Cooking with Craig

Potato Latkes

2012-02-11T06:53:00.000-05:00

Yum! Potato Latkes!

2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion.
3 eggs, beaten.
2 Tbl flour.
1 1/2 tsp salt.
1/2 cup canola oil.

Line a bowl with several paper towels. add grated potatoes into bowl. Using more paper towels, squeeze out as much water as possible. Discard paper towels.
Add onion, flour, salt, and eggs, then stir to combine.

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, place large spoonfuls of potato mixture into pan. Flatten each to about 1/2 inch thick. Cook to a golden brown, (approx. 2-5 min.)

Then turn and brown other side.

Remove and pat dry with paper towels.

Serve warm.

Mushroom Lasagna

2012-01-11T05:41:00.001-05:00

Here's another delicious dish!
If you love mushrooms, this is for you!
Now this is a good vegetarian dish, but Craig needs his meat, so he added a lb of cooked lean ground beef to the sauce, and it was a complete meal. :-)

Ingredients

     1 cup boiling water
    1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
    1 tablespoon butter
    2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    1 1/4 cups chopped shallots (about 4)
    1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
    1 (4-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend
    1 teaspoon salt, divided
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
    1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
    6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
    1/2 cup white wine
    1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
    3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
    1 1/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
    Cooking spray
    9 no-boil lasagna noodles
    1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

    1. Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. Combine 1 cup boiling water and porcini. Cover and let stand 30 minutes; strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid and mushrooms.
    3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add cremini and exotic mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms are browned. Add thyme and 3 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and 1 tablespoon chives. Add reserved porcini mushrooms.
    4. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add remaining 3 garlic cloves to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add the reserved porcini liquid, 2 3/4 cups milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Combine remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to milk mixture, and simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk.
    5. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, and top with 3 noodles. Spread half of mushroom mixture over noodles. Repeat layers, ending with remaining sauce. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped chives.
This recipie was a bit more involed than Craig likes, but it was so good, he says it's a keeper. :-)

tequila grilled chicken

2011-06-08T07:09:00.002-04:00

A nice twist to grilled chicken!
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin.
1 teaspoon chili powder.
3/4 teaspoons sea salt.
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder.
6 bone-in chicken thighs.
3/4 cup pineapple juice.
1/3 cup tequila.
1/4 cup honey.
2 teaspoons corn starch.
2 teaspoons water.
2 teaspoons grated lime rind.
3 tablespoons lime juice.
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
cooking spray.

1. Preheat grill to medium-high using both burners. After preheating, turn the left burner off. (leave the right burner on)
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub evenly over chicken.
3. Bring the pineapple juice, tequila, and honey to a boil in a small sauce-pan; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes).Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to juice mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in lime rind, 3 teaspoons lime juice, and red pepper.
4. Place chicken on rack coated with cooking spray over right burner (direct heat). Cover and grill for 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with juice mixture.Move the chicken to grill rack over left burner (indirect heat). Cover and grill an additional 5 minutes on each side or until done, occasionally basting.
We had this with corn on the cob and pasta salad.

peachy pork cutlets

2011-06-08T07:05:00.002-04:00

This is a real easy and tasty pork dish!
2 teaspoons olive oil.
4 (4ounce) center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onions.
2 teaspoons thyme.
2 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges.
1/2 cup dry white wine.
1/2 cup fat-free lower-sodium chicken broth.
2 teaspoons honey.
2 teaspoons butter.
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper. Add chops to pan; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Add onions thyme and peach's to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Stir in broth and honey; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter. Spoon over chops.
We served them with rice and asparagus.

Orange Chicken with Sweet potatoes

2011-05-11T05:45:00.005-04:00

Orange Chicken with Sweet potatoes.
This is another great recipe for chicken. Sooo moist and tender and tasty!
And it's quick and easy! 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced.
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided.
1 teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon onion powder.
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1 teaspoon pepper.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.
2 tablespoons butter.
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup.
3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice.
2 teaspoons brown sugar.
1 teaspoon grated orange peel.
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms.

Layer sweet potatoes in a 3 qt slow cooker.
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2/3 cup flour and seasonings: add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in butter 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
Arrange chicken over sweet potatoes.
Place remaining flour in a small bowl and stir in soup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and orange peel until blended. Add mushrooms and pour over chicken.
Cover and cook 3 1/2 -4 hours on low.
The recipe says to serve with rice, but we felt that was too much carbs, so we served it with chopped steamed broccoli.

Quick and easy Ravioli Lasagna

2011-02-22T08:33:00.004-05:00

Quick and easy Ravioli Lasagna
1 lb ground beef. We used lean hot Italian sausage.
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
1 container ricotta cheese. We used fat free.
1 lg egg.
3/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.
3/4 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese.
18 oz ravioli. We used portabella and cheesed stuffed squares.
2 cans marinara sauce. We used, 1, 15 oz can pizza sauce. 1, 15oz can spaghetti sauce.
.
preheat oven to 350.
Brown meat in pan.
Add pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce.

Combine spinach, egg ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese in a bowl.

We used frozen ravioli, so it needed to be cooked first.

Spread a small amount of sauce in bottom of greased dish.
Add a layer of ravioli, using half .

