...

I'm not sure why, but every time I try to broil something in my oven, I end up setting off the smoke detector.  Not sure if it's just my oven, or I'm doing something wrong, but that is exactly what happened the first time I made this and tried to follow the instructions as written.  Plus all that delicious mango sauce just gets burnt, and the fish wasn't even done!  

So the next time, I just baked the salmon at 450 for about 12-15 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork.  Worked like a charm!  Then I just added the mango mixture at the table.  Plus this way, you can bake your fish while you're making the sauce, and be done in half the time!  

The recipe suggested serving the salmon with a spinach and pear salad.  I'm not even going to bother writing out that recipe, because I hardly followed it at all.  They have a home-made dressing recipe, but I just used a light raspberry vinaigrette that I had in the fridge.  They also said to add bean sprouts and shredded carrots, but that sounded gross to me.  I instead just topped the spinach with the pear pieces, sliced walnuts, and a little feta cheese (which probably doubles the calories, but I don't care - I love feta!).  It was really, really good!  Even my husband, who was a bit skeptical about putting pears in a salad, loved it and asked me to make it again. 

Shepherd's Pie

I wanted to make something Irish for dinner on St. Patrick's day, so I decided to try making shepherd's pie.  It was quite a tasty little Irish treat!  My 3/8th Irish husband gave it two thumbs up. :)

INGREDIENTS

4 large potatoes, cubed
2 lbs lean ground beef
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
12 oz bag of frozen peas
12 oz bag of frozen carrots
2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 packet of beef gravy mix
1/4 cup Worcestershire
2 Tbs ketchup or tomato paste
Milk as needed
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  Basically, step one is to make mashed potatoes.  So if you have a tried a true method, just do that.  Otherwise, follow my method: bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain as much water as you can (if a little is left in the bottom, it's okay).  Put pot back on the still hot burner (but turn burner off).  Add butter and a little salt and pepper.  Once butter is melted, mash with a potato masher or a hand blender.  Keep adding milk, one splash at a time, until potatoes are nice a fluffy.  Then add 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Set aside.

2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onion and celery in a large skillet until beef is well browned.

3.  Drain off excess grease, then transfer to a mixing bowl.  Add flour, gravy mix, Worcestershire, and ketchup or tomato paste and mix well.  

4.  Spread ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a large casserole dish.  Next, layer on frozen peas and carrots.  Finally, spread mashed potatoes over everything and top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

5.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is boiling rapidly.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Gumbo

In honor of Mardi Gras, I decided to try my hand at this New Orleans classic - gumbo!  I'm not going to lie - it was a lot of work, so I probably won't make this one a regular menu item.  But in our opinion, it was totally worth the effort for a special festive occasion like today!

Be warned - it is spicy!  But I didn't find it uncomfortably hot.  If you're nervous, just cut down on the spices the first time you make it.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
2 chicken breasts, chopped into rather small pieces
1/2 pound of pork sausage links, thinly sliced
1 pound of shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined)
6 stalks of celery, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (including liquid)
1 can regular diced tomatoes (including liquid)
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
4 (14oz) cans chicken broth
12 oz beer (I used Guinness because it has such a nice flavor in soups!)
1/4 cup of cajun spices
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS

1.  Begin with making a roux.  Although I've never made a roux before, I've read that a great roux is the key to gumbo, so I didn't want to mess this up!  I found some great instructions here.  To sum up, you melt your stick of butter in a small sauce pan.  When it gets good and hot, slowly begin to whisk in your flour.  Then you just cook it until it turns dark brown (add the minced garlic to this when it's a dark-medium brown, then continue to cook until it turns dark brown).  It does take a while to turn dark brown, but if you get it started cooking first, it will be ready just about the same time you've got everything else ready to go in the pot, so don't worry!

2.  While you're roux is cooking, cook your sausage in a skillet until it's evenly browned.  Then transfer to a large stock pot.

3.  In the same skillet (in the left over oil), cook your chicken pieces until no longer pink.  Then transfer chicken to the stock pot too.

