#1,835: Enchilada Rice Bake

I found this recipe that originally called for shredded chicken in the dish, but my family is not the biggest chicken fans.  We will eat it, but only in small amounts.  So I decided to change this up slightly and make it using ground turkey instead (you could use ground beef too!).  I pretty much just made taco meat, added some rice and picante sauce, let it cook and then baked it with cheese and chips on top.  How simple is that!?  MOST of my family loved it...everyone except for the 7 year old, but that was absolutely no surprise! 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon taco or fajita seasoning

1 14 .5-ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chiles (I pureed some mild picante sauce and snuck it in.  My family never would have eaten it with this!)

1 cup converted long-grain white rice

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed) (I used cooked ground turkey)

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 8 ounces)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for topping (I omitted...my family doesn't like it...I do though so add it in!!) 

Kosher salt

6 corn tortillas, cut into quarters (I used tortilla chips)

Sour cream and pickled jalapeno peppers, for topping if desired

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and taco seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, rice and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chicken, 1 cup cheese, the cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange the tortillas on top to cover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with sour cream, pickled jalapenos and more cilantro if desired.  

#1,834: Pineapple Sage Smoothie

If you saw my previous post with pineapple sage tea, you know that I have a gigantic pineapple sage plant in my garden and I need to use some how.  Although I'm loving the tea, my kids are not.  So I decided to try this pineapple sage smoothie on the kiddos.  I'll admit I'm a little shocked, but they loved this!  They loved it so much they asked for me to make a second batch!  No problem kids, I'll whip this baby up in the morning before school.  Although I'll be happier after the time change in a few days because I'm tired of going to work (and school!) still in the dark!!!

1/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup vannilla yogurt
1/2 banana (I used a whole ripe banana)
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp pineapple sage packed and chopped
I also added a few ice cubes

Place ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.  

#1,833: Stuffed Cheesy Calzone

A couple of weeks ago I found a recipe for homemade stuffed cheesy bread.  Although it sounded good, and easy, and something my family would like, I just don't have the time or patience for dough that is made with yeast.  So I kept avoiding the recipe.  Then I decided I could alter this recipe and make it even easier and something my family would like for a main dish...I was right!  My family loved this dinner and it was so stupid simple!  Here is the link to the original recipe (aka my inspiration).  Below is the recipe that I actually made:

2 tubes of refrigerated pizza crust
about 10 leftover homemade meatballs, chopped up (use whatever you have...ground sausage, pepperoni, etc).

pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 

Cornmeal (about 1/3 cup) 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle with cornmeal. 

In a medium bowl, toss together cheeses, garlic powder, salt and parsley flakes. (Save some of this mixture for the top of the calzone)

Unroll one pizza crust on the parchment paper.  On half of the dough top with half of the leftover meatballs, and a big handful of the cheese mixture.  On the other half of the dough, spread a little bit of the pizza sauce.  Fold over the dough so the the two pieces come together to close and press lightly to seal or twist the edges to seal the dough in a pocket shape.  Repeat with the remaining dough, making a second calzone.  

You should still have some cheese mixture left over, set aside.  

Bake at 400 degrees until almost done, about 10 mintues.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the two calzones.  Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted on top and the calzone is a nice golden brown color. Let cool slightly before cutting. 

#1,832: Homemade Pineapple Sage Tea

See that gigantic plant?  That was a tiny pineapple sage plant that my friend gave to me at the beginning of summer.  It was one of the few things that did super well in my garden this year.  I'm shocked that it's the first week of November and shockingly, still going strong!  I barely used it this year because I never knew what to do with it.  Since I know it's going to get super cold soon and it will probably perish, I decided to start searching for some recipes to use it in. Yes I know you can use it with chicken, but unless my chicken is grilled or in can for (for a chicken salad), I just don't love chicken.  I found a super simple recipe to make fresh brewed pineapple sage tea.  I loved the tea!  I tried to get my kids to try it but that all hated it.  

This made about 3-4 teacup size drinks for me, which I put the leftovers in mason jars and then just heated up in the microwave when I wanted to drink it.  I think I'm going to go heat up a cup now...

1 quart spring water (yeah I'm too lazy for that...tap water was good enough for me!)

1/2 c packed fresh pineapple sage leaves
3 tbsp honey

1 lemon, juiced

Bring water just to a boil and pour over the sage leaves.  Stir in honey and lemon, to taste.  (I also added a packet of stevia).  Steep the tea for about 20 minutes.  Strain into mugs.  

#1,831: Fajita Burgers

I didn't tell my family that these burgers were not our traditional turkey burgers.  They did notice they tasted a little different, but they all said they still like them (win for me!).  I loved these burgers.  They were so simple to make and as you can see from the photo above, I ate it in a lettuce wrap (unlike my family who ate it on traditional hamburger buns).

1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large pepper (any color(s)), julienned into matchsticks
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, optional
lettuce leaves

Optional toppings:
salsa
guacamole
chipotle mayo
chopped cilantro
dice tomatoes

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. Divide the ground beef into four equal portions. Season each generously on both sides with the taco seasoning. Cook the burgers until desired doneness.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the peppers and onions. Season them with oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook stirring, until the onions are translucent and the peppers are tender.