Cover with half of the meat sauce.

Spread the spinach sauce, and then repeat with ravioli.

Top with remaining sauce, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!

Southwestern Turkey Casserole

2011-02-08T06:24:00.004-05:00

Southwestern Turkey Casserole

10 ounces cooked diced turkey.
16 (6in) corn tortillas, cut into strips.
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup.
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup.
1 can diced green chillies, drained.
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese.
1 cup sour cream.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken soup, mushroom soup, chilies, and sour cream.

Line the bottom of a greased 8x12 baking pan with 1/2 corn tortillas.

follow with 1/2 turkey.
Then 1/2 soup mixture.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cheese.
Repeat layers and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 30-45 minutes until heated through.

Enjoy!

Now we used fat free sour cream and fat free shredded cheese. If you use the fat free cheese. wait until heated through and put cheese on top for the last 10 minutes.

Slow Cooked Cranberry Pork Roast

2011-02-07T06:38:00.003-05:00

This was a really tasty and easy dish to make!

Slow cooked Cranberry Pork Roast.
4-6 lbs Pork Loin. (browned on all sides)
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce.
3/4 cup sugar.
3/4 cup cranberry juice.
1 tsp ground mustard.
1 tsp ground pepper.
1 tsp ground cloves.
Mix ingredients and pour over pork in a 5 qt slow cooker.
Cook 6-8 hours on low.

mix 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup cornstarch.
Remove roast from cooker, transfer liquid to pan on stove. Add cornstarch/water and cook until thickened.
pour over pork slices.
Enjoy!

Baked Acorn Squash

2010-12-29T06:14:00.003-05:00

Baked Acorn Squash with honey and bacon bits.

This is a real easy tasty side dish.
preheat oven to 350. Cut squash in half, clean out seed cavities.
Spay a pan with cooking oil.
Spray each half with butter spray, and sprinkle with pepper.
Place upside down on baking pan.
Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until skin give when touched.
Turn over squash and drizzle with honey.
sprinkle bacon bits and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
Enjoy!
We eat it right out of the shell.

Potato gratin with mushrooms

2010-12-28T06:33:00.004-05:00

A tasty variation of scalloped potatoes.

1/4 cup butter, divided
1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms (button, crimini), sliced
3 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (about 8), peeled, sliced 1/8 inch thick. I used a salad shooter type to slice them nice and thin.

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese.

How to make it.....
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
MELT 1 Tbsp. butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 6 min. or until tender, stirring frequently.
MELT 2 Tbsp. of the remaining butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook and stir 1 min. Gradually whisk in milk, then sour cream; cook 4 min or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in shredded cheese, salt and pepper; cook 1 min. or until melted.
GREASE 3-qt. casserole with remaining butter. Layer 1/3 each of the potatoes and mushrooms in casserole; repeat layers twice. Cover with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan; cover.
BAKE 1-1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, uncovering after 1 hour. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

This was really a very tasty dish!

Baked Zucchini sticks

2010-12-22T05:25:00.003-05:00

We tried these as a side with dinner, but these would be great, just as a snack!

Baked Zucchini Sticks
2 large zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of dried basil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with tinfoil - spray with cooking spray
. Cut the zucchini into half lengthwise then into thick spears.
Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings then mix thoroughly.
Dip the spears into egg then bread crumbs and Parmesan mixture, making sure to coat evenly. Place on baking sheet and spray the top of each spear with cooking spray.
Bake for 10-12 minutes then turn the oven to broil and cook, watching carefully, until they become golden brown 45-60 seconds.
Serve with marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Kung Pao Chicken

2010-12-07T12:54:00.005-05:00

Kung Pao Chicken.

Ingredients.

2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil.

1 cup chopped onion.

2 garlic cloves minced.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces. We used chicken breasts for less fat.

3/4 cup water.

3 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce.

2 teaspoons cornstarch.

1 teaspoon brown sugar.

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced ginger.

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper. (about one large pepper)

1 cup snow peas trimmed. Craig doesn't care much for snow peas, so he used less of them and more onions. :-)

2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry roasted peanuts.

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes or until softened.

Add garlic; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add chicken; saute 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.

2. Combine 3/4 cup water and the next 5 ingredients(through crushed red pepper), stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves.

Add water mixture to pan; bring to boil.

Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Isn't this looking good?.

Sprinkle with nuts.

We served this over Ramon noodles for a nice tasty dish! You could use any type pasta or rice.

Marinated Asparagus, roasted garlic basil potatoes

2010-12-06T06:17:00.002-05:00

We served these with out tasty spicy sweet pork cutlets.
Marinated Asparagus.
Clean and break off tough stems.
Put in a bag with,
1 Tbl olive oil,
2 Tbl soy sauce,
2 Tbl lemon juice,
2 Tbl balsamic Vinegar.

Mix well and let sit at room temp for about an hour.
Drain and put on a greased pan under the broiler for 10-15 minutes until fork tender.
Serve with spray butter and Parmesan cheese.
Roasted garlic Basil Potatoes.
Clean and towel dry potatoes. We used red skinned.
Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces.
Put in a bag with
2 Tbl olive oil,
1 Tbl Basil,
1 tsp granulated garlic,
1 tsp chives, fresh or dried,
1 tsp paprika.

