Good Ole' Spaghetti and Meatballs

I saw this recipe being presented the other day on the Neely's show and was immediately intrigued by it mainly because I love them, long time. A couple of things raised an eyebrow for me though. Truth be told internets, I can't be trusted around white bread. So, having a loaf of it in my kitchen to soak in whole milk (?!?!?) is not a good idea. However, I loved the idea of mixing boring ground turkey with yummy turkey sausage so I thought I would make a few small modifications to come up something slightly better for you. I also baked the meatballs as opposed to pan frying them. The result? Moist, delicious and tasting like beef heavy balls. The sister gives it a 10 (hahaha, her words, not mine).

Side note: This IS spicy so if you are a wimp, don't use the red pepper.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Serves 6

Ingredients for meatballs:

1/4-1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 egg

3/4lb lean ground turkey

1/2lb Italian turkey sausage, casing removed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 gloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

28oz crushed tomatoes or sauce (I used Pomi)

2 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook and drain spaghetti, toss with a bit of olive oil and set aside.

For the meatballs, combine all ingredients until well mixed. Using your hands or my favorite, an ice cream scooper, form meatballs and place on a tin foiled covered jelly roll pan (again, this is a pan that has slightly raised sides to prevent juices from spilling in your oven). Bake for 15-20 minutes until no longer pink.

As the meatballs are baking, prepare sauce. Heat olive oil in large saucepan and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add basil, salt and pepper.

Toss everything together and serve!

Pumpkin Whip

My hairdresser gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I have routinely made it every holiday season. It's easy, delish and can feed a crowd. I serve it with gingersnaps but it would make a great topping for pumpkin pie, angel food cake, gingerbread, plain coffee cake...really, anything. Just a couple of tips for this...if you like things super sweet, use regular cool whip. If you like it just mildly sweet, use the low fat variety. You can find pumpkin butter at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods if your local grocery store doesn't carry it.

Pumpkin Whip

Serves: A lot

Ingredients:

Brick of cream cheese (8oz) at room temperature

Tub of Cool Whip (let sit in the fridge to make soft)

8-9 oz of pumpkin butter

Directions:

Whip together pumpkin butter and cream cheese with handheld or stand mixer until combined. Fold in cool whip with spatula. Chill for about an hour and serve!

Chicken and Rice

This was a staple in our house growing up. The kids often talk about how we wish we could have it now but we weren't sure how super healthy it was. I also had a fear that if I healthed it up (I just made that up, did you like it?), I would lose the great taste. Turns out, I was wrong. The taste is still great and it is a great reminder of childhood. For this first time experiment, I used a rotisserie chicken that I de-skinned. If you want to save a little time, feel free to go that route and if not, just cook up 1.5lb of chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.

Side note: I did a little price comparison this weekend and discovered that if you shred your own Parmesan cheese, it is almost half the cost of buying it pre-shredded. Just cube it up and throw it in a food processor!

Chicken and Rice

Serves 8

1 rotisserie chicken, de-skinned and shredded

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the low fat, low sodium version)

4 cups dry brown rice

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Throw first 4 ingredients into a 9x13 cooking dish and mix around. Top with cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned and crunchy.

Seriously. That's it. You can make this faster then it takes take-out to arrive!

Chicken and Biscuits

This is a recipe that while healthy, I would have no problem sharing with Paula Dean. Now, Paula may throw a stick of butter on it but I promise, this does NOT taste healthy! Plus, it is an all-in-one meal....protein, veggie and carb. Yum! The sister doesn't love this as much as I do but I'd give this 5 stars!

Chicken and Biscuits

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1.5 cups sliced carrots

1 cup minced onion

1/2 cup water

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup (I use the low fat and low sodium)

1tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 cup+2 tbsp healthy heart Bisquick

1/4 cup skim milk

2 tbsp low-fat sour cream

1.5lbs frozen green beans

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, onion and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in chicken soup, 2 tsp parsley, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9x12 baking dish with cooking spray and layer frozen green beans on the bottom. Spread chicken mixture into dish.

In a medium bowl, combine Bisquick, remaining parsley, skim milk and sour cream. Drop batter by tablespoon over chicken mixture to form6 biscuits. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

You can tell it's obviously getting a little chilly here in sunny southern California (what?! 65 degrees IS chilly) because I keep busting out the soup recipes. This tortilla soup is a perfect solution if you don't feel like a heavy chili but are still craving something warm. Plus, this takes about 3 seconds to make and keeps very well. The sister gives this 5 stars.

