Asian Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from Allrecipes

We love lettuce wraps. This is a delicious and easy recipe. 

Ingredients:

Lettuce leaves, preferably Boston Bibb or butter

1 pound lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

ground ginger to taste

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped, 

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tsp. sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry. Set aside. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 Tbsp. of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain and set aside to cool. Cook the onions int he same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, and vinegar to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Place one to two spoonfuls in a lettuce leaf and enjoy.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes

My family loved this soup.  My 8 month old who is super picky about what she eats even loved it. I sat at the table feeding her long after everyone else had finished. I'll definitely be making this one again!

Ingredients:  

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked

1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or just mash diced or whole tomatoes)

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chili peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Toppings:

chopped avocados

sour cream

tortilla chips or strips

cheese

limes

Combine ingredients in a crock pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low  or 3-4 hours on high. Shred chicken before serving. Garnish with avocados, sour cream, tortilla chips, cheese and squeeze some lime juice on top. 

KFC Coleslaw

Source Unknown

I love Coleslaw and love KFC's version of it. This tastes pretty authentic.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:  

8 cups finely chopped cabbage

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayo, buttermilk, vinegar and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Toss with cabbage and carrots. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Allrecipes

This recipe started a love affair for me with roasted vegetables.  Pretty much every Sunday since I made this we have had roasted vegetables.  So healthy and so filling!  Mmmm...

Ingredients:
• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 1 Tbs thyme
• 2 Tbs rosemary
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables. In a small bowl combine the thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
• Roast for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Additional vegetables that could be added or substituted: zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, turnips, any bell pepper, etc…

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Adapted from Allrecipes

These reminded me of stuffed pepper which I love.  The stuffing tasted very similar to meatloaf.  

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
•  1  ½ lbs ground beef, cooked
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• ¼ cup grated carrot
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheee
• 1 (26.5 oz) can spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Scoop out and discard zucchini seeds, leaving the hollowed-out shells.  Sprinkle the garlic salt into the hollowed-out zucchini and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, basil, carrot and Parmesan cheese together with the onion mixture.  Stuff the zucchini halves with the meat mixture and place them into a baking dish.  Spoon about half the spaghetti sauce over the zucchini, covering all the meat and allowing sauce to drip down the sides of the zucchini boats.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the zucchini and return to oven until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.  Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat while the zucchini boats are cooking.  Serve the zucchini boats with the additional sauce on the side.   

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Sweet Peas Kitchen

I love roasted vegetables!  I really am on a huge roasted veggie kick this winter.  Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, so this was a fantastic new recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons and 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Honey

Directions:

• In a ziploc bag, combine brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; shake to mix the ingredients. Add olive oil. Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Allow sweet potato mixture sit on counter for 10 minutes, turning once.
• Spray a 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add sweet potato mixture to dish and drizzle with honey.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring every 10 minutes.

Veggies and Finger Dip

Here's a fun way to eat veggies around Halloween!

Ingredients:

Cut up vegetables

Unpeeled carrots

Cream cheese

Almond slices

Your favorite vegetable dip

Peel carrots. Using knife, carve "knuckles" on carrot fingers. Use cream cheese to hold "nail" to carrot. Arrange carrot fingers in vegetable dip. Serve with cut up vegetables.

Moroccan Style Acorn Squash

Adapted from Allrecipes

I LOVE squash!  This unusual combination of  ingredients turned out delicious and was a great vegetarian dish!

Oriental Bok Choy Salad

Adapted from my friend, Lynell

We received bok choy for our farmers market co-op a few weeks ago.  I had never cooked with bok choy before, but my friend suggested this recipe.  I am so glad I followed her suggestion!  It is definitely not a healthy salad but it is delicious!

Ingredients:

Oriental Bok Choy Salad 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 bottle (1 oz.) sesame seeds
• 2 pkgs. Ramen noodles (broken up), do not use flavor packet
• 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 1 head  bok choy lettuce
• 2-3 green onions

Dressing 

• 3/4 cup veg. oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions: 

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sesame seeds, noodles, almonds, and sugar. Stir all the time until lightly browned. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Toss bok choy and onions together. Mix and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, break up the crunchy mixture. Add to bok choy and pour dressing over. Mix and serve.
• For the Dressing:  Mix all ingredients well and chill until ready to use.

Veggie Lasagna with Butternut Squash

Adapted from Allrecipes

I am so excited that Fall is here because that means it is time to eat squash!  Squash of all kinds (butternut, spaghetti, zucchini, yellow and acorn) are my favorite...well, that and broccoli at the moment.  I kind of go through veggie phases, but squash is a consistent one.  This is a yummy lasagna that highlights butternut squash.

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans of favorite Ragu sauce
• 3.5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2 zucchini, peeled and sliced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 oz) package fresh or frozen spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze to remove excess water)
• 1 (15 oz) container fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (6 oz) package shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 9 lasagna noodles

 Directions:

• Place the butternut squash in a large, microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave on High until tender, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook your lasagna noodles in boiling water until al dente.  Remove from boiling water and set aside.
• Stir the ricotta cheese, egg, 2 Tbs, parsley, ¼ tsp black pepper and about 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese together in a bowl.  Set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pour 1 ½ cups of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Arrange 3 of the lasagna noodles in a layer over the sauce.  Spread 1 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle about half of the butternut squash over the ricotta cheese nixture.  Layer about half of the wilted spinach over the butternut squash.  Layer about half the zucchini slices over the spinach layer.  Layer the mushroom pieces over the zucchini layer.  Repeat the layering.  Top with the 3 remaining lasagna noodles.  Finish by topping with any remaining sauce mixture.  Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil and the remaining Mozzarella over the top of the lasagna.  Return to oven and bake uncovered until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes more.  Remove and allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before cutting to serve.       

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe from Leslie Koyle

Everyone I have made this soup for just raves about it. It's the perfect soup for a chilly fall day!

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. chopped onion

4 Tbsp. butter

6 cups peeled, cubed squash (about 5 pounds)

3 cans chicken broth

1/2 tsp. marjoram

1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Pepper to taste

4-6 oz. cream cheese

Saute the onions in butter until translucent. Add the squash, chicken broth, and spices. Let it boil for 20 minutes, or until the squash is fully tender. Remove from heat. Add the cream cheese, let it melt a little. Puree in batches. Return to pot and heat through (if it is too thick, add a little milk.)

To roast the squash, cut in half and seed. Brush with oil, add salt and pepper. Place face down in a glass pan and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350. When cool, scoop out the squash, cut into rough cubes.

Farmer's Market Corn Toss

Adapted from Kraft Foods

Our farmer's market co-op gives us lots of fresh vegetables...especially corn.  It seems we have a plethura of corn on the cob and I'm not really sure what to do with all of it.  But I found this side dish, which was yummy and included zucchini.  I love all squashes, including zucchini.  Anyway, this was a great dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 ears corn on the cob, kernels cut off
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 4 Tbs grated parmesan cheese, divided 

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onions and red peppers; cook and stir 3 minutes.  Stir in corn and zucchini; cook and stir 5 minutes or until all vegetables are crisp-tender.  Remove from heat.
• Stir in parsley, black pepper and 2 Tbs cheese.  Top with remaining cheese.

Summer Peach and Tomato Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light

I LOVED this....I will admit that Tim didn't nearly as much.  So, it might be one of those hit or miss dishes depending on what is pleasing to your own personal palette.  But for me, the combo of peaches and cherry tomatoes with my favorite cheese--feta-- was stellar.  I was especially pleased with it because the dish made good use of the peaches in my fridge. 

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• ½ lb ripe peaches, pitted and cut into chunks
• ½ lb cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbs parsley or basil leaves, torn

Directions:

• Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
• Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle vinegar mixture over peach mixture; toss well to coat.  Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Baked Artichokes

Adapted from Home Cooking the Costco Way

Dal gets to claim these artichokes cuz he made them as part of my Mother's Day meal. They turned out to be delicious! You can easily bake more than one artichoke at a time for larger crowds. Just increase the ingredients as needed.

Ingredients:

1 whole artichoke, rinsed and trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (or preferred dry seasoning)

2 fresh garlic cloves, quartered

2 squares aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread artichoke petals open to season. Between the petals, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt and stuff garlic pieces. Tightly double wrap and seal the seasoned artichoke with foil. Place the foil-wrapped artichoke in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before unwrapping the artichoke.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Tried & True Recipes from the Ladies of the Innesbrook Ward Cookbook

I love sweet potato fries.  And the love extends to sweet potatoes in general.  However, I have trouble finding them in grocery stores.  Instead the stores I frequent seem to carry more yams than sweet potatoes.  Anyway, when I happened upon these I immediately remembered this recipe and decided I HAD to make it.  It was delicious!  I substituted green onions for chives since they are a little less spendy and I really enjoyed the switch. 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried
• 4 sliced Canadian bacon, cut into tiny cubes (or real bacon, cooked and crumbled)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped (or green onions, chopped)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Note:  All these ingredients amounts are approximate.  Use more or less of any ingredient to taste.

Directions:

• Poke several holes in each sweet potato with a knife or fork.  Wrap each sweet potato in a paper towel and place in the microwave.  Cook on high until the potatoes are soft in the middle.  (Some microwaves have a potato setting.) For a medium sized potato it will take about 10 minutes.  You can cook them in the oven but it takes much longer.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Remove the potatoes from the microwave.  Once they are cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out most of the centers into a small bowl.  Combine the sweet potato to flesh with the sour cream, Canadian bacon, Cheddar cheese, and chives.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Mash together with a fork or spoon.  Stuff the potatoes with the mixture.  Sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese.
• Place stuffed potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the skin has started to crisp.  Remove from the oven, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with more chives (both optional).  Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Curried Roasted Pear & Squash Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes

This recipe caught my eye because of the pear.  How would the sweetness pair (pear?  ha, ha!) with the curry and squash?  It was fantastic.  The sweetness was slight, but evident.  I really like curry and had made a curried butternut squash soup before, so I knew I would enjoy this part of the recipe.  I am somewhat assuming this will be my last butternut squash recipe until Fall since I am more in the mood for "Summer" food lately, but this was a great way to end the soup and squash season!

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 3 ½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup milk
• Dash cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  In a large bowl, toss squash, pear and garlic with enough olive oil to lightly coat.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté onion in butter until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).  Stir in the ginger and curry powder and sauté  for 1 minute.  Add the roasted squash, pears, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool slightly before pureeing in batches in a blender.
• Return the soup to the pot over low heat.  Stir in the milk.  Season with a dash of cinnamon and salt and ground black pepper, to taste.  Serve warm.

Serves 4-6

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa

Adapted from Cooking Light

Quick.  Fresh flavor. Lots of veggies.  Feel good at the end of the meal.  Check, check, check, CHECK!  We are all geared up for Spring/Summer meals in our household.  This one hit the spot.  I served with some wild rice on the side.

Ingredients:

Salmon:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
• Cooking spray

Salsa:

• 1 cup prechopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped tomato
• 2 Tbs prechopped red onion
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ½ tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

• To prepare salmon, heat a grill at medium-high heat.  Combine first 5 ingredients; rub evenly over fillets.  Coat grill grate with cooking spray.  Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  (Salmon should flake easily with a fork.)
• While fish cooks, prepare salsa.  Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients.  Serve salsa with fillets.

Bacon & Butternut Squash Pasta

Adapted from Cooking Light

This was delicious!  It did take some time to prepare, especially since it uses butternut squash, which is always a bit more involved.  But the outcome was SO worth the effort.  I would definitely recommend it for a Sunday meal when you have a little more time to devote to cooking.  I served with a Light Caesar salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (3 cups diced)
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (or 1 ½ tsp fresh)
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ lb bacon
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• Pinch nutmeg
• 8 oz whole wheat penne, shells, or macaroni
• ¾ cup sharp provolone, shredded
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 425 F.   Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly gresse with cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl toss squash and rosemary with olive oil to coat.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden. 

3.      Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain; set aside.

4.      Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Set aside to drain. Reserve 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet. Crumble bacon once cooled.

5.      Sauté shallots and garlic in the reserved bacon grease over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the cream, 1/2 cup at a time, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Season with a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. 

6.      In a large bowl, toss to combine 3/4 of the roasted squash, the cooked pasta, 3/4 of the crumbled bacon, the sauce, and the Provolone and Parmesan (reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top). Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 baking dish. Top with the remaining bacon and squash. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

7.      Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let set several minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

My friend made these for me when we brought Mason home and I have been hooked ever since.  She served them the with regular spaghetti noodles, since she didn't know if we were adventurous enough to try it with spaghetti squash...obviously we are!  I LOVE spaghetti squash and this is the perfect meal for them.  This recipe makes a lot of meatballs so be prepared to serve a group, eat leftovers or freeze half of them.  They are so good, though, that I usually eat the leftovers {which means a lot since I am generally not a fan of leftovers right away... they usually go in the freezer until I crave the dish again or until I don't have time to cook.}.  Anyway, the fresh parsley in this dish is a MUST.  Don't substitute for the dry herb.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. low fat ground beef
• ¾ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestshire sauce
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 whole fresh Mozzarella ball
• 1 large spaghetti squash

Directions:

• To bake the squash, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and lay open side up on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil (optional) and season with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes.  When done, use fork to strip insides.  It should be stringy, not a soft noodle.
• In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs, pepper, Worcestshire sauce, egg, milk and parsley.  Add the ground beef until just incorporated; do not over mix.
• Using a cookie scoop, scoop out meatballs.  Take the meatball, place a small amount of Mozarella cheese in the middle and form the ball so the cheese is completely covered.
• Brown the meatball until almost completely cooked, place the meatball on a fofil covered baking pan and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Serve with favorite Ragu.

Makes approximately 30 meatballs.  Serves 4.

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

I'm always looking for new ways to cook vegetables. This was so delicious, I think it's one of my new favorite ways to cook asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 pound of asparagus

olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan Cheese

lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom half of each. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute. Serve with lemon wedges.