Alfredo Sauce

I was looking for some Alfredo sauce that I could make because the store-bought stuff has garlic, and Kate doesn't do so well with it. I found this recipe that I kind of adapted a little. We had it for dinner last night with some fettuccine and parsley, and it was so good! Ashley absolutely loved it...of course, she's my pasta lovin' child, so that isn't too surprising. And, because it uses evaporated milk rather than heavy whipping cream, it is better for you than the average Alfredo Sauce.

1 stick butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Heat butter and evaporated milk in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low, simmer 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

I made this yesterday and it was SO yummy!

2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice (I just added some cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries (I used dried)

Mix together, put in loaf pan(s), and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Seriously Easy - Don't know what to call it - Chicken with corn and black beans?

I didn't know what to make for dinner last night, so I just got out some stuff that I had and went with the flow . . . 

Saute chopped onion in little olive oil

add diced chicken breast

season with some grilling seasoning salt, or favorite seasoning, to taste

add frozen corn kernels, about 2 cups

add can of black beans, drained

heat all through - I usually add water to the sauteing process instead of oil

add little mozzarella cheese (or whatever you have on hand) to make it all come together

Serve in soft taco size tortillas, or just plain. 

I seriously was so good!  So easy.  What should we call it?  

Mexican Turkey Burgers

I came across another recipe for turkey burgers that is SO yummy! It has a Mexican flavor to it. Here it is:

THE BURGER
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed coriander
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 TBS parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Shape in the form of burgers and grill.

TOPPING
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
cilantro to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Grill the burger, add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you want) on top so it melts. Place the burger on a bun, put the topping on the burger, put the top of the bun on the burger, and viola - you have a tasty burger.

Tri-Tip Roast with Vegetables and Potatoes

This is what we had for dinner tonight . . . which was perfect to come home to at 4:30 on a Fast Sunday!

Servings 4-6 (depending on size of roast and how much you eat)

1 tri tip roast 
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ Cup Water
1 Tbsp Beef Bouillon
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped

In a small bowl combine 1/8 cup of olive oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder. Rub all over tri tip.
Put tri tip FAT SIDE UP in the crock pot and add ½ cup of water and 1 Tbsp of beef bouillon. (Better than Bullion paste works wonderfully)
Cover tri tip with carrots, onion, celery and potatoes.
Put lid on crock pot and set on high. Let cook 4-6 hours (depending on crock pot and size of roast).   Tri tip will fall apart like a pot roast when done.  You should be able to shred it with a fork.

Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
.
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
PREPARATION:
Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.Serves 6 to 8.

Delicious!!!

SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES

I LOVE this salad! It is a great summer salad!

1 lb. spinach, fresh
1 pt. strawberries, fresh, hulled and halved

SALAD DRESSING:

1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. onion, minced
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar
Feta Cheese

Remove stems from spinach; wash leaves thoroughly and pat dry. Tear into bite-size pieces. Combine spinach and strawberries in a large salad bowl; gently toss with salad dressing. Sprinkle a little feta cheese if you like it! It adds a plus to the taste! Serve immediately.

Ice Cream Casserole

2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup coconut
1 cup almonds (slivered or chopped)
1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ gallon Vanilla Ice Cream, softened (let it sit out while you make the mixture)

Melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the ice cream, and mix. Pour half of mixture into a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ice cream evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining mixture on top of ice cream. Freeze.

Can be cut into squares and served with chocolate syrup, or raspberry sauce.

Tip: To make it super simple, you can just serve ice cream with the mixture sprinkled on top.

Cabbage Rolls

12 cabbage leaves [cover cabbage leaves with boiling water and let stand about 10 minutes or until leaves are limp, remove, drain, peal]

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
½ cub uncooked instant rice [or 1 cup cooked regular rice]
½ cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 medium onion, chopped [about ½ cup]
1 can [4 oz] mushroom stems & pieces undrained [if you like]
[I sometimes throw in cracker crumbs or oatmeal to give better consistency]
Mix above, about 1/3 cup in ball & place at stem end of leaf, roll & tuck in leaf.
Place cabbage rolls seam sides down in baking dish or crock pot.

