Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kabobs

Now that the summer is coming to an end, it is finally comfortable enough down here in Florida to start grilling out back again. In an effort to eat more protein and veggies, I am looking for recipes that are filling without having to add a carb-filled side dish. These kabobs are really good and the recipe is extremely flexible. I made these with tomatoes and mushrooms since that's what I had on hand, but any veggie that you can skewer with a stick would work. I try to limit the amount of red meat I eat, but if you get a nice lean cut of meat like a sirloin or flank steak, it's fine to eat every now and then. This makes a filling meal, perfect right before a jog or workout.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean sirloin steak, cut into 1" x 1" chunks

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Button or baby bella mushrooms

Dash of your favorite steak seasoning

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Dash of salt and pepper

splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar (optional)

Kabob skewers (metal or wood)

Directions:

1. Rub steak seasoning into steak cubes

2. Combine soy sauce, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Add steak chunks to bag and marinade 30 min to 1 hour (or overnight for best flavor)

3.  If using wood skewers, soak for 10-20 minutes to prevent burning on the grill. 

4. Assemble kabobs using vegetables and steak, alternating each to fill the kabob skewer

5. Grill on med-high for 10-15 minutes, turning every few minutes to cook all sides of the steak and char the vegetables

Savory Parmesan Oven Fries

It's been a long time since my last blog post! It's not easy blogging while working full time, but I always try to come back to my blog and add the recipes I'm most excited about. I recently completed a large project at work that kept me extremely busy, but I've had some time in the last few days to get things together. I have also decided to add some content to the blog in the coming weeks that I hope you enjoy. The new content will deal a lot with my recent experience getting fit with the help of P90X from Beachbody. I've been trying to come up with healthy meals and snacks that will help me meet my goals.

Today's recipe has been a long time in the making. My family loves french fries, but they just don't fit into a healthy lifestyle at all. As easy as it can be to pop some pre-packaged fries in the oven for the kids, I knew there had to be a better way. I've recently perfected this recipe so that it makes tasty, crispy fries that taste way better than the fried version. The secret is to coat the fries with spices that add to the flavor without needed a ton of fat. I am also working on a sweet potato version to pack even more nutrients into this side dish. 

Ingredients:

2-3 Baking Potatoes, washed and cut into strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

2. Soak potato slices in warm water for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse clean. Place slices in a large bowl. *Do not skip this step, rinsing the potatoes removes starch from the surface of the potato and makes for a crispier fry*

3. Drizzle olive oil over potato slices and mix with your hands to coat every slice

4. Mix the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Slowly mix in spice blend with your hands to coat the potato slices. 

5. Spray a baking pan very well with cooking spray (or use nonstick pan, but these do STICK! so be careful). Lay out potato slices in a single layer on the baking pan. 

6. Cook fries for 30 minutes in the oven, turning fries with a spatula about halfway through. 

Mini Cini's

I'm always looking for fun things to make on the weekends for breakfast. If I don't make something, we usually end up going out to breakfast or picking up Dunkin Donuts, which definitely adds up after a while. This recipe is relatively cheap and easy to make. I made the rolls ahead of time the night before so they were ready to cook in the morning. I also made two batches of this and froze half of them to have some other time.

These little mini cinnamon buns were a big hit with the kids, especially Avery who is all about eating miniature foods. They are not healthy by any stretch, but they are not as bad as some of the pre-made cinnamon buns you can buy at the store. I serve them with a turkey sausage and egg scramble and everyone leaves the table ready for the day. I will definitely be making these cuties again.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Unroll crescent rolls, and separate each dough portion along center perforation to form 3 rectangles; press diagonal perforations to seal.

2. Stir together butter and next 4 ingredients; spread evenly over 1 side of each rectangle.

3. Roll up jellyroll fashion, starting at long end. Gently cut each log into 1-inch-thick slices, using a serrated knife. Place rolls, 1/4 inch apart, into 2 (8-inch) greased cakepans.

4. Bake at 375° for 11 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Stir together powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. Drizzle over warm rolls.

