Some What Cobb Salad

Well, this is just about the only way to get my other half to eat salad. With all of the extra ingredients and dressing, it probably has a TON of calories.... but it's oh so good.

I'm sure by the picture you can see all of the ingredients. There is some avocado in there, just in case you can't see it ;) Delish!

Bow Tie Pasta w/ Turkey Sausage

Since Patrick has been out of town I have been eating all kinds of food with tomato sauce. :) I made this dish last night and it was so delish! It's very easy, took about 20 minutes and I even had left overs for lunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box bow tie pasta, cooked
1 pkg turkey kielbasa sausage, chopped
1 pkg spinach
1 jar marinara sauce
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Black olives, sliced
A few dashes red pepper flakes

Fry sausage and garlic in a bit of olive oil until sausage has browned. Add spinach and cook for a few minutes. Add marinara sauce and olives and simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix the marinara sauce in with the bow tie pasta, add red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese to taste. Top with additional parm cheese if desired.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

1 pkg diced proscuitto

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Dash or two of crushed red peppers

1 cup chicken stock

2 large egg yolks

1 cup pasta water

1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 Zuchinni

Parsley, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Noodles of your choice (I use linguini)

Directions:Cook noodles as per package. Saute zuchinni in a bit of olive oil for about a minute. Add proscuitto and let it brown. Add additional olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for around 2 minutes. Add stock to the pan and reduce the liquid by half. Beat egg yolks then stirl in ladle of pasta water. Drain pasta, and add to pan with proscuitto and garlic. Remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt & pepper and toss until sacue is absorbed. Adjust to taste and serve immediately.

Crockpot Creation

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted. I promise I'm getting back into the swing of things. I've made a dish kind of similar to this before, but we both liked this one much better. It's easy and delish!

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 pkg italian dressing mix

1 pkg egg noodles

chopped parsley (i'll add this next time)

Add all ingredients (except cream cheese and egg noodles) in crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours. Add cream cheese and cook for an additional 30 min - 1 hour. Serve over egg noodles. I sauteed spinach with garlic and served it on the side. :)

Heaven in a bowl

A good friend of mine gave me this recipe years back. I was going through my recipe cards the other day and found it. I was so excited to make it for Patrick. This, my friends, is just about the easiest and yummiest dessert ever! You can make it as low-fat as possible and it still has tons of flavor. Enjoy!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 Box graham crackers

1 Squeeze bottle Chocolate Syrup (low fat)

1 Package White Chocolate Pudding (fat free)

2 Tubs Cool Whip (low fat or fat free)

Make pudding and chill for 30 minutes. Layer in a pan; Graham Crackers, hershey's syrup, pudding, cool whip until the top of the pan. Cover and refridgerate over night. Before serving cover the top with cool whip and serve. YUMMO!

Cheesy Meatloaf

Ok, we can all safely say I'm not the best at taking food pics. lol Not the greatest pic of meatloaf, but it was the best I've ever had. The P man ate it up too. I will always make my meatloaf like this from now on. Believe me- so will you! Yummmm!

Cheesy Meatloaf
Courtesy Nicole

Ingredients:
1 pkg lean ground beef
1 roll sausage (I used hot)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound Colby cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a loaf pan. Bake for around 45 minutes. Let it sit for around 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Mustard Chicken

All I can say about this chicken is YUMMO! On my way home from dropping my nephew off last week I stopped by one of those fruit stands on the side of the highway. (I love those places!) I bought a bunch of junk snack food and a jar of jalapeno honey mustard. Well, well, well... this stuff is just about the best mustard ever! It's sweet and hot all in one bite. That night I tenderized some chicken breasts and basted a sauce using this mustard over them. It was soooo good! I served it with Salvadorean rice that I learned to make from one of my best friends. Enjoy!

Sauce:
Jalapeno honey mustard, about 5 tablespoons
Olive oil, a few drizzles
Lemon juice, zest included
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons

I can't remember exactly how much I used of each, but you can adjust to your taste. Stir in the olive oil to the mustard, then the vinegar & lemon juice & zest. Salt & pepper to taste.

I floured the chicken breast after tenderizing them. Then pan fried then in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Brush the mustard sauce on each side as you turn the chicken. I cooked the chicken for about 10 minutes. The chicken was very juicy and tender. Delish!