½ bottle small tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tb cornstarch
1 tb water
Mix sauce and pour over cabbage rolls, cover, bake 45 minutes or until meat mixture is done.
OR YOU CAN PUT THIS IN YOUR CROCKPOT and let it simmer on low all day, with a
delicious meal when you get home…my favorite way of doing it.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup butter
3+ cups confectioners sugar
melting chocolate

Method:
Mix together the graham crackers, butter and peanut butter. Slowly add in the sugar until the mixture is no longer sticky to the touch. Shape into desired size balls.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Dip peanut butter balls into warm melted chocolate. Decorate as desired.

Crispy Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Our new family favorite!

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal or rice krispies
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cups flaked coconut
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Add the oatmeal, cereal and coconut and mix until combined.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, or use cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (I prefer to use). Flatten dough (I just use the palm of my hand). Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be light brown at the edges and on the bottom. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

While cookies are baking, melt high quality dark chocolate. When cookies are cooled, dip half of cookie in melted chocolate. Let harden. Great to bring to a party when you want a "fancy" cookie.

Brownie Cookies

Brownie Cookies
(Original recipe and picture by Lindsey Johnson)

14 Tbsp. butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for several minutes on 50% power until melted. Whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk well until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly. Add egg and egg yolk, whisking well again. Add the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and whisk well between additions. (You may need to switch to a wooden spoon towards the end. Add the chocolate chips

Use a small ice cream scoop (1 Tbsp. size) or two spoons to drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 8-9 minutes. (Check a little before just to make sure...) The cookies will look dry on top, but will be soft in the middle.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack to let the chocolate chips set before storing.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Lemon Crusted Chicken

This is our favorite chicken recipe. Ashley even loves it!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Dipping mixture:
2 egg whites
2 tsp cornstarch
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Crusting mixture:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
zest from 1 lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice chicken into 1/2 lengthwise. Blend eggs, cornstarch and lemon juice. Set aside. Combine crumb mixture. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture (both sides). Saute chicken in oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until golden and crisp. Carefully turn chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until done (about 8 more minutes). I have also carefully transferred the chicken from the skillet to an oven-safe pan, and it works pretty well. Just be careful to not remove the crust.

Butternut Squash Pasta

I took this recipe from "First Meals", a book Lisa recommended to try to entice Ashley to eat solids. I adapted it a little so that Ben and I would eat it, too. We were pleasantly surprised at how good it was:

3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
pasta, whatever kind you like
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage (I used the ground sage spice)
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Put the squash in a steamer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Blend to a puree with 4-5 tbsp watter from the bottom of the steamer. Cook the pasta, according to the directions on the box. Melt the butter in a pan, add the sage and cook gently for 1 minute. Mix the sage, butter and Parmesan cheese with the squash and pasta. Also, we recommend adding a little salt to taste.

Margerita Pizza

Okay, here's my fast version. Trader Joe's pizza crust. If I'm in the mood, I'll do homemade crust, but when am I ever in the mood? TJs works for me. Toppings for Margerita: Olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, fresh chopped basil. I also like to add some parmesan cheese around the edge of the crust.

Chicken Soft Tacos and Healthy Refried Beans

From Robert Ferguson's DietFREELife Clinic (Marrianne's trainer/nutritionist)
Chicken Taco Ingredients:

• 2 precooked skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp grape seed oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into long strips
• 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into long strips
• ½ large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 8 (6-inch) low carb tortilla's (La Tortilla Factory)
• Salsa of choice
• Healthy refried beans - see recipe below

Method:

Place chicken chunks in a small bowl, cover with chicken broth, and then set aside in the fridge. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté bell peppers and onions until the onions are clear. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth mixture, stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the broth evaporates. Add cumin and stir well. Cover and simmer until the tortillas are ready. Heat tortillas on a hot frying pan one at a time for 15 seconds per side. Or you can heat all of them in the over or the microwave. Fill each taco with the chicken mixture, top with salsa, and serve with ½ cup healthy refried beans.