Note: To make slicing easier, place unbaked rolls on baking sheet, and freeze for 10 minutes.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Shredded Chipotle Beef Tacos

There are times when I decide that I want to try a cooking technique just for the sake of trying it. I don't NEED to have freshly made corn taco shells, but I was tempted to make some so I could say I can do it. The tacos came out great, they were crunchy on the outside but also had a chewy texture. Would I do this every time we have a taco night? No, probably not. maybe if we had company over but it does take some time and it's a bit of a splurge, so it's a once-in-a-while kind of treat.

I've made the beef recipe before and it's great in pretty much everything, I use it in burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, and even as a pizza topping. It's an easy recipe because it takes just a little prep and it cooks in the crock pot all day. I love the smokey flavors of the chipotle and smoked paprika and the texture of the beef is perfect after cooking all day.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 lb boneless chuck roast
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Cup Canola Oil
Corn Tortillas
choice of toppings – lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Directions

1. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Rub into the beef, covering all the nooks and crannies and each side evenly.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Sear the meat on each side, using tongs to flip it. Remove and place in the bottom of a large slow cooker.

3. With the skillet remaining over the heat, deglaze with the beef stock and scrape up any brown bits. Whisk in the tomato paste and chipotle peppers. Once sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened and reduced.

4. Meanwhile, add the onion and garlic to the top of the beef in the slow cooker. Carefully pour the sauce over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

5. To make the taco shells, heat the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Slide a tortilla into the oil; use tongs to fold the tortilla in half and hold it partially open. Flip after about 1 minute. Fry for an additional minute, until the tortilla is slightly crisp. Continue with the remaining tortillas, storing the fried tortillas in the warm oven.

6. Once the meat is fork tender, remove and shred with two forks. Pour a portion of the sauce, over top of the meat and let soak to enhance flavor.

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter and The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Easy Mexican Casserole

I like a good casserole every once in a while. I especially like ones that contain beans, some veggies, and a meat that can be switched out for some lean turkey breast meat. This one is a little on the indulgent side because of the cheese and tortilla chips, but it was a delicious dinner with just enough spice and a decent amount of veggies mixed in. When I make it again, I’ll add some corn to the mix and substitute some oven-browned tortillas or brown rice for the chips.

I still find it a huge challenge to come up with a good casserole photo. They never look as good as they taste, but I can assure you, this was a yummy dinner!

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey (or beef
1 can Chili Beans
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 small onion, minced (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
sour cream and salsa for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

3. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers one more time.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Optional: brown cheese topping under the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes.

5. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Sing for your Supper

Mike's Favorite Rice Pilaf

I first saw this method of cooking rice years ago on 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray. I really loved the simplicity of this recipe and I was surprised by the flavorful rice that results. This is my husband's favorite side dish, so I make it all the time.

Another great thing about this recipe is the flexibility in the ingredients. The basic recipe is great with grilled meats and veggies because it's yummy without overpowering a meal. You can also add veggies and spices to create a whole new dish, here are some of my suggestions:

- Add 1 tsp turmeric and frozen peas to go with Indian spiced meats and veggies
- Substitute one can of ro-tel tomatoes for 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and add 1 tsp ground cumin for mexican rice.
- Substitute jasmine scented water (steeped with Jasmine tea) with the chicken broth for Jasmine rice to go with grilled fish or Thai spiced foods.
- Add 1/4 cup of toasted, slivered almonds or pine nuts

This dish cooks up in 20-25 minutes from start to finish, most of which is the 16-minute covered cook time, so it's great for weeknight meals.

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp butter
¾ cup long grain white rice
1/3 cup dry vermicelli noodles, broken up into small pieces (1/4 - 1/2 inch)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp Seasoned salt or other favorite seasoning

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add vermicelli and coat with butter.

3. Add rice and cook for 2-3 minutes to brown rice and pasta. Add seasonings and stir into rice mixture.

4. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 16 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.