4.  When the roux is ready, combine with the meat in the stock pot.  Add the chicken broth and beer, and bring to a boil.

5.  Stir in all the remaining ingredients - EXCEPT for the shrimp - to the stock pot.  Reduce, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

6.  Finally, add your shrimp.  Raise the heat a little and cook for about 5 more minutes, until shrimp shrink up and are an opaque pink.  As soon as shrimp are done, remove the pot from the heat so your shrimp don't overcook and turn rubbery.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Chicken Marsala

Here's an oldie but a goody - straight out of the ol' Better Homes and Gardens classic cook book.  It's long been a favorite at our house.  If you've never tried it, you really must!  I like to serve it over some whole grain angel hair pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

2 chicken breasts, chopped
3 cups sliced portabella mushrooms
1 bunch of green onions, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth (I usually cheat and use a bouillon cube - it still tastes great!)
1/2 cup Marsala wine (I get a cheap bottle of Marsala wine from the regular wine section - Marsala cooking wine is generally more expensive and has added salt, which this dish doesn't need)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons marjoram
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1)  Begin to heat the olive oil and butter in large skillet.

2) Mix together the spices and flour in a bowl.  Dredge the chicken pieces through the flour mixture, shake off the excess, and throw them into the frying pan.

3) After a few minutes of cooking just the chicken, add the mushrooms and onions and continue to saute until the chicken is fully cooked and begins to brown slightly.

4)  Carefully add chicken stock and Marsala wine.  It will look like your dinner is drowning in liquid but keep the heat on medium-high, stir often, and it will reduce.

5) Cook for about another 5-10 minutes, or until the liquid has mostly boiled off, leaving a nice thick sauce.

Chicken Piccata

This dish is a-maz-ing!  Mike raved about it between bites all through dinner, and as soon as we were done, he declared it his new favorite dish!

We actually had chicken piccata for the first time at the food tasting for our wedding, and we liked it so much that we ended up choosing it as our chicken dish to serve at the wedding.  Well, this is the first time I've tried making it myself, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but...TOOT TOOT!  Don't tell our reception venue chef, but mine was WAY better!

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1 lemon
3/4 cup dry white wine (I ended up using Marsala because I had some in the fridge)
2 tablespoon capers
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
A few sprinkles of pepper and parsley

DIRECTIONS

1) Place chicken breasts between some plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until evenly thick (I always use a regular hammer for this and it works fine).

2) Heat butter and oil in a large skilled.  Dredge chicken in flour, shake off the excess, and place in hot skillet. 

3) Cook until chicken is fully cooked, about 5 minutes per side.

Note: the directions said at this point to take the chicken out of the skillet, set it aside, and then prepare the wine sauce.  I decided to just leave the chicken in the pan while I made the wine sauce, and I think doing it this way, the chicken absorbed the flavor of the sauce and is part of the reason turned out so moist and delicious.  But it's up to you...

4)  Add wine, lemon juice (I reserved two large slices of the lemon for garnish, and juiced the rest), garlic and capers to the skillet.  Keep it at a low boil.  Scrape up bits from the bottom of the pan as it cooks.  Keep cooking until the liquid reduces to a nice thick sauce.

5)  Spoon wine sauce over chicken to serve.  The recipe suggested serving it over pasta - I chose couscous instead.  It was pretty awesome that way, so I'd highly recommend it.

Pesto!

How did I manage to live for 27 years before trying pesto?  I'm not sure, but man have I been missing out!  This was super delicious - Mike said it's way better than any other pesto he's tried.  And with how quick and easy it is to make, I think it's about to become a regular menu item!