Side note: This isn't super spicy so if you want some heat you can use hot diced green chilies or throw in some red pepper flakes. Also, the world is your oyster when it comes to toppings....green onions, cheese, avocados, sour cream, what have you.

Tortilla Soup

Serves 4-6, depending on your serving size

Ingredients:

1 cup diced red onion

1.25 lbs ground lean turkey breast

4 cups chicken stock (I use lower sodium)

1 tsp mined garlic

1 (4oz) can diced mild green chiles

3/4 cup tomato puree

Directions:

In a large pot over medium-high heat sprayed with cooking spray, add onions and ground turkey. As turkey browns, move mixture around to break the turkey into very small pieces.

Once turkey is just cooked through, add chicken stock, garlic, chiles and tomato puree.Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Yummy in the Tummy Tomato Soup

Excuse the lack of picture on this one but I was WAY more concerned about attacking this soup then I was with taking pictures. Next time I make it, I will throw a picture up.



ANYWHO...I was on a mission last week to find a delish creamy tomato soup because 1. I needed comfort food and 2. I had been having mad, mad cravings for the tomato soup from Le Madeline's. Sadly, Le Madeline does not exist in the great state of California so I needed to make my own. Small challenge of making tomato soup in the fall/winter? No fresh tomatoes. And no, don't bring up those gross hot house tomatoes to me. BLAH. So, I needed to find one that used canned tomatoes. Thanks to my online food bible, I was able to find a recipe I could make some slight moderations with to make a beyond delish dish. I sort of hesitate to call this a "naughty but delish" recipe but I'm making the call since the heavy cream sends it in to that category. The sister gives this a 5 star. Do yourself a favor and double this. Yes, it IS that good.

Side note: I, like most 20-somethings, do not own a hand immersion blender. So, I just used a regular blender. Caution ahead...use your head and blend HOT ingredients in small batches. Only fill the blender up 1/3 third full so you don't end up burning your body parts off.

Tomato Soup
4 servings

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1/8-1/4th cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream. Remove the bay leaf. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

Gyros

"That's ok, that's ok, I make you lamb" (Bonus points if you can name that movie). This recipe is also very easy to make and taste like heaven. Don't be shocked at the small serving size...the meat in this IS a bit fatty but it is also very filling. Throw some veggies into the pita and I promise you'll be full! Sister gives this 4 stars, I'd give it 4.5.

Side note: I basically shape these loaves into really large burger patties. Just be careful to make the thickness consistent throughout the patty so that it cooks evenly. Recipe for sauce to follow.

Gyros with Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients for Loaves:

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

6oz ground sirloin

6oz ground lamb (you can also use ground pork as lamb may be hard to find)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 pocketless pitas

Directions:

Preheat broiler

To prepare loaves, combine first 8 ingredients. Divide mixture in half, forming each to a large burger patty. Place loaves onto a tin foil covered jelly roll pan (a pan that has sides, basically). Broil 7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in middle.

Sprinkle loaves with red pepper flakes, Cut each loaf into 1/8 inch slices. Place loaf slice into pita, top with veggies and sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup peeled shredded cucumber

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1/2 tsp garlic powder

12 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/8tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 (8oz) carton plain fat free yogurt

Combine and serve

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

This is easy, easy, easy. I added a layer of spinach into the original recipe because, you know, veggies are good for you. It's easy to omit the spinach so don't feel like you MUST have it. Also, I use mainly brown rice pasta but again, you can use whatever you damn well please. The sister gives this 5 stars!

Side note: Squeezing the sausage out of the casing is nasty. But you'll get over it, I promise!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

Serves 8 very hearty portions

Ingredients:

1lb bag uncooked brown rice spiral noodles

1 pack lean hot turkey Italian sausage (again, the Jenni-O package has about 1.25 lbs)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 (14.5oz) cans petite-diced tomatoes (I use no-salt added)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 oz freshly grated skim mozzarella cheese

4oz grated fresh parmesan

1 bag fresh spinach

salt

pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta, drain and set aside

Remove the casing from the sausage (can can either cut it if you have a VERY sharp knife or you can squeeze it out). Cook the sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper and basil and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta and sausage mixture. Coat a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray and then lay spinach out on the bottom, Place half of the pasta mixture and top with half of the mozzarella and the parmesan. Repeat layers and bake at 350 for 25 or until bubbly.

