Meat Loaf- Easy and Simple

What you will need:

1-2 lbs ground beef (for 2 people I use 1lb and have leftovers)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup pulp from vegetable juicing (optional but adds a lot of flavor and gives you something to do with the pulp from juicing)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs then mix all of the other ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a 13X9 baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

Chicken and noodles

Hey friends, Abbey here!  Emily has had some many good recipes lately, so I thought that I would sneak one in :)

I literally made this up.  I need to go grocery shopping and this is what we had in the panty/ freezer.

First and formost, make sure you have an AWESOME sous chef that will "help" you and laugh at your bad dancing skill while cooking!

1 package of chicken strips

1 box of the archer farms (target) spaghetti pesto

1/2 of of frozen brocolli

1 egg

some milk

bread crumbs

oil

marsala or some other marinade

I defrosted some chicken and marinaded it yesterday.  Our friends called and asked us to dinner, we don't turn them down :)  So it ended up marinading the chicken for over 24 hours.  But above (marsala) is the marinade (let's see how many times I can type "marinade in one paragraph!).  I used tupperware and put the chicken in there with the marsala cooking wine and added italian seasoning and some other seasoning, I can't remember- tyme maybe?  I don't know- just whatever smells good {grin}.  Let soak for as long as you can.

Tonight, I used 1 egg and a dash of milk and dipped the said chicken in it and then rubbed the bread crumbs on each strip.

Put the chicken over the spaghetti.  I have never fried chicken before and THANK goodness my hubby came in and saved the day- or chicken.  It was a little crispy :)

Serve the broccoli on the side.  

Chipotle Roast

You will need:
1-2 lbs of roast
1 envelope of Grill Mates Chipotle Seasoning

Heat the oven to 350. Marinate the roast in the Chipotle seasoning per instructions on back of envelope. Place the roast on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Pour some of the leftover marinade over the roast. Cook for about 25-40 minutes. I would recommend starting to check the inside of the roast after about 20 minutes to make sure it does not get over cooked.

*** If you are able to marinade the meat ahead of time, I would recommend doing so for a few hours before. Trust me, it is still delicious even if you cannot do this.

I served this dish with a side of sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Creamy Spinach Dip

I am not really sure were this recipe came from but it is delicious. I have made it as a side for dinner or an appetizer to take to a party!

Ingredients:
1 box thawed spinach
1 box cream cheese (I usually get fat free to make it have less calories :) )
1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 milk
12 oz of salsa
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
2 cups of grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a small oven safe dish. Cook for 40 minutes. I like to serve this with the Whole Grain Tostitos Scoops.

Chicken and Atrichoke Hearts Casserole

Hi everybody! This is a delicious meal, but fair warning, artichokes, rice and chicken together do not make very pretty colors on your plate.

Ingredients
1.5- 2 pounds of chicken (depending on how much you want to add)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2-1 cup mushrooms (depending on if you like mushrooms and how many you want in here)
2ish tablespoons of flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar (both seem to work about the same)
1 can artichoke hearts (if you are like Josh and I and LOVE these, you might want to get 2 cans)
1-2 cups of rice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Coat chicken in salt, pepper and paprika. Cook in skillet with butter or whatever your preference is. Once cooked, chop it up or leave it as whole pieces and place it in a casserole dish. In the skillet, add mushrooms and saute. Once sauteed, add chicken broth and sherry. Then sprinkle in flour until the sauce thickens.

Cook rice and add it to the casserole dish.

Place the artichoke hearts in the casserole dish and then pour mushroom sauce evenly throughout the casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

This might sound strange but if you add a splash of soy sauce after cooking it, it adds a lot of flavor.

Summer Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. A few times I have made this for a cookout this summer and have ended up eating it for lunch or dinner a few times that week.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Pasta (I usually use bow ties or the twisty ones)
Cilantro Lime salad dressing (from Trader Joe's)
*If you do not want to go to Trader Joe's, you can use Italian dressing)
Cherry Tomatoes or a large Tomato (chop tomato or slice the cherry tomatoes in half)
Celery (chopped)
Green Pepper (chopped)
Carrots (chopped)
*I like a lot of veggies in my pasta salad, so feel free to add as much or as little as you would like

Cook the pasta. Drain the noodles then put in a large bowl. Add the chopped veggies into the bowl then dump in 1/2- 3/4 of the bottle of dressing and mix. I usually let mine refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Chicken/Vegetable Casserole

Things you will need:
~ 1 can of green beans or the equivalent of fresh green beans
~ 1 can of corn
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of diced, cooked chicken
1 cup of cooked rice
3/4 cup of milk
1 can of french onion rings (you can also use crackers if you do not have french onion rings)
~ 1 cup of cheese (optional)

Combine the beans, corn, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and rice. Put the mixture in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with onion rings and bake for 10 more minutes. If you love cheese like the Fox family does, add some shredded cheese before placing the onion rings on top.