You can do a lot of things with pesto.  I mixed about 3/4 of this with 1 box of pasta of whole grain pasta and two breasts of cooked and diced chicken.  Then I mixed the remaining 1/4 to of the pesto with two cans of tuna and a little mayo, which turned out to be the best tuna fish sandwiches we've ever had!  So with this recipe, we got dinner for two nights AND lunch for two days!  Not bad for a night of cooking. :)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 artichoke heart
1/4  cup sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

If your sun dried tomatoes are really dry, you may want to soak them in the olive oil for awhile first.  Then just toss everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  That's it!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This yummy soup is the perfect comfort food for a dreary winter day!  Ready to eat in just 15-20 minutes too!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 block of Velvetta cheese (1 lb), cubbed (the reduced fat kind works too)
10 oz frozen bag of broccoli, thawed (this can be accomplished just by running under hot water; I'd also advise chopping up any large pieces of broccoli) 
1 small-medium sized onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS

1.  Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent.

2.  Add flour to the onion and stir well.

3.  Gradually add milk to the pan, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly.

4.  Bring milk to a boil, then reduce to medium low.

5.  Add broccoli and cheese.  Stir until cheese is completed melted.

Inspiration recipe found here.

Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions

 

Since discovering this recipe a couple months ago, I've made these for dinner at least half a dozen times.  They are so simple, but SO GOOD!!!  To make prep faster, buy your ground beef in large quantities (it's usually cheaper this way too), make up your patties, wrap them in saran wrap and freeze them in a large plastic bag.  Then throw a couple frozen patties on your Foreman grill (or however you normally cook hamburgers) and dinner's ready in about 10 minutes!  We especially love eating them with sweet potato fries. 

INGREDIENTS

2 hamburgers with buns, prepared as desired

2 slices of mozzarella cheese

1 medium sized onion

1 Tbs oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat oil in small/medium sized skillet over medium heat. 

2.  Slice your onion into long strips (I try to do 8ths or smaller).  Add to frying pan, toss in oil and sprinkle with sugar.

3.  Saute in frying pan, stirring frequently, until onion is a nice dark brown.

4.  When onion is finished cooking, remove from heat and carefully add 1/4 cup water and vinegar.  Mix well.

5.  Top burgers with mozzarella cheese.  Depending on the thickness of your cheese, you might want to microwave it for 10-15 seconds so that cheese gets nice and melty.  Then add your onions and you're all set!

Inspiration recipe found here.

Pasta Fresca with Parmasean Crusted Chicken

This has always been my favorite dish at the restaurant Noodles and Co.  We're trying to cut back on eating out to save money, so my new challenge is to try to replicate my favorite restaurant dishes at home.  This one turned out great!  Even Mike thought it tasted just like the restaurant version, if not better.

For the pasta:

INGREDIENTS:

1 box penne pasta (I used whole wheat to be healthier)
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
A large handful of fresh baby spinach leaves (Yes, that is a proper unit of measurement.  I literally went to the bin of bulk spinach and put one handful in the bag.  Well I used to tongs be hygienic, but the bag was in my hand)
A few shakes of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil

For the fresca sauce:
1/4 cup fresh garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, combine the ingredients listed above to make your fresca sauce.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion, and saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn transparent.

3. Then add the tomato and cooked pasta.  Saute for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot.

4. Finally, add your spinach and fresca sauce.  The recipe says to add 1oz of the fresca sauce you prepared, but I usually just throw it all in (I mean, what would you do with it if you saved it?).  Doing so makes the flavor quite a bit strong than what they serve in the restaurant, but I think it's even more delicious that way!  But use your judgment. 

5. Cook just until the spinach is wilted (only about a minute or so), stirring constantly.  Then remove from heat and toss to combine.  Serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese.

For the chicken: 

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), melted
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried - it was fine)

A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish (I always end up needing a second, smaller dish)

2.  In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter.  In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, and pepper).

3.  Dip your chicken pieces first into the garlic butter, then into the crumb mixture to coat.

4.  Place the coated chicken pieces in the baking dish, leaving a little room between each piece.  If you have any butter remaining at the end, you can drizzle that into the pan too.

