Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I got this YUMMY recipe from The Fairhope Foodie's blog and she got it from Annie's Eats. It was so good and creamy! This is a keeper according to Justin and me! I made Spanish rice to eat along with them and it was just as great! I always buy the boxed Spanish rice (Publix brand or Zatarain's) but the trick to really good Spanise rice is to add a can of diced tomatoes, undrained. It really makes it so much better!! Hope you enjoy these as much as we did! Now go cook!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup Ranch dressing

flour tortillas ( I used the taco size)

salsa

4 cups shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend)

Trim the chicken breats of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and saute chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add in taco seasoning and a few tablespoons of water. Cook chicken until all of the water is absorbed. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, mix up the sauce. Use a large bowl, combine half of the ranch and half of the sour cream and mix well, set aside. In a small bowl, combine the remainder of the two and mix well. Add chicken to large bowl and mix until chicken is coated.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Take a tortilla and spread the mixture in the small bowl evenly all over the tortilla, it takes less than 1 teaspoon. Then take the chicken mix and line it down the center of tortilla. Top it off with salsa and shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down on the baking dish. Repeat the steps until the pan is full.

Spread the remaing sauce over the tops of the enchiladas and top off with more cheese. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until tortillas are crispy.

Grilled Sourdough Cheddar Melt

This is your Patti Melt cooked in a mich lighter way then you could find anywhere else. And, believe it or not it is great! We cooked these last night and we loved them! You can serve them with basically anything you would like! We had Roasted Red Potatoes, our favorite, with them.

Makes 4 servings, 1 sandwich

Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 pound ground round
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 (3/4-ounce) slices 2% reduced-fat processed sharp cheddar cheese
8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough or white bread

Directions
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Preheat broiler.

Combine beef, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick oval patty. Place the patties on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 1 cheese slice over each of 4 bread slices; top each slice with 1 patty and 3 tablespoons onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread slices. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add 2 sandwiches to pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until browned and cheese melts. Repeat the procedure with 1/2 teaspoon butter and the remaining sandwiches.

Nutritional Information
Calories:462 (22% from fat)
Fat:11.5g (sat 5.3g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:38.5g
Carbohydrate:49.3g
Fiber:3g
Cholesterol:80mg
Iron:5.2mg
Sodium:909mg
Calcium:357mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Italian Meatball Burgers and Macaroni Salad

These were really good! They did not take very long either which is always a plus! I served it with a Macaroni Salad but you could also serve it with roasted red potatoes as well. ENJOY!!!

Makes 6 servings, 1 burger is serving size

Ingredients
8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed, I did
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 (2-ounce) Italian bread rolls, split, I could not find these so I just used original dinner rolls cut in half from Publix & they were GREAT!
3/4 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, I found a light version by Ragu

Directions
Prepare grill.

Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and ground sirloin. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce and top half of roll.

Nutritional Information
Calories:375 (33% from fat)
Fat:13.9g (sat 5.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:28.1g
Carbohydrate:32.7g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:80mg
Iron:4.5mg
Sodium:894mg
Calcium:130mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light


Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, & Creamy Dijon Dressing

I made this the night before we ate it and I definitely recomment doing that. I always love a pasta salad that has sat in the refridgerator the night before better because it has time to sit and mix all the ingredients better. I really enjoyed this pasta salad and so did my mother and grandmother (Meme). Justin did not enjoy it because he does not like "cold things for dinner" or any pasta salad really. :) But, if you are looking for a great summer pasta salad this is my recommendation!

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup of pasta salad and 1 teaspoon of bacon

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, I used the new olive oil mayo by kraft
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni, I used reg size because I could not find lg
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions
To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl. Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:208 (30% from fat)
Fat:7g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:8.6g
Carbohydrate:29.1g
Fiber:2.3g
Cholesterol:16mg
Iron:1.5mg
Sodium:454mg
Calcium:44mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Mexican Chili Cheese Hamburgers with Roasted Potatoes

I made these a couple of weeks ago when Amy and Scooter cameover to cook out and I do believe they were a hit! Everyone seemed to really like them. I served them with Roasted Red Potatoes. They recommended serving them with regular homemade fries which would be just as great! I have recipes for both types of sides on my blog!

