Mrs. Blondie's Kitchen

Yogurt Chicken

2011-02-12T14:16:00.000-06:00

It's been a while. Since the last time I posted, I got pregnant in July and had horrible morning sickness from about 5 to 16 weeks. After that, I just haven't had much time to post. I'm making this chicken for dinner tonight and I'll post the verdict tomorrow. I pretty much made up this recipe based on wanting to use turmeric with the yogurt and just smelling different spices to decide what to add in.

4 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp mint
1/2 tsp coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Put chicken in whatever you like to use to hold things while they marinate. Add yogurt and spices. Let marinate at least 4 hours, overnight if possible. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with rice spiced with tumeric.

Serves 4-6.

May 2010 Dinner Plans

2010-05-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Crockpot Mustard Chicken
Indian Lentil Stuffed Eggplant
Shrimp Primavera
Crockpot Cherry Chicken
Crockpot Indian Lamb Curry
Lime and Cumin Shrimp or Fish

Meatballs- Endo Diet Friendly Version

2010-04-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the Endo Diet Friendly version of my meatball recipe.

1 1/2 lb turkey

3/4 cup oatmeal (gluten free)

3/8 cup alternative milk

Worcestershire sauce alternative:

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari

1 tsp cloves

1/8 onion

3 drops lemon juice

1/4 tsp molasses

1 small onion

1 tbsp flax seed

3 tbsp water

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Mix Worcestershire sauce alternative ingredients in small food processor until finely ground. Mix flax seed with water in a cup or small bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients and shape into meatballs. Place in 9x13 pan, making sure to leave room between the meatballs. Cook 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Makes about 12 meatballs.

Enchiladas in Green Sauce

2010-04-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

I used the tomatillo salsa from Simply Recipes (minus the peppers) as the green sauce. It was good and different than a tomato-based sauce.

1 lb chicken breasts, ground beef, ground turkey or 2 cups cooked beans (or any combination of these)
7 tomatillos
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp agave nectar
shredded cheese (optional- not Endo Diet friendly, but I put it in the ones for my husband)
at least 8 small tortillas (corn are Endo Diet friendly most of the time)

To make green sauce, remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes or until lightly blackened. Place in food processor with onion, cilantro, lime and agave nectar.

For ground meat, cook onions and garlic for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then add in and brown ground meat. Then mix in half the enchilada sauce.

For chicken, put chicken breasts in a small sauce pan with half the enchilada sauce. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours and then shred chicken.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After filling is cooked, light grease the bottom of large casserole or baking dish with olive oil and then coat with half the remaining enchilada sauce. Fill with filling and cheese (if using) and roll enchilada, placing seam side in dish. After all enchiladas are rolled, spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese (optional). Bake for 20 minutes or until light browned.

Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Easter Lamb

2010-04-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

This is a crockpot version using the rub that my mother-in-law uses. It turned out really well and was very moist. Lamb in the oven tends to dry out.

Lamb (I used a small shank (1 1/2 lbs), but for a larger group you can use a whole leg)
2 tsp dill
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 salt
1/2 cup wine

Rub lamb with spices. Place lamb in crockpot and pour in wine (without washing spice rub off lamb). Cook on low for 4 hours for a small lamb shank; a large leg will take about 8 hours on low.

Meatloaf- Endo Diet Friendly Version

2010-04-08T17:53:00.000-05:00

I modified my meatloaf recipe to make it Endo Diet Friendly.

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

2/3 cup alternative milk (almond, etc.)

Worcestershire sauce alternative:

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari

1 tsp cloves

1/8 onion

3 drops lemon juice

1/4 tsp molasses

1 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 cup gluten-free oatmeal

Flaxseed egg alternative:

2 tbsp flax seed

6 tbsp water

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp agave nectar

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix Worcestershire sauce alternative ingredients in small food processor until finely ground. Mix flax seed with water in a cup or small bowl and let stand for 2 minutes.

Mix loaf ingredients and place in loaf pan. Mix sauce ingredients in small bowl and pour half over top of loaf. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165 F.

Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

April 2010 Dinner Plans

2010-03-30T21:25:00.006-05:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Fish in a Packet
Chicken and Dumplings (for my husband's birthday...not Endo diet friendly...I'm having leftover fish)

Easter Dinner:
Crockpot Easter Lamb
Mashed Potatoes (with olive oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of regular milk)
Broccoli in Coconut Milk (with almonds for me and cheese for my husband)

Crockpot Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes-Endo Diet Friendly version
Meatloaf and Meatloaf- Endo Diet Friendly Version (I'm making a regular one for my husband and an Endo diet friendly one for me)
Pina Colada Shrimp
Chicken in Almond Butter Satay Sauce
Crockpot Acorn Squash Stuffed with Turkey, Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
Enchiladas in Green Sauce
Spaghetti and Meatballs (beef for my husband and turkey Endo Diet friendly for me)

Crockpot Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes- Endo Diet Friendly Version

2010-03-30T21:06:00.000-05:00

I made this recipe a couple of months ago before starting the Endo diet. It's originally from A Year of Slow Cooking. Luckily it's really easy to make Endo diet friendly, you just don't have the cheese (well, I won't but I'll put in on my husband's portion).

Pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I like it with limes)
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans (etc)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

4 chicken breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese (optional)
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes or a mix of sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes, washed well, skin on

In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for your pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now.

In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange your chicken pieces. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer.

Carefully remove the potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment.

For any portions that are having cheese, you can put the cheese on top of the chicken and place under the broiler until the cheese melts.

Crockpot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

2010-03-30T20:44:00.000-05:00

I wasn't impressed. It wasn't pumpkiny enough. Here's the link to the original recipe at A Year of Slow Cooking.

Shrimp Primavera

2010-03-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

I made this as Lenten Friday meal. Both my husband and I liked it a lot, and it's pretty easy to make. I based this off of Mom's Pasta Primavera from Simply Recipes, but I used olive oil instead of tomato sauce because we've had a lot of tomato sauce lately.

3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
4-5 cloves, garlic
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to taste
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 lb pasta (gluten free for endo diet)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb boiled shrimp

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add vegetables and Italian seasoning, and cook for about 15 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions. After draining pasta, toss with a bit of olive oil and Italian seasoning.

After vegetables have cooked for 15 minutes, add tomatoes and cook for 1-2 additional minutes or until tomatoes have soften. Mix vegetables, pasta, and shrimp in serving bowls. Leave shrimp separate for any servings that will be leftovers and add after reheating.

Serves 4.

Grecian Chicken with Pasta

2010-03-02T11:25:00.001-06:00

This recipe is from Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies. It was pretty good but the original doesn't have enough sauce, so I'm going to double the sauce ingredients.

3 tbsp olive oil
4-6 chicken breasts
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups tomato sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb gluten-free pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the chicken and onions in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the chicken is browned on both sides. Transfer to a roasting pan.

Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, white wine, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender, covering with foil if necessary to prevent excess browning.

Boil the pasta until just barely tender, and drain. Stir spaghetti into the chicken and sauce and return to the oven for 15 minutes, stirring the spaghetti every 5 minutes, adding water if necessary.

Serves 4-6.

Vegetable Ratatatouille

2010-03-02T10:41:00.002-06:00

I found this recipe in The Gluten-Free Vegan book. I've removed the peppers and mushrooms that were in the original recipe since I don't really like them. I also didn't use the sweet potatoes or garbanzo beans this time since I didn't feel like having them. I made my husband some steak and I ate it with lentils and pinto beans. I thought it turned out well (despite forgetting to add the garlic), but I'm definitely in need of a break from tomatoes.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion

3 large carrots, chopped

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 small zucchinis, sliced

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 tbsp basil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Saute until it begins to soften, then add the carrots, eggplant, and garlic. Continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and seasonings, and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust herbs if desired.

Serves 4.

Crockpot Chicken "Makhani"- the Endo Diet modified version

2010-03-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

Here's the original recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking that I mostly followed last time. I'm modifying it to make it Endo Diet friendly. Using 3-4 breasts leaves enough sauce to eat separately with some rice. Yummy.

4-6 chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (unrefined, unbleached)
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp mild curry
2 tsp garam masala (I found this in the Asian section at my local store label Chicken Masala...there are other slight variations)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
juice of 1/2 large lemon or 1 small
1 cup almond paste (this is NOT the baking almond paste)

Almond Paste
1 3/4 cup almonds, soaked overnight
Water

Blanch almonds by putting in boiling water for exactly 7 seconds. Place immediately in a large bowl of ice water and pop off skins. Grind in food processor, adding water as needed to make a paste.

Put chicken in crockpot and add garlic, onion, and all the spices. Add the coconut oil and tomato paste, and then the lemon juice and coconut milk. Cook on 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Add almond paste about 15 minutes before serving and stir in.

Serves 4-6.

Shepherd's Pie

2010-03-01T10:36:00.001-06:00

I based this off of the Simply Recipes's Easy Shepherd's Pie. I used half ground turkey (for me...to make it Endo Diet-friendly) and half ground beef (to make it husband friendly) and put cheese only on his half. It was good but the meat could have used a bit of sage, thyme and/or rosemary since I didn't use Worchestershire sauce (I was pretty much out and I looked at the ingredients...and decided not to buy it). I definitely add some of those next time. You can add additional or different vegetables depending on what you like and have around.

