Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

When it is single digits outside on a Saturday, what better to make then a hot and hearty soup.  This soup made my house smell delicious for hours and tastes as good as it smelled!  With the use of whole wheat orzo as the Pinterest post suggests, this soup is a healthy lunch or dinner choice.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 tbsp olive oil
     1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
     1 cup diced carrots
     1 cup diced celery
     1.5 tsp minced garlic
     6 cups chicken or veggie stock, which ever you prefer
     1 (14 oz) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
     1.5 cups whole wheat orzo pasta
     1/2 tsp dried thyme
     1 tsp dried oregano
     1/2 tsp dried basil
     4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
     Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large stock pan (dutch oven) over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft.  Add carrots, celery, and garlic; saute for 3 more minutes.  Add stock, tomatoes, orzo pasta, thyme, oregano, basil, and stir to combine.  Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (making sure orzo isn't sticking to the bottom), until the orzo is al dente.
    Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted.  Season with salt and pepper as needed and enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo - Skinny Girl Style

When I was younger chicken alfredo was my favorite pasta dish; I ordered it every time I went to an Italian resturaunt.  I would eat the entire bowl or plate with a thought of how bad that heavy creamed bowl of deliciousness was for me.  That was until one day I was at the Italian Oven, an Italian resturaunt in my home town with some friends and the one girl was a hardcore athelete and healthy and when I ordered my usual plate of goodness, she was sure to tell me 'You know that is a heart attack on a plate'.  Every since that day, when I did order chicken alfredo, I do so only hearing those words echo in my head......until I would this recipe on Pinterest, from iowagirleats.com and tweaked it a but more to make it even healthier.  This healthy verison of alfredo is a God sent!  It uses my new favorite cooking ingredient - Greek yogurt!  To make this health version of an old classic, you will need the following:

     1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped and cooked, seasoned with salt/pepper or 

         my favorite seasoning Crazy Janes 

     2 cups of cooked broccoli

     8 ounces of whole wheat rotini

     2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

     2 tsps minced garlic

     2 tbsp of flour

     1 cup chicken broth 

     1/4 cup skim milk

     1/4 cup of fat free plain greek yogurt 

     3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

     Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining; set aside.

     Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring consistently until golden brown, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle in theflour then whisk to mix it in and cool for an additional minute.  

    Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then the milk.  Then add greek yogurt, salt, and pepper, whisking it all together.  Then turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  

     Turn off the heat and the stir in the parmesan cheese, then the chicken and pasta.  Finally add the broccoli and stir to mix.  Sprinkle a little cheese on top of each serving and enjoy!

Three Cheese Penne Pasta

When you think of pasta and cheese, you rarely think of a dish that is healthy for you.  However with a couple of simple changes, you can turn it into a healthy, low calorie dish!  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
     1/2 tsp minced garlic
     24 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce
     12 oz of penne pasta (whole wheat or regular, your choice)
     1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
     1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
     2 cups of part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (I used the 6 cheese Italian Blend from Giant &
        calories are the same)
     1 tsp black pepper
     1 tbsp of fresh oregano (1 tsp dried)
     1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (1 tsp dried)
     1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (if you like to spice it up)

     Preheat the oven to 375.  Cook the pasta according to the directions to al dente, about 10  minutes.
     In a large skillet over medium heat, add a small amount of oil to the pan and cook the onion and garlic until tender, about 3 minutes.  Turn down the heat to medium-low.  Add the entire jar of pasta sauce to the onion and garlic, stir.
     In a medium size bowl combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and 1 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and all the spices. 
     In a 9x13 pan, add 1/2 the pasta mixture to the pan.  Then spread all the cheese mixture evenly on top of the pasta.  Next layer with the remaining pasta.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the shredded cheese.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and then enjoy! 
1cup=198 calories! 

Japanesse Zucchini and Onions

Yes this is another zucchini recipe.  I think I have a mild obsession, but it is just so good and so versitile.  You can prepare it a million different ways and it goes with everything.  I am always looking for new veggie recipes as sides with Asian food instead of the old stand by of broccoli, so I was thrilled when I found this simple recipe on Pinterest.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 tbsp olive oil
     1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
     2 medium zucchinis, cut into thin strips
     2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
     1 tbsp soy sauce (I use low sodium to be healthier)
     1 tbsp toasted seasame seeds
     ground pepper

     Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in onions, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, and cook, stirring, for about one minute.  Stir in the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and seasame seeds.  Cook until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the ground pepper, and serve immediately.  Oh and enjoy!

Veggie and Cheese Orzo

This is a terrific summer side dish for BBQ chicken.  In addition, it is actually pretty health when prepared as stated, only 200 calories per serving, which I calculated was about a heaping cup.  I will say it was hard to find whole wheat orzo, even at Wegmans, but it is still healthy when made with regular orzo.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1 small garlic clove (or 1/2 tsp of minced garlic like I used)
     1 small shallot
     1 cup of baby carrots
     1 cup of broccoli florets
     2 tbsp of olive oil
     1 cup of white or whole wheat orzo
     1/2 tsp of salt
     1 cup water
     1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
     1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

     Place the shallot and garlic (even if you are using the already  minced) in the food processor and pulse to chop.  Add the baby carrots and broccoli florets to the food processor and pulse; scraping down the sides half way until it is finely chopped. 
     In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and saute the chopped veggies, raw orzo, and salt for 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
     Add the water and broth to the pot, increase to medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.  Then lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes uncovered, or until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture thickens.  NOTE: I found it took more then 10 minutes, so you will need to judge it for yourself.  I did find covering it made it thicken quicker.
     Finally add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine, then enjoy! 

Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole

When I think of summer I definitely think of squash and zucchini.  Although, I do eat it year round, when summer rolls around I eat it at least three times a week, therefore I am always looking for new ways to prepare it.  So when I tried this recipe I found in Taste of Home magazine, I knew it was a definite keeper.  It has tons of flavor and it is easily divided in half when you don't need to feed 10 people lol.  You can also modify it and change things, like my friend Emil did when she added bacon.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     7 medium yellow summer squash, sliced (about 10 cups)
     2 1/14 cup shredded cheddar cheese
     1 medium yellow onion, chopped
     1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
     1 can (4 oz) diced jalapeno peppers, drained
     1/4 cup flour
     1/2 tsp of salt
     1 tsp of cumin
     2-3 tsp taco seasoning
     2 tsp of cilantro
     3/4 cup of salsa
     4 green onions, diced
     1/4 cup of red onion, chopped

     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the squash, 3/4 cup of cheese, yellow onion, chilies, and jalapeno peppers.  Sprinkle with flour, salt, and other spices; stir gently to combine.
     Transfer the squash mixture to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.  Bake, covered, 30-40 minutes or until squash in tender.
     Remove from the oven, and spoon the salsa over the top; sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes or longer until the cheese is golden brown.  Let it stand for 10 minutes.  Top with the green and red onions, and then enjoy!
    

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers

I was never a big fan of stuffed peppers, until I found this recipe!  Probably because of my love for wings is why I loved this recipe.  The chicken mixture if so good that you could use it for many other things - buffalo chicken tacos, buffalo chicken sandwich - the possibilities are endless.  To make it easier to bake the peppers, I recommend that you get you use female peppers - peppers that have four nubs on the bottom - they stand up better in the baking dish.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1.5 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
     1 medium yellow onion, sliced
     1/2 tsp of dried parsley
     1/2 tsp dried dill
     1/2 tsp dried chives
     1/2 tsp garlic powder
     1/2 tsp onion powder
     1/2 tsp sea salt
     1/2 tsp pepper
     4 yellow or orange peppers, tops cut off & seeds cleaned out
     1/2 cup of your favorite wing sauce (I used Wegmans wing sauce)
     1/4 cup of unsalted butter
     1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (depends on how much you like cheese)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all your dried spices together in small bowl; set aside.  Next you will poach your chicken by doing the following.  Cut the chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces and then place in the bottom of a sauce pan.  Add water to cover the chicken and about an additional two inches of water.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer; simmering the chicken uncovered for about 10 minutes.  Then turn off the heat, cover, and let the chicken stand for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.  While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Once melted stir in the wing sauce and sit aside.  Once the chicken is done, shred chicken using two forks.  Place the shredded chicken back in the saucepan (after you dump the water), add the onions and mixed spices.  Simmer on medium heat until the onions are tender, stir occasionally.  Add the wing sauce mixture to the chicken mixture and stir to coat the chicken mixture.  Stuff the peppers with chicken mixture and then sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until the peppers are softened to your liking and then enjoy! 
    

