Speedy Supper Skillet

Serves 4

1 cup diced onion
16 ounces ground turkey
1 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
1 cup peas and carrots, frozen
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the onions in a pan spray with butter-flavored cooking spray until soft, about 10 minutes. Add ground turkey and garlic, and cook until there’s no visible pink left in the meat. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until everything is hot.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 377 Calories; 10g Fat (23.8% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 90mg Cholesterol; 825mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

All I can say is oh my god, it’s good! I could easily have devoured the entire pot myself, it was so yummy. It got Ari’s seal of approval too – she gobbled up everything in her bowl. Definitely being added to the list of family favorites.

Sausage & Cabbage Soup

Serves 4

3 slices bacon — diced small
12 ounces polish sausage — sliced
1 cup sliced red onion
8 ounces shredded cabbage
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Put the bacon in a cold dutch oven and turn the heat on to medium to medium high. Stir occaisionally until the bacon is crispy.

Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring once in a while, until the onion is starting to get tender.

Put the cabbage in the pot, stir it up well, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

Just before serving, stir in the mustard and red wine vinegar.

Source: “http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Sausage–Potato-and-Cabbage-Stew”

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 388 Calories; 28g Fat (63.3% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 1452mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Biscuit Crusted Sausage Pie

non-stick cooking spray
1/2 lb bulk pork sausage with sage
1/2 recipe of your favorite biscuit recipe
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
2 oz diced farmer’s cheese
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/2 c milk
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a non-stick skillet, cook sausage, crumbling it as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool.

Grease a 9″ round pie place. Press the biscuit dough into the pie plate so it’s even all the way around, and comes up to the top of the pan. (If you’re using a rolled biscuit dough recipe, roll the dough out into a circle that will fit the pie plate.)

In a medium bowl, combine cooked sausage, red onion slices and diced cheese, then spread evenly over the crust. In the same bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, milk, and salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture. Bake until the middle is set, about 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

If you’re making this ahead, reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. If you’ve frozen the baked pie, thaw it in the fridge before reheating.

It’s been added to the “yes, we’d love to eat it again” list. I’ve included the nutrition information for the soup, but you need to be aware the fat count is way off. Yes, there’s half a pound of bacon, but all the fat that came out when it was cooked was drained off, so it’s not as bad as it looks.

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

 
Serves 6

1/2 pound bacon — chopped
1 medium onion — diced
2 medium carrots — sliced thin
1 pound ground round
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium potatoes — peeled and diced
2 cups milk, 1% lowfat
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese — cubed or shredded

Put bacon into a cold, large heavy bottomed Dutch oven. Turn heat onto medium to medium high and cook until the bacon starts to get crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and put onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Pour the bacon fat out of the pot and into a mug or something that can handle really hot stuff, leaving only what covers the bottom of the pot.

Add onion, carrots, ground round, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pot and cook until the meat is browned. Drain off any liquid.

Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add milk, and cook 5 minutes. Smash a bunch of the potatoes up to help thicken the soup.

Remove the pot from the heat. Add cheese to soup and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 658 Calories; 46g Fat (63.6% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 127mg Cholesterol; 1805mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 6 Fat.

NOTE: The fat count is *way* off, as most of the bacon fat is rendered out and drained off.

Now, I love chicken marsala, and when I saw the Marsala Chicken-and-Mushroom Casserole recipe, I had to take a look. Wow! No canned soup. I gave it a try, making a couple of modifications to suit my family and the ingredients I had on hand. It’s being added into the rotation. It’s so easy to make too.

Chicken Marsala Casserole

 
Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
1 cup long-grain rice — uncooked!
2 cups cooked chicken — coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and half and half and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, the parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the rice in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover snugly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

Serve with a nice salad or veggies of your choice.

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Per Serving: 437 Calories; 14g Fat (30.0% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 182mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat.

I did, and was told “make it again please!!”.

Lemon Chicken

 
Serves 4

1 cup sugar free lemon curd
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 each chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C — sliced into 1/4″ slices
1 whole red bell pepper — sliced into matchsticks
16 whole scallions — cut into 2″ pieces

Combine the lemon curd and rice vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until no pink is visible on the chicken.

Add the red bell pepper and scallions to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes.

Pour the lemon curd mixture over the chicken and veggies and cook for another two or thee minutes, until the sauce is heated through.