Roast on a greased pan at 450 for about 40 minutes. Turning a couple of times.
Serve buttered.

Salisbury Steak

2010-12-01T06:29:00.004-05:00

Here's a real easy tasty Salisbury steak dinner.

Ingredients
1/3 cup grated onion, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin, we used extra lean ground beef.
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered. or you can use any kind of mushrooms.
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Preparation
1. Combine 1/4 cup onion, pepper, salt, garlic, and beef. Shape into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add mushrooms; saute 4 minutes.
Stir in wine and remaining onion; cook 2 minutes.
Combine broth and flour; add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until thick.
Add patties and vinegar to pan; cook 2 minutes.

Now we served it with boxed mashed potatoes instead of real mashed potatoes cause we were lazy.
And we had squash.
I forgot to get a pic before we ate, so I got this one off the Cooking Light website.
But it was good!

spicy-sweet pork cutlets

2010-11-20T05:59:00.003-05:00

Add a spicy-sweet kick to your traditional pork chop recipe by simmering pork chops in a honey, Dijon mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, and clove glaze.

Ingredients
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 10 minutes or until done, turning pork once.

To go with the pork, I sliced potatoes about 1/8 inch thick, put in a pan with 3 tbl oil, covered and cooked on medium low, stirring frequently until cooked through. Then remove the top and cook on medium stirring frequently until nicely browned. The entire cooking time is about 30 minutes so start these before the pork.

Don't these look delish!

We served them with steamed broccoli for a tasty dinner!

Cabbage Roll Casserole #2

2010-11-15T05:30:00.004-05:00

Here's a slightly different version of Craig's Cabbage Roll casserole.

2 lbs lean Hot Italian Sausage
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can(15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked rice
1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds) shredded
1 cup (4 ounces) mozzarella cheese.
1/4 cup bacon bits.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain.
Stir in one can of diced tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and bacon bits, heat through. Remove from heat.

Layer half of the cabbage in a greased 13in. x 9in. x2 in. baking dish.
Top with meat mixture.

Top with remaining cabbage. Pour tomato sauce over the top.

Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Hot Italian Turkey Sausage pie

2010-04-26T05:10:00.005-04:00

1lb light hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 oz package fat free cream cheese
I pkg frozen spinach, thawed and pressed of excess water
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 pkg low fat refrigerated biscuits or pizza dough(the kind in a rolled can)
2 eggs
1 24 oz fat-free cream-style cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbs corn starch
chopped tomatoes
chopped chives
4 oz. fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion, drain, set aside.
Brown sausage, drain, add sauteed onion, stir in cream cheese and mushrooms, set aside.

In a 9 x 13 dish, lightly grease and press dough onto bottom and up sides just over top.

Spoon in meat mixture evenly.

In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese,spinach, and corn starch.

Spread mixture over meat mixture

Bake uncovered 25-30 min. at 350

Sprinkle cheese and let melt. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 min. Garnish with tomato and chives.

Enjoy! makes more than enough for leftovers too!

Tortilla Lasagna

2010-03-30T07:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a tasty twist to Lasagna, ....Tortilla Lasagna.

I don't have pics showing the steps because I thought I had already posted this recipe. So this is a pic of the leftovers.

Recipe.......

1 Tbl vegetable oil.
1 lb ground beef. You can also use chicken or turkey.
1 cup chopped onion.
1 1/2 cups chopped green and/or red pepper.
1 cup corn
1 4oz. can of sliced black olives.
1 4oz. can diced green chilies.
1 pkg taco seasoning mix.
1 16 oz. jar mild taco sauce, divided.
10 flour tortillas, divided.
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided.

Pre-heat oven to 375.
Grease a 13x9 baking dish.
Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Add ground beef; cook stirring occasionally until no longer pink. 5-6 min. Stir in vegetables, chillies and seasoning mix. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally 3-4 min or until veggies are tender.
Spread 1/2 cup taco sauce on bottom of baking dish. Cover with 5 tortillas. Spread with 1/2 the meat mixture and 1/2 the taco sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese melted.
Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

2010-03-28T07:29:00.003-04:00

Here's a tasty twist to traditional pizza. It's called chicken cordon bleu pizza. And you use Alfredo sauce instead of pizza sauce, and ham and chicken nuggets instead of ground beef or peperoni.

The recipe, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine...........

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust.
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce.
1/4 tsp garlic salt.
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese.
1-1/2 cups cubed cooked ham.
10 breaded chicken nuggets thawed and cut into 1/2-in pieces.
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese.

Now instead of refrigerated pizza crust, we used Boboli pizza crust. We're hooked on them now.

So spread the Alfredo sauce over the crust.

Sprinkle with salt and Swiss cheese.
top with ham and chicken.

and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over that.
Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

And this was some good food! Of course it doesn't substitute for regular pizza, but it's a tasty dish all on it's own!

Meat Loaf

2010-03-09T06:13:00.003-05:00

mmmmmmm....meatloaf!
Craig makes a number of different meat loafs, but this on is particularly good!
He starts out with equal parts extra lean ground beef, and lean hot Italian sausage.
Add 2 eggs, bread crumbs, finely chopped onions, and Italian seasoning. Mix well and set in the fridge to 'rest' for an hour.

