Turkey Stroganoff

It has been a LAZY summer in the kitchen. Today my good friend Annie reminded me that its been just about forever since I last updated this blog, so I decided to make one of my favorite meals tonight to give her, and all of you a new post. I am hopeful that as summer winds down I will find myself back in the kitchen and sharing some more yummy recipes.

The recipe tonight is one that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember, and was a frequent request of mine on my birthday. I have tweaked it just a bit to make it healthier (sorry mom!) but the taste of it has not changed a bit and it is still one of my favorite dishes. It can be served over egg noodles or rice, and tonight we went with noodles.



Ingredients

• 8oz extra wide egg noodles or 1 cup rice
• 1lb lean ground turkey breast
• 8oz low fat sour cream (fat free is too watery, be sure to use low fat)
• 1 can low sodium/low fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can low sodium/low fat cream of celery soup

Directions

1. Cook the noodles.
2. Meanwhile, brown the turkey in a large skillet and drain when cooked through.
3. Add the sour cream, cream of mushroom, and cream of celery. Mix well.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer, and heat through.
5. Serve over the noodles or rice.

Super easy, and super quick! Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you all. I found it a few years ago and it very quickly became a staple in my recipe file. While yes, its just another chicken recipe, when done right its a easy fix and the flavor in the chicken is so so good. I love to pair it up with a pasta tossed in lemon juice and zest and a yummy glass of pinot grigio.


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp olive oil
  
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and garlic powder.
3. In a second bowl, beat the egg.
4. In a third bowl, place the Parmesan cheese.
5. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg, then roll in the cheese.
6. In a large skillet, brown the chicken in olive oil on both sides.
7. Once browned, transfer to a greased baking dish.
8. Drizzle with lemon juice and bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches at least 160 degrees and the juices run clear.

Turkey Pot Pie

Let me start by saying this is not a dish you should judge by its picture. I've held off several times from posting this because I really struggle to get a good picture, but man, it is just too good to keep a secret any longer! This is another Mrs. Dash recipe, and if you haven't yet tried the Garlic Herb Marinade, do it soon, you will love it. This pot pie is a bit tangier than the traditional one you may be used to but it is absolutely fantastic. Even my very traditional husband says that its in my best interest to keep this as my staple pot-pie.

Ingredients

• 2 frozen 9-inch pie crusts
• 1 can low sodium cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup Mrs. Dash Zesty Garlic Herb Marinade
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 16oz frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups thin sliced turkey breast, diced

Directions

1. Take pie crusts and veggies out of the freezer to thaw while you prepare the turkey.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Dice and cook turkey breast.
4. Grease pie plate with cooking spray and press on bottom pie crust.
5. Whisk soup, milk, Mrs. Dash, and cornstarch in a large bowl.
   
6. Add veggies and turkey.
7. Spoon mixutre into pie pan. Top with crust, pressing onto the edges of the plate. Cut several slits in the crust.
8. Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I hope you love it!

Feta Stuffed Chicken

This is one of my favorite dishes! This is another one I found last summer when we began our new diet, and I apologize for not remembering my source. It is such a yummy meal though, and perfect for a light summer evening. Ever since I made this I have frequent requests from the hubby for things involving feta, (although he may kill me for publicly mentioning that).

Although we didn't enjoy it with it this time, a great side with this meal is the cranberry feta salad I blogged about a few weeks ago.

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup garlic and herb feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp margarine, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place each chicken breast half in between two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap or wax paper. Flatten to 1/4 inch thick (this is my favorite part :) ).
3. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.
4. Spoon 1 tbsp of cheese into the middle of each piece of chicken and roll.
5. Place chicken breasts (seam side down) into a square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
6. Drizzle margarine over chicken.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees.

I hope you try this amazing dish, and please comment and let me know what you think of it!

Healthier Mac 'n' Cheese....and an Apology

Hey everyone! Yes, I'm still alive, and I owe my readers a big apology for being a bit MIA lately. If you haven't heard, I have started my own paper crafting shop on Etsy (yes, this is a shameless plug, but hey, its my blog, I guess I can plug away!), KTPaperCrafts. Getting the shop going has been quite a bit of work and has pulled me away from both this blog and my other.

At any rate, I'm back in the game and ready to share some more recipes!! Tonight's recipe comes from a website called Right at Home, and is something I found when I started my grocery coupon kick a few weeks ago. This Mac 'n' Cheese was absolutely delicious, and even with the veggies in it, it was husband-approved. next time I might try adding a little Mrs. Dash seasoning to spice it up a bit, but even by the book, this one's a keeper.