Adapted from 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray

S'mores cookies

I kept seeing this recipe over and over on my Google Reader and I finally got a chance to make it. A friend brought these to a BBQ at our house a while ago and I remember loving them! It looks like it might be complicated but it is actually really easy. The cookies are cooked a bit first, then removed from the oven to place the chocolate and marshmallows so they are the perfect when they come out of the oven.

I found that the addition of the graham cracker crumbs to the cookie mix made for a really nice, crumbly texture. I also loved the large chunks of Hershey’s chocolate squares and the melty, browned marshmallow, yum! These cookies were a huge hit with my family and this recipe made a lot of cookies, almost 3 dozen. Definitely a great cookie for some summer fun.



Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon.

2. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth, setting aside 2 tbsp flour mixture. Tip: Stir the chocolate chips into the leftover flour mixture first before mixing into the batter, this will keep the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cookie batter. Stir flour-coated chocolate chips into batter.



4. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookie. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack

Adapted from Stephanie Cooks

Fish with Black Beans and Corn in a Foil Packet

There is something about cooking food in a foil packet that makes me giddy. You mix a bunch of ingredients together and put them into a packet, and when it’s finished cooking, you get to open it like a present and it’s cooked perfectly and smells amazing. This type of thing excites me, I can't help it.


I found this recipe on several blogs, but I got this from Pink Parsley and followed most of the recipe, but decreased the amount of butter slightly. I love the mix of spicey chipotle pepper and sweet oranges, and the fact that it’s relatively low carb and full of healthy ingredients. You can also get very creative with this recipe, subbing out different spices and juices to find what suits your taste. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 skinless white fish fillets (6 to 8 oz each), 1-inch thick
salt and pepper

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (seeds removed, unless you want very spicy!)
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups corn kernels
1/2 red onion, minced
2 scallions, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat to 450 degrees.

2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix together the butter, 1 teaspoon chipotle, orange zest, half the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl until well-combined. Spread butter mixture over the fish.

3. Combine the beans, corn, onion, scallions, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, orange juice, remaining chipotle, remaining garlic, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

4. Lay four 14-inch lengths of foil on the counter and divide the bean mixture evenly over the lower half of each piece of foil. Top with fish, and fold the foil over the fish, folding the edges to seal.

5. Arrange the packets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully open the packets and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve.

Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

We have a mini-muffin monster in our house. She’s about 2 feet tall, brown hair, and will stop at nothing to eat as many mini muffins as possible.I'm not sure how this started, we noticed when we went out to breakfast one morning that Avery was in love with the blueberry muffin that we ordered for her. From then on, we always ordered her a muffin for her breakfast when we went out. I then figured she'd like it in a smaller size, so I made her blueberry mini-muffins from a box mix. She went nuts, she is in love with mini muffins now. She grips them in her little hands and goes wild. She actually does a little dance when she gets one. I usually give her two in the morning with breakfast and then maybe a snack later on in the day. She's really picky lately, so even if this isn't the healthiest option in the world, it is something she will eat.

This recipe is adapted from a few I have found around the internet. I wanted to make it semi-healthy but still yummy enough for a kid to like. I added banana for a fruit component, peanut butter for some good fats and protein, and then a small amount of chocolate chips just for fun. I had a few of these and they turned out really good, they were great for breakfast on the go. I plan on trying some different mini-muffin recipes next week, maybe a lemon poppyseed or or navel orange? Yum!

Ingredients

2 brown bananas
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 TBS melted butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup flour
2 tsp peanut butter
½ cup mini chocolate morsels

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel the bananas and mush the bananas in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add sugar, egg, and butter and mix well.

3. Stir in baking soda, powder, salt, flour and peanut butter. Mix well with a mixer or a spoon.

4. Stir in chocolate chips

5. Grease the cups of a mini muffin tin. Fill 3/4 full with batter and bake 13-15 minutes, until just golden.

6. Turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack.

Basic Sunday Morning French Toast

This is a Sunday morning favorite for my family. It's just a basic recipe for making french toast out of cinnamon bread that can be found at any grocery store. Different breads are also fine to use with this recipe. You can use challah bread, French baguette, you can even use banana or pumpkin bread.

