Chile Relleno Casserole

We have been getting a bountiful basket every 2 weeks or so since 1) I need to eat healthy for this pregnancy and 2) I'm so tired, shopping the best deals on produce got to be too much. This past week we got some awesome chiles in our basket. I had never cooked with fresh chiles before, but came across this recipe someone posted on the Bountiful Baskets FB page. I also made my own enchilada sauce to go with it and I love that I know every single ingredient that went into this dinner. It was mild and can easily be made more spicy if you and your family prefer more heat. It makes great leftovers as well.



Picture & recipe from Pam @ For the Love of Cooking:

• 3-5 large Ancho or Anaheim chiles (or 3, 7 oz cans of whole green chiles)
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp non fat sour cream
• 1 3 oz can of sliced black olives
• 1 cup of low fat Mexican blend cheese (or more if you want)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can red or green enchilada sauce
• Sour cream (garnish)
• Diced green onion (garnish)

Move oven rack to the top of oven and set to BROIL. Wash chiles and place on a tin foil covered baking pan. Place on top rack of oven, watch (and listen) closely. Chiles will crackle, pop & char. Once the entire pepper is charred evenly turn over with tongs. Char the other side of chiles completely. Remove from oven and wrap each pepper in a wet paper towel & place in a large gallon size ziploc bag. Seal the bag and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Remove from paper towel and peel the charred skin off completely. Cut the stem and remove the seeds & vein. Cut each pepper into half.

Combine eggs, flour, sour cream, olives, salt and pepper to taste then mix thoroughly. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Add a layer of the chiles, and then egg mixture, then cheese, then black beans; repeat layers until gone. Top with enchilada sauce and a bit more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Top with sour cream and diced green onion.

Enchilada Sauce:
(from the Taste of Home forum here)

2 T. cooking oil
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (14 oz. chicken broth)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Heat oil in large saucepan; stir in flour & chili powder. Cook for 1 minute then all remaining ingredients. Bring to boil & simmer for 10 min. Refrigerate extra.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I made this the other night and it was surprisingly easy and quick, not to mention unbelievably good. I am trying to really simplify my cooking lately and it is difficult for me since I love to try new things even if they are difficult. However, this was an easy fulfillment of my missing hobby lately. And you know it's good when my husband said, "So where did you buy the chicken?" I'll take that as a compliment, thank you!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.

Mykonos Burger

This is yet another recipe from Maria Menounos. My husband calls her Maria "my-new-nose". Ha!! I keep finding recipes of hers that are healthy, but really yummy! I'm really wanting her new book, "The EveryGirl's Guide to Life". I think their's a bunch of other healthy recipes in there. Can you tell that I like Maria?!!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 lb lean ground turkey

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 3/4 oz crumbled feta cheese

sliced red onions

4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, mix first 8 ingredients. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/2-cup measure to make equal size patties.

2. Broil for 5-6 minutes on each side or until done. (We did ours on the George Foreman and it turned out delish).

3. Place burger on bottom half of bun. Top with onion slices and other condiments you like. Cover with top half of bun and enjoy!!!

Pizza Bread

If you love pizza like my family then you'll love this pizza bread. When my second son was born, two of the meals that were brought in were this pizza bread and we were so excited to have it! It was amazing and I had to have the recipe. We recently had it for my oldest's 4th birthday party and I knew I had to share the goodness! It's so versatile and easy. (picture to come)

-2 Rhodes frozen bread loaves
-1 1/2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 eggs
-1/8 C Parmesan Cheese (I use 1/4 C)
-Pizza toppings of choice
-Cheese

Put bread loaves on the counter and let thaw (not rise) -- takes 3-4 hours. Roll out dough into a rectangle (long enough so it fits the length of a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan). Spread the egg mixture on dough with pastry brush.

Down the middle of dough put whatever toppings you want and then top with whatever blend of cheese you prefer on your pizza (I use about two big handfuls). Then fold sides over each other and fold ends (you can braid the dough if you'd like). Put more egg mixture on top of dough.

Repeat for the second loaf.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Serves: 4-6/loaf

*Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
**If you really want you could probably put pizza sauce inside the bread but we prefer it without.
***Ideal for when you need to take a meal in to a family.