5.  Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

6.  Serve over pasta.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

This soup was so simple, and really delicious!  By making it in the crock pot, you can just toss everything into the pot in the morning, and come home to dinner ready and waiting!  I feel like it's pretty healthy too, since you don't add any salt and it's low in fat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb dried split peas
1.5 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups diced ham (if you're feeling lazy/in a hurry, they actually sell packages of diced ham - I'll confess, that's what I used!  But any kind of diced ham will work)
4 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.  Make sure there's enough liquid so that everything is submerged. Add some extra water if needed.

2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

3. Just before serving, take a potato masher and crush some of the peas to give it a thicker consistency.

I would suggest seasoning it at the table, as desired.  I thought it tasted perfect as is!  My husband thought it needed a little pepper.

My First Meat Loaf!

 

Ok, so I feel a little silly posting this recipe since I got it from the back of the McCormick's meat loaf seasoning packet.  But, it was really really yummy!  I've never been a big meat loaf fan, but I loved this recipe!  And the hubs couldn't quit eating it.  So I guess that's saying something!  Plus I'm proud that I finally made a meat loaf.  I feel all 50's housewife domestic now. :)

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of McCormick meat loaf seasoning

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 slices of bread, torn into pieces

Ketchup (drizzled on top as desired)

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat the oven to 375° F.

2)  Mix everything together in a bowl (except the ketchup) until well blended. 

3) Line a cookie sheet with foil, and shape the meat mixture into a loaf.  Drizzle ketchup on top if desired.

4) Cook for about 1 hour or until cooked through.

Gnocchi with Vegetables

I had gnocchi for the first time while we were in Italy on our honeymoon, and I fell in LOVE!  If you have never tried it, I highly recommend that you do!  It's kind of like ravioli, except it's pasta with potato inside.  I found my package in the freezer section right next to the frozen ravioli.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag of frozen gnocchi (mine was 24 oz)

1 8oz can of tomato sauce (I got the Hunts brand seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.  Be careful not to overcook it, or it starts to fall apart and makes a mess!

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini, squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

3) Cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

4) Then add tomatoes to the skillet and cook, until juicy, about 2 minutes.  Finally, add butter.  As soon as butter has melted, remove skillet from heat.

5) Transfer vegetables to a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.

6) Drain gnocchi and combine with vegetables.  Add tomato sauce and mix well.

7) Serve, topped with cheese as desired.

Original recipe found here.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

When the weather turns cold, I always start craving a nice warm bowl of chili.  I decided to try something new and came across this recipe.  It seemed very appropriate for Halloween week, although I'll admit I was a little skeptical of the pumpkin.  Well it was DELICIOUS!  The pumpkin flavor is actually very subtle, you'll hardly notice it.  It does, however, give it a very nice, smooth, rich texture.  Plus it's good for you!  All in all, a delicious and healthy chili that I will definitely be making again!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs ground turkey 
2 small/medium yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced 
3 bell peppers (I used red, orange and yellow because I thought it looked nice)
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can of no salt added corn
1 29 oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chopped onion, cook until they begin to turn transparent.  Add bell peppers.  Continue cooking until peppers are tender.

2) Move peppers and onions from skillet to a large stock pot.  Use skillet to brown turkey along with garlic and spices.  If your meat is really lean, you might need to add a little more oil so it doesn't stick.

3) When turkey is done, move it to the large stock pot too.

4) Add everything else.  Simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 or longer if desired.

Goes great with corn bread. :)

Original recipe found here.

Personal Pizzas

Remember how much fun it was to get those little personal pizzas at Pizza Hut when you were a kid?  Well, now you can relive those childhood memories, but in a healthier way!  These little pizzas are just 350 calories (without toppings)!  And they take just 15 minutes to make!!!  Could it get any better?

INGREDIENTS:

1 pita pocket
1/4 cup of pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese made with part skim milk
Toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  If you have a toaster oven, and you're making just one or two pizzas, I highly recommend using that instead.  It heats up MUCH faster and I feel like it uses far less energy than the big one.

2. Place a pita pocket on a cookie sheet.  Spread pizza sauce onto the pita pocket.  Top with the cheese.  Add toppings of your choice if desired.

4. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese and toast the pita a little.