French Toast doesn't have to be fancy, you need very few ingredients and it's relatively cheap to make. This recipe goes great with fruit or breakfast meats on the side.

Basic Sunday Morning French Toast

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter, plus more if needed
1 Loaf cinnamon bread ( I use Pepperidge Farm)
2 Eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large skillet or griddle on medium heat
2. In a large, shallow bowl, beat eggs, milk and cinnamon with a fork until well combined
3. Dip pieces of bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides
4. Brown both sides of the bread in the skillet, being careful not to burn. Add butter as needed to cook all of the French Toast.
5. Serve with syrup, fruit, or powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Super Simple Weeknight Lo Mein

I've been exerimenting with this recipe for a while and finally came up with a good balance of ingredients to make a healthy lo mein in a hurry. It usually takes me about 30 minutes tops to make this, so it's perfect after a busy day at work. It's also easy to customize this lo mein to suit your tastes. You can add different vegetables for some variety; use beef, shrimp, or pork instead of chicken, or you can make it a vegetarian meal. The only thing I would not recommend is using whole wheat spaghetti noodles, they can get gooey when you're frying them up in your wok. Otherwise, feel free to get creative!

Super Simple Weeknight Lo Mein

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 tbsp teriyaki marinade
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups sliced carrot
2 cups frozen broccoli
1 cup sliced mushroom
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 box spaghetti noodles
1/4 -1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions

1. Mix chicken with teriyaki marinade, set aside for 5-10 minutes (or longer if possible). While the meat is marinating, start cooking the spaghetti noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in wok or large saucepan on medium-high heat.

3. Add chicken and stir fry until brown, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.

4. Move chicken to the sides of the pan and add sliced carrot and broccoli. Stir fry for 5 minutes.

5. Add mushrooms and garlic and stir fry for about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through



6. Add pasta noodles and soy sauce and mix thoroughly to combine ingredients. Serve and enjoy!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I have been enjoying this cake for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. It's one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. My Mom used to make it and now the task usually falls to me. This is a rich, creamy bundt cake full of mini chocolate chips. It's perfect by itself or with some vanilla ice cream, yum! Making this cake is surprisingly simple but result is a cake that looks like it took a lot of time to make. Using a bundt pan makes the edge really pretty and the glaze is a perfect amount of sweetness to make this cake perfect.

I have no idea where the original recipe came from, I can now make this cake from memory, it's that easy!

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box vanilla or white cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 bag chocolate mini morsels

Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp vegetable oil
1-3 tsp milk (enough to make it smooth)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

2. Mix first 5 ingredients together with a hand mixer

3. When smooth and well mixed, stir in bag of mini morsels.

4. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes

5. To make glaze, mix together confectioner sugar, oil and milk. Add more milk if necessary until the glaze is smooth and thin enough to pour.

6. Drizzle glaze over fully cooled cake and let set.

Traditional Pecan Pie

This year we had the pleasure of having my husband's family down for Thanksgiving. My Sister-in-Law got married the Sunday before Thanksgiving so we had a wonderful week with the whole family in town. My Mom decided to host the dinner because her house had more room than mine, so I brought a lot of dishes over to pitch in for the big Thanksgiving dinner.

I decided to try a traditional Pecan Pie recipe for one of the desserts. I used frozen pie crust and only a few ingredients to make this pie. It came out wonderful, gooey in the middle and caramelized on top. I will definitely be making this again!

Traditional Pecan Pie Recipe from RecipeZaar

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1 Cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Pecan Halves (I like them roughly chopped)
2/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 Frozen Pie Crust

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 F
2. Beat eggs lightly with a mixer until fully combined
3. Stir in corn syrup, butter, suger, and vanilla extract
4. Stir in Pecan halves
5. Pour into frozen pie crust

Tip: Cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil for the first 25 minutes of cooking to avoid burning the crust

6. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

Let cool for at least 10 minutes and Enjoy!

