Vegetable Polenta Bake

Hi, friends. I hope all of you are having a great week.

Life of voluntary unemployment is fun so far. I've been spending the week in a Substitute Teacher training class (because it could be useful someday) and doing all sorts of things I never got around to doing, like visiting the gardens again, painting pottery, and spending afternoons taking pictures. Here's to bigger and better adventures!

A few weeks ago, I signed up for the "Casserole Club" at my local Whole Foods. I've been in a dinner rut lately and desperately needed some new ideas, so when I saw that I would be coming home with three meals I just had to sign up. The woman who led the class, Leilani, is the Demo Specialist at Whole Foods Wilmington. Along with the other ladies in the group, she was so welcoming and fun to work with. It was nice to spend the evening sipping on a glass of wine and playing with food!

The meal I'm sharing (with Leilani's permission) today is a super easy Vegetable Polenta Bake. I totally admit that I didn't know what the heck polenta was before this class. FYI: It's basically grits made from cornmeal.

If you're looking for something new to try for dinner, look no further. This dish is full of veggie goodness and hello, it's topped with cheese... my favorite food group :)

Vegetable Polenta Bake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
26 ounces diced tomatoes in their juices
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish if desired
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bunch kale, center stems removed and roughly chopped
1 (18-ounce) roll precooked polenta
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the tomatoes, spices, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 20 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and garlic in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped kale and a pinch of salt and saute until wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.

Cut the polenta into 10 rounds. Arrange 9 slices on the bottom of an 8" baking dish, cutting the remaining round to fill in gaps. Top with the kale mixture, then top with the tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until the cheese has melted, about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.




What are your plans for this weekend?
Do you like polenta?

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hi, friends. I hope all of you are having an awesome Friday. One more day of work until my "weekend"!

It's sort of sad, but I've been waiting for the weekend all week long. I'm still catching up from being away last weekend. When I spend the weekend traveling, I spend more time in the car than anything and I don't get my chores done, let alone get in much rest. #timemanagementproblems

I've been doing my best at making exercise a big priority. At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is put on spandex and sweat, but I never regret it and I always feel much better afterwards.

Other than some exercise, I've been a hard-core homebody lately, especially after I get home from work. If it's dark and cold, I'm not going anywhere :)

I'm hanging out with these guys...

And nothing is more appropriate for cold weather than soup. I. Love. Soup. And you will love this soup recipe that I'm sharing with you today. I just started throwing together ingredients and the result was awesome!

This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is sure to warm you up and it's actually pretty healthy for you. It's not a cream base soup, so it's a lot lower in fat and it's full of protein and fiber. Yum!

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

Rotisserie chicken, shredded (or 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained (around 14-15 ounces)
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (around 14-15 ounces)
1 can of diced tomatoes with peppers (around 14-15 ounces)
1 can of corn (around 10 ounces)
1 can of tomato paste (around 6 ounces)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 cups of chicken broth
5 small corn tortillas, cut into strips
salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, to taste
Shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, or mexican blend), optional


Directions:

In a dutch oven or large pot, sautee the carrots and onions in olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients (except for chicken and tortilla strips). Cook on high heat until the soup is boiling. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another ten minutes. Add the chicken and tortilla strips and cook for a few more minutes. Add shredded cheese to individual bowls, if desired.

Are you a soup lover? If so, what are your favorite homemade soups?

Honey Dijon Chicken

Hi, friends. How are you? I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend.

I took a Zumba class with a new-to-me instructor and it was wonderful. I had a ton of fun shakin' it and I have now found my new favorite Sunday activity.

I've also been crafting up some fun Valentine crafts and recipes. I might be biased (hello, Valentine's birthday), but there's something so fun about hearts, candy, chocolate, and love! I'll be sharing them over the next few weeks.

When life seems a little crazy, it is so much easier to have a simple dinner to make. Meal planning also helps, too. In case you're stuck in a quick dinner rut, here's a delicious and easy dinner idea for you: Honey Dijon Chicken.