Roll out on wax paper to a thickness of about 3/4 of an inch. Craig used fat free shredded cheddar cheese and frozen spinach, thawed for the filling.

Roll into a log and place into a greased casserole dish.

Press the ends together and cover with tomato paste.

Bake at 325 for an hour or until done.

It was very tasty!

Turkey Tetrazzini casserole

2010-03-01T04:33:00.004-05:00

Turkey Tetrazzini, Craig's way.

We found this recipe on-line and Craig thought it looked good. But as usual, he 'modified' it. So first, the original recipe.

Ingredients
10 ounce uncooked vermicelli
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound turkey breast cutlets
3/4 teaspoon onion powder, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (such as Healthy Choice)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle turkey with 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove turkey from pan.
Add 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, sherry, and mushrooms to pan. Cover and cook 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Combine peas, milk, sour cream, cheese, and soup in a large bowl. Chop turkey. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, pasta, turkey, and mushroom mixture to soup mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a small dish, tossing to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated.

Now what Craig did different.
He used left-over chopped turkey breast from our turkey last week.
He hates peas, so he put chopped green onions in it's place.
He didn't have any dry sherry, so he used dry vermouth.
Instead of regular mushrooms, he used baby bellas.
And then before serving, he topped with shredded fat free cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes.
It was delicious!

Ummmmm broth!

2010-02-24T05:56:00.005-05:00

Pictured here are 11 pints of wonderful rich turkey broth.

After we cook a turkey, Craig saves all the 'stuff' in the bottom of the roasting pan and puts it in a freezer bag and in the freezer. After we've eaten enough turkey, he salvages the rest of the meat and freezes it for later use. (Craig makes a wonderful turkey rice casserole) Then he freezes the rest of the carcass. This turkey, we didn't have regular stuffing, so he 'stuffed' it with onions, celery, and oranges. They help to keep the turkey moist, and add some nice flavor too. So all this 'stuffing' gets frozen also. Also when ever he trims veggies for meal, he keeps a freezer bag in the freezer he adds the veggie scraps to it. Once he has accumulated enough stuff, he makes a batch of broth.
First in the pan, the frozen liquid from the roaster pan.

once that has thawed, the rest of the stuff.
Add enough water to cover everything, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and let simmer for 6-8 hours. When it's done, it should look like this.

Strain in a colander, pour into containers, cool, and freeze for future use.

This would make a wonderful soup base, but we're not much soup people. So Craig uses it for making mashed potatoes, boiling rice or noodles, anything where he can substitute for water. Makes things taste richer. And if you want clearer broth, use a finer screen colander.

Pork stir fry

2010-02-02T06:15:00.002-05:00

This is another tasty stir fry.
Start with pork cutlets trimmed of fat and thin sliced.
You can add what ever vegies you like, but for this stir fry, I added the following..
Sliced red pepper,
baby portabela mushrooms,
sliced carrots,
sliced onions,
slivered almonds.

saute the veggies with a little olive oil until tender crisp. Set aside. Add almonds.

And pork to pan with more oil if needed. Season with your favorite seasonings. Craig used garlic powder, minced garlic, and Mrs Dash, onion and herb. Cook until no longer pink.
And sauteed veggies and 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup teriaki sauce, and 1/8 cup cornstarch mixed with water to thicken .

simmer for 5-10 minutes or until thick and bubbly.

serve over rice.

And boy was it good!

Sauerbraten Lasagna

2010-01-25T05:14:00.009-05:00

Sauerbraten Lasagna

Craig quite often modifies recipes, but this time, he created a completely new one.

Ingredients.

18 oz beef gravy.

2 Tbl. vinegar.

2 Tbl. crushed ginger snaps.

1 small onion sliced.

1 small zucchini shredded.

1 lb steak, cut into 3/4 in pieces.

1 can beer.

2 bay leaves.

1 14 oz can sauerkraut.

8 0z fat free cream cheese.

8 0z. shredded Swiss cheese.

9 lasagna noodles.

Combine steak, beer and bay leaves in a Ziploc bag and marinate over night.

Mix vinegar and ginger snaps into gravy.

Mix sauerkraut and warmed cream cheese.

Drain meat, and lightly brown in a pan. set aside.

Saute onion until lightly browned.

Stir in meat, zucchini, and 1/3 gravy and set aside.

Pre cook lasagna noodles until soft. Grease a 7 x 9 casserole dish and layer 3 noodles.

add 1/2 meat mixture.

Then 1/2 sauerkraut/cream cheese.
Repeat layers and top with last 3 noodles and then with remaining gravy.

Cook at 350 for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

top with shredded cheese and heat till melted.

And I have to say it was delicious!

Craig did say, next time he'd use a little less gravy. It was a bit runny, but I liked it!

Cabbage Roll casserole

2010-01-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

Cabbage Roll Caserole.
If you like cabbage rolls, you'll love this!

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans(15ounces each) tomato sauce divided

1 teaspoon dried thyme >

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups cooked rice

4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds) shredded

1 cup (4 ounces) mozzarella cheese.

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until
meat is no longer pink, drain.