Serve the burgers on buns (or on lettuce leaves), top with pepper mixture and desired toppings.  

#1,830: Chef John's Italian Meatballs (Review)

The first time we tried these meatballs (or a version of it) my cousin had made these for us when we visited for lunch a few weeks ago.  My girls are STILL talking about her meatballs.  :)  So I decided to make a batch myself to serve my family.  Although my hubby didn't love these as a side with spaghetti, he did enjoy it as a meatball sub.  I personally loved these and plan to make them again!  

1/3 c plain bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
½ c milk
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs (I used 4 egg yolks)
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (I used about ¼ cup)

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

(I skipped this step) Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.

Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.  Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  Once cooked, add to your prepared tomato sauce for 1-2 hours. 

#1,829: Noodle-less lasagna in a bowl

I found this recipe for a single serving lasagna recipe in a bowl.  Although I loved the concept of it, the recipe had no ingrdient amounts, and if I'm going to make a pound of cooked bulk pork sausage, and buy all the other ingredients, I'm going to make more than one serving of this.  So I added SOME ingredient amounts listed below based on what I used when I made this for myself.  Feel free to add more or less of anything that you want.

This was good but it wasn't super filling and I didn't want to eat a ton of it, so I ate it over some roasted veggies one day and over some salad mix the next.  Both ways were good to me!  

1 lb crumbled sausage of choice (I used pork), cooked and drained
½ jar of No-sugar-added pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese, as much as desired
Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, as much as desired
Italian seasoning, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook, crumble, and drain the sausage.  Add the seasoning, and pizza sauce and mix well.  Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. 

To serve, place the sausage mixture in a bowl, then top with cottage or ricotta cheese, and mozzarella. 

Microwave for 2 minutes or until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. Or you could bake it at 350 degrees F until the same conditions are met.  OR eat as is.  (I heated it all and then topped with the ricotta after it came out of the microwave). 

#1,828: High Protein Chocolate Banana Bread

A friend/co-worker of mine gave the girls some of her over-ripe bananas and the girls immediately asked me if I would make them some banana bread.  Of course I was happy to oblige, but wanted to see if I could find a recipe that was a little healthier, had less sugar, AND had more protein in it.  I came across this recipe and figured it couldn't hurt to try it since I had all of the ingredients on hand.  The kids really liked this recipe!  I liked that it has so much protein in it.  I would definitely make this again.  

1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 egg whites

2 tbsp vanilla greek yogurt

1/3 cup oats

I also added about 1/4 c wheat bran and 2 tbsp flax seeds

Optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips

For topping: (I omitted all of these ingredients)

1/3 cup oats

2 tbsp brown sugar

drizzling of honey

sprinkling of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and then in a medium size bowl combine the protein powder, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, oats, flax seed and wheat bran.   In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, egg whites, and greek yogurt, and mix well.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until moistened.  Add the chocolate chips if desired. 

Spray a bread pan with nonstick spray, then pour mixed ingredients into the pan.

Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.  (I baked mine for 30 minutes and it was pretty dark…I may have over cooked it a little). 

#1,827: Sausage Rice Skillet

I don't know about you, but back to school time always kicks our butt!  This time of year is so busy for us all and we often feel like we are barely treading water.  So when I found this simple 3 ingredient recipe, I knew I wanted to give it a try, but I was a little nervous because I know the soup mix is so full of sodium...but I decided to give it a try anyways.  This got mixed reviews from my family.  My husband thought it was ok, but the kids weren't super big fans.  I probably won't make it again because they weren't in love with it, but it sure was easy.  (I thought it was good but nothing special).  

1 lb Hot bulk pork sausage (I did NOT use hot for my family...I used regular)

2 cups long grain rice

1 packet dry Lipton Noodle Soup

In a pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks to crumble into small pieces.  Drain grease if desired.  Next add long grain rice, 4 cups of water, and 1 packet of soup mix.  Bring to a boil, then cover, turn to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  

#1,826: Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake

I hate when I let so much time go by between posting new recipes!  It's been over a month since I posted, but you can tell my busiest time of the years...and back to school is definitely a busy time for us all!  I made this recipe after my cousin posted making it and liking it.  I loved all of the ingredients in it, so I knew I had to give it a try.

This was really, really good, but I had to cut WAY back on the enchilada sauce, as I didn't think it needed it.  And personally, it didn't need it!  I used about 1/3 to 1/2 of a can and I would definitely do that again next time I make this.  

Such a simple recipe to make to have for lunches (or dinner) for the week! 

1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef) 

1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies

1/2 cup salsa

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup sweet bell peppers, I used orange

1 cup water

1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce*

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, green onions, 1 small jalopeno

In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until browned through. Drain out any grease and place in the slow cooker.

Add in the uncooked quinoa, the black beans, the frozen corn, the diced tomatoes and green chilies, the salsa, and minced garlic.

Chop up the onion and sweet bell pepper into small pieces. Add to the slow cooker. If desired chop up a jalapeno and add it too.

Add in the water, enchilada sauce (I used half a can of mild), chili powder, and cumin.

Stir everything together really well. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.

Once it is done cooking, remove the lid and stir everything again. Stir in the cheese and fresh cilantro (stems removed and chopped).  If desired add in the fresh lime juice.

Add a dollup of sour cream and some chopped green onions if desired.

#1,825: No Bake Energy Bites (#2)

We have been talking a lot in our house about healthy food choices, reducing sugar consumption, and healthy food substitutes.  As we get closer and closer to returning back to school, we are trying to get some breakfasts and lunches prepped and in the freezer to make the transition back a little smoother.  My girls found this recipe for No Bake Energy Bites and asked if they could make them on their own.  We had all of the ingredients on hand, so I was happy to let them.  They also decided (on their own) to omit the chocolate chips (good girls!).  They loved these!  I'm going to let them make a second (or third) batch to freeze because I'm pretty sure they are going to eat this first batch before we even make it to the freezer.  

1 cup rolled oats 

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup ground flax seed 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1/3 cup honey 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  With your hands, roll into small (golf ball size) balls.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Place in freezer about 1 hour until set.  

#1,824: Cloud bread

I really, really had high hopes for this no-carb "bread" but this was a huge flop in my house.  I'll admit, we all thought it had a really interesting, super light, and fluffy texture, but the taste....it's basically eating an underdone, eggy puff.  But it has no taste.  Maybe if I'd been off bread completely for a really long time I would have a different opinion.  But this "bread" is not for us.  

3 cage-free eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 Tablespoons dairy-free cream cheese, room temperature (or regular cream cheese, or sour cream, or whole-milk ricotta cheese)

1/2 dropper of liquid stevia (or one packet stevia or 1 teaspoon honey)

dried rosemary (I used dried garlic and rosemary blend)

Preheat oven to 300° and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Separate three eggs. 

Mix 3 yolks, cream cheese, and sweetener together by hand or by mixer until blended well. 

Whisk together 3 egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. 

Fold yolk mixture into egg white mixture carefully and spoon onto parchment-lined sheets. Sprinkle rosemary on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. (Watch time carefully as all ovens and cookie sheets differ).

#1,823: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Flour and Sugar free)

So we just came off a week of no sugar in our house.  It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be with my crew.  What it did do though, was make my kids realize that there is sugar in a lot of foods that they like.  So now that we are technically done with our 1 week challenge, I still want to minimize the amount of sugar they are consuming, especially as I get ready to send them back to school (and school lunches) soon.  I'm trying to find different sides and snacks that they will enjoy but not have any (or very minimal) sugar in it.  I found this recipe and it looked quick and easy, so I decided to give it a try.  These are ok, but I was the only one who really enjoyed them at all.  The kids were not fans at all sadly.  I'll keep trying to find something they will eat though!  

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil (I used coconut oil) 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia (I omitted)

1 tablespoon powdered stevia (I used 3 packets) 

pinch salt

4 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened (I used 2 tbsp because that's all I had left)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips like the brand Lily's (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk eggs, oil, vanilla extract and vanilla stevia together.  Whisk in powdered stevia and salt until absorbed and no clumps.

Add in cocoa powder and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips until all the oats are coated with the chocolate mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a small cookie scooper, scoop cookie batter onto lined baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly hardened to touch.

Let cool 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.

#1,822: Sugar Free Blueberry, Banana and Oat Muffins

One thing my kids are slightly missing during our sugar free week at home is some sort of treat/dessert.  So I decided to make these sugar free blueberry, banana, and oatmeal muffins for them as a special snack.  Although they thought they were a little dry (these would be super good with some butter on it), they did enjoy them overall.  I plan to make up a batch and stick them in the freezer for an easy, go-to breakfast when we go back to school.  

340g self-rising flour (I measured this out…I THINK it’s 2 cups??)

25g oats (I also measured this one out)

1 banana, mashed

1 egg, whisked

125ml milk (I used ½ cup of unsweetened almond milk)

3 tbsp Greek or natural yogurt

60ml vegetable oil (I used ¼ cup)

150g blueberries (I used 2/3 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.   Add the flour and oats into a mixing bowl and stir together.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well until it is all combined into a sticky dough.  Add in the blueberries and gently fold them into the dough. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and sprinkle the spare oats over the top of the muffins. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are firm and golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!

#1,821: Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Blueberries

I swear there really are blueberries in these pancakes!!  But to make sure they were evenly distributed after I poured the batter I added a few blueberries to each one instead of mixing it in the batter directly.  So if I turned these pancakes over you would/could actually see they are in there.  2 of my kids loved these healthy (no sugar!!) pancakes WITH the blueberries, but one preferred them plain.  I made these during our no sugar week at home, so my kids were slightly disappointed at first that they couldn't dip them in syrup...but they still enjoyed them.  Since it was an easy, healthy, no sugar breakfast option for them, I think I made them 3 times this week.  Definitