Third times a charm!

I recently purchased some 'gourmet' tomato and mozzarella chicken sausage, and I thought I bet this would taste really good over some pasta with olive oil, garlic, sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  And I was right, it was fantastic.

I cut up three sausage links, and sauteed them in a pan with garlic (a heaping teaspoon of the minced variety...I really love garlic) and a little olive oil.  Cook the whole grain pasta according to the package.  And while those two things were going on the stove, I sliced some tomatoes and cut up some fresh motz.  Once the pasta was cooked I tossed it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Added the sauteed sausage, tomatoes and motz to complete the dish.

Later in the week, I thought that dish I made the other night was really good, but I have some extra veggies I need to use before they go bad.  So, I started with the same base as the meal mentioned above except I used two sausage links instead of three and added broccoli and yellow squash.  I sauteed the broccoli and squash in the same pan with the sausage.  I ran out of fresh motz, so I used some grated motz I had in the fridge.  Another great dish with a good serving of veggies!

A few days after the second meal listed, I remembered I had bought spinach to throw into a pasta dish as some point.  I know what you're thinking, wow, that is a lot of pasta for one family to eat in such a short amount of time.  Well, James and I had been running to get in shape for the Janis Bresnahan 5K Run for Education which took place this past weekend, so I thought it didn't hurt that we were getting our share of carbs.  So I took the second dish from above, and merely added chopped spinach to it.  This time I had very little grated motz left, so I garnished it with grated Parmesan.    

All in all, we found all three meals to be very delicious.  However, the more veggies you can add to a dish the better.  They are filling, have tons of vitamins and nutrients, and are low in calories.  You really can't go wrong.  And since the veggies fill you up quicker, there's leftovers for lunch the next day!

As for pasta, it's okay to enjoy pasta multiple times a week if you are smart about it.  I try to buy whole grain pasta, and I pay close attention to portion sizes.   Measure your pasta before boiling it.  And if you can some exercise in after dinner that helps too!  Maybe you didn't run this weekend's 5K, doesn't mean you can't start training now for next year's event!

Mother's Day Breakfast

We're so excited to be having my mom over for breakfast this Mother's day.  So what have I decided to make her on this joyous occasion?  A recipe my mother-in-law gave me...keeping with the mother theme.  We've had this dish at my in-laws a few times, and I always rave about how good it is, so I was lucky enough to get the recipe so I could make it for my mom!  I'm hoping my mom loves it as much as I do.

As you know, I'm not really good about following recipes exactly to the tee, so here's my version.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease down a baking dish with some cooking spray.  Place two pieces of whole wheat bread on the bottom of the dish (you can remove the crusts if you want, I kept them on), and sprinkle about 1/3 c shredded pepper jack cheese on top.  Rinse and repeat, until you have completed this exercise 3 times in total. 

In a mixing bowl, add 8 large eggs, 1 1/2 c milk, and 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt.  Mix with a whisk.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread.

Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes.  Remove the dish from the stove, pour a cup or so of salsa over the top and sprinkle some more cheese over it.  Put back in the oven for 5 minutes, and presto, your breakfast is ready to eat!

You can probably prep this dish the night before, and throw in the oven in the morning.  I say probably because I haven't tried it, but I imagine it would be fine.

Chipotle Black Bean Hash

Hash Browns

For sides, I took a few chipotle black bean burgers, and cooked them according to the package.  We've recently become acquainted with these burgers, and they are SO good.   They are made by Morningstar - try them!  Once they were cooked, I mashed them up and called it my vegetarian hash.  Even my picky sister thought they were good!  A little side of hash browns, and breakfast is served....with mimosas and coffee on the side of course!

            Cheers to Mom!  Happy Mother's Day!

Cinco de Mayo! Ole!

What better dish to make on Cinco de Mayo than crock pot fajita bowls!!

I hope that you will love this dish as much as I do, because you can prep it the night before and have very little to do when you get home!

The night before you can slice your onion and peppers and put them in the fridge.  How much you slice is really up to you.  Does your family really love onions?  Then slice up an entire one or more.   Do they love peppers?  You make the call.  If you end up slicing up too much, use them in another dish the next day!  Or munch on the peppers as a snack.  I don't recommend snacking on onions.  You may lose friends that way. Oh, and I recommend using some green pepper, and another fun colored pepper (red, orange, yellow - they're all good).  Lastly, if your family likes things spicy, slice up one of the hotter peppers.  I like to use habaneros, but I'm crazy.  Those tend to be really hot.  Not a fan of hot? Check out the peppers at your local grocery store, and check them again the range of hotness.  There is usually a hotness chart stationed in the pepper area.