Buffalo Chicken Soup

I am obsessed with soups this fall, thus I have decided it is the year of soup lol.  This soup is amazing!  I ate a bowl almost everyday the week that I made it.  It kept well for a week in the refrigerator, but I am not sure how well it would freeze with the orzo in it.  If you like more spice in your buffalo chicken, you can always pick a spicier wing sauce then I used.  For all you local central PA people, they now sell Arooga's wing sauces in the grocery store and I bet that the Kangarooga sauce would be wonderful in this dish; I used their mild sauce.  I also did not use blue cheese because I do not like it, but I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese on it.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it comes from a blog called Mi casa is your casa.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
     2 tsp olive oil
     1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
     1 clove garlic, minced
     2 medium carrots, peeled & cut into half moon shapes
     2 tsp ranch dressing seasoning mix
     3 tbsp fresh cilantro, divided
     32 ounces chicken stock
     2/3 cup the wing sauce of your choice
     4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
     4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
     2 cups cooked chicken shredded
     1/4 cup green onions, chopped & divided
     1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

   Cook the orzo according to the package directions, until it is about half way done.  Drain and then set aside.
   In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil.  Saute the onion, garlic, and half of the green onions in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the yellow onions are opaque and tender.  Add the carrots, ranch dressing mix, and 2 tbsp of cilantro.  Stir to combine and cook until the carrots begin to soften.
   Add the chicken broth, wing sauce, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and shredded chicken.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender, but still have a slight bite. 
   Bring the soup back up to a boil, over medium high heat.  Add the orzo and stir frequently until the orzo is al dente.  Top with remaining green onions and cilantro, and blue cheese crumbles. 

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

This is a great baked oatmeal recipe.  I have struggled finding good baked oatmeal recipes that are a solid consistency....or maybe I just do not make them correctly lol.  Anyways, this is great for those who like pumpkin flavored dishes and it is easy to make.  It is not a sweet dish, so I did sprinkle brown sugar on top to make it a bit sweeter.  I modified this recipe from one I found on Pinterest, and you can find the original on my pinterst page, where there is the recipe to make a one serving amount of this.  The recipe I posted here makes four servings.  In addition, that recipe uses almond milk instead of regular milk.  I kept the dish in the frig for up to about 5 days and it was still good.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 cups regular rolled oats
     2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
     1 tsp baking powder
     1/8 tsp salt
     1 cup milk
     1/2 cup water
     1 cup pumpkin puree
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     4 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, mix oats, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until combined.  In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, milk, water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.  Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Stir until they are combined.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-27 minutes. 

Spinach Stuffed Tilapia

The hardest part about doing this blog is figuring out what to write as a little blurb before I write the recipe.  I mean it is boring just to say this recipe is good lol, but it is!  I was surprised at how filling it was since Tilapia is is light, but it is very filling.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 tilapia fillets
     1 egg, lightly beaten
     2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
     2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
     1 tsp Italian seasoning
     1/2 tsp garlic powder
     1/2 tsp paprika
     salt and pepper, to taste
     1 tsp olive oil
     1/2 cup onion, small diced
     2 cloves of garlic, minced
     5 oz baby spinach
     1/2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (I used the new Greek yogurt cream cheese)
     1 tsp crushed red pepper
     1 tsp basil

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a small baking sheet or pan with parchment paper; set aside.  Heat oil in skilled over medium-high heat.  Saute onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add spinach and completely wilt down.  Season with crushed red pepper, basil, salt, and pepper.  Remove from the heat and stir in cream cheese until it's coated all the filling. 
   In one shallow pan, place beaten egg.  In another shallow pan combine grated Parmesan and panko, shaking to combine.  Season both sides of the fish with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Place the filling on fish fillet and fold fillet over, securing with toothpicks.  Dip in beaten egg, and use hands if needed to ensure the egg is all over the fish.  Move fish to the breading mixture.  Shake pan back and forth in order to ensure the bottom of the fish is nicely coated.  Then use your fingers to press the breading mixture to the top and sides of the fish. 
   Place in baking sheet, spray the top with nonstick cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is flaky and cooked through. 

Homemade Tomato Soup

With the cold winter weather on the horizon, there is nothing like a good homemade soup to keep you.  This is a very easy recipe to make your own homemade tomato soup, free of the preservatives found in canned tomato soup.  In addition, it is easy to freeze for another time.  I made one change to the recipe which came from Taste of Home magazine.  I used chicken stock instead of chicken broth to make it thicker.  This does however change the calorie count, which with the broth is only 120 calories.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with or without additional seasoning, undrained
     1/4 cup of butter
     1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion
     2 garlic cloves, minced
     6 tbsp all purpose flour
     48 oz of chicken broth (I used chicken stock)
     optional: grated cheese of your choice

     In a blender, process tomatoes with juices until pureed; set aside.  In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium high heat.  Add onion; cook and stir until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. 
     Remove from the heat; stir in flour until smooth.  Place back on the heat and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the broth.  Add pureed tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with your favorite flavor of cheese and enjoy. 