I've totally made a different version of this recipe before. The original is here. I didn't have lemon juice and I didn't want to add bacon or as much cheese, but it still turned out excellent. Served alongside some fresh steamed green beans, it was a 15 minute dinner success.


Honey Dijon Chicken
adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first two ingredients and set aside.

Evenly coat the chicken in the olive oil. In a hot skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken (with the lid on) until cooked through. Turn the chicken every few minutes for even browning. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms until they are tender. Return the chicken to the skillet and top with cheese and the sauce mixture. Place the lid over the skillet and keep covered until the cheese has melted.


Here's to a wonderful week!

One Pot Pasta (20-Minute Meal)

It's Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We were able to spend our weekend with my parents at their house. It's been so nice to see them, and the drive with two crazy kitties was totally worth it. 

Since moving to a city where restaurants are everywhere, I have been a major slacker in the kitchen. If I actually cook, it's been assembling a salad or cooking rice. No real cooking taking place! With starting a new job and spending our evenings at the gym, it's been too convenient to eat out. 

I've had my eye on Chung-Ah's One Pot Pasta for quite some time now and I seriously regret not making it sooner. It was so delicious and easy to make. The andouille sausage brought the perfect amount of kick and heat to this dish. The sauce ended up so creamy and perfect that my family couldn't believe that there was no heavy cream in the recipe- just the remaining pasta water and some Parmesan, 

Prep and cook time was just under 20 minutes. I officially have no excuse for not cooking actual meals. 

One Pot Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 cups halved grape tomatoes

2 cups basil leaves (I used spinach)

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

In a large pot, add 4.5 cups of water and everything except for the cheese. Cook on medium-high heat until the water boils. Once boiling, r-educe the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and the water reduces, about 8-10 minutes. Do not drain. Add the Parmesand and stir until well combined and the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.

Enjoy the recipe! 

And have a fabulous week :)

Orange Glazed Chicken

I've mentioned before that I love Chinese food. Every now and then, I just have to have it and that craving doesn't go away until I get my fix. This Orange Glazed Chicken is delicious and it really hits the spot. It has a deliciously sweet and slightly tangy taste, but it also has a little bit of a kick! And it's pretty inexpensive to make. Overall, this dinner is a win in my book! Serve over brown rice for a delicious meal.

Orange Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir the first four ingredients and set aside. In a skillet, heat the olive oil on high and stir in the chicken and pepper slices (If your chicken is slicked thicker, you might want to add the chicken prior to adding the pepper slices. I typically cover the chicken while it's cooking; I've found that it stays more tender this way--oh and it browns beautifully. Once they are cooked, add the sauce to the skillet. Combine the corn starch and water in a small bowl and add the mixture to the skillet. Continue to cook the chicken mixture until heated through and the sauce begins to thicken.

*A note about the sauce: I would have been more than happy with half the sauce. When I make this again, I will either double the chicken and broccoli or halve the sauce.

Recipe adapted from La Choy

What's your favorite take-out fake-out recipe?

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

There's something about Italian food that makes my heart sing. It's fabulous. Truly. But sometimes I'm in the mood for something other than spaghetti or traditional lasagna. This Spinach and Cheese Lasagna was the perfect solution. It's full of spinach and delicious cheeses... what more could you ask for? And the no-boil lasagna noodles equals fewer steps involved. 

Babe declared that it was the best dinner he has had in a long time. I take that as a huge compliment! Make this lasagna for your family this weekend-- you won't regret it.

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded 3-cheese blend, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 jar (25 ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
9 no-boil (oven ready) uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, half of the 3-cheese blend, egg, spinach, salt, pepper, and oregano. In a small bowl, combine the remaining cheese. Set both bowls aside. In a 13" x 9" pan or baking dish, layer 1 cup (or 1/4 of the jar) of the pasta sauce, then a layer of noodles (3), and then 1/3 of the ricotta-spinach mixture; repeat 2 more times. Top with the remaining sauce and and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan. Cover tightly with two sheets of aluminum foil and bake for 1-1.25 hours. Set aside and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

*To test if the lasagna is fully cooked, fork the noodle to see if it passes through easily. If it does not, increase the cook time. If you are using regular lasagna noodles, omit the water and reduce cook and cook for 45-55 minutes.

