Easy Rigatoni RECIPE

Here is a tasty recipe in the Prevention Magazine's "eat up slim down" cookbook by Jane Kirby, RD and David Joachim:

Easy Rigatoni

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
8 oz rigatoni
2 Tbsp (1/2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Warm oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until tender. Add tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain. Toss with sauce. Serve with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 427 calories, 16 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 938 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

Diet Exchanges: 0 milk, 4 vegetable, 0 fruit, 3 bread, 0 meat, 2 fat


Sometimes I add 1 lb browned ground beef to the sauce (so then nutritional information is incorrect).

Mini Meatloaf RECIPE

I tried this new recipe a couple of weeks ago and it was yummy and had options.

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1 c. water
seasoning (from list below)
add-in (from list below)
cheese (from list below)

Italian:
seasoning - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
add-in - 3/4 c. spaghetti sauce
cheese - 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Fiesta:
seasoning - 2 tsp chili powder
add-in - 3/4 c. salsa
cheese - 3/4 c. shredded Mexican style cheese

Mediterranean:
seasoning - 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
add-in - 3/4 c. chopped roasted red peppers
cheese - 3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

BBQ:
seasoning - 1 tsp garlic powder
add-in - 3/4 c. barbeque sauce
cheese - 3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix meat, stuffing, water and seasoning of your choice until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.

Make an indentation in the center of each with the back of a spoon and put add-in of your choice evenly into indendations.

Bake 30 minutes or until meatloaves are cooked through (160 degrees). Top evenly with cheese of your choice and continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 2 meatloaves each.

Tex-Mex Chicken RECIPE

I tried this new recipe today and it was tasty.

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 Tbsp (1/2 of 1 1/4 oz pkg) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 Tbsp flour
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 c. Kraft Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
green onions, sliced (optional)
cilantro, chopped (optional)
hot cooked rice

Toss chicken with seasoning mix and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the cheese; cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or on HIGH for 3-4 hours). Stir just before serving. Top with cheese, green onions and cilantro and serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each.

Baked Potstickers RECIPE

This is an awesome recipe I got from Pampered Chef:

Baked Potstickers with Sweet Asian Dipping Sauce

Potstickers:
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1/2 c thinly sliced green onions with tops
1/4 c grated carrot
1 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh gingerroot
1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
24 square wonton wrappers (found in cold produce section of grocery store)
Pantry Basil Oil (this is a Pampered Chef blend...regular vegetable oil would work too)

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 c red jalapeno jelly (I couldn't find this at Wal-Mart, but I did find it at grocery stores such as Albertson's)
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

Preheat oven to 425F. For potstickers, combine 1st 9 ingredients in a bowl. To assemble potstickers, place 12 wonton wrappers on pizza stone (baking sheet should work too...not sure if they will stick to the pan though so could use parchment paper to be sure) and lightly brush edges of each wonton with water using a pastry brush (or just your finger). Using a small spoon, place filling onto center of each wonton. Shape and seal wontons as desired (see options below). Lightly spray potstickers with oil. Repeat process with remaining wontons. Bake 12-15 mintues or until edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, for dipping sauce, place jelly in bowl and microwave on high 30-40 seconds or until warm. Add vinegar and soy sauce and whisk until blended.

Serve potstickers with dipping sauce. Great as a party appetizer! Yields 24 potstickers.

WONTONS: Wonton wrappers are 3-inch square sheets of dough similar to pasta dough. They are used to make a variety of Asian-style dumplings, which are typically boiled, pan fried or deep fried. They can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets.

SHAPES TO FOLD WONTONS INTO:

Envelope: Brush all four edges of wonton with water. Fold one point over filling and overlap with the opposite point. Repeat with remaining two points.

Candy Wrapper: Brush only top edge of wonton with water. Beginning at bottom edge, roll wrapper to form a cylinder shape. Pinch to seal, leaving ends flared.

Pyramid: Brush all four edges of wonton with water. Fold up two opposite points toward the center and pinch to seal only at top. Fold up remaining two points toward center and pinch all seams to form pyramid shape.

Ruffle: Do not brush wonton with water. Fold edges up in a ruffled pattern, forming against filling and standing straight up. Do not pinch at top.

Chicken Burrito RECIPE

Here is a quick and delicious recipe:

Chicken Burrito Bundles

2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 (1 1/4 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
6 (8") flour tortillas
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded Cheddar cheese
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 sm onion, diced
salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cooked chicken and seasoning mix in a large heavy-duty ziplock bag; seal and shake to coat. Spread beans down center of tortillas. Top with chicken, cheese, tomatoes and onion; roll up tortillas. Wrap each in aluminum foil and place on large cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Serve with salsa. Serves 6.