Stir in one can of tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and bacon, heat through. Remove from heat.

Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13in. x 9in. x2 in. baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture.
Repeat layers. Top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over the top.

Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Okay, and now Craig's alterations to make it healthier.

We use extra lean ground beef, it's only 4% fat. Even leaner than Sirloin. It's expensive, (about $4 a lb) but we try to stock up on it when it's on sale.

We used minced garlic instead of fresh, it's easier.

We used one 28 oz can of tomato sauce instead of two 15 oz,cheaper. Substituted 4 oz. of tomato sauce with bloody mary mix, adds some zing to it!

We used brown rice, healthier.

We used turkey bacon instead of real bacon, healthier.

We used low fat mozzarella cheese, healthier.

So there you have it. One recipe, and two ways to make it.

And man, was it good!

Beef stir fry redone

2010-01-12T05:02:00.002-05:00

Another variation of a beef stir fry.
1 lb beef sirloin cut into bite sized slices.
1/2 cup orange/pineapple juice.
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce.
1 teaspoon rice vinegar.
1/2 teaspoon ginger.
3 teaspoons cornstarch.
sliced onion.
shredded carrots.
pea pods.
sliced mushrooms.
sliced red pepper.
The amount of veggies depends on how many your feeding and if you want enough for leftovers.

Slice beef and put in a ziplock bag. Add beer and let 'rest' for an hour.
The beer is a natural tenderizer.
When ready, drain the beer from the beef. Quickly brown the beef in a pan with a little oil. (about 2 tablespoons) remove and set aside on a plate.
saute the carrots and onions until tender crisp. (about 10 minutes) remove and set aside.
Saute mushrooms for 1o minutes.
Put all the veggies back in the pan including the uncooked red pepper and beef. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and add to pan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 10-15 minutes until thickened.
Serve over rice or noodles.
Enjoy!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin

2009-12-29T05:11:00.003-05:00

Here's another tasty recipe, and easy too!
It's called spicy pork tenderloin.
First the recipe, then the pics.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger (or 1/4 teaspoon powdered)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup maple syrup

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub pork with spice mixture.
Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork.
Cook 6 minutes; brown on all sides.
Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 155°.
Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
While pork bakes, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add ginger, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in broth and syrup, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes).
Cut pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices; serve with sauce.

Here's the pork browned and ready to go in the oven. The secret to great browning, heat the oil in a pan until very hot. To test when it's right, drip a couple of drops of water in the oil, it should sizzle and 'dance'. Put in the roast and cook on each side for about 30 sec. turn with wooden spoons so as not to puncture the meat. It will retain its juices better. And our roast was more like 2 1/2 lbs, so we cooked ours for about an hour.
Here's the onions nicely browned with the ginger added, and ready for the chicken broth and maple syrup.

Mixture reduced and ready to spread on the sliced pork.

We served it with fried potatoes and broiled asparagus. The meat was sooo yummy!

And I know, that's 3 slices of meat for each person. I don't know how anyone can eat just one!

Turkey with White Castle stuffing

2009-12-26T05:08:00.005-05:00

For Christmas Craig cooks a turkey with White Castle stuffing.

That's right, he uses White Castle hamburgers. You can find them in the freezer section in the store. Let them thaw completely and tear them into small bits.

Here's a pic of them all torn up.
The recipe........
1 box (six) of frozen White castle hamburgers. (you can use fresh, but take out the pickle)
1 1/2 cups diced celery.
2 cups diced onion,
1/2 bag stuffing mix. (any seasoned type you want)
1/2 teaspoon thyme.
1/2 teaspoon sage.
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together.
Use a stuffing bag to make it easier to get the stuffing back out. Stuff the turkey with as much as will fit. Tie off the end of the bag.

For the extra stuffing I make a foil pouch to hold the rest so it will fit in the corner of the oven with the turkey. Make sure to add about 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the stuffing in the pouch to help moisten while cooking. Add the pouch to the oven for the last hour of cooking.
Here's a pic of the turkey, stuffed, seasoned and ready to cook.

If using a roaster pan cover and cook at 325 for recommended time. if using a foil roasting pan, make a tent out of foil and cover, not letting the foil touch the turkey, and cook.

Make whatever side dishes you want. We had scalloped corn and scalloped potatoes.

Enjoy a delicious turkey dinner!

fried potatoes

2009-12-22T05:32:00.000-05:00

We eat fried potatoes quite a bit. They're very tasty and satisfying. And here's how to make them...

Slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick.
Arrange in a frying pan coated with cooking oil. (we use olive oil)
Sprinkle with Paprika, and a little garlic, and Cook on medium turning frequently until browned and crispy.
Wasn't that easy? and they're so yummy!

Beef stir fry

2009-12-14T05:33:00.002-05:00

A tasty beef stir fry.

We used a beef sirloin for this meal. Also mushrooms, snap peas, red pepper, and onions.The secret to tender lean beef, is to let it simmer in the marinade sauce.

We seasoned and browned the meat. remove to a plate, then saute the onions peppers and snap peas. Mushrooms don't take as long, so we did them in a separate pan. Then add all ingredients to same pan, add marinade, we used orange juice, teriyaki sauce, and some cornstarch for thickening, and cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Turkey dinner

2009-12-14T05:14:00.004-05:00

Ummmm! Turkey dinner!
Craig is a traditionalist when it comes to holiday meals, and Thanksgiving is one of them.
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and scalloped corn.