1 1/2 lbs ground meat (lamb, beef, turkey or any combination)
3-4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 head of broccoli, chopped
2-3 shallots, chopped
2 lbs. potatoes (I used red), scrubbed and quarted, but not peeled
4-6 tbsp olive oil
1 cup almond milk (or other alternative milk)
Shredded cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Put potatoes in a large pot of cold water, bring to a boil and continue to boil for 20 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, saute carrots, broccoli, and shallot in about 2-3 tbsp olive oil for 5-7 minutes, then add meat and brown meat. Remove from heat, add spices and mix throughly.

Place meat and vegetable mix in a baking dish or large casserole. Drain potatoes and place them back in the hot pot they were cooked in. Mash potatoes, adding remaining olive oil and alternative milk. Spread mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetable mix. Add cheese if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 4-6.

Enchiladas

2010-03-01T09:05:00.002-06:00

This recipe is based off a recipe in the Sneaky Chef book. I used pinto beans and chicken (both are Endo Diet-friendly), but you could use ground beef or turkey like the recipe in the book. My husband and I liked it but I should have add just a tad more cumin.

1 lb chicken breasts, ground beef, ground turkey or 2 cups cooked beans (or any combination of these)
2 cloves garlic, chopped or about 1 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder
1 onion, chopped
1 10 oz can tomato puree
1/4 cup Orange Puree
1/4 cup White Puree
1/4 cup White Bean Puree
1/2 cup Green Puree
at least 1/2 tbsp cumin
at least 1 tsp oregano
at least 1/2 tbsp pepper
at least 1 tsp coriander
shredded cheese (optional- not Endo Diet friendly, but I put it in the ones for my husband)
at least 8 small tortillas (corn are Endo Diet friendly most of the time)

Mix spices, tomato puree and other purees in a medium bowl to make the enchilada sauce.

For ground meat, cook onions and garlic for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then add in and brown ground meat. Then mix in half the enchilada sauce.

For chicken, put chicken breasts in a small sauce pan with half the enchilada sauce. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours and then shred chicken.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After filling is cooked, light grease the bottom of large casserole or baking dish with olive oil and then coat with half the remaining enchilada sauce. Fill with filling and cheese (if using) and roll enchilada, placing seam side in dish. After all enchiladas are rolled, spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese (optional). Bake for 20 minutes or until light browned.

Serves 4-6.

March 2010 Dinner Plans

2010-02-22T15:09:00.006-06:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Crockpot Chicken "Makhini"- the Endo Diet Modified Version
Crockpot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup (with an Coconut Milk to make it Endo Diet friendly)
Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey
Shrimp Primavera
Grecian Chicken with Pasta
Vegetable Ratatouille with Beans (and Beef for my husband)

Steelhead Trout with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic

2010-02-22T10:40:00.003-06:00

We had this meal for Ash Wednesday. It was ok, but not fabulous. It's from Recipezaar.

1 lb steelhead trout fillet
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp chopped rosemary
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Line a baking dish with foil and rub with olive oil. Preheat broiler.

Grind garlic, rosemary and lemon in food processor. Rub spice paste over fillet. Place fish skin-down in baking dish.

Broil on second rack from heat for 5 minutes, watching to make sure that herbs don't burn. Turn oven to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Serves 3-4

Crockpot Thai Chicken

2010-02-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

Another flop. I tried to modify a Thai curry taking out the curry paste, but the result was too bland. Go to A Year of Slow Cooking and make the real recipe, it's not worth me posting the recipe I used.

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-02-22T09:52:00.006-06:00

I started doing the Endo Diet, so I used gluten-free noodles for this. This isn't completely Endo Diet compatible since it has cheese, but I was working my way in. This recipe is from A Year of Slow Cooking. I wasn't very impressed with how this turned out. I don't know if it was just the crockpot cooking or the rice noodles (Crockpot Lady used the same though).

I'm just going to link to her recipe. Hopefully it works better for others. I'll make lasagna again in the oven with rice noodles using my regular lasagna recipe.

Crockpot Azorean Beef Stew

2010-02-22T09:41:00.002-06:00

This is another A Year of Slow Cooking recipe. It was pretty good and the only change I made was using half the cinnamon and no red pepper flakes. This stew was good and had a different taste than just plain beef stew.

1 lb beef chuck stew meat
5-6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
2 potatoes, chopped in 1 inch chunks
3 green onions, chopped
3 cups beef stock
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters, or 2 large chopped tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots, or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 T kosher salt
1 tsp all spice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
1 cinnamon stick

Put the meat in the crockpot. Add the broth. Chop the vegetables and add to crockpot. Stir in the salt, all spice and cumin. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6. As the Crockpot Lady says, stew tastes better when you cook it longer and slow (at a lower temperature).

Serves 6-8.

