1-2 red peppers cut into four 1/2 to 1 inch slices
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Heat a large non-stick skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook peppers on one side for two minutes. Flip peppers over and add 1 egg to each ring. Cook over medium heat until desired egg consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper. You can always flip these if you like your eggs over easy.
My Mom is going to die when she sees that I posted this recipe. I used to *HATE* meatloaf - especially leftover in sandwich form. I could never understand how this was one of my Mom's favorite meals. I don't remember when it began (Mom, feel free to fill me in), but suddenly I loved meatloaf sandwiches. Here's her recipe.
Meatloaf
1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup crushed Saltines
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 egg
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
4 teaspoons brown sugar
Mix ground beef, onion, Saltines, Worcestershire, egg, and ground pepper with your hands. Place into a glass meatloaf pan and press down. Cook for 1 hour on 350 degrees. About half way through the cooking time, remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain fat.
In a small bowl, mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar together. When the meatloaf is done cooking, remove from the oven and drain of fat a second time. Spread the sauce on top right away.
Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for meatloaf sandwiches. Any bread is fine for the sandwich but thick Country White or Potato Bread works best. We love our meatloaf sandwich with Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.
Last year I was at a restaurant that served its meatloaf sandwiches grilled. To do this, make a meatloaf sandwich and then spread some butter on both sides of the sandwich. Grill in a pan on the stove as you would a grilled cheese sandwich. This works best if the meatloaf is already warmed.
I was really in the mood for something rich, but moderately healthy. I found Cooking Light's recipe for this macaroni and cheese with Gorgonzola! I made it with whole wheat shell pasta and paired it with plenty of broccoli.
Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt; stir until cheeses melt. Discard bay leaf.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes or until almost tender, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to cheese mixture, stirring well. Place pasta in a glass baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Spray lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle with black pepper.
I absolutely love reading Kalyn's blog! She has so many great healthy recipes for practically everything. The pictures are amazing and the food tastes even better. If you haven't already checked out her blog, I strongly suggest that you follow it! This recipe is taken directly from her blog.
Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Cucumbers, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
1 cup quinoa (rinsed well with cold water)
2 cups water
2 avocados, peeled and diced in 3/4 inch pieces
1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (for tossing avocado)
1 cup chopped radishes (diced in 1/2 inch pieces)
1 large cucumber (peeled with thin green stripes remaining, seeds scraped out, and diced in 1/2 inch pieces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
Dressing:
3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use other all purpose seasoning blend of your choice)
1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or use 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Put 1 cup quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer (or put a paper towel inside your strainer if it's not fine enough to catch the quinoa seeds.) Rinse quinoa well with cold water. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small saucepan, stir in quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, because it may take more or less than 15 minutes, depending on exactly how high you have the heat. You can also cook the quinoa in a rice cooker if you prefer.)
Let the cooked quinoa cool for a few minutes, then place in salad bowl, fluff with a fork and cool until quinoa is room temperature, about 15-30 minutes.
While quinoa cooks and cools, peel avocado, dice into 3/4 inch pieces, place in small bowl, and toss with 1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice. Peel cucumbers, leaving thin green stripes, scrape out seeds, and dice cucumbers into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut off root and stem end of radishes, wash if needed, and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Thinly slice enough green onions to make 1/4 cup.
In a small bowl, stir together the 3 T lime juice, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal, then whisk in the olive oil.
When quinoa has cooled to room temperature in the salad bowl, stir in the diced radishes, diced cucumbers, and thinly-sliced green onions. (Don't add avocado until the end.) Stir in enough dressing to moisten salad to your liking (you may not need all the dressing.) Gently stir in diced avocado, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve immediately.
This was okay when I kept it in the fridge overnight, but I don't think it would keep for longer than a day, and it was better freshly made.
I was craving some Indian food packed with veggies and I came across Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods Tikka Masala Curry Sauce. The sauce was low in calories and fat yet looked incredibly rich. I used the sauce packet to create a healthier version of the recipe on the back.
Chicken Tikka Masala
2 packets Sukhi's Tikka Masala Curry Sauce
1 lb skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 cups water
Head of cauliflower
Bag of frozen peas
Boil a large pot of water. Chop cauliflower into bite size pieces. Cook cauliflower in water (roughly 8 or 9 minutes). In large skillet or pan, add chicken, curry sauce packets, and water. When chicken is cooked, add peas and milk. Bring to a boil. Add cooked cauliflower and mix. Serve over rice.
Using a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid, bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Stir in quinoa, turn off heat, put the lid on the pan and let it sit for five minutes without lifting the lid.
While it cooks, thinly slice the green onions and measure 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.
After 5 minutes, remove lid and stir. Let cool for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in green onions and grated Parmesan. Season to taste with freshly-ground black pepper and serve hot.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a Ziplock combine chicken breast tenders with egg yolks, 2 teaspoons basil and 2 teaspoons garlic powder. Let chicken marinate for an hour.
In a bowl combine Panko breadcrumbs the remaining basil, garlic powder, and black pepper. Dip chicken breasts into Panko mixture, coating both sides. Lay on baking sheet.
Bake chicken breast tenders for 12-15 minutes until cooked through, flipping once half way through the cooking time.
Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Marinate the chicken in a Ziplock bag with teriyaki sauce, garlic, ginger, curry paste, and oil. While the chicken is marinating, chop the peppers and onion into bite size pieces. Lightly clean the mushrooms. Using metal skewers alternate vegetables and chicken. If you use wooden skewers, make sure that you soak them in water prior to placing them on the grill.
*The pictures aren't great as I charred many of the veggies.
What's great about this recipe is that 1 serving of the pasta contains almost all of the fiber you need for the day, not to mention the significant amount of protein it contains.
Spinach, Bean, and Tomato Pasta
2 tsp olive oil 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (do not drain) 1 can any white beans (I use Great Northern or Navy usually) 1 package fresh spinach 6 cups cooked whole wheat pasta 6 Tablespoons Romano or Parmesan cheese (grated)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. In a separate pan start boiling water for linguine and get linguine cooked while you continue. Add garlic, saute for a minute or so. Add tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil.
Cover with spinach, top with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Spoon tomato/beans/spinach mixture over linguine and sprinkle with cheese.
Thick sliced white bread, challah, brioche, or baguette
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drip break in the egg mixture and cook int eh skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed.
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes.
"Perfect French Toast." Food Network Magazine Apr. 2010: 142-143.
I purchased some pork tenderloins at Costco a few weeks ago. They were on sale and I'd never actually roasted one before. I got a roasting pan for Christmas and I was looking forward to using it! I found this recipe online, thought the flavors sounded delicious. When I opened the package of tenderloins I found that it wasn't actually one tenderloin, but two - I should have know - I bought them at Costco. I'd already thawed them and thought, what the heck, I'll double the recipe and pawn the leftovers off on my friends (not that that would be too hard).
A couple notes about the recipe - I found that the cooking time was much shorter, by almost an hour. My tenderloin was a little smaller than the recipe, but the cooking time was significantly shorter. My recommendation would be to baste the roast about once every 15 minutes or so after browning. After 30 minutes, start checking the temperature. Make sure the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees and be sure to let the roast sit, covered in foil, for about 10 minutes. Also, the glaze was delicious and I found myself wanting more. I would double the glaze recipe to be sure there is plenty of glaze.
Herb-Crusted Pork Loin, Apple Braised with a Cider and Garlic Glaze
1 1/2 - 2 lb boneless pork loin
2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried marjoram or sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup apple juice
1 onion, washed, un-peeled, quartered
1 rib celery, chopped
1 large firm apple, quartered and seeded, un-peeled
1 1/2 cups apple cider
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
Pre-heat oven to 450 F.
Trim most of the visible fat from the pork. Rub melted butter over the pork loin. In a shallow dish, mix together herbs, salt & pepper.
Place pork loin face down in the herb mixture, pressing it in well. Turning pork over, coat with the rest of the spices. Place in a shallow roasting pan, and roast uncovered for approximately 30 minutes, turning pork to brown well on all sides.
Reduce heat to 325 F. Pour apple juice into pan, add onion, celery and apple. Cover with foil. Continue to roast until pork is done and very tender, basting occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest (still covered) for 15 minutes.
Glaze:
Pour 1 1/2 cups of apple cider into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer until only 1/2 cup remains. Pour in the pan juices from the pork and return to a boil. Reduce until it becomes a sauce consistency of about 3/4 cup volume. Strain and serve with pork.
1 (8-ounce) package shredded six cheese Italian blend (I used mozzarella and asiago)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes. Layer one-third of potatoes evenly over bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with half of shallots, half of salt, and half of cheese. Layer second third of potatoes over cheese; sprinkle with remaining shallots, salt, and cheese. Top evenly with remaining potatoes.
In a small bowl, combine cream and water. Slowly pour cream mixture over potatoes. Cover and bake 11/2 hours. Uncover, and bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes 10 - 12 servings
Note: Potatoes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Complete method to baking stage; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking
I made this tomato basil soup recipe upon a recommendation from a friend. I’d also wanted to try a Cream of Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry recipe from a great book my Mom purchased for me called, Soup’s On! In this recipe, tomato soup is put into small crocks and then covered with puff pastry, baked until a small dome of dough puffs up on top of the crock. The recipe for the Cream of Tomato Soup looked a little bland for my tastes, so I used the puff pastry idea with a Tomato Basil Soup recipe from The Food Network. Here’s the combination of both recipes plus a few small alterations.
Tomato Basil Soup in Puff Pastry
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water 1 lb puff pastry dough 1 egg
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet (covered with foil for easy clean-up) and roast for 45 minutes.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade, a blender, or food processor. Taste for seasonings.
Let soup cool a bit and pour into oven-safe crocks. Roll out the puff pastry to ¼ inch thick. Cut out rounds slightly larger than your crocks. In a small bowl, beat together the egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Use a brush to pain the dough with the egg wash and then turn the circles, egg wash-side down, over the tops of the cups, pulling lightly on the sides to make the dough somewhat tight like a drum (Try not to allow the dough to touch the soup). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly paint the top of the dough rounds with egg wash without pushing the dough down. Bake until the dough is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first several minutes of cooking, as the dough may fall. Serve immediately.