Turkey Strokmeoff

I like to come up with dirty names. This is another one those mid-western, stick to your ribs kinda meal. This is also EXTREMELY easy to make and can be made as healthy or "unhealthy" as you want. You can serve over rice, pasta, biscuits or really anything. The sister gives it 4.5 stars.

Turkey Strokemeoff

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pack lean ground turkey (I think its 1.25 lbs)

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 pack of mushrooms

1/2 cup of low fat sour cream

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

red pepper flakes

salt

pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook turkey and mushrooms until turkey is no longer pink. Season meat with red pepper, salt and pepper. Add in soup and parmesan and simmer for 10 minutes. Lastly, add in the sour cream and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

This recipe is a Paula Dean special. I made the pumpkin version of it for Thanksgiving last year and it was a HUGE hit. This taste like a very dense brownie...it is to die for.

Side note: This a tricky one to bake because the middle SHOULD be gooey. My rule is, once it appears to be baked on the outside and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, you are good to go. In our gas oven it took about 36 minutes.

Double Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Serves a whole hell of a lot of people

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing pan, plus 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.

Bake for 35 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

Lou McKee's Weenies

Best.Story.Ever. This recipe originally came from our Grandpa McKay's ex-girlfriend..previous to our grandmother. He apparently liked to go over to Lou's house when she made these. He liked them so much that when he married our grandmother, he asked her to make these throughout their 50 plus year marriage. Grandma was quite the trooper...she didn't even change the name. This was way back even before World War II so this is an oldie but a goodie. You can make these as healthy or unhealthy as you like...use turkey dogs, all beef dogs, real cheese, white bread, wheat bread, what have you. (For the record, I used low fat turkey dogs, 2% cheese and weight watchers wheat bread) Do yourself a favor..use the Kraft singles. Yes, they are plastic but they are delish on this. We are fans of dipping these into dijon mustard, ketchup and/or horseradish. The whole family gives these 5 stars.

Side Note: I served these along side a nice spinach salad with cranberries, crumbled bacon and toasted pine nuts all topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. YUM!

Lou McKee's Weenies

Ingredients:

Hot Dogs
Sliced Bread
Kraft Cheese singles
Toothpicks
(yeah, that's it, seriously)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On each slice of bread, place a cheese single. Lay a hot dog on the diagonal. Simply roll the upper left hand corner and the lower right hand corner together and secure with a toothpick.

Bake until cheese is melted and bread is toasted...about 10 minutes.

White Chicken Enchiladas

This is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. And one of my personal favorites. This to me doesn't taste healthy at all...which is awesome! If you are watching what you eat (what a weird saying that is) make sure you keep this to two enchiladas/serving. The meal packs a bigger amount of calories then some of the other things I post. But have no fear, two enchiladas is very filling. The sister and I both give it 5 stars.

Side note: The original recipe calls for fat free sour cream and cheese...which I find I gross so I use low-fat.

White Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 white or yellow corn tortillas (6 inches)
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup plus 1 tbsp fat free milk, divided
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced fat and reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
1 cup low fat sour cream
1 4oz can minced jalapenos
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, green onions and 1 tbsp milk. Stir in chicken.

In another bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, jalapenos and remaining milk. Stir 2 tbsp soup mixture into chicken mixture. Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down into a 13x9 inch baking dish spray with non-stick spray. Once all tortillas are in the dish, spread the remainder of the soup mixture on the top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Meat Loaf, Eat Loaf, I Don't Want to Eat Loaf

Remember when you were little and your mom made meat loaf and you hated it? And sometimes there was an egg in the middle of it (ps, wtf was that?!)? Yeah, this isn't that recipe. Think of all the yummyness of a hot wing (dressing included) and then imagine it coming out of a pan in a loaf. That is pretty much what this taste like. It.Is.So.Good. The sister gives it 4.75 and I'd give it 5.

Side notes: As I have mentioned before, ground white chicken meat is HARD to find. Ground turkey works great. Also, I have found the cooking time on this really varies for some reason. For a single loaf, it is between 30 and 40 minutes so keep an eye on it!

