Crab Cakes & Peach Slaw

This recipe was super yummy.  I found it in a Rachael Ray magazine under recipe makeovers.  Low calorie.  I've made crab cakes plenty of times in the past but I tried this recipe this time and it was very good.  The peach slaw stole the show though.  Even my kids devoured it.  I chopped my coleslaw mix up because my kids hate it when it's stringy but you can do whatever you want.  It was even better the next day so I will probably make it ahead of time from now on.  I used the jar peaches from the grocery store instead of fresh ones since they aren't in season right now.  If you do the same, be sure to let them drain well.  The picture is from the website but I promise mine looked just as good!  :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds lump or backfin crabmeat
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 14 ounce bag  coleslaw mix (chopped up if you prefer)
2 medium peaches, cut into chunks (or you can use the jar kind but if you do, let them drain well)
2 pickled hot cherry peppers, sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons olive oil




DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large bowl, toss the crabmeat, bell pepper and herbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, egg white, mayonnaise, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  **I omitted the salt and it still turned out great so do as you wish with that.  Add to the crab mixture; mix until combined. Add the panko; mix gently. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2.  In a medium bowl, toss the coleslaw mix, peaches, cherry peppers, vinegar, sugar, 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. **I again omitted the salt.   Let stand, tossing often, for at least 30 minutes. It definitely gets better the longer it sits. 


3.  Form the crab mixture into eight 1-inch-thick cakes. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tbsp. oil over medium. Add 4 crab cakes; cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Place on a rack set in a baking sheet to keep crisp. Repeat with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. oil and crab cakes. Serve with the slaw.




*photo & recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray magazine

Beef Noodle Bowl

 

Another awesome take out imposter!  My kids looooved this!  I used to make this years ago but when I pulled up the old recipe today, I found that there were quite a few changes I would make and so I did and they worked out great!   Very simple ingredients too.    It's a light tasting dish but still packed with enough flavor for the kids.   You can add red pepper flakes at the table for the adults if you like spice.  :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. linguine

3 cups cut up broccoli florets, frozen (more or less to your liking)

3 cups cut up carrots, frozen (more or less to your liking)

1 TBS olive oil

1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup Thai Peanut Asian Sauce (or something similiar - we found the brand  in the pic at Giant Food Stores)

1/2 cup + 1 TBS Teriyaki sauce
1/2 TBS minced garlic


MARINATE the meat in the fridge for a few hours with the thai peanut aisan dressing, teriyaki sauce and minced garlic in a large resealable freezer bag (at least an hour but can go longer) .

 Let the meat sit out of the fridge on your counter (still inside the bag) for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

Cook your linguine according to directions and let drain well. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.   Once heated, add the frozen broccoli & carrots and let simmer on medium heat until tender-crisp.  

Add the meat & marinade to the pan with the veggies.   Cook on med-high heat until the meat is cooked to your liking.   STIR OFTEN. Once cooked, remove from heat and let sit for several minutes before serving.   The longer it sits, the better.  :)

Pour the drained linguine into a serving bowl and then add the pan of meat, veggies & sauce.  Stir well.   (Add sesame seeds or red hot pepper flakes for an extra kick!)  Enjoy!

Sweet & Salty Chickpeas

I found this recipe on pinterest and had to try them.   Luckily I had every ingredient on hand, including garbanzo beans so it was easy to make and WOW they are the best things ever.   Addictive too!  This would be a great quick snack to put out when entertaining.  You can customize them to your own taste if you like.  

Ingredients:  

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/07/sweet-and-salty-roasted-chickpeas-cheap.html#6qEsBhU9jSz3M3WH.99

1 can (14oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 teaspoons EVOO
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt but the original recipe calls for it.)



1.  Put the chickpeas in a strainer, rinse with water and drain WELL. I let mine sit for a few hours to get all the excess moisture off of them. 

2.  Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.

3.  Pour the chickpeas on the baking sheet, making sure they are even.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes.  

5.  Meanwhile add the remaining ingredients (more or less to taste for all of them) to a bowl.  

6.  Once the chickpeas are done in the oven, allow them to cool for 1 minute, then add them to the bowl of spices.   Stir well to coat.    Let them sit for a few minutes and then enjoy!  

