Saucy Chicken

Joseph and I have decided on a new dinner for our regular rotation. I won't be able to make it as often as I want when I go back on Weight Watchers but I'm sure I can make it WW friendly with some fat-free/reduced-fat changes. This dish leaves the chicken moist and juicy and the flavor of the sauce pairs perfectly with the egg noodles. Joseph and I both give this recipe an A+.

And if you didn't notice from the recipe... I am definitely not opposed to using cream of "fill in the blank" soups like some cooks are. I think that if it makes it easier for me when I'm crazy busy and it gives you a tasty meal than it's worth it. And Joseph couldn't live without his tuna casserole.

Source: Campbell's Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup label



Chicken Paprika ala Campbell's

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ground red pepper (I used black)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Hot cooked egg noodles

In skillet, heat butter and cook chicken for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Spoon off fat (I didn't... I know, I'm bad but who doesn't love butter?)

In skillet, combine soup, sour cream, paprika and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet and cover. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (took me about 10-15 minutes more but my chicken breasts were thick).

Serve chicken over noodles and top with extra sauce (the best part!).

Comfort Food

I want to start out by saying that yes, I know that the picture doesn't do this meal justice! This meatloaf was the tastiest, most flavorful meatloaf I've made so far. The peppers, cornbread crumbs and cheese on top really made this meatloaf work for me. And the recipe made two loaves so I got to enjoy this recipe twice because I froze one of the loaves.

I had some leftovers for lunch from my second loaf today and everyone who came into the lunch room was drooling because of how good it smelled. Than after hearing what was in it they wanted the recipe so they could try it. I'm telling you, this one is a winner!

Source: Guy's Big Bites



Cornbread Stuffed Meatloaf

Stuffing:

• 2 large or 5 small corn muffins (2 to 3 cups), crumbled by hand (I made a batch of Marie Callendar's cornbread mix and used about 1/2 of it)
  
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped (I omitted)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)
  
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Meatloaf:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces sliced Cheddar (I used Swiss on my second loaf and like it even better)
  

For the stuffing: Preheat oven to 275 to 300 degrees F.

Spread the cornbread crumbs on a sheet pan and let toast for about 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted and dry. Turn oven up to 350 degrees F.

In a skillet brown the bacon until crispy. Drain. To the same skillet add the red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until soft.

In a bowl, combine the cornbread crumbs, bacon, and vegetable mixture. Add parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

For the meatloaf: In medium skillet over medium heat add oil, red onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until caramelized, remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl combine the meat, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, mustard, ketchup Worcestershire, and eggs and thoroughly mix.

Divide the meat mixture in half. Shape 1 half into a rectangle, creating a canoe, and then loosely fill with stuffing. Do not pack it in. (I just mixed the stuffing mixture into the meat mixture because I was lazy....) Use the other half of the meat to fully enclose the stuffing. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. (It only took mine 70 minutes to reach 145 degrees) Layer the cheese slices on top and bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices and serve.

Dec/Jan Recipe Exchange

I was so excited to try this recipe! It sounded right up my alley with all of the kitchen remodel stuff. The recipe definitely turned out perfectly for Joseph and me. We might even put it on the regular rotation. I served this with a salad.

The only regret I have is that I forgot to take pictures! Being pregnant and being hungry are two things you don't want to mix. Because than nothing else matters except for eating :) Just ask my husband.

Enjoy!

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker French Dip

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 can or bottle beer
• 6 French rolls
• 2 tablespoons butter
• sliced mozzarella cheese

Trim excess fat from the roast and place in a slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion pawder, and worcestershire sauce. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours. Slice and add back to the juice and cook on low another hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Split French rolls, spread with butter, and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through. Place the meat on the rolls and serve the sauce for dipping.

Serves 8

Another simple one...

I love when I find a quick recipe that turns out tasty as well. This meal was definitely done in under 30 minutes and was flavorful and satisfying. Sadly Joseph couldn't find any basil at Trader Joe's when he went after work so I had to improvise. Luckily I had picked up some frozen basil cubes (they also have cilantro and garlic cubes) in the freezer from an earlier TJs run.

If you want easy... this is the recipe for you :)

Source: Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats



Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used frozen basil cubes from TJs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Salad for two

I've had a few random cravings this pregnancy but one that came out of the blue was a craving for my step mom's version of taco salad. I've shown my mom's version on here before and it's by far my favorite version but my step mom's has some good qualities too.

It's simple, for one. And you literally throw it together. What else can I ask for from a tasty recipe?

Source: Cathy my step mom



Taco Salad

• 1 lb ground beef, browned and seasoned to taste
  
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped or ripped into bite size pieces
• 1/2 can kidney beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used the mexican cheese blend from the store)
• 1 small bag Doritos nacho cheese chips, smashed up
  
• 1-2 tomatoes diced (I omitted)
• Italian dressing to taste

Start with a bed of lettuce. Add the beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, smashed Doritos and cheese. Top with Italian dressing and dig in!

Desperate for Dessert

During the whole pregnancy I have not been much of a sweets lover. I mean I can definitely eat sweets no problem but I just don't have a craving or draw to sweets. Last night, however, I really really wanted some moist cake. I didn't care where it came from as long as it was moist.

I called Joseph since he was out running errands and picking up parts, etc for the kitchen and asked where he was... Kearny Mesa. No real cake place around there. I told him that I really wanted some cake and he didn't know what to do...

So I took matters into my own hands and went in search of an easy, simple & fast cake recipe that didn't need much prep and didn't lead to lots of dirty dishes (Joseph was working on hooking up the sink in the kitchen so I didn't have a sink to do dishes in... the garage sink was already full with dishes...).