Salvadorean rice:
1 cup rice
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons oil

In oil saute bell pepper, onion and tomato until onion is translucent. Add rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until the rice gets light brown. Add chicken bouillon cubes. Add water until rice is covered (I'd say about 1 1/2 cups). Salt & pepper to taste. Cover, and cook on simmer until water has evaporated. Serves around 4 peeps. Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken

Not the greatest picture, but this dish was almost as good as it tastes in the restaurant. I had originally taken the recipe from weight watchers but changed it up a bit. It was actually quite easy to make and easy clean up. I was happy cause Patrick ate his veggies without even blinking an eye! (I think he accidentally ate some onions too) lol

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
2 tsp peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 can bean sprouts (I added this)
2 medium stalk celery, chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 3/4 oz dry-roasted cashews, chopped (about 6 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, or more to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (omitted this)
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cup cooked brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.Add 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, celery, bean sprouts to chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.To serve, divide rice among 4 shallow dishes. Spoon chicken mixture onto rice and sprinkle with cashews. Yields about 1 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cashews per serving

Leftover Salmon

I usually have issues using left over fish. I finally have come to my senses and realized I can use it in salads. We had salmon and potatoes the other night so I used the leftovers for salad with balsamic dressing. It was simple and delish. I even got the P man to have a plate. :)

All I did was mix a few tablespoons of olive oil into some balsamic vinegar along with a squeeze of lemon with lemon zest (salt & pepper). I had also added avocados and it was to die for!

Crockpot Angel Chicken

This is the first time I've ever used a crock pot to make dinner. I put all the ingredients together and cooked on low for 4 hours. It was super easy and delish! This dish tasted a lot like the chicken tetrazini I make. Patrick absolutely loved it. I liked it too but it was kind of rich for me so I will only be making it once in a blue moon.

Crockpot Angel Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg dry italian salad dressing mix
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup white wine (cooking wine or regular drinking wine)
4oz. onion & chive cream cheese
pkg angel hair pasta (cook according to box directions)

Place chicken in crock pot. In sauce pan melt butter. Stir in italian salad dressing mix, soup, cream cheese & wine. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Pour over cooked angel hair pasta or any kind of noodle you desire. (Rice works well also).

Chicken Mug Pies

Oh my goodness! This dish was heavenly! Another one of Rachael Ray's dishes to add to the favs. This is especially great on a cold winter night. I forgot to chop up onions, but just added onion & garlic powder towards the end and it was so flavorful. Enjoy!

1 tube jumbo bake-off butter biscuits
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast pieces, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 ribs celery and greens from the heart, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded potatoes, ready to cook hash browns
1 pint half-and-half or cream
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, a healthy grating
1 cup frozen green peas

Preheat oven according to package directions and arrange biscuits on cookie sheet. In a medium pot over medium to medium high heat, cook chicken in butter 2 minutes then add veggies and season with salt and pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 minutes more, add flour cook another minute. Add potatoes, then whisk in half-and-half or cream and chicken stock. Add nutmeg. Bring soup to a boil by raising heat, then turn heat back to simmer and cook soup another 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Add peas. Stir in to warm them through a minute.

Serve mugs of soup with biscuits on top to cap the mug: chicken mug pies!

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

I had to tweak this recipe a bit but it was still great and super easy!!

1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Baked Potato Soup

I have been craving Baked Potato Soup. When I was browsing foodie sites the other day I came across this post and this one and was inspired. I knew I was taking a chance in making soup cause "The Man" doesn't care too much for soup. I went ahead and made it though, thinking that he'd like it since it had potatoes in it. Well, he ate it, but he wasn't too impressed. I, on the other hand, thought it was delicious and plan to make it again soon for my family. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 medium baked potatoes
1 pkg. bacon
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 c. green onions, thinly sliced
1 can 14 oz. chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

2 c. broccoli florets
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Remove skins from cooled baked potatoes and coarsely mash them. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain; crumble and set aside. Discard all but 1/2 tsp drippings in pan. In a dutch oven add celery, garlic, green onions and broccoli. Saute for approx 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, milk, mashed potatoes, salt, pepper, and bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 mins. Stir in sour cream. Ladle into bowls and serve with cheese and green onions.

Pasta with Spinach, Bacon and Mushrooms

My friend Misslionheart posted this recipe and it looked so yummy. Although a little heavy we both enjoyed this meal. I only had to make a few adjustments for "his Highness".

Ingredients
1/2 box of penne pasta
6 slices bacon or turkey bacon
2 T garlic butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion diced (I omitted this and used onion powder)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg button mushrooms, sliced
garlic salt to taste
1 bag of baby spinach
1 T flour
1 c half and half (*Sub double cream)
*1 c chicken broth
1/2 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook penne pasta and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a big skillet, cook the bacon. (If you’re using real bacon, you’ll need to drain most of the extra grease off.)
Set the cooked bacon aside on a plate and crumble once cool.
In the leftover fat and 1 T of the garlic butter, sauté the garlic and onion over medium-low until very well browned, 20-30 mins (Since I didnt add onions I only cooked the garlic in the butter for about 5 minutes)Add mushrooms, season with garlic salt, (onion powder) and cook until reduced, 10 or so minutes. Add the spinach and cook over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix together the pasta, bacon and the sautéed vegetables in a large serving bowl.
In the still hot pan, melt the remaining T of garlic butter. Add flour and make a paste.
Add a couple of ounces of half and half, chicken broth and stir well until no lumps remain.
Slowly add the rest of the half and half, stirring constantly.
Once smooth, boil 30 to 60 seconds until just slightly thickened, still stirring constantly.
Add the parmesan to the sauce and stir just until melted.
Pour sauce over pasta, bacon and veggie combo, and mix well.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Lemon Chicken