Makes 4 servings, 1 burger per serving

Ingredients
1 pound ground round
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray
4 (3/4-ounce) slices reduced-fat Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
Grilled onions (optional)

Directions
Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Prepare grill. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 cheese slice on top of each patty; cover and grill an additional minute or until cheese melts.

Spread 1 tablespoon of sour cream over top half of each bun, and set aside. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each with lettuce, tomato, onions (if desired), and top half of bun.

Nutritional Information
Calories:381 (31% from fat)
Fat:13.1g (sat 5g,mono 6.4g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:36.3g
Carbohydrate:28.1g
Fiber:1.7g
Cholesterol:84mg
Iron:4.2mg
Sodium:655mg
Calcium:212mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Rigatoni with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

I made this for us on Wednesday night for the first time and I will have to say to was the best yet! Justin told me it is the best thing I have ever cooked. So that means it has to be GREAT!! He ate 2 helpings of it and said he wanted to keep eating it. I think next time I will add a little cayenne pepper though to give it a little kick. This recipe makes a lot and we ate the left-overs for lunch. It would be a great recipe to make when you have company. I would serve a mixed green salad and garlic bread with this. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my husband!

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed, I used 2 links
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup light cream
1 pound rigatoni
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions
1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat.

2. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage,tomatoes, and salt. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the pepper, parsley, and cream.

3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

-Compliments of www.myrecipes.com

Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza

This delicous recipe was our Monday night dinner. Thanks to Justin he got this cooked for us! So all the credit goes to him! They turned out great! I brought my left overs for lunch and I can not wait to eat it! He said it was very easy and did not take him long at all . Serve with a small mixed green salad. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings (1 piece each)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 cup green bell pepper strips
2 (4-ounce) links turkey Italian sausage, I only had pork Italian sausage
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and green bell pepper strips, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender.

Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add crushed red pepper and diced tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Spread sausage mixture evenly over cut sides of bread, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place bread halves on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut each pizza in half.

Nutritional Information
Calories:375 (29% from fat)
Fat:12g (sat 5.1g,mono 4.2g,poly 2.2g)
Protein:24.6g
Carbohydrate:42g
Fiber:4.9g
Cholesterol:63mg
Iron:2.7mg
Sodium:967mg
Calcium:280mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

I made this for us on Sunday night for dinner. This was my first time trying it out and they turned out great. I tweaked the recipe a bit, but I will post the original. The recipe calls for chicken thighs but we already had chicken breasts and we aren't huge fans of chicken thighs so we made do. I tried following the recipe about the baking part but my oven does not cook chicken that fast. So if you do chicken breasts you might want to cut them up in smaller pieces instead of just putting the whole breast in (like I did). They will cook faster that way and not burn the outside. I served bacon wrapped corn, which I will post that recipe as well. I also did not follow that recipe exactly either and will tell you what I did differently. We also had roasted red potatoes. This meal was very very good!!

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken
Serves 4 (2 chicken thighs) or can serve 2 (1 chicken breast each, this is what we did)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 2 chicken breast boneless skinless
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons honey, I used 4 tbsp
2 teaspoons cider vinegar, I used 1 tsp

**I did not use all of the rub since we only did 2 chicken breast. I just tossed them both in a bowl with all the spices mixed together and threw out the rest.

Directions
Preheat broiler.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side. **(if you cut chicken into pieces then it will be done by this time, just make sure to cut into chicken and make sure it is white all the way through)

Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:321 (31% from fat)
Fat:11g (sat 3g,mono 4.1g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:28g
Carbohydrate:27.9g
Fiber:0.6g
Cholesterol:99mg
Iron:2.1mg
Sodium:676mg
Calcium:21mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Peppered Corn on the Cob
If I would have followed this recipe as it stated then I know it would have been amazing. But, since I did not read all the directions I would not slow cook it so I just followed the recipe exceot the slow cooker part. I just boiled it on the stove and it was still good!I just did 2 ears of fresh corn. So i will post original recipe but you might want to tweak it according to how many ears of corn you do.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, pressed
6 ears fresh corn, husks removed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 fully cooked bacon slices (we tested with Ready Crisp Bacon)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeño pepper, minced, I omitted

Directions
Combine butter and garlic in a small bowl. Rub garlic butter evenly over ears of corn. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt. Wrap each ear of corn with 2 bacon slices, and secure with wooden picks. Place corn in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth and jalapeño pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours or until corn is tender. Remove bacon before serving, if desired.

