Stuffed Pepper Stoup

Recipe by Rachael Ray. Suggested by Nicole S.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
Salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (i omitted)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, cut into bite-size dice
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size dice
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 cup orzo pasta
12-15 basil leaves, shredded or torn
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to pass at table

Preparation:
Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. When the EVOO is hot, add beef and season with salt, black pepper and allspice. Brown the meat for 5 minutes then add garlic, onion, peppers and bay leaf and cook for 7-8 minutes, until tender.
Stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente, 7-8 minutes. Turn off heat. Fold in basil.
Serve in shallow bowls with grated cheese.

Yum!!!

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•2 medium carrots, chopped
•4 fresh thyme sprigs
•1 bay leaf
•2 quarts chicken stock
•8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
•1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
•salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (i omitted)

Directions:
Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Tex Mex Tacos

Tex Mex Tacos

Recipe idea from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground turkey or beef

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

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

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 drained canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and turkey or beef. Cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in corn and the next 6 ingredients (corn thru chili). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Warm tortillas according to package. Spoon 1/2 cup taco mixture into each tortilla.

Top with your favorite toppings...guacamole, tomatoes, salsa, etc!

Fake Out Thanksgiving Sandwich

From Juliann's Easy Eats Blog

1 rottisserie chicken, sliced
1 jar Heinz chicken gravy
1 small can whole cranberry sauce
2 servings stove top stuffing
2-4 rolls

Slice chicken and heat in saute pan with gravy.
Cook stuffing.
Put warmed chicken on roll.
Then stuffing on top of chicken.
Open cranberry sauce and smear on top of roll.
Enjoy!

Chicken & Avocado Spinach Salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil for dressing

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

1/2 cup basil, chopped

12 oz. baby spinach leaves

1 large ripe avocado, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Salt and pepper chicken. Grill. Slice into strips and place in a large bowl.

In seperate bowl whisk together salt and pepper, garlic, and vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Spoon 1/4 cup of the dressing over chicken and toss to coat. Toss spinach with remaining dressing and divide among other servings. Top evenly with chicken and avocado slices.

Lemon and Herb Pasta Salad

Source: Rachael Ray Magazine

Ingredients:
1 pound bowtie pasta
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups torn arugula (I also added some baby spinach)
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (I omitted)

Directions:
1) In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2) Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the lemon peel, lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
3) In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, bell pepper, arugula, eggs, parmesan, pine nuts and dill. Add the lemon dressing and toss.

Kickin’ Beef Burger

Source: Rachael Ray Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups store-bought coleslaw
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno chiles
1/4 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon sauce
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
8 slices pepper jack cheese
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 burger rolls, split
20 chili-flavored kettle-style potato chips


Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, combine the coleslaw and jalapeños. In a small bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle chile and adobo sauce.
2) Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. In a bowl, combine the beef, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; shape into 4 patties. Grill the patties for 4 minutes, flip and cook for 4 more minutes, topping with the cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3) Meanwhile, spread the butter on the rolls and grill until toasted. Spread the tomato-chipotle mixture on the roll tops and bottoms. Top each roll bottom with some red onion, potato chips, a patty, some coleslaw and a roll top.

Chicken Kabobs!

Nothing says summer like kabobs on the grill! One of my favorite meals to make and eat every summer!
These are pretty much a no-brainer, but since they are ssoooo delicious, I'm gonna share!

Ingredients

Skewers

Chicken, cut into cubes

2 peppers, color of your choice

Pineapple, cut into chunks

Onions, are optional. I personally hate onions and omit them from everything.

Your favorite marinade! I used Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing & Marinade and it was FABULOUS!

Directions

With everything cut into cubes, layer onto your skewers.

Put on cookie sheet and pour on marinade.

Let marinate in fridge for 15 - 30 minutes.

Grill!

My Famous Southwest Turkey Burgers

Ingredients
1 package ground turkey breast
1 rounded tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
sliced monetary jack cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
sliced avocado, tomato, any other toppings you prefer

Directions
Preheat grill.
Combine ground turkey, chili powder, ground cumin, jalapeño, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix everything together with your hands. Score the meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts. Form mixture into 4 large patties no more than 1-inch thick. Place on a hot grill and cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until turkey is cooked through. Melt cheese on top.
Combine the sour cream and chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in a small bowl for topping.
Also top with avocado slices, tomato, or anything you like on your burger!