Ingredients

• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion poweder
• 4 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup fat-free or low fat cream
• 2 cups shredded, reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 12 baking dish or 2 qt casserole dish.
2. Cook the macaroni according to package directions.
3. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Melt the butter or margarine in a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Add the seasoned flour from step 3 and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk and cream until the mixture is smooth.
   
6. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick and smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cheese, half cup at a time, stirring thoroughly each time until the cheese is melted.
8. Remove from heat. Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
9. Layer the bottom of the baking dish with broccoli and tomatoes. Spoon the macaroni and cheese over the vegetables. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
10. Bake 30 minutes until the top is crisped and lightly browned.

Source: Rightathome.com

Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate (Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

As some of you may know, I used to be a high school Spanish teacher. Along with the gig came lots of different recipe books for Spanish speaking countries. I've never actually tried any of these recipes, until tonight. This recipe comes from the book "Spanish" by Pepita Aris, and I got it at one of those $5 sales at Borders, thinking it would be perfect for my classroom.

Much like the Arroz con Pollo, I was so impressed by the amount of healthy, natural ingredients in this recipe, and I can't wait to try more from the book. Although the ingredient list is a little lengthy, look closely because I bet you have a lot of these things already in your refrigerator.

I made the meatballs with beef tonight, but you could easily substitute a lean turkey to make it even healthier. We had it as our main dish, but I might recommend trying them as a side or an appetizer, because while they are absolutely delicious, and somewhat filling, I'm not sure they qualify as a complete meal. In Spain they are served as tapas, little appetizers often served at bars along with a yummy Spanish drink and some of their amazing crusty bread.

I hope you enjoy making these. I will say, this is one of those wonderful recipes that tastes just as good as it smells, and these smell fantastic!

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey, minced
• 4 scallions, thinly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp red or dry white wine
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• pinch of shugar
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• fresh thyme, to garnish

Directions

1. Put the minced beef in a bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, Parmesan, thyme, and plenty of salt and pepper.
2. Stir well to combine, then shape the mixture into 12-14 small firm balls.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes over medium heat, turing frequently, until evenly browned all over.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine, rosemary, and sugar to the pan, with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook about 10-15 minutes until the tomaotes are pulpy and the meatballs are cooked through.
   
6. Check the sauce for seasoning and serve the meatballs hot, garnished with the thyme.

Source: "Spanish" by Pepita Aris

Spinach Dip with Baked Pita Chips

Everyone has a small stack of yummy appetizer recipes that they pull out on special occasions like holidays and dinner parties. But I'm willing to bet you don't often think of these same recipes when thinking about what snacks to have in the house during the week. Packaged snack foods are so expensive, and often not very healthy for you. I definitely have my fair share in the house, but when I was going through my recipe file today, trying to pull together my shopping list for the week, this dip and chip combo popped out at me as something that is not only fresh, but healthier too. The thing that surprised me the most was the use of yogurt instead of sour cream, a common substitution from what I've learned. This recipe is virtually fat free, and very very yummy. And the chips are versatile. Once you know how to make them you can use them with any dip, salsa, or spread!

Spinach Dip

Ingredients

• 10 oz baby spinach (not frozen)
• 1 cup plain fat free or low fat yogurt, drained of excess water
• 4 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Steam spinach until wilted. Rinse in cold water, and squeeze out excess water by hand. Chop finely, and place in a medium bowl.
2. Stir the yogurt and cream cheese together until smooth. Add to spinach.
3. Stir in Parmesan, garlic, and lemon juice. Blend thoroughly.
4. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (I like to let it refrigerate for at least 30 minutes)

Makes about 2 cups.

Baked Pita Chips

Directions

• 6-8 6 inch whole wheat pitas
• Butter flavored cooking spray
• Salt (optional)

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut pitas into 8 wedges and separate layers of each wedge.
3. Place triangles in a single layer on two greased cookie sheets.
4. Spray with butter flavored cooking spray and add optional salt.
5. Bake until crisp, 8-10 minutes. (Keep an eye on them though...every oven is different, and they burn easily!)

I think next time I'll add some artichokes just to spice it all up a bit!

Baked Chimichangas

This is such an easy, quick dinner to throw together, and it is so yummy and very filling! I think I found it on a Weight Watchers site last year when I was on my points kick. If you're a WW follower, these are only 2 points each!! There are lots of ways you can play around with this recipe. I think next time I will try some chicken along with the turkey, and if I'm feeling super crazy I might add some melted cheese on the top.