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/07/sweet-and-salty-roasted-chickpeas-cheap.html#6qEsBhU9jSz3M3WH.99

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/07/sweet-and-salty-roasted-chickpeas-cheap.html#6qEsBhU9jSz3M3WH.99

Sauteed Cabbage & Apples

We love cabbage in this house so this seemed like a perfect recipe to try.   LOVED IT!  We served it as a side dish to the Skillet Pork Chops with Peaches.   It was quick & easy too. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 8 cups sliced green cabbage
• 2 cups sliced apple 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add cabbage, apple, caraway seeds, and salt; cover and cook 5 minutes.

Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until cabbage and apples are tender, stirring occasionally.





*recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
*picture courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This is one of the best new recipes that I have tried in recent months.   Very healthy, very quick to throw together (thanks to a Rotisserie chicken) and extremely flavorful.   Only 193 calories for 3 wraps!  My eight year old son had three of them which means they were obviously a big hit considering how picky he is.   Highly recommend this for a weeknight dinner.   We served ours with  sweet potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1 TBS dry sherry
2 TBS hoisan sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 TBS dark sesame oil
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
1 package (14oz give or take) package coleslaw mix (we didn't use all of this but it depends on taste preference)
2 TBS Mrs. Dash Table Seasoning Blend - Salt Free
1 1/2 cups shredded skinless boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup sliced green onions, divided
12 Bibb or Iceberg lettuce leaves, washed & gently patted dry
1/2 cup chopped cashews (put in a ziplok baggie and crush with a crab mallet)


HOW TO MAKE:

Combine first 4 ingredients (through rice vinegar) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

After you shred the chicken, put in a bowl and add the Mrs. Dash seasoning.  Mix well to evenly coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.

Add garlic and ginger to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture and coleslaw; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Add chicken and 1/4 cup onions to pan; cook 1 minute or until coleslaw just begins to wilt. Stir well.  Divide chicken mixture evenly among lettuce leaves; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup onions and cashews.


*recipe adapted from Cooking Light
*photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Streusel Coffee Cake

I will definitely be making this recipe lot of times this fall/winter.  It was super easy and incredibly tasty.  My only disclaimer is that my cake did not turn out as pretty as the one in the picture shown.  My topping looked a little uneven even though I swore it was even when I sprinkled it on, lol.  This recipe took less than 30 minutes to make and I had all items on hand for it so I considered it a pretty easy baking project.  This would be a great dessert to take to someone's house over the holidays!  We served ours warm with vanilla bean ice cream.  yummm...    

Ingredients:

• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
  
  CAKE:
• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter (we used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375.

In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. This takes a few minutes longer than you may think.  Keep going until it gets to the right consistency.  Set aside.

Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl.

In a medium bowl, stir together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter.  Bake 24 to 28 minutes, or until cake is done.   Be careful not to overcook.   Allow to partially cool.  Then cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.   Serves great with vanilla ice cream or a cup of coffee.  Enjoy!


*recipe adapted from here
*picture courtesy of here

Baby Potatoes with Tomato Corn Saute

It's only May and I'm already sick of some of my stand by traditional spring/summer side dishes.  I like easy and quick sides.  I found this recipe in a Cooking Light Magazine and went with it.  I changed a few things around to make it more kid friendly and they LOVED it.  My son had 3 helpings!  Healthy and easy, definitely going to be a staple in this house from now on. 

Ingredients:
12-15 baby potatoes (we used red potatoes)
1 TBS EVOO
1 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or one can - drained well)
1 garlic clove (we used minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash salt free table seasoning
1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (OPTIONAL) .

1. 1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until tender; drain well.
2. 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic. Let heat for 2-3 minutes
3. Add corn, salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.   Let simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Turn heat to low-medium.
5. Add the potatoes and tomatoes, stir well.    (Add s&p to taste. ) 
6. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. 
7. Serve warm with grated parmesan cheese on top (or red pepper flakes if you prefer).

Baked Meaty Pasta with Cheese

Had a last minute guest coming to dinner so I had to scratch the planned dish and make something that I had more of.  This makes A LOT so be prepared to freeze some or invite extra people to dinner.  This is super easy to make and always a hit.  Also,  I love that I can make it a head of time and just pop it in the oven when we are ready to eat. Serve it with italian bread and dinner is done! 

