Taco Bake

Tonight we had a delicious recipe I found (and copied) while visiting Barnes & Noble.. I love looking at cook books there and occassionally jot down a few recipes!!  Shhhhh don't tell!

Taco Bake

1 Pkg Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner *(will need butter and milk per the pkg)
1 lb Ground beef, bison, or turkey**
1 pkg Taco Seasoning mix
3/4 cup Fat Free sour cream
1 1/2 cup Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided.
1 cup thick & chunky salsa

Heat oven to 400° F.
Prepare Mac & Cheese dinner as per box.  While Mac & Cheese is cooking, cook meat until browned, add taco seasoning packet as directed on package.
Stir sour cream into prepared Mac & Cheese dinner; spoon half of the M&C dinner into a sprayed 8 inch square baking dish.  Top with taco seasoning meat mixture, then 1 cup of Shredded Cheddar cheese, then spoon remaining M&C mix on top.  Cover with foil or dish lid and bake on 400° for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with salsa and remaining cheddar cheese and return to oven for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
*to prepare the M&C I use a little less than 1/2 of the cheese packet, I also use Smart Balance original buttery spread and Skim milk, this makes it better for you heart!  ♥
**I used Ground Turkey 99% Fat Free, and I only used 1/2 lb, but the recipe calls for 1 whole lb.  ☺

Hubby Star Rating:  8.5 Stars

Recipe Origin:  Kraft Recipe book (you can find it online at http://www.kraftrecipes.com/ browse Taco Bake)

Herb & Garlic Chicken

Tonight we enjoyed Herb & Garlic Chicken with french cut green beans, steamed brown rice and raw carrot sticks.

Herb & Garlic Chicken

2 chicken breast, skinless, boneless
Lawry's Herb & Garlic w/Lemon Juice 30 Minute Marinade

Halve chicken breasts to make 4 servings, puncture chicken with fork.  Place all 4 pieces in a gallon size zipper bag and about 6oz of the marinade, place in refridgerator for about 25-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450°.  Take chicken out of zipper bag and place in glass baking dish, pour left over marinade on top and cook for 20-25 minutes at 450°  flipping at the 1/2 way mark. 

Hubby Star Rating:  9 Stars
Recipe Origin:  Katie creation.. just take chicken and put store bought marinade on it.  LOL Simple!!

Waffle Sunday!!

Every Sunday the Pier's have Waffles.  They are low fat and totally delicious. 

Laura's Buttermilk Waffles (with Katie's tweaks)

1 cup Organic Whole Wheat flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
*Sift dry ingredients before adding liquid ingredients. 
1 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup liquid egg whites
2 Tbsp Smart Balance buttery spread (original)
dash of vanilla flavoring

Sift all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl, add liquid ingredients.  Mix with fork until blended well. 
We use a Belgian Waffle maker and this recipe yeilds 3 nice waffles.  We add fresh cut strawberries, fresh or frozen blueberries, and whipped topping with a little butter flavored syrup.  YUMMY!  I ♥ Waffle Sunday!
Hubby Star Rating:  10 Stars

Recipe Origin:  Laura P, my super duper sister in law.

Stove Top Meatloaf

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I have been having issues with uploading my pics.. arrghhh so you will get bombarded with a few posts all at once LOL

This menu consisted of Stove Top Meatloaf, fresh green beans, corn on the cob, steamed brown rice.  Later we had Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake (almost fat free).. It was DELISH!!

Stove Top Meatloaf

1/2 lb Ground Bison
3 Tbsp uncooked rolled oats
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped onion
3 Tbsp skim milk
dash of salt
pepper, as desired
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can of water (tomato sauce can)

Put all ingredients except for water and tomato sauce in a bowl and mix well.
Shape into 2 loaves.  Brown on all sides in a frying pan using EVOO, over medium heat.
If using meat other than Buffalo, drain fat.
Pour tamato sauce over loaves and pour water around loaves in pan. 
Cover and cook over low heat for about 23-25 minutes.*
Add more water if needed during cooking. 

*if using more than 1/2 lb meat your loave will be bigger so you may want to cook longer to make sure the middle gets done.

Hubby Star Rating:  9.5 Stars (Got the .5 for having corn on the cob, that's my Indiana boy!)

Recipe Origin:  I got this recipe from a book while doing my Practicum for my degree in college, not sure of the name of the book though.  :)

Honey-Glazed Salmon

Tonight's dinner was a very yummy Salmon dish, side of Garlic sauteed spinach and fresh organic carrots and cucumbers.

