Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes

This week on The Pioneer Woman's show on the Food Network she made sloppy joes. I had been thinking lately that sloppy joes seemed like an easy dinner to make one night after a busy day at work, and had been thinking about picking up some Manwich, but after watching The Pioneer Woman make them from scratch I thought I can do that! And I had almost all of the ingredients on hand, just needed to pick up some ground turkey and a bell pepper.

What's great about this recipe is that you can season it to taste. I used a little more Worcestershire Sauce to give it a little more tang. It took a little more time than Manwich because it needed to simmer on the stove for about 15 mins, but it gave me time to clean up the kitchen before dinner was even done. That is kind of my goal, to have a clean kitchen before dinner is finished cooking so that there is no clean up after dinner. Don't you just hate looking at a messy kitchen right after you had enjoyed a great meal. What a buzz kill! :)

I also fixed some steak fries. I just cut up some potatoes (leaving the peel on) into fry like sticks, drizzled with a little olive oil, and then sprinkled some steak seasoning, salt and pepper and baked at 400 degrees until crispy. This took like 30 - 40 mins. I didn't really time it, just kept an eye on it until they looked like fries.

Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes
Original recipe here
Makes about 3-4 medium sized sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Beef or Turkey (I used turkey)
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 Heaping Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste (I used about 4 or 5 shakes)
• Tabasco Sauce, To Taste (I used about 2 or 3 shakes)
• Salt, To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls

Directions:

Add ground beef/turkey to a dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add green pepper and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add Worcestershire and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spoon meat mixture over the rolls and enjoy!

Chocolate Beef Stew

Chocolate Beef Stew you say?!? Anytime there is chocolate for dinner I am all for it!

A few years ago Sandra Lee had a Valentine's Day segment on Semi-Homemade that used chocolate as the special ingredient for her Valentine's Day dinner. She had a recipe for chocolate beef stew, and chocolate vinaigrette for salad. I recreated this meal for my girlfriends one year since we were all single that year for Valentine's Day. Everyone loved the beef stew (the chocolate vinaigrette was a little strange), and so this recipe has become one of my staples, and a staple for some of my friends as well!

It's such a super easy recipe that you can quickly put in the crock pot and enjoy later in the day. It’s a great recipe for busy families. It's also a great conversation starter to tell your guests they are eating chocolate for dinner!

A couple of things to note:

1. This does not taste at all like chocolate, so I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone.

2. You use unsweetened cocoa (or bittersweet chocolate like the original recipe, I just substituted cocoa since that is what I had on-hand), so it is not sweet at all...just very savory!

3. The red wine and the chocolate help to make a nice rich sauce for the beef stew and make the dish very flavorful!

This recipe is just something you have to try and is a very easy, but impressive dish to serve to your dinner guests! Just tell them they are having chocolate for dinner and I bet you they will RSVP right away!

Enjoy with a glass of red wine!

Chocolate Beef Stew
Inspired by Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic and herb seasoning (or you could use steak seasoning, whatever you have on hand)  
• 1 small package of baby carrots
• 3 cups diced red potatoes
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa (original recipe called for bittersweet chocolate, but this worked fine)
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup red wine, preferably Merlot

Directions:

Place beef in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and seasonings.

Please note that Sandra Lee seasoned the beef and then seared on all sides before putting into the crock pot. Please also note that I am not Sandra Lee, so I skipped this step and it worked fine. If you have the time feel free to sear away, it is supposed to help lock in the juices or something like that. My version was still very juicy, so I say do whatever you have time to do :) 

Add the carrots, potatoes and tomatoes (I included the juice). Then add in the beef broth, red wine, some more seasonings and the cocoa. Stir the seasonings in a bit and then cover and cook on HIGH setting for 6 to 8 hours. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Enjoy!



Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa

It's Cherry season! If you haven't picked up some fresh cherries at the market I highly suggest you do so now. They are super fresh and at a good price this time of year. Then you can make Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa.

This is a great sweet and savory meal and is super easy to make. I just drizzled some EVOO and sprinkled some salt and pepper on pork chops and then baked in the oven for about 25-30 mins. While the pork chops were baking I whipped up this easy recipe for cherry salsa which took all of maybe 5-8 mins. The hardest part I'll admit was pitting all of the cherries, but even that didn't take too much time. AND, you can always snack on some delicious cherries while you are pitting them...bonus! :)

The cherry salsa was super tasty. I wanted to just eat it right from the bowl with a spoon! I think you could do a lot with this cherry salsa, so even if you don't like pork, spoon it over chicken, or use on top of bread for a unique bruschetta. Or it might even be good on beef, the possibilities are endless!

Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa
From Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cherries, pitted & roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 pork chops (or chicken)
• extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Drizzle some EVOO and sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chops. Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 mins.

2. While the pork chops are baking, mix up your salsa. Combine cherries, red onion, lemon juice, basil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt in a bowl. Place into the refrigerator until ready.

3. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before topping with fresh cherry salsa.

4. Enjoy!

I could actually eat this salsa straight out of this bowl, and I might have done just that! :)

Dr Pepper Spicy Pulled Pork

Happy Monday! I made this recipe last week and it was so delish that I want everyone to make this for dinner sometime this week! It's just THAT good!

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, and it's a really easy crock-pot recipe. I have actually made this a couple of times, and each time we comment on how we need to make this more often.

I ended up buying a 6.5 lb pork shoulder, which I thought was going to be way to much meat for 2 people. We ended up killing all of this off in about 3 days. Now please note we did eat this for lunch and dinner each of those days, but we did not mind eating these left-overs because they were so tasty. We ate it plain with veggies, then on a bun as a sandwhich, and then mixed it with BBQ sauce (this was my favorite!), so we mixed it up a little bit. I also wanted to make tacos out of it, but we ran out of meat and didn't get a chance :( Next time for sure!

This recipe can be very spicy, so I used about half of the suggested Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. You can buy these in 7 oz cans in the mexican section of your grocery store (in the actual authentic mexican section, not the taco section) and I used one 7 oz can instead of the suggested 11 oz of peppers. I also removed all of the onions that were mixed with the peppers due to dealing with an onion allergy in the family.

Even without the onions this was still very flavorful and by cutting the peppers back by half, it had just the right amount of spicyness. The adobo sauce helps to make the pork kind of smokey. The BBQ sauce really took it over the top and I would definitly include that in the future. Also, I ended up cooking mine in the crock pot instead of cooking in the oven like the original recipe. I put it in the crock pot before leaving for work and came home to the house smelling oh so good!

Dr Pepper Spicy Pulled Pork

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Large Onion (I omitted this due to an allergy)
• 1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds (I used a 6.5 lb roast)
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce (I only used one 7 oz can to cut down on some of the spicyness)
• 2 cans Dr. Pepper (or a 20 oz bottle will suffice, I did NOT use Diet either BTW)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Directions:

Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of your crock pot (please note I did not include the onions due to an allergy). Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper (or a 20 oz bottle). Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.

Plug in your crockpot, turn on low and go about your day. Check meat after 6 - 8 hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it's not falling apart, continue to cook for another hour.

Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Enjoy and try not to fight over the left-overs!

In other news....

I am a single puppy parent to these three this week! It's going to be a wild week, so let's hope they don't outsmart me and lock me in a closet or something by the end of the week! So far they have been fighting with each other on who gets to cuddle next to me on the couch. Oh to have so much love!!



Summer Spaghetti with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

I love cooking with fresh veggies in the summer. I also love it when you can find a pasta recipe that is light and flavorful and doesn't weigh you down during those HOT summer dinners.

When I first came across this recipe I was so excited at the idea of combining zucchini (which I LOVE) with spaghetti. I'll admit I was a little skeptable because there wasn't really a sauce in this recipe. I am used to including some sort of red, white or cheese sauce in my pasta dishes and I was afraid it was going to be kind of dry and bland. I also use gluten-free rice pasta, which sometimes can taste a little off if you don't have thick sauce to go with it. It does have a different taste than typical pasta, and until you get used to the different taste you kind of need a thick sauce to cover up the flavor a bit. I am getting used to it, so that probably helped as well.

This dish turned out to be very flavorful and will probably become one of my regulars. I used a spicy Italian chicken sausage with fire roasted peppers which helped to make the dish flavorful and a little spicy. The garlic infused olive oil also helped to add some flavor. I also reserved some of the pasta water to help keep the spaghetti from drying out and it helps the dish to thicken up a bit and kind of form a sauce with the garlic infused olive oil.

