(Healthy) Minestra

A few of you have asked what I'll be making for dinner tonight, and so, here it is!

I just love it when Jaclyn shares her yummy, healthy recipes with me! And furthermore I am always beyond impressed when she rattles them off from memory while sitting in the office!

Minestra

from Jaclyn

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• Garlic (to taste)
• 1 Lg. white onion, chopped
• 2 Med. heads of Escarole, chopped
• 2 cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Lg carton chicken broth
• 1 Sm. carton chicken broth
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg
• Parmesan cheese (The real stuff! Nothing from a can!)

Coat pan in olive oil

Add garlic (to taste)-- in my opinion, you can never have enough garlic!

Add onion, and brown

Add escarole, and cook down

Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, a little salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg and bring to a boil

Cook 10 minutes

Top with parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

There it is, quick and easy! I hope it's as yummy as it sounds! We'll see!

Ice Cream for dinner! YIPEEE!

I do apologize for not posting last night, as I ate ice cream for dinner! Delicious Edy's Apple Pie Ice Cream! I wasn't all that hungry when I got home from work and I was more exhausted than anything... I did a few things around the house, and honestly forgot all about dinner! It was 8pm by the time I thought about eating anything! 

Tonight is a leftovers night... I know, so weird to hear myself utter those words! But, there's lots in the fridge that has to be put to good use! And JD and I leave for our cruise next week, so I'm definitely pinching my pennies this week! Leftovers it is... (Good thing there's chili left!)  :)

Happy weekend! I've got lots planned! Hoping to get some BAKING in! 

Relax, and Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

I was very excited to get to work this morning and have my friend and co-worker, Jaclyn waiting with a new recipe for me to try out! Now, I can't wait to get home and try it! :)

Jaclyn says this is a recipe she has made many times when she's craving something healthy, quick, and EASY! Boy, is she speaking MY language... I've been aiming for "Healthy", but quick AND easy?! Not to mention SPICY! I am in my little cooking glory over here!

Are you ready?! ...wait for it... ...wait for it... .....(for added suspense)

Today's recipe is for Turkey Chili! mMmMmMm! Just the thought of it is making me drool at my desk!

Turkey Chili

from Jaclyn (from memory, which is impressive in and of itself!)

Jaclyn said she found this delish little recipe in Men's Health Magazine a few years back...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced (or stewed) tomatoes-- something mexican, with a little spice!
• 1 pkt chili mix (of course I'm going to use the spiciest kind I can find!)
• 1/4 c. of water

Quick & EASY Directions:

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet. Drain.

Toss it all together in a nice big pot, and heat for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Top with Jalapenos, Avacado, Sour Cream, and/or Frank's Red Hot.

Jaclyn likes to top hers with a little sour cream mixed with Frank's Red Hot®! YUM!

I cannot wait to test this one out... and such a perfectly rainy day for chili! :)


<6pm>
I'm getting very excited for this chili! It already smells amazing and I just added the browned turkey! I also added a can of v8 tomato juice, since I think I may have used a larger can of beans than necessary and it then needed a bit more liquid but since I only bought one can of tomatoes at the store, v8 it is! And you KNOW I used extra HOT chili spice! I am PSYCHED! :):)


We have a little while until everyone will be home for dinner, so I'm going to let it simmer for a bit... It can really only get better and better! I'll keep ya's posted!


<8:21pm>
I am ecstatic to report that the chili was by far the best meal I have EVER made!
JD would've LOVED it for sure! It had all the key ingredients! It was SUPER easy, SO quick, extremely cheap, and oh so YUMMY!! (... HEALTHY, TOO!)


I found myself txting Jaclyn in the middle of dinner to thank her for officially changing my life. Haha-- no exaggeration. Seriously.


It is highly likely that I will never test out another chili recipe ever again. I'm hooked! In fact, I loved it so much, I don't even think I'll attempt it without my own substitutions! I wouldn't dare risk it!


Not to mention, I am a meat lover... I could not even taste the difference having used ground turkey. AMAZING!


Just one bowl and I was SO full, yet I truly wanted to eat more. I was beyond tempted to get up and go for "seconds"... I just had no room in my belly! I'll be bringing the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! ...yes, you read that right! LEFTOVERS! Consider me a changed woman... but, only for this chili!

Turkey Meatloaf

Another yucky, rainy day! I cannot wait to get home and try out this recipe a friend of mine e-mailed to me! Kerry said she hadn't tried it when we were messaging back and forth about it but her husband was raving about how delicious it was! It sure looks like it's super easy AND super healthy! Perfect! We'll give it a shot!