Serves: 4 (2 tacos per person)

Approximate nutritional values per taco: 135 calories (15 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fat, 10 grams of fiber).

Healthy Refried Beans Ingredients:

• 2 tsp grape seed oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15 oz) cans reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup canned unsalted whole or chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne peppers
• 1/8 tsp salt

Method:

In a large nonstick pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and cook until carrots are soft and onions are clear. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Use a potato masher to mash everything together, being careful not to scratch the nonstick pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until heated throughout. Great side dish!

Serves: 6 (serving size is ½ cup)

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 130 calories (7 grams of protein, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 1.5 grams of fat, 9 grams of fiber).

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 box of spice cake mix

1 bag of chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate but whatever floats your boat)

Preheat oven to 400. Mix pumpkin, cake mix ( just the powder--you DO NOT prepare the cake mix) and chocolate chips together. Place spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and cook 10-15 minutes depending on your oven and cookie sheet. ENJOY!

They also make great mini muffins.

Conference Muffins

2 cups boiling water
4 cups bran cereal (All Bran or Bran Buds)
1 pound pitted and chopped dates (ick) OR 2 cups raisins
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
5 tsp baking soda
1 cup crisco
2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups bran flakes
1/3 cup molasses

You'll need a huge bowl for this one. Makes 6 dozen muffins! But trust me, if you share with neighbors or family, they'll be gone!
Pour boiling water over bran cereal and raisins. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs, hot bran mixture, dry ingredients, molasses and buttermilk. Add the 2 cups of bran flakes cereal. Mix just enough to combine. Baked in greased and floured muffin tins or line with cupcake liners at 400 degrees for 15-20 mintues. Batter can be stored in a covered container in a fridge for up to 6 weeks! Bake any amount as desired!

Orange Julius

1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
15-20 ice cubes
Blend together and serve. Serves 4.

Café Rio

Café Rio Pork
3 lb. pork roast
16 oz. salsa
1 can of Coca Cola
2 cups brown sugar
water

Fill your crock pot with just the roast, and fill it half way with just the water.
Cook on high for 5 hours.
Take the pork out after the 5 hours, and drain the liquid.
Cut the roast into 3 or 4 sections and place back into the crock pot.
Puree the salsa in the blender and transfer to a bowl.
Add the Coke and brown sugar and mix.
Pour over the roast and cook on high for 3 more hours.
Shred with a fork.

An additional recommendation:

I also added ½ pack of fajita seasoning, 1 can green chilies, and about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning during the last hour of cooking. Also, when it was done cooking, I drained out all the liquid and reduced it in a saucepan so it was thicker. With my additions, it tasted AMAZING!

Also, here's the recipe for the dressing, rice, chicken, and homemade tortillas:

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
or if you don't have time to make this, I have also used ElTorrito's "green dressing".

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatillos - peel off paper, chop
1/3 - 1/2 cups buttermilk, to consistency you want
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Put in blender and mix.

Homemade tortillas
3 C. flour
1/2 C. veggie or olive oil
1 1/8 C. lukewarm water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients and knead. If too hard to knead, add a little water but if too sticky add a little more flour. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Makes about 12 small balls. Flatten each by rolling them out and then cook them in a frying pan.**I usually have 2 frying pans going at once so they all get cooked faster

This is the yummiest rice!

Café Rio Rice
3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice (see note)

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

For Dad or who every can't eat pork!
Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

I shred up lettuce and heat black beans to add to the meal. Dan likes to eat it as a burrito. I eat it as a salad with everything stack on top of each other. Yummo!