Recipe from Whole Foods

Hope you all are having a fabulous week.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

I hope you all had an amazing weekend. This post was definitely set on auto-publish, as I would have got home around midnight last night after a weekend in Charlottesville, VA for a Tai Chi training. So, being transparent and all, I'm probably sound asleep... dreaming about this recipe...

Sometimes I get the strangest cravings for Chinese food and I just have to have it. However, going out isn't always an option-- or even the quickest option. This super easy Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli recipe is sure to satisfy any craving for Chinese food. Serve it over brown rice and you've got a great dinner!

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (I used olive oil)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 lbs. boneless beef roast, cut thinly
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup water
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets

Directions:

Whisk together the first six ingredients. Place the beef in the slow cooker and coat the beef with the sauce mixture. Cover and cook on low for 90 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and add the broccoli. Set the slow cooker to high and serve immediately.

Recipe from damndelicious.net

What type of ethnic food is your favorite?

Mexican hands down, but Mediterranean food is pretty amazing as well.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

Hooray, it's the weekend! Does anyone else have today off from work? I'm so excited to have a long weekend... I've got a lot of catching up to do around the house.

I love sweet potatoes. They I mostly eat them as "fries" baked in the oven for a side dish, but sometimes I want something a little more filling and satisfying. This sweet potato cake is full of good stuff: black beans, oats, and sweet potato. You don't need to be a vegan to love these!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, boiled until the skin easily comes off
3/4 cup black beans, if using canned beans drain and rinse them
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup oats
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350* and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. In a a small mixing bowl, mash the sweet potato. Add the beans and combine. In a separate bowl, combine the oats and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Add the oat mixture to the sweet potato mixture. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 5 black bean and sweet potato cakes and place them on the baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn them over and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. Switch your oven setting to broil for the last few minutes, if desired.

Serve these Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes as-is, serve on a bun, or eat it in a lettuce wrap.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter  and beautiful spring weather... whether it's really beautiful out there or if it's just tropical in your mind :) 

Dill Smashed Potatoes

Hello, hello! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and I hope your week is off to a great start. I was able to make the eight hour trip to my grandma's after work on Friday and it was so nice to be able to spend time with her and disconnect from Blog-world for a few days.

I'm still blown away every time I see these gorgeous lilies that my sweetie got me for Valentine's Day. They've taken their time opening up, so I've really been able to enjoy them. 

A few weeks back, I was inspired by Chung-Ah over at Damn Delicious. She posted a recipe for garlicky smashed potatoes that made my mouth water. I had never heard of smashed potatoes, so I knew I had to try them. They're so soft and delicious on the inside, but crisp and crunchy on the outside; the perfect combination!

My take on smashed potatoes is just a little more low-cal than the original, as I use cooking spray in place of olive oil. In lieu of garlic I added dill, so even if these are on the lighter side they don't lack flavor!

Dill Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 package small potatoes (2-bite size)
Cooking spray
Salt, pepper, and dill weed

Directions:

Boil the potatoes according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes.

While the potatoes are boiling, preheat the oven to 350*F and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place the potatoes on the cookie sheet, spacing them evenly apart. With a drinking glass, smash each potato. Lightly spray the potatoes with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill weed, to taste.

Cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Serve and enjoy these smashed potatoes with just about everything! These potatoes have just over 100 calories per serving (a serving is 5 small potatoes).

Have you ever heard of smashed potatoes? If so, have you ever made them?

Special-K Chicken Tenders

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are having a great week. I'm finally back to teaching all of my fitness classes and I couldn't be happier. Tearing your Plantar Fascia is no joke.

Not even exaggerating, this thing has saved my life!

Anyway...

Do you guys ever get bored with plain ol' baked chicken breasts? Yeah, me too! These Special-K Chicken Tenders are definitely not boring. They are full of flavor and the texture is perfect-- they have a nice crunch! They're perfect for a weeknight dinner or any night that you're looking for a quick and easy recipe.