Healthy Stuffed Chicken

This is another recipe I got from Maria Menounos. Yeah, I'm a big fan of hers! Love her!! My husband said this recipe was a definite keeper and a "home run" (he associates everything with sports. Hahaha!)!! If he approves then it must be good!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened

Stuffing:

3/4 lb low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup packed, chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:

one 14oz can tomato sauce

1 diced mango, peeled and seeded

1/4 tsp seeded and diced jalapeno pepper (I left this ingredient out)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. Spoon out half of the mix onto each flattened chicken breast. Wrap the chicken around the stuffing and place in a small greased baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer, stirring off and on, for 15 minuted or until sauce becomes thick.

Spoon the sauce over cooked chicken and serve.

Yield: 2 (the stuffing makes a lot, so you could even get 3-4 stuffed chicken breasts)

Hacienda Hamburger

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb hamburger or ground turkey

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1 small can sliced olives

1 tsp salt

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 cup uncooked wide noodles

1 cup diced cheese

1 diced carrot

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1 cup frozen corn, drained and thawed

DIRECTIONS:

Cook hamburger, onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper for five minutes until onion is translucent and hamburger is cooked well. Drain grease from skillet. Add remaining ingredients; stir lightly. Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I found this recipe on: www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com

6-8 Chicken Breasts
Garlic salt
Pepper
1 ½ C. sugar
1 C. vinegar
1 C. chicken broth
7 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
-Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper.
-Layer chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch pan.
-Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken broth, ketchup, soy sauce, and cornstarch with wire wisk.
-Pour directly over chicken breasts.
-Bake uncovered at 325 for about 1 ½ hours, or until sauce is thick and dark in color.
-The chicken needs to be fall apart tender!

Chicken Pillows

Maybe many of you have experienced these chicken pillows, but I was new to them and loved them. A couple sidenotes:

1. I did not take the time to make 16 small pillows and just made 8 - kept 2 crescent rolls together and they were the perfect size for adults.

2. Some of you may be aware of my new gluten-free child and it's been challenging to say the least! So much more planning and time is required for our meals so when I do something like this, I will for sure let you know if I altered it for my gluten-free child.

Chicken Pillows
Ingredients:

2/3 cup crushed Mom's seasoned stuffing
2 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked chicken pieces
2/3 cup mushroom pieces
2 cans crescent dinner rolls
6 Tbsp. melted butter
Directions:

Combine cream cheese, softened butter, and pepper. Mix well, then add the cooked chicken and mushroom pieces. In a separate bowl, put the crushed stuffing. Roll out each section of crescent roll into a square and put 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in the center of each one. Fold over and pinch edges. Dip each one in melted butter and then roll it in the crushed stuffing. Place them on a cookie sheet and cook at 375 for 20 minutes. This is best served with a mild chicken gravy or a sauce made with cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Makes 16.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to stuffing.

Gluten-free meal:
Gluten-free "cream of chicken"
3T. butter or oil
3T. flour blend (gluten-free)
1 1/4c. chicken broth (or milk if you can)
salt, pepper

Melt butter/oil in saucepan. Stir in flour and seasonings. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Add liquid slowly, stirring with whisk to get rid of lumps. Cook until thick.

Makes 1 cup or equivalent to 1 can of condensed soup.
***It's more just like a thick chicken gravy, so for this I put a little of the chicken mixture aside and added more milk to make it gravier. Then I served it over rice and used the extra gravy over the chicken pillows and rice.***

Bow Tie Chicken Pasta

This is a such a yummy summer salad. It's a great salad to serve at like a luncheon, reception, or shower. It does make a lot, so you can half it and be fine.

4 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1-2 cups grapes, cut in half
2 cups celery, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 1-lb pkg bow tie pasta
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 can cashews
16-oz bottle coleslaw dressing
1 cup mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together reserving lettuce and cashews until just before serving (they get soggy). Best if served cold. (I did the pasta and chicken the night before and then refrigerated it so it would be cold for the salad the next day).

My Big Fat Greek Dinner

So my hubby and I LOVE Greek food. We made souvlaki for the first time. The chicken and zucchini was awesome however; I've yet to find a Greek Yogurt Sauce that I like. (I like it thick.) So if anyone knows one please post. This recipe was easy and delish! One quick tip. Soak the skewers in water for 2 minutes before loading the kababs. It works well. :) Enjoy!


Chicken Souvlaki features the fresh-tasting combination of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil that is so prevalent in Greek cuisine. Serve it alongside a Greek salad of chunked tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek yogurt-based sauce flavored with lemon, garlic, and crisp cucumbers.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 skewers and about 1/4 cup tzatziki sauce)
Ingredients
SOUVLAKI:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray

TZATZIKI SAUCE:
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Preparation
To prepare souvlaki, combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

To prepare tzatziki sauce, combine cucumber, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 garlic clove, stirring well. Serve the tzatziki sauce with souvlaki.