Creamy Cajun Pasta

I found this pasta recipe on Cook Like a Champion and decided to give it a try. It's a perfect weeknight recipe, really quick to prepare. I have never made a creamy past a sauce so this was a first for me. This dish really is delicious and the smoked paprika really makes the dish unique. I found the paprika at Penzey's spices in Winter Park but it's available at most supermarkets.

The first time I made it I used the heavy cream as called out in the recipe, but you can substitute regular cream or half and half, you'll just have to add a bit more and cook it down a bit. You can also use cajun sausage or shrimp in this dish instead of chicken, or make it vegetarian, it's very versatile.

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken - cut into chunks and cooked (optional)
2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 sweet onion - finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic - minced
1/2 Cup white wine
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb Rotini or Penne Pasta
Salt and Pepper to taste
freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil to medium-low heat in a large saucepan
2. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent
3. Increase heat to medium and add white wine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste and spices and mix well
5. Add heavy cream and heat up sauce until it reaches a slow simmer. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
6. Mix in pasta and chicken to the sauce and serve

Enjoy!!!

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

This is one of those recipes that always turns out fantastic and gets my family excited for dinner time. This is not a quick recipe, the longer it sits on the stove the better, so it's great for a weekend meal. I make it often for Sunday night dinner. I usually have enough left over to freeze a meal, just defrost it and heat it up in a saucepan when you are ready to have it again.

The other reason I love this recipe is because it sneaks in a lot of veggies, which is great if you have picky eaters in the house. The veggies are chopped up really small and softened in the sauce so they add to the overall flavor of the sauce without being too "chunky". I cook with wine a lot and this recipe has plenty of it. It cooks off over hours of simmering so there is no alcohol left, just a very flavorful meat sauce. The final trick to this sauce is the cup of milk. Do not omit this ingredient, it breaks down the meat and makes it soft and velvety. Yummy!

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

½ cups Olive Oil
3 Carrots, Grated or finely chopped
1 whole Large Red Onion, finely chopped
2 pounds Ground Beef or Meatloaf Mix
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 1/2 cups Red Wine2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes (smoosh them with your hands as you add them to the sauce)
1 cup Milk
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.

2. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown.

3. Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine.

4. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat.

5. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.

6. Add Worcestershire and stir.

7. Add canned tomatoes.

8. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—the longer the better.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Baked Whole Wheat Chicken Taquitos with Grilled Corn

My family loves Tex-Mex food but I hate how fattening all of the recipes are. It seems like everything is fried or covered in cheese. I found this recipe on another blog and changed it to use whole wheat flour tortillas. You can use corn tortillas as well but I've never been a big fan. To get shredded chicken, I usually boil 1 cup of chic

ken stock (1 cup water plus a bouillon cube) in a skillet, cover and simmer the chicken breasts for 7 minutes per side. They are fully cooked and shred easily when done.

I loved the way these turned out, they were really crispy on the outside and soft and melty on the inside. There was just enough cheese to make it rich without being overly fattening. We dipped them in salsa and sour cream. I served these with yellow rice and grilled corn.

Baked Whole Wheat Chicken Taquitos

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter

Ingredients

3 ounces cream cheese, softened (low fat optional)
1/4 cup salsa (green or red)1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
2 Tbsp sliced green onions (optional)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese16 small whole wheat tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425˚F.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly. (If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

3. Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat t

hem in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

4. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

5. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle wi

th kosher salt.

6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

7. Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze: Before baking, chill the taquitos on the baking sheet in the fridge. Once completely cooled, wrap each taquito individually with plastic wrap. Place in a labeled freezer bag and freeze. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes

Grilled Corn

Ingredients

4 fresh cobs of corn, husks and silk removed

oil (for grates)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the grill to HIGH

2. Cook corn in boiling water for 5 minutes or until cooked, but not too soft.

3. Oil the grill grates

4. Cook the corn on the grill for about 5-10 minutes or until slightly charred.

I like to cut the corn off of the cob, that's the way our family likes it. You an also leave the corn on the cob and season them with butter and salt and pepper.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

This recipe is a copycat version of the Chicken and Gnocchi soup at Olive Garden. I had that soup for the first time last week while at lunch with my friend Tiffany and I knew I had to find the recipe. This did taste a lot like the restaurant version, it was a big hit with the boys so I will definitely be making it again. I followed the recipe I found, which called for heavy cream, but I will make it with whole milk next time to reduce the fat content.

