Cranberry Relish

• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1/4 C water
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 C fresh squeezed orange juice ( used 3 med. seedless naval oranges)
• 1 orange worth of peel, peeled wide using a vegetable peeler
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 
  
• In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and water. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in orange juice. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand to continue thickening. Stores for 1 week refrigerated. Serve at room temp.

Recipe adapted from Tasting Table on PBS and Martha Stewart.

I have NO idea how to make this picture more appetizing, but seriously, I've gone from a cranberry non-believer to cranberry addict!

Veggie Quesadillas

This is a quick weeknight meal that is filling, and delicious! Also meatless!
 

2 Carrots, medium diced
2 Small Red Onions, medium diced
1 Zucchini, medium diced
1 Squash, medium diced
2 Giant Red Peppers, medium diced


3 t garlic powder
1/4t cayenne pepper
2 t oregano
pinch of salt
4 oz of tomato sauce
Salt & Pepper
2 whole wheat tortillas per person
1/2 C Colby Jack Cheese per person

Add 1T olive oil to a large cast iron skillet heated to medium high. Add in all the chopped veggies. As they cook down, add 1 T garlic powder, 1 T oregano, and Salt & Pepper.

In a second pan heat pan to medium. Add 1 t of olive oil and 2 veggie patties. Flip occasionally until they defrost. Use a spatula (I used my Meat Chop'N Stir from Pampered Chef) to break up the burgers. Add 2 t garlic powder, 1/4t cayenne pepper, 1 t oregano, and a pinch of salt. 

Once veggies are grilled, divide them in 1/2. Put 1/2 in a storage container for future meals this week. Take remaining 1/2 and add to the seasoned veggie patty mix. Heat to encorporate and add about 4 oz of tomato sauce. Divide into 8 portions, about 1/3 C veggies per tortilla.


Clean out the cast iron skillet, lightly oil and wipe out til dry. Reheat skillet to medium. Add a tortilla. Layer 1/4 C cheese, 1/3 C veggies, 1/4 C cheese. Fold over and smush. Cook on side until starts to brown and cheese starts to bubble. Flip and brown on other side. Repeat.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.  Makes enough for 4 people for dinner, 8 tortillas total.

~Fancy~ Grilled Cheese & All-Grown-Up Tomato Soup

So, Guy & I wanted to make a quick and easy comfort dinner: Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese. Yum! We both started doctoring the soup & this is what we came up with. It was great! As for the Grilled Cheese, Guy remembers having this at the Chicago Diner when he was still in high school. I don't know how we have had a relationship for 13 years before he shared this grilled cheese secret, but its now my favorite way to have grilled cheese!

~Fancy~ Grilled Cheese

2 Wheat Bread
1/2 C Shredded Carrot

1/2 Refrigerator Dill Pickle, sliced thinly

optional: diced green onion
3 Slices 2% American Cheese
Smart Balance

Heat pan and butter bread. Place 1 slice of bread butter side down to brown. Top 1 slice of bread with 1 1/2 slice of cheese. Top with carrot and pickle. Top with 1 1/2 slice of cheese and 2nd piece of bread. Flip when well browned on first side. Cook until well browned Yum!

All-Grown-Up Tomato Soup
8 oz Small Dry Pasta - I had stars, orzo would work, but keep it small
Water

26 oz Condensed Tomato Soup (Family Size)
28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes - don't drain!
13 oz Water
1 Lg pinch Saffron
3-4 Tbsp Tandoori Powder

Cilantro
Diced White Onion

Cook pasta as directed (mine was 3-5 min). Drain.
Heat tomato soup, diced tomatoes, water and spices. Add drained pasta when ready.
Top with cilantro and diced onion. Enjoy!

Linguini with Clam Sauce

 


1 box of whole wheat pasta
1 T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/8 t red pepper flake
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/4 C lemon juice
3/4 C white wine
10.5 oz can of baby clams, drain
small can minced clams in clam juice, don't drain
1/4 C hot pasta water
1/2 C fresh parsley




Drop pasta in boiling water before starting to cook the sauce so you can add to the sauce right away!
Heat olive oil. Add garlic. Cook for 2 min on medium heat.
Add spices, lemon juice and wine. Bring to a boil.
Add clams and juices. Heat until warm.
Add 1/4 C hot pasta water (this helps thicken the sauce)
Add salt to taste.
Toss pasta in sauce, add parsley.
Serve immediately

Serves 3-4

Greek Green Beans

Green Beans featured on upper right side!

Here is the link for the Greek Stewed String Beans. We brought these to dinner on Christmas Eve for the Dumper side of the family. I have never had so many complements on a dish!

