Asian Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze (crockpot)

This recipe is ranked up there with the Funky Fusion Fajitas - it is SOOO tasty. The meat is like candy and melts in your mouth. I love the flavors with the cloves, cinnamon and ginger. My most favorite part is that 99% of it is done in the crockpot!

• Ingredients: 

• For the rub:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
For the glaze:
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup rice vinegar (or white)
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• fresh cilantro, to garnish (optional)
• lime wedges, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, powdered ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
2. Place the tenderloins in the slow cooker. Rub the seasonings over the pork, including the bottom.
3. Pour ½ cup water in the slow cooker, on the edge or in the middle so that you don't wash off all the spices you just rubbed on.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then preheat your broiler.
5. While the pork is finishing up in the slow cooker and your broiler heats up, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, COLD water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan.
6. Set over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in minced ginger.
8. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
9. Remove the pork from the crock pot (discard the liquid) and place on the lined baking sheet. Brush a generous amount of the glaze on the pork.
10. Put your oven rack as high as it will go, and broil the pork for 1 or 2 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized. Don't walk away! Repeat 2 to 3 more times until it is as crusty as you want it. I wouldn't go many more times than this though, or your pork will dry out.
11. Serve with remaining glaze on the side, and garnish with lime and cilantro. 

recipe from thefoodcharlatan.com

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!

Crock Pot Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs

This dinner blew our minds... best new recipe we have had in a very long time!   My kids even had second helpings.  We served it over rice to help absorb the amazing sauce.   This was easy to assemble, cheap to make and only took 4 hours in the crock. 

 

Ingredients:

Large package of precooked, frozen turkey meatballs (we only used about 12 meatballs - enough for dinner for 4 of us and some leftovers for lunch the next day.) 

large can of pineapple chunks (drained, put juice aside)
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 cup of brown sugar

3 Tbl. cornstarch
2/3 cup of white vinegar
3 1/2 TBS Soy sauce

Place meatballs in crock pot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks.  In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.  Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.  Serve over rice.   Enjoy!

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

Summer Veggie Pasta

We are leaving for vacation in a few days and I needed to get rid of some of these wonderful summer veggies that I have sitting around.   I was craving carbs so I thought why not add them to pasta?  We had this for dinner but it would be great served as a side dish too in a small portion.  I bet it would pair wonderfully with fish.  And you could use whatever veggies you want for this... I was missing something green.  Next time I think I will add asparagus. 

Ingredients:
1/2 box linguine noodles
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4-5 eggplant slices, peeled and cut in small chunks (we had some leftover from the Grilled Chicken Parmesan Subs with Eggplant)
2 cups squash, peeled and cut in small chunks
1 TBS italian seasoning (more or less to taste)
2 TBS EVOO
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (more or less to taste)
2 TBS grated parmesan cheese (more or less to taste)
dash salt & pepper to taste (optional)

1.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain well. 

2.  Heat a large nonstick pan on medium heat.  Add the  EVOO to the pan.  Swirl to coat. 

3.  Once pan is heated, add the veggies.   Sprinkle the italian seasoning over them and stir gently.   You can optionally add s&p here too.  Let saute for 4-5 minutes or until slightly tender, stirring gently every minute or so.  Be careful not to overcook or else they will get mushy.   Immediately remove from heat once done BUT LEAVE IN THE PAN THEY WERE COOKED IN.

4.  Add the well drained pasta to a mixing bowl.   Pour in the veggie EVOO mix.  Make sure you get all the veggie sauce out of the pan.   Then sprinkle with the dried basil, Parmesan cheese and s&p (if desired).    Mix well.    Enjoy. 

Mango Shrimp Salad Wrap

My husband came up with this recipe.   It was unbelievable.  I never wanted it to end.  So light and refreshing. Perfect summer dinner.   We served it with a side salad.  It does take a little more time to prepare than we normally do for dinners so I can't call this "quick & easy" but it's worth it. Trust me!  (This recipe makes 4 tortillas). 

Ingredients:
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
1/3 cup low calorie mayo
1/4 cup fresh basil - chopped
2 TBS fresh chives - chopped
1 TBS fresh mint - chopped
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 TBS lemon juice
1 cup baby spinach
1 1/2 pound large gulf shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
2 large ripe mangos, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices
4 Tortillas (we used the whole wheat ones)


1.  Put sour cream, mayo, basil, chives, s&p in a blender until the mixture is smooth.  It should be a pale green color when done.

