chicken salad

I used to be a manager at Arby's and my favorite thing they have is the Chicken Salad Sandwich/Wrap. It's Heaven wrapped in carbs. Wonderful. We had to make gigantic batches of it. That was the highlight of my (every three) days. This may or may not be the recipe on a much smaller scale ;). 

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup apples, diced

1/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved

Cook the chicken breasts fully. While it's cooking, chop up the remaining ingredients and set aside. I decided instead of dicing the chicken to put it into my nifty food processor. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until well blended. Serve as a sandwich, wrap, bagel or even on it's own. We chose the bagels. Nom nom nom!

mini deep dish pizzas

Alright now, let's face it. Chicago has the BEST pizza in the entire world. Admit it. The deep dish is the way to go. Well, in Texas this is as good as it gets. Trust me, Peter Piper Pizza can not recreate such a magical dish. Neither can I, but here's a miniature version!

Ingredients:

3-4 whole wheat tortillas

1 (15 oz) can pizza sauce (you may have some left over)

3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

mini pepperonis (and any other pizza toppings you would like to have)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray. Use a cup or cookie cutter to press out 12 medium size circles in the wheat tortillas. Press each wheat circle into one of the muffin cups. It doesn't have to cover the entire side of the cup, just to fit snuggly. Pour pizza sauce in a medium size bowl. Add in parmesan, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir together. Drop about 1-2 tbsp into each wheat cup (depending on how much sauce you like). Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over each mini pizza. Top with pepperoni (and other toppings). Bake for 7-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Let them cool for about 3 minutes and you should be able to pop them right out with a fork.

turkey lettuce wraps

Since Thanksgiving went well, meat will slowly be introduced back into our diets. Here's the first meal. Our spin on the lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs. Not anywhere close, but it is still delicious. Gotta figure out their secret ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 lb 99% lean ground turkey

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3/4 cup of water

1 can (4 oz) tomato sauce

8 large leaves from iceberg lettuce

Brown turkey in a large skillet. When it's no longer pink, add in all the dry seasonings and mix well. Add in water and tomato sauce. Stir and then cover. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Wash and dry lettuce. Place meat in center of lettuce leaf and top with whatever ingredients you'd like. We used shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

thanksgiving 2011

So ladies and gents, today was the first time since the beginning of September that I have had any meat. Now let me explain this before people jump on my case: the only reason we started doing the vegetarian meals was because I was diagnosed with GERD and it was suggested that I try it since meat made it flair up. All went well and everything started looking up. I had made a promise to my husband that if he did this with me, come Thanksgiving we would have a traditional dinner and if it went well, we could start introducing meat into our diet again.

Everything did go well! We had the turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, baked mac n cheese, cheddar biscuits, deviled eggs and mashed potatoes and gravy. We had apple and cherry pie for desert. Now, usually when I make a food post I add in recipes. So I'll just throw some of them out here. I didn't make some of it from scratch since I had a child at my feet nonstop. The gravy, stuffing, and potatoes were from a box! Lol

TURKEY:

I used an 8 pound turkey since there were only a few of us. Preheat the oven to 325. Clean the bird well (especially inside the cavity) and pat dry with a paper towel. I brushed the bird with melted butter and seasoned it with Mesquite seasoning. I put my bird in an oven bag with about 5 slits on top to allow steam to come out. It makes it nice and juicy! Cook for about 3 1/2 hours. Make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees in the fattest part of the turkey.

CHEDDAR BISCUITS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I use Bisquick normally. 2 cups of Bisquick, 1 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese. Drop biscuits in equal amounts about 1 inch apart from each other on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (until golden brown). 

DEVILED EGGS:

I prepped these the night before. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 12 eggs in one layer. Cover and boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat but keep covered for an additional 10 minutes. Submerge eggs in COLD water. Tap egg all the way around on counter and peel shell. Cut in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, use a fork to smash the cooked yolks. Add in 1/3 cup of fat free mayonnaise and 1/3 cup dijon mustard. Mix well. I usually go by taste at this point, depends on how you like them. Sprinkle with paprika (I also added bacon bits to half of them). 

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom and 3/4 cups of milk in an 8x8 baking dish. Stir in 2 cans of drained french style green beans and 3/4 cups of french fried onions. Cook about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the french fried onions on top and bake an additional 5 minutes, until onions are nice and brown. 

I've already shared my baked mac n cheese recipes. You can view it here. Hope you all had a blessed day with the ones you love. Don't forget to say an extra prayer tonight for those families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and will always have that empty seat they will be unable to fill.

vegetarian chili

This is actually the second time I've made this. The first time was for a FRG fundraiser and I had totally forgot to take a picture and post the recipe. So here it is!

Ingredients:

8 oz tomato sauce

1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag of MorningStar Crumbles (or 1 lb of ground beef if you aren't vegetarian)

1 jar of salsa

1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

sour cream (if desired)

Mix all ingredients except sour cream in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Top each serving with sour cream!

baked pickles!

Ohh, I so went there. Lately, all I could think about if fried pickles. But they are so not good for you. Not to mention expensive! Well I have pickles here and I was thinking.. what if I bake them instead!? So I gave it a shot. And the verdict is... SCREW YOU  BWW AND HOOTERS! I'm making my own from now on!

Ingredients:

Pickles (hamburger dill slices)

about 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Put however many pickles into a strainer to drain. Rinse with water to get some of the excess sodium off. In a bowl, whisk together bread crumbs and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk egg. Dip the pickles in the egg and then in the bread crumb mix to completely coat. Bake for 7 minutes!

tortellini in basil-balsamic vinaigrette

Not much to say but nom nom nom!

