14 posts tagged “recipes”

I'm also testing a popcorn recipe to add to the cozys/giftcard plus for the people in the office at Tally's school.

It is in it's final stages of cooking and decorating so I'll try and post that either later tonight or over the next few days.

I have a few new scrapbook pages.
and last but not least I have a menu plan. Next month I am going to attempt a month of meal planning (planning not cooking) to try and make better use of ingredients.

Saturday- Papa Murphy's pizza for the 4th
Sunday- Braised Pork Chops (Saving Dinner Low Carb Cookbook)
Monday- Tacos with Salsa (Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)
Tuesday- Breakfast (Whole Wheat Pancakes, Eggs and Turkey Bacon)
Wednesday- Poached Salmon with Sauteed Cabbage ( Everyday Food Magazine June 2009 issue)
Thursday- Leftovers or Make your own pizza

Check out more menus at Orgjunkie

Braised Pork Chops

1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 pork chops, about 1/2" thick
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup green olives, cut in half
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme

  In a skillet over med-high heat, heat the olive oil. Salt and pepper the pork chops, then brown in the hot oil, about 2 mins each side.
  Add the peppers, onion, and garlic and cook till onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through. Remember to remove the bay before serving.

(301 calories, 19g fat, 7g carb, 2g fiber)

Tacos with Salsa

2 tomatoes, diced
4 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced seeded jalepeno pepper, or to taste
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
8 taco shells
2 cups shredded romaine
1/4 cup fat free sour cream

  Place the fresh tomatoes in a strainer or colander in the sink; drain 20-30 minutes. In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno until the onion is translucent, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano, and paprika; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef, and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, 1/4 tsp of the salt, and the pepper. Reduce the heat; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  To prepare the salsa, in a medium bowl, combine the fresh tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice; season with the remaining 1/4 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
  To assemble the tacos, divide the beef mixture among taco shells; top with the lettuce, then the salsa and sour cream.

(200 calories, 10g fat, 16g carbs, 3g fiber)

To make taco shell bowls and serve as a salad, crumple foil into balls and place them on a baking sheet; drape corn tortillas over the balls, then bake at 400° for 10 minutes (this is what I'm doing, most likely)

Simple Poached Salmon

2 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion, peeled and halved
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
coarse salt
4 skinless salmon fillets

  In a large deep straight-sided skillet or heavy pot, combine carrots, celery, onion, lemon, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 8 minutes.
  Season salmon with salt and gently lower into simmering liquid (liquid should just cover fish). Reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes (longer for thick fillets). Using a wide slotted spatula, remove salmon from liquid.

Satueed Cabbage

1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs green cabbage, cored and shredded
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh dill
lemon wedges

  Melt butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. Stir in cabbage. Add salt and chicken broth. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if needed. Stir in dill. Serve salmon over cabbage with lemon wedges

(354 calories, 15.2g fat, 10.7g carbs, 4.1g fiber)

and I have the last 2 Bones books at the library ready to be picked up.

Now it's time to get off the computer and do some house stuff. Have a great Tuesday!!

• Steak
  
• BBQ at my parents
• Breakfast night - Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes and scrambled eggs
• Artichoke & Chicken Casserole
• Homemade Pizza Night
• Crunchy Buttermilk-Coconut Chicken Strips
  
• Chicken Tostadas (recipe later this week)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Here is whats on the menu this week

F - Roasted Chicken and Sauteed Green Beans w/garlic
S - Papa Murphys pizzas at my parents
S - Pepper Steak (with red, yellow and orange bell peppers this time) and Brown Rice
M - Burritos
T - Tomato Basil Fish (Saving Dinner cookbook) and Roasted Asparagus
W - Breakfast for dinner Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes, scrambled eggs and turkey bacon
T - Whole Wheat Pizza Crust with Roasted Garlic Sauce and Spinach and Artichokes

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Friday- Mexican Beef Stew from week before
Saturday- Date night, I had the Mixed Grill at Olive Garden
Sunday- Hearty Turkey Burgers and Cajun Fries (recipes below)
Monday- Artichoke Chicken Casserole (from last week)
Tuesday- Breakfast. Multigrain pancakes, Turkey bacon and scrambled eggs
Wednesday- Chicken Drumsticks and Cauliflower with Chipotle (recipe below)
Thursday- Salmon Patties with Lemon Sauce (recipe below) and mashed potatoes

Most recipes this week come from the above cookbook!

Hearty Turkey Burgers

6 servings

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg
3/4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C minced fresh mushrooms
2 T dried minced onion
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper
6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Prepare indoor or outdoor grill. Combine all ingrediends except buns in bowl. Divide turkey into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a patty 1/2 inch thick. Place patties on grill rack; grill 7 minutes on each side or until done. (Or coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook patties over med heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until juices run clear) Serve Burgers on whole wheat buns.

Cajun French Fries

6 servings

6 medium idaho potatoes (6 ozs each) peeled and sliced into eighths
1 T canola oil
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350° Combine potatoes with oil in large bowl and toss to coat. In a small bowl combine seasonings. Sprinkle potatoes and toss to coat. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread potatoes evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown and crispy.

