From Scratch Italian Spaghetti

This is a great way to use up some of those garden tomatoes in the fall.  My family loves it and will eat it even though there are little specks of green in it... that means it's good folks! And it's so easy.  Just put it all together around lunch time and it's ready by dinner time.  Plus it makes your house smell YUMMY! 

Combine the following:

1 lb hamburger - browned

1 onion - chopped

½ cup celery - chopped

2 cans tomato sauce

2 quarts tomatoes

1 can mushrooms

1/4 cup parsley

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

½ tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp thyme

½ tsp oregano

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp sugar

½ cup grated cheese

Put all ingredients in a large pot and simmer 4-6 hours 

Serve over Spaghetti

Healthy Chicken Salad

I love me a chicken salad sandwich, but I don't love all the fat and stuff that goes with it.  But with this recipe, you don't have to worry as much!  Woohoo!  I've subbed the mayo base (loaded with lots of bad stuff) with a greek yogurt base.  You can't tell!  Crazy!  In such a good way!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded or chopped finely
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried dill
pinch ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
some slivered almonds
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped celery

Directions
In a bowl combine yogurt, honey, vinegar, dill, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken and mix it.
Add almonds, grapes, and celery to mixture.  Mix.
Let sit for about 20 minutes to let flavors blend.

This makes about 6 servings and has 110 calories a serving. 

Enjoy!

Healthy BBQ Chicken Wrap

BBQ yumminess in under 250 calories (depending on the tortilla/wrap you use).  I really like to make this for lunch.  Mmmm....

Here's the recipe (more general guidelines- customize as you wish)

-Chicken (I use breaded chicken that I just have to bake for 20 minutes, from Sams Club)
-BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece is my sauce of choice)
-Red onions, sliced
-Spinach
-Cilantro (A must if you like cilantro!)
-Feta Cheese
-Tortilla  (I prefer the brand flat out, they are under 100 calories and give you tons of fiber)

*Warm up the tortilla and then add your chicken slices.  Add a tablespoon or so of feta and then bbq sauce.  Then just add the spinach, onions and lots of cilantro.  Roll up.  Eat.  Enjoy. Thank me. 

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

I have to give all credit to www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com  The picture is from her because I forgot to take one, but ours looked pretty darn close to this, asparagus and all!   A little bit of work, but really yummy! 

The actual recipe site is http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/04/crispy-chicken-with-creamy-italian.html where it has step by step pictures! I think it helped a lot and was a lot easier to follow! 







Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

3 large chicken breasts
5 C corn flakes
3/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 C milk
6 T olive oil 
1   12 oz package bowtie noodles (farfalle)

Sauce:
1   10 oz container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 C chicken broth
1/2 C milk 
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  
1. In a small food processor crush the corn flakes into crumbs. 
2. Add the 1/2 t salt to the 3/4 C flour. Stir to combine. 
3. Place the flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate pan. Loaf pans work well for this. If you don't have three loaf pans, do not dismay. You could use pie tins, or round cake pans...what ever works for you. 
4. Place your chicken breasts in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal the top. 
Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet. You will really be thankful for the Ziploc bag in this step. Who wants a bunch of chicken guts flying around their kitchen? Not me...that's who. 
5. Take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and cut each breast in half. 
6. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Be sure it gets covered on both sides. 
Lay the floured chicken onto a small cookie sheet and slide the sheet into the freezer. Let it hang out there for about 5 minutes.
7. Start cooking your pasta.
8. Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in the milkand then immediately into the corn flake crumbs. Again, be sure both sides are covered well. 
9. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet. 
10. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes....
or until the underside of each piece is nice and golden brown. Turn the pieces over. If the bottom of the pan is dry add just a bit more olive oil to the side of the pan. Swirl the pan around a bit to let the oil flow to all sides.
11. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium.  Let the chicken cook for about 7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottoms. Burned bottoms are not advised. In any shape or form. Thank you. 
12. When your chicken has been cooked through remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Cover with tin foil.  
13. Into the same pan pour your broth. Philly Cooking Creme, Cream of Chicken, and milk. Whisk the sauce around and let it get all warm and bubbly. Should only take about 3 minutes. 
14. Slice your chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if you choose.
Enjoy

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

These are so good.  Brent loves them and my parents loved them too.  Yummers.


Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
*Makes 6 wraps*
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.
Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Crisp Chicken Burritos

Okay has it really been like 3 months since we've posted anything?  Yikes!

Well here goes. 

This is one of my favorite meals to make because it's super easy and really good.  Plus the kids even like it, so it's a win, win, win situation.  :)
This is the secret recipe from a certain taco place in town and I know it because my hubby use to work there in his high school years...  They let him watch how they made it once and he took notes. 


1 package cream cheese
3/4 pound of shredded chicken (I use a can of chicken to make it even more easy!)
1 can green chiles (I use fresh- yum!)
1 TBSP dried onions (You can use fresh onions too of course, it's just one small onion, chopped)
some seasoned salt to taste
Tortillas

*Okay, so here's the super easy method of getting these ready-  put all ingredients (except tortillas) in your kitchen aid and mix.  Put a spoonful of mix on a tortilla and roll it.  Repeat.

Cook on greased baking sheet at 425* for about 10-15 minutes, or until brown.   

Or you could deep fry it for the genuine taste, but we love it baked. 

ENJOY!!!

PF Changs Lettuce Wraps

I totally found this recipe from this blog here.  I was trying to find something to cook for dinner, and found this blog AND I had everything that I needed for the recipe (except peanuts).  How cool is that?  To have everything for a random recipe.  Brent loved these and I loved, loved them too. 

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from CD Kitchen Recipe.
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1lb ground chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper, a dash of each
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch gnob fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry
Directions:
1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.

2. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.

3 Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.

4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves

Now here is my change...I had Trader Joe's Gyoza dipping sauce, and I used this for dipping.  It was so good, that on the second wrap, I just poured some into the wrap itself.  Oh how I wish there were a Trader Joe's close by!!  I brought a ton of stuff back from my California trip and already wish I would have bought more stuff!

 You should try this.  Really, it's that good. 

(not the best picture, sorry!)

Sesame Chicken Potstickers

1 10oz pkg gyoza wrappers
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, skinned, boned and finely chopped (about 2)
4 TBS Sesame Oil
1 Cup Celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 TBS. chicken broth
2 TBS. Cornstartch
1 tsp. each sugar and salt

Combine the chicken, vegetables, liquids and seasonings in a bowl.  Mix well.
             Work 6-8 wrappers at a time, keep others covered.  Place 2 tsp filling in center of each gyoza. Moisten edges with water, fold in half over filling, and pinch edges to seal.  Set up right on baking sheet and keep covered (or freeze for later).
            Heat 1 TBS. oil in Frying pan over medium heat.  Set potstickers in pan seam side up.  Cook uncovered 5-7 minutes or until the bottoms are deep golden brown..  Pour in 1/4 c. water, immediately reduce heat to low.  Steam covered for 6 minutes (if potsiters are frozen, increase steaming time to 5 minutes.)

Cook 2 doz at  time in 11 inch frying pan; makes 4 doz. 


**** My notes******

I don't do all the covering and uncovering. I simply fold up the pot stickers and put them on a plate until I have as many as I want ready. Then I cook them.  I also don't make quite as much feeling because I always seem to run out of the wrappers, maybe I just need to fill them a little more.  I have also added chopped carrots to them and it tasted good!
ENJOY!

Yogurt Parfait

This is more of a meal idea than a specific recipe, especially now when berries are in season.

This makes a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Just layer vanilla yogurt, your favorite berries, and granola.  Super yummy and

good for you if you use light yogurt and lowfat granola.  (I have a really good and healthy granola recipe I will share sometime). 

Enjoy!

-Michelle

Corny Chicken Wraps

Corny Chicken Wraps

2 cups of chicken, cooked and cubed

1 can whole Kernel Corn, Drained

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheese

8flour tortillas, warmed

Combine Chicken, corn, and salsa. Cook until heated through. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas. Place about ½ cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up and secure with a toothpick. 

This recipe originally came from Michelle!