Beef-Broccoli Lo Mein

Ingredients
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp chile paste with garlic

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drainCombine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat

While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds
Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes
Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done
Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients:|
1 package ground mild Italian sausage
1 package rigatoni pasta
3 Tbsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chunked & sauted
1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce
2 Tbps parsley, chopped

Cook sausage according to package directions, keep warm
Cook rigatoni according to package directions, keep warm
In a large pan place olive oil & garlic, saute lightly for 30 seconds
Add pepper & cook until crisp-tender
Combine cooked sausage & pasta sauce with pepper & heat until warm
Mix with the pasta
Top with parsley

Sesame Pecan Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 cup vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/4 lb skinless, boneless skinless chicken breasts

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy
Mix breadcrumbs, pecans, sesame seeds, paprika, & 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl
Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Dip chicken in egg whites & then roll in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to help it adhere
Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 mins per side
Drain on paper towels
Cut into strips
Serve with honey mustard dressing

Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 (4 oz) boneless pork loin chops
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp olive oil

Heat skillet over medium-high heat
Sprinkle pork chops with 1/8 tsp garlic salt
Combine coriander, cumin, & sugar in shallow bowl
Sprinkle spice mixture over both sides of pork
Add oil to pan; swirl to coat
Add pork to pan
Cook 2 mins or until browned
Turn pork over & cook 4 mins or until done

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
Sauce
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 Tbsps tomato paste
2 tsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) basil & oregano diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Ziti & cheese
1 box (16 oz) ziti
8 oz shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesean cheese

Heat oven to 375
Coat 13 x 9 x 2" pan with nonstick cooking spray
Heat oil in a 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat
Add onion & cook 4 mins
Add garlic & cook another min
Stir in whole tomatoes & their juice breaking tomatoes apart with wooden spoon
Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt & pepper
Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 mins
Remove pan from heat
Stir in diced tomatoes & basil
Cook pasta according to directions on package
Drain & mix ziti with tomato sauce
Pour mixture into prepared pan
Top with cheese
Bake 20-25 mins

Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
12 oz ground chorizo or Italian sausage*
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 package Simply Potatoes® Southwest Style Hash Browns
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped


Heat oven to 350°F
Spray 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
In 10-inch skillet cook sausage and green pepper over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is browned and cooked through; drain
Place half of the Simply Potatoes in prepared baking dish
Top with half of the sausage and 3/4 cup of cheese; repeat
Combine eggs and milk in medium bowl; beat well with fork 
Pour egg mixture evenly over layered mixture in pan
Cover with foil; bake for 45 minutes
Uncover; add chopped tomato and remaining 1/2 cup cheese
Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean
Let stand 10 minutes before serving


* I used Italian sausage

Sizzling Sage Butter Pasta

Recipe found in cookbook Pasta by Eric Treuille & Anna Del Conte

Ingredients:

1 lb dried pasta (ribbons or stuffed pasta)

6 Tbsps butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled & halved

16 fresh sage leaves

freshly grated Parmesan

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until firm to the bite

While pasta is cooking, heat butter & garlic in a skillet over medium heat until just golden

Add sage leaves & cook, stirring until fragrant (30 seconds)
Remove & discard garlic

Drain pasta & return to the warm pasta pot
Add hot butter & sage to pasta; toss well to coat

Serve immediately with Parmesan

Spinach & Walnut Pesto Pasta

Quick dinner. Be careful not to overdo the garlic!

Ingredients:

1 cup packed, stemmed spinach leaves

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 Tbsps walnut pieces

6 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

salt & pepper

1 lb dried pasta (tubes or shells)

Place spinach, garlic, walnuts & olive oil in a food processor; pulse until smooth

Transfer to a bowl

Mix in Parmesan until well combined

Add salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until firm to the bite

Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water

Return pasta to pot, toss with pesto adding reserved water as needed

Serve immediately

Uglies

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

These don't look pretty but they sure taste good!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

18 oz BBQ sauce
1 package (8 biscuits) refrigerated biscuit dough

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°

Lightly grease 8 muffin cups

In a large skillet, cook ground beef with onion & garlic powder

Stir in BBQ sauce & simmer 3 mins

Place biscuits in greased tins; make a well in the center of each biscuit

Fill biscuit with meat mixture; top with cheese

Bake in oven until biscuits are baked & cheese is melted, about 15 mins

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp oregano, dried
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp canola oil
1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide), cut in half
2 cups shredded jack cheese

In a large pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes
Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce
Add salt to taste
Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit
Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level
Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese
Bake at 425° until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 cup chopped onion

1.5 Tbsps minced garlic

2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1.5 tsps curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 oz can tomato paste

15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

cooked rice

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat

Add onion & garlic to pan; cook 5 mins or until tender, stirring frequently

Add chicken to pan; cook 4 mins or until chicken is done
Stir in peanut butter, curry powder, salt, red pepper, black pepper, & tomato paste; cook 1 min

Add tomatoes & broth to pan; bring to a boil

Reduce heat & simmer 30 mins or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally

Serve over rice

Photo courtesy of: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001823370

Smothered Pepper Steak

Ingredients:
3 Tbsps all purpose flour

4 (4 oz) ground sirloin patties

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

cooking spray

bell pepper (any color)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, basil, & olive oil

1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Place flour in shallow dish

Dredge sirloin patties in flour; sprinkle patties evenly with salt & pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray

Coat patties with cooking spray

Add patties to pan; cook 3 mins on each side or until lightly browned

Add bell pepper, tomatoes, & soy sauce to meat in pan; bring to a boil

Reduce heat; simmer 15 mins or until meat is done & pepper mixture is slightly thick

Oven Fried Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tbsps olive oil, divided

2 Tbsps freshly minced thyme leaves

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tbsps water

2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness

Preheat oven to 400°

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil

Place a cooking rack over pan & spray with nonstick cooking spray

In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese, 2 Tbsps olive oil, thyme, salt, & pepper

In a separate shallow dish, combine mustard, water, 2 Tbsps olive oil, salt & pepper

Coat each chicken breast with mustard mixture; dredge each in bread crumb mixture

Place on prepared rack in pan

Bake for 25-30 mins or until chicken is golden brown

Beer Braised Beef

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

cooking spray

1.5 lb boneless top round steak, trimmed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, & oregano, undrained

1/2 cup light beer (I used Miller Lite)

2 Tbsps molasses

1/4 tsp salt

Mashed potatoes

Place onion crockpot coated with cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray

Add steak; cook 3 mins on each side or until browned

Place steak over onion in crockpot; pour tomatoes & beer over steak

Cover & cook on low for 8 hrs or until steak is very tender

Shred steak with 2 forks in slow cooker, stir in molasses & salt

Serve with mashed potatoes

Chorizo Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 can (28 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tube (10 oz) Mexican chorizo sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) corn
2 Tbsps minced garlic
2 Tbsps chili powder
2 Tbsps minced chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

Season stew meat with salt & pepper; brown meat in oil in skillet over med-high heat for 5 mins
Combine all ingredients in crock pot
Break chorizo into chunks
Cover & cook until beef is tender - 3-4 hrs on high heat setting or 7-8 hrs on low heat setting

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 Tbsp ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 Tbsps water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper *
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth **
2 Tbsps hoisin sauce **
2 Tbsps rice wine vinegar **
2 Tbps low-sodium soy sauce **
1 tsp cornstarch **
4 garlic cloves, minced **
2 Tbsps coarsely chopped salted peanuts
Cooked rice

Combine broth through garlic cloves in a small bowl & stir with a whisk; set aside
Heat 2 tsps oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat
Add 1 tsp ginger, crushed red pepper, & chicken
Cook 4 mins or until chicken is cooked, stirring frequently
While chicken cooks, heat 1 tsp oil in smaller nonstick pan over medium-high heat
Add broccoli & 2 tsps ginger to pan; sauté 1 min
Add 2 Tbsps water; cover & cook 2 mins or until broccoli is crisp-tender
Remove from heat; keep warm
Add broth mixture to chicken mixture & cook 1 min or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly
Add broccoli to pan; toss to coat
Serve over cooked rice with peanuts sprinkled on top

* My husband & I like spicy food - I increased the amount of red pepper flakes to about 1 1/2 - 2 tsps

** My husband & I also like sauces a lot, I doubled the amount of sauce to ensure we'd get lots of sauce to go with the rice

Walnut Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
3 Tbsps buttermilk
1 cup finely ground walnuts
1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsps vegetable oil
1 package mixed salad greens
2 - 3 carrots, chopped
1 cup (4 oz) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend
16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half *
Salad dressing of choice (I used Italian)

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin
Brush buttermilk evenly over chicken
Combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, & salt in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in mixture
Pour oil into a large skillet; place over medium-high heat until hot
Add chicken & cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden
Remove from heat; cool slightly
Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices
Combine salad greens, tomatoes, & carrots and arrange on each of 4 individual plates
Sprinkle with cheese, top with chicken, & add salad dressing

* I used on the vine tomatoes because the store was out of cherry tomatoes

Blackened Cumin-Cayenne Tilapia

Delicious, quick, & easy weeknight dinner. I served this with couscous & green beans for a balanced meal. Dinner was ready in less than 20 mins (including all prep).

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler
Rub oil evenly over fish
Combine cumin, salt, garlic powder, & peppers; sprinkle over fish
Arrange fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or desired degree of doneness

Coconut-Curry Chicken Fingers with Cashews

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed & patted dry

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 1/4 cups light coconut milk

1 cup skim milk

3 1/2 Tbsps red curry paste

3/4 cup roasted, salted cashews

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4 cup corn flakes

10 oz baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly grease a large baking sheet

Cut the chicken into strips

Season with salt & pepper

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the coconut milk, skim milk, & 1 1/2 Tbsps curry paste

In a food processor pulse together cashews & coconut flakes until finely chopped

Add the cornflakes & pulse until coarse

Transfer the mixture to a wide, shallow bowl

One by one, dip the chicken into the milk mixture, letting excess drip off

Place chicken into cashew mixture & turn to coat evenly

Transfer each chicken finger to the baking sheet

Bake the chicken fingers in the oven, turning once halfway through, until they are golden all over - about 10 mins

While the chicken cooks, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk & 2 Tbsps curry paste

Divide spinach onto places, top with chicken fingers & drizzle with sauce

Adobo Chicken

Since the sauce reduces, I double the sauce to capture all the deliciuos flavors. This is a great quick & easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsps low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsps water
3 Tbsps white vinegar
2 Tbsps honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat

Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned

Remove chicken from pan

Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes

Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently
Return chicken to pan

Add soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 minutes

Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce thickens

Discard bay leaf

Serve over rice

Picture courtsey of: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924726