Firey Tomato-Braised Tilapia

I was really happy when I found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine because tilapia, while good, can become boring when you are eating it prepared the same ways.  This recipe is very light and flavorful, as well as easy to make!  I did make a couple of changes to spice up the flavor, but it is by no means too spicy!  This recipe is also easy to divide in half if you are only feeding two people.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     4 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
     1/4 tsp of season salt
     1 tbsp of lemon juice
     2 tbsp of olive oil
     1 small red onion, chopped
     1/2 a green pepper, chopped
     1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (I use Rotel)
     3/4 a cup of chopped roasted red peppers
     1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth
     1/4 cup of tomato paste
     1 tsp of garlic powder
     1 tsp of dried oregano
     1 tsp of dried basil

     Sprinkle the fillets with the season salt and then drizzle with lemon juice.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and green peppers; cook and stir until it is tender.  Add the diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, broth, tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, and basil to the onion and pepper mixture; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer.
     Place the fillets over the tomato mixture, cover with lid, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve over a 1/2 cup of brown rice or whole wheat pasta and enjoy!

Better than Take Out Chinese Chicken

It has been a long time since I posted on the blog!!!! I have decided to take the blog in a bit of a different direction and show how to make recipes healthier than they might originally be!! And of course Chinese take out is never that great for you, so those recipe is a great way to get delicious Chinese food, without all the MSG's and you know what your are getting!!  I am not lying when I say this is as good as General Tso's take out from your local Chinese place!! This recipe uses one of my new favorite cooking ingredients - Sriracha!  For those of you not familiar with this, it is Chinese hot sauce!! You can find it in any grocery store in the Asian food section!  For this recipe you will need e following:

     3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
     1/2 tsp of salt
     1/2 tsp of pepper
     1 cup of cornstrach
     2 egg whites, beaten
     1/4 cup of canola oil
     1/4 cup of sugar
     4 tbsp of ketchup
     1/2 cup of white vinegar
     1 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce
     1 tsp of garlic salt
     Sriracha (depending on your level of spice, 1-4 squirts)
     Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish and set it aside.  Make the sauce for the chicken by mixing sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic salt, Sriracha, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl; set aside.  Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper.  Heat half of the oil (2 tbsp) on medium high in a large skillet.  Place the cornstarch in a shallow pie pan and the beaten egg whites in a bowl.  Dip half of the chicken pieces, a couple pieces at a time, in the cornstrach, coating all sides.  Then dip them into the egg whites, and place in to the skillet.  Brown the chicken pieces on all sides and then place in the baking dish.  Repeat process until all the chicken in your first batch is done.  Then wipe out your pan and repeat the process with the second half of the chicken.  Once all the chicken is in the baking dish, pour the sauce all over the chicken; stirrng it around to ensure it is evenly coated.  Bake for one hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.  Serve with some brown rice and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I am not a big fan of regular lasagna, but I could eat this lasagna once a week it is that good.  For a lasagna, this recipe is not too bad for your diet.  While I adapted this recipe from Taste of Home's recipe to make it more healthy, you could make even more changes to make it healthier.  Now as I am not a blue cheese fan, I did not use the blue cheese, but I will include the blue cheese in the post for those blue cheese lovers!  I also used shredded chicken because I am not a fan of working with ground chicken.  If you want to get creative, you could make this with a different kind of wing sauce every time you make it!  This recipe is also easy to divide in half, which I did because a whole lasagna is a lot for me.  And I would like to make a shout out to my cousin Kristen for the fact that I am typing this post on my wireless IPad keyboard that she got me for my birthday!!