Turkey Meatloaf

Passed on from my friend Kerry Abs

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs lean ground turkey
• 2 c. dry instant oats
• 2 c. chopped fresh spinach
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. organic tomato sauce
• 1 Mrs. Dash seasoning packet

Mix together, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

That's it!

I've just sent Big Jer (My Dad) to the store for the ingredients, so I'm ready to rock as soon as I get home from work! I am just so excited! Stay tuned!


<5:35pm>
A little update for y'all... (No, I'm not at all Southern, but I totally wish I had a cute little Southern twang to my accent like my boyfriend does!)


I've been home from work for exactly half an hour and dinner is in the oven and smelling wonderfully! I am also boiling some naked potatoes so that I can serve the turkey meatloaf with some homemade mashed. I have made the executive decision to bake my meatloaf in a bunt pan...? Kerry didn't specify and it was sitting on the counter, so I went for it! :) andddd I did put a little extra tomato sauce over the top, only because I had a little left in the jar! No sense in keeping just a little! I didn't have any Mrs. Dash left, so I just used Hannaford brand Italian Seasoning. I'm sure it's all the same!


The meatloaf was SO easy to make... and the clean-up was a cinch! 


So far, I am LOVING this meal. I hope it tastes as good as it smells! I'll get back to ya after dinner!


<7:35pm>
Dinner was a hit! It was really very good, for such a healthy meal!
The spinach really gave it a nice flavor! Though, I think next time I'll add a bit of minced garlic, or maybe a little chopped onion. The bunt pan worked well. However, I would definitely have put the extra tomato sauce into the bottom of the bunt pan, considering when I flipped it the sauce ended up on the bottom of the loaf! Oops! Thank goodness there was no mess! I might also consider halving the recipe, since this made a lot more meatloaf than I had expected! Unless of course I was entertaining a large crowd as I'm sure this recipe would've fed 6-8 adults as is.


The BEST part-- there was minimal clean-up! My fav! 


Verdict: Highly Recommended!

Classic Spaghetti & Sausage

I'm a little late on blogging tonight! I do apologize! I don't know where my mind is today! I failed to remember to get to the grocery store last night, and so I did not have anything to cook in the crockpot all day long while I was at work... Not to mention that it's a rainy dreary mess outside today! It's definitely a homemade spaghetti and sausage kind of night! 

I was a little worried that since I didn't make the sauce recipe I usually make, which requires simmering all day long that dinner wouldn't be as good, but I was wrong! (It doesn't happen often, but it does happen...) 

I googled a quick recipe for spaghetti sauce and this is what I found:

Nanny's Spaghetti Sauce

on Allrecipes.com (and linked to the title for your convenience...)

Ingredients

• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

The directions were as easy as they come! 
In a large skillet combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic, sugar, vinegar, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir all together and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes (for the best flavor). Stir frequently to prevent burning. 

While my sauce was cooking, I thawed and (purposely) burned some hot (spicy) Italian sausage in a separate medium sized skillet.  About 20 minutes into cooking the sauce listed above, I added the sausage into the mix and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes. During this time, I simply prepared my favorite pasta (Pasta Barilla whole wheat spaghetti) boiling it until it was el dente... and that was it! There you have it! Tonight's very simple, yet oh so yummy dinner! 

Honestly, I absolutely loved the sauce! It was fantastic! I'm amazed at how super quick it was to make! When reading the ingredients, I totally thought it would be chunky (I am not a fan of chunky sauce and/or tomatoes in general), but it wasn't at all! It was perfect!

I'll definitely make it again! Though, knowing my love for the crockpot, and how very easy this was, I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt to attempt it in the crockpot and let it simmer for a few hours after work.  I bet it'll be even more delicious! If that's even possible? ;-)

Verdict: TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!  

Super Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip (Hot)

Ok, I'm starving! I haven't eaten at all today-- as I have been far too indulgent in my laziness! :) 

While I'm waiting for my Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing to cook, I'm going to make a little snack! This hot dip makes the most perfect appetizer! Hell, I love it so much I could make a meal of it!

This is a football fan fav, and one my hot wing loving boyfriend is sure to approve of! Today, it's also by request from my friend Randy, so I'm posting it here so that he and Bre can try it (Or I'll just make it and bring it over to them? --either/or!)

Super Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip (Hot)

from my friend Kristine-- who I am repeatedly bugging for the list of ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of Chicken (may be substituted for cooked chicken or canned/cooked turkey)
• 1/2 a block (4 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese®
• Frank's Red Hot® Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce
• Chunky Blu Cheese salad dressing (or Ranch if you prefer!)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 Family Size bag of Tostitos® Scoops

Preheat oven to 350.