Bacon Bit: If you don't want to wrap the bacon around the corn, simply chop the bacon and sprinkle on top of the corn in the cooker.

**Like I said I boiled mine and just mixed the chicken broth and water and boiled it that way but I suggest following the recipe because I know it is much better that way.

-Compliments of www.myrecipes.com

Rachel's Special Occasion Lasagna

I finally made, for my first time by the way, a homemade lasagna. I love lasagna, even though Justin isn't bonkers over it, and have been wanting to make it for a while. I first found out about homemade lasagna in high school when over it a good friends house. Her mom cooked all there meals from scratch and made this for us one night and I could not believe it. My family had always just cooked the Stoufer's frozen version, which I love also. So I asked her all about it and thought I could do that. So after all this time I finally did it! I thought it turned out great and Justin said it was good, but I had to ask him! He is not a fan of ricotta cheese, which he would ahve never known was in here, but he asked and I told him the truth. So he had his nose turned up before it was on his plate! I split the recipe in two and made then in two seperate smaller baking dishes. We still had left overs in just our dish and Justin went back for seconds. I took the other one to our friends house because they had just returned from there honeymoon and I knew they wouldn't want to cook. We ate a small side salad with ours. If you are looking for a simple healthy salad recipe that is always good with any Italian dish then buy mixed greens ( I use organic), grape tomatoes, croutons, parmesan, and balsamic vinaigrette. Follow the serving size for the dressing and with balsamic you will get plenty of flavor in just that small serving size. Just sprinkle a little bit of parmesan to top of the salad. Sometimes I will add chopped cucumbers to mine as well.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles, used 10 noodles
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese
3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup (6 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free pasta sauce, divided, used reg. pasta sauce
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

**I added a few shakes each of the following spices: oregano, basil, italian seasoning, garlic powder into the cheese mixture, then stir well to blend.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese in a large bowl; stir to blend well. Stir in Parmesan and next 8 ingredients (through egg).

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce; top with half of cheese mixture and one third of remaining pasta sauce. Repeat layers once, ending with noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella; bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:284 (28% from fat)
Fat:8.8g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g)
Protein:15.7g
Carbohydrate:34.2g
Fiber:3.3g
Cholesterol:53mg
Iron:0.9mg
Sodium:657mg
Calcium:179mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Easy Quesadillas

Justin and me ate these last night for dinner. I thought they were very good despite the fact I burned ours! So I can't wait to fix them again without burning them this time! I couldn't find refried beans with sausage so I bought some ground sausage, only used half the roll and mixed it cooked ground sausage in with the refried beans. The reason I burned my quesadillas is because I thought they would be better it I heated them in the oven instead or microwave. I put them on broil and didn't watch them closely enough. I served spanish rice on the side.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup refried beans with sausage or
buy sausage seperately like I stated above
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/2 cup taco sauce, divided
Sour cream

Directions
Spread beans evenly over 2 tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup cheese, and drizzle with 1/4 cup taco sauce. Top with remaining tortillas.

Microwave 1 quesadilla, covered with a paper towel, on a microwave-safe plate at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadilla.

Cut each into 8 wedges; serve with remaining 1/4 cup taco sauce, sour cream, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

-Compliments of www.myrecipes.com

Roasted Bell Pepper & Olive Pizza

I made this pizza for us last Thursday night and it was very easy and was really good. I know when Justin approves because I either have to ask him it is good or he says this is really good. When he volunteers his opinion that means he really likes it! He volunteered his opinion on this one! It said this could be used as an appetizer also but I cut some of the ingredients in half to just make one pizza instead of two. It says one wedge is a serving size but I ate 2 and Justin had 3.

Serves 12, or cut recipe in half and it serves 6 (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers (I used one)
2 large yellow bell peppers (I used one)
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons drained capers (I omitted)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 (1-pound) Italian cheese-flavored pizza crusts (such as Boboli) or focaccias (I used one)
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, and discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet, and flatten with hand. Broil 15 for minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips. Combine bell peppers, green olives, and next 5 ingredients (olives through black pepper) in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Divide the bell pepper mixture evenly among pizza crusts; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut each into 12(or 6)wedges.

