Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Had this at mom's and it was pretty good...

4 c shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1 can Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green pepper, chopped

Place zucchini in a strainer; sprinkle with salt.  Let stand for 10 minutes; squeeze out moisture.
Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses.  Press into greased 9X13 inch baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 400 for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper.  Bake 20 minutes or longer, until heated through.

Tijuana Torta

This recipe is adapted from Eating Well magazine. You can see a picture of this sandwich, if you can't picture what a torta should look like. My family really likes this sandwich and actually asks for seconds and thirds.

1 15-oz. can black beans, or pinto beans, rinsed
4 tablespoons prepared sasla
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe avocado, pitted
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 16- to 20- inch long baguette, preferably whole grain (I buy two whole wheat batons that are a little longer than a foot)
1 1/3 cups shredded cabbage

Mash beans, salsa, and cumin in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mash avocado, onion and lime juice. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths (I cut mine into whatever size I think each family member will be able to eat). Split each piece horizontally, then pull out some of the bread from the center to hollow it out a little. Spread a layer of the beans on one side, and the avocado on the other, put a layer of cabbage on it, then close the sandwich and serve.

7-Layer Greek Dip

This recipe is adapted from Our Best Bites. It's one of my family's favorite hot-weather meals. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really easy and pretty fast. Plus, it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a while.

1 6-oz. container of Greek yogurt (I like Chobani's non fat)
1 tsp dill weed or Greek seasoning (go for a mix that just has herbs)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 c. hummus (I don't actually measure this, I just put in however much looks good)
1 c. diced cucumbers
1 c.  diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped (or sliced) Kalamata olives
1/3 c. chopped green onions (about 3 green onions completely chopped)
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/8-1/4 c. minced fresh parsley (I don't think I've ever added this, but whatever. add it if you love parsley)

combine yogurt, seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice, mix well. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. Create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, feta cheese, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (althought we usually just eat it immediately and it's still great).

We like to eat it with torn flat bread, or even spread on top of a flat bread, like a pizza. But you can also eat it with pita chips, fresh veggies, or chips.

Asian Noodle Salad

Something cool to eat on a hot summer night.

Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Let sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine.

Salad:
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C basil, chopped
2 green onions, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 C shredded carrot
1/2 C honey roasted peanuts
1/2 Pound spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions
Cooked, chopped chicken breast - optional - I cooked it in a little bit of the dressing

Prepare all of the vegetable, set aside. Once the spaghetti has cooked, rinse with cold water and drain. When the noodles are completely cool, add the vegetables and peanuts. Mix the dressing again thoroughly then add to the noodles and vegetables. Stir until well combined and serve!

Tortellini Spinach Bake In Creamy Lemon Sauce

Picture and recipe - curtesy of Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

12 ounces Bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (Find Them In The Dry Pasta Isle)
4 ounces Bacon Or Pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)
3 Cloves Garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs Flour
2 C Milk
¾ tsp Kosher Salt
⅛ tsp Black Pepper
1 ½ tsp Dry Basil
¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes (½ Tsp Or More If You Like Spicy)
1 medium Lemon
2 C Loosely Packed Fresh Spinach,roughly chopped
¾ C Grated Mozzarella Cheese,divided
¾ C Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining ¼ cup mozarella and ¼ cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

pork sandwich

It’s a miracle! I’m posting a recipe J

This is from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (I know, I know, Marianne got rid of hers because the food wasn’t that good…but a lot of it IS). Every time I make this, Chris says it’s his favorite, so I decided I should share it with you, too.

First you make the herbed pork tenderloin, then you can make the coleslaw to go on the sandwich. Here’s my adaptation of the recipe:

Herbed pork tenderloin:

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried, but fresh is better)

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (or 1 tsp dried)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 pork tenderloin (the recipe calls for just a loin roast, but tenderloin is better)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350* then mix the ingredients together and rub it all over the tenderloin. You can either grill the tenderloin on each side until the outside browns, or you can brown it in a pan. I like to use a pre-heated cast iron grill. Once brown, stick the entire pan in the oven for 30 minutes. Slice into thin slices and put on bread or buns along with a scoop of coleslaw on top.

Coleslaw with orange-cilantro vinaigrette:

¼ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup 100% orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed or “not from concentrate”)

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 ½ teaspoon honey

package shredded cabbage with carrots (about 10 oz)

½ cup slivered red onion

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Mix it all together (it says to refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but I’ve used it immediately and it tastes fine) and scoop onto the pork sandwich.

enjoy J

Butternut Squash Ravioli

They were sampling this at Costco the other day and I thought I would try it out on my own. Turned out pretty tasty but it was time consuming. I made the whole package of wonton wrappers and froze what we didn't eat to eat another time.

4 C Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 C Ricotta Cheese
2 T chopped fresh sage
3 T chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 package wonton wrappers
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss squash with oil, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a roasting pan. Add 1/4 C water and cover with foil. Roast 30 minutes until very tender.

Drain squash well, return to pan, and mash with fork. Return, uncovered, to the oven and bake for 10 minutes to dry out.

Add cheese, sage, parsley, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend well. Distribute by tablespoons onto wonton wrappers. Moisten the edge of the wonton wrapper with water and carefully pinch together.

Cook in boiling water in batches until they float. To keep from sticking, toss in olive oil. Serve with Alfredo sauce.

Alfredo Sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Wow - the 200th post! Roger and I decided we like this one better than the usual chicken spaghetti recipe. Plus it had lots of veggies in it. This is another one from the Pioneer Woman website. There are so good recipes there - go check it out!