Picture from BHG

(mine didn't turn out very well, so the next time

I make this I am going to update with a new pic)

Summer Spaghetti with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats & BHG

Ingredients:

· 16 oz spaghetti, dry

· 3/4 lb spicy Italian chicken sausage with fire roasted peppers removed from their casings (I used the Meijer brand)

· 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 1 garlic clove (I used minced garlic and the original recipe called for 4 garlic cloves. I used less because of food allergies)

· 2 zucchinis, halved and sliced

· salt & pepper

· 10oz cherry tomatoes

· Fresh basil (although I totally forgot to put this on my dish :(

· Romano or parmesan cheese, if desired (I did not include cheese because of food allergies and it was still very good!)

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from their casings, add to the skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Turn heat down to medium and add extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. Add garlic and cook until smelling flavorful, about 1 minute. Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper, then sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes then place a lid on top of the skillet and allow tomatoes to get hot and tender, about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. I cooked 8 oz of gluten free rice pasta and 8 oz of regular pasta. Make sure to reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Because I was preparing a gluten free version, I used the pasta water from the pot of rice pasta to keep out all of the gluten.

4. Add cooked chicken sausage to the skillet with the zucchini and tomatoes. Add this mixture to the top of your pasta and drizzle a little pasta water over your serving. Serve topped with torn fresh basil, and grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

5. Enjoy!

Peachy Chicken

I originally posted this recipe last fall, but am posting this again because it is just that delicious! Oh and I am updating with a new picture :)

I love fresh peaches, and when I came across this recipe over at Iowa Girl Eats, I just knew I had to try it. BTW: Iowa Girl Eats is one of my favorite food blogs. Lots of great recipes so check it out.

This was very sweet and almost like dessert chicken, if there ever was such a thing. The brown sugar melting into the peaches, and just a hint of asian flair with the soy sauce and rice vinegar. I think next time I might add in some snap peas and make it more like a stir fry, only with fruit. It's a great sweet and savory dish.

The recipe below makes two servings which I think is great portion sizes, but then again I don't typically eat large portions to begin with. I have actually doubled the recipe as well and it turned out just as great. I also had the leftovers for lunch the next day. It wasn't as pretty the next day because the peaches were a little brown due to the sauce soaking in and not being as fresh, but the flavors had more time to soak into the chicken and the rice so it was a little tastier the next day.

Peachy Chicken
Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats
Serves 2

Ingredients:
-- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
-- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
-- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
-- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (although I cheated and used bottled orange juice)
-- 1/2 cup chicken broth
-- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
-- 2 chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
-- salt & pepper
-- 1" knob fresh ginger, grated or finely minced (although I used ginger from my spice rack and just shook in a bunch until it looked good =)
-- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
-- 2 peaches, sliced thin
-- White or brown rice
-- Additional chicken stock and/or water to cook the brown rice

Directions:
1. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice and chicken broth in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then place in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, ~4 minutes total. Chicken will not be cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the hot pan and stir constantly for no more than 10 seconds. Add the brown sugar/chicken broth mixture and sliced peaches to the pan, and increase heat to high. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until sauce has thickened and peaches start to become soft.
4. Nestle chicken back into the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, place a lid on top and cook for 5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve on top of white or brown rice cooked in chicken broth.

Couple of things to note:
1. When smashing/pounding your chicken, I put my chicken on a rubber cutting board, covered with plastic wrap and then pounded with a small skillet. It's great to think of someone you aren't happy with and get your aggressions out on the chicken. Please make sure to remove anything from your counters that can bounce around, fall off, and hit your pup dog on the head. Just a warning!
2. The first time I made this I cooked the brown rice in half chicken broth/half water. I forgot to do this the second time and just cooked white rice in water. It was ok, but cooking in chicken broth makes it much more flavorful.
3. I did use dry ginger spice, although I think fresh ginger would be better. I just always have dry spices on hand, so it's easier.

Caprese Lasagna

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend and are getting ready for some holiday fun! Also hope all those in Central Ohio survived the storms. I know a lot of people are still out of power, and luckily I only lost mine for a few days. Still caused me to lose some food in my fridge, but sometimes you just need to clean out your fridge and start over right!!! That's what I keep telling myself anyway...ha!

As you can see with a few of my last recipe posts, I have a theme going with yet another caprese meal. Summertime to me means using lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially a lot of tomatoes and basil, so you are going to see a lot of recipes using these ingredients here in the next couple of months.

This recipe is great because it feels very summery with the tomatoes and basil, and the sauce actually seems a little lighter than your traditional marinara sauce, but you still get that comfort food that comes with lasagna. You could probably include any variety of vegetables in this recipe and it would still come out great. I bet it would be awesome with some summer squash and zucchini.

We are off tonight to enjoy some Red, White and Boom, and hopefully some fun food trucks! I'll be sure to share any fun food finds in the next couple of days!

Caprese Lasagna

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:
-- 1 box of lasagna noodles (I believed I used 9, but I cooked a few extras in case they broke)
-- Extra virgin olive oil
-- 3/4lb sweet turkey italian sausage
-- 2 tablespoons butter
-- 2 garlic cloves, minced
-- 3 tablespoons flour
-- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
-- 1 1/2 cups skim milk (I was trying to cut fat, but I think a higher fat content like 2% would make a more creamy sauce)
-- Salt & pepper to taste
-- 4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
-- 8 basil leaves
--1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles in a very large pot of salted, boiling water until just under al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and gently stir to coat the noodles.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Squeeze sausage out of its casing and cook while breaking up until no longer pink. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour, then whisk to combine and cook for 30 more seconds.
4. Slowly pour in chicken broth a few tablespoons at a time, whisking to break up any lumps. Continue pouring and whisking until mixture is smooth. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Season with salt & pepper.
5. Switch to a spatula and stir sauce until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl with a spout, and set aside.
6. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13″ baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into the bottom, then spread evenly with a spatula. Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom, then top with 1/3 of the tomatoes, 1/3 of the basil, 1/3 of the cooked turkey sausage, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat 2 more times, for a total of three layers.
7. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Caprese Chicken

I absolutely love caprese salads. Fresh mozzarella is one of my favorite cheeses, and pair it with some tomatoes and fresh basil, and I am in love. It's like the perfect summer food!

I saw a couple of similar recipes online a few weeks ago, and wanted to take my spin on it by making this favorite salad into a dinner entree. This recipe is very simple, takes only a few ingredients that you probably already have on-hand, and is very flavorful. I used olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to season the chicken. I then baked the chicken, but you could grill it as well. The olive oil helps to keep the chicken moist, and the Italian seasoning gives the chicken a nice fresh flavor. Add on the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil and it's like summer on a plate!

Caprese Chicken

Ingredients:

*Please note that I don't have exact measurements because this is such a simple recipe. You can make it for 1 person, or a family of 4. Just determine how much chicken you will need for each person.

-- Chicken breasts (I used chicken tenders, so I used 2 per serving)

-- Olive oil

-- Salt and pepper to taste

-- Italian seasoning to taste

-- Tomatoes (1-2 slices per piece of chicken)

-- Fresh mozzarella (1-2 med slices per piece of chicken)

-- Basil leaves (1-2 large leafs per piece of chicken)

Directions:

Pour a small amount of olive oil over the chicken breast to coat. Sprinkle each side with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 - 25 mins (depending on the size of your chicken breast). You could also grill your chicken if you preferred.

Once completely cooked, place your chicken on a plate and layer with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. You can then place back into the oven under the broiler for a few mins to let the fresh mozzarella to melt just slightly. Then before serving place a few large basil leaves on top of the chicken and enjoy!!

Bowtie Lasagna

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's blog a while ago, and this has become one of my favorite go-to, easy pasta dishes. It is so simple and easy to make, but yet has the taste of a more complex comfort food. It's like eating lasagna, but only takes half the time and a lot less prep! It also tastes really good as leftovers and I think it might even taste better the next day. You totally need to try this, and you can make it somewhat healthy by using ground turkey and low-fat sour cream and cheese. If you try it, let me know what you think. You might become addicted to this recipe like I am!

Bowtie Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Turkey (or beef, chuck, whatever you prefer)
• 5 cups Bow Tie Noodles
• 3 cups Spaghetti Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream (I used low-fat)

Directions:
Brown ground turkey in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce.

Add ground turkey, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with extra cheese on top if desired (of course why wouldn't you!)

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Chili Mac

This is a Cooking Light recipe and is such a unique take on mac and cheese. What makes it light is that you are using mashed sweet potatoes in place of some of the cheese. The recipe also includes some chopped chipotle chiles which gives it a sort of smokey flavoring. You then top it off with some crispy bits of Mexican chorizo which gives it another level of flavor and makes a nice crispy topping. I really had no idea of what to expect with this recipe, but I ended up really loving it!

