Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES

CHICKEN & RICE Healthy Meals

Chicken and Rice
This is possibly the simplest recipe ever – only 5 ingredients!  But when I made it, you would have thought I spent hours in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove the way my son and husband raved over it.  Crazy, huh?

You need…

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup uncooked rice
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups water
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
I don’t like to follow any of the recipes I have tried over the years where you cook the chicken and rice in the oven at the same time.  The rice never gets as soft and fluffy as I like it, and the chicken tends to dry out.  So, I do mine separately then combine them in a casserole dish.
Cook the chicken breasts in baking pan.  To keep them moist, put water in the pan, enough to cover the bottom at least 1/4 inch.  Season any way you like.  I use garlic salt.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Cook the rice on the stove top.  I use Adolphus brand.  Put two cups of water, 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 Tablespoon of butter or margarine, and  little salt in a saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a vigorous boil.  Stir.  Turn to lowest setting, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Cut the chicken into bite size chunks.  Combine chicken, cooked rice, and soup in a casserole dish.  Stir well.  Cook for 20-30 minutes in oven at 350 degrees.  Serve with green beans or another vegetable for a tasty, healthy meal.

(If divided into five servings, each serving has only 264 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.  Amazing!)

RUSTIC STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE

RUSTIC STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE
1 package Pillsbury pie dough (or homemade if you have time)
2 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar + 3-4 tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound strawberries, cleaned and sliced
whipped cream

  • In a medium mixing bowl sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of sugar over sliced strawberries and toss. Set aside.
  • Fit crust into pie plate, prick bottom in a couple places with fork tines and bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees.
  • In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
  • Pour into pie plate and bake cream cheese mixture 15 minutes until slightly thickened. You will need to lay a piece of foil over top for part of the time to prevent crust from burning.
  • Spread over “pizza” rounds.
  • Top with spoonfuls of strawberries.
  • Add whipped cream and top with CARAMEL SAUCE and MOCHA HOT FUDGE SAUCE.

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Pork Chops with Tzatziki Sauce

I know there are at least a dozen, if not more, blogs out there with recipes for Tzatziki sauce…but this was the first time I had actually made it myself, so I just had to share it with you all!

I took a few of these ideas from Chris at Nibble Me This and Andrea The Kitchen Witch, so I can’t even take real credit for this recipe.

What I did do all by myself was cut my own loin chops.  I found a very large 6 pound piece of boneless pork loin for like $4 the other day and I just couldn’t pass it up.  What it meant, though, was that I was going to have to cut my own chops.  Last time I did that, I ended up with some really extra thin and quite strangely shaped pork chops.  This time… well, it wasn’t perfect, but that’s ok, I’ll just keep practicing 🙂

The pork was cooked perfectly…if I do say so myself.  It had a wonderful mild flavor to it, but what makes this all come together, is definitely the sauce.  As most of you know by now, I do my love sauces.

My recommendation… try this one … you will not be sorry you did!  Oh, and I brined these chops for an hour and a half and then I let them sit in the marinade for another hour and a half.  You can choose to skip the brining part if you want, but, if you have the time, please don’t skip it…  You will thank me in the end, trust me! 

Grilled Pork Chops with Tzatziki Sauce
Adapted from Nibble Me This & Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops (thick or thin, whatever your preference though I would go for a thicker cut if you can find it)
For the brine –
3 cups water
2 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
1 teaspoon white or black pepper
For the marinade –
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon Greek Seasoning (optional)
For the tzatziki sauce –
6 oz Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
just over a 1/4 cup chopped English cucumber (you can always add more if you want)

Directions:
Mix the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and pepper together.  Place chops in a resealable bag and pour the brine over it.  Seal and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 hours.  Remove from brine and rinse pork thoroughly under cool running water.  Thoroughly rinse out the resealable bag also, and place the pork back inside.  Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over chops.  Seal and let marinate in the refrigerator another 1.5-2 hours. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic powder, salt, and dill.  Add the red wine vinegar and oil and stir to combine.  Stir in the cucumbers.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Preheat your grill to 375 degrees F.  Place the pork directly over the fire and grill for 3-6 minutes per side, depending no how thick your chops are, or until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F.  Remove from grill and allow pork to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving…they will continue to cook while they sit.  Serve with tzatziki sauce and enjoy!

Pizza Roll Up Burritos

So have you every had those frozen pizza rolls?  I’ve bought them. We eat them occasionally.  They are extremely greasy, fatty and like a million calories for 4 of them.  Not filling at all either.

These remind me of those but are like 10,000 times better!  I love how they get crispy in the oven, with out all the fat. They are also super easy to handle without all the mess.
I posted these on my other blog awhile back and recently made them again.  They deserve anther look.  They were incredibly simple and everyone loved them.
They are a little higher on the calories than I usually make but these are very filling!  I was completely satisfied with 1 of these bad boys and a side of watermelon.  