Honey-Glazed Salmon

2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp orange juice *
1 Tbsp lemon juice **
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 salmon fillets halved (no skin, no bones)

Preheat oven to 350°
combine first 7 ingredients, and stir well with a whisk
Brush honey mixture onto one side of each fillet, place honey side down in cooking dish, brush honey mixture on the upfacing side of each fillet.  Cook at 350° for 15-20 minutes, brushing frequently with the honey mixture. *** 
This is a Weight Watchers recipe and worth 9 Points.

Hubby Star Rating:  10 Stars!

*If you are allergic to Citric Acid like I am you can use Minute Maid Low Acid, no Pulp OJ.
**Again with the Citric Acid.. I only used about 1 tsp of the Lemon Juice.  :)
*** The original recipe directs you to Broil the fillets for 12 minutes, I choose to bake instead. 

SPECIAL NOTE:
The Hubby Star Rating changed at the end of the meal.
This is a picture of an 11 Star meal!!  ;)

Hearty One-Pot Chicken Stew

Tonights dinner was a scrumptious stew for this cool Fall evening. 

Hearty One-Pot Chicken Stew

2 chicken breast, boneless & Skinless cut into bite size pieces
1 box Reduced Sodium Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice (B&R)
2 1/4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) no salt diced tomatoes, undrained
3 sm Organic Yukon Gold potatoes cut into small chunks
2 Organic Carrots sliced in small disks
1 sm onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

In large pot cook chicken until right before no longer pink , while chicken is cooking I boil the potato chunks and carrot slices in a seperate pan for 3-5 minutes** .  Add veggies to chicken in pot, then add box of Red Beans & Rice along with the seasoning packet if seperate from rice/beans, water, tomatoes, and onions.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender and rice is cooked.  Make sure to stir occassionally to prevent sticking. 

Hubby Star Rating:  10 Stars!

Recipe Origin:  Grandma's Favorites (Recipes from Grandma's Kitchen) pg 41
** I like to cook the chicken and soften up the veggies at the same time in seperate pans.. not sure why I just do!!
Original Recipe instructions:
In large saucepan, combine chicken, B&R, seasoning pkt, water, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and onions.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.  :)

Pan-Seared Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Tonights meal was a favorite of the family's.  And to make it better it is a Weight Watcher's Recipe.. so this one will have a point value too.  We had Organice Corn on the Cob and Organic Brussell Sprouts along with Steamed Brown Rice as our sides!

Pan-Seared Chicken with Garlic Sauce

1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Salt (I used 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halved with fat cut off
1 tsp EVOO
12 med Garlic Cloves (I used about 2 Tbsp minced Garlic)
1 cup fat free, low sodium Chicken broth, divided

Preheat over to 450°
Combine 1st Five ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with herb mixture.
Heat EVOO in large oven proof nonstick skillet* over medium high heat.  Add Chicken, and cook 2 minutes on each side.  Add garlic and 3/4 cup broth.  Place pan in oven.  Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until chicken is done and garlic cloves are soft. 
Revmove pan from oven.  Transfer chicken to platter; keep warm.  Add remaining 1/4 cup broth to pan.  Mash garlic cloves with fork.  Cook garlic mixture over heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated; stir.  Serve garlic sauce over chicken. **

Hubby Star Rating:  10 Stars!!

Weight Watchers Points Value:  5 points

* I don't put my skillet in the oven, I transfer it all over to a casserole dish to bake in.  
** I use minced garlic, so I basically skip this last step, because I put the whole cup of broth in the casserole dish when I transfer the chicken and cook it together.  This saves time and keeps the chicken really moist!!

Baked Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sandwich

Last night we had this and boy was it YUMMY!  We just added simple sides like baby pickles and chips.

Baked Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sandwich
2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg whites (I used GV)
4 oz thinly sliced deli turkey breast (I used about 6-8 slices)
1 1/2 cups Fat Free shredded cheddar cheese
5 Slices cooked turkey bacon

Heat oven to 400°.  Spray squae baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches, with cooking spray.
Stir Bisquick mix, milk, and egg until blended.  Spread half of the batter in baking dish.  Top with Turkey slices, 1 cup of the cheese and the bacon.  Spread remaining batter over bacon.
Bake uncovered about 29 minutes or until golden brown and center is set.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top.  Bake about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. 
High altitude (3500 - 6500 feet):  Increase first bake time to about 32 minutes.

Hubby Star Rating:  8.5 Stars

Recipe Source:  Betty Crocker Bisquick II Cookbook pg 44
Sorry no picture, but I tried and could do it no justice!

Salmon Patties

This is a Quick Meal that taste wonderful.  We had Salmon Patties, Fresh cut Organic Green Beans, Organic diced Carrots and steamed brown rice!