Nutritional Information
Calories:104 (28% from fat)
Fat:3.2g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.1g)
Protein:4.6g
Carbohydrate:15.5g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:2mg
Iron:0.9mg
Sodium:301mg
Calcium:62mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes with Homemade Fries

I have made one sloppy joe recipe before that I got from Whole Foods and it was amazing. I saw this one in Cooking Light magazine last week and decided to try it as well. I added just a few things to throw in extra flavor so it might have upped the calories just a little. I served homemade fries with the sloppy joes. The other sloppy joe recipe has already been posted before along with the homemade fries recipe. If you click on the "veggie" tag you will be able to get the homemade fries recipe.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces ground sirloin (I used lean ground beef, that will help cut calories)
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
4 (2-ounce) whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted
4 (1/4-inch-thick) red onion slices, separated into rings

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef.

2. Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and worcestershire; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 red onion slice and top half of roll.

Nutritional Information
Calories:405
Fat:14.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 7.5g,poly 2.3g)
Protein:19.4g
Carbohydrate:53.3g
Fiber:10.4g
Cholesterol:28mg
Iron:5.1mg
Sodium:781mg
Calcium:148mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Made this recipe for the first time on Sunday night and we loved it. Justin said it is one of his favorites I have made yet. So that means it must have been SUPER DUPER delicous. Prep was easy besides cooking chicken. So if you could pre-cook and chop the chicken that will cut prep time. Also, since it is a casserole it would be great to pre-make, freeze, and then pop in the oven another night.

Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
9 ounces uncooked spaghetti (about half of regular sized pck.)
Cooking spray
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 tablespoon low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups frozen chopped cooked chicken, thawed (I used fresh chicken)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cooked spaghetti, and chicken. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:395 (19% from fat)
Fat:8.5g (sat 4.9g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.4g)
Protein:36g
Carbohydrate:45.3g
Fiber:3.1g
Cholesterol:65mg
Iron:1.9mg
Sodium:934mg
Calcium:417mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Baked Chicken Tortillas

We made this last week for dinner and we really enjoyed it. Very quick and would be a great meal when you have friends over or you could double, triple the recipe for a party or small gathering. Cinco de Mayo is this week and it would be a great recipe for that. We ate a small serving of chips and salsa on the side. Other good dips with this would be guacomole or a black bean dip.

6 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

Ingredients
1 cup bottled salsa, divided
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 1/2 cup salsa and sour cream in a small bowl, and spread evenly over each tortilla. Divide chicken, tomato, bell pepper, and onion evenly down center of each tortilla, and roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup salsa. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:379 (26% from fat)
Fat:10.8g (sat 4.1g,mono 3.7g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:28.7g
Carbohydrate:38.9g
Fiber:2.8g
Cholesterol:64mg
Iron:3mg
Sodium:623mg
Calcium:284mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Baked Stuffed Shells

Tried out this recipe for the first time Monday night and it was very good and hearty. The only bad thing I can say about this recipe is the preparation time. It took me about an hour before I was able to put the dish in the oven. So I will put a star by the ingredients that can be prepared before hand to make it easier to prepare dish. This dish make a lot so you can take it for lunch that week or this recipe would be great to make when you have company. You can eat a small mixed green salad on the side.

This recipe will serve 6 (serving size: 3stuffed shells, 1 cup of sauce)

Ingredients
Stuffing:
1/4 cup boiling water
6 sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu-optional, I did not use
1 egg, lightly beaten
18 cooked jumbo pasta shells *

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped onion (about 1 large), finely chop *
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium), finely chop *
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium), finely chop *
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
3/4 pound low-fat turkey breakfast sausage, casings removed or lean ground beef (1/2 lb.)
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare stuffing, combine 1/4 cup boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl; let stand 20 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Drain and finely chop. Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, and next 6 ingredients (through egg) in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons stuffing into each shell. Set stuffed shells aside.
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Place onion mixture in a bowl.
Coat pan with cooking spray; return pan to heat. Add sausage, and cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add wine; cook until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Stir in onion mixture, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a simmer. Cook 25 minutes or until slightly thick.
Spread 2 cups sauce over bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer in pan; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

-All the ingredients marked with a * means you can prepare them the night before if you have some extra time. I strongly recommend at least get all of your chopping done and even going ahead and cooking you shells the night before and just refridgerate them until needed.