His turkey is always moist and tasty. He does stuff the turkey, and makes extra stuffing on the side. Then mixes them together before serving. He then puts the turkey into a roasting pan and seasons the outside with a rub. What ever seasonings you like. Add some water in the bottom, and make a tent out of foil and completely seal the pan. But not touching the skin, this allows the turkey to steam as it cooks, making it extremely moist. Cook at 325. The time depends on the weight. Craig will cook a 13 lb turkey for 6-7 hours. Uncover the turkey the last 30 minutes so it'll brown nicely.
Scalloped corn and home made mashed potatoes finish the meal.

And we always eat too much! It took 2 plate to hold the food!

And there you have it. A delicious turkey dinner!

Panko Chicken with broiled marinated Zucchini and fried Potatoes

2009-12-02T06:57:00.004-05:00

Panko Chicken with broiled marinated Zucchini and fried Potatoes.

If your not familiar with Panko, you really need to try it. It makes the best crunchy coating when baking any kind of meat. It's completely different from regular bread crumbs.

First you need a liquid to dip the chicken in so the crumbs will stick better. I usually use Egg Beaters, but I've also used fat free dressings like Italian or Ranch. I've even used Miracle whip. So just about anything you like. Now I add seasoning to the crumbs for more flavor. I use Mrs Dash and garlic powder and Parmesan cheese.

Dip the chicken in liquid, roll in crumbs, and place in a greased pan. I foil the pan for easy clean-up afterwards. Spray with spray butter, for better browning . Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise and place in a zip-lock bag. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, and a teaspoon of Oregano. Marinate for 30 minutes. Broil for 20-30 minutes, turning once until tender and browned on edges. We like a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled when served.

Slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick. Arrange in a frying pan coated with cooking oil. Sprinkle with Paprika, and a little garlic, and Cook on medium turning frequently until browned and crispy.
And there you have it! A tasty dinner!

Beef Stroganoff and Honey Ginger Carrots

2009-11-24T06:18:00.005-05:00

Craig loves to cook!
And here's his recipe for Beef Stroganoff.
Take your choice of beef, he used top round for this one.
Slice bit size across the grain.
Season. Craig used garlic and cumin.
Add half a can of any beer, set aside.

In a pan saute 1/2 cup chopped onions and 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms with olive oil, or canola, till golden, then move to a plate.

Add meat to pan and cook till browned.
Reduce heat to simmer, Add onions and mushrooms to pan and add 3/4 cup skim milk with 1/2 cup light Alfredo sauce and packet of beef stroganoff mix. Stir and simmer until thickened.

Stir in 3 Tablespoons of sour cream. We used fat free sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

For the honey ginger carrots, microwave carrots in water till just fork tender. We used mini carrots. Drain. In a pan add carrots with spray butter. Add teaspoon ginger and drizzle with honey. Saute until golden, and glazed, about 5 minutes.

Now Craig rarely measures things for recipes, so the amounts I put in the recipes are estimates.

spicy-sweet pork tenderloin

2009-11-20T20:34:00.010-05:00

This was a new recipe we found in a magazine. It was very good! A nice change from broiling or baking.

Spicy-Sweet Pork Tenderloin

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
1/3 cup bottled salsa
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Flatten each pork piece to 1/2-inch thickness using your fingertips. Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mixture evenly over pork slices. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.
Add salsa and preserves to pan; increase heat to medium-high
Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
Serve pork with salsa mixture.
Now we used 2 pork cutlets instead of the pork tenderloin, and it was great!

We served it with pan fried potatoes, and marinated grilled asparagus with Parmesan and spray butter. Yummy!

Potato Salad

2009-11-10T06:24:00.003-05:00

Craig's delicious, creamy, Potato Salad recipe!

First off, there are a lot of different types of Potato Salads, and I like most all of them, (heck, I like most foods period!)
But this is my favorite! It's easy and tasty!.

2lbs cooked potatoes with skin on. (Craig prefers red potatoes, but you can use any kind)
1 cup chopped Onion
3 stalks chopped Celery
5 hard cooked eggs diced(with the yolks separated and put aside)
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip, Fat Free
1 Tbs white vinegar
2 packets of equal(or any artificial sweetener)
mustard to taste(Craig uses about 2 Tbs)
1/8 tsp pepper.

Put the first 4 items in a large bowl.
Mix the rest of the items in a second bowl and add the mashed yolks and stir.
Add the creamed mixture to the large bowl and stir.
Chill, and Enjoy!
You'd think Craig could at least smile for the camera! (he doesn't like his pic taken)

Graham Cracker Pudding Cake

2009-11-10T06:17:00.003-05:00

Here's a really easy dessert, that tastes like the riches cake you've ever eaten!

Graham Cracker Pudding Cake

-Graham Crackers
-Chocolate pudding
-Cool Whip
Place crackers on a serving plate,
any shape or size.
Spread pudding on cracker,
about the thickness of the cracker.
Then alternate pudding and
cracker until you reach the
size you want.
Cover and refrigerate till morning.
spread cool whip over top and sides,
maybe some colored sugar sprinkles,
and serve.
It is so tasty!!