I meant to make homemade focaccia bread with the soup but I didn't have time, but I will make it next time. I think bread would go really well with this soup, but it was fine on it's own. I also had a glass of Bogle Chardonnay, it was a great dinner.

Ingredients

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

2 cups heavy cream (or whole milk, for lower fat)

4 cups chicken broth

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 vidalia onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

16 oz package potato gnocchi

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and saute carrots, onion, and garlic until soft and translucent.

2. Add chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper, cream, and chicken and bring to a boil.

3. Add gnocchi and boil for 4 minutes

4. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes

5. Add spinach and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Chicken Souvlaki with Fresh Pita Bread

I have seen this recipe on so many blogs that I just had to try it for myself. Every time I go out to lunch with coworkers to a diner near the Space Center, I order the chicken souvlaki, so I decided to make this version I got from Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

I did make my own pita bread but I wasn't thrilled with how it came out. I like a crispier pita and these were very soft. They tasted great, but I will experiment a bit more before post the recipe. The yogurt sauce can be a taziki sauce or a yogurt dressing. I mixed plain yogurt with red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a dill spice blend.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed into bit sized pieces

Directions

1. In a bowl or freezer bag, combine ingredients and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent charring on the grill.

3. Skewer marinated chicken and discard excess marinade. Grill on high, 5-7 minutes for each side until juices run clear.

4. Serve with pita bread, yogurt sauce, and greek salad.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken

Since being on maternity leave, I have had a hard time getting a healthy lunch in the afternoons. I don't want to cook something because it takes way too long. I also don't want to have a lean cuisine or other processed meal because they are usually full of sodium and aren't very tasty. I went to Park Avenue in Winter Park last week on a shopping trip and had a bit of my little Sister's lunch at a restaurant called The Briar Patch. She had a salad with spinach, blue cheese, bacon, and grilled chicken with a balsamic vinaigrette. I liked it so much that I decided to create my own recipe with stuff that I like.

My salad has the spinach and a very small amount of bacon, feta cheese, Apple, grilled marinated chicken, and my favorite vinaigrette recipe. I plan on experimenting with the ingredients in the future, maybe using blue cheese or adding walnuts or almonds. Either way, it came out great! I will definitely be making this again.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken

1 Marinated chicken breast, grilled

1/2 Apple, sliced into small pieces

2 cups fresh spinach

2 tablespoons feta or blue cheese (such as gorgonzola)

Crumbled bacon (optional)

Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Toss spinach in with salad greens.

2. Sprinkle salad with cheese and bacon

3. Slice chicken breast on a bias and place on top of the spinach.

Balsamic Vinaigrette ( makes 1 cup)

3/4 cups Olive Oil

1/4 cups Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Mix balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.

2. Slowly add olive oil while mixing with a whisk or wooden spoon.

Beef tips with gravy

I found this recipe on a few different cooking sites, so I figured it would be a good one to try. I make A LOT of chicken so I figured we could try a beef meal that tastes good but is still inexpensive (strip steaks are so pricey lately!). You can adapt this recipe to make large batches, just increase the amount of ingredients proportionally.

This recipe was made in the oven but could easily be adapted to the slow cooker if you are not home during the day. TIP: If you make a smaller-size batch in the slow cooker, place the ingredients in a smaller baking dish inside the slow cooker, it'll cook the food the same but won't have that burnt smell that you can sometimes get in a slow cooker.

Ingredients

1-1.5 lbs beef tips or beef stew meat

1 can cream of mushroom soup (low fat version works too!)

1 can french onion soup mix

Directions

1. Mix beef tips, cream of mushroom soup, and french onion soup mix in a baking dish (or slow cooker).

2. Cook at 325 F for up to 4 hours our until beef is tender. For a slow cooker, cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Serve with egg noodles or rice and a veggie and voila! Super easy.