Ok, it's the the prettiest looking dish ever, but it sure was good! I tweaked the recipe a little. I actually left the red peppers and onions in, big pieces of course. (I think Hubby even accidentally ate a few onions! OOPS!) lol This dish was super easy to make - and quick. It took me about 20 minutes. I didn't serve anything on the side since the recipe made so much. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Cooking spray (*Sub about 2 tablespoons olive oil)

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/4 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 cups instant rice (*Sub- 2 pkgs Uncle Ben's long grain 2 minute rice)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese (*Sub parmesano)

*I added about 3 cloves of crushed garlic when I sauted the chicken

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken, chopped onion, and red bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in rice, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in artichokes, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 324(8% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 1g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 35g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 120mg; SODIUM 773mg; FIBER 8.3g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.7g

Shrimp with Angel Hair

One of my creations (like hubs likes to call, experiments for the guinea). Anyway, this was easy and very tasteful. Hope you likey!

Ingredients:
Angel hair pasta
1-2 bags of raw jumbo prawns
5 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
butter
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed (as if you didn't already know)
In large saucepan melt about 2 tablespoons of butter, add garlic and cook for around 2 minutes
Salt & Pepper the shrimp and add to the saucepan. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. (I have this jar of pepper mixed with red pepper and its awesome!)
Cook the shrimp until they are all pink and remove from pan
In the same saucepan add 1/2 cup of wine, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and another 2 tablespoons of butter, bring to a boil. Add the shrimp back to the pan and cook for an additional few minutes. Drain the pasta then add the shrimp with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley if you wish. Enjoy!

Herbed Pork Chops

Ok, not the greatest pic in the world, but ooohhhh so good! I changed up the original recipe a bit and served the chops with refried beans (low fat- YEAH RIGHT) and leftover Mexican rice.

2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 to 6 boneless pork chops
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. water

Combine flour, sage, garlic powder and paprika in a shallow pan. Coat pork chops lightly with flour mixture. Melt margarine in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops; cook 10 minutes until both sides are browned. Push chops to one side of skillet and spoon off excess fat. Stir in soup and water, stirring to loosen brown bits in pan. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chops are tender. Server over hot cooked wild or white rice. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My good friend made this for my bachlorette party last year and it was sooo good. So last night I made it for my family and everyone cleaned their plate. (I forgot to take a picture) Easy, quick and DELISH! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 rotisserie chickens, shredded
2 cans fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 can mild rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies)
corn tortillas
sharp shredded cheese

Mix cream soups and rotel together in a large bowl. Heat in microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add shredded chicken to soup mixture. In a large casserole dish place tortillas on the bottom. Spread chicken mixture over tortillas, sprinkle cheese over chicken. Re layer over and over until you run out of mixture. Last layer should be cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly and cheese has melted. Serves around 8.

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

I was supposed to make this tonight, but honestly it just seemed TOO healthy. Then I remembered my dear friend Liz at Mommy Chef posted this a few weeks ago. It was delicious! Very saucy (and as Liz said, this would be a kid friendly dish). I made the onions and peppers big enough for my big kid to pick them out. Oh so good!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Courtesy Mommy Chef

Patrick's review: A "Although I didn't go for all the peppers, the chicken was juicy and the sauce was creamy. I would definitely have this again."

2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/4 lbs chicken breast, cut into strips
3 tsp olive oil,divided (I used toasted sesame oil)
1 c chopped onion
1 c thinly sliced green pepper
1 c thinly sliced red pepper
1 1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms (we didnt have any)
1 tsp minced garlic
Hot Cooked Rice

In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients until smooth; set asideIn a large skillet or wok stir fry chicken in 1-1/2 tsp oil for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Stir fry onion and peppers in the remaining oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir fry 3-4 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken. Heat through. Serve with rice.

Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Patrick and my favorite restaurant is called Texas de Brazil. They have this delicious chimichurri sauce that I just LOVE. So tonight I tried to make it and to my surprise it almost tasted like theirs. I drizzed it over the medium rare ribeye steaks (yumm) and served the steak with mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Here is the chimichurri sauce recipe... it's "fab" with steak.

Chimichurri Sauce:
3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper