#1,768: Taco Pork Chops

Pretty big thumbs down for this recipe from my crew.  Although I ate this served over some shredded cabbage (more like a taco salad) and I would personally eat this again, I was the only one who enjoyed this at all, and that was pretty marginally.  It was an easy recipe, but it just didn't do it for us. I threw all of the ingredients into my crockpot and let it cook on low for about 8 hours while at work.

  

4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, whatever you prefer)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil (I omitted)

16oz. can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup medium onion, chopped

 4 tbsp. taco seasoning

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chops in the oil for about 3 minutes on each side until they are nicely browned.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, water, onion and seasoning.  Pour this over the chops and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the chops are cooked through.  Let them stand for about 5 minutes before serving.   

#1,767: Slow Cooker General Taso's Chicken

This recipe got super mixed reviews from my family.  Allison and I both enjoyed this dish, while Chloe and Brian thought it was just ok...and Super Picky Matthew wouldn't touch it.  Allison would not stop raving about this dish though...so at least 1 person loved it.  This is such a super simple dish and took no time at all to throw together.  Since Allison enjoyed it so much, I told her I would take a picture of her dinner plate.  :)  The worst part of this recipe (for me anyways) was that I didn't have hoisen sauce.  But now that I have it in my fridge, I'll have to find other recipes to use it up in.  :) 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup water

3 T hoisen sauce

2 T soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 T ketchup

1/4 tsp dry ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less to liking)

1 T cornstarch

In a mixing bowl, mix together water, hoisen sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, and crushed red pepper.  If you aren’t using a liner for your crockpot, spray crockpot with cooking spray and add chicken.  Add sauce on top.

Cook for 4-6 hours on low.  Remove chicken and cut into chunks.

Whisk cornstarch in the sauce to thicken it up.  If it isn’t quite to desired thickness, slowly add more cornstarch teaspoon by teaspoon.  But be careful because it can thicken up fast and does thicken up as it sits. 

Add chicken back to the crockpot and allow to heat through for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve over hot rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired. 

#1,766: Taco Casserole with Sweet Potato Crust

I really, really loved this healthy taco casserole.  The worst part of this recipe is only eating a reasonable serving size.  I could have easily eaten way more...yes I enjoyed it that much.  Next time I think I'm going to start to pre-cook the sweet potato crust for about 15 minutes so that it gets more browned and crispy rather than soft and mushy, and I'll definitely add way more garnishes to it too.  :)  Yum, Yum, Yum! 

1 packet of taco seasoning mix (or use a homemade mix)

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 large raw sweet potato, grated

1 egg, whisked

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced (I omitted)

1/2 green bell pepper, diced (I omitted)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 green chili pepper, chopped

Garnish (optional)

Olives, diced tomatoes, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, etc.

In a frying pan add 2 tbsp of a fat of your choice and cook the ground beef, onions, peppers and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning.  I personally needed more taco seasoning and used an entire packet.  Cook until ground beef is brown and veggies are tender.

Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and stir. Simmer awhile to allow flavors to combine, and set aside.

Next peel and grate the sweet potato, and place in a small mixing bowl.  In another small bowl, whisk 1 egg, and pour it into the sweet potato bowl.  Mix egg and sweet potato together. 

Grease an 8" x 8" baking dish (or similar size pie pan) with coconut oil, then press the potato/egg mixture into bottom and sides of dish to form a crust.  Pour the cooked meat and veggie mixture over the crust and even out into a flat layer.  Bake at 350º F for about 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven and garnish with desired toppings.  

#1,765: Slow Cooker Fiesta Ranch Chicken

This looks kind of boring.  It really isn't though!  Some days there is NO time to get this picture taken any prettier then just getting it on the plate.  Although I would love for all of my photos to be beautiful and perfect, let's be honest, I also have a hungry family waiting for me to get dinner on the plate after we all get home from work and school.  Hence...the photo above.

Regardless, this was pretty good.  Brian said he looked into the crockpot when he got home from work and was unpleasantly surprised at what he saw.  But we both agreed, it tasted way better than it looked.  :)  The kids thought it was just ok, but I expected that.  

6 Large halves chicken breasts.

2 cans of Cream of Mushroom (I used cream of chicken)

2 Packages of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip

¼ Cup Cubed Butter

Turn on your crock pot to high and put ¼ cup butter in it.

Empty the Fiesta Ranch Dip Package on a plate and coat each chicken breast with the Fiesta Ranch Mix.

Put the chicken inside the crockpot and pour both of the cans of cream of mushroom soup on top.  Let it cook for about 3 and a half hours or until tender.

#1,764: Lentil Tacos (filling)

Yes, I know that when you look at this picture it doesn't look anything like a taco.  :)  But I decided to eat this served over roasted veggies instead...although I sure do love a corn tortilla and guacamole!!  I love lentils.  Mainly because they remind me of my grandma who passed away almost 3 years ago.  I have so many memories of eating lentils served over ditalini pasta with some grated Parmesan cheese on top.  So when I saw this recipe for lentil tacos, I was super excited to try them.  They combine my love for my grandma with my (much lesser) love for taco meat.  I loved this.  Yes it would be even better served as a traditional taco, but regardless, it was still delicious.

The recipe below says to cook in a rice cooker, but I made this in a pot on the stove.  When the beans were done I added the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked ground turkey and let this simmer to let the flavors meld. 

1 cup brown or green lentils

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies

½ medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp taco seasoning (or more to taste)

2⅔ cups water (I added more to make while cooking as it needed it)
I also added 1/2 lb cooked ground turkey

Rinse and sort lentils and then place in rice cooker.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Close lid and cook on white rice setting. Midway through cooking (after about 20 minutes) carefully open lid and stir ingredients a few times with a long handled wooden spoon. (Avoid coming into contact with escaping steam.) Close lid and continue cooking.

When the cooking cycle ends, open the lid and stir ingredients a few times and then close and let sit for 10 minutes on the keep-warm setting.

Carefully transfer ingredients from rice cooker to a large bowl. Partially blend the mixture with 3-4 bursts of an immersion blender or place 1-2 cups in a blender or food processor, mix then return to the bowl and stir.

Use in the place of meat in tacos, salads, burritos and more!

#1,763: Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Taquitos

So way back in 2013, I made a similar baked taquito recipe, but this one was SO much easier and my family loved it.  Chloe (picky eater #2) said she loved it so much, she wanted me to make it again this week AND for her birthday (in May).  (She may have also been making faces of pure joy as she ate this too).

TMI, but I once got the flu after eating chicken and salsa, so recipes like this always make me nervous, but I was happily surprised that I not only ate this, I enjoyed it.  I added more chicken to this and a little less cream cheese to make my family happy, and I got 11 taquitos out of this (using the small taco size tortilla shells).  

2 uncooked chicken breasts (I used 5 chicken breast tenders)

1 packet taco seasoning

6 ounces cream cheese, cubes (I used 4 oz)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 taco-sized flour tortillas (I got 11 out of my chicken)

Place chicken breasts in a 2-3 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning, add cream cheese cubes, and water. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low, or for 4-6 hours on high.

When cooked, with two forks, shred the chicken in the Crock-Pot, add cheddar cheese, and stir to evenly coat the chicken. (I threw my chicken into my stand mixer and shredded it up that way.  And I thought my family would think the sauce was too much, so I added about 1/2 of the sauce back into the chicken and discarded the rest before adding the cheese.)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Then spoon shredded chicken into the center of the flour tortillas. Roll tightly, and place on a parchment-lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. If desired, spray the tops of the taquitos generously with olive oil spray.

Cook in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until tortillas are crisp. Serve with salsa or cilantro-ranch for dipping if desired.