2.  Heat a nonstick pan on medium - high heat.  Once the pan is warm, add the shrimp.   Let them cook for several minutes on each side until done.  Make sure the shrimp are fully cooked or else they will be mushy after the next step.   


3.  Immediately transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water for 2-3 minutes.  Then drain well and pat dry.  Cut the shrimp into large chunks. 

4. Add the shrimp to the dressing you made in the blender.  Stir to combine. 

5.  Turn a stove burner on med - high heat.  Add one tortilla at a time directly to the burner, turning over & over with tongs until it's pliable and has a few "grill" marks.  Usually 30 seconds on each side.

6.  Divide the baby spinach to each tortilla, arranging it across the middle.  Then divide up the mango on top of the spinach.   Top with the shrimp salad.   Roll up the wraps & cut in half.    Enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Burritos

This beef is absolutely delish. It only requires a few ingredients and is full of flavor. We love using it in burritos (they rival Qdoba and Chipotle) but it would also be great in quesadilla's or tacos!

Ingredients:
1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs)
1 diced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – I use 1 or 2 peppers (It’s in a can.)
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional - I omit to keep it kid friendly)

You will also need:
Whole wheat burrito sized tortillas
Anything else you like on burritos –  black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole etc.

We also like to add Cilantro Lime Rice to our burritos. All you need to do is make some white rice and add lime juice, cilantro, and salt.


Directions:
Dump all of the ingredients into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. I usually throw my beef in while it is frozen and it takes about 8 hours on low.

When the meat is cooked, you will need to strain the juices and add the juice back to the slow cooker. (You want to remove the peppercorns and onions.) Shred the meat and add back to the juice in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes.

recipe courtesy of www.savingyoudenero.com

Honey Chicken Kabobs

Kabobs are a staple in our house during the summer. They are so colorful, fun to eat and delish! I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew the whole family would love these! They were so full of flavor and the marinade caramelized onto the veggies. So yum!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
1 large white onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces (I used 1 orange and 1 yellow - use your favorite!)
skewers

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking.

Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers*

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

*Don't forget to soak your skewers in water so they don't catch on fire

recipe courtesy of  http://www.allrecipes.com

Beef and Broccoli

Wow! This recipe is SO easy and absolutely delicious! I was skeptical that the steak would end up being tough but it was so tender and full of flavor! The kids devoured it (Olivia had 2nds!) I'm so excited to have another recipe for a take-out type of food that we can make at home!

First, marinate the meat for an hour or more:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
• 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips (sirloin works great too)

1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp sherry
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
• 2 heads broccoli, crowns only (I used 4, we love broccoli!)

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve with red pepper flakes (optional).

recipe courtesy of  http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/

Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup



Warm, cheesy, chunks of potatoes and full of flavor.  This soup is so easy to make. I threw it together the night before I was going to serve it and transferred it to the crockpot in the morning. I let it simmer all day while we were entertaining guests and by dinnertime the potatoes were nice and tender and I didn't have to spend the day cooking. Everyone loved it!

 





 

 

Ingredients:

2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken Broth
1/4 c flour
1/2 c butter
1 lb lean ground beef, 93/7
1/2 c 1% Milk
6 - 8 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded (depending on how cheesy you want it)
Pepper to taste

Optional 2 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

Brown the meat, drain and set aside.

Melt 1/4 c of the butter in a large 5 qt pot and saute the onions, carrots and the celery until softened. Add cooked hamburger meat and chicken broth.  In another sauce pot, melt the remaining butter add the flour over low heat. Stir until thick and add to the large pot.

Stir well, then add the cheese along with the milk. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. Add the potatoes (uncooked).

Transfer the soup to a large crockpot and let it simmer all day on low. About 6 to 8 hours to make the potatoes tender. Depending on how thick you like your soup, towards the end remove 1/2 cup of broth and whisk in 2 TBSP of corn starch. Pour back into the crockpot and stir thoroughly. Let the soup cook without the lid for another hour to thicken.

Serve with a hunk of crunchy bread and season with pepper.