The next morning before you go to work.  Throw your chicken breast in the crock pot with some water to prevent it from drying out.  I make two chicken breasts since there's only two in my family, and I use just under a cup of water.  You may need to experiment with this a couple of times until you find the perfect amount of water.  If you end up drying out your chicken....just mix in some salsa!  If you have a taco seasoning packet, you can sprinkle this on to your chicken before turning on the crock pot.  If not, you can make your own little packet.  Sprinkle some paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if you dare) and cumin over the chicken to give it some flavor while it cooks.

I set my crock pot for 5.5 hours on low (again to avoid drying it out), and then my crock pot nicely sets itself to stay warm until I get home.

When I get home, I shred the chicken using two forks, toss in my previously sliced peppers and onion, and turn the crock pot back on low for a half hour.  You could throw everything into the pot in the morning, but it makes the veggies very soggy.  If you want your veggies to be soft but still somewhat crisp follow my instructions. 

My onions and peppers strangely resemble the Irish flag.

While the veggies and chicken are cooking for that half hour, I cut up some lettuce for the base of my fajita bowl.  I throw some Spanish Near East rice on the stove.  Next, I take some black beans and put those in the microwave.  I'll heat those up right before dinner is ready.

Once I hear my crock pot calling me to tell me it's done making dinner.  I pop on the microwave to warm up those beans.  Start your fajita bowl by first laying down your bed of lettuce.  Add the chicken, pepper, and onion mix, and a spoonful of rice.  Grab the beans from microwave, and throw a scoop of those on top as well.  Your main course is complete.  Well....almost complete.

You didn't add toppings!  Toppings are of course the best part.  You can add shredded cheese, salsa, fat free sour cream, and guacamole if you want.  Obviously, your choice of toppings are up to you.  Just remember to exercise portion control!  Those topping, albeit fantastic, do have calories!

Cheers to cinco de mayo!  Perhaps, you will be drinking a Skinnygirl Margarita by my favorite reality TV personality Bethenny Frankel.  Unfortunately, I will not, as I strongly dislike tequila.  Maybe I"ll enjoy a corona.  If you like tequila...there's probably no harm throwing a little in when you add your veggies with a little bit of lime juice to spice up your fajita bowls!

SALUD!

Photos to come.... :-)

Little Green Trees!

It's almost summertime here in New England.  And we all know summer means being outside, catching some rays, and most likely attending or hosting many cookouts.  How about some broccoli salad to spice up your BBQ?  It's a great side to add to those burgers and dogs!

I actually first had this delicious concoction on Christmas Eve a few years ago.  I was loading up my plate at my in-laws and came across a bowl full of broccoli (my all time favorite vegetable) with some other goodies mixed in.  Needless to say, I kept going back to fill my plate with broccoli salad, and made to sure to find out who made it so I could get the recipe.   I've tweaked the recipe a little (like I always do), and feel free to tweak mine to your liking.  This salad is great because you can really put your own spin on it.  I love this recipe because it's another way for me to enjoy those little green trees!

Dressing:
In a bowl, I add a tablespoon of Olive Oil Mayo, a tablespoon of vinegar, and just under 1/4 c of sugar.  Blend well.

Then add the following to the bowl:

 
• 2 tablespoons of diced red onion
• 1/2 c of chopped celery
• 1/4 c of raisins (I typically use craisins, but maybe you like golden raisins or some other raisin, substitute in whatever you like!)
• 1/4 c walnuts (I use Emerald Nuts candied walnuts. They are fantastically good.  Not of a fan of the candied walnuts??  Use whatever walnuts you enjoy.)
• 1/4 c sunflower seeds (If you don't have these in your house, it's perfectly okay to leave them out. The salad will still be delicious!)
• 3 pieces chopped cooked bacon (Don't use those gross bacon bits.  One, because they are gross.  Two, they are salty.  Three, they will take away from the flavor of this dish.  If you hate bacon like my friend Kristy does, leave it out).
• 2 c of broccoli florets (I tend to estimate the amount of broccoli I put in.  Let's be honest, I estimate most ingredients.  I put enough in so there's a good blend of broccoli with the other ingredients and to help disperse the dressing.  If I find the dressing to be too heavy, I just add more broccoli.)



Not the best photo, but you get the idea.  In this one, I used golden raisins.



Now that the bowl is full of all these goodies, give it a good stir/toss.  Once it's mixed up nicely, it's ready to serve.  Have leftovers?  Throw them in the fridge and eat them tomorrow!