Buffalo-Blue Cheese Meat Loaf

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup skim milk

2.5 tbsp buffalo wing sauce (add some more if you like it super spicy, I use Franks Red Hot)

1lb ground chicken or ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup low fat blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9x5x3 nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine the oats and milk in a medium bowl and stir to mix. Let stand for 3 minutes or until oats begin to soften. Stir in wing sauce until well mixed. Add the chicken, celery, carrot, onion, egg whites and salt. With a fork or clean hands, mix the ingredients well. Add the blue cheese and gently mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread so that the top is flat. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (again, keep an eye on it) until completely cooked through and meat is no longer pink. Cut into 8 slices and serve!

SW Chili

When I first saw this recipe I was a little leery because it had some random ingredients...mainly the envelope of ranch dip mix and some weird suggestion of soy crumbles. I made a few adjustments (yeah, we don't do soy in my family, YUCK. Plus, I'm allergic) and out came this very hearty soup. There isn't a ton of liquid in this which I love. Feel free to top with whatever...sour cream, cheese, green onions, etc. This isn't an especially spicy chili so if you like a bit more kick, add some red pepper or jalapeno. The sister gives this 5 stars!

Side note: Freezes like a dream

Southwest Chili
Makes 12 servings


Ingredients:

1 small pack of ground beef (I use 4% fat)
16oz package of frozen sweet corn
Two 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
One 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
Four 14.5oz cans no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning mix (I use the reduced salt)
1 envelope ranch dip/dressing mix
1/2 cup minced onions
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown meat and onions in bottom of large pot. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Once meat is no longer pink, dump everything else into pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Yep, that's it. Aren't I easy? (That's what she said)

Chicken Orzo Salad with MY FAVORITE

Little known secret outside of my family and fellow blogger...I love goat cheese more then life itself. On a cracker, on some bread, on a burger, on some chicken, thrown in a salad..doesn't matter. If I see it on a menu, I order. I saw a version of this recipe in Cooking Light and made a few tweaks because their version was BORING. I serve this on a bed of fresh spinach but you could really do it on any kind of lettuce leaf. You can serve this warm or cold. The sister gives this 4.5 stars...I'd give it 5.

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1.25 cups uncooked orzo
3/4lb grilled chicken, cut into bite size chunks
4-6 cups fresh spinach
1.5 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
Balsamic Vinegar
EVOO
salt
pepper
1.5oz goat cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain well

Combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl and toss to combine

In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar and EVOO. The amount of really depends on how much "dressing" you want. Just eyeball...remember you can always add but you can never take away.

Drizzle dressing over pasta and toss well. Spoon over spinach and top with crumbled cheese.

Oriental (is that PC?) Pasta

In case you've been wondering, I like pasta. A lot. And I think pasta is the perfect lesson in moderation. Yes, you can eat pasta and have it be healthy. On average, the recipes I have on here have 2 ounces of pasta/serving. That's not a lot. But damn does it taste good. Once again we are shown that you do not have to avoid most foods when you are countin' your calories. Just don't have a box of pasta to yourself if you are concerned about watching your weight. CARBS ARE NOT THE DEVIL.

This recipe originally called for cooked turkey breast. We tried it and while it was ok, it was salty as hell. I would recommend chicken breast or even some steak...yum! Also, I like a lot of veggies. I pretty much doubled this when I made it but I realize not everyone may be as veggie crazy as me! The sister gave this 4.25 stars.

Oriental Pasta
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Oriental Dressing (recipe to follow)
8oz cooked meat (whatever you decide here)
4 oz carrots, julienned
4 oz asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz fresh spinach, chopped
8oz whole wheat thin spaghetti

Directions:

Combine all veggies and meat into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until warmed up. Toss over pasta and top of with dressing. Toss gently to coat and you are done! (Hi, I'm easy. No excuses not to make this one, even on a late night)

Oriental Dressing
yields 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/4cup low salt soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix all together and whisk until combined!

Calzones

I can say without hesitation that these are some of the best things I make. Yeah, that's my cook ego talking but seriously. The family practically jumps up and down when they see me buying the ingredients for these. You can make them with ANYTHING...your only limit is your imagination. For this post I used the original Greek recipe but you can make them cheeseburger delight style (ground beef, onions and cheddar), Mexican style (ground meat, tomatoes, jalapenos and Mexican blend cheese) or really anything. Take your favorite pizza topping and simply throw it into this heavenly dough balls. The sister gives it 5 stars and the brother gives it 10, ha!