Turkey Meatball and Spaghetti Soup

My family has never been huge on soups, unless they are hearty and the broth is pretty much nonexistent. Back when my daughter was born a neighbor delivered this delicious soup to me. I literally ate the entire container by myself. I have been dreaming of this soup for over 2 years and finally decided to make it. I added extra noodles and less broth in hopes to please my picky people. The verdict? They ate it and didn't complain! I even convinced Rich to keep some broth in his bowl (he tends to drain it all and go for the chunks) and he had seconds! I'm slowly converting them :) 

 

Ingredients:

For the soup:
7 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 cups water
2 chopped cloves garlic, divided
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 onion, chopped, divided
8oz can of tomato sauce
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
kosher salt and fresh pepper
12 oz dry cut up whole wheat spaghetti

For the meatballs:
16 oz 99% lean ground turkey
1 small egg
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a soup pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth, water, crushed garlic, italian seasoning, 1/4 of the chopped onion, tomato sauce, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper to a boil; simmer about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs by combining ground turkey, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, remaining onion, italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Form into little 1 inch meatballs (about 36).

Drop meatballs into the broth, cook about 3 minutes; add pasta and cook according to package directions. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Italian Sausage Hoagies - kid approved

I got this recipe from my Cooking Light Magazine and this was a "kid tested & approved" recipe.  I thought I'd try it.  My 7 year old son is super picky but my 2 year old daughter eats anything, so it seemed like a good choice.   And the added plus is that one hoagie is only 300 calories and 7g of fat.  Super quick to make too.  We used 4 sausages to make this but since the kids only split one, we had enough for lunches for us adults the next day -- win win! 

Ingredients:
4 hoagie rolls, halved lengthwise (we only used 3 for dinner and saved the next one for lunch the next day)
4 links of sweet turkey italian sausage, cut into 1" thick pieces (they get a little mushy but it's ok)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (to hide it from picky kids)
1 TSP minced garlic
1 cup marinara sauce (more or less depending on preference, we used a bit more)
1 small red pepper, finely chopped (again, to hide it from picky kids)
1/4 TSP black pepper
1 cup shredded part skim mozz cheese


1.  Preheat broiler to high.
2.  Hollow out the top halves of the rolls.   Arrange the rolls, cut sides up on a baking sheet.  Broil 1-2 minutes until toasted (pay close attention so they don't burn).  Set aside.
3.   Heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage to the pan, cook a few minutes or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.  
4.  Add the onion & garlic to the sausage, cook 1 minute longer.
5.  Add the marinara sauce, bell pepper and black pepper.  Bring to a low boil.    Reduce heat and simmer until the pepper is tender (or in my case, let cook on "warm" on the stove for 30 minutes because the hubby was stuck in awful traffic, lol).
6. Arrange about 3/4 cup sausage mixture over bottom half of each roll, sprinkle each with some cheese.  
7.  Place on baking sheet, broil 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with the top halves of rolls.   

Crockpot Bacon Ranch Chicken

Carmen mentioned the other day that cooking in a crockpot is a form of torture for stay-at-home moms. I couldn't have said it better after smelling this chicken cooking all day long. The chicken was super tasty and perfect comfort food on a chilly day. Also, who doesn't love bacon?!?

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2.5 oz real bacon bits
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup (low sodium)
1.5 cups fat free sour cream

1 package of whole wheat egg noodles


Directions:
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. Combine bacon, garlic, ranch dressing mix, soup, and sour cream; mix well. Pour over chicken in the crock pot. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Shred the chicken and put back in the pot and add the cooked egg noodles; mix together. Serve with your favorite veggie.

recipe courtesy of Crock Pot Girls

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore always reminds me of my dad. He used to make my grandmother's recipe pretty often and it was always so delicious. I have tried a few versions of the recipe but it never quite compared to what he made. I gave this Skinny Taste recipe a try and it was AMAZING. I can't say it is better than my grandmother's recipe but it came very close to it and that's good enough for me! It helps that it's a crockpot recipe, too!

Ingredients:
5-8 chicken thighs, with the bone, skin removed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Tuttorosso my favorite!)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for topping


Directions:
Season chicken with salt and black pepper and place in the slow cooker. Pour tomatoes over the chicken, top with onions and peppers, add oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, give it a quick stir and cover. Set crock pot to LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 hours. An hour before serving remove the lid from the crockpot, remove the bones from the meat (it will fall apart) and shred the chicken. This will thicken the sauce as well.