I thought about making these more like enchiladas and pour a bit of pizza sauce over and a bit of cheese but decided these were much neater. It certainly would have made a pretty presentation that way though!
We made extras and froze them for lunches.  We just take them out, thaw and microwave them for an awesome lunch. Or a snack in my kids’ case!
Pizza Roll Up Burritos

Adapted from Penny-Pinching Provisions


2 pounds ground turkey, 93%
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 ounces pepperoni (about 50 slices), cut in half
1 (15 ounce) can pizza sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 slices mozzerella string cheese
10 – 100 calorie whole wheat tortillas


Cook turkey in pan until it’s almost done.  Toss in onion and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until ground turkey is no longer pink.  Add pepperoni slices, oregano and pizza sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes to warm.  Add about 1/2 cup pizza mix on tortilla.  Place 1 piece of string cheese along the middle on top and roll. Place seam side down in 9 x 13 pan.  I was able to put 9 in the pan, we just stuck the 10th one on a tortilla the next day for lunch.  Bake in oven at 350 for about 15 – 20 minutes until cheese is melted. 


Total calories = 3743 calories
10 servings = 374 calories per burrito


1 Pizza Roll Up Burrito + 2 cups watermelon = 474 calorie dinner

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS



PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS

2/3 cup Hot water
10 ounces Land of Lakes cocoa mix
2 cups JIF creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups C&H powdered sugar, divided 2cups + 1 cup
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
2 cups crushed ginger snaps
72 Hershey Kisses (I like the cherry cordials)

  • Whisk together the hot water and cocoa mix until smooth.
  • Add peanut butter and corn syrup. Blend until smooth.
  • Add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until well blended.
  • Stir in cookie crumbs until well blended.
  • Spray wax paper with PURE (these will be sticky so don’t forget this step).
  • Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto the wax paper.
  • Place the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
  • Roll each piece of dough into a ball and dredge in powdered sugar.
  • Press your thumb into the center and fill with a Hershey’s kiss.  I used cherry cordial kisses.

SLOW COOKER TEXAS PULLED PORK

Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork adapted from allrecipes.com
This recipe is for 8 servings but I doubled it (plus a little more) to have about 20 servings.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (2lb) pork shoulder roast
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 extra large onion, chopped
2 large cloves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns
2 tablespoons butter
Directions:  Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker.  Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth.  Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme.  Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork 5 to 6 hours.
Remove the roast from the slow cooker, shred the meat using two forks.  Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.
Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter.  Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.  Spoon pork into the toasted buns.
Modifications:
-I didn’t use brown sugar.
-I didn’t toast the buns.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Chop up the onions.
Chop the garlic. 
Pour the oil into the bottom of a slow cooker and lay the pork on top.
Pour the BBQ sauce over the meat.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
I cooked it on 375 for about 4 hours and then I turned it down to 300 for another hour. 
Pull the pork from the cooker and shred it.
Put the shredded meat back into the sauce.  Turn it on low until ready to serve.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:

HAMBURGERS

Hubby’s Hamburger Recipe…
3 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 1/2 tube of Ritz crackers
1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
garlic salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste

  • Mix all ingredients together by hand in large bowl
  • Form into desired size patties
  • Cook on grill to desired doneness with or without cheese
  • Enjoy with your favorite condiments
  • Happy Eating…




PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD

Filling in for Chris & Jenn today I offer you a family favorite:

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 jumbo eggs
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Parrot Bay coconut rum
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 large, RIPE bananas, pureed
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 hour to 1 day before pour rum over raisins and let sit at room temperature.
  • In a medium saucepan melt butter.
  • Add brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
  • Cook until smooth and then add nuts and raisins.
  • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
  • Cream peanut butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
  • Add cooled banana mixture.
  • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

*This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake.

FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

Bizzy Goes Healthy – Quinoa Pasts with Goat Cheese & Vegetables

BBB
As I understand it, Wednesday is supposed to be healthy recipes and I can honestly say, I have been working on eating healthier meals.  I have fallen in love with vegetable and fruit.  From childhood, I rarely volunteered to take a piece of fruit or eat a salad.  Now, salads are better than chocolate.

There is the other half of me.  I still love sweets.  While savory wins out, sweets play a big place in my eating, which is why I say I am working on  healthier meals.  I am not there yet.

I got to this recipe by checking out several blogs and by my new admiration for goat cheese.  I only started eating goat cheese, this year, and in that short time, I found several different ways to use it.  I have loved each one, especially since I discovered herb goat cheese and Pecan Cranberry goat cheese.    I add these to salads with greens and all of a sudden, I am eating something heavenly.