String Pie

2009-11-10T06:09:00.004-05:00

Now this is one tasty dish!

8 ounces spaghetti
1 med onion peeled and finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta, drain.
Preheat oven to 350 F
Cook beef, onion, green pepper in large skillet over medium heat until meat is brown, stirring to separate meat. Drain drippings.
Stir in spaghetti sauce
In a large bowl, combine cooked spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and butter; mix well.
Place in bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan.
Spread cottage cheese over top
Pour meat sauce mixture over cottage cheese.
Bake 20 min or until hot
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of casserole and heat until melted.

Now Craig tends to modify all the recipes he finds, and for this one he added diced tomatoes and green onions when he served it.

The above pic is a piece that was left over. Forgot to take an original pic.

Stuffed Meat Loaf

2009-11-10T06:02:00.003-05:00

Craig makes many different meat loafs, but this ones my favorite!

Stuffed Meatloaf

1lb. extra lean ground beef
1lb Lean Hot Italian Turkey Sausage(casings removed)
dehydrated onion
3/4 cup grated zucchini
3/4 cup grated carrots
1-16oz can of pinto beans (drained and smashed)
2 eggs

Topping,
I can tomato paste
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 can sliced mushrooms

mix all ingredients in a bowl (except topping), cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 12oz pkg of Kraft free shredded cheddar cheese with enough Egg Beaters to moisten.
On waxed paper, sprayed with cooking spray, spread the meat mixture out to about 1 inch thick.
Spread cheese over the meat leaving 1 inch from edges.
Roll into a log or fold in half and put in a casserole dish. Seal the ends by pinching the meat together.
Bake at 350 for an hour and.
Remove from oven (Careful, it will be hot!)
Spread topping over the top, bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until done.
Remove from oven (careful, still hot! use oven mitts!)

Let cool 10-15 minutes.

Creamy Turkey Pie

2009-11-10T05:56:00.003-05:00

Here's another recipe to warm you on a cold day. Creamy Turkey Pie!

Creamy Turkey Pie

1lb ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 pkg low fat refrigerated biscuits or bread
(the kind in a rolled can)
1 egg
1 cup fat-free cream-style cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbs flour
chopped tomatoes
chopped onions
4 oz. fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Brown turkey with salt and pepper, and saute onions. Drain.
Stir in cream cheese til combined, add mushrooms, set aside.
In a lightly greased 9 inch pie plate, spread bread dough, pressing onto bottom and up the sides to about 1/2 inch over edges.
Spoon in turkey mixture, spreading evenly.
In a bowl, combine egg(remove the shell), cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and flour. Mix till smooth. Spoon over turkey mixture.
Bake uncovered 25-30 min at 350.
Remove from oven(careful, hot!). Let stand 10 min.
Garnish with tomatoes and onions, and cheese.
Enjoy!

Wet Burritos

2009-11-08T05:15:00.004-05:00

For this edition of C/C, here's a favorite of mine, wet burritos! They're soooo tasty!
And he makes them low fat. Here's the recipe.
6 large flour tortillas
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can enchilada sauce
1 pkg brown gravy
1 8oz bag fat free shredded cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream
3 bunches chopped green onions
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
1 pkg low sodium taco mix
Brown the ground beef and add the taco mix, let simmer according to directions. Heat refried beans. heat the enchilada sauce mixed with the brown gravy.
Lay out a flour tortilla, spread some of the refried beans, the beef, onions, cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes. Roll up and place in casserole dish.
Then pour enchilada/gravy sauce over them and garnish with left over cheese, onions, and tomatoes. Heat in microwave or oven until warmed through.
Enjoy!
This recipe should make 6 burritos.

Home made Pizza

2009-11-02T12:00:00.009-05:00

Home made pizza.
Start out with store bought pizza dough. Make it to instructions and spread out on a pizza stone.

Spread store bought pizza sauce over dough, then mushrooms, meat, and finally mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 until crust is golden brown.

What makes this a better pizza health wise, is he uses 4% fat ground beef, and 2% Mozzarella cheese. He also adds mushrooms. We like our pizza's fairly basic.

And of course for the best crust, you have to use a pizza stone.

Home made Nachos

2009-11-02T11:55:00.002-05:00

A good easy lowfat Nachos.

We love nachos!

And to make them better for us, we used baked tortilla chips,

2% Mexican shredded cheese,

and 96% lean ground beef.

Spread the cooked ground beef over the chips, top with diced tomatoes, and green onions, add the cheese, stick it under the broiler for a few min. and enjoy!

Pineapple Pecan Cream Pie

2009-11-02T11:47:00.001-05:00

An absolutely heavenly pie!

Pineapple Pecan Cream Pie

1 can crushed Pineapple
1 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz cool whip
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat sugar and crushed pineapple, add cornstarch mixed with water till you have a pie filling consistency. Cool .Mix condensed milk with cool whip. Gradually add Lemon juice. Fold in chopped pecans and the cooled pineapple mixture.Pour into a baked 9-10 in pie shell.
Chill for at least 2 hours, if you can wait that long!

Teriaki Chicken wings

2009-11-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

Teriaki Chicken wings

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger
2-4 lbs chicken wings
combine all ingredients, marinate wings 24-48 hrs, place wings skin side up on lightly greased cookie sheet bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hrs

Tomato Cups

2009-11-02T11:24:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful appetizer! And easy and quick! Your guests will love them!

Now we filled them up full, and they were perfect!

Turkey Rice Casserole

2009-11-02T07:56:00.005-05:00

Turkey Rice Casserole.

This is a great recipe for using leftover Turkey!

Pre-cook long grain rice. Craig added chopped green onions and carrots while cooking the rice for a color and nutritional boost.

Put half the rice in a greased baking dish. Top with turkey, chopped onions, sliced mushrooms, and fat free shredded cheese. Top with rest of the rice mixture and top with remaining gravy. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Yummy!

Baked Pork Cutlets and Stuffing

2009-11-02T07:51:00.000-05:00

Baked Pork Cutlets and Stuffing.

Take one package of stuffing mix,

one package mixed frozen vegetables.

Thaw first. We used Broccoli, Corn, Red Peppers, and Cauliflower.

You could use fresh also but the frozen was easier.

One can Cream of mushroom soup. You could use any cream soup you want.

Mix all three together and put into casserole dish.

Trim excess fat from Pork Cutlets, season and place on top of stuffing mixture. See pics.We used Garlic, Cilantro, and Cumin.You can use what ever you like.

Bake at 400 for 40 min.

Enjoy!

Corned Beef Dinner

2009-11-02T07:25:00.001-05:00

Corned Beef Dinner!

This is the most tender tasty Corned beef you'll ever eat!

2 Cups water

1 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Cup Chopped Carrot

1 Cup Chopped Celery

1 Bottle Guinness Stout Beer

1 Can Low Salt Beef Broth

2/3 Cup brown Sugar1 Can Tomato Paste

1 Tablespoon Dill Weed

6 Black Peppercorns

2 Whole Cloves

Combine everything in a slow cooker.

Top with 3 lbs Corned beef Brisket. (trimmed of fat)

Cook on high 8 hours.

Discard liquid and serve.

And with it we had fried cabbage, and boiled Potatoes.

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole

2009-11-02T07:19:00.001-05:00

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole

7 ounces spaghetti 1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried Basil

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, toss spaghetti with egg substitute and Parmesan cheese. Spread evenly into a 15x10x1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion, and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
Add garlic, cook one minute longer. Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasonings., and heat through.
Spoon over spaghetti. Top with mushrooms and cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
I mean, it really tasted like pizza! And sooo easy!

Southwest Pasta Bake

2009-11-02T07:15:00.002-05:00

Southwest Pasta Bake

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1 pkg (8oz) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 pkg (10 ox) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pd lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (16oz) picante sauce
1 can (8oz) no-salt added tomato sauce
1 can (60z) no-salt added tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup (4oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk Stir in spinach and oregano; set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat: simmer uncovered, for 5 min. Drain pasta: stir into meat mixture.
In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture, then all of the spinach mixture, then top with remaining meat mixture.
Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover: sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 min. longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Asparagus and Chicken Carbonara

2009-11-02T07:09:00.000-05:00

This recipe was a little more involved than I usually like, but it was sooo well worth it!

Asparagus and Chicken Carbonara

Yield 5 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast meat
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Preparation;
Cook pasta in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente;
add asparagus during final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid.
Combine reserved cooking liquid, egg substitute, and milk, stirring with a whisk.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add vermouth; cook 1 minute. Add pasta mixture; stir to combine. Remove from heat; stir in milk mixture, chicken, and cheese. Place pan over medium heat, and cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and bacon.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Butternut Squash

2009-11-02T06:25:00.001-05:00

I've always had butternut squash cooked one way. Cut in half, baked, then scooped and mashed. This recipe was a delightful change.

Roasted butternut Squash with Mustard Vinaigrette

3 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs each) peeled, seeded and cut into half moons.
8 shallots, cut into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/4 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 375. Toss the vegetables with a total of 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with a total if 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange single layer on baking sheet and roast, turning once, until golden brown and tender. 50-55 minutes.
Meanwhile, simmer the cider in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, 12-15 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard, parsley, the remaining oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
Transfer the squash and shallots to a serving dish and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

This was served with Herbed Roasted Pork.

Herbed Roast Pork

2009-11-02T06:17:00.000-05:00

This is a very easy pork roast.
Use a slow cooker to free up your time and have the house smell good all day.

Herbed Pork Roast

3 large cloves of garlic
2 1/2 -3 Pound pork roast, boneless or bone in.
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup water

Cook at lo for 9-10- hours
hi for 5-6 hours

1. cut 12 small pockets into roast and insert garlic pieces. In a small bowl combine salt, thyme, sage, cloves, and lemon peel. Rub into roast.

2. Pour 1/2 cup water into slow cooker. Add roast. cover and cook for desired time or until inside temp reaches 170 or higher.

3. Allow roast to stand 10 - 15 minutes before carving. Remove garlic pieces.

Juices may be thickened for gravy if desired. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Set control to HI. Stir slowly into juices until thickened.
Serves 4-6
I served this with Roasted Butternut Squash, and mashed potatoes