Greek Calzones
Serves 4

Ingredients:

½ package of lean ground beef (can also use ground turkey)
½ container low fat feta cheese
½ container of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 roll pizza dough (by the refrigerated biscuits)
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic
Greek Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Brown meat and onions, seasoned with Greek seasoning and garlic. Once cooked, add in cheese and tomatoes and toss.

Unroll pizza dough and cut into four equal (as you can get it) rectangles and place on a cookie sheet. Using a slotted spoon, place a ¼ to ½ cup of meat into middle of each rectangle. Gather 4 corners of each rectangle and gather at the top, pinching together sides to seal the meat in.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown on top and bottom.

South of the Border Delight-Shrimp Tacos

I can't believe I have yet to post a Mexican recipe yet. I'm high on Mexican food. Way high. These tacos are a new recipe and for the first run through they turned out pretty well. My biggest mistake? Not going to the seafood market for the shrimp. The shrimp found at Ralphs was tasteless. Poop on you Ralph's. You won't grind chicken breasts for me and you have crappy seafood. Anyhow, lesson learned. Take your lazy ass to a nice seafood place to buy the shrimp.

Side note: Feel free to top with sour cream, salsa, guac, what have you

Garlic Shrimp and Mushroom Tacos
Serves 4 (two tacos each)

Ingredients:

1lb shrimp
1tbsp chopped garlic
SW Seasoning (I use Mrs Dash, salt free)
1 carton mushrooms
2 tbsp lime juice
8 yellow corn tortillas
Tenna's coleslaw (recipe to follow)

Directions:

In a medium skillet (sprayed with cooking spray), add shrimp, mushrooms, garlic and Mexican seasoning. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Serve with coleslaw and warm tortillas.

Tennas Coleslaw
4 VERY large servings

Ingredients:

1 bag coleslaw mix
EVOO
Salt
Pepper

Dump coleslaw mix in bowl and slowly add in EVOO (it will probably take about 1/8-1/4 cup...I never measure this). Add salt and pepper to taste. This is SO simple and good. Trust me on this. Plus, cabbage is good for you.

Your Italian Grandmother Might Be Rolling Over in Her Grave

I'll be up front with you internets. This is not going to taste like your Italian mama used to make. Or like the piping dish from your favorite Italian restaurant. But, it's a pretty good substitute. If you are an Italian foodie purist, I take no responsibility. To you others, it's good, I promise. I serve over spinach but you could also do some wheat or brown rice pasta.

Side note: Welcome to my introduction of Pomi tomato sauce. Found in a box. Imported from Italy. Not even 1/4 as expensive as it sounds. Available in your local g-store. SO GOOD! Taste like homemade! GO FIND SOME.

Chicken Parmesan
Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 thin chicken breasts (you can buy them like this or just pound them yourself)
2 egg whites
1.5 cups Panko bread crumbs (I probably should make a Panko label)
1-2 cups skim mozzarella (depending on how cheesy you like it)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 box Pomi Tomato Sauce
1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (depending on how basil-ie you like it)
salt
pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray.

Place egg whites in shallow bowl and bread crumbs on a plate. Give each breast an egg white wash and dip each side into the bread crumbs, making sure to coat completely. Place into pan. Repeat with remaining breasts and dust all with salt and pepper.

Pour tomato sauce over the breasts. Sprinkle both cheeses and basil over the sauce.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and chicken is cooked through.

Super Easy Turkey Club Pie

This is straight out of old school Pittsburgh. Which means I took a very fatty recipe, made some replacements and out came a totally tasty treat (that won't pop the button off your jeans). Unless you REALLY hate real bacon, don't try to substitute with turkey bacon. This only uses 8 slices. Spread over 6 servings. That's 1.33 slices/serving. Stop being weird. It won't kill you. The sister gives this 5 stars.

Super Easy Turkey Club Pie
Serves 6 (if you double, just use a 9x13 pan, works fine)

Ingredients:

1 pack lean ground turkey
8 slices bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Cook turkey in pan until no longer pink. Once cooked, sprinkle the turkey, bacon and cheese in pie plate.

In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Naughy but Delish

My sister made these mac and cheese bites for our very successful game night this past Saturday. They.Are.So.Good. These aren't good for you. Don't try to make them good for you. Enjoy them as an occasional treat and hit the gym the next day. They are worth every bite.