#1,762: Slow-Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

Here is a recipe I pinned 3 years ago on one of my pinterest boards.  And since I had book club coming up, I knew it would be a good group to try it out on.  As I started to type up this recipe I realized (as you can see from the red text below) that I made a lot of change or substitutions to this recipe.  Some are no big deal (i.e. ground turkey instead of ground beef) and some were to make it easier on me (i.e. the bacon) or to use up what I already had on hand.  Regardless, this was delicious!  Like SO good.  It was so simple too.  I served it with pretzel thins, but bagel chips, potato chips, bread cubes, etc. would all be good too.  Too bad I waited so long to make this! 

8 slices bacon (I used a container of real bacon pieces)

½ lb lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

1 package (8 oz) shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (2 cups) (I used velveeta since I had it leftover and needed it to get out of my freezer)

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 medium red bell peppers, cut into bite-size strips (I omitted, who needs that in their dip?!)

1 package (5.25 oz) mini bagel chips (I used pretzel thins)

In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; reserve 2 tablespoons bacon for garnish.

In same skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream cheese, shredded cheese, tomatoes and crumbled bacon until well mixed and cheese starts to melt.

Pour mixture into 1- to 1 1/2-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours or until hot and bubbly.

Stir parsley into dip. Sprinkle with reserved bacon for garnish. Keep on Low heat setting to serve. Serve with bell pepper strips and bagel chips.

#1,761: Greek Tacos

These are a little different, but these were still really, really good.  I don't think the corn tortillas were a good option, but it may have been the brand I used.  I love corn tortillas but these completely fell apart and were hard to eat in "taco" form.  I also ate this (without the tortillas) served over some roasted cauliflower.  It was quite good...a little sweet, but good. I did not eat these with tzatziki sauce as suggested in the recipe below, but it would be really good on it! 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red onion

20 oz lean ground turkey (or ground beef or chicken)

Salt, to taste

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 + 2 Tbsp chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme 

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

For serving

Flour tortillas, tzatziki sauce, chopped romaine lettuce, crumbled feta cheese, diced tomatoes, peeled and diced cucumbers, chopped red onion, fresh cilantro. 

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in red onion and saute 2 minutes then add turkey, season with salt to taste and cook, breaking up and stirring occasionally, until nearly cooked through. Then add garlic and continue to cook until turkey is cooked through. 

Stir in tomato sauce, chicken broth, oregano, thyme and coriander. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until sauce has reduced, about 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. 

Serve warm over tortillas with desired toppings listed.

#1,760: Asian Lettuce Wrap Filling

I wasn't sure I was going to like this recipe as much as I did, but I loved it!  I didn't have any Asian fish sauce, but I did have some hoisin sauce, so I used that instead.  This was really, really good.  I didn't have any lettuce leaves, so I served this over shredded coleslaw mix instead.  Normally when I eat a salad it HAS to have some sort of salad dressing on it, so I thought I was going to have to add it to this recipe/salad too, but I did not need it.  In fact, I can't wait to eat this again tomorrow. 

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped

1 serrano chile or jalapeño, thinly sliced, seeded

1 pound ground pork (I used ground turkey)

1/2 cucumber, chopped

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (I used hoisin sauce)

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 cup chopped cilantro

12 large Boston lettuce leaves (I used shredded coleslaw)

Lime wedges, for serving, optional

Preparation

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, serrano chile and ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add cucumber, fish sauce and vinegar to skillet, then season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve pork mixture in lettuce leaves with lime wedges, if desired.

#1,759: Spanish Beef and Rice Bowls With Avocado

I decided to make this recipe easier for myself by using leftover taco meat made with ground turkey.  I still added a lot of the other ingredients, but omitted the cumin since it is already in the taco seasoning packet that I used.  I loved this.  I ate it for several days for lunch, it was so good.  I don't normally cook with/use capers, but I did like the slightly salty taste it gave this dish.  