Sweet Potato Chili Mac

Ingredients

(Please note I halved this recipe, so this would make about twice what is pictured above)

• 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup packed)
• 8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat macaroni or penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl. Stir in milk and next 4 ingredients (through cheese).
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add pasta to sweet potato mixture; set aside.
4. Preheat broiler to high.
5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chorizo to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Place chorizo in a small bowl. Wipe pan clean. Spoon sweet potato mixture into pan; sprinkle evenly with chorizo. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Sprinkle with onions and cilantro.

Spicy Chicken Penne

This is a recipe I featured in last week's Friday Favorites, and was originally called Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. It's a Buca Di Beppo knock-off recipe and it was so very easy to make. It was a little spicy, but you can always adjust the seasonings to your own taste. I would just halve the red pepper flakes, or add just a small sprinkling, and don't add any at the end.

I made a few adjustments to my recipe, so if you would like to see the original recipe you can find it here. This turned out really well and was even better the next day as left overs. Definitly going to be added as one of my go-to recipes!

Spicy Chicken Penne

ingredients

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 jar of marinara sauce with cream included (mine also included some pancetta and was a Meijer's Gold brand)
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• additional 1/2 t crushed red pepper (for garnish)
• parmesan cheese
• fresh basil and oregano

directions

1. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper and garlic. Saute just long enough for garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor into the oil. Add the chicken and coat with the sauces. Saute until brown.

2. Add the marinara/cream sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is completly cooked. Add the frozen peas and simmer until the peas are heated up.

3. Stir in your cooked pasta. I then garnished with some parmesan cheese and fresh basil and oregano.

Enjoy!

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe was adapted from Iowa Girl Eats and it was so easy and delish! I did make a few substitutions and used the veggies that I prefer and have on-hand. You can always switch out and use whatever veggies you have on-hand or prefer. This took all of 20 mins to make and is for about 2 - 3 servings (you could double the recipe for a family). It does have a little kick to it, but not overly spicy (maybe a little much for kids). I think it would be fun to mix it up and try it with different veggie combinations. Overall it's a dish I can totally see adding to my go-to collection.

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
-- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
-- 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
-- black pepper
-- 2/3 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
-- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
-- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Thai chili garlic sauce
-- 4 cloves garlic, minced
-- 2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
-- snap peas (I used half a bag of frozen snap peas)
-- bell peppers (I used half of a yellow and half of a red bell pepper)
-- cashews (handfull or however many you would like
-- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, cooked according to package directions

Directions:
1. Toss together chicken, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, plus a couple grinds of black pepper in a bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, Thai chili garlic sauce, and garlic. Microwave for 20 seconds in the microwave, then stir and set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside, about 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables, and remaining oil if needed, then stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Add the sauce and cashews to the the wok/skillet, then let sauce bubble for 2 minutes. Serve over cooked white rice.

Orzo Carbonara-Style

I have been wanting to try orzo for a while and finally got around to making this dish which I have had bookmarked for a few months. I love risotto, and this was kind of similar, but was easier and quicker. After the broth/orzo mixture came to a boil, it only took about 8 mins to finish cooking, and you don't have to stir the orzo as much as risotto. Although I still love risotto, this is a great option if you are looking for something quick for dinner. It also was still pretty creamy and flavorfull a few days later, so it is great for leftovers.

~ Orzo Carbonara-Style ~

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound orzo
• 5 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-salt broth)
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan set over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp, five to eight minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat.

Add the butter the saucepan, and let cook until it starts to brown, about two minutes. Dump in the orzo, and still well. Pour in 4 1/2 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender but al dente and the stock has been absorbed, about eight minutes.

Stir in the cream and the frozen peas, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Return the bacon to saucepan, and add half of the Parmesan cheese and all of the thyme. Stir well, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the remaining stock if it looks too dry. Turn off the heat. Serve with a sprinkling of the remaining cheese.

General Tso's Chicken

One of my favorite chinese foods is General Tso's Chicken and I have been wanting to try and recreate it at home for some time. I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and oh boy was it delish! It was slightly different, but then again I think every chinese restaurant probably has their own take on General Tso's. What's great about making it at home is that you can make it as little or as much spicy as you want.