Ingredients

• 1lb lean ground turkey or beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups chunky salsa
• 2 tsp chili seasoning
• 6-6inch wheat flour tortillas
• Butter flavored cooking spray
  
• Fat free sour cream (as much as you want!)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with regular cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion
3. Stir in the garlic, 1 cup of salsa, and chili seasoning.
   
4. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll. (I fold in the sides first, then roll over). Place in baking dish.
   
6. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with butter flavored cooking spray.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
8. When cooked, spoon the remaining salsa and sour cream on top of each chimichanga.

I chose to serve it with white rice on the side, with a little salsa and tabasco sauce mixed in for the extra Mexican flavor.

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

I wish I could remember where I found this recipe because I would love to give the website credit for this yummy, healthier alternative to pizza. This dish is super easy to throw together and makes a full casserole dish, leaving you with leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day!

Ingredients

• 1lb extra lean ground turkey or beef (I use turkey)
• 15 oz chunky Italian style tomato sauce (I use Chunky Ragu Tomato, Garlic, and Onion)
• 1-10oz refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 6 slizes part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Brown meat in skillit until it crumbles. Drain and return to heat. Add tomato sauce and cook until heated through.
3. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
4. Unroll pizza crust dough and press into bottom of dish and halfway up the sides of the dish.
5. Line the bottom of the pizza crust with 3 slices of mozzarella cheese. (I cut them in half and do two rows of three halves...it covers more area that way)
6. Top with meat mixture.
7. Bake for 12 minutes.
8. Top with remaining three cheese slices and bake an additional 5 minutes or until crust browns and cheese is melted.

Let cool before serving.


There are lots of ways you could tweak this and add different toppings or sauces. If anyone plays around with it a bit, please comment!

Lemon Turkey Burgers

It took me a long time to get my beef-loving husband to not gag at the thought of substituting his wonderful red meat for the healthier alternative of turkey. It finally happened one night when I made taco salad and substituted the turkey for the beef. After about ten minutes of complimenting me on the meal, I confessed my substitution, and he hasn't complained since. I now substitute turkey in almost all of my beef meals including tacos, baked ziti, pizza casserole, and now burgers. You can't even tell the difference. Do make sure however, to get extra lean turkey (I buy 97% lean).

I found this recipe on MrsDash.com a few weeks ago and we were both blown away by how much flavor this recipe gives our turkey burgers. Tonight I served them up on regular buns and with Cape Cod Robust Russet potato chips. It was a perfect meal for an early spring evening.


Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend
2. 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning Blend
3. 1 lb lean ground white turkey
4. 1 cup breadcrumbs
5. 1 large egg, beaten lightly
6. 4 tbsp onion, minced

Directions

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients together with your hands
• Form into four patties
• Spray a pan on the stove, or preheat the barbeque to medium high
• Place patties on pan or grill and cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle
• Garnish as you'd like, and serve!

One little side note about Mrs. Dash meals. Even though the Mrs. Dash items can be a little more expensive, its really important to use the brand. No I'm not a spokesperson :) I've done a lot of comparing, and Mrs. Dash really is the only brand that is salt-free, making the meals very heart healthy.

I'm headed out for a week of travel for work, so I'm afraid this will be the only post this week as my poor husband must fend for himself. Enjoy your week everyone and I will be sure to post next weekend!

Mediterranean Chicken with Cranberry-Walnut Salad

The first time I made this dish, I think I spent more time smelling it than I did eating it. The smell of the marinade for the chicken makes you feel like you are seriously sitting at a cafe in Tuscany. It smells amazing, and tastes just as good. You can pair the chicken up with pretty much anything. Tonight I chose a cranberry walnut salad, and baked potato, topped off of course with a very yummy pinot grigio wine.

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning Blend
• 3 tbsp low-fat plain yogurt, drained of excess water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1. Combine Mrs. Dash, yogurt, and olive oil in a bowl.
2. Lightly score chicken breasts and place in a bowl with the mixture, turning to coat well.
3. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Grill or cook chicken in a large skillet until no longer pink or temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Source: MrsDash.com

Cranberry-Walnut Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• A handful of dried cranberries
• A handful of walnuts
• Plain feta cheese
• Fruit dressing (I prefer Newman's Own Raspberry and Walnut)

Directions

1. Combine everything. Add more or less ingredients as desired.
2. Refrigerate before serving.
   

Potato and Broccoli Soup in Bread Bowls

As winter winds down and spring approaches, its interesting the different dishes that I like to make. On one hand, I'm feeling summery and am once again exploring fruits, fresh veggies, and cold salads. On the other hand, the nights and some days are still really cold, so we are still enjoying hearty and warm foods, like this soup.