Salmon Patties with Lemon Sauce

4 servings

Salmon Patties:
1 14.75 oz can salmon
1 egg
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 c crushed saltine crackers
1 T dijon mustard
1 T dried parsley

Lemon Sauce:
Juice of one lemon
2 T margarine
1 t chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, combine all patty ingredients together. Divide into 4 equal servings. Shape into 1/4 inch thick patties. Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook patties over medium heat approximately 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. To prepare sauce, combine lemon juice, margarine, and parsley in a saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Serve 2 teaspoons sauce over each salmon patty.


Now my Cauliflower recipe is from those recipe cards in the produce section at Walmart.

Cauliflower with Chipotle

1 small whole garlic bulb
1 T olive oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 (8oz) pkg low fat cream cheese
2 T nonfat milk
1 t minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Preheat oven to 425° Cut off pointed end of garlic bulb. Place garlic on heavy duty foil; drizzle with olive oil. Fold up foil to seal. Bake 30 mins; cool. Squeeze pulp from garlic into large bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, arrange florets in steamer. Stream for 15-20 mins or until tender. Place cauliflower in bowl with garlic, stir in cream cheese, milk and chipotle peppers until combined. Process with hand blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Friday- Gumbo from last weeks menu (had Chinese takeout on Thursday because my chicken breast weren't thawed)
Saturday- Dinner at my parents...BBQ Chicken, Skillet Roasted Vegetables(might have the recipe for this when my mom gives me back my cookbook) , and salad
Sunday- Roasting 2 Chickens (meat from 1 is for a dinner later this week...also making chicken stock from the carcasses)
Monday- Breakfast (pancakes, turkey bacon, and eggs... not sure on what kind of pancakes yet)
Tuesday- Veggie Minstrone (recipe to follow)
Wednesday- Ginger Beef Stirfry (recipe to follow)
Thursday- Creamy Chicken Mexican Soup (love this one, it'll be a regular)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie


Baby Vegetable Minestrone

6 (1 1/4C) Servings
77 Cal, 2g fat, 0mg chol, 376mg sodium, 12g carb, 2g fiber, 4g protein

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 c thinly sliced baby fennel
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
2 14oz can reduced sodium chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
1/2 c dried ditalini pasta
6 ozs baby zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 ozs baby yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 c sliced green onions
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

In a very large saucepan, heat oil. Add fennel, carrot, garlic, and lemon pepper; cook and stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until carrot is light brown. Carefully stir in broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Add pasta. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and squash. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes more or until pasta is tender. Stir in green onions and basil.


Ginger Beef Stir-fry

4 (1 c beef mixture and 1/2 c rice) Servings
274 cal, 7g fat (1g sat fat), 32mg chol, 552mg sodium, 34g carbs, 5g fiber, 20g protein

8 ozs beef top round steak
1/2 c reduced sodium beef broth
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2-3 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 med carrot, thinly sliced
3 c small broccoli florets
1 small red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4" strips
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 green onions, sliced into 2" pieces
2 c hot cooked brown rice

If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite size strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl, stir together beef broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger; set aside. LIghtly coat an unheated wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over med-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot; stir-fry for 2 mins. Add broccoli and sweet pepper; stir-fry about 2 mins or until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Carefully add oil to wok. Add beef; stir-fry for 2-3 mins or until desired doneness. Push beef from center of wok. Stir sauce, add to center to wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return vegeables to wok. Add green onions. Stir ingredients to coat with sauce; heat through. Serve warm over hot cooked brown rice.

Both recipes I'm adding are from this cookbook...

Oatmeal Pancakes
16 Servings/Serving Size 1 pancake

1 C old fashioned oatmeal
2 C buttermilk
1 T canola oil
1 egg
2 egg whites
3 T light brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda

In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal and buttermilk and let stand for 2 mins. Beat in oil, egg, egg whites, brown sugar, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the oatmeal mixture, stirring just until combined. Heat a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Using 1/4 cup batter per pancake, cook pancakes 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.

Calories 94, Fat 2g, Cholesterol 14 mg, Sodium 149 mg, Carbs 16g, Fiber 2g, Sugars, 4g and Protein 4g

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
12 servings/Serving Size 1 1/3 Cups

2/3 C all purpose flour
2 onions, chopped
1 t minced garlic
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
10 C water
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced tomatoes
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1" pieces
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 lb reduced fat sausage sliced into 1/4" pieces (I am using Healthy Ones which has only 2.5g fat per serving)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 T worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 400° Place the flour on a baking sheet and bake for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. The flour should be very brown. (This works well in a toaster oven) In a large, heavy, nonstick saucepot coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery until tender. Add the browned flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add the water, tomatoes, chicken, thyme, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes. White the gumbo is cooking, brown the sausage in a nonstick skillet or cook in the microwave. Stir the sausage, green onions, and Worcestershire sauce into the gumbo and cook 10 more minutes.

Calories 241, Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 91mg, Sodium 473mg, Carbs 13g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 5g, and Protein 33g

I went to my doctor this past Thursday. She changed my meds around a little bit. Took me off of Avandia and changed my Glyburide and Metformin to extended release. She tested my blood to see how my body is producing insulin to decide if I need to be put back on a medicine like Avandia but not necesarrily that one since it causes heart problems. We talked about my neuropathy and told me it will take up to 6 months of good blood sugar numbers for feeling in my feet and legs to get back to normal, she said it should since I've only had the symtoms for a few months. My numbers are still doing good and I've stuck to some kind of exercise (anywhere from 15-45 mins) at least 5 days a week. So that's my update this weekend. Hope everyone is doing well and I'll be back tomorrow morning with a scrapbooking post.