February 2010 Dinners

2010-02-05T12:59:00.002-06:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Azorean Beef Stew
Lasagna with Ground Turkey
Thai Chicken
Steelhead Trout with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic
Red Beans and Rice
Enchiladas
Shepherd's Pie

Boiled Shrimp

2010-01-23T11:02:00.001-06:00

The precooked shrimp that you can get at the grocery store usually tend to be a bit tough to me. Boiled shrimp is quick and easy.

Uncooked shrimp, devained but not peeled (you can add whatever amount as long as you have enough water and room in the pot).
Spices needed:
pepper
oregano
sage
marjoram
thyme
Herbes de Provence (optional)
coriander

Place spices to taste (add at least 1/2 tbsp of each when doing 1 lb shrimp) in a pot of water. Once water is boiling, add shrimp (they can be frozen). Remove shrimp, using a slotted spoon, as they float to the surface and are pink, which should take less than 5 minutes.

Can be adjusted for what

Fettucine Alfredo

2010-01-23T10:44:00.000-06:00

I love Fettucine Alfredo. It's a very simple dish, but is so tasty. It's great for a night when you don't have much time to cook.

1 lb fettuccine
1/3 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigano-Reggino
Grated nutmeg and black pepper to taste

Cook pasta al dente and drain. While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Melt butter then add cream.
Two options for adding the cheese:

Stirring constantly, add cheese and cook sauce for 1 minute. Season with nutmeg and pepper. Pour sauce over noodles.
According to Pioneer Woman, you can just put half the grated cheese in a large serving bowl/casserole dish, pour the butter & cream mixture over the cheese without stirring. Then you put the noodles on top immediately after draining. Toss to combine, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. (I'm going to try this next time I make it).

Crockpot Mustard Beef (or Chicken)

2010-01-23T10:16:00.001-06:00

This was a very yummy and simply beef recipe, and not surprisingly it's from A Year of Slow Cooking. Beef is so good in the crockpot since it stays tender. The only thing I might change is using more molasses and mustard for the sauce (1/2 cup of each instead of 1/3 cup). You can also use 4-6 chicken breasts instead of the beef and make it endo diet friendly.

3 lbs beef roast (use a cut labeled for pot roast)
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

This is another one where it's great to toss in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight. Dump everything in the plastic bag or crockpot. Flip the beef over a couple times in crockpot to make sure both side are evenly coated. Cook for 7 hours on low.

Serves 4-6

Crockpot Lamb with Mint

2010-01-23T10:03:00.000-06:00

Lamb with mint is a classic combination so I thought I'd try it in the crockpot. I made a mistake on this by add the mint at the beginning of the cooking time. It tasted fine, but it wasn't minty at all. Lamb in the crockpot is so much better since it's easy to keep it from drying out. I used a Sneaky Chef puree in this. I'll definitely try this again adding the mint at the end.

1 1/2-2 lbs lamb shank
1/4 cup Green Puree
1/2 cup white wine
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped in food processor

Place lamb in the crockpot. Add Green Puree and garlic. Pour in white wine. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Add mint 15 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

2010-01-23T09:50:00.001-06:00

This is another A Year of Slow Cooking recipe. This is very tasty and not spicy hot (since I didn't use the cayenne pepper), but very flavorful. She uses cardamom pods, but my store only had ground cardamom which worked fine. I used 4 chicken breasts and had the leftover sauce with some brown rice which was very good.

4-6 chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp mild curry
2 tsp garam masala (I found this in the Asian section at my local store label Chicken Masala...there are other slight variations)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
juice of 1/2 large lemon or 1 small
1 cup plain yogurt (to add at the end)

Put chicken in crockpot and add garlic, onion, and all the spices. Add the butter and tomato paste, and then the lemon juice and coconut milk. Cook on 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Add plain yogurt about 15 minutes before serving and stir in.

Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Cuban Pork

2010-01-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

This is a combination of Cuban Pork recipes, including this All Recipes one, modified for the crockpot. The citrus is a really tasty accompaniment to the pork. My husband like it on tortillas.

2-3 lb pork loin
at least 2 tsp cumin
at least 1 tsp oregano
4 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 orange
Ground pepper to taste

This is great if you put in all in a plastic bag overnight before putting in the crockpot. In the morning, cook for 8-10 hours. Serve with black beans with oregano and brown rice.