I found this on a food blog somewhere about a year ago, but have tweaked it quite a bit to make it both healthier and tastier. This is thick and yummy soup, and is one of our favorites. The best part is, that thanks to the Mrs. Dash in it, it is no-salt added, but has tons of flavor. I always serve it in bread bowls and save the tops for dipping in the leftovers. This time I used a rosemary and olive oil bread and it was to die for with this soup!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp(ish) olive oil
  
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium broccoli tree, chopped
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup light cream
• 1 bag (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning Blend
  
• Bread bowls for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of the broth. Set aside. This will be used later to thicken the soup.
2. In a large stockpot, saute the onion in a small amount of olive oil until soft.
3. Add remaining broth, potatoes, and broccoli.
4. Bring to a nice simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes.
6. Pour in the flour mixture and stir in. Continue to stir over medium-high heat until soup thickens.
7. Pour in milk and light cream, stirring to mix.
8. Add cheese and stir until melted.
   
9. Stir in Mrs. Dash.
10. Serve warm in bread bowls.

One note about this recipe. Its much easier to stay on top of the steps if you prep everything beforehand and only have to throw things into the pot. Overall though, its a very easy recipe to make!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is a recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid. When I was a senior in college my mom put together a recipe book of all of my favorite recipes (many of which will have their day here), and this was in it. Thanks mom!

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl.
3. Add the milk, vanilla, and shortening, and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Mix dry with wet.
6. Add oatmeal and raisins. Mix well.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes 12 cookies.

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers

If you haven't already, meet Rowdy. Rowdy is our very energetic, 9 month old, chocolate lab puppy. We got him last September and he has definitely added a new dynamic to our life, including literally watching what we eat. I always wondered if I could meet another living being more food motivated than my husband (I KID, I KID), but Rowdy definitely takes the cake.

If you have pets, you know how expensive they are. Vet bills, supplies, toys, and especially food, can eat up your budget very quickly. When we got Rowdy we were spending quite a bit of money on treats for him. They are quite a necessity when training since dogs are so food motivated, and we were flying through the bags at record pace. So a few months ago when someone at work asked me if I make my own dog treats, I said no, but please, tell me more! She sent me this recipe from ivillage.com and I haven't bought a bag of treats since. They are quick and easy to make and Rowdy LOVES them. He actually makes a scarfing noise when he's really excited to get one. Its quite humorous.

I'm excited to learn how to cook not only for Jim, but Rowdy too, so I decided to introduce a pet portion to the blog. If you have a pet of your own, hopefully these recipes will give him or her a tasty new treat!

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
  
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine peanut butter and milk. Mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Mix dry with wet.
4. Roll into small balls and place on greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes
6. Allow to cool before serving.
   

• 
  

Chocolate and Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats

Remember these from when you were a kid?? I found a recipe last night and just had to try it and it was so easy, I made an extra batch for work. These are made in 5 minutes, and ready in an hour. And the best part? They're not even that bad for you. Really!

NOTE: For my first batch I doubled the recipe to make extra thick treats. The single batch came out great though and were a perfect snack size!

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 tbsp margarine or butter
• 40 regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini marshmallows (I used the mini, the leftovers are great for hot chocolate!)
• 3 cups rice krispies (generic is fine too)
• 3 cups chocolate rice krispies

Directions

1. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium low heat, melt together maple syrup and butter until butter is completely melted.
3. Add marshmallows and stir continuously until completely melted. Remove from heat.
4. Add cereals and stir until well coated.
5. Spray the back of a metal spoon with cooking spray. Use it to press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (I refrigerated overnight, just to really firm them up).
7. Cut into squares to serve.

If you like your bars really gooey, add a little more marshmallow. For a less gooey bar, add a little less. If you really want to make it a tasty treat, try pouring some melted chocolate over the top, (just be aware that that may kill the whole "these are good for you" notion). :)

Source: American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook

Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Pizza

Pizza is an awesome thing. You can make it healthy, you can make it terrible for you, but no matter what you do, its always good. This is a recipe I found on the MayoClinic.com recipe database this summer when we started our new diet. The website is amazing and full of heart-healthy, yummy, and easy to make recipes.

Keep in mind when you're making this, its PIZZA. So the ingredient measurements are more of a guide than an absolute. Put as much or as little of anything as you want. Add things, remove things, do whatever you want. Its so easy to play around with!