Pulled Chicken Parm Subs

Source: Rachael Ray
4 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons EVOO, divided
2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 packed cup dry sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 cup basil, roughly chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
4 sub rolls, split open (but not all the way through)
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat Broiler.

Place a medium-size skillet over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the pan and cook gently until aromatic and light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stock, some salt and pepper to the pan (the stock should cover the tomatoes) and simmer until the tomatoes have plumped up and softened, about 15-20 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes to the pan then transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree. Add chopped basil, season with salt and ground black pepper and reserve warm back in the skillet.

Return the sauce to the skillet and add in the rotisserie chicken. Simmer until the chicken has heated through, 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano. Divide the mixture between the sub rolls and top with a slice or two of mozzarella. Pop the sandwiches under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Serve with a Romaine salad and a few olive oil potato chips alongside.

Oreo Surprise Cupcakes

Source: Kraft Foods

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix + the ingredients it calls for (I used devils food cake mix)
1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
48 Mini OREO Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
1 1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; set aside. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended.
2. Spoon cake batter into each of 24 paper- or foil-lined medium muffin cups, filling each cup about half full. Top each with about 1/2 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie. Cover evenly with remaining cake batter.
3. Bake 19 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (There may be an indentation in top of cupcake after baking.)
4. Top cupcakes with whipped topping and remaining cookies just before serving.
Makes 24 cupcakes.

Turkey and Black Bean Tostadas

I got the idea to make turkey and bean tostadas from a Rachael Ray recipe, but I pretty much just added every mexican item I love on top of the tostada shell! These were SSSOOO AMAZING! I could eat them every night!!!

Makes 5 - 6 Tostadas

Ingredients
Tostada Shells ( I used Old El Paso)
Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
Can of Black Beans
Thawed Frozen Corn
1 Tomato
1 Avocado
Lime Juice
Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Combo Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa (Optional)

Directions
Cook the turkey meat until no longer pink, add taco seasoning and cook as you would prepare for making tacos. Rinse off beans and add to pan. Add corn.
Chop up tomato and avocado and add to a small bowl. Stir in some lime juice.
Heat tostada shells just until crispy (use package directions) (I put them in my toaster oven for about 45 seconds).
Start making tostadas: Spread sour cream on shells. Add meat/beans. Then a dollop of salsa. Then the tomato/avocado mixture. Then the shredded cheese.
Enjoy!

Peanutty Baked Chicken

A shout out to my friend Bernadette who passed along this fabulous chicken recipe to me! It was sssooooo yummy! A great new way to make healthy chicken less boring. This is definitley going in my regular rotation!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup peanuts
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 thin chicken breast cutlets
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine honey and mustard in a small bowl; stir well. Place peanuts in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Combine peanuts and panko in a shallow bowl.
3. Brush each cutlet with honey mixture; dredge cutlets in panko mixture. Place cutlets on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; lightly coat cutlets with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 15 - 20 minutes or until done. Serve with a side.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Source: Rachael Ray Magazine

Makes 4 Sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1 onion finely chopped (i omitted)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Hot pepper sauce
4 kaiser rolls, split
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (i used sharp cheddar)

Directions
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1 1/2 cups). Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.
2. Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the rolls and top with the cheese.

Mac & Cheese with Bacon

My husband LOVES bacon, so this was a winner!

Source: Amber of http://amberskitchen.blogspot.com/

Ingredients
8 ounces Cavatappi pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
6 slices bacon, cooked and diced

Directions
1. Cook macaroni using package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in dry mustard. Add milk gradually, stirring continually.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup each cheddar, mozzarella and swiss. Mix cheese sauce, macaroni, and bacon in a large bowl. Spoon into a 9x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar, mozzarella and swiss.
6. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cheese.
7. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

BLTs with Avocado and Spicy Mayo

Simple, yet delicious!

Source: Rachael Ray

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
One package center-cut bacon

8 slices of hearty, white farmhouse bread
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 lettuce leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

1. Chop the crushed garlic with the salt and press it with the side of the knife until mashed. Scrape the garlic into a small bowl and stir in the chili powder, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and the mayonnaise.

2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon in 2 batches until crisp. Pour off the fat between each batch. Drain the bacon on paper towels.