Serve over a bed of brown rice or your favorite noodle.

recipe courtesy of Skinny Taste

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

I have made this a couple of times now and each time I can't seem to make enough chicken. We devour this - to put it mildly. I truly don't think you can buy something better at an authentic Chinese restaurant. There is a bit of sauteing in oil but majority of the cooking is in the form of baking, so it's much healthier than the deep fried stuff! Yum!

Ingredients:

 3-4 boneless chicken breasts

The chicken coating:
 salt + pepper
 1 cup cornstarch
 2 eggs, beaten (egg substitute is fine)
 1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:
 3/4 cup sugar
 4 tbs ketchup
 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
 1 tbs soy sauce
 1 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. 

Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through.

Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken.

Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Serve over a bed of brown rice and broccoli. Yum!

recipe courtesy of Life as a Lofthouse

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

These taquitos rocked!  Every time I think I spend too much time on Pinterest, I find an awesome recipe that has me going back for more!  lol.    As soon as we tried them, we thought of the perfect occasion to serve them - football season!  I actually think they were even better the 2nd day so you can definitely make them ahead of time and just warm them up.   They were crunchy and full of flavor.  So good!  (I added kid friendly directions under cooking instruction #4 below).  

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
12 flour tortillas
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated
4 oz cream cheese (we used neufatchel)
1/3 cup of Frank’s hot sauce or something similiar
1/3 cup of milk
2 TBSP of butter (we used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light and it worked fine!)
1 tsp. of Mrs. Dash
1 tsp. of garlic powder
2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter.
3. Add Mrs. Dash, garlic powder. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
   
   ** To make some taquitos kid friendly, we added only the milk from the next step and let it simmer for several minutes and then put it aside so we could keep some NON spicy.  Then just stir in a handful of chicken and the non spicy ones are ready to assemble. **
   
5. Whisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
6. Combine chicken and sauce.  Simmer several minutes or until the sauce thickens up a bit. 
7. Lay out a tortilla; fill with about ¼ – 1/3 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.
8. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone.
9. Brush taquitos lightly with EVOO on all sides.  (We brushed very lightly and used way less than the 2 TBSP it called for and they still came out very crispy.)
10. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.

*recipe adapted from here

 

Baked Tortellini

I've never had baked tortellini, but have wanted to try it because it sounds so yummy. I found this recipe and it seemed like just what I was looking for. WARNING: Make this recipe on a night when you aren't counting calories. It isn't terrible for you if you watch portion control (which you won't have a choice because it's very rich) but it's not light or "skinny." I usually go full steam ahead on Friday night with the carbs and filling foods because I run so much on Saturdays. I digress...make this. It's GOOD.

Ingredients:

3 cups or 1 (13 oz) bag fresh cheese tortellini (I used 20oz and shared with the neighbors. It made a ton)
1  (24 oz) jar of marinara sauce of your liking
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup fresh grated reduced fat Parmesan cheese, divided
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 11 x 7-inch baking pan.

In a pot of boiling water, cook tortellini for 3 minutes. You don’t want it fully cooked because it will cook more in the oven. Drain and place in a bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoons of butter to prevent sticking.

Combine the the marinara, cream, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Then add to the pasta and gently toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Place the tortellini into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Then bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.

Serve with a nice hunk of french bread of garlic bread. YUM!




recipe adapted from: http://realmomkitchen.com/6852/easy-baked-tortellini/

Barbecue Chicken Pizza with Gorgonzola

We are huge pizza eaters around these parts. I always make my own pizza crust, which you can find here, and then I vary the toppings. Tonight I wanted something a little more 'grown up' than the cheese pizza topped with broccoli that I usually make. I have always loved barbecue chicken pizza so I threw this together and it was DE-LISH. I highly recommend using the Gorgonzola cheese but you could substitute sharp cheddar and sit on the lame side of the table. Enjoy!

This recipe makes 1 medium sized pizza. If you follow the whole wheat pizza recipe above, cut it in half.

1 pre-made or homemade pizza dough
1/2 cup barbecue sauce of your choice. I used Kraft Original.
1 medium red onion, sliced thin and caramelized
1 cup of shredded chicken
1 5oz container of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Spread dough on a well greased baking pan or pizza pan. Top with barbecue sauce, chicken, onions and cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes on 425 until the sauce is bubbly. The cheese will not melt so don't wait for that to happen!

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.