Hidden Veggie Chicken-Role

This recipe recently came about just out of pure creativity. I got to thinking about how alot of kids "hate" veggies. The truth is, many kids get so used to sweet everything that they find the taste of vegetables bland. I also have been thinking about the fact that most of us (including me) neglect the fact that our body NEEDS these healthy choices. Instead, we mindlessly fill our bodies with empty calories that leaves us less than satisfied, temporarily full, and craving for more.

I got the idea to add some tasty ingredients, all of which are healthy for you, and the "bland" kid feared vegetables were mixed with some of the good stuff, and some were shredded. I mean, what child doesn't like some form of potato? So, I got the idea to take a grater and shred a couple of russet potatoes into a hashbrown like consistency, and also shred zucchini in with the potatoes! I think next time i'll also buy some squash to shred along with the mix. My husband couldn't even tell it was added. Which means mom's and dad's, you have a healthy meal full of vegetables and NO whiney kids! I hope you make this recipe sometime. It was absolutely delicious, and a total creation at the last minute!

Total time= less than 30 minutes

Serves 4 (or 2 + leftovers like us!)

What you need:

2 med/lg Russet potatoes

2 zucchini

1 bag frozen chopped broccoli

1 or 1 1/2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 can of fat free cream of mushroom

1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

To make:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and cook in skillet until browned. Add seasoning blend to the chicken while cooking (I like to use the Mrs. Dash blends because they're salt free. For this recipe I used garlic and herb blend.)Meanwhile, place cut up broccoli into a saucepan and cook according to directions. Drain. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside and let cool. Clean and peel the potatoes and zucchini. Take a large grater and grate into a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil in with the vegetables and transfer to the large skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until potatoes slightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Place chicken pieces in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add the can of mushroom soup and broccoli in with the chicken, and mix well. Top mix with potatoes and zucchini- spread evenly to cover the mixture on the bottom. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and pop the dish into the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt and bubble. Let cool for a couple minutes before serving.

Add a tasty salad with this dish for more veggie intake!

Delish Lasag-na!

I am a lasagna lover. And everytime I type the word out, I always say "lasag-NA" in my head. Beats me! It's a funny word. But I have a GREAT recipe that I tried out that will make you want to have seconds and thirds! Double up this recipe for a great guest dinner or even for your family to have lots of leftovers. And if you'd like, substitute grilled chicken instead of ground beef! I know you will love this twist on lasag-NA!

What you'll need:
1.5lbs ground beef (I like mine extra lean)
26 oz jar/can of your fav pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups of water
15 oz container low fat/fat free ricotta cheese (you can also use plain yogurt)
3/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
oregano
garlic salt
chopped parsley
salt, pepper
9 pieces of uncooked lasagna (I recommend whole wheat pasta, ALWAYS. It's amazing!)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, brown the meat, add garlic salt when almost cooked through, and drain excess fat. Return to skillet. Add pasta sauce and water and stir well. Cover and keep at a simmer for about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, all of the parmesean cheese, both eggs, parsley, oregano and the salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pour a thin layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 dish (I always prefer using silicone bakeware). Lay 3 pieces of pasta over the layer of sauce lengthwise, side by side. Cover pasta with another thin layer of meat sauce, then a thick layer (about half) of the cheese mixture. Add 3 more pieces of pasta, and then another layer of sauce and cheese mix. Repeat once more, with the remaining meat sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then cut and serve.
For a twist on this recipe, add grilled chicken and thawed, squeezed out spinach in place of the ground beef! It is excellent this way, too!

Healthy Beef Lo Mein

I made this creation up myself tonight while trying to think of something new to make for dinner. I had a few things in my fridge and they worked well! Please adjust the measurements of the ingredients to however much you'd like to make. This is what fed my husband and I with some leftover!