For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 tbsp of canola oil
     1 1/2 pounds of shredded chicken (see note below on how to make shredded chicken) OR
         1 1/12 pounds of ground chicken
     1 small onion, chopped
     1 celery rib, finely chopped
     1 large carrot, grated
     2 garlic cloves, minced
     1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
     1 bottle (12 ounces) buffalo wing sauce
     1/2 cup of water
     1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
     1/2 tsp of salt
     1/4 tsp of pepper
     9 lasagna noodles (you can use whole wheat noddles too)
     1 carton (15 oz) of fat free ricotta cheese
     1 3/4 cups of crumbled blue cheese (I used Italian cheese blend)
     1/2 cup of fresh minced Italian parsley
     1 egg, lightly beaten (or two egg whites)
     3 cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
     2 cups of low fat shredded cheddar cheese

     In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the ground chicken, onion, celery, and carrot; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink and veggies are tender.  If using shredded chicken, cook the veggies first until they are tender and then add the chicken, heating it through until it is warm.  Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.  Stir in the tomatoes, wing sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
     Meanwhile, cook noodles according to the package directions; drain.  In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup of blue cheese, parsley, and egg.
      Once the chicken mixture is done, spread 1 1/2 cups of chicken sauce into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Layer with three noodles, 1 1/2 cups of sauce, 2/3 cup of ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup of blue cheese.  Repeat the layers twice.
      Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

I feel like 2012 was the year of the stuff pepper recipe because every where I looked there was a new take of stuff peppers.  Of all of the recipes I found, this was the most creative and it tastes fabulous!  Basically, this is all the ingredients of a stuffed pepper in a casserole.  The original version of this recipe, which I found on Pinterest, was a vegetarian recipe, but since I do enjoy meat, I modified it some for that change.  While it took away the totally vegetarian part, it still remains a healthy recipe!  As you will see it calls for an orange bell pepper, but mine was rotting inside when I cut it open, so I used a green instead.  For this recipe you will need the follow:

     1 lb of ground turkey

     2 cups of shredded cabbage

     1 small red bell pepper, chopped

     1 small orange bell pepper, chopped

     1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped

     1/2 a medium sized onion, chopped

     1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa

     1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt

     1 1/3 cup of the marinara sauce of your choice

     1/3 cup of low-fat mozzarella cheese

     2 garlic gloves, minced (about 1 tsp already mince garlic)

     2 tsp of basil

     2 tsp of oregano

     1 tsp of rosemary

     1 tsp parsley

     Sea Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the quinoa according to package directions; set aside.  Cook the ground turkey on medium high heat until browned.  In a large mixing bowl add half of chopped peppers, quinoa, ground turkey, cabbage, onion, garlic, and other spices.  Stirring well to combine. 

In another mixing bowl whip together the plain yogurt and marinara sauce, then add it to the veggie mixture; stir well.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish, then pour the mixture into the dish, and spread evenly.  Top with the remaining peppers.  Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.  Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes before serving!

    

Spaghetti Squash Boats

I loved this recipe and found it to be an almost twist on chicken parmesan  It is also one of the best spaghetti squash recipes I have cooked and it is compliments of skinnytaste.com.  If you have never tired spaghetti squash and are trying to eat healthier, you need to try one.  Cooked right, it has the same texture as spaghetti, and not nearly the same amount of starch!!  When you roast a spaghetti squash, the insides will shred into the form that they look like spaghetti noodles.  This recipe has you cut the squash in half prior to cooking it.....you will need a very sharp knife for this!!!  I struggled to cut it in half lengthwise, so I cut it widthwise and then cut those halves in half, so I had four pieces, per squash.  Odd shaped boats, but work just the same! For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 small/medium ripe spaghetti squash

     Salt and pepper, to taste

     4 thin chicken cutlets, about 3 ounces each

     Pinch of garlic powder

     1/4 tsp of oregano

     2 cups of low fat marinara sauce (the flavor of your choice)

     1 cup of part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

    Preheat the oven to 350.   Cut the squash in half lengthwise, or as I described above.  Scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon.  Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for about an hour or until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender.  

    While the squash is roasting, sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.  Heat a pan over medium-high heat, when it is hot, grill chicken on both sides for about 3-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through.  I cut my chicken into chunks and cooked them that way.  Either way works.  Set aside in a dish.

    Remove the squash from the oven and carefully fluff the spaghetti like strands on each half with a fork, leaving the squash in the shell.  Season with salt and pepper, then spoon about 1/4 a cup of sauce in each boat.  

    If you cooked the chicken as whole cutlets, slice them diagonal and place one cutlet on top of a squash half.  Top each boat with another 1/4 cup of sauce, then top with cheese.  Place boats back in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!!