Special-K Chicken Tenders

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed Original Special- K cereal

1/4 teaspoon of each: black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and paprika

1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375* F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine cereal crumbs with the spices. In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs and mustard until well combined. 

Coat the chicken into the egg mixture, then coat in the cereal mixture. Lay chicken strip onto baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken strips.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken strips are. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165*F. 

What's your go-to chicken recipe? 

Chicken is my main source of protein, so I'd love to hear your ideas.

Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Turkey Sausage Hash

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend, spending time with friends and family and getting to recharge <3


My local grocery store had sweet potatoes for $0.25/ pound a few weeks ago. I guess they ordered too many for the holidays and had a ton that they were trying to get rid of. Either way, I was thrilled and bought several. This girl loves a deal :)


I wasn't sure what I would make with them, but I remembered seeing some sort of sweet potato skillet recipe on one the blogs I frequent, Carrots 'N' Cake. I didn't have my phone or computer nearby, so I sort of threw together what I had on hand. The end result was Sweet Potato, Spinach and Turkey Sausage Hash. I actually really enjoyed this meal and I'll definitely be adding it to the rotation! I love it when I'm able to find healthy dinners that taste great!

Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Turkey Sausage Hash


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 huge sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion
1/4 cup broth or water
2 links of Italian turkey sausage, chopped into small pieces
3 cups fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes, onions, and broth (or water) and cook until tender.

In a separate skillet, cook the turkey sausage  until it is browned and no longer pink on the inside.

Add the turkey sausage and spinach to the sweet potato mixture and cook on medium-low until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper as desired.



What are your favorite dishes to make with sweet potatoes?

I'm a huge fan of slicing sweet potatoes thin, sprinkling them with olive oil and cinnamon, and baking for an alternative to French fries.

Easy Dinner Idea + Candy Cane Christmas Ornament

Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

After so many festivities lately, I wanted to make a super simple dinner the other night. I began by boiling some whole wheat pasta and cooking some Italian turkey sausage. While they were cooking, I prepped some tomatoes and spinach.

Once the pasta and turkey sausage were cooked, I combined everything in a skillet and added some light Alfredo sauce. I cooked the mixture on medium-low until the spinach began to wilt and the sauce was heated through. This dinner came together in no time at all! Though it definitely satisfied me, I'm not sure how I felt about the tomatoes- maybe next time I'd add mushrooms instead.

And now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I feel that it is totally appropriate to share a super easy holiday craft with you- Candy Cane Christmas Ornaments! These ornaments are so easy to make and they're super inexpensive.

These would make a cute holiday gift for teachers, co-workers, friends, and family. And of course, they would look great on your own tree. These Candy Cane Ornaments would be great to hand out to your neighbors with a plate of holiday cookies and would make a great addition to your holiday gift-wrapping! The possibilities are endless!

You only need a few supplies: red beads, white/clear beads, a pipe cleaner, and a pair of scissors.

Start by cutting the pipe cleaner in half and folding over one end of the pipe cleaner.

Next, start threading beads onto the pipe cleaner. My pattern was two red and two clear.

Once you are finished beading the pipe cleaner, fold over the other end of the pipe cleaner. Bend one end of the pipe cleaner to make a cane. You now have a candy cane ornament- easy peasy! 

When do you usually begin to decorate for Christmas?

We usually put up our tree on Thanksgiving, right after we've had our big meal  and cleaned up all of the mess. I'm a slacker this year, so the tree is still not up and decorated, but... it will get done this week for sure!



Easy Zucchini, Bean, and Rice Bake

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. I'm learning how to balance a full-time job with a part-time job on my weekends. It's tricky to say the least, but hey, I can't complain since I'm the one that wants to make some extra money. Anyway... just because I'm working a lot and have less time to cook real meals doesn't mean that I can't eat wholesome food. It just means that I have to get creative with what I'm cooking.

