Week of November 25th

[New!] SALMON WITH OLIVE RELISH & BROCCOLINI
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemon zest
4 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 bunches broccolini (about 1 pound), ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ¼ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the olives, capers, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the broccolini, garlic,  ½ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the broccolini is just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the salmon with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Top the salmon and broccolini with the olive relish.


[New!] LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE & KALE
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 to 2 bunches kale (1 ½ pounds), thick stems removed
Coarse salt and pepper
8 ounces lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles), each broken crosswise into 4 to 6 pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  In a 5-quart pot, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Stir in onions; cover, and cook until softened, 5 minutes.  Uncover; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add kale and 1/2 cup water to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain; coarsely chop. Transfer to bowl with onions.

Meanwhile, cook noodles 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.

Add noodles, tomatoes, and ricotta to the bowl; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; smooth top with a spatula. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

HERBED CHICKEN, ORZO, AND ZUCCHINI
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried orzo pasta
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium zucchini, sliced
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill weed
Lemon wedges (optional)
Fresh dill sprigs (optional)


Directions:

Prepare orzo according to package directions; drain.  Return to saucepan.  Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with basil.  In a large skillet heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add chicken; cook about 12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through cooking.  Remove chicken from skillet.  Add zucchini to skillet ; cook and stir about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, 4 tablespoons of oil, and the snipped dill week.  Add to orzo; toss to coat.

Serve chicken with orzo and zucchini.  If desired, garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs.
 

VEGETARIAN BURRITOSFrom Diabetes Family Friendly Cookbook 2013


Ingredients:

1 16 oz can refried beans
1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups salsa, divided
1 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 small onion finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the refried beans, black beans, 1 cup salsa, broccoli, ¾ cup cheese, onion and cumin.  Spoon down the center of each tortilla, roll up.  Place seam side down in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Uncover, top with remaining salsa cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Week of November 18th

Mary's Potato Soup
My neighbor Mary brought me this soup when I wasn't feeling so hot last week and then kindly gave me the recipe - it's supposedly a Weight Watchers recommended recipe but it tastes SO indulgent.  And it's only THREE INGREDIENTS:

1 28 ounce bag of Potatoes O'Brien
1 Package of Country Gravy Mix
2 cans of chicken broth

Mix it all together until cooked through.  Shredded cheese and bacon on top is divine as well, but probably not as Weight Watchers friendly, haha!

ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH ARUGULA AND WHITE BEANS
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
4 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together the vinegar, rosemary, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the beans, arugula, and onion and toss to combine.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and cook until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve the chicken with the arugula and beans.

PORK CHOPS WITH CHEESY GRITS AND JAMMY TOMATOES
Original recipe here.


Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 ounces Cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick; about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Cook the grits according to the package directions, stirring in the Cheddar, butter, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper during the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, season the pork with the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side; remove and set aside to rest.

Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar to the drippings in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve the pork with the tomatoes and grits. Sprinkle with the parsley. 

Week of November 11th

CHICKEN POSOLE

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped (unless they’re skinny then use 3)
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 dried ancho chile thinly sliced - or - chipotles in adobo sauce (as much or as little as you like)
2 cups shredded chicken (I made my own, but you can use a rotisserie from the store)
15 ounce can hominy rinsed
Lime wedges
Minced cilantro
Red pepper flakes

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and cook until soft.  Add stock, tomatoes and chile – bring to a boil.  Stir in chicken, red pepper flakes and hominy and cook until heated through.  Add salt and pepper as needed.  Top with cilantro and squeeze in some lime juice.  Add more red pepper flakes if you like it hot-hot-hot!  ENJOY!


SWEET BABY RAY’S CROCKPOT CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
¼ C vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ C brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder

Mix everything.  Put chicken in crockpot (frozen is okay).  Pour sauce mixture over chicken.  Cook on low 4-6 hours (if doing 4 breasts, eat either right at 4 or shortly before 4 hours).

TAMALE PIE

What You Need:

6 au gratin or small oven proof dishes (or one 9 x 9 baking dish)
1 cup cornmeal for polenta (or prepared polenta, about two 18 ounce tubes)
3 cups pinto beans, cooked (or canned)
1 cup frozen corn
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar)
Sour cream to serve

Note: If you have time, we recommend cooking the beans from dry beans – it greatly enhances the flavor and texture!

What To Do:

Make the polenta. When it is done, spread a layer evenly in the bottom of each dish. You can prepare it in advance and refrigerate until baking.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Chop the cilantro. Drain the can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 cups salsa to remove excess liquid. If using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans.

In large bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork. Add 1 cup corn, tomatoes, salsa, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup cilantro. Mix to combine.

Spoon the bean mixture on top of the polenta. Top each dish with cheese and remaining cilantro.

Bake for 20 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream to serve.

Week of November 4th

Chicken Divan

Family recipe that I've changed a bit to our preference.

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken - you can buy a rotisserie chicken, or when I'm feeling industrious I boil up a pot of water along with some onion chunks, a chopped up carrot or two, a stalk of celery along with some salt and pepper, toss in 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, bring the water to simmer for about 20 minutes until they're ready to shred - sometimes longer if throwing in frozen chicken breasts. 

2 cans cream of chicken soup*

2 packages frozen broccoli - or you can use fresh chopped broccoli

1 cup mayonnaise*

*A cup of milk if you use fresh broccoli (otherwise it comes out on the dry side)

Cheddar cheese

Seasoned bread crumbs

Curry powder - season to taste

*Do not go "light" on the soup or mayo, or it will taste SO VERY SAD.  This isn't the healthiest dish out there, but it's so yummy.

Once the chicken is cooked and/or shredded, lay the broccoli at the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Add the chicken on top.  In a bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, mayo, milk (if using) and curry to taste.  Pour sauce over the whole thing.  Layer with cheddar cheese, sprinkle top with bread crumbs.  Bake covered in a 350 oven for about 40 minutes, take foil off and bake for another 10 or until cheese is all melty.

PORK CHOPS WITH CHEESY GRITS AND JAMMY TOMATOES
Original recipe here.


Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 ounces Cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick; about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Cook the grits according to the package directions, stirring in the Cheddar, butter, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper during the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, season the pork with the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side; remove and set aside to rest.

Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar to the drippings in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve the pork with the tomatoes and grits. Sprinkle with the parsley.

SAUSAGE, BEAN & KALE STEW
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ package of ground Italian Sausage
1 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bunches kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1 loaf country bread (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the beans, broth, and tomatoes and their liquid and bring to a boil.

Add the kale and ¼ teaspoon each salt* (don’t add as much, people can season on own) and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the bread, if using.

[*NEW*] CHICKEN PARIKASH 

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
6 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a separate pot over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 3 more minutes. Combine the flour, paprika, marjoram and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.

Push the bacon and vegetables to one side of the pot and increase the heat to medium high. Add the chicken and any remaining flour mixture to the other side and cook, turning, until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir together the chicken, bacon and vegetables and cook 2 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook as the label directs; drain.

Uncover the pot with the chicken, increase the heat to high and cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream and parsley and cook 2 more minutes. Season with salt. Serve over the noodles.