I had an idea of what recipe I was looking for since I had made it before. It's a microwave mug cake that takes about 5 minutes to prep... and cook! If you are in need of a chocolate cake fix and don't have time to make or buy one I'd suggest this recipe to tide you over. I do enjoy adding the chocolate chips because it makes it that much more chocolaty and moist. I do warn you though that it doesn't taste exactly like chocolate cake but it curbs the craving.

Source: Many sources if you google 'microwavable chocolate cake' but I took this recipe from this blog.



Chocolate Microwavable Mug Cake

• 4 tablespoons cake flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1-2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Mix the first three ingredients thoroughly in a mug.

Add the egg and beat in. Add the liquid ingredients and combine until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Let stand for 30 seconds before eating (it will be hot!). You can either dump the cake onto a plate or eat it right out of the mug like I do!

*warning* the cake does rise in the mug (see picture below) however it will not spill out :)

I Love Surprises!!!

Guess what I came home to? No guesses? Ok... here it is:



Now if you can't read that it says that I won some chocolate cake mix and chocolate frosting from Cherrybrook Kitchen! I also received a cute little spatula too. The best part? I didn't even know I won. Now I'm sure I got an email update from Blake Bakes telling me to go comment on his blog about how much I'd love to win this fabulous prize and I'm sure I did that but I somehow never caught on that I won!

I gotta say... with a husband with a food allergy (allergic to nuts) I am always looking for allergen-free products so that I know he's safe. Now if the kitchen remodel would only be finished I could whip up some cake with this mix. Maybe I'll be able to make it for book club on Wednesday :)

And I just looked at Blake Bakes to see when he announced the winners and it looks like everyone won! Isn't that the greatest?

Waffle Mania

I love waffles. Have I ever mentioned that? I am sure I haven't. It's just so easy to whip up a fresh batch of batter and cook them on the waffle iron. And if you love waffles like I do, you might appreciate this recipe a bit more. I've had it for a while. I became a fan of these last December right after I first joined Weight Watchers. I ate these as a dessert sometimes covered in 2 tablespoons of Cool Whip lite. What kind of waffle, might you ask, would serve as dessert too? Pumpkin waffles! Perfect for the fall or winter and super tasty and fun.

Since I don't currently have an oven or stove I decided that I needed something warm for breakfast. Than Joseph asked me to get some bagels from Einstein Bagels. How could I resist a husband who's working so hard to give me the kitchen of my dreams? So I set aside my craving of waffles and went to go get breakfast.

As soon as I got home I was absorbed in finishing Midnight Sun and 12:30 rolled by quickly. Joseph asked what was for lunch. Waffles immediately popped into my head but I knew he wouldn't want any. So I grabbed him a pot pie from the freezer and set out to hunt down the ingredients for the recipe and my waffle iron. I set up shop in the garage and started cooking. Boy were these good!

Source: Weight Watchers



Pumpkin Waffles

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk (I used 2% due to a lack of buttermilk and lemon juice)

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next four ingredients into a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Combine egg, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin & milk in a bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray; preheat. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle onto hot waffle iron, spread batter to edges. Cook 5-7 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat with remaining batter.

5 servings, 2 waffles per serving
4 points per serving

Warming Up

With the cool weather that has finally hit I decided to make something warm and comforting for dinner. I had to be smart and had to use what ingredients I had in the house. That's pretty hard right now since we're remodeling our kitchen and I've all but used up the contents in the freezer (saved a lot of money over the past two months not having to go shopping as often). So I knew we had potatoes, cream and cheese on hand. What better than a potato cheese soup?

We are limited to just a few cooking options at our house right now. So it was either the BBQ, rice cooker or slow cooker. I chose the latter. I searched my GR for some inspiration and found a cheddar, potato steak soup on Carrie's Cooking Adventures. With a few tweaks due to the ingredients I had on hand I came up with this...

Source: Carrie's Cooking Adventures



Potato & Cheese Soup

• 2 russet potatoes, peeled & diced (or cut into thin strips)
• 1 box chicken broth
• 1/2 box water (used chicken broth box to measure)
• Spices (I used s&p, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb and some Tony's Original Creole Seasoning)
• 1/4 pound of marble jack cheese

Peel potatoes. Dice, or thinly slice and than cut into strips, potatoes and put them in the slow cooker. Pour in broth and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Throw in the spices (I didn't measure... just literally threw in a bit of everything).

Cook for 6-8 hours (I cooked for 7 hours) on low.

Add cheese to top of soup and cook on high for 1/2 an hour longer. Stir soup and taste to see if any more seasoning is needed. If not, scoop into a bowl or cup, top with more cheese if you'd like and enjoy!

Update: I just tried the soup heated up today for a quick snack and added some bacon... MMMM! (I used the microwavable bacon from Costco).

Simple Favorites

I can't believe I haven't blogged my tuna casserole before. This recipe isn't quite what I usually make but I had to make some spin on it since I accidentally purchased cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of celery soup. I usually go right off of the cream of celery can for the recipe (minus the pimentos... eww) so if you want to stick with traditional just grab a can of cream of celery and you'll be set.

This is one of Joseph's favorite meals. In between trying new recipes I always have to go back to what Joseph likes because too many new recipes doesn't always make him happy. He's been really great with my trial and errors but I can tell when he just wants good old stand by's. This spin was pretty tasty. Can't wait for left overs tomorrow!



Tuna Cassrole

• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1 can cream of mushroom (or celery)
• 1 can tuna
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup peas (I used frozen)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water and add noodles. Cook until done. While noodles are cooking mix tuna, cream of mushroom, peas, salt & pepper & Mrs Dash until fully mixed. Drain noodles and mix with other ingredients.

In a small bowl mix butter and bread crumbs until little pea-sized crumbs form. Spread noodle mixture in an 8x8 dish. Top with cheese and bread crumb mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and bread crumbs are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes and than enjoy!