Healthy Beef Lo Mein
1lb or so of sliced steak beef
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
1 zucchini
1/4-1/2 box whole wheat linguine pasta
garlic
low sodium soy sauce
low sodium teriyaki sauce

Pour a circle of extra v. olive oil into a large skillet. Let it heat up. Add beef. Cook approx. 5min each side or until cooked thoroughly. Chop up some garlic and throw in the skillet toward the end of cooking.
Cut up the onion and bell pepper into medium sized strips and stir fry with the beef once it is cooked through.
Meanwhile, bring water in a saucepan to a boil and add pasta. With a vegetable peeler or a knife, peel the outside of the zucchini and discard. Peel the rest of the zucchini into thin slices with either the peeler or knife, and add to the boiling water. Cook pasta and vegetables until tender. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Add beef, peppers and onions to the bowl as well. Toss mixture evenly with 2tbsp of teriyaki sauce and eye the amount of soy sauce. I put about 5 "shakes" in our dish. Stir together and enjoy!
ps- this recipe is also good with grilled chicken, shrimp or pork! Or you COULD be brave and do all three in one batch.

Down Home Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, so I know that it seems like all I do is chicken recipes, but I love the poultry! Plus it makes for healthier dishes and you can use it SO many ways. I promise I will post entries with other meats in the recipe (and even some veg). But I felt the need to post this one since I made a batch for my co-workers tonight and they all want the recipe! I got rave reviews and it's a melt in your mouth kind of enchilada. I guarantee! So, try this one next time you're craving some tex mex and let me know on here how yours turns out!
I have also made this with lean ground beef/turkey before and it tastes very good too. I like to use red enchilada sauce in place of green sauce for the ground meat. Try both sometime!
The recipe:
(this serves approx 7-8ppl)

2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1pkg of tortillas, or approximately 16 (whole wheat type is VERY tasty and healthier)
1 jar salsa
1 pkg shredded cheese (I like all kinds, esp the "fiesta blend")
1 tub light sour cream
1 can green chile enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken condensed soup
2 cans (or 1lg can) fat free refried beans
chili powder (or mexican spice blend)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 deg. In large skillet, heat 1tbsp olive oil. Cut chicken into strips and add to heated skillet. Sprinkle each side with chili powder. Cook each side of chicken for approx 5 min or until brown. Let chicken cool for approx 20 min. Meanwhile, add soup, enchilada sauce and 1/2 c sour cream to saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When chicken is completely cooled, shred the chicken with fingers and place in to a large bowl. Add 1 cup of salsa, 1 cup shredded cheese and 1 cup of sour cream to the bowl and mix well. Spoon mixture on to the tortillas, roll up, and place seam side down onto a greased pan (or ungreased silicone if you have it). Place each enchilada tightly together side by side. Gently pour mixture from saucepan over the enchiladas, sprinkle some shredded cheese over the top, and place in the oven for approximately 15min, or until cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 min before serving.

For the beans, mix refried beans, a handful of shredded cheese and 3/4 c sour cream in a saucepan. Let simmer until warmed thoroughly. For a faster cooking route, place beans and sour cream in a microwaveable dish and cook for approx 4-5 min, stirring occasionally. The sour cream added to the beans gives them a smoother, creamier texture, making them taste like the ones you eat at your fav Mexican restaurant. The only difference is they use lard to make theirs taste so great!

Ranch Zip Chicken

Here's a really good recipe I created that has some awesome flavor to it, and if you're like me and you enjoy a juicy, non-dried up piece of chicken, then you need to try this recipe out! It's extremely simple, so it's good for those with little ones. Plus the fact that I know your kids will like this too! Bonus- it's pretty healthy! (sorry, no pictures this time)

Ranch Zip Chicken:
35 min from start to finish

1/4 C olive oil
1 packet of powdered ranch dressing/dip
1/2 C bread crumbs
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking dish with non stick spray or use non stick silicone bakeware. Pour oil into a bowl, and dip each side of chicken breasts in the olive oil, coating evenly. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs and ranch, mixing well. Take the coated chicken breasts one by one and dip in the crumb mixture, coating evenly on both sides. Place breasts in dish, and bake for approximately 25-30 min, turning once halfway through.

I also made mashed potatoes and black eyed peas with this, or you can cook up some healthy brown rice and a vegetable. YUM!