Mac and Cheese Bites
makes about 50 (recipe is very easily halved)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1.5 cups milk
3 packed cups sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 extra large egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 24-count, nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about 2 -3 minutes until thickened. Add cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and stir to melt. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks, salt and nutmeg. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of macaroni and cheese into the prepared mini muffin pan. Each cup should be filled to the top. Pack each one down gently. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a teaspoon, carefully loosen the mac and cheese bites and transfer to a platter to serve.

To make ahead, bake and cool mac and cheese bites. Package and refrigerate. Place bites on a baking sheet and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Hummus Among Us

Hummus is a great, satisfying and good for you snack/condiment. This recipe was discovered after I obsessively was trying to re-create the hummus from one of my favorite restaurants in DC (which also has the BEST pomegranate martini's EVER but I digress). After trying a bunch of recipes out I could not get it right. I finally got it through my noggin that the restaurant style hummus tastes so good because it has a Costco sized vat of olive oil in it. (Also on another note, I'm tired of typing out olive oil so not to get all Rachel Ray on you but it will now be known as EVOO) While EVOO is fantastic for you, twenty cups of it sort of defeats the purpose. This is just about as close as I can get to the "real deal" and frankly, the pita chips make it that much better. The pita chips also go really well with cottage cheese. The sister gave the hummus 4 stars and the pita chips 5.





Plus yeah, I took a picture of this one!



Hummus
3.5 cups

*side note: if you are using a mini food processor, cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

2(15.5oz) cans no salt added chickpeas/garbanzo beans, RINSED (don't skip this) and drained
2 garlic gloves, crushed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp EVOO
salt
pepper

Directions:

Place beans and garlic in food processor and pulse until chopped

Add remaining ingredients and pulse into smooth

Pita Chips
Yields about 48 chips

Ingredients:

6 whole pitas (I use a brand called the Alternative Pita...tastes great and is 110 calories)
Spray Butter or EVOO
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes or Salt Free Southwest Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Slice each pita like you would a pie, into 8 triangles each. Lay them evenly on one or two tin foiled and pam sprayed cookie sheets. Spray or brush each pita triangle with the butter or evoo and then sprinkle all with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes/sw seasoning.

Bake chips for 10-15 minutes depending on your preference of crispiness

Chips store great in a sealed plastic bag!

Mushroom Lasagna

When I saw this recipe I thought to myself "no meat, no go". I likes my meat. But then I saw the amount of cheese and thought I would give it a shot. You don't miss the meat. At all. This is cheesy and yummy and tastes really naughty for you. And yet, its not! This also freezes very well. The sister gave this 4.5 stars. I'd probably give it a 5.


Mushroom Lasagna
10-12 Servings

Ingredients:

¾ lb uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
1 bag fresh spinach

For the Mushroom Tomato Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ lb mushrooms
½ tsp salt
Cracked pepper
2 cups tomato sauce (any kind would work here)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ to ½ cup roughly chopped basil leaves

For the Herbed Ricotta Cheese:
1lb ricotta (I used the low fat/skim one)
Mixed herbs (you can use whatever, I did parsley and oregano)
Salt and pepper to taste

½ lb part-skim fresh mozzarella, grated

Directions:

Preheat over to 350

Cook noodles until al dente and then drain well

Meanwhile prepare mushroom tomato sauce: place olive oil and mushrooms in large pan over high heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often for 5-7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and red pepper and simmer for 10 minutes; add basil and simmer 5 minutes more.

Prepare herbed ricotta cheese:

Place cheese in small mixing bowl and add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

In a 9x13 baking dish, pour just enough sauce to cover bottom. Add uncooked spinach. Begin layering noodles, then herbed ricotta, then mozzarella and finally, sauce. I did about two layers and that came out really well! Bake for an hour or until lasagna is brown and bubbly.

Italian Sausage Potato Salad Supper

Yes, you read that correct. I said potato salad. This is SO good. This isn't a meal that is visually pleasing so brace yourself. The original recipe called for 3 lbs of potatoes but that seemed like a LOT. The amount I listed below still provides a very hearty amount of salad. The sister gave this 3.75 stars but prefaced that by describing herself as a potato salad snob. Heathlier versions don't cut it for her.


Italian Sausage Potato Salad Supper
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2.25 lbs Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine
salt
black pepper
1 tbsp minced chives
1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tbsp water
3/4 lb low-fat Italian sausage (I just did a sausage/serving)
16 cups salad greens, washed and dried

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Over high heat, bring to a boil, immediately reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just done, 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Prepare dressing by whisking together vinegar, dijon mustard, white wine, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

When potatoes are cooked through, drain and cool slightly. While potatoes are still warm, peel and cut into 1/2 thick slices. Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper, chives and parsley. Add dressing and mix well.