Ingredients

• 1 -12 inch refrigerated pizza crust. (I use Pillsbury)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained, patted dry with paper towel, and chopped
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme

Directions

1. Place the oven rack on the lowest level of the oven. Preheat to 425 degrees.
2. Spray a cookie sheet, or flour a pizza stone. Roll out dough.
3. Arrange garlic, cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
4. Sprinkle on basil and thyme.
5. Bake until crust turns brown, about 20 minutes.

I think next time I might try adding some chicken. Let me know if any of you make any adjustments or additions when you make it!

Lemon-Sauced Chicken with Broccoli and Peppers

Let me start by saying that no, not all of my recipes consist of rice and chicken. :)

Last weekend when we were in Boston visiting friends, my friend Kerry pulled out a recipe book that she never uses. Its from the American Heart Association and its called Quick & Easy Cookbook. She offered to give it to me, saying that she never uses it. Given that we are on a heart healthy diet for the most part, I took the gift. Tonight I gave one of the recipes a shot.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, (don't get too excited, this only happens once in a blue moon), and gave it a bit of an Asian twist. I ended up serving it over white rice, and with chopsticks, and we had a very yummy, very filling meal.



Don't let the numerous ingredients scare you off. I'm a big fan of recipes with very few ingredients. If you look closely, I bet you'll find that most of these are already in your cupboard.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice
  
• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 10-oz package frozen broccoli florets
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Thaw frozen broccoli. I put it in a strainer and ran hot water over it for a few minutes. Make sure to pat it dry before cooking.
2. Cook rice.
   
3. In a small bowl, stir together broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and black pepper. Set aside.
4. Preheat a large skillet over high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir-fry broccoli and bell pepper in the hot oil for 1 minute. Remove vegetables from skillet.
5. Lower to medium heat. Add remaining oil and chicken. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink and almost completely cooked through, about 5 minutes.
6. Add lemon mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until bubbly and thickened, about 3 minutes.
7. Cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
8. Add vegetables, and stir until coated with sauce.
9. Serve the chicken/vegetable mixture over rice.

Just so you don't all think I've up and abandoned this new blog already, I'm heading out of town for the next few nights for work, so I probably won't have another recipe to post until at least Tuesday. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

Here's my first recipe! Arroz con pollo is a very traditional Mexican dish, and came up a lot in my classes while I was teaching Spanish. I had never tried making it though until a few weeks ago when I pulled out an old Mexican cooking book that I had bought Jim for our first Christmas together when he was on a huge Mexican food kick. I love this recipe because it is made from all natural ingredients, nothing comes from a can, and its super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breast
• 3 tsp olive oil (I always use a little more than that)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup white rice
• 3 tomatoes, cut in chunks
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sald
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Cook chicken until white all over, do not cook through.
2. Remove chicken and add onions, garlic, and rice in juices. Saute over medium heat until light brown.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
4. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
5. Return chicken to skillet and lower heat.
6. Cover and simmer about 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Add water if needed to keep rice moist.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

I've never had to add water to the rice, but just keep an eye on it while it simmers. The end product should be pretty heavy and moist.

Source: Mexican Cooking Made Easy

Welcome!

Welcome to my food blog! I look forward to sharing recipes of yummy dinners, appetizers, desserts, and more!

A little background about me and my cooking experience first however. I have not always been versed in the kitchen. In fact, if you had asked my family or friends even three years ago if I could cook dinner they would have laughed so hard that they'd end up on the floor rolling over themselves. So what happened? The basic truth is I met my husband. Having someone to cook for made it so much more interesting. I couldn't wait to try new recipes and see if they got the thumbs up or down from my food-loving significant other. With Jim, if it gets a thumbs up, its good.

Last summer Jim was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Before then I cooked quite a bit, but since then I have really taken to finding a lot of new, heart healthy recipes. On average I try 3-5 new recipes a week, so I decided it was time to share them. I do not promise that all of the recipes in this blog will be healthy, (I'm known to make a mean whoopie pie), but I do promise to share with you the nutritional information when it is available so that you can make your decisions based on your nutritional needs.

I will also say that most of these recipes are not made up by moi. I can create crafty things from scratch like its my job, but I'm still learning how flavors come together. I will do my best to link to whatever site or recipe books each dish comes from.

Finally, if you do try something, please comment on it! I'd love to hear what people think of the dishes, and its always good to see how others made it their own.

I hope you all enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy writing in it. Thanks for your support1