I'm all about simple food. I love dinners that can come together in no time at all and meals that can be prepped ahead of time. This healthy rice bake has just a few ingredients and will be on the table before you know it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 medium to large zucchinis, sliced and quartered
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 cans blacked beans, rinsed and drained
1 to 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat shredded cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking spray

Directions:

Cook brown rice as directed on package. This can be cooked ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 350* F and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a heated pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook the zucchini and onion for about 5 minutes.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine rice, beans, zucchini, onion, salt and pepper, and cheese.

Pour mixture into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and zucchini cooked to your desired tenderness.


Enjoy!

Hawaiian-style Turkey Meatballs

Hello, hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. A few weeks ago, I made Hawaiian-style Turkey Meatballs and I wanted to share the recipe with you. They turned out really well and had a ton of flavor. This recipe is low in sugar and low in fat, but I could hardly notice! I would definitely consider this dish to be healthy "comfort food" that can be enjoyed any time, without any guilt. I served these delicious meatballs over brown rice for a satisfying dinner.



Ingredients

 

Meatballs

 

1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup oats

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Drizzle teriyaki sauce

 

Sauce

 

Juice of a 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks (if it does not equal 1 cup, make up the difference with water)

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons corn starch (give or take)

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350*F.

 

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together ingredients for the meatballs. Form meat mixture into ball form (I made 20 meatballs).

 

Place meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165*F. Remove from pan and let cool.

 

In a small saucepan, bring the pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, and worcestershire sauce to a boil. Remove pan from heat and vigorously stir in the cornstarch, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

 

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine meatballs, pineapple chunks, and sauce. Serve over rice, pasta, or whatever your heart desires.

 

 

Enjoy!

Health[ier] Philly Cheesesteak (Made with Ground Turkey)

Say what???? Healthy Philly Cheesesteak? Made with ground turkey? What?!?

Trust me on this one- it's pretty great and I think I prefer this version to the real thing.

Ingredients:
 

 

1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey (or another equally lean meat)

1 large green bell pepper (I used a medium and two small ones from the garden), chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package sliced mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup steak sauce (I used A1)

Sliced provolone cheese

Buns or rolls

 

Directions:

 

Start by cooking the ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

 

When the turkey is no longer pink, add the vegetables and steak sauce and cook until the vegetables are tender.

 

Place a slice of provolone on each roll and broil for just a few minutes, until the cheese melts. Watch the rolls carefully so that they don't burn. (You can also choose to put the Philly cheesesteak mixture to the rolls, place the cheese on top of the mixture, and then broil it, but it's all up to you!)

 

Add the Philly cheesesteak mixture to the rolls and enjoy!
 

Easy Dinners: Hawaiian Burgers

Because it's been so warm out, I haven't wanted to turn on the oven very much. This also means that most of my meals have been made up of assembling food items rather than really cooking. The grill is a life saver! Needless to say, we decided that burgers would make a great quick dinner. My favorite burger always seems to be a Hawaiian burger. When we're visiting Chuck's friends in Virginia, we always seem to go to a particular restaurant that has a buy-one-get-one burger night. This is where the Hawaiian Burger obsession all started.

 

So, as simple as the recipe is, I want to share my version with you. I wouldn't quite call this real cooking, more like assembling, but it's a great way to switch up a plain ol' burger.

 

The recipe starts with none other than a burger. I used 93% lean ground beef, but you can use whatever you like: ground turkey, chicken, black bean, or veggie burgers would all be great! Drizzle some teriyaki sauce into the ground meat and add some salt and pepper. Form patties and place them over the grill. Cook until you reach your desired temperature.

 

 

 Add some cheese (Hawaiian burgers usually have provolone) and toss some pineapple rings onto the grill.

 

 

Finally, assemble the cheesy burger with the pineapple ring onto a bun and add your favorite BBQ sauce. If you'd rather make your own, here's a great recipe.

 

 

Enjoy!

A Day Off + Easy Tamale Pie Recipe

Hey, folks! I hope you are all having a lovely week so far. After teaching a high intensity circuit training class yesterday morning, I had the entire day free from any obligations. It was truly amazing! I was able to get three loads of laundry washed and dried, I read more of Wild, and I sat down and watched a movie; yes, I watched a full movie in the middle of the day!