Ingredients
■3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
■3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
■1 pound Fettuccine
■2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
■1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
■½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
■3 cloves Garlic, Minced
■4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
■2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
■½ cups White Wine - I bought white cooking wine....you can find it in the cooking section
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■Cayenne Pepper To Taste
■Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
■Salt To Taste
■Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Summer Tortellini Salad

1 pkg. (9 oz.) uncooked refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini (I like the 5 Cheese Tortellini from Costco)
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (I use the equivalent of baby carrots instead)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
1/2 cup home-made or really good ranch dressing (I used the Brianna's Brand one)
Parmesan Cheese - to taste
*Optional - I have added grilled chicken

Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold running water. Placetortellini in a large colander and set aside. Meanwhile, slice zucchini. chop carrot(s). Cut tomatoes in half and slice green onions. Snip parsley, if using fresh. Add vegetables to tortellini. Pour salad dressing over salad. Grate parmesan cheese over salad. cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

This is one from the website Dasha suggested - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

There are a lot of yummy looking recipes on there - I am trying a few out this week. This was dinner tonight and it was very yummy.

Ingredients
■8 whole Flour Tortillas
■Butter Or Margarine
■2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
■3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
■1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
■Cilantro
■3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce
Preparation Instructions
(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Mexixan Sheperd's Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup hot water
1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onion is tender. Drain grease. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in the tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until thickened. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and top evenly with corn, cheese, and olives.
3. Prepare the corn muffin mix according to package directions. Spread evenly over the corn layer in the baking dish.
4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden.

Skillet Nachos

1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 cup chili beans in chili sauce

1 cup salsa

tortilla chips

1 1/2 c shredded monterrey jack cheese

sliced olives

diced tomatoes

Brown ground beef. Drain and remove beef to a plate; set aside. Using the same pan, stir fry bell peppers and zucchini for 2 minutes or until crispy. Stir in chili beans and 1/2 c of the salsa. Cook until hot. Stir in meat.

Line tortilla chips on a broiler safe pan. Spoon mixture on top of chips. Sprinkle with olives and tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese to your liking. Put under broiler until cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

A friend of mine gave me this recipe. It is yummy and easy.

4 chicken breasts
1 C Russian Dressing (she said you can substitute Catalina but she likes Russian the best)
1 C Apricot Pinapple Preserves
1 package onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour over chicken in crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6. Shred and serve over rice.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

I am always making the same things with ground beef (sloppy joes, tacos, hamburgers....) so I decided to mix it up a little bit this week. These turned out good - a keeper recipe!! If any of you have any other good ground beef recipes post them!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 diced fresh jalapeno pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup water
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
mix 1 cup plain yogurt
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream
of chicken soup
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, green onion, and jalapeno pepper until the beef is evenly brown. Stir in water and taco seasoning. Simmer until water has evaporated.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, condensed soup, and cheese.
4. Divide the meat mixture evenly between tortillas. Place a couple of tablespoons of cheese mixture over meat, and roll up. Place in a 7x11 inch baking dish. Repeat for each tortilla. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over the top of the tortillas.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes

Meat Marinade

Here is the link for the blog where I got the meat marinade recipe for the BBQ at my house. The chicken and the steak both had the same marinade. Yum! I'll definitely use that recipe again. Sorry you couldn't make it Suzy. We missed you!

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2008/09/meat-marinade.html

And just a sidenote - I love The Sisters Cafe blog. Everything I have tried so far has been truly delicious. There are so many recipes on there that I want to try!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Here you go Rachel. I stole this recipe from The Sister's Cafe blog. You can use either shredded chicken or pork - I had a pork roast so that is what I used. YUM!

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2009/08/honey-lime-enchiladas.html

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package Stove Top Stuffing for chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp dried basil
1 C shredded Mozzarella cheese

Heat over to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl. Add garlic, stuffing mix, and 1/2 C water; stir until stuffing mix is moist.

Place chicken in 13 by 9 inch dish, sprinkel with basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Waikiki

2 whole chcken legs and 2 whole chicken breasts (I used 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken instead)
1/2 C flour
1/4 C canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can sliced pineapple
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
3/4 C sindar vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry. Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil in large skillet and add chicken a few pieces at a time, brown on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Make the sauce - drain the pineapple, pouring into a 2 C measuring cup. Add water to make liquid equal 1 1/4 C. In medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Place chicken in baking dish and pour sauce over chicken.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with pineapple, green pepper, and onion. Bake for another 30 miniutes. Serve over rice.

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken Salad

4 boneless chicken breast halves (or thighs--cook longer if using)
1/2-3/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp. (or more if you like it) Dijon mustard
3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar or honey
Fresh rosemary and thyme--to taste, about 1 Tbsp. each
(if using dry herbs, only 1 tsp. and crush in your palm before adding)
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 Tbsp. cold butter

Mix the vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic, and herbs in a bowl or large ziploc bag. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate for thirty minutes, or up to several hours. (The longer you marinate, the more tender and juicy the chicken.)

Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. When oil shimmers, the pan is ready. Remove the chicken from the marinade, but reserving the marinade for later. Sear the chicken breasts for about 2 minutes per side, or until dark brown. Lower heat and add the reserved marinade. Continue to simmer over low heat until the chicken has cooked through and the marinade has started to thicken. You may add chicken broth at this time. Add the amount you want according to how thick or thin you want your sauce.

Remove chicken from skillet and place on a warm plate. Cover with foil and set aside. Let the sauce thicken a little more. Adjust seasonings--more sugar if you like it sweeter, etc. When the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, add cold butter and whisk it quickly into the sauce to incorporate it.

Serve over romaine lettuce with candied pecans, dried cranberries, Parmesan cheese, green onions, and applies. The sauce can be used as the dressing.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

3 links Italian sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.
Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.