Nutritional Information
Calories:
219 (19% from fat)
Fat:
4.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:
30.9g
Carbohydrate:
12.3g
Fiber:
2.4g
Cholesterol:
69mg
Iron:
1.4mg
Sodium:
705mg
Calcium:
161mg

I watched Rachael make these and it looked complicated what with the broiler being on and everything. There is a butcher shop called Snider's Meat Market down the street and everything there is wonderful, but they have these chili rellenos that are absolute cream cheese, fattening heaven. These are a GREAT vegetarian, low-fat version. The red onion makes the whole dish so sweet and yummy. I love it! The rice was also wonderful, but makes quite a bit. I did not want my oven on so I actually used the grill completely by myself :) and just charred the peppers. Then, when I filled the peppers and topped with cheese (which can be omitted if you want to cut even more calories because there is so much flavor), I actually put them in a 9x13 and just put the pan straight on the grill to melt the cheese. Enjoy!

Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Show: 30 Minute MealsEpisode: Craving Buster

• Level: Easy

• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups white rice
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 6 ears corn on the cob or 3 cups frozen corn kernels
• 3 tablespoons corn, peanut or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, eyeball it in your palm
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 pound spinach leaves, deveined and coarsely chopped
• 4 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 2 limes, zested, juiced
• 1 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese, Asadero or Monterey Jack

Directions

Preheat broiler or grill pan to high.

Heat about 3 1/2 cups stock in a sauce pot with a bay leaf to boiling. Add rice, cover pot reduce heat to low and simmer 18 minutes until tender.

Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char evenly all over, 15 minutes.

While peppers and rice are working, scrape the corn off the cobs or defrost frozen corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tablespoons light oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, fire roasted tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another minute or 2 then turn pan off.

Place the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, half a cup of stock and a tablespoon of oil in food processor and process into coarse green paste. Stir into your rice pot in the last 3 to 4 minutes of its cooking time.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with small sharp knife then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper with lots of the corn mix, top each pepper with 1/4 cup cheese and place back under broiler to melt and char the cheese.

Serve peppers on beds of green rice. Yum-o!

Chicken Mole

Ah yes - a challenge has been set before me, and no better time for it with all those babies out there coming soon. I don't know about you - but everyone I know is pregnant! I had a friend ask for freezer meal ideas and this one is one of my favorites. I used to really hate mole, but decided to try this and love it now.

Ingredients

3.5-4-lb. frying chicken, cut into serving pieces (I usually just through in frozen cooked chicken or slightly thaw 2 chicken breasts)
5 Tbs. olive oil, divided
4 Tbs. chili powder, divided
salt & cayenne to taste
2 onions, peeled & chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock
1-14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet wiht aluminum foil.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper twoels. Combine 3 Tbs. oil, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 Tbs. chili powder in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Mix well, and rub mixture on chicken. Arrange chicken on the prepared pan, skin side down.

Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then turn with tongs, and bake skin side up for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

While chicken baeks, make sauce. Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Stir in remaining chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add peanut butter, raisins, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Then turn to low and simmer sauce for 15 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and cayeene. Serve sauce on top of chicken.

Note: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Note: Can double recipe and freeze in heavy resealable plastic bags. (I often don't even need to double it to freeze it for my small family of 3)

Source: $3 Meals

Linguine and Quinoa Meatballs

Recent Costco purchases: 20 lb. bag of organic brown rice, 10 lb. bag of organic quinoa & 10 lbs. of organic whole wheat spaghetti. Must put all to use and here is one way I did.

Typically, meatballs are made with bread crumbs, but this adds quinoa instead to add more protein. I also revamped my spaghetti sauce from the Risotto Cakes recipe 2 more times! I put it in a food processor and added a little water. Then we had mini english muffin pizzas. Then instead of making this sauce, I just added a little more water and used my sauce. I am looking forward to trying this sauce, though, because I pretty much love anything with balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients

SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 large carrot, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1 28-oz. can tomatoes, chopped, with juices

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

MEATBALLS

3 Tbs canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 ½ cups cooked quinoa

½ cup finely grated Parmesan

1 egg

3 Tbs. fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. linguine

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

Preparation

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and red pepper flakes and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to keep warm.

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 425. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, partially covered, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, quinoa, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and cooled onions. Stir until a smooth, homogenous mixture has formed.

Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet in neat rows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned but still soft to the touch.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the linguine al dente. Serve the pasta with some meatballs and the sauce and top with a sprinkling of torn basil leaves.

Source: the 10 things you need to eat and more than 100 ways to prepare them

Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables

I know I am posting too many to keep up with, but we had this last night and I had to share. I WISH I had taken a picture, but I thought, I don't know if it will be any good. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I had to cook the risotto a lot longer than it said. I kept testing it and it wasn't soft yet. Then when I tried to make the cakes, they wouldn't really stay together, they just kind of fell apart. So I did my best and then I actually put them all together like a pie on a baking pan. Then I layered all the vegetables on top. Then topped with cheese so it looked like a pizza. And, in fact, that is exactly what I told my son it was. The marinara recipe I used was really good and because all the veggies were so sweet, the honey in it really complimented the dish. However, I'm sure it would be just as good with any sauce you choose. Enjoy! Oh, and I got it from the Canyon Ranch cookbook Nourish. All their recipes are found online here.

Ingredients
Risotto Cake:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Roasted Vegetables:
1 medium fresh zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup peeled and sliced eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 red bell pepper, cut in half

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix:
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add rice to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, and begin adding vegetable stock to pan 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is creamy. Allow rice to cool for 15-20 minutes.
2. Preheat griddle or electric skillet to 350°. For each cake, use 1/3 cup of risotto mix, form into a ball, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Spray griddle with canola oil spray, and place risotto cakes on griddle until crisp on each side. Place each cake on a baking sheet after grilling.
3. Combine all ingredients for Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix together.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread vegetables out on a separate baking sheet. Lightly spray with canola oil spray and dust the vegetables evenly with 1 teaspoon Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Peel skin off red pepper and slice into strips.
5. Evenly divide roasted vegetable mix over each of the 4 risotto cakes. Top each cake with 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Dust each cake with a pinch of remaining Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix and bake at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
6. Ladle 1/4 cup of Marinara Sauce on a plate and top with one Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables.

Serving Information
Makes 4 servings, each containing approximately:
295 calories
47 gm. carbohydrate
7 gm. fat
18 mg. cholesterol
13 gm. protein
705 mg. sodium
6 gm. fiber

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 T EVOO
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1 1/2 t dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 lbs tomatoes, chopped (I just used canned whole peeled tomatoes and chopped them myself)
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and brown slightly. Add the dried basil, dried oregano, thyme, and pepper and saute briefly.

Add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, or until thickened.

Stir in the honey and salt. (If you want a smooth sauce, puree with an immersion blender and strain the mixture through a large-mesh sieve. I just left it chunky.) Add the fresh basil and fresh oregano and simmer for 5 minutes.

Hoisin Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I finally used the grill almost by myself last night. Doug had to go help someone move about 15 minutes after he got home so he had me turn the grill on before he got home. I have seen him do it, but I am one of those people who has to do it myself to remember. This expands my food repertoire so much now!

Weston loved this meal and is a hard person to get to eat meat, but he just kept saying "mmm, mnmm, I like it!" I took the skin off my pieces of chicken & you really could not tell the difference. So if you want to save a few calories and clogging arteries and cut the skin off, go for it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat)
• Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

For the Salad:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Prepare the chicken: Preheat a grill to medium on one side. Combine the hoisin sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a mini food processor or blender; process until almost smooth. Season the chicken with salt; toss with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl.

Make the salad: Bring the vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup ice cubes until melted. Toss the cucumber and red onion in a serving bowl with the vinegar mixture; place in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer to the cooler side of the grill; cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve with the cucumber salad and lime wedges.

Per serving: Calories 375; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 107 mg; Sodium 1,906 mg; Carbohydrate 30 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 32 g

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomato

I saw Giada make this on her show and remembered it. I have actually never made meatloaf and never liked it growing up so I wasn't hesitant to try it, but it will be in my rotation for sure. It also was so super easy to make. I only had to buy feta to make it because I keep a big jar of sun-dried tomatoes in my fridge.

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

Shredded Salad with Chicken & Peanut Sauce over Rice Noodles

I check the foodbuzz recipes every so often when I haven't found anything new to try and had been wanting to try this recipe. This took a long time to make just with the chopping, etc. My advice is to do whatever you can throughout the day or ahead of time. But it was sooooo good, I cannot even tell you. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and only 2 of the peppers. It was still spicy, but not too spicy for me. I picked out the peppers after tossing it all together so someone wouldn't get one accidentally and heat rash their mouth. I also didn't add mint just because I didn't want to buy it and only use it for this recipe. I added quite a bit more water and did not even use close to all the peanut sauce.