Place water and sausage in a small non-stick pan set over medium heat. Cover and cook until sausages are firm to the touch and cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Let sausages rest 5 minutes,then cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Combine salad greens and dressed potatoes and toss until all greens are well coated. Dish out servings and toss with sausage!

The Best Burgers EVER

Brace yourself for I am about to make an announcement that may shock you. These burgers don't need cheese. Yes, yes I know. The queen of cheese said she didn't even miss the cheese. But seriously, they are that good. On a side note, ground white meat chicken is HARD to find. And regular ground chicken is just as "bad" as ground beef. But ground turkey works just as well! Sister gave then 5 stars!!!!

Best Burgers
4 servings

Ingredients:

1pound ground white meat chicken or ground lean (NOT extra lean) turkey
2 cups bread crumbs (I use Panko. Yes, I'm obsessed)
1/2 cup low fat milk
3 tbsp grated or minced sweet onion
1/4 cayenne pepper
salt
pepper

Directions:

Place chicken in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1/2 cup bread crumbs, milk, onion, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Mixture will be wet so don't freak out...just prepare for an ick factor when you start to form into patties. Place remaining bread crumbs on a dinner plate. Divide chicken mixture into four even patties. Coat each side with bread crumbs. Either in a skillet or a George Forman (my preferred choice) "fry" patties over medium heat until golden and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side).

Crispy Chicken Fingers w/ Dippin' Sauce

If you squint a bit and use just a tiny bit of imagination, these taste like chicken mcnuggets. And the sauce doesn't hurt. The sister gives it 4.75 (out of 5) stars.

Crispy Chicken Fingers w/Dippin' Sauce
Serves 4

1.25 lbs of chicken tenderloins(if you can't find those, cut 1/2 inch slices from chicken breasts)
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
4 cups whole grain corn cereal (I used corn chex)
salt
pepper
sauce (to follow)

Preheat over to 400 degrees

Combine the chicken and buttermilk ina shallow dish,turn the chicken to coat it with the buttermilk. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Put the cereal in a seal-able plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish and season them with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Leave the chicken on the baking sheet to cool slightly, as it will become crispier.

I'm thinking you could also make this spicy by adding some red pepper flakes to the cereal mixture.

Honey-Mustard Sauce
makes about 2/3 cup

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dijon mustard
2 tsp mayo
2 tbsp honey

Combine mustard and mayo until smooth. Add honey and chow down!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon

Filet, you say? The topping for this is so good I was eating the little bits that fell onto the baking sheet when it came out of the oven. Yes, I have no shame. I will also confess that upon seeing the amount of topping in the bowl, I increased it by a bit. The amounts below are from the orginal recipe so feel free to behave. The sister gave this 4.5 stars, I'd give it 5!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles (I used reduced fat)
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 4-oz filet mignon steaks
ground black pepper
salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (don't skip this part or turn all conservationist on me. This gets messy)

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, blue cheese and olive oil

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Season each filet with salt and pepper and cook two minutes per side

Top each steak with 1/4 cup of the blue cheese mixture. Roast in pre-heated oven for 4 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees) or 6 minutes for medium (160). If you want it more cooked then that, you shouldn't be eating steak.

On a side note, the cuts of filet I got were VERY thick so they took a bit longer to cook. I probably should have cut them in half length wise!

Spaghetti Bolognese, YUM!

Because my brother is obsessed with Spaghetti Bolognese and the fully loaded version is well...loaded with fat and calories, I kept my eye out for a healthier version. I was delighted by this Sandra Lee version and with a few modifications (frozen chopped onions Sandra? Seriously? How lazy can you be?) made it this past Sunday. Haven't heard back from the brother yet but the sister described it as "tasting not like diet food" (a huge compliment from her) and gave it 4.25(out of 5) stars.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Makes 8 large servings

Ingredients:

1 box spaghetti (I used organic whole wheat)
1 carton mushrooms
1.25 lbs ground turkey breast (I used lean, not extra lean)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 jar (25.5 ounce) pasta sauce
1 cup Merlot
1 cup chicken broth (I use the low sodium version)
1/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese(for topping)

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain return to pot and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking

In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil, add the ground turkey, onions and garlic and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add the pasta sauce, wine and chicken broth to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in evaporated milk.