~ General Tso's Chicken ~

Ingredients:

FOR THE CHICKEN:

• 1-½ teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 whole Large Egg White
• ¼ cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken
• Canola, Peanut, Or Vegetable Oil For Frying

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 Tablespoon Peanut, Canola Or Vegetable Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger Root
• 1 cup Chicken Broth Or Stock
• ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Chile-garlic Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Raw (turbinado Or Demerara) Sugar

FOR SERVING:

• Snap Peas or Steamed Broccoli
• Steamed Rice

Pasta with Peas, Bacon and Ricotta

This is a recipe that I adapted from one of my Giada cookbooks. You can find her original recipe here. This is a great recipe for using what you have in your freezer. Just add whatever meat and veggies you have on hand to some pasta with a ricotta cheese sauce. To make the ricotta cheese sauce, add the ricotta cheese to the warm cooked pasta and then add a little bit of pasta water to make it more of a sauce. I added some red pepper flakes at the end for a kick. Quick, easy and I didn't have to buy anything extra to make this.

Pasta with Peas, Bacon and Ricotta

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta (I used spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas (or whatever frozen vegetable you have)
• 1/2 cup of chopped/cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes (or according to the directions on the package). Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese. Toss to combine.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the frozen peas, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the peas and toss to combine. I then added in the cooked bacon pieces and sprinkled some red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Squash

This recipe was in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Clean Eating magazine. This was originally a crock pot recipe, but since I am not very good at preplanning, I ended up baking it in the oven. It turned out so very good. Please note that I did make a few modifications (I omitted the mushrooms - don't like, and chopped tomatoes, didn't have any), so please note that my version below is slightly different than what's in the magazine. Please note that I could not find this recipe online, so I have just included what I did below. If you want to make in the crock pot, just mix everything into the crock pot instead of the baking dish and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 cups of sliced bell peppers
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 tbsp low-sodium tomato paste
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 lb spaghetti squash (2-3 large squash)
• 6 tbsp grated low-fat Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Sprinkle salt and black pepper on all sides of the chicken and then cut into bite-sized cubes (about 1 inch).

To a greased baking dish mix all ingredients except the spaghetti squash and the cheese. Bake at 375 for about 25 mins or until the chicken is cooked. While this is baking, pierce your spaghetti squash a couple of time with a fork and cook (1 at a time) in the microwave for about 8 mins. Then cut the squash in two and scrape with a fork to remove in strands and be sure to remove the seeds.

To serve, put some spaghetti squash on a plate and top with the chicken mixture and a little cheese. Enjoy!

Stuffed Turkey Peppers

This recipe was modified from a recipe from Clean Eating. I basically used half a pound of ground turkey instead of a full pound and 1 cup of brown rice instead of 1/2 cup of mixed rice. I also added in some red pepper flakes and some salt for my own taste preference. Don't add in too much of the pepper flakes because you are stuffing them into peppers and they will provide a little kick, but just a couple of shakes will help add some additional flavor.

This recipe is very flavorful, filling and very healthy.

Stuffed Turkey Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 2/3 cup low-sodium natural tomato juice
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Couple shakes of red pepper flakes and salt to taste
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 assorted medium sweet bell peppers (red orange and yellow)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions (I used a quick cooking brown rice).
2. Meanwhile, add oil and onions to a large sauté pan over medium-high. Saute onions for 2 minutes, then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add turkey, juice and seasoning. Cook until turkey is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and black pepper, cooking, covered, for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Fill a large pot half-full with water and bring to a boil. Cut tops from bell peppers and remove all seeds. Add bell peppers and tops to water and return to a boil. Cook, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Remove bell peppers and dry on paper towel. (Please note I did not do this step out of lazyness. I did do it one time and I didn't see a huge difference, but feel free to try it to make your peppers more tender).
4. Drain rice and add to turkey mixture. In a glass dish, stand bell peppers and fill with turkey-rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and add bell pepper top. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken with Balsamic Pears

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I have been craving some pears lately, and this recipe just totally hit this spot. The original recipe called for turkey cutlets, but I used chicken instead since I always have a ton of chicken in my freezer. I made sure to pound the chicken breasts down so they were rather thin and would cook quickly.

The pears really cook down and you get more of the tangy balsamic and thyme flavor, but with the texture of the pears. It was really good and it was still good the next day for leftovers.

Chicken with Balsamic Pears
October 2011 Everyday Food
**I halved this recipe and came up with 2 servings. Full recipe is below. I also used dried thyme instead of fresh.

Ingredients:
-- 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (or turkey cutlets)
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 3 tbs unsalted butter (I actually just used olive oil)
-- 3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-- 3 garlic cloves
-- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used dried and used about half since they were dried)
-- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
-- 2 tsp grainy mustard (I used honey mustard)
-- 2 pears, cored and sliced into thin wedges (I used red pears since this is what I could find at the store)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 tbs butter (or olive oil) over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Add 2 tbs butter (or olive oil) to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and then season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until shallots begin to soften, about 6 mins.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar and mustard. Add pears to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 mins.