Ingredients:

1 package (9 oz) cheese-filled tortellini

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of paprika

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, sliced

2 cups of broccoli florets

Cook and drain tortellini per package directions. Rinse in cold water and drain. In large bowl, mix vinegar, basil, oil, paprika, salt and garlic with whisk until well blended. Stir in carrots, broccoli and tortellini until coated. Serve.

veggie burger pitas

The vegetarian friendly version of a hamburger! We have to head to bed early tonight, so this was a quick, easy fix. Very tasty!

Ingredients: 

4 frozen veggie burgers (I used MorningStar brand)

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt

2 pita breads (6 in) cut in half to form pockets

4 leaves of lettuce

Topping Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped cucumber

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a 15x10 pan with cooking spray. Place burgers on one side, bell peppers on the other. Spray vegetables with cooking spray for about 3 seconds and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip burgers and veggies. Bake for an additional 7 minutes, until burgers are heated thoroughly and veggies are tender. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for topping. Spread topping on insides of pita pockets. Fill each pocket with lettuce, burger, and veggies. Voila! A healthy alternative to the greasy burger!

italian herb pasta salad

Not your traditional pasta salad. Again, husband requested something simple, and I decided it needed to be turned into something a little different. I love pasta salad, but I just made some on Monday, so I needed something new. It didn't turn out too bad, in my opinion!

Ingredients:

1 box (16 oz) tri-color rotini pasta

1 large cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 cup Italian dressing

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

8 oz mozzarella cheese, chopped into small squares

small pepperonis (optional)

Cook pasta according to packaging directions. Rinse with cold water and drain. Mix tomato sauce, basil, and dressing in a large bowl. Add in pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add in all other ingredients and stir together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. 

omelet muffin cups

Okay, so I can't make an omelet for the life of me. I've tried so many times. I found this on Pinterest (which I currently have a major addiction to) and had to try it. Chris LOVES breakfast. Me, not so much. So I only cook breakfast on the weekends. Conner and I are just fine with oatmeal and cereal. Anyway, here's my outcome of the omelet muffin cups! By the way, you can add anything into them that you want. We only did veggies since I'm still not eating meat because of the GERD.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozz)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375°F. While the oven is preheating, slice up the bell peppers (and any other ingredients you are adding). In a medium mixing bowl, beat the 6 eggs thoroughly and let it sit for a bit. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Next, grease the muffin pan. Very important, or else it'll be a pain to get them out. Layer the veggies (and whatever else you are adding) in the muffin pan, adding cheese on top. Then, pour the egg yolk into the muffin pan, up to 3/4 full. Depending on how much ingredients you put in each cup, it should fill up 6-8 cups. After the cups have been filled, we took a fork and stirred through each cup, ensuring that the ingredients were distributed equally. Give each cup a finishing touch with a pinch of breadcrumbs on the very top. Bake for 25 minutes. When they are done, put a toothpick in them to make sure the eggs are cooked thoroughly. Let sit for about 2 minutes before taking them out.  Enjoy!

burrito pot pies

It has been a little while since I've posted a new recipe. With my husband gone for the month of October and November (until Thanksgiving week), I don't have to cook big meals. He's coming home tonight for the weekend and requested 'something Mexican'. We've already made 2 different types of enchiladas and a taco pasta salad, so burritos it was. But I don't like making boring meals, so I made them into a pot pie. Well, sort of!

Ingredients:

6 foil tart pans

6 soft corn tortillas (5 1/2 in)

1 can (16 oz) refried beans

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of jalapeno slices, chopped

1 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 package of microwavable spanish rice

1 1/2 cups mexican shredded cheese

1/3 cup salsa

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced (optional)

Heat oven to 375°F. Place 1 corn tortilla in each foil tart pan; place pans in 15x10x1-inch pan. In medium bowl, mix beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, chili powder and cumin. Divide mixture evenly (about 1/2 cup) into tart pans. Wipe out bowl; in bowl, mix rice and cheese. Divide mixture evenly (about 1/2 cup) over bean mixture in pans. Bake about 30 minutes or until pot pies are thoroughly heated. Top each with avocado and salsa.

southwest mac and cheese

Who doesn't love mac and cheese!? I've already shared my baked mac and cheese recipe, so this is a spin-off. No baking required! I live literally 3 miles from the Mexico border. Not to mention, my favorite kind of food is Mexican. So here is my take on Southwest Mac and Cheese!

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 

1 cup of salsa, any variety

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 can (14.85 oz) cream style corn

1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn

8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

Mix all ingredients except for cheese in a 12 in, non-stick skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 14 minutes. or until noodles are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve!

bacon pancakes

I originally saw this on Pinterest (I see a lot on there). It's awesome! Keep in mind I cook for 2 adults and 1 toddler. You may need to adjust the recipe ingredients to make more.

Ingredients:

4 strips of bacon (I used MorningStar Veggie "Bacon: Strips)

2 cups of Bisquik

1 1/4 cups milk

2 eggs (more if eating eggs on the side)

Syrup

Cook the bacon until crispy. While cooking bacon, mix Bisquik, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups milk to make pancake batter. Once bacon is done, pour approximately 1/4 cup of pancake mix over bacon. once edges are bubbly and slightly firm, flip! That side should be golden brown. If not, no worries. You can flip again once the other side is done cooking. Once both sides are golden brown, serve! Pour syrup over them to get your sweet fix in! We had sunny side up eggs on the side so that we got our complete breakfast in. :)

vagetable jambalaya

I am definitely stepping out of my comfort zone with this one. It tastes great to me, but then again, I've never had actual jambalaya before. The recipe originally called for black-eyed peas, but I hateee them. So I exchanged it for the pinto beans.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth

1 cup frozen whole kennel corn

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is light golden brown. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.