Drain chicken and put into mixing bowl (or foil/glass cake pan, if you're lazy like I am)

Combine chicken with the cream cheese, hot sauce, and salad dressing.

Mix well (and transfer to cake pan if you haven't done so already..).

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Place in oven, and bake until cheese on top is melted completely.

...Enjoy in front of your favorite football game with Tostitos® Scoops! :)

This recipe can also be made in a small crockpot if you are entertaining and wish to keep it warm! Simply follow the directions above and heat on Low setting... once cheese on top is melted, switch setting to warm until dip is gone... (and it will be, because this is quite a delicious little snack!)

I've made this recipe a bajillion times, so I will not hesitate to give my verdict beforehand...

Verdict: TOTALLY RECOMMENDED! :) (and so SUPER EASY!)

Crockpot Chicken & Stuffing!

It's Sunday! My favorite day of the week! And, Boy, has it been a hectic weekend! Well, Friday... not so much. Friday was nice and relaxing... I kicked back with a cup of tea and my new book (Act like a Lady, Think like a Man by Steve Harvey) and took advantage of a quiet house! I was in bed by 10pm!~ Needless to say, I didn't make/eat dinner on Friday night.

Yesterday was dedicated to all things Madison (my fabulous employer) as we hosted a seminar a little over 2 hours away in Poughkeepsie, NY!  So, yes, I made the trip, we signed up a few new recruits, and a bunch of the consultants went to dinner immediately following at T.G.I. Fridays! It was so delicious! I ate far too much! Of course, being the penny pincher I've quickly become I opted for the 3 for $16.99 meal! I had awesome potstickers, and a nice little steak with some mashed potatoes, and then of course Vanilla Bean Cheesecake! I was so full on the ride home that I thought I was going to have to find out just how stain resistant our bags were! I managed to keep it all down but quickly went to bed as soon as I returned home, as my stomach was hatin' on me.

Let's get down to it! As I had mentioned before, it's SUNDAY! And... Sunday's are for football and crockpot cooking! I'm getting a late start, as I've been pretty lazy all morning... Yes, I took full advantage of my "do nothing" day! (I truly loved every minute of both naps I took).

For tonight, I'm making Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing from a little magazine which is quickly becoming a fav, the Fix-it and Forget-it 5-ingredient slow-cooker recipes magazine.  This was so super easy to throw together! I hope it's just as delicious?! We'll see!

Chicken and Stuffing

from the Fix-it and Forget-it 5-ingredient slow-cooker recipes magazine (2010)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 6 oz. box of stuffing mix
• 16 oz. pkg of frozen whole-kernel corn (I used mixed veggies, since it's all we had!)
• 1/2 stick (1/4 c.) butter, melted

Place chicken in the bottom of the slow-cooker.

Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, and spoon over chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and stuffing is dry.

That's it!

This recipe literally took me 5 minutes prep time! And the best part, it'll be done just before dinner time! :)

Here's to hoping it's something good! I'll let you know after dinner!

Happy Sunday!

<8:30pm>
Not to toot my own horn or anything-- but, TOOT! TOOT! 
OMG That meal was the best meal I've made yet! I am totally loving this. With a super quick prep time consisting of all of 5 minutes, and only 2-3 hours of cook time the entire meal could not have been any easier or any more delicious! It was totally a hit!


I ended up cooking the meal for 2 1/2 hours then turning it over to the warm setting for an additional half-hour while I (impatiently) waited for everyone to get home! I was definitely expecting the chicken to be a little dry since it technically cooked an hour longer than it should've but IT WASN'T! I am thrilled to report that it was not the least bit dry! Which is huge, because I am not a big fan of chicken to begin with... primarily because my Mom's chicken was ALWAYS dry growing up!

Another thing I absolutely LOVED about this dish, is that it was a complete meal in and of itself! I didn't have to make any sides, or any veggies to accompany it... everything was included! ...and did I mention it tasted totally amazing?! 

My Dad went back for seconds, while Momma and I were SO full from our first helpings, we couldn't even consider seconds! ...ok, that's a lie... I totally contemplated seconds (because it was so yummy!) but quickly decided I was too full! I am confident that JD would've been impressed... not to mention full! This will most certainly be the next meal I make for him! :)


I think the next time I make this (which is sure to be VERY soon...) I will try adding a little chicken broth and cooking it on low for maybe 4-6 hours.  I'll definitely use whole-kernel corn as the original recipe calls for, as well.  My mixed veggies weren't bad all all but they did lose their color (but not their taste!) quite a bit, so the presentation could've been slightly more vibrant!


Verdict: TOTALLY RECOMMENDED! 
(Especially for an easy prep, SUPER QUICK, complete meal!