Add broth to mixture, cover and cook 5 mins. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 - 5 mins.

Return chicken to the skillet, along with any juices. Toss to combine and serve.

This was also good the next day adding to some greens with some feta for a tasty salad. Served with acorn squash.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

A few weeks ago I watched this show on The Cooking Channel called Pizza Outside the Box. This show featured fun and different pizzas from around the country. One of the pizzas that I totally wanted to try came from North Carolina. It was a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and it actually came from a food truck.

It seemed really simple to make, and who doesn't love Buffalo Chicken! I ended up making a personal sized pizza last week just so I could try it out, and it was very tastey.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

-- Pizza crust (I used a premade crust)

-- Olive oil

-- Pizza sauce

-- Buffalo hot sauce

-- Mozzarella cheese

-- Chicken cut into cubes

**Please note that I am not including exact measurements because it will vary depending on the size of pizza you are making.

Directions:

Spray or brush some olive oil onto the crust. Then pour some pizza sauce into a bowl and mix about 1 tablespoon (or more if you like it hot) of buffalo hot sauce in with the pizza sauce. I used 1 tablespoon for a personal pizza size. You may want to use 2 or 3 tablespoons if you are making a larger pizza. Start with 1 tablespoon and then taste it to see if you want to add more. I would just add a little bit at a time.

Spread the pizza sauce on the pizza and then cover with mozzarella cheese.

I then browned some chicken in a pan over medium heat. You want to pretty much cook the chicken all the way through. At the very end I mixed 1 teaspoon of buffalo hot sauce in with the chicken just to coat it. Again, if you are making a larger pizza you may want to add more.

Then add the chicken to the top of the pizza and bake according to your pizza crust's directions. I didn't make mine too spicy, but you can always make it more or less hot depending on how you can handle the heat! The buffalo sauce was a perfect combination with the pizza sauce and the mozzarella cheese helped to bring down the heat a little. Very delish!!

Baked Turkey Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats, and I love it! I have always wanted to make egg rolls, but was very intimidated by it. IGE's shows a step by step way of making the egg rolls and it really is pretty easy to make. Also, because they are baked and not fried, and because you use ground turkey instead of ground beef, they really aren't too bad for you. And the sauce, made up of soy sauce and ginger, is so tasty! You really need to try these out!

Baked Turkey Egg Rolls
Makes 8 egg rolls

Ingredients:
-- 2 cups coleslaw mix
-- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
-- 2 cloves garlic
-- 1/2 inch peeled, fresh ginger
-- 1/4 medium onion
-- 1/2 lb. ground turkey
-- 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
-- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
-- 8 egg roll wraps

**Please note I have tweaked these slightly, so if you want to see the original recipe, click on the link at the top of this post.
Directions:
1. Place coleslaw mix in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic & ginger to food processor and chop until fine. Add onion and chop until small. Move mixture to skillet over medium heat and sauté in 2 teaspoons oil for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until no longer pink. Drain turkey/onion/garlic mixture and return to skillet. Add cooked cabbage and celery, soy sauce and red chili pepper flakes. Stir until combined and allow to cool.
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and get out a small cup of water.

I used these egg roll wrappers and found them in the Produce section, next to the tofu.

5. Lay egg roll wrapper on a flat surface so it’s in the shape of a diamond. Add about 3 tablespoons worth of turkey filling.

6. Fold up from the bottom.

7. Then fold in the sides.

8. Roll up once, making sure to tuck everything in. Then dip your finger in a little water and run along the triangle point. Then fold the point down. The water will help to seal the egg rolls.

9. I then sprayed the egg rolls with spray butter and baked at 350 for 15 mins (or until brown).

Fried Rice

To make the friend rice I cooked 1 cup of dry brown rice and when it was done, I added it to a hot skillet with:

• Dash of sesame oil
• Steamed broccoli
• handful of coleslaw mix
• Dashes of ginger and garlic powder
• ~2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 egg

I believe I cooked it for about 2 - 3 minutes and then served along with two egg rolls per serving and some sweet and sour sauce.

There are so many fun things you can do with egg roll wrappers and I can't wait to share more ideas with you. If you have any fun recipes using egg roll wrappers, please share!