Nutritional Information
Calories:391 (32% from fat)
Fat:13.8g (sat 4.8g,mono 5.2g,poly 2.3g)
Protein:27g
Carbohydrate:37.1g
Fiber:4.7g
Cholesterol:84mg
Iron:4mg
Sodium:892mg
Calcium:238mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Grilled Steak with Baked Vegtables

This meal was easy and one of our favorites in a long time. It is a perfect summertime meal. It would be great for a cook-out or for just 2, like us. You can use whatever steak is your families favorite but, we used an Angus strip. A good way to save money on this meal is to look in your local grocer's ad to see who is running a special on steaks. This week I know our Publix, Piggly Wiggly, and Bruno's are all running there Boneless Ribeye Steaks for $6.99-$7.99 lb. Use whatever marinade you like best, or use Dale's, Worcester's, & lemon juice. It is best if you start marinading your steaks the night before, or the next morning. As for the side of baked veggies, you can use what you have, what's on sale that week, or your favorites. I planned for us red potatoes with herbs, fresh green beans, and fresh broccoli. We have done the baked veggies before with squash, zucchini, broccoli, and fresh green beans. This week Publix has Asparagus ($2.49 lb.), Fresh trimmed Green Beans (2/$5, 12 oz.-pkg.), & Portobello Mushrooms ($2.69, 6 oz.-pkg.). *Tip for the green beans-We only used half the pkg. so we froze then rest to keep fresh for later, so always keep that in mind.

Serves 2 people

Ingredients
2 steaks, your choice
3 sm.-med. sized red potatoes, washed, cut into small wedges
1/2 pkg. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed
1 bunch broccoli, washed, cut into florets
cooking spray (*canola oil or olive oil are the best cooking sprays)
3-4 shakes Tony Chechare's seasoning
**ingredients for the red potatoes
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 shakes basil leaves
2-3 shakes oregano
2 shakes chives
1 shake garlic powder
2 shakes thyme
2 shakes sage
2 shakes rosemary

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 450 F. Place cut potatoes in a medium sized mixing bowl, pour 2 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil over the potatoes evenly. Then pour herb mixture over potatoes and mix with a spoon very well. Place potatoes on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place potatoes on bottom rack of oven. Now you should start your steaks on the grill. Then place your trimmed green beans and broccoli florets on a sprayed baking sheet and lightly cover with the Tony Chechare's seasoning, and place in the oven on rack above potatoes. Check on the veggies while the steaks are grilling. The green beans and broccoli take about 15-20 mins., they are ready when tender. If they potatoes still feel hard and do not have a light golden brown look then after taking out the green beans and broccoli, set your oven to broil and watch very closely. This is what we did and it took them about 5-7 mins. on broil to be how I wanted them. Once steaks and all veggies are done divide out portions and serve.


**Tip: If you do decide to use squash or zucchini which is very good baked like this, then cut into 1/2 in. thick pieces, you can leave them round on slice in half.

Lime-Cilantro Pork Tacos

A delicious recipe that is very filling and very fulfilling to your taste buds. It does not call for a lot of ingredients so it is not bad price wise either. We ate the tacos with a small side of organic salsa and tortilla chips. It would also be great with a black bean salsa dip as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Justin and me did. Happy Cooking!

Serves 4
Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I added a little extra)
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and black pepper. Add oil to pan. Add pork, and sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan; place in a bowl. Add onion and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in tomato; simmer 2 minutes.

Return pork and accumulated juices to pan. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until pork is done.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup pork mixture into each tortilla; roll up.

