This is a super simple recipe but a real family favorite I cook all year long. It will be great for your Thanksgiving dinner as it does not require oven space and is all done on the stove. I am sure you’ll love just as much as my family does.
Heat a
large sauté pan on medium high, spray with cooking spray and add string beans
and chicken broth. Steam 3 – 5 minutes until
string beans are tender.
Add butter
spread, onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered for 3 – 5 minutes longer.
Remove
beans from heat, transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle fried onions on
top.
Spray
a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cut butternut, acorn squash and potatoes in
half and place on baking sheet cut side down on baking sheet.
Roast
until they are soft (potatoes may have to come out earlier). Set aside and let cool.
Heat a
5 – 6 quart pot on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Sauté onion until soft. Add chicken stock and bring to boil.
Scoop
out the insides of the butternut, acorn squash and potatoes and add to the pot.
Season
with cayenne, cardamom and nutmeg and allow to simmer for about 10 – 15
minutes.
Using
a handheld immersion blender (or standard blender in batches), puree the soup.
2 pounds Brussel sprouts – cleaned of outer leaves and cut
in half
2 tablespoons apple jelly
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions:
Spray
baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Cut off the bottoms of brussel sprouts and then cut in half. Place on baking sheet, spray with cooking
spray and season with salt.
Roast Brussels
sprouts in the oven and set aside.
Remove
Brussels sprouts from the oven and add to ham.
In a
small bowl, combine apple jelly and maple syrup and microwave for about 30
seconds until apple jelly has melted. Add
to brussel sprouts and toss.
This is another great appetizer/spread for your family or guests. It is super easy to make and is full of flavor. The best way to serve is with some slices of toasted Italian bread ans some wine! Enjoy!!!
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Preheat oven 400o
Serves: 8
Estimated calories per serving: 20
Fat grams: 1
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 can petite diced tomatoes, strained
Directions:
Cut top of eggplant and then cut down the length of eggplant. Place cut side down onto a baking sheet and roast 30 – 40 minutes until eggplant is soft to the touch. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once eggplant is cool, scrape eggplant out of the skin and shred the eggplant meat into a food processor. Add salt and pepper, garlic, basil and Parmesan cheese and pulse until everything is chopped but note pureed. Spoon into bowl and mix in diced tomatoes.
This is a great spread for company. Serves some hot Italian bread on the side and you are sure to have a hit on your hands!
Serves: 8
Estimated calories per serving: 100
Fat grams: 3
Preheat oven to 375o
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (15 – 16 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup baby spinach
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat skillet on medium low heat and spray skillet with cooking spray and oil. Add onions and sauté until the onions are golden and about to brown. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or less.
Transfer onion mixture to a food process and add beans and ricotta cheese. Process until smooth.
Add the artichoke hearts, beans, basil, salt and pepper and process until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add Parmesan cheese and spinach and pulse, on and off, until mixed evenly.
Spray oven safe bowl with cooking spray and scoop dip mix into bowl. Sprinkle with a little additional Parmesan cheese on top (optional).
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden.
Some of my favorite moments in life include having friends over enjoying something that I have cooked. Saturday was one of those moments. I made these meatballs as a result of just having all the ingredients in the house. Everyone really enjoyed them and I promised that the recipe would be in the blog within the next few days. When the gathering was over and we were cleaning up, I said to Dean, “Oh, look at that very lonely meatball.” Dean took a quick snap of the one meatball left. The picture isn’t very pretty but it definitely shows the happiness I felt that they were almost gone (because we all know that no-one wants to take the last one).
I hope you try these for your friends and they enjoy them as much as we did.
Enjoy…
Asian Style Cocktail Meatballs
Preheat oven 375o
Serves 8
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 200 Fat: 2 grams
Asian Style Cocktail Meatballs
Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 ½ cups Chili Sauce
¾ cup apricot or apple jelly
1 tablespoon Asian chili/garlic sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Meatballs:
½ pound ground turkey breast
½ pound ground sirloin
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili/garlic sauce
½ cup egg substitute
¾ cup plain bread crumbs
Directions:
In a medium sauce pot, combine all sauce ingredients and heat on low until the jelly is melted and the sauce is warmed.
Make the meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meats, ginger, soy sauce, chili/garlic sauce, egg substitute and bread crumbs. Mix all the ingredients well with your hands.
Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray. Roll meatballs into small balls and add to the baking pan.
Bake 20 – 25 minutes until meatballs are cooked and browned.
Add meatballs to a serving platter and pour sauce on top. Gently stir so that all the meatballs are coated with sauce and serve.
Hey Everyone! It has been one of those weeks and although I have been making dinner every night, I just have not had the chance to do any filming. I will get a few videos done this weekend and we will get back on track.
In the mean time, we are going to a friends house this weekend to watch football for a game day. With that theme in mind we are all cooking some kind of Game. We will have venison, wild turkey, doves and probably a few other surprises. It should be fun!
Now you may not have access to any Game for game day so I am re-posting this classic from 2011. I do not have a video for it but if you are going to a party this weekend and bringing something, this one is a winner!
Enjoy!!!
Roasted Red Pepper and Cheese Stuffed Bread
Preheat oven 400o
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 – 25 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 240 Fat: 7 grams
Ingredients:
½ cup fat free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup grated low fat mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 package refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
1 jar (12.3 ounces) roasted red peppers
Directions:
Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl mix together ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, onion, powder, garlic powder and basil.
Rinse and dry roasted peppers with paper towels.
Roll out pizza dough and place half of the peppers in the middle of the pizza dough making sure you leave about a 1” border on the edges.
Spoon cheese mixture on top of the peppers and spread over the peppers. Top with the remaining peppers.
Roll pizza dough once toward the middle then fold both sides toward the middle. Roll the remaining dough until you have one large roll. Place the dough, seam side down onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let stand for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Ham & Cheese Stuffed Bread
Preheat oven 400o
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 -25 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 260 Fat: 8 grams
Ingredients:
½ cup fat free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup grated low fat mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 package refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
6 slices Italian deli meat ham
Directions:
Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl mix together ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, onion, powder, garlic powder and basil.
Roll out pizza dough and place 3 slices of ham in the middle of the pizza dough making sure you leave about a 1” border on the edges.
Spoon cheese mixture on top of the ham and spread over the ham. Top with the last 3 slices of ham.
Roll pizza dough once toward the middle then fold both sides toward the middle. Roll the remaining dough until you have one large roll. Place the dough, seam side down onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let stand for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Sausage Stuffed Bread
Preheat oven 400o
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 – 25 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 250 Fat: 8 grams
Ingredients:
2 Italian style chicken sausages
2 cloves garlic – crushed
1/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 refrigerated pizza dough
Directions:
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Remove casings from sausages and chop. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sauté sausage for 3 – 5 minutes until browned. Add crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Spoon sausage mixture into a small mixing bowl. Stir in ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and basil.
Roll out pizza dough and spread the sausage mixture in the middle of the pizza dough making sure you leave about a 1” border on the edges.
Roll pizza dough once toward the middle then fold both sides toward the middle. Roll the remaining dough until you have one large roll. Place the dough, seam side down onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let stand for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
To
make black bean dip: combine black beans with garlic, chili powder, olive oil,
salt & pepper and a few dashes of tabasco sauce in a food processor. Chop in food processor for 1 – 2 minutes,
stopping to scrape the sides until well combined.
Spoon
black bean dip into each endive cup and top with a spoonful of salsa.
Refrigerate
for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Note: You will have extra black bean dip that you can serve
with vegetables or tortilla chips
To
prepare mushrooms, wipe off any dirt with damp cloth and remove any stem. Heat pan on medium heat.
Combine olive oil, salt and pepper and, using
a brush, coat the mushrooms with the olive oil mixture. Heat sauté pan and spray with cooking
spray. Sauté mushrooms on each side for
about 3 – 4 minutes, covered until most of the liquid is absorbed. TIP: you may
have to work in batches, do not overcrowd the mushrooms.
Remove
mushrooms and set aside.
To
prepare filling: cook spinach in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 2 –
3 minutes. Let cool then squeeze out any
excess liquid.
Combine
spinach with cream cheese, Italian blend grated cheese, and basil.
If
baking, place mushrooms on a baking sheet, spoon cheese mixture on top of each
and bake for 8 – 10 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
If
grilling, place mushrooms on grill for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted
and slight browned.
Serve
warm
Correction: In the video I had called for ¼ cup
olive oil but it should be 2 tablespoons.
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