Throughout the day, I made three loaves of bread (two to give away and one to keep) with my bread machine I bought with graduation money. If I remember correctly, I've made 10 loaves of bread so far. Each loaf has turned out great and the machine itself still works like a charm (thank goodness!).

My favorite thing about being home in the evening is being able to make dinner. I love the taste of Mexican food, but I'm not always in the mood to "pretty-up" and go out for dinner... So, when the craving hit me today, I made a super simple dish: Tamale Pie. If you're unfamiliar with Tamale Pie, it's a Mexican-style dish made of a meat mixture baked with cornbread on top. The recipe that inspired me was meant to be cooked in a slow cooker, but I didn't want it to be an all-day process; I just wanted to cook it and be done with it! It tasted great (a million times better than the photo looks!) and it definitely satisfied my craving for Mexican food.

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs ground meat (I used 93% lean ground beef)
1/2 small onion, peeled and diced
1 can black beans (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn (11 ounces), drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green peppers (14.5 ounces), drained
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package (8.5 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix (I used Jiffy brand)
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350* F and spray a 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onions together until the meat is cooked through. Drain the mixture and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, cheese, cilantro, salt, chili powder, pepper, and cumin. Mix until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes.

While the mixture is baking, beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl. Add the cornbread/muffin mix and mix well. Spoon the mixture over the meat mixture and continue baking for about 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

 

Bacon Honey Dijon Chicken

I eat fairly healthy most days (which is why I'm not always sharing meal recipes... I'm not going to show you steamed veggies everyday...), but sometimes I want to eat a meal that really tastes great and satisfies.

A few nights ago, Chuck and I made Bacon Honey Dijon Chicken for dinner. This was one of those meals; it was full of not-so-healthy ingredients and it was delicious. At least we went to the gym first...

 

Bacon Honey Dijon Chicken
adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked and cut into small pieces (you can use turkey bacon)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first three ingredients and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. (Tip from the boyfriend: coat the chicken itself in the olive oil instead of putting the chicken in a pan coated with olive oil. This keeps the chicken from drying out. Also, cover the skillet to brown the chicken for a nice golden color.)

In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms and cooked bacon until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mixture and set aside. Return the chicken to the skillet and top with cheese, the mushroom and bacon mixture, and the sauce. Keep the skillet covered until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Easy Crock-Pot Chicken Cacciatore

I love cooking with my Crock-Pot. It's so simple: pour in the ingredients and walk away for a few hours. I saw this recipe for Quick Chicken Cacciatore over on this blog a while back and I am so glad that I finally got around to trying it out. Don't let the photo fool you- it actually tastes amazing! Food from the slow cooker is so hard to photograph :)

Ingredients:

1 large can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes (28oz)
1 pack of chicken breasts (3 medium), washed, pat dry, and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large sweet onion, minced
1 C fresh basil
1 t dried oregano
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Salt (about 1 1/2 t) and pepper (1/2 t)

Directions:

Toss everything into the slow cooker (spray it first with non-stick spray if you need to) and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. My slow cooker actually cooks pretty fast, so mine was done in 3 hours.

 

Serve over pasta or zucchini noodles. Or just eat a bunch of homemade bread with it like I did. Oops.

 

 

How often do you cook with your slow cooker (if you have one)? Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe?



Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. We've got a lot going on today, as it's my dad's 55th birthday! Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today, I’m going to share a lighter version of Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese.  It’s just as good as the full fat and full calorie versions out there, but it doesn’t have all that extra guilt.

This recipe was adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff.

Ingredients:

12 oz. whole wheat/whole grain elbow pasta

2 tablespoons margarine or light butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat-free/low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste
12 oz. broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta and broccoli together, according to the directions on the pasta package. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350*.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion, cooking on low heat for about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute, until well combined. Add the milk and broth, whisking to combine. Increase the temperature to medium-high. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick.

Once the sauce thickens, remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cheddar cheese and stir well, until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 15 minutes covered with foil and an additional 10 minutes without the foil. If you want to brown the breadcrumbs, broil the dish for a few minutes until golden.