1 cup brown rice

¾ cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers

¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced
 (I used sliced black olives, not in photo though)

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 pound ground sirloin (I used leftover ground turkey seasoned taco meat)

1½ teaspoons cumin (I omitted)

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1 avocado, quartered (I used a 100 calorie pack of guacamole)

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Combine the peppers, olives, capers, and vinegar in a large bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cumin and 2 tablespoons of the peppers and olives and cook for 2 minutes more. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Divide the rice evenly among 4 bowls and top evenly with the meat, lettuce, remaining peppers and olives, and avocado.

#1,758: Peach Scones

2 of my kids were not huge fans of this recipe, but my oldest (bless her heart!) did enjoy these a lot.  Lucky for her, she gets the leftovers for breakfast this week.  :)  If you read my previous post about our peach picking experience this summer, you realized that these are the same, under-ripe, not sweet peaches that I used for this recipe.  So this recipe is definitely not sweet, but it is good.  Or at least Allison and I enjoyed it! 

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, to taste (I used nutmeg and cinnamon) 

1 tablespoon baking powder

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

2 large eggs

1/3 cup full-fat or low-fat vanilla yogurt or sour cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup diced peach, peeled or not; fresh, frozen/thawed, or canned

coarse white sparkling sugar, optional; for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and baking powder.

Work in the butter, using your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and the almond extract.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add the peaches, stirring just until everything is combined. This is a wet, sticky dough.

Drop the dough by the 1/4-cupful onto the prepared pan; a muffin scoop works well here.

Sprinkle the scones with coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to continue cooling.

Serve warm, or at room temperature. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Yield: 12 scones.

#1,757: Fresh Peach Sorbet

Over the summer we went peach picking and those peaches went straight into the freezer.  I kind of forgot they were there until a few weeks ago, so I decided to use them up to make some healthy sorbet/ice cream for my kids.  Although this recipe was easy, my kids weren't super excited about this one...but I think part of that may have been my peaches.  Apparently I don't know how to pick peaches because they were all under ripe and started molding before they ripened...hence why I stuck them in the freezer.  Would I make this again?  No.  Would I try it again with over-ripe peaches?  Yes. 

5 medium-size ripe peaches (approx. 4 cups)

2 tablespoons raw honey

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Remove the pits from the peaches and then roughly dice into 1” cubes. Transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container then place them in the freezer and allow them to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Once they are frozen, remove them from the freezer and transfer to a food processor. You might have to let them defrost for 10 minutes or so so they are able to break loose. Add the honey, almond milk and lemon zest to the processor as well then blend until smooth.

Next transfer the mixture to a freezer safe container and then smooth it down with a spoon or spatula. Seal the container and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours then serve cold and enjoy!

#1,756: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I THOUGHT my kids were going to fall head over heels in love with this recipe, but I think the changes I made to it may have changed their mind.  LOL.  I was out of Greek yogurt so I used mashed bananas and the banana flavoring is a bit overpowering.  To me, this is really good....to 2 out of 3 of them, this is ok (God love Allison for almost always loving anything I make).  But don't let that stop you from making this, just used the Greek yogurt (or plain vanilla yogurt, or even sour cream).  Maybe next time I'll try canned pumpkin.... :) 

1 and 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder (or 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder)

3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5 (or 8x4) loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

(I just squeezed out as much as I could...)Place the shredded zucchini on a couple paper towels to absorb some (but not all!) moisture. Press a paper towel on top as well. Set aside until step 4.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant coffee, and chocolate chips together until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla together until completely combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lightly whisk until combined. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the zucchini. Pour/spoon batter into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Slice and serve when bread has completely cooled. Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

#1,755: Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

This is a very simple chicken recipe that I made for my family for dinner one night this past week (I thought I posted it already...guess not!).  Most of my family ate this as chicken pieces, but I shredded mine and added it on top of brown rice, mixed with some diced water chestnuts, and leftover roasted brussel sprouts.  It would have been great with some crispy chinese noodles for crunch, but I didn't have any.  Overall I enjoyed this, but it was quite dried out (no that's not pieces of bacon in there, that's the ends of the chicken!).  I think it needs a little more liquid to cook in so that it doesn't dry out as much...but that's the chance I always take with a recipe when I let it cook ALL day without having a chance to stir it because I'm at work.  

2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, and cut into 2-inch pieces (I left whole so I could shred some of it)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

3 garlic cloves, minced

hot chili sauce (optional)

Add chicken to crock pot along with soy sauce, honey, minced garlic and hot sauce.

Set crock pot to low and cover. Stir once 2 hours into cooking and then cook addition 2 hours.  (I was at work so I threw this in frozen and let it cook for about 8+ hours...too long, but not much I can do when I have to go to work and can't come home to check on it.  And I refuse to bring my crockpot to work with my anymore because it was fine when I did it, but when my co-worker did it too, the smell of it cooking made me hungry all day.  That's not fair to my co-workers to be jealous of my dinner.  LOL).  

#1,754: Shredded Sweet Soy Chicken

I decided not to shred this chicken and to slice it instead because I knew my family would like this less if shredded.  I originally intended to eat this like a rice bowl, but again, new my kids and husband wouldn't be as big of fans so for them I told them they were eating teriyaki chicken (they don't know the difference).  My husband would kill me if he found out that I added grape jelly to this sauce.  I swear anyone reading this better not tip him off, and I can only hope he doesn't read this too closely! (He has a grape phobia...weird I know).

Okay, stop laughing about the grape phobia....and let's move on.  Overall, this recipe was a little salty because of the soy sauce, so I might cut back on that a little next time but overall, I enjoyed this.  Brian enjoyed it too but the kids weren't huge fans.

Do you ever get the bagged coleslaw/salad mix with the crispy wontons and sliced almonds?  If so, this is what I served my chicken over.  I just tossed the dressing it came with, added the chopped chicken and added the wontons and almonds.  It was really, really good.  Not as healthy with the wontons, but still good.  

1 lb chicken breast (skinless, boneless pieces)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ onion, finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

⅓ cup soy sauce

⅓ cup white vinegar

3 tbsp dark jam (I used grape jelly)

½ tbsp ground black pepper

¾ cups water

Sauce Thickening

2 tsp cornstarch

3 tsp water

Slow Cooker: Place all the Shredded Chicken ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours (or 2½ hours on high).

The chicken is ready when it can be easily shredded with two forks. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it while it is warm. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Transfer the liquid to a saucepan and bring to simmer. Reduce to around1¼ cups - it should only take a few minutes.

Mix together the Sauce Thickening ingredients and add to the saucepan. Simmer until it thickens to a syrup consistency.

Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve over rice.

#1,753: Sloppy Moussakas

I know this isn't the greatest photo but my family was hungry and I just had to get it on the table...family wins out over a better photo.  :)

This recipe was also supposed to be made using a homemade cheese sauce/roux type sauce, but 1. I knew my family probably wouldn't like it and 2. Using cheese slices was SOOOOOOO much easier and faster.  So that's what I did.  My family loved this recipe.  I loved the different flavor with the seasonings used in this recipe, and the cheese and crusty bread gave it a great texture combination.  I would definitely make this recipe again.  

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound ground lamb or beef (I used ground turkey)

Salt and pepper

About 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 onion, finely chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock

I omitted these ingredients because it was used for the cheese sauce.  Instead I used thinly sliced provolone.
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

A small handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4 ciabatta or other rolls, split and toasted (I toasted mine after filling with the meat mixture)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the lamb or beef and cook, crumbling the meat, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add the onion, garlic, crushed red pepper and oregano, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute then stir in the stock and simmer over low heat until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

I omitted this: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the cheese.

To serve, spoon the meat mixture onto the rolls. Top with the cheese sauce (I topped with the provolone).  I also placed mine in the oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the bread a bit.  

#1,752: Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Oh my gosh, this might be my new favorite healthy comfort food.  This is outstanding!!  Or at least I loved it.  I would strongly suggest cooking the meat mixture down so that there is very little liquid left because it pooled on the bottom and I needed to soak some of it out after I took my first piece of this out.  Although it could be because of the tomatoes I used.  Not a big deal, but just a suggestion.  I love the Worcestershire flavor in this meat filling.  Meat and veggies topped with sweet potatoes, what could be better?!!?

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground meat (I used ground turkey)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (I used petite diced)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (I used just peas)
Grated Parmesan and fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

In a pot of cold salted water, bring the sweet potatoes to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender; then drain. Mash the sweet potatoes with butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat six to eight individual casserole pans (or one large pan...I used a 9x9 pan) with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a colander and drain well. Wipe out your skillet with a paper towel.

In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until tender (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the broth, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened. Then stir in the cooked meat, corn, peas and carrots. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 2 minutes.

Divide this mixture among the prepare baking dishes. Spread the top with the mashed sweet potatoes. Place dishes onto a large baking sheet.

Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

#1,751: Santa Fe Lentils

These lentil tacos are quite good...although I'm also enjoying the lentils on their own!  They are a bit watery so you want to use a slotted spoon if you plan on eating these in a taco form.  BUT I also added way more water to help cook the lentils (sorry the 14.5 oz can of veggie broth was NOT enough to cook these!!), so I probably just needed to cook it down more.  I don't know if I totally love the peppers in this since they got super soft, but I do love the corn.  

1 cup lentils, rinsed

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced

14.5- fluid ounce can vegetable broth

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, minced (I used dried)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

Tortillas and toppings:

16 corn tortillas

8 ounces reduced-fat shredded Colby-Jack cheese

2 cups chopped lettuce

2 medium flavorful tomatoes, diced, or 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils with the remaining filling ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are very soft, 25– 30 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture on each tortilla; garnish with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes to taste; and roll. The lentils may also be served on lettuce, as a salad, for a lighter version.

Makes 8 servings (2 tortillas per person)

#1,750: Real Fruit Homemade Icee

I made this 2 ingredient frozen drink for my kids to have with their lunch one day.  I figured it would be a healthy fruit/veggie side for them, without them knowing it.  I found a 100% organic juice in the produce section that happened to be on clearance, and got so excited I didn't look at the ingredients.  Yes it was 100% fruit, but it included BEETS which totally over powered this drink.  (Actually it has apple, carrot, beets, banana, pineapple and turmeric in it).  The kids were split on this drink and liked it more than I thought they would, but didn't love it (I blame the beets).  So we will be making this again but just with a different juice choice. 

1 cup crushed ice

⅓ cup 100% fruit juice

In a blender, combine ice and fruit juice. Blend until you have an even slush consistency.

Real fruit juice with a stronger flavor (such as pomegranate juice, grape juice, cider, etc.) work best.  You can also use frozen fruit juice concentrate (such as orange) and use 2 tablespoons.

#1,749: Zucchini Bars

These zucchini bars are a huge hit with my family and I wish I would have made them sooner (I pinned them FOUR years ago!).  Don't let the frosting/glaze discourage you from making this spiced zucchini bread, because it said to use softened butter with the powdered sugar, and my gut told me I should melt it first but I didn't.  I definitely should have, as there are tiny little crumbles of butter in this recipe.  Doesn't affect the taste at all, but it does make it look weird.  I also added some mini chocolate chips to make this even better...although a little less healthy!  :) 

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup shredded zucchini, drained

½ cup chopped nuts (I omitted and added mini chocolate chips instead)

Spice Frosting

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened (MELT this!)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 to 4 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9- or 8-inch square pan. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, vanilla and egg. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Spread in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, mix all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.