Beat the heat with Summer Beer

Summer beer is a delicious drink to enjoy after dinner, sitting on the porch or at the pool. It is so simple to make yet one of the best drinks.

There are 2 variations of this, so here we go!

Lemonade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen pink lemonade
Vodka
3-4 light beers (Bud Light or Coors Light are what we typically use)

Pour the pink lemonade into a pitcher then fill the lemonade can with vodka and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Limeade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen lime juice
Tequilla
3-4 Mexican beers (Corona or Dos Equis work well)

Pour the limeade into a pitcher and then fill the limeade can with tequilla and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken

Josh and I have started juicing. Since we are juicing, we have been trying to make lighter, simpler meals. Here is one of Josh's favorites:

You will need the following:

Teriyaki Sauce

1-2 onions chopped

Enough chicken for who you are cooking for

In a skillet, dump in enough Teriyaki sauce to line the skillet. Place the chicken in the sauce and turn it over a couple of times. Then let it cook completely on each side. While the chicken is cooking, sautee the onions in another skillet. I typically add salt/pepper and the Weber grill mates brand Kick'n Chicken.

Once the onions are cooked, combine then in the chicken to soak on the flavors. Then top with more Kick'N Chicken seasoning. 

Bloody Mary goodness

Hey friends, Abbey here!  I don't know if you know this or not, but my husband can cook!  I mean, the proof is in my hiney he is seriously good!  Besides his killer culinary skills, he can make a mean drink.  So add it the ingrediants to the grocery list and stop by the liquor store on the way!!

No better day for this than hump day:

Bloody Mary Goodness:

In a high ball glass add:

4 cubes ice

1 ounce pour (jigger) of Vodka of your choice

8oz can of V8 juice- original, not spicy

A generous squirt of Sriracha HOT chili sauce (you know that hot sauce with the green top and the roaster on the bottle)

1 squeeze of bottled lime juice or 1/2 of one lime (preferred)

ground pepper to taste

3 second pour (count it out) of Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce (the kind with the paper on the bottle and leave the paper on...it really adds to the experience!!)

Mix all the ingredients together, and shake violently for 5 seconds. 

Garnish with two large green olives and a celery stalk from the heart of the plant.

Go grab your honey and have some couch time and relax!  (Frank says: “or better yet, a hammock and a fat cigar.)

Happy Wednesday!

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is seriously one of the easiest and most delicious chicken casseroles I have ever made.

Ingredients
~ 4 chicken breasts cooked and cut up
(or whatever is needed for your family)
8 ounces of sour cream (I usually get the low fat or fat free)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter or margarine (melted)
Poppy seeds

Combine the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Pour into casserole dish. Crush up the crackers and combine with margarine and poppy seeds. Sprinkle over top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken tacos in the crock pot

I work everyday. I leave my house about 7:00-7:15 and get home about 5:45-6:00. I am not complaining, but it makes crock pot cooking hard. Well, GOOD NEWS, if you work like I do, you can still make this recipe. I usually put it all together the night before or in the morning before I leave for work.

Ingredients:
Chicken (I usually use 3 breasts for 2 of us)
1 jar of salsa
1 taco seasoning packet
taco shells

Optional Ingredients (this is what you want to put on your taco!). Below is what I like
avocado or guacamole
cheese
tomatoes
jalapeno
onion

Place the chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in the crock pot. If you would like to cook on low, cook for about 4-6 hours. I cook it on high for about 2 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, it should shred easily wich a fork. You can use the chicken for quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. Use the leftovers for taco soup!

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

4 cloves garlic- (this is the little sections on a bulb of garlic, not 4 whole things of garlic)
1 hefty slice of onion
6-8 stalks asparagus
1 medium Zucchini
1 medium Squash
1 c cherry tomatoes
¾ c sliced mushrooms
1 T Olive Oil
2 T Balsamic Vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Can diced tomatoes- I like the Italian herb flavored kind..
Bow Tie Pasta (but rotini is good too) you want one with nooks and crannies though ;)
fresh parmesan. You’re gonna want a LOT- yum.

