Tex-Mex Meatloaf

Tex-Mex Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef

1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided

1 (16 oz) can chili beans in sauce, undrained

1 (10 0z) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

NOT 1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced (I used two since I skip the onion)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ground beef, 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, beans, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until combined.

Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Spoon 1/2 cup salsa evenly over meatloaf; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until center is no longer pink. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into wedgs. Serve with desired toppings: sour cream, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, guacamole.

(from Julie--Southern Living May 2008)

Lemon Sherbet

Lemon Sherbet

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate

3 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 T grated lemon rind

1 egg white

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Freeze! (I made this in my little electric ice cream freezer.)

Loved it!

Easy Chocolate Croissants

Easy Chocolate Croissants

1 8-count refrigerated crescent rolls

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Unroll dough and separate into 8 triangles.

Place about 10 chocolate chips (My 3 year old counted each one, it was great for him) on the bottom third of each triangle and roll up the dough around the chocolate.

Transfer croissants to baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if desired).

Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Real Simple magazine May 2008)

France these were not, but we gobbled them up!!

Peanut Butter-Banana Spirals

Peanut Butter-Banana Spirals

1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter

1/3 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt

1 T orange juice

2 ripe bananas, sliced

4 fat free flour tortillas

2 T honey-crunch wheat germ (I used Grape Nuts)

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine peanut butter and yogurt, stirring until smooth. Drizzle juice over bananas; toss gently to coat.

Spread about 3T peanut butter mixture over each tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Arrange about 1/2 cup banana slices in a single layer over peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle bananas with wheat germ and cinnamon. Roll up. Slice each roll into 6 pieces.

I loved these--and everyone here ate them up. A great breakfast or snack. YUM!

(Serves 2)

(Cooking Light, September 2003)

Turkey Tetrazzini

Turkey Tetrazzini

Note: This recipe is for one serving--in parenthesis is what I used to serve my family and then some!

2-3 (12 oz.) ounces fettucine, broken in half

1 (2) 9 ounce box frozen creamed spinach (+ one box chopped frozen spinach)

1/4 (1 cup) cup sour cream

One 1/4 ounce slice roast turkey, cut into cubes (I had the deli cut me two thick cuts of a fairly large turkey breast and it was enough)

salt

1 cup bread crumbs (Didn't use four cups....didn't measure either)

1/4 cup (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook fettucine until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In same saucepan, add creamed spinach (and reg. spinach) and cook over medium heat until heated through. Stir in the sour cream and turkey and season to taste with salt. Add the reserved pasta and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to a small baking dish.

Preheat a oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture on teh pasta and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

(Serves 1 or 4+)

(http://www.rachaelraymag.com/)

Cherry Chicken Salad

Cherry Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

2/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped Granny Smith apple

1/3 cup cup chopped pecans, toasted (I substituted sliced almonds, toasted of course)

1/2 cup mayo

4 T buttermilk (didn't use)

salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, combine chicken, cherries, celery, apple, and pecans. In another bowl, combine the mayo, buttermilk, salt and pepper; add to chicken mixture and mix well. *Folks, I did it in one bowl and it worked out just fine!*

Serve on croissants. I used Hawaiian Bread Snackers--they're sweet and the size of two rolls--perfect.

(Serves 7)

(Taste of Home August/September 2008)

Zucchini Boats on the Grill and Spicy Grilled Cinnamon Apple Slices

Zucchini Boats on the Grill

2 medium zucchini
1 slice white bread (I used bread crumbs)
1/4 cup bacon bits...real bacon would be even better!
1 T minced black olives
1 jalepeno pepper, minced
3 T diced green chiles
NOT 1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 chopped tomato
6 T sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 pinch dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare grill for indirect heat.

Place zucchini in pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp to about 1/4 inch from the skin. Chop pulp.

In bowl, mix pulp with remaining ingredients. Stuff zucchini halves with mixture. Seal each stuffed half in aluminum foil. (We made a foil pouch for all of them.)

Place foil packets on grill over indirect heat. Cook 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
(Serves 4)
(http://www.allrecipes.com/)

Russ loved these. Riley wasn't find of the stuffing--I think it was a texture thing! I liked them, but would have preferred real bacon. Went great with our steaks.

Spicy Grilled Cinnamon Apple Slices

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Combine sliced apples, lime juice, and 2 cups water in a large mixing bowl, soak 5 minutes, then drain on paper towels.
Heat gas or charcoal grill to 375 degrees.

Combine cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar in pie plate. Press one side of each apple slice into the mixture and set on plate. Allow mixture to dissolve into the apple for 2 minutes. Turn apple slices over and sprinkle with remaining mixture.

Grill apples uncovered for 3 minutes on each side until they are caramelized and began to sizzle and bubble. Immediately serve with vanilla ice cream.
(Serves 8)
(HEB Texas Life Magazine)

Deluxe Omlette Biscuits

Deluxe Omlette Biscuits

9 frozen biscuits

2 T butter or margarine

NOT 1/2 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

6 large eggs

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Bake biscuits according to package directions; set aside.