Salmon Patties

2 cans Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon, skinless & boneless, drained and seperated
1/4 cup egg white (I used GV liquid egg whites)
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used GV Italian crumbs, it was all I had in the pantry) *
1 Tbsp Mayo (I used Kraft Mayo w/Olive Oil) *
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Dill to taste

Mix well with a fork, form into patties, whatever size you wish. 
Heat EVOO in a good size skillet/pan on Med High heat.  Cook patties until crispy golden brown on each side and serve with Brown Rice! 


* This indicates a guesstimate since I don't normally measure with this recipe.. I just use what I think for the consistency that I am looking for.  Some times it depends on how much draining you do on the Salmon.  :)


Hubby Star Rating:  9 Stars

Pronto Taco Soup

Pronto Taco Soup
1 pd ground beef, bison, or turkey (I used Turkey)
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) low sodium beef broth

1 can (14.5 ounces) no salt diced tomatoes, undrained
1.5 cups Picante sauce
1.5 cups uncooked spiral or small shell pasta (I used Barilla Plus Bow ties)
1 med green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
FF Shredded Chedder Cheese & Torilla chips

In a large saucepan, cook meat, onions, and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain if needed.  Add the broth, tomatoes, picante sauce, pasta, green pepper, chili powder and parsely.  Bring to a boil, stirring occassionally.  Reuce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Garnish with cheese and serve with tortilla chips. 

Hubby Star Rating:  8 *due to green bell peppers, he isn't a fan :-(

Recipe Origin:  Quick Cooking Magazine January/February 1999

Almost Fat Free Alfredo Sauce!

Tonights menu consisted of Almost Fat Free Alfredo Sauce, Natural Chicken Breast, Pasta, Steamed Brocolli and raw organic carrot sticks!!

Almost Fat Free Alfredo Sauce
2 tsp Smart Balance Buttery Spread Original
1 Tbsp Garlic minced
3 Tbsp Organic whole wheat flour
2 Cups Great Value Fat Free half & half
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, nutmeg
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) Great Value grated Parmesan cheese*
2 chicken breasts cooked & cubed... I used EVOO and a little bit of garlic while cooking the chicken

Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Add garlic and cook over low heat about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Whisk in flour, then whisk in half & half until well combined.  Finally, whisk in salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Mix in cooked chicken cubes.  Serve over pasta!  And side it with Steamed Brocolli and Raw Carrot Sticks!  YUMMY!
You do not have to use the chicken.. just serve the sauce over pasta!  :)

Hubby Star Rating:   9 Stars (out of 10)
*This is where the fat comes from and I choose not to use the Reduced Fat GV Parmesan Cheese because it has Partially Hydrogenated Oil in it and that turns into TRANSFAT!  Not sure why the Reduced Fat has it and the Full Fat doesn't.. but oh well.  You can read more about Partially Hydrogenated Oils here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat

Recipe Origin:  Unknown.. I got it from the internet somewhere a while back and it doesn't have the link on the bottom of the printed page.. sorry!

For Starters

This 1st post will consist of the products that I normally keep on hand or purchase on a regular basis at the local markets.  I will occasionally use different things but will use these products for the most part.  I won't list every single item but these are the ones that I most definitely feel have a huge impact on how healthy the meal is.  :)

Fat Free Cottage Cheese
Fat Free Shredded Cheese (occasionally throw in low fat to help with melting)
Fat Free Sour Cream
Fat Free Cream Cheese
Smart Balance: Buttery Spread Original
Turkey Bacon (lower sodium)
Bisquick (HeartSmart)
Organic Whole Wheat Flour
Organic Whole Wheat Baking Flour
Granulated Sugar (I never use the posted amount, always less)
Brown Sugar (thinking of going Organic with this)
Powdered Sugar (again always use less than the posted amount)
Organic Berries and Fruit (Almost always from Wholefoods Market)
Organic Veggies (Almost always from Wholefoods Market)
Skim Milk
Low Fat Buttermilk
Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2
Eggbeaters or Egg whites only
99% Fat Free Ground Turkey meat
96% Fat Free Oklahoma Grass fee Bison/Buffalo
Natural Chicken Breast (Sometimes get the Organic / Cage Free)
Atlantic Salmon Center Cut Steaks
Salmon (in a can or pouch)
Albacore Tuna (in a can or pouch)
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Canola Oil (occasionally)
EVOO Cooking Spray (sometimes Canola)
Brown Rice
Barilla Plus Pasta

Special Note:  I do get all of my recipes from Cook Books and Websites, I will be noting the Original Source of the Recipe but will be using my substitutions.    ENJOY!!