Tortellini Skewers / Salad

This is great to serve on skewers as appetizers, but its also great to just toss together and serve with your easy weeknight meal. Mix and match your favorite ingredients!  

4-6oz pre-made pesto
1 pkg frozen tortellini
1 pkg cherry tomatoes
6 inch skewers
handful klamata olives
fresh mozzarella balls
artichoke hearts

Cook pasta, drain. Toss with pesto.
Add additional olive oil, salt and pepper- only if needed.
Assemble on skewers. Serve at room temp.

Crack Bread

This is a great appetizer to bring to a party. We call it crack bread because someone referred to it as it disappeared at a party, plus you cut a crack in the bread!

8oz swiss cheese, shredded
1pkg creamed spinach, microwave til hot
1pkg cream cheese

1 loaf french bread
Red bell pepper, diced

Combine 1st 3 ingredients until mixed.
Cut a triangle wedge out of the top of the french bread and toss.
Fill with creamy mix.
Wrap entirely with foil.
Bake at 350 for 15 min or until hot
Garnish with red bell pepper.
Slice into pieces.

Comfort Foods

So here is my latest eat... comfort food!

This soup recipe uses many processed ingredients, which is atypical for what I usually cook. By adding additional ingredients and extra liquid to this packaged mix it really isn't too bad for you. No additional salt is needed!

I was also craving something cheezy and greasy, its kinda like a monte cristo, without the heart attack, enjoy - I did!



Quick N Hearty Soup
1 Pkg Cream of Wild Rice Mix (Like Bear Creek Brand)
10 cups water or chicken stock
12-15 turkey meatballs (pre-cooked, defrosted in micro or oven)
4 carrots, chopped
15 oz can diced potato, drained
1 C frozen peas

Bring water and carrots to boil. Add packaged soup mix and return to a boil.
Let cook at a medium heat simmer for 12 min., covered to soften rice.
Roughly chop meatballs and toss in. with the potato. Return to a simmer.
Once rice is fully cooked, add peas, let them heat through, but not boil and serve.

Mmmm Sandwich
2 pieces of healthy bread
1/4 C egg white
1 t simple syrup or sugar
light sprinkle of cinnamon
2 slices 2%swiss cheese, ripped into pieces
2-3 oz lean turkey lunch meat

Take egg white, syrup and cinnamon an mix on a plate.
Heat pan medium high with small amount of smart balance.
Lay bread in mixture, turning until all liquid is absorbed.
Put bread in pan. Let cook until browned on 1 side. Flip.
Apply cheese to toasted side. Top with turkey.
Once 2nd side is browned, flip bread together. Yum.

Temphe Tacos

Quick Asian Meal

The best thing to make when I don't want to cook? Dumplings! They are quick and simple with little clean up.
We prefer chicken and veggie ones from our International Grocery store.

We make these in a bamboo steamer with cabbage or lettuce leaves spread out under the dumplings. After the water boils in the wok, it takes about 15 min. til dinner is served.

These are topped with green onion and the sauce put on it includes a couple of shakes of: hot dumpling sauce, soy, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. All things that are just hanging out in our pantry!







Paired with a salad...Lettuce, Carrot (cut in sticks), Cucumber (cut in sticks), Green onion, Sesame Seeds, and 2 T of bottled Asian dressing.

And for dessert... 5 Spice Ginger Oranges! Yum! 

The original recipe from 1000 Low Fat Recipes and calls for:

5 seedless oranges, peeled and pith removed sliced across
1/2t Five Spice Powder
1 t Cinnamon
1/2 C honey
2 T Crystallized Ginger, very thinly sliced

Melt honey (in microwave) til runny. Mix in spices. Pour over sliced oranges. Toss. Sprinkle with ginger.

Sloppy Joes

Yes, this qualifies for a healthy meal. Made with 98% lean ground turkey and having 1/4 of the dish (i.e. 1/4lb of turkey) for all this food is extremely filling and nutritious. We most recently served this with mashed honey sweet potatoes from Rachel Ray.


1lb Lean Ground Beef (or meatless veggie substitute or ground turkey works great too!)
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 minced garlic cloves
½ C ketchup
1 T brown sugar, packed
1 T vinegar, white or cider
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t yellow mustard
¼ t salt and pepper
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
4 Whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Brown meat, onion and green pepper in skillet over medium heat.
Drain fat. (If using veggie meat sub, brown vegetables first, then add meat sub.)
Add garlic & cook 3 minutes.
Mix ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper together.
Add mixture and can of tomatoes to skillet.
Mix well and cook uncovered 10 minutes, until thickened.
Divide between buns and serve.
Serves 4.