Toss with pasta, top with Parmesan cheese if desired and serve!

Easy Sausage Strata

A staple in the "R" household when we visit Pittsburgh.  Healthy substitutions might include turkey sausage, a blend of egg whites with real eggs, and low-fat cheese of course.  I made it with skim milk too no problem.  Baked up just fine in a 13x9 dish too.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Sausage-Strata/Detail.aspx

SUBMITTED BY: LISAJANI  PHOTO BY: Tricia Jaeger 

"This strata is really easy to make. Put it together the day before, then just remove from the refrigerator and bake. Ham or bacon can be substituted for the sausage. Sometimes I add cooked chopped broccoli for a change of pace."

SERVINGS

  8

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 6 (1 ounce) slices bread, cubed
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
2. Layer bread cubes, sausage, and Cheddar cheese in a lightly greased 7x11 inch baking dish. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and mustard. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cube mixture. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Thighs Braised in White Wine

http://www.marthastewart.com/chicken-thighs-braised-in-white-wine?autonomy_kw=chicken%20thighs&rsc=header_2

I didn't have any lemons on hand. I did have lemon juice and it worked really well. I also used boneless thighs no problem. Yum!

From:

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid, arrange thighs, bone side up; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, wine, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, 30 minutes.
2. Turn chicken over. Place a lemon slice on each piece; cover and continue simmering until tender, about 15 minutes. Leaving garlic and liquid in skillet, transfer chicken and lemon slices to a platter. Cover tightly with foil to keep warm.
3. Bring liquid in skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter, parsley, and lemon juice; stir until butter has softened and sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce and, if desired, rice.

Spaghetti Pie

I should preface this very first recipe with a bit on how I cook. Most everything I create are good, hardy meals that are not going to kill your waistline. However, I don't use a lot of fat free products mainly because they are usually full of sugar or salt and lack flavor. I should also forewarn our audience out there that I use A LOT of onions in most everything I cook. Onions are awesome, pack lots of flavor and compliment a variety of dishes. However, if you are an onion hater, of course feel free to omit or use something else.

I also cook a lot by sight and taste as opposed to formally measuring everything out so don't be surprised if I don't give specific measurements. All these recipes are SO easy that it is not difficult to figure out how much to use of what. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Spaghetti Pie
Makes 10 large servings or 12-14 smaller servings

Ingredients:

2 packs 4% fat ground turkey
1 red onion
minced garlic
1 pack of mushrooms
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I usually try to find one that is organic and lower in sugar)
pack of brown rice spaghetti
1 large carton baby spinach
2 cartons low fat ricotta*
1 cup low fat shredded mozzarella
1/2-3/4 cup of egg substitute
1/2 cup REAL Parmesan (that stuff in the shaker is gross)
*if you don't care for ricotta, you can also use low fat cottage cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta. But be careful! Brown rice pasta goes from not cooked to al dente VERY quickly so keep a close eye on it. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water so it is easier to handle. Flip spaghetti in colander several times to get rid of as much excess water as possible. Once the noodles are dry, line them along the bottom of a large casserole dish which has been sprayed with Pam.

Meanwhile, saute chopped onion (I use a mini-food processor here as it makes life about 1.000 times EASIER. Plus they are only about $35!) and garlic in large pan. Add in turkey meat and brown...but just until it isn't pink. Dried out turkey is gross. Add in sauce and mushrooms and heat through.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and egg substitute.

Spread all baby spinach on top of the spaghetti "crust". On top of the spinach, spread the cheese combination. Top with meat and sauce combination and finally, top with a light dusting of Parmesan. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Once it is warm and bubbly, you are ready to chow down!

The First REAL Post :)

Welcome to our digital cookbook! Angel and I keep talking about doing this and it is finally happening. In this blog you will find a collection of moderately healthy recipes. Could they be healthier? Sure. But they promise to be chock full of flavor, mostly good for you and all easy to create. Most of the recipes can be modified how you see fit...whether that means going non-fat or full fat, adding in more veggies, taking away spices, etc. I've seen most of these recipes in a cookbook and modified them to fit my tastes and needs. The recipes I post will all be for 8 servings so feel free to half or double as you see fit. Please let us know your experiences with the recipes...we would love the feedback!