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. 

    

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins that I found on Pinterest are to die for!!  While searching on Pinterest I also found a great tip for making muffins and cupcakes that I used with these and it made a huge difference from other muffins that I have made.  Most muffins or cupcakes, say to back them at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes, but instead fill the cups 3/4 full and then bake them at 325 degrees for a couple minutes longer, around 25 minutes.  It made these muffins more fluffy and light!  Try it the next time you make your favorite muffins.  In addition, I did make a couple of changes to the recipe.  For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 2/3 cup of white flour
     1 cup of sugar
     1 tsp of ground cinnamon
     1/2 tsp of ginger
     1/2 tsp of ground cloves
     1 tsp of nutmeg
     1 tsp of baking soda
     1/4 tsp of baking powder
     1/4 tsp of salt
     2 eggs
     1 cup of pumpkin
     1 tsp of vanilla
     4 oz of unsalted butter, melted
     6 oz (half a bag) of white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, and butter.  Add in the white chocolate chips.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the dry are moistened.  Do not over mix.  Scoop batter into greased or paper cup lined muffin cups.  Bake for 25-27 minutes or until puffed and springy to the touch.  Makes about a dozen!