3. While the bacon cooks, toast the bread. Slice the avocado and sprinkle the slices with a few drops of the lime juice.

4. Spread 1 side of each piece of toast with the spicy mayo. Arrange the avocado slices on 4 of the toasts, pressing them firmly against the mayo. Arrange the bacon, tomatoes and lettuce on the avocado slices. Top the sandwiches with the remaining toast. Cut the sandwiches in half on the diagonal.

Chicken with Lime Sauce

This sauce is really delish!
The original recipe had any asked to cook the chicken 5 min. on each side in a pan. Obviously that is not long enough to cook chicken through. So I threw it in the oven for 20 minutes before adding to the sauce and voila!

Source: Cooking Light (tweaked by me)

Ingredients
2 thick, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan and place in a baking dish.
Finish cooking in oven for about 15-20 minutes (until no longer pink).
While chicken is in the oven,
Put chicken broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons juice, and mustard in (same) skillet; cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return cooked chicken to pan; simmer 2 minutes.

My First Blog Award!

Thanks to Erica of http://ericaskitchenadventures.blogspot.com/
for giving me my first blog award!


And of course there are some rules that come attached to this great award:
- Add the logo in your blog.
- Add a link to the person who gave you the award.
- Nominate 10 other (refreshing…like lemonade) blogs of your choice.
- Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours.
- Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

So here are my 'nominees':
http://brooke-cookiejar.blogspot.com/
http://annieseats.wordpress.com/
http://cookincoli.blogspot.com/
http://jesstyler.wordpress.com/
http://www.deliciousmeliscious.com/
http://breedwoman-getinmybelly.blogspot.com/
http://themilkmanswife.wordpress.com/
http://mrssacspurplekitchen.blogspot.com/
http://singforyoursupperblog.com/
http://hdxnxj.blogspot.com/

There are so many wonderful blogs that it was hard to narrow it down! But all of these contain some great recipes and inspiration. Definitely check them out!

Chicken & Veggie Pizza

Source: Prevention Magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 prebaked whole wheat pizza crust
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
precooked chicken cut into strips
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the pesto onto the pizza shell. Top with the peppers, tomato, chicken, feta, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheeses are melted and the crust is golden.

A Simple Healthy Salad

Just a simple healthy salad I threw together.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon water
rotisserie chicken, cut into pieces
4 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped
bag of pre-washed baby spinach
bag of pre-washed chopped romaine lettuce
1 avocado, diced
handful of grape tomatoes
1 yellow pepper, chopped
handful of croutons
1 package feta cheese
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1) Combine vinegar, water, mustard, olive oil. Whisk until combined.
2) In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drizzle dressing and season with ground pepper. Toss salad and let sit 5 minutes for flavors to combine.

Mini Banana Muffins

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes (large muffins for 25 minutes). Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

Spicy Southwest Chicken Sandwich

Soooooooo Yummy!

Source: The Nest

Ingredients:
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 canned chipotle chile, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, pitted
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups thinly sliced leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken
4 thick slices bacon, cooked until crisp
1 large ripe tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I omitted)
4 slices focaccia or sourdough bread, lightly toasted

Directions:
1. In a blender, mini-chop, or food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, water, oil, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse again. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. In another small bowl, mash the avocado with half the cilantro and all of the lime juice. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread 4 of the slices of bread with the avocado mixture. Spread the remaining 4 pieces of bread with the sun-dried tomato-and-chipotle mixture, then layer on the chicken, bacon, tomato, onion, the remaining cilantro, and the bread. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

Source: Eating Well

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (i omitted this and doubled the cheddar)
1 pound 90% or 93% -lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler.
2. Combine Cheddar and Gruyere in a small bowl.
3. Gently mix beef, Worcestershire, paprika and pepper in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Shape into 8 thin, 4-inch-wide patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of 4 patties, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.
4. To grill: Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill the stuffed patties over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. (Be sure not to press the burgers as they cook or they'll split open and the cheese will ooze out.) To broil: Cover a broiler pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Broil the stuffed patties in the upper third of the oven, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. In either case, let the burgers stand for 5 minutes before serving.
(I used a grill pan and the broiler. I grilled the burgers on each side for a few minutes until the outside was browned...then I put them in the broiler for 2 min on each side to cook them all the way thru.)
I topped mine with tomatoes, avocados, ketchup, and fresh ground pepper on wheat buns.