Serves 6-8

January 2010 Dinner

2010-01-14T18:44:00.001-06:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Crockpot Cuban Pork
Crockpot Chicken Makhani
Macaroni and Cheese
Crab with Butter and Shrimp with Guacamole
Crockpot Lamb with Mint
Crockpot Mustard Beef
Crockpot Moroccan Lentil Soup
Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Chicken Paprikash
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp

December Dinners

2009-12-27T00:11:00.000-06:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Red Beans and Rice (didn't go well, I'm going to try again in a few months and I'll post a recipe then)

Hamburgers
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Albondigas (Meatball) Soup (I made some errors in following the directions so either go to Crockpot 365 or Simply Recipes and do one of those recipes...I'll try again and post when I've done it right)

Crockpot Grape Chicken

Christmas Dinner: (we made all this food for three people, we're kind of crazy)
   Duck
   Sweet Potato Casserole
   Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
   Cornbread Stuffing with Apple and Sausage
   Broccoli Casserole
   Pumpkin Pie
   Apple Crumble with Homemade Ice Cream

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

2009-12-26T22:50:00.000-06:00

This is basically a Food Network recipe. I used different sausage and sprouted grain bread. It was good just a tiny bit dry. I'd add a bit more broth and an extra apple or two (I really like apple).

14 oz sausage ring, cut into 1/4 slices and cut those in half
1/2 cup butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced (you could use 3-4 apples if you like it as much as I do)
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp thyme
1 9x9 pan cornbread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 slices dried bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 1/2 cup chicken broth (you could add an extra couple splashes if it seems too dry)

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown sausage, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add butter to the pan, and melt over medium heat. Add celery, onions and apple and cook until softened. Season with about half of the sage and thyme. Place cornbread and bread cube in large casserole dish, pour vegetables and broth over top, add remaining spices and mix together. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serves 8-10

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2009-12-26T22:17:00.001-06:00

The roasted garlic adds a nice touch to mashed potatoes when you aren't having gravy. Leaving the potato skins on gives you more vitamins and makes the potato preparation much easier.

1 head garlic, bottom chopped off
1/2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 medium potatoes, scrubbed and quartered, but not peeled
1 stick butter
1/2 cup cream

Preheat oven to 350. Place garlic in a small oven safe dish and pour olive oil on top. Roast for 1 hours.

Put the quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain water and place potatoes back in the hot pot. Add butter and let melt. Peel and mash garlic and add to potatoes. Add cream and mash potatoes.

Serves 6-8

Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-12-26T22:04:00.001-06:00

This is the Allrecipe's Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic but modified so that your sweet potatoes are actually cooked through and will mash easily. This is a very sweet dish, so the sugar could be at least cut in half.

5 sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar (you could use brown sugar instead)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour works too)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark, your preference)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roast sweet potatoes 1 hour. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

Serves 8-10

Crockpot Grape Chicken

2009-12-26T11:00:00.003-06:00

This dinner was very simple and was very flavorful. It's the Simply Recipes Roast Chicken with grapes cooked in the crockpot. I used chicken breast instead of a whole chicken.

6-8 chicken breast halves
1 large lemon, sliced
2/3 bag of seedless grapes
1/2 onion, chopped into wedges
At least 1/2 tbsp each thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon
1 cup white wine
Enough olive oil to coat bottom of crockpot

Coat crockpot bottom with olive oil and place onions in crockpot. Add chicken and spices. Cut about 1/4 of the grapes in half and place over chicken. Pour wine over top. Cook on low 6-7 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Serves 6-8

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2009-12-23T12:56:00.000-06:00

This is Rachel Ray's Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli but without the chicken or cayenne pepper and with added purees from Sneaky Chef (the puree can be made before and frozen for later use). It's so much better than the boxed stuff and it's a quick recipe.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets (optional)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour works fine in rouxs!)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar (or any other cheese you like!)
1/4 cup Orange Puree
1/4 cup White Puree
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. Cook pasta according to package directions. If using broccoli, put in with pasta when there is 3 minutes remaining cooking time.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. Let the butter melt then add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender. Once onions are tender, add flour and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes. Add purees.

Add cheese to thickened sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard, and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Serves 4-6 servings

Crockpot Coconut Pork

2009-11-27T21:15:00.002-06:00

This was ok, but I thought that the spices need to be increased a bit, since I didn't use the red pepper flakes from the original . I add more curry, coriander, and cumin when I ate the leftovers. This is from A Year of Slow Cooking's Coconut Beef recipe. I change it from beef to pork and didn't add any brown sugar and some of the spices.

--1.5-2 lbs pork loin, sliced 1 inch thick rounds
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--1 can coconut milk
--1 juice from one lime
--2 cloves chopped garlic
--1 tsp curry powder
--1/2 tsp ground coriander
--1 tsp cumin
--1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

Put onion in the crockpot and add pork on top. Add spices and coconut milk. Cook for 8-10 hours on low or 6-8 hours on high.

Serves 6-8.

Crockpot Pork in Tomato Sauce

2009-11-27T11:01:00.001-06:00

We thought that this was a great different way to make pork. It's a very simple recipe.

1 pork loin, 2.5-3 lbs.

4 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup red wine

pepper

1 tbsp garlic

at least 1/2 tbsp each coriander, marjoram, thyme, sage

Place pork in crockpot. Rub with spices. Pour tomato sauce and wine over pork. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 6-7.

Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Indian Lamb Curry

2009-11-22T13:51:00.000-06:00

I modified and double the sauce for A Year of Slow Cooking's Indian Curry Recipe. It was great and I had curry without it being too hot. I don't go out for Indian food because it's too hot for me usually.

2 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 lbs of lamb shank
2 T tomato paste
4 T curry powder
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground cumin
2 inch peeled and grated ginger
1 yellow onion. chopped
3 or 4 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic
1/2 of an eggplant, chopped (doesn't need to be peeled)
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Mix all of your spices, coconut milk, and tomato paste in the bottom of your crockpot. Place the lamb in the crockpot. Pour in the garbanzo beans. Add the vegetables on top of the lamb.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6.

Serves 6-8

Swordfish in Herbed Butter Sauce

2009-11-09T21:30:00.001-06:00

We liked this and it added a bit of flavor to the swordfish without overpowering it. It's also very easy for the nights you don't have much time to cook.

4 swordfish steaks

1/2 cup butter, plus 4 pats

Salt

Pepper

Mint

Dill

Marjoram

Coriander

Oregano

Sage

1/2 small lime or lemon.

Preheat oven to 425. Coat baking pan with olive oil. Place at least 1/2 tsp of each spice on the steaks (I just use my hand to measure). Place a pat of butter on each steak. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. When there is less than 10 minute left on cooking the steaks, take a saucepan and melt the remaining butter. Add the same spices in at least the same amount as you placed on the steak. Add lime or lemon. Remove from heat. Serve the sauce over the steaks.

Serves 4

Crockpot Pomegranate Beef

2009-11-09T20:05:00.002-06:00

I made this for a dinner party and everyone really liked it. The cranberries and pomegranate make it very fall appropriate. It's a tart instead of sweet version of fruit and meat, which I'm a big fan of.

I'm linking to the recipe on Gluten-free Goddess. My only changes were doubling the recipe, using a much cheaper, pot roast type cut of meat like chuck roast, and cooking for 10 hours on low since I didn't cut the meat into serving pieces or brown it. If I made it again, I'd probably half the amount of balsamic vinegar used.

Crockpot Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

2009-11-09T19:43:00.001-06:00

This was pretty good, but I didn't like how all the cheese fell off my chicken pieces so if anyone figures out a way to make them stay that would be wonderful. My husband isn't a big sweet potato fan, so I'd probably do half sweet and half regular baked potatoes when I make this again.

I'm just going to link to the A Year of Slow Cooking post where I got the recipe.

My change:

I used pecan as the nuts in the pesto since I have a pecan tree and a ton of nuts.

Salmon Stuffed and Smothered in Cream Cheese and Spinach

2009-11-05T19:22:00.001-06:00

My husband asked if I can make fish this way all the time. I'd say it was a hit, plus it's really simple to make.

2 lbs salmon

1 package cream cheese

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup spinach, packed tightly

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place cream cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, and spinach in food processor and blend until smooth. Spread baking dish with olive oil or other oil. Cut pocket(s) into salmon, and stuff cream cheese mixture into pockets. Smother remaining mixture on top of salmon. Bake 20-30 minutes or until salmon flakes when you twist a fork in it.

Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Cherry Chicken

2009-11-02T15:07:00.003-06:00

I'm significantly adapting Rachael Ray's Tangy Cherry Chicken for crockpot and our preferences. It's good and not really sweet since the cherries are unsweetened.

6 chicken breast halves

3-4 scallions, chopped

1 1/2 cups wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)

2 tbsp thyme

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ginger

salt and pepper

Place onions at bottom of crockpot. Rub chicken with spices and place in crockpot. Pour cherries, wine and broth on top. Cook for 6-7 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.

Serves 6

Crockpot Harvest Stew

2009-10-30T13:05:00.002-05:00

This recipe is from a great slow cooker blog, A Year of Slow Cooking. I love her recipes and I've made quite a few. I just going to link to the recipe and comment.

D and I both really liked this stew. The only changes I made were not adding the beans since my Crockpot is only 5 quarts and using turkey tenderloins (same amount of meat). It was in the fridge before hand so I cooked it on high for 7 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Spaghetti Sauce

2009-10-30T12:07:00.002-05:00

I use this spaghetti sauce recipe for spaghetti and lasagna. This recipe is based on what my parents make. It can be made either as a meat sauce or plain tomato (which I use for spaghetti and meatballs). The plain sauce or with turkey is endo diet friendly.

4 cups homemade tomato sauce or 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce and 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 cup wine (I use white wine)

1/2 to 1 whole onion (depending on how onion-y you like your sauce), diced

5-6 cloves of garlic, diced

basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram (I don't actually measure it but you probably need at least 1/2 tbsp-1 tbsp dried of each)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil (if you are not making meat sauce)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey (for meat sauce)

Heat a large pan over medium heat. If you are making meat sauce, add the ground beef or turkey and brown throughly. For plain sauce, add the olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 6 minutes or until onions are tender. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (if using), tomato paste, wine (you can just pour it in the empty tomato paste can to measure) and spices. Let bubble then reduce heat. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Taste about 20 minutes into simmering for spices and add more as necessary. Use for spaghetti or lasagna.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Lasagna

2009-10-24T17:16:00.001-05:00

I make my lasagna without ricotta cheese because that's how my parents made it.

Spaghetti Sauce (I use meat sauce for this)

2 cups shredded Italian 5-cheese blend

2 cups shredded Mozzerella

1 package of lasagna noddles

Optional: 1 zucchini, sliced into circles

Boil the lasagna noodles as directed on package, if necessary. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan or casserole dish (depending on the size of your dish this recipe makes 1 9x13 pan or 2 smaller pans). Alternate layers of noodles, sauce, (zucchini) and cheese. Top with the remaining cheese. You can refrigerate for a day before cooking if necessary. Bake 350 for 30 minutes uncovered plus an additional 15 minutes covered (30 minutes if previously refrigerated).

Makes 6-8 servings

November Dinner Plans

2009-10-24T17:12:00.000-05:00

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Crockpot Pesto Chicken and Baked Sweet Potatoes

Salmon Stuffed and Smothered with Cream Cheese and Spinach

Crockpot Pomegranate Beef (for a dinner party)

Swordfish with Herbed Butter Sauce

Crockpot Coconut Pork

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs

Crockpot Indian Lamb Curry

Crockpot Cherry Chicken

Repeat: Salmon Stuffed and Smothered with Cream Cheese and Spinach

Buffalo Burgers (just hamburger made with buffalo meat that I found at the grocery store)

Crockpot Pork in Tomato Sauce

Thanksgiving Side that we brought to our friend's dinner:

Green Bean or Broccoli Casserole

Crockpot Apple Pork

2009-10-24T12:57:00.002-05:00

I made this for my birthday. I love apple, mainly Granny Smith. This is basically just a recipe that I made up on my own.

1 onion, chopped

1 pork loin about 2.5 lbs

4 apples, cored and sliced into rings

1/2 cup apple juice

ginger, nutmeg salt and pepper

Put onion in crockpot. Rub pork with spices and place in crockpot on top of onions. Put apple slices in crockpot on top of pork and pour over the apple juice. Cook on low for 9-10 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Beef Stroganoff

2009-10-24T12:43:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe from Simply Recipes. The hardest part is getting the beef cut into strips. I modified it by cooking the mushrooms separately for my husband since I don't like them. We really liked it but it only made 2 servings.

6 Tbsp butter

1 pound of top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch long strips

1/3 cup chopped shallots (can substitute onions)

1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of dry tarragon or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

1 cup of sour cream at room temperature

Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Increase the heat to high/med-high and add the strips of beef. You want to cook the beef quickly, browning on each side, so the temp needs to be high enough to brown the beef, but not so high as to burn the butter. You may need to work in batches. While cooking the beef, sprinkle with some salt and pepper. When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for a minute or two, allowing them to soak up any meat drippings. Remove the shallots to the same bowl as the meat and set aside.

In the same pan, melt another 3 Tbsp of butter. Increase heat to medium high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.

Remove mushrooms and reduce heat to low. Add the sour cream and stir in the beef and shallots, and mix throughly. Don't let the mixture simmer or boil or the sour cream will curdle

Serve over egg noodles (I used whole wheat).

Make 2 servings.

Pumpkin Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

2009-10-08T10:41:00.001-05:00

This is a Rachel Ray recipe except I use meatball instead of sausage.

Here's the meatball recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

6-8 fresh sage leaves, shredded, or 1/2 tbsp sage

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie mix)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb pasta of your choice

Make meatballs and start baking in oven. Start sauce and pasta water while meatballs are cooking.

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Put meatballs in sauce, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute.

Makes about 4-6 servings.

Meatballs

2009-10-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

I use this recipe for any meatballs I make. Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker. Just like in my meatloaf, I use oatmeal as the binder instead of bread crumbs.

1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey

3/4 cup oatmeal

3/8 cup milk

1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce (you can just do this by sight if you like)

1 small onion

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients and shape into meatballs. Place in 9x13 pan, making sure to leave room between the meatballs. Cook 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Makes about 12 meatballs.

Upcoming October Dinners

2009-10-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

What I'm Planning to Make for the Rest of the Month:

Turkey Meatballs in Pumpkin Sauce

Crockpot Apple Pork (for my birthday dinner)

Beef Stroganoff

Vegetable Lasagna

White Fish in Peach Sauce

Crockpot Harvest Stew

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Crockpot Ropa Vieja

2009-10-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

This was very good. It's a make-again. I love beef in the crockpot since it's always tender and flavorful. I combined a bunch of recipes I found to make one that suited us.

2 lbs beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 apple cider vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

Rub beef with spices. Place in crockpot and place onion on top. Pour tomato sauce, broth, and vinegar. Cook on low for at least 10 hours or on high for at least 7 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Way more than anyone ever wanted to know about what I eat

2009-09-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

Since my last recipe post, I have changed quite a bit about what I eat. I'm following the guidelines from Marilyn Shannon's Fertility, Cycles and Nutirition. I eat at least: 3 servings of whole grains, 3 servings dairy/eggs, 1 serving complete protein, 1 serving yellow fruits/vegetables, 3 serving leafy greens, 1 serving vitamin C source, and 1 serving unsaturated fat. I have also significantly reduced the amount of sugar/white flour I eat.

I plan out dinners for the week and go grocery shopping on Saturday. I'll be starting to post the meal plan for the week. We have leftovers at least one meal after every time I cook, so I'm planning 3-4 meals a week.

Breakfast: I work early in the morning and my husband is the breakfast cooker so I don't eat a hot breakfast in the morning. I have a smoothie and dry whole grain cereal (I like Food for Life's Ezekiel 4:9 cereal, there's no added sugar and it's available in my local grocery store in my moderately sized city) almost daily. I make a couple batches of the smoothie at a time and freeze them. I use yogurt (I've started making homemade in my crockpot), avocado (as a base since I don't like bananas), berries (I change up the berries), spinach (to get in those leafy greens), flax oil (for the omega-3s) and often a peach/nectarine for a bit of sweetness.

Lunch: Most days, I don't eat leftovers for lunch (since we have them for dinner) so I bring lunch components to work (I work at a house so I have access to a full kitchen). Lunch has probably been the hardest meal for me to plan for. One of the things I often eat is cheese sandwiches. I use the Food for Life bread, what ever cheese I want that week, tomato, and spinach (leafy greens). I recently found Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less by Mark Bittman. It has some very simple ideas for meals that I find perfect for lunch (some I save for weekends). My focus for lunch is eating a leafy green and usually a serving of dairy.

Snack: I keep whole carrots, raw pumpkin seed, almonds, and other healthy snack around for if I get hungry.

Dinner: I'll be posting my weekly dinner plans and recipes coming soon.

Pina Coloda Chicken

2009-01-18T16:19:00.001-06:00

(this recipe is also good with shrimp or fish)

2 tbsp garlic

1/4 onion, finely chopped or grated

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp ginger

2 breast chicken, sliced into strips

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 cup pineapple juice

4 slices pineapple

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp basil

Pepper to taste

Heat skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add chicken and ginger. Brown chicken. Add coconut milk, pineapple juice, pineapple, lime juice, basil, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Cheesy and Creamy Green Bean (or Broccoli) Casserole

2009-01-17T12:34:00.001-06:00

This is my favorite holiday vegetable casserole and I make or have my parents make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

1 lb. green beans or broccoli (broccoli needs to be chopped)

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. flour (whole wheat flour works)

2 cups milk/half & half/heavy cream

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 325.

Steam green beans for 5 minutes, then place in cool water. If using broccoli, steam for 7 minutes or until fork tender.

For sauce, melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly, remove from heat.

Gradually stir in milk/half & half/cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Place green beans/broccoli in shallow casserole dish and pour sauce over top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Meatloaf

2009-01-17T12:24:00.000-06:00

I combined a couple different meatloaf recipes, and came out with one I like. The oatmeal is healthier than the more commonly used breadcrumbs. We have this about once a month.

1 1/2 lb ground turkey (or beef or pork)

2/3 cup milk

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 cup oatmeal

2 eggs

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix loaf ingredients and place in loaf pan. Mix sauce ingredients in small bowl and pour half over top of loaf. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165 F.

Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

Broccoli Ground Beef Casserole

2008-12-02T21:09:00.002-06:00

It's fine, but I haven't made it again.

1 lb ground beef

1 head broccoli

1/2 onion

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

1 tbsp dijon mustard

paprika and pepper to taste

cheese to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam broccoli for 5 minutes. Brown ground beef. Put ground beef and broccoli in casserole dish.

Heat saucepan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and heat with butter until it melts. Add onions and cook 5 minutes. Raise heat a bit and stir in flour and paprika. Stir until roux bubbles up, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in milk and heat until boiling. Drop to simmer, and cook until sauce thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in mustard and pepper. Pour over broccoli and ground beef, and mix. Top with cheese and cook 25-30 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.