Place butter and NO onion in a lightly greased 9 inch square pan (I didn't grease because butter is grease!) Bake at 425 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients. Pour into hot NOT onion mixture; sprinkle with cheese and crumbled bacon.

Bake for 12 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 9 (3 inch) squares. Serve in biscuits.

Note: Recipe may be doubled and baked in a 15x10 jellyroll pan. These may also be prepared ahead and frozen. To reheat, wrap individual frozen omlet biscuits in a paper towl, and microwave on medium 3 1/2-4 minutes. Or, wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

(9 servings)

(Southern Living, April 1998)

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Slow Cooker Enchiladas


1 lb. ground beef
NOT 1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Rotel
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (I probably put in 2 T)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas (I used 12 corn because flour swells)
1/3 cup water


In a skillet, cook beef, NOT onion, and green pepper until beef is brown and vegetables are tender (because I omit the onion, I do put in some minced garlic); drain. Add beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses. In a 5 quart slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup of beef mixture, 1 tortilla (I used 2), and about 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook onlow for 5-7 hours or until heated through.


Mine did dry out around the edges at about 7 hours. I took a chance and added some water to add moisture back into it and it worked well. I was worried that I added too much, but it returned the moisture perfectly and wasn't soupy disaster like I thought might happen!


We liked this one and my mother-in-law asked for the recipe! She thought it was delish!

Coconut Chicken and Rice

Coconut Chicken and Rice

8 boneless, skinnless chicken-breast halves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. cayenne
zest from 2 limes
3 cups uncooked basmati rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp. salt
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the garlic, cayenne, and lime zest; set aside.
Place the rice in the baking dish. Combine the chicken stock, coconut milk, cilantro, salt, and lime juice and pour onto the rice. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the foil, sprinkle the coconut on top, and cook 5 minutes more or until the coconut is browned.

The recipe can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the chicken comes out warm.

(Serves 8)
(Real Simple magazine)

I LOVED this...and I wasn't the only one! I'd put the whole bag of sweetened coconut on top too--well, maybe not the whole bag. YUM! I served it with peas...they just went together for some reason, I can't explain it.

To me, it made 8 servings of chicken and 24 servings of rice, but the rice was so fantastic I could eat it for a meal! You may want to add another halved chicken breast if you can squeeze it into the baking dish without touching another one.

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

1 pound uncooked radiatore pasta (short coiled pasta)
1 tsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (I used 1 lb.)
2/3 cup water
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 cups preshredded Mexican blend cheese
2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1 cup chopped bell pepper (or not, in my case!)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
NOT 1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T fresh lime juice (I used more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 8-ounce container reduced fat sour cream
salsa (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain; set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add turkey; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in water and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates and the turkey is done, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Combine pasta, turkey mixture, cheese, and next 6 ingredients (through beans) in a large (the biggest you've got!) bowl.

Combine lime juice, salt, cumin, and sour cream stirring until well blended. Pour over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve with salsa if desired.

(12 servings)
(Cooking Light September 2005)

Everyone liked this in our house. We all ate it for lunch the next day too!

Banana Cream of Wheat

Banana Cream of Wheat


4 cups water
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup uncooked original (2 1/2 minute) Cream of Wheat
1 cup mashed, ripe banana (about 2 small bananas)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 packets Splenda (we used real sugar)
4 T Grape Nuts cereal


Place the water and salt in a medium nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil. Add Cream of Wheat, stirring constantly until well blended. Return to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the banana, cinnamon, and sugar substitute. Stir until well combined.


Divide among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle 1 T Grape Nuts over each bowl and serve.

Riley and I ate this for breakfast 3 days in a row. We both liked it!
Cream of Wheat isn't photogenic, there will be no photos!

(Makes 4 servings)
(Biggest Loser Cookbook)

Tropical Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Tropical Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes

6 T fresh lime juice

3 T fresh ginger root, minced

6 T apricot preserves

6 T soy sauce

1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (4 4-ounce pieces)

2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced to 1/4 inch thick rounds

Preheat grill.

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, ginger, preserves, and soy sauce. Set aside 1/2 of the marinade. Add chicken to remaining marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Grill sweet potato slices until tender, about 8 minutes, brushing with reserved merinade as they cook. At the same time, grill chicken until firm and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.

(Serves 4)

(http://www.weightwatchers.com/)

This was great--very summer. Loved the glaze on the chicken and sweet potatoes.

Honey Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Grilled Bananas

Honey Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.)
1/4 cup Catalina dressing, divided
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 T honey



Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush meat with 2 T of dressing. Mix dry ingredients; rub onto meat. Place in baking pan. Mix remaining 2 T. dressing and the honey; set aside.

Bake 15 minutes; brush with dressing mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through (160 degrees).


Remove meat from oven; cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.


*To make this on the grill, start by preheating it to medium heat. Prepare meat as directed, rubbing with spice mixture. Place meat on grill; cover grill with lid. Grill 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush with some of the honey mixture. Continue grilling 5-10 minutes or until meat is cooked through (160 degrees), turning and brushing frequently with honey mixture. Let stand, covered with foil, 5 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Bananas

4 bananas (washed, in their skin)

1 can Eagle Brand

vanilla ice cream

chocolate topping, chocolate chips, whatever you have

Grill bananas until skin is browned and has grill marks. Slice peel open, pour some Eagle Brand in there and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Even better with some chocolate on top!

Delicious and EASY!

(Saw this on Grill It With Bobby Flay)

Corn Dogs

Corn Dogs

Cooking spray

11 1/2 oz Pillsbury Cornbread Twists, or other brand (I couldn't find these so I used reduced fat crescent rolls)

8 tsp. mustard

8 lowfat beef hot dogs

2 large egg whites, whisked

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Unroll cornbread twists and separate into 8 equal pieces using dough performations as a guide. Pinch together the existing perforations between twists to make 8 solid pieces. Roll each piece into a 4x5 inch rectange. *Using crescent rolls, I started at the wide end and rolled to the pointed end. No rolling, no perforating, no nothing.*

Spread 1 tsp. of mustard on each rectange. Place hot dogs on rectangles, roll up and pinch ends in to seal. (I didn't put mustard on them, but offered as a condiment...."dip" as Riley calls it.)

Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Roll corn dogs first in egg whites, then in bread crumbs, turning to coat. Transfer corn dogs to prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

(Serves 4)

(http://www.weightwatchers.com/)

I served with some Edamame--never had that combination before, but it worked for us. These were even better than we expected...and we are NOT a hot dog eating family. I'm kind of shocked I made them. Everyone needs a little carnie food every now and then!

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Sticks

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Sticks

1/2 cup peanut butter

8 slices sandwich bread

1/2 cup jelly

5 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

4 T butter

1/2 cup maple syrup, warmed

Spread peanut butter on 4 bread slices and the jelly on the other 4 slices, and combine to make 4 sammies.

In wide, medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. (I only used 2 eggs for 2 sandwiches.)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 T butter over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, dunk two of the sammies into the french toast batter and let the excess drip off. Place in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes for each side. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Let cool slightly and cut into sticks; serve with warm maple syrup. (I didn't serve with maple syrup--it's sweet and sticky enough!)

These are VERY filling...Riley ate half and I couldn't finish a whole sandwich. I think I enjoyed these more than he did! YUM!

(Serves 4)

(http://www.rachaelraymag.com/)

Filet Mignon, Baked Pepper-Cheese Squash, and Grilled Peaches

Baked Pepper-Cheese Squash

2 pounds summer squash

8 slices bacon

NOT 1 large onion

8 ounces shredded jalapeno or pepper jack cheese

1/2 to 1 cup dried bread crumbs

Start bacon frying. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Boil squash until tender (I sliced, then steamed mine). Fry bacon until crisp and remove from pan. DON'T peel onion and slice into rings. DON'T brown onion in a portion of the bacon drippings. Crumble bacon.

In 9x9 inch baking dish, layer half of squash (since I didn't brown onions in bacon drippings, I drizzled a little of the bacon drippings over the squash as I layered), then bacon, NOT onion, then cheese. Repeat layers and top with bread crumbs. Bake 40 minutes.

(Serves 10--I halved this one, kinda)

(From Texas Co-op Power Magazine--May 2009)

Grilled Peaches

6 peaches, halved, with stones removed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

vanilla ice cream

Sprinkle cut side of peach half with cinnamon. (My peaches were pretty firm and not terribly sweet, so I used cinnamon and sugar for this step.)

Arrange peaches cut side down on medium high grill rack (or basket). Grill 3-5 minutes on each side. Top each half with a small scoop of ice cream (and maybe a sprinkle or two of cinnamon and sugar)!

Bruschetta Layered Chicken Bake

Bruschetta Layered Chicken Bake

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 (28 oz.) can Italian style stewed tomatoes (I prefer diced, so I drained them and added some Italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar); well drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Combine stuffing mix with 1 1/2 cups water.

Spread tomatoes and garlic over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
(Serves 6)
(Kraft Food and Family Magazine)

Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bites

Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bites

Cooking spray

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

4 oz. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 T powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat two nonstick cookie sheets with cookie spray.

Place cocoa, margarine, and sugar in medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer. Add applesauce and vailla; beat to blend. In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into cocoa batter with wooden spoon.

Shape batter into 48 marble-sized balls. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to stand for 1 minute. Remove to wire rack and cook; sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Note: Store extra cookies in freezer-safe containers or plastic bags to maintain their freshness.)

Herbes de Provence Chicken

This was one of my souveniers from my trip. At H.E.B., this stuff is $25.00 an ounce. In France, a big bag was less than $10. It's a mixture of herbs from the area, including lavender. It just tastes like France to me. I had to have some and didn't really know what to do with it. Lotta said to just put it on everything!! We tried this and it was great--Riley even loved the creme fraiche with his veggies.

Herbes de Provence Chicken

4 chicken breasts, halved

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T Herbes de Provence

Combine ingredients except chicken. Place marinade and chicken into ziploc bag to marinate. Let marinate at least 30 minutes. Grill until done.

Serve with creme fraiche mixed with 1 T of Herbes de Provence and 1 T minced garlic.

Serve grilled chicken with a tablespoon or two of sauce on top...and your veggies too!