Week 2

Meatball “Sub” Casserole

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb of meatballs
• 4 zucchini (green an yellow)
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 1 red pepper (sliced)
• 1 green pepper (sliced)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp  italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Spray bottom of dish 9×13 baking dish with olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of dish. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, and seasonings.  Spread mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Spread meatballs out, and slowly pour spaghetti sauce over meatballs.  Top with remaining cheese.

Wrap with foil and suran wrap to cook when ready.  

When ready bake uncovered for 30-35 min at 350 degrees.

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Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips

1 cup beef consumme

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired), snap peas, carrots, mushrooms

Directions

1. Place beef in a crock pot.

2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached).

4. Add veggies to the crock pot. Stir to combine.

5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

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Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken stock

1 tablespoon chicken soup base

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1 (8 oz). can tomato sauce

1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz. cans)

6 small corn tortillas*, minced

16 oz. Velveeta, cubed

1 cup co-jack cheese, shredded

1 22 oz. bag Tyson roasted and diced chicken, thawed

1 can whole kernel corn**, drained (optional)

Garnishes: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute’ the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken and corn. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender). Add the chicken pieces and corn and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.

To pre-make this I cooked this chicken in a pan with salt and pepper, sauteed the onions and garlic, and put all ingredients into a ziploc bag and put in the refrigerator until ready to cook.  This would be a great recipe for any left over chicken, turkey, steak, or ground beef!

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Orange Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

Sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
optional sweetener like sugar, honey, agave, etc.

Stir-fry:
1 pound chicken tender cut into cubes
salt and pepper
4 cups chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, snap peas, etc.
olive oil
1/2 cup medium yellow onion, chopped

Directions

1. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor for 10 seconds
2. Taste the sauce and add your choice of sweetener to your liking.

3. Blend again for a few more seconds.

4. Heat the sauce in a large skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the sauce to a heat proof bowl.

5. Rinse the skillet clean.

6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

7. If using fresh broccoli or green beans, boil the broccoli for 3-5 minutes until soft enough to pierce with a fork yet firm.

8. Transfer the vegetables to a plate lined with a paper towel.

9. Wipe down the skillet until dry.

10. Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet on medium-high heat.

11. Cook the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.

12. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry them together for 2 minutes.

13. Slowly add a few tablespoons of sauce while stirring the vegetables and chicken.

14. Continue to add the sauce a few tablespoons at a time, allowing about 15 seconds between each addition to allow sauce to slightly cook down.

15. Spoon the stir-fry over a bowl of hot rice if desired. Serve immediately.

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Cashew Chicken (with a kick)

Ingredients:2 chicken breasts  cubed
1 tbsp cooking sherry* 
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
toasted sesame seeds
lightly or unsalted cashews. 
sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp white vinegar

Directions:

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce with the cooking sherry* in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put chicken pieces in soy/sherry mixture. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 4 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic. 

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions.

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Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce (homemade here, minus the meat)
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

*(new cooking time added, mine usually takes 1 hr)

Week 3

Sloppy Joes Stuffed Bell Peppers




1 pound ground beef
1 ounce onion, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon granular Splenda
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 green peppers, halved lengthwise

Brown the ground beef, onion, celery and garlic; drain the fat. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except the cheese and green peppers. Simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, parboil the peppers in a little boiling water 3 minutes; drain. Place the peppers in a baking dish. Stir half of the cheese into the hamburger mixture; fill the peppers with the meat. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350º 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly and the peppers are tender.
Makes 6 servings 
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Avocado Chicken Parmesan 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast Fillets, halved lengthways
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
2 Tablespoons Fresh Milk
2 Eggs

 
1 1/2 Cups Dried Breadcrumbs2 Tablespoons Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
1/2 Cup Tomato Pasta Sauce

2 Avocado Sliced
1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
1. Place chicken breast in a clear plastic bag(alternatively between 2 sheets plastic wrap), using a rolling pin or meat mallet pound until 0.5cm thick.

2. Place flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plate and lightly whisk milk and egg together in a shallow bowl. 

3. Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs using your fingertips pressing on to secure.

4. Place on prepared baking tray lay with foil or baking paper, repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breast with flour, egg and etc.

5. Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 8 minutes(turning after 4 minutes to have evenly colours on the breadcrumbs) in preheated 200 degree Celsius(392°Fahrenheit) fan-forced oven. 

6. Remove from oven and spread each chicken breast with 1 heaped tablespoon of pasta sauce. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with decent amount of mozzarella cheese.

7. Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through
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Lime and Coconut Chicken 

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp oil

zest of 1 lime

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

pinch cayenne

1 small fresh hot chili, such as Thai or Serrano, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Trim fat from chicken breasts. Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book.

Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, Ziploc bag.

Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.

Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.

Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours.

Your chicken doesn’t take long to cook so you can use this time to get your dishes prepped and ready.

Once you are ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade and set remaining marinade aside.

In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat a splash of oil over high heat.

Cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan.

Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes

Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden, it shouldn’t take long depending on the thickness of your chicken.

Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking the remaining chicken.

Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with sauce on the side.

If you typically have these ingredients on hand this is a quick, cheap main dish to throw together.

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Slow Cooked BBQ Ribs



Ingredients:
1 Rack Pork Ribs
1/2 Packet Memphis BBQ Rub
Olive Oil
Directions:
Rub Ribs with olive oil and top with 1/4 pack of BBQ rub and place in Ziploc back until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, place ribs on baking sheet meat side up and top with 1/4 pack BBQ rub. Bake in oven at 250 degrees for 2.5 hours. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce or just as is.
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Cheesy Enchilada Casserole
(Recipe from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake)

Although I got this recipe from the link above, I altered it just a tad. Instead of using the ground beef as suggested, I used some left over pork roast (Mississippi Roast) from last week. It was about 1 pound that I had shredded and stored in a ziploc back with all the juices from that recipe.



Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean) —- I used my leftover shredded pork roast
1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 taco size tortillas
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)
3/4 cup sour cream *Note: I used 1/2 cup
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn (optional), taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.