~ Mom's Recipe

Tofu with Orange and Pineapple

1 pkg firm tofu
2 in piece of ginger, grated
2 t grated orange rind
3 T Oil
2 large onions, cut into thin wedges
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 t brown sugar
2 t white or cider vinegar
8 oz frozen pineapple, defrosted
1 T orange juice
Cooked Brown rice or Quinoa

Cut the tofu block into 6 slices & place side by side between paper towels on a cooling rack w/ a
cutting board on top, and a large weight on the cutting board. Let the tofu press & drain for at
least 10 minutes. The longer it is pressed, the better the texture of the tofu will be after frying.

Combine tofu, ginger, and orange rind in a bowl. Mix well, cover & refrigerate.

Heat wok, add 1 ½ T of oil & coat pan. Stir-fry onion, garlic, and brown sugar until onion is soft
and golden. Stir in vinegar. Cook 2 minutes. Add pineapple and orange juice. Let pineapple
cook until slightly golden. Remove mixture from wok. Cover.

Heat wok, add 1 ½ T of oil & coat pan. Stir-fry tofu in 2 batches, until well browned on all sides.
Drain on paper towels.

Return the tofu & pineapple/onion mix to the pan. Heat through. Serve over brown rice.

Creamy Chicken and Green Chili Lasagna

I made this from what I had on hand, so feel free to tweak it to your liking!

3 lbs of Chicken (frozen bag)

1 med onion, diced

4 med carrots, diced

3 small 4oz cans of mild green chilies

2 C frozen corn

3 C low fat sour cream

Chicken bouillon equal to 3 C (optional)

Oregano

Garlic Powder

Corn Tortillas

2 C Shredded cheese (I used Colby jack)

Boil chicken breasts (this is ok to do from frozen) in seasoned water. I added a generous amount of salt, garlic powder, oregano, and a general meat seasoning. This will add a little flavor to the chicken as it cooks. Boil until cooked, no longer pink in the center about 10 min. Dice or shred the chicken, removing any excess fat of course.

While the chicken is boiling, I prepped the veggies and began cooking.

Heat 2-3 T of olive oil in a sauté pan and soften the carrots and onion. Add the diced chicken and cook 5 min or so to combine. Set aside.

In between tasks, arrange 10-15 corn tortillas on a plate and microwave them until just warm, maybe 30 seconds. Quarter the tortillas. Set aside.

You can use the same dirtied pan to prepare the sauce. In a sauté pan, add the green chilies, 4 oz of water (I rinsed out the 3 cans), corn, S&P. Let cook for a few minutes letting the flavors combine.  

Add the sour cream, oregano, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon. (You could sub with 16 oz sour cream + 8 oz chicken broth. I just used what I had on hand.) Stir occasionally over medium heat until it barely comes to a boil. Remove from heat. The sauce will still seem thin. This is ok!

Spray or oil the bottom of a 9x13 or larger baking dish.

Arrange a single layer of tortilla quarters to cover the bottom surface.

Follow with a thin layer of chicken mixture.

Follow with a few ladles of green chili sauce.

Follow with a thin sprinkle of cheese.

Cover with another layer of tortilla quarters.

Repeat layers, using up all the ingredients, trying to finish with sauce and cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min uncovered. I then turned up the heat to 425 for 5 minutes to get some browned color on the surface. Let rest a few minutes from the oven before serving.

Serves 8.

mmm... hummus!

HUMMUS Recipe (From Cheese Factory Restaurant, Baraboo, WI)

1.5 lbs canned garbanzo beans, drained; reserve 1/2 cup plus 2tbsp liquid
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup roasted tahini
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt

Combine ingredients in food processor and puree until very smooth.

That is what the original recipe reads. We usually add a little more salt and lemon juice in tiny increments and taste until it is perfect. You can add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers, or herbs to this to switch it up.

Drizzle with olive oil and serve with fresh or roasted veggies, warmed pita wedges, feta cheese, olives, radishes, etc...

You can dress up the serving plate with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley and/or paprika.


Visit the Cheese factory website at: http://www.cookingvegetarian.com/

Quick Adult Tomato Soup

So, Guy & I wanted to make a quick and easy comfort dinner: Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese. Yum! We both started doctoring the soup & this is what we came up with. It was great!

8 oz Small Dry Pasta - I had stars, orzo would work, but keep it small
Water

26 oz Condensed Tomato Soup (Family Size)
28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes - don't drain!
13 oz Water
1 Lg pinch Saffron
3-4 Tbsp Tandoori Powder

Cilantro
Diced White Onion

Cook pasta as directed (mine was 3-5 min). Drain.

Heat tomato soup, diced tomatoes, water and spices. Add drained pasta when ready.

Top with cilantro and diced onion. Enjoy!