Ingredients:
1 box of pasta (I usually use rotini or elbow macaroni)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu meat flavored)
1 lb lean ground turkey (or beef)
1/4 finely chopped yellow onion
2 TBS Italian Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups part skim mozzarella cheese

1.  Cook the pasta according to box instructions.  Drain well. 
2.  While the pasta is cooking, brown the meat in a large non stick skillet.   Add the 2 TBS italian seasoning, black pepper and chopped onion to the meat and stir well.   Once cooked, drain the grease and set aside.
3.  Heat the spaghetti sauce in a pot until warm. Season to taste if necessary. 
4.  Heat oven to 400.  
5.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. 
6.  Add the well drained pasta to the dish.  Then add some of the spaghetti sauce and stir well, until the pasta is covered (just use enough to coat the pasta, keep the extra sauce on the side.)
7.  Add the meat and onion.  Stir into the pasta until it is spread throughout.
8.  Top the meat and pasta with the cheese.
9.  Put in middle shelf of oven until the cheese is melted.  Serve with bread and the extra sauce for dipping. 

Avocado BLT with Fried Egg & Chipolte Mayo

Ok, so not the most health conscious meal around but my husband and I are pretty sure we have never tasted a better sandwich.   We did our best to make it healthier but sometimes you just have to give in to the flavor!  I don't have a picture of this one either but you can see a pic of it on the Closet Cooking link.  Makes 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread, lightly toasted (we used whole wheat)
• A few crisp lettuce leaves
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• pepper to taste
• 6 strips bacon, cooked until crispy (we used turkey bacon)
• 2 eggs, fried (don't overcook the yolk!)
• 1 avocado, cored, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons chipotle mayo (more or less to taste)

Directions

1. Assemble sandwiches and enjoy.

**Recipe from Cooking Closet

Summer Taco

This was such a wonderful light tasting and flavorful taco.  Super easy to make too!  I don't have a picture of mine but you can see a picture on the link to the original recipe that I adapted from.   Perfect season for this too since it requires yummy tomatoes!  This recipe makes 4 tacos. 

Ingredients:
Half a Rotisserie Chicken - shredded (bought one for $5 at my grocery store and had enough to make chicken salad for lunch the next day)
1 ripe avocado, cored, peeled & sliced
Handful of ripe tasty baby tomatoes, sliced in half
Handful of Cilantro (more or less depending on taste preferences)
 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of any hot sauce (more or less depending on taste preferences)
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon maple syrup
1 lime
4 small tortillas (we used 6" whole wheat tortillas)

To Make:
1.  Mash the avocado in a small bowl until it becomes a smoother texture.  Add S&P to taste.

2.  Mix the greek yogurt, honey, maple syrup and hot sauce together in a small bowl.  You can add more honey or maple syrup to taste (it helps knock out the tartness of the yogurt).

3.  Warm the tortillas.

4.   Start by spreading some of the yogurt mixture down the middle of the taco.  Then add the avocado mixture, cilantro and chicken.  Top with tomatoes.  Squeeze a few drops of fresh lime juice over the entire taco.  

5.  Roll it up & enjoy!!!!!!!!!!! 



**Recipe adapted from here. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This recipe blew my mind! I'm a huge fan of lettuce wraps when we go out to eat but I swear these were better than anything I've had at restaurants. The recipe calls for you to use lean ground turkey (which I did) but a friend of mine made it with diced chicken and said it was just as good. 2 filled lettuce wraps = 275 calories!

Ingredients:
1.25 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 pkg (16oz) frozen stir fry vegetable blend, thawed & coarsely chopped
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup hoisan sauce
3 TBS creamy peanut butter (we used reduced fat)
2 TBS minced fresh gingerroot
1 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
10 crisp lettuce leaves

Cook turkey in a large nonstick skillet until no longer pink. Add the chopped stirfry veggies to the pan. Stir in the teriyaki sauce, hoisan sauce, peanut butter, ginger, vinegar & sesame oil. Stirfry over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.

Remove from heat, stir in the green onion. Fill the lettuce leaves with about 1/2 cup mixture each. Serve with additional hoisan sauce for dipping if desired.


*recipe courtesy of Simple & Delicious

Mozzarella Tomato Caprese Salad

Super easy & yummy! Plus this looks pretty! Perfect side dish or appetizer for any Italian meal. The only thing is that you can't make it too far ahead of time. Prep the mozzarella and cut the tomatoes but wait until you are within an hour of serving before adding anything else.