Chop the garlic and onions into little bitty pieces (if you have a chopper, use it) and then cook it over
medium heat in a skillet with the olive oil. Put the water on to boil at the same time. I like to add some
balsamic vinegar and salt to the noodle water to give it some flavor.
Once the garlic and onions are cooked and tender, reduce the heat to medium low and cook the
veggies. Just cook them in the skillet, stirring often, until they are tender. Boil the noodles for 1 minute
LESS than the box says.

After the veggies are tender, add the diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar (and whatever herbs you
like- I love adding rosemary and basil). I like to make the tomatoes more liquid by putting them in the
food processor- but that’s mainly because Daniel hates ‘chunks’. Drain the noodles but save ½ cup of
the noodle water. Add the noodles and water to the skillet and turn on low. Let it all simmer together
for 10 minutes or so. Then serve topped with shredded Parm. Yum.

Easy Meatballs and Rice

I am a sucker for easy recipes. Here is an easy meatball and rice recipe.

1 bag of frozen meatballs (the ones from Trader Joe's are my favorite)
1 jar of your favorite sauce (BBQ is delicious, Trader Joe's Island sauce is GREAT, also General Tso's sauce)
1.5 cups of rice

Place meatballs and sauce in skillet. Let simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are heated all the way through. Serve over rice with your favorite vegetables.

Chicken Cakes (Like crab cakes but with chicken!)

So I have been addicted to the Food Network and cooking shows lately. I saw one recently where they made something that looked like a crab cake but was with chicken. So here is what I used and how I cooked these 'chicken cakes':

~ 1.5 pounds of chicken (5 small chicken breasts)
~ 1/2 cup of chopped celery (leave the leafy things on the ends and make sure its chopped really fine)
~1/2 cup of onions
~1/2 cup of chopped peppers. I used a green one but I think a red or yellow one would make them very pretty
~ I didn't add this but think a little jalapeno would be yummy!
-3 eggs
~ 2 cups panko bread crumbs (not to be confused with blinko)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- splash of salt and pepper


I boiled the chicken since it requires less attention than grilling. While the chicken is boiling, I chopped up the celery, onions, and peppers then sauteed them. In a bowl, mix the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper. then mix this in with the chicken and vegetables. Add Panko crumbs until it seems thick enough to make into 'cakes'.

Create the mixture into how many ever and whatever size cakes you want.

In a skillet, melt a small amount of butter. Then cook the cakes until they are golden brown on each side.

I made a sauce to dip them in BUT think it would be a lot easier to use a chipotle type mayonnaise or remoulade sauce that is already pre-made.

The sauce you can make involves mixing the following:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
splash of salt and pepper
bigger splash of bayou blast or similar seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
splash or Worcestershire sauce
2ish tablespoons of Dijon mustard
splash of lemon or lime juice
garlic (I used a whole clove)

Pizza on the Grill

Tonight for dinner I decided to grill. Pizza that is!

It was a fun meal to make. I used this dough recipe from www.foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef's Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 envelope instant dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• Cheeses (of your liking)
• Vegetables (of your liking)
• Meats (of your liking)
• ~4 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

I made mine into 4 pieces instead of 2. This allowed us to make 4 individual pizzas.

Turn the grill on to medium/high.

Make the 4 dough balls into flat pizza shaped sizes. Put some Olive Oil and salt and pepper on 1 side.

Then put the dough on the grill with the oil side down. Then put olive oil and salt and pepper on the top. It would be easiest if you have a brush to put the olive oil on, but I do not have one so I used a baster.

Cook each side for a couple of minutes, until their are grill marks in it.

Take them all off the grill.

Use whatever ingredients you would like on top.

Here are my favorites that we made:

1- a little olive oil on the bottom, then zucchini/squash, cherry tomatoes, a little bacon, asparagus, Gorgonzola cheese, feta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese

2- tomato paste, green olives, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, shredded mozzarella, shredded Mexican cheese

Once you place your ingredients on the pizza, set them on a cookie sheet and then back on the grill until the cheese is melted. 

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Becca Fowler! Hope you enjoy!

Serves: 12
Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
2 bell peppers (yellow and red are yummy), diced
2 large carrots, diced
drizzle evoo
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
dash chili pepper flakes
1 C quinoa
4 C low sodium chicken broth
2-3 C water, to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the peppers and carrots with the
garlic. Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add seasonings
and cook for another minute.
2. Add quinoa, chicken, and chicken broth. I usually add another cup or two of
water, you can vary that depending on how you want it to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

This soup freezes well, just make sure you stir it up before you portion it because
the quinoa and veggies sink to the bottom.

*Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly
crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. It is one of the highest
forms of protein you can get outside of meat and is gluten-free.