To poach the chicken:
1 three-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and cut in half
10 cilantro stems
2 T toasted sesame oil
1/2 t salt
2 large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

-in a large saute pan, add ginger, garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, and salt and enough water to reach halfway up the side of the pan; bring to a boil over high heat; add the chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through; remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to handle
-transfer chicken to a cutting board; remove skin and cut meat from bone, cut meat into small strips or shred with your fingers

Prep vegetables and herbs:
1/2 head green cabbage (or savoy or napa), cored and thinly sliced
6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or julienned on slicer
3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced into long strips
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

-place all sliced and chopped vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl

Peanut Sauce:
1 five-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1/4 c fish sauce
1/2 c soy sauce
3/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
2 T water if needed

-in a large measuring pitcher, combine ginger, shallots, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice; whisk in peanut butter; whisk in sesame oil; if sauce is too thick, whisk in water starting with one tablespoon and adding more as needed

To finish salad:
1 pound rice vermicelli noodles
1/2 c roasted, unsalted peanuts for serving

-bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook noodles according to package instructions or until al dente; transfer to a colander to drain; rinse under cold water, drain, and place on a serving platter
-add prepared chicken to bowl of vegetables and herbs and toss to combine; pour half of the peanut sauce over this mixture and toss to coat; taste and add more peanut sauce as desired
-to serve, top noodles with chicken salad mixture, drizzle with some remaining peanut sauce, sprinkle with peanuts, and garnish with any extra herbs or green onions

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta

We made this last night and for some reason it just completely hit the spot. I served it with the Coconut Green Beans. The spinach tasted so good to me...so I will be remaking this tons as a way to get me to eat more spinach! I actually checked the Cooking Light Cookbook out from the library and this was in it. They mention, in the book, that you can also substitute chicken for the shrimp to be more cost effective.

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

A zesty one-pot pasta dish is complete after tossing with capers, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve with focaccia or crusty baguette.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby spinach

Preparation

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 397 (22% from fat)

Fat: 9.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 1.8g)

Protein: 31g

Carbohydrate: 44.9g

Fiber: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 172mg

Iron: 5.4mg

Sodium: 666mg

Calcium: 88mg

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

In case you can't tell, Mexican food is my favorite and also, in case you can't tell, I'm obsessed with trying new recipes. This one is on constant repeat because it makes fantastic leftovers, is cheap, and just plain delicious.
*Notes: The original recipe called to make them like this.

I found it too difficult to actually stuff the peppers so I make them like this:

Also, I cook the peppers a little before I stuff them, brushing with a little olive oil on both sides. Put as much cheese as you prefer and can be done with any ground meat.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

From Robin Miller

Ingredients

1 cup instant rice

1 tsp. olive oil

½ lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbs. Chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1-15 oz. can of Santa Fe Corn

1-15 oz. can of pink beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 large bell peppers, trimmed, seeded and cut in half, lengthwise

½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Coat baking dish with Pam. Cook rice.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook until not pink. Add seasons and cook for one more minute.

Add rice, corn, beans, sour cream & heat through.

Remove from heat and add cilantro.

Stuff peppers with beef mixture and arrange side by side in pan.

Top with cheese & bake until peppers are soft and cheese is golden and bubbly about 30 minutes.

Tacos

from Deceptively Delicious

I am one of those cheap, nerds who checks out cookbooks from the library and I have checked out the above-mentioned several times because there are just too many to try. They are pretty labor intensive, but they get easier and she says herself that she doesn't cook like this every night. So I thought I'd share one of my favorites.

Tacos

from Deceptively Delicious

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground sirloin or turkey

1 (14-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, with their juice

½ cup sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash puree

½ (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning, with no MSG

1 package taco shells (18 shells)

½ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella or Cheddar cheese

TOPPINGS

Tomatoes

Corn

Sour cream

Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced crosswise

½ small avocado

Red pepper, finely sliced.

Preparation

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the meat, breaking it up with a spoon. Brown for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, vegetable puree, and seasoning mix. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is no longer pink and the mixture begins to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Fill the taco shells with the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Stand the shells in a baking dish and bake until the cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Add your favorite toppings.

(Sorry for the format - I received the most amazing gift from my sister for my birthday - an apron and a binder cookbook organizing many of my favorite recipes! & this is the format we used to type them up.)