Cashew Chicken

Now this is no Cafe Fresco cashew chicken, but it is pretty darn close!  I can only aspire to make food as good as theirs!!  I would not have thought such a fancy tasting dish was so simple to make!  The recipe uses Hoisin sauce, which can be found in the Asian section in your local grocery store.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
     8 cloves of garlic, minced (4 tsp of pre-minced garlic)
     1 cup of cashews
     4 tbsp of Hoisin sauce
     8 green onions, sliced
     2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
     2 tbsp of corn starch
     3/4 cup of chicken stock
     2 tbsp of olive oil
     Salt and pepper
     The rice of your choice

     Cook the rice according to the package directions.  Preheat a large skillet or wok over low heat.  Add olive oil, garlic, and cashews to skillet.  Saute over low heat until the garlic becomes golden, but don't let the garlic brown!
     Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.  Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.  Add corn starch to a small bowl with the stock and mix well.  Add the  corn starch mixture to the chicken.  Then add Hoisin sauce and vinegar.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened.  Just before serving, add the green onions and serve over rice!!!

   

Marinated Flank Steak

I thought long and hard about putting this secret family recipe on my blog and allowing the world access to my favorite meal lol.....but then I thought, the world should definitely have the ability to have the best steak marinade ever!!  This recipe came from my mom who got it from my mama and who knows where she got it from.  I like to think mama created it herself.  For many of you, if you have had dinner at my mom's, you have probably had this steak at one point in time.  While I have made this for myself many a time, it never quiet tastes like it did when my mama made or when my mom makes it now.  I am pretty sure that is because it is missing a key ingredient.....love!  For this amazing recipe you will need the following:

     1 flank steak
     2 tsp of meat tenderizer
     2 tbsp of instant minced onion
     1 tsp of marjoram
     2 tsp of thyme
     1 crush bay leaf
     1 cup of red wine vinegar
     1/2 of cooking oil (or olive oil)
     3 tbsp of lemon juice
     1/4 cup of coarse pepper or 2 tbsp of regular pepper

Cut slits in the steak, across the grain.  Sprinkle both sides of steak with the meat tenderizer.

 

Mix together all other ingredients and pour over the steak.  Let it marinate for 12-24 hours or more in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.  The longer it sits the stronger the flavor. 

Pour off the mixture, setting some aside for au jus. 

Grill the steak about 10 minutes a side, or longer, depending on how you like your steak.

Breakfast Nachos

I would have never thought up a recipe like this, but I am glad I found it on Pinterest because it is not only yummy but healthy too!  I love finding recipes that are both good and healthy - it shows that eating good can taste good too!  I made some adaptations to make it more healthy.  This recipe says to use a cast iron pan, but like me, many of you may not have one; therefore, you can just make yours in a casserole dish like I did.  It makes a serving for two, and those would be two big servings, so if you want to make it for more you would need to double the recipe.  For me, I had leftovers, so I put them in a glass dish that could be re-heated in the oven to enjoy them another morning!  For this recipe you will need the following:

     5 eggs
     salt & pepper
     1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
     1 1/2 cup of multigrain tortilla chips (or baked tortilla chips)
     3/4 cup of Ro Tel (or salsa)
     1/4 cup of chopped onion
     2 tsp of cilantro
     additional nacho toppings of your liking: sour cream, avocados, beans, etc.

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat.  While pan is heating, crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk together with salt & pepper.  You can add a small amount of milk if you like a softer egg.  Spray the skillet with cooking spray and then scramble the eggs, stirring consistently until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  Remove from the heat.  Preheat the oven to broil.  Spread tortilla chips on the bottom of the casserole dish in an even layer.  Top with the scrambled eggs, Ro Tel, onion, cilantro, and then the cheese.  Place under the broiler until cheese is completely melted.  Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings, if you want.  Then eat just like you would nachos!

    

Penne Beef Bake

This healthy pasta dish is packed full of great flavor.  This recipe, courteous of Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking, makes a large amount, so I froze the leftovers in portion sizes 1 1/3 cup).  That way when you are in need of a quick meal, you can just pop it the microwave.  One severing is 395 calories, but if you were looking to make it even healthier you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef.  For this recipe you will need the following:

     1 (12 oz) whole wheat penne pasta

     1 pound of lean ground beef (90% lean)

     2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
     1 large green pepper, finely chopped
     1 small onion, chopped
     1 jar (24 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
     1 1/2 cups of reduced-fat Alfredo sauce
     1 cup of low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
     1/4 tsp of garlic powder




     Cook the penne according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, zucchini, pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the spaghetti sauce, Alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and garlic powder.  Drain the penne; stir into meat mixture.
     Transfer to a 13x9 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and then bake uncovered for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.