Quinoa Pasta with Goat Cheese & Vegetables 

I don’t really like titles of recipes that go on and on with all the important ingredients but I am not sure, I can distinguish the dish, without some key words.  I played around with the title.  I tried Balsamic Quinoa Pasta but that was not accurate.  Balsamic vinegar is a minor flavor and did not belong in the title.  I wanted to stress the goat cheese and vegetables as main components.  At one point, I removed the vegetables from the title but Quinoa Pasta with Goat Cheese sounded sterile.  The heart of the recipe is a combination of the pasta and veggies but the goat cheese gives it the fullness of the flavor.

I just noticed that the final photo is missing and when I looked for it, it is no longer there.  My apologies. The recipe is really too good to bring in another. 

Ingredients:
12 ounces spaghetti type pasta (fettuccine)
1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon oil from dried tomatoes
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 very small zucchini, cut in half and then half again and then in 8 cubes for each piece
1 yellow zucchini, cut the same way as zucchini
1 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
a few drops of hot cayenne pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Method:
In a medium to large saucepan, boil water for pasta.  Let simmer while you cook vegetables. Follow the package directions.

In a large skillet, heat oil.  Add onion and cook for three minutes.  Add remaining vegetables and cook for another three minutes or until onion is translucent.  Mix in Balsamic vinegar.
Add oregano to vegetables and mix in.  Pour vegetables over pasta in bowl.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and then with goat cheese.  Mix pasta, vegetables and goat cheese together.

Serve.

I had no idea how this was going to turn out.  My choices for vegetables and cheese were based on what I had, in the house.  I would think thinly sliced carrots would be another vegetable that would blend in, nicely.  I plan to make this often, each time using up the vegetables in the refrigerator.

Other quinoa dishes…..
Bake With Bizzy
Link up to Bake With Bizzy

STRAWBERRY KIWI BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE

This is even better when you take the time to make fresh whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.

GLAZE
2 baskets fresh strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, chopped
1 cup pureed strawberries*
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons KARO light corn syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water

BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE
2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
4 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened, but not melted
¾ cup buttermilk**

  • Mix together 1 cup sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch and water in a 2 quart sauce pan, cover and bring to a slow boil. 
  • When you reach a boil remove the lid. Add the 1 cup pureed strawberries and boil a few minutes more.  Chill 10-15 minutes.  After the sauce is chilled, pour over the fruit and toss gently.  Return to the refrigerator to continue chilling. 
  • Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the milk and butter and mix well into a soft dough. DO NOT over knead – it will become tough. 
  • Grease an 8 inch pie pan really well. Gently arrange dough into an even mound and pre-cut into your serving portions before baking. 
  • Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick done and golden brown. 
  • Slice each shortcake open, dot with a thin layer of honey, arrange on plate and top with a scoop of the  strawberry kiwi glaze and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

*I use the less than pretty berries for the puree.

**As a substitute, Buttermilk can be made by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar to regular milk.

GREEK SALAD

I can’t even begin to tell you how good this is.  I could seriously sit down and eat the entire bowl.  If you like feta cheese, you are going to love this.
Greek Salad adapted from A Step Into My Kitchen
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, large-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
1/2 cup calamata olives and green olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions:  Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
 
Modifications:
-I didn’t have a cucumber on hand so I just left it out.

Here is some of what you will need.  I messed up the first picture and didn’t have all of the ingredients out for the vinaigrette.
Dice up the peppers. Dice up the onions.  Cut up the tomatoes into about the same size as the peppers and onion
What you’ll need for the vinaigrette:
Mince up a couple cloves of garlic.  Toss garlic and oregano into a bowl. Add the dijon mustard
Add the red wine vinegar and whisk away.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil and use sea salt to season, as needed
Pour over the veggies

Add olives and feta cheese
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
Our Thoughts:
What else can I say?  It is absolutely fantastic.

5-Want it again tomorrow!

Fire Day Friday: Sparkling Barbecue Chicken

Last year, I won a copy of Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue! and it has become one of my favorite cookbooks… or grill-books I should say 🙂  Either way you say it, I love it.


Now, I have not made as many things out of this book as I would like, but I’ll get there, I just need time and patience.

Of all the recipes I have tried, though, this one is definitely the easiest.  It was a quick way to put together a tasty meal with very little effort.  And, I thought it was an interesting little spin on the standard barbecue chicken.

So what makes it sparkling?  Lemon-lime soda, of course.  The great thing is, this barbecue sauce truly did sparkle.  And the soda brought a bit of a sweet flavor to the barbecue sauce.  It was delicious!

Sparkling Barbecue Chicken

Adapted from Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (like 7up or Sprite)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (recipe for homemade bbq sauce)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix together all the ingredients except for the chicken, in a bowl until well combined.  Reserve 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce.  Put chicken in a resealable bag and pour the remaining sauce of the chicken.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours (you can really get away with 2, but the longer it marinates the more flavorful it will be).

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Brush oil on the grill grates.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and place directly over the fire.  Grill for 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  You can use the reserved sauce for basting in the last 5 minutes of grill time or you can serve it along side – heck, do both, I dare you 🙂  Enjoy!