Zucchini Chips

This is a recipe I found that I thought would be a great side dish for a meal that is healthy and part of your daily count for your veggies! They are tasty, and if you're like me, sometimes vegetables can taste kinda bland on their own. So add some flavor! Be careful, your kids might like em! Enjoy the recipe :-)

Parmesean Zucchini Chips

3 med/large zucchini's

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c grated parmesean

1/4 c bread crumbs (I like the Italian seasoned kind)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and cut zucchini in to round 1/2in thick chips. Place rounds in a bowl and toss with olive oil, coating evenly.

Mix grated parmesean and bread crumbs together in small bowl. Dip the coated zucchini rounds into the crumb mixture, coating both sides. Lay rounds flat on baking sheet and cook for 20-30 min, or until done. Enjoy!!

Note: You'll have to excuse the disgusting looking baking sheet in this picture. I was at my parents and this is the only sheet they had...time for a new one, Mom!

Introducing...

My new blog! This will be dedicated to strictly recipes and cooking tips. I hope to learn alot of things along this journey and I especially hope you will too. I want to teach people that cooking at home is enjoyable and delish! I promise it is. AND it's good for your wallet.
Are you a "LL?" That stands for Leftover Lover. I raise my fork to leftovers! They can be just as good as the original dish, if you make it the proper way. And many of these meals I will feature make lots of extras for all of you LL's.
Having a quick dinner doesn't always have to involve take-out. Your wallet and your waist will dearly pay, I promise! I gained plenty of weight eating out several times a week years ago and then I got on the right track and lost 70lbs. Whether you're needing to lose weight, save money, looking for new recipes to incorporate into your dinner plans or you don't know a clue about cooking a decent meal besides Ramen, I surely want to help! So follow along...
First thing's first- Get some decent cookware. I have moderate stuff right now because right before I planned on going and buying a bunch of stuff for the kitchen, my hubby lost his job so we're using the stuff we've had for a while. I DO however recommend using silicone cookware for all of your baking needs. I have a 16 piece set that my MeMaw gave to me that is phenominal! It's surprisingly from QVC.com! Here's why I like it so much: it's durable, dishwasher safe, cooks faster, easy to clean and BEST of all, it's non-stick!! That means no more cooking spray or oil! Also it means you won't have to sit there and scrub the heck out of it to wash, either. Also, I learned that any knife won't do. Investing in good, quality knives is so beneficial. Everything else is just like a butter knife. Good big skillets and wok's are great essentials as well. So, if your cookware looks a little black or rusty, treat yourself and buy you some new stuff! It beats spending a ton of money eating out everyday. I promise it's a great investment!
I have long wanted to publish my own book consisting of a guide for cooking dummies to aid in distinguishing what certain ingredients are. Who uses shallots, or tomatillos everyday? Not me. So sometimes I feel scared to try any new recipe, because if I don't know what the ingredient is, I won't make it or include it! So maybe along the way I will journey through the unknown parts of cooking and help solve these mysteries for people like me.
I hope to also include pictures to go along with my posts, because if you're like me, a visual person, you might be more inclined to try it out for yourself!
So if you don't have lots of time to cook due to kids running around or babies wanting to be held all the time, or even if you work alot, here's to you. Here's to eating better, family time and just good home cooked food. I hope you guys enjoy!
To start things off (sorry, no picture this time, but maybe i'll add it next time I make it!)-

This is a great summer dish! It's very light and you can eat it hot OR cold!

Tri-Color Pasta

Total Cook Time: 20 min

1. 1-1.25lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2. 1 yellow, 1 green, and one red medium bell pepper

3. 1 box of whole wheat pasta (I like the spiral pasta for this, or penne)

4. Bottle of light Italian dressing

5. Mrs. Dash brand lemon pepper seasoning (salt-free)

Dice peppers into 1 inch size pieces.

Cut chicken in to bite size pieces. Heat 1tbsp olive oil (or cooking spray) in skillet and add cubed chicken. Cook chicken 10 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle lemon pepper on chicken during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Add peppers to the skillet, cover and simmer on low for 2-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in saucepan. Add pasta and a pinch of salt and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and dump pasta into large serving bowl along with cooked chicken and peppers. Pour desired amount of Italian dressing over pasta, I use about 1/4- 1/2 cup, but I just eye the right amount usually. Mix dressing well with the pasta and serve!

*Makes great leftovers for all you LL's, and it's very yummy cold!