You can easily tweak this recipe. I made this last night but I didn't have any tomatoes so I just used a 10 oz can of Rotel. Get creative! Let me know what variations you try.

Favorite Smoothie RECIPE

Yes, I'm still making and loving smoothies! Here is my current favorite oh-so-creamy concoction:

Strawberry-Pineapple-Banana Smoothie

About 10 frozen whole strawberries
6 oz pineapple juice (I found Dole 100% Pineapple Juice in 6 oz cans)
6 oz banana creme pie yogurt (I like Yoplait Light Fat-Free "Banana Creme Pie" Yogurt)
1 banana

Throw everything in a blender and blend until the strawberries are crushed (it only takes 5-10 seconds on the Ice Crush setting on my blender).

Makes approximately 20 oz.

Smoothie RECIPE

I'm on a smoothie kick right now. I've had one almost every day for a week now. Here is my current homemade concoction:

Pineapple-Banana Smoothie

6 oz pineapple juice (I found Dole 100% Pineapple Juice in 6 oz cans)
6 oz vanilla yogurt (I like Yoplait Light Fat-Free "Very Vanilla" Yogurt)
1 banana
4 ice cubes (I use cubes from those typical sized ice trays)

Throw everything in a blender and blend until the ice is crushed (it only takes about 10 seconds on the Ice Crush setting on my blender).

Makes approximately 20 oz and is approximately 300 calories.

Or, to make 2 servings I like to make it a....

Pineapple-Orange-Banana Smoothie

6 oz pineapple juice
6 oz orange juice
12 oz vanilla yogurt
2 bananas
8 ice cubes

Mmmmmm!

Stir-Fry Chicken & Peppers RECIPE

This is an excellent recipe I found online recently. The lemon peel really adds flavor and the rice is so much better than just plain rice!

Stir-Fried Lemon Chicken

2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground ginger, divided
4 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp chicken broth or sherry
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
6 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 c. uncooked long grain rice
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 md red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 md green pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 green onions, sliced

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 tsp ginger. Stir in soy sauce, broth or sherry and lemon juice until smooth. Add chicken and lemon peel; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add rice; cook & stir for 5 minutes or until rice begins to brown. Add broth, salt, pepper and 1/8 tsp ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry peppers in 2 Tbsp oil until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet and keep warm. In the same pan, cook chicken mixture in remaining oil until chicken juices run clear. Stir in peppers and onions. Serve with rice.

Shipwreck Casserole RECIPE

I tried a new recipe today and it was yummy. It's a messy casserole (and maybe looks unappetizing) but it was easy to make and has good flavor (and a great name). There are many possible variations to this recipe that I'd like to try (use your imagination!).

Shipwreck Casserole

1 lb ground beef
2 md potatoes, sliced
1 sm onion, sliced
1 (15 oz) can pork & beans
1 (14.75 oz) can creamed corn
1 (10.75 oz) can tomato soup
salt, pepper & other seasonings (seasoned salt, oregano, etc) to taste
1-2 c. grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef and crumble; drain off grease and season with salt & pepper. Spray a 3-qt baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange sliced potatoes in dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper & desired seasonings. Put a layer of onions, then beef, then creamed corn and then pork & beans; repeat. Spoon tomato soup over top and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Add cheese and bake for a few minutes more until cheese is melted.

Sweet & Sour Meatball RECIPE

This is one of my favorite meals!

Waikiki Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2/3 c. cracker crumbs (16 saltines)
1/3 c. minced onion
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp shortening
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)
1 can (13.5 oz) pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained (reserve syrup)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 c. chopped green pepper

Mix thoroughly beef, crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk. Shape mixture into balls. Melt shortening in large skillet; brown and cook meatballs. Remove meatballs and keep warm. Pour fat from skillet.

Mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, water, vinegar and soy sauce until smooth. Pour into skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils (about 10-15 minutes). Boil and stir 1 minute.

Add meatballs, pineapple and green pepper; heat through. Serve over rice.

Serves 4-6

Vegetable Dish RECIPE

Here is my current favorite veggie dish recipe...mmm, so delicious!

Colorful Oven Vegetables

1/3 c. butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 c. cauliflowerets
2 c. broccoli florets
6 md carrots (or 2 c baby carrots), julienned
3 sm onions, quartered

Place butter in a shallow 3-qt baking dish; place in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes or until melted. Stir in thyme, salt & pepper. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender.

*I like to add 1/2 tsp rosemary as well and I sometimes use carrot chunks/slices rather than julienned pieces so then I bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 10-12