Serve with your favorite rice.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 461 Calories; 27g Fat (54.4% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 291mg Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Sloppy Joe Pasta Bake

 
This recipe is based on Rachael Ray’s Super Sloppy Joes

1 lb penne, ziti or rotini
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 lb ground chuck
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (I use McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
28 oz tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

Combine grill seasoning and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Add oil and meat to the pan and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture. Cook until the meat has browned, then add onion and red peppers to the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and cook for five minutes.

Add tomato sauce to the pan and stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes longer. When the onions are soft, add the pasta to the skillet and mix well.

Spray a 9″x13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the pasta mixture in the pan, and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional five to ten minutes, or until the cheese is melted to the point you like it.

Serve with a nice big salad, or with veggies sticks (which my kids prefer).

I used the King Arthur Sourdough Waffles recipe as the base, substituted molasses for the sugar, and added ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Next time, I’m going to increase the spices, and add a bit of Splenda granular before the waffles are cooked to help support the spices.

The recipe as I have listed it below makes a very nice, crisp and slightly tangy waffle. When cooking them, you might want to cook them not quite as long as you normally cook waffles – we found they get really stiff and hard to cut. Still, they’re great with butter and syrup, so no complaints!

Gingerbread Sourdough Waffles

 
Makes 13 waffles in my waffle maker

Overnight Sponge

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sourdough starter (all-purpose, unbleached flour)

Waffle Batter

2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter — melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

To make overnight sponge, combine flour, molasses, butermilk and starter in a large bowl. Mix well, then cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.

Preheat your waffle iron according to the directions for cooking waffles.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and melted butter. Add to the overnight sponge.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Don’t worry if the batter bubbles up a bit.

Cook batter on your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Serve the waffles immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until you’re ready to eat.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 131 Calories; 5g Fat (31.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

I haven’t been to the Blossom Inn in over 20 years, but I remember those dishes so well that I can almost taste them, and it makes my mouth water. Donovan has my love of Chinese food, and we’re working on converting Ari. I get really excited when I find recipes that interest me, and I always try to find ways to sneak Chinese (or Chinese inspired) food onto the menu.

Finding the Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast recipe was one of them. I adore the dim sum steamed bbq pork buns, and while I know a store nearby that sells them, I always go “eek!” when I see the price. No, it’s not really that expensive, but I always think I can make them cheaper. The recipe you’ll find below the break is actually double the original, as I wanted to make sure I had extra to make the buns.

I served the roast with home made vegetable fried rice. The roast was a hit (even with Matt, which is truly gratifying, as he’s an “I’ll eat Chinese, but only when I’m in the mood” (which is almost never)), and I will make the fried rice again, but adjusting the seasoning. My memory of the pork was that it was sweeter, but then in finding the recipe for the buns, I see there’s a sweet sauce you mix the pork with, so it could be that. Regardless, this recipe is being moved from the “to be tried” binder to our “family favorites”.

Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast

Makes approx. 16 – 3 oz servings

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons fresh minced or grated ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
4 pounds pork shoulder roast*
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

The day before you want to make this, put the roast in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together until well blended. Pour over the roast, smoosh it around a bit, then put the sealed bag in a large bowl to make sure if the bag leaks, it won’t get all over your fridge. Let the roast marinate overnight.

In the morning, spray the liner of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Put the roast, marinade and all, into your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours. After 8 hours, flip the roast over, turn the slow cooker onto HIGH and cook for another 2 hours.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 261 Calories; 16g Fat (55.7% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate**; trace Dietary Fiber; 61mg Cholesterol; 583mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

* I bought an almost 7 lb roast, removed the skin and as much of the external fat as I could, and deboned it. I was left with a roast that was an ounce or two over 4 lbs.

*Note: The carb count is really only if you eat a full portion of sauce with the pork.

I did, and they loved it.

Monte Cristo Waffles

Preheat your waffle iron.

For each “waffle”, you’ll need to make a ham and cheese sandwich. Use your favorite ham and cheese, maybe put a little bit of mustard on it. Other toppings, like tomato, lettuce, etc., probably wouldn’t work too well.

Make your egg mixture. For 3 sandwiches, I beat together 2 eggs, a splash of milk, and a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Once you’ve got your sandwich made, dip each side of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Place the sandwich in the waffle iron and cook according to the directions for making waffles. They’re done when the sandwich is golden brown.

We didn’t eat them with butter and syrup, but I suppose you could if you wanted to.