Ingredients:
Grape Tomatoes cut in half
Fresh Mozzarella Pearls (drained & laid on a plate lined with paper towels with another paper towel on top, at least 3-4 hours before serving to dry out)
Dried basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Balsamic Vinegar

Dry the mozzarella as directed above and wash the tomatoes. When ready to serve, cut the tomatoes in half, add them and the mozzarella to a serving dish. Add about 2 TBS of dry basil (more or less depending on your liking). Add 1 TBS EVOO, then 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar. Toss well. Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This dish was wonderful! It really captures the flavors of traditional sweet & sour chicken but done the healthy way. My kids couldn't get enough of it! I served it with a cucumber tomato salad, which went well with the flavors. (one chicken breast with sauce is only 205 calories!)

Ingredients:
4-6 thin sliced chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 TBS apricot preserves
1 1/2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2 tsp Thai Chili Paste

Heat grill to medium high. Sprinkle chicken with the salt & pepper. Grill chicken until done.

Meanwhile, add chicken broth, apricot preserves, and soy sauce in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir well. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh lime juice and the Thai chili paste. Spoon over chicken. Remaining sauce can be used for dipping. Enjoy!


*recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

One word - YUM.   Also not bad on the wallet.   Fed 4 of us for dinner and gave us lunch leftovers the next day.


Ingredients:
1 package of Italian Turkey Sausage (sweet or hot - I prefer sweet for the kids)
1 package of Rigatoni pasta
3 TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (we used Classico Tomato & Basil)
2 TBS parsley, chopped

Cook sausage according to directions.  Sometimes I grill them but usually I cook them on the stove with a little bit of low calorie Italian dressing.  Enhances the flavor even more!

After cooking, coin slice them and keep warm.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain well.

 In a large pan, place olive oil and garlic, saute lightly for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and cook until tender-crisp. Stir occasionally. 

Add the cooked sausage and pasta sauce to the pan with the peppers and stir well.  Saute for 3-4 minutes.  Then mix with the drained pasta in a large bowl. Top with parsley.

*Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

Out-n-In California Burger ( only 389 calories!)

This recipe comes from a Cooking Light magazine. They took the popular In-n-Out Burger and made a healthy version. It was soooooooooo good! The dressing & the avocado made the flavor very unique. Hard to believe that one of these burgers is only 389 calories and that is with sauce & cheese! (makes 4 burgers)

Ingredients:
3 TBS Ketchup
2 TBS Canola Mayo
2 Tsp sweet pickle relish
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1 lb ground sirloin
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Cooking Spray
4 slices of reduced fat Swiss Cheese
4 lettuce leaves
4 hamburger buns (we used whole wheat & toasted them in the oven)
1/4 red onion, sliced
4 (1/4") slices tomato
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, cut ino 1/8" thick slices
8 bread & butter pickle chips (optional)

Combine the first four ingredients in a small bowl. This is your sauce.

Divide the beef into 4 equal patties. Sprinkle them with even amounts of salt & pepper. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice. Cook 2 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and the patties are done to your liking.

Place one lettuce leaf on the bottom of your roll. Add a patty, onion slices, a tomato slice, about 2 avocado slices, 2 pickle chips (optional). Add 1 1/2 TBS sauce to top of roll. Enjoy!

Tortelloni Wreath with Pesto Dip

Great crowd pleaser. Plus it looks very fancy, despite how fast it is to make.

Ingredients:

2 packages (about 9oz each) of fresh or frozen tortelloni (I used fresh tri color cheese tortelloni)

1 tub (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Spread (I used reduced fat)

1 pkg. (7 oz.) pesto

1 tsp. lemon juice

How to make:
Make tortelloni according to directions. Be careful not to overcook them. You don't want them to get mushy. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until very well blended. Place the bowl in the center of a large serving dish. Arrange the tortelloni around the center bowl. Garnish with a few strips of red & green pepper sliced and black olives.

*Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

My son is a huge fan of Noodles & Co Parmesan Crusted Chicken so I was determined to make a healthy version at home that he would love just as much and I did! The original recipe comes from Kraft but I've added to it. We served it with a side salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 envelope Italian Dressing Mix (I used Ms. Dash but I know Good Seasons makes one too)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. ms dash table seasoning blend
6 chicken breasts, split in two or a package of breast tenderloins

How to make:
Heat oven to 400.
Put all the ingredients in a large freezer bag or a shaker bag. Moisten chicken with water and put in bag. Shake until the chicken is well coated.

Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish and bake 20 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temp of 165.

Italian Turkey Sausage Grinders

This recipe is from the Taste of Home Magazine. It was yummy and easy to make. My husband can't wait to make these for his next football tailgate. So much flavor! (We had extra sauce left over and I used it the next night over spaghetti.)

Ingredients:
5 Turkey Sausage Links (I used the hot ones but sweet works too)
3 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce (I used the sauce with italian seasoning already added)
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and parsley flakes
5 sub rolls, split and toasted
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

How to make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large skillet, brown the sausages in the olive oil. Drain well. Stir in the water, tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sausages are no longer pink.

Meanwhile, split the sub rolls and put them directly on oven rack to toast (usually only takes a few minutes).

Serve the sausages on the rolls with sauce. Then sprinkle with the Mozzarella Cheese.
Enjoy!

Balsamic Pork Scallopine

This has become an instant favorite in my family, including my picky 5 1/2 year old! It was my first time making it and we were so very pleased. It would be a great meal to impress guests with also because it is very light tasting and nothing is overwhelming about it all.

(I also liked that I could reserve a handful of the egg noodles and keep them plain for my 8 month old daughter to eat with just a tiny bit of butter on them and some butternut squash mixed in.)

Made dinner for the whole family very easy! This seems like A LOT of ingredients but actually I had every single thing on hand except the pork and the roasted red pepper so don't be discouraged by the long list!

From start to finish, it was only about 30 minutes. It's very filling!

INGREDIENTS:
4 lean cut pork sirloin cutlets
1 cup flour
3 TBS Olive Oil (I used EVOO)
2 TBS Butter (I don't use real butter in anything but my "I can't believe it's not butter! worked perfect too! )
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers (I used the jar ones, just drained first)
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 can (1/2 of a 14oz can) of reduced sodium chicken broth
2 TBS dried basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used Ken's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)
1/4 TSP ground black pepper

Noodles:
1 package egg noodles (I bought a store brand that was 12oz, more than enough for the 4 of us)
1/4 cup fat free half & half
2 TBS grated low fat Parmesan or Romano Cheese
2 TBS butter (again, no real butter for me so anything works)
1/4 TSP fresh ground black pepper
1/4 TSP Garlic Powder

HOW TO MAKE:
Coat the pork cutlets in flour. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add pork and brown slightly on each side. Set the pork aside.

Add onion and red peppers to the the pan and saute until the onion is tender (this is a pretty quick process). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the broth, basil, balsamic vinaigrette and pepper. Return the pork to the pan.

Cover and cook on low-low/medium heat for about 15/20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles as directed on package. Drain and add the 1/2 & 1/2, butter, grated cheese, black pepper & garlic powder. STIR WELL.

Serve the pork with some sauce over the noodles on a plate.


*recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Best Ever Meatballs

These meatballs are soooo easy to make and have the best flavor. The ingredients definitely sounded weird to me at first but I'm so glad I tried them. These are the first homemade meatballs I ever made that actually tasted great (and I've tried a few recipes!). Plus one batch gives you plenty leftover to freeze, which are great for meatball sandwiches at a later date!

**Highly recommend letting them sit overnight if possible (still great without doing this) but even better when you do! ***

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs LEAN ground beef (could also use ground turkey - havent tried it but i'm sure its great also)
1 1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 package (6oz) stove top stuffing mix (for chicken)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs italian seasoning (usually use mccormicks brand)
1 tbs garlic powder

**HEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES**
Line 2 baking pans with alum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

HOW TO MAKE:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Best way to mix well is to use your clean hands! MIX VERY WELL. Then shape the mixture into about 32 meatballs (about 1 1/2" each, 1/4 cup each to make). Bake 15-18 minutes or until cooked through (about 160 degrees in middle). Freeze any leftover cooled meatballs in freezer bags.

TO MAKE SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS:
Add the meatballs to your favorite sauce and let simmer for an hour or so.

TO MAKE MEATBALL SANDWICHES:
Add 2-3 meatballs (depending on size) to a slice of fresh baked italian bread. Top with marinara sauce and mozz cheese. Bake in oven until the cheese is melted and bread is slightly crispy.