Nutrition
Calories:416 (28% from fat)
Fat:13.1g (sat 3.6g,mono 6.8g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:30.2g
Carbohydrate:43.1g
Fiber:3.6g
Cholesterol:75mg
Iron:3.8mg
Sodium:569mg
Calcium:101mg

-Compliments of myrecipes.com, Cooking Light Magazine

BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

I made this recipe for the first time last night and it was SUPER EASY and we both liked it a lot! This recipe is very very filling. We both were so full from it. You can serve this with a side of mixed greens. I modified the recipe to only serve 2 but I am putting the original recipe so just modify it however you need to feed however many people you will be serving. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 potato, about 1/3 cup chicken, about 2 tablespoons sour cream topping, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) baking potatoes
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 green onions, finely chopped and divided
1 1/3 cups shredded barbecue chicken (such as Lloyd's)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange in a circle on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until done, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes.

2. While potatoes cook, combine sour cream and 2 tablespoons onions; set aside.

3. Place chicken in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Remove potatoes from microwave; place chicken in microwave. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

4. Slice potatoes lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; fluff with fork. Top each potato evenly with chicken, sour cream mixture, cheese, and remaining onions.

Nutrition

Calories:367 (22% from fat)
Fat:9g (sat 5.3g,mono 2.4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:16.5g
Carbohydrate:57.6g
Fiber:4.2g
Cholesterol:43mg
Iron:3.2mg
Sodium:619mg
Calcium:117mg

-Compliments of myrecipes.com

Southwestern Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe is easy and so so so good. Justin and I both love this recipe. We have eaten it a couple of different ways. I am putting the original way to eat it but if you want to try it another way then here are the instructions. We will sometimes eat it over rice instead of in a tortilla. We use brown rice which is healthier than white. Just cook rice as directed and then pour stir-fry over rice and viola! Or sometimes Justin just eats it by itself which is just as good as well. This will serve 4 people so we usually take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
1- to 1-1/2 ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking oil spray
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, sliced on the bias
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional)
6 cup mixed greens (optional)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Co-Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
Combine fajita mix, water, and oil in a medium mixing bowl. Add chicken to marinade; stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat a large wok coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add peppers, zucchini and onion; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Set aside.

Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to wok. (Add additional cooking oil if necessary to prevent sticking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Return vegetables to wok. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to wok. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition
Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories 191
Total Fat (g) 6
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Carbohydrate (g) 18
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 20
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

-Compliments of Fitness Magazine

Chicken Jambalaya

This recipe is so easy and wonderful! Jambalaya is one of Justin's favorite things to eat and he gives this one 2 thumbs up. You can change it up a bit to make it healthier. Sometimes we will do both chicken and sausage and other times we will just do chicken. Either way it is still great.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
• 16 ounce package frozen bell peppers and onions
• 8 ounces smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 cups water
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers, undrained
• 8 ounce package jambalaya rice mix (we use Zatarain's)

Directions

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch strips and cut up sausage as directed above. Cook chicken and sausage together in a pan until done. Then set them aside and follow the directions on the back of the Zatarain's box. You will add in the bell pepper's and onions when you add in the rice and seasoning as directed on the back of the box. Add in the chicken and sausage about 10 minutes before the rice is done.

Old-fashioned Sloppy Joes with Homeade Fries

This recipe was amazing. Justin loved it and so did I. It does take a little longer in prep time because of the fries but it is so worth it! Just make sure to start the fries first because that is what takes so long. If you go ahead and get all of the cutting, peeling, and chopping out of the way first then everything will go much more smoothly. Also, always remember to turn the oven on before you do anything else!

Baked Potatoes Fries
Serves 6

Ingredients
3 russet potatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 450° F. Cut potatoes lengthwise into steak fries, about 3/4 by 1/2 inch, and toss with oil, seasoning and salt. Place seasoned potatoes onto the preheated sheet in a single layer. Bake potatoes, 15 minutes. Flip them and cook another 10 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 5oz/161g-wt.): 210 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 430mg sodium, 33g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 4g protein

-Compliments of Whole Foods recipes

Old-fashioned Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
4 burger buns, toasted

Directions

Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, 5—7 minutes. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions soften, about 7 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and mustard. Stir to combine. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon over split toasted hamburger buns.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 9oz/264g-wt.): 470 calories (200 from fat), 22g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 95mg cholesterol, 990mg sodium, 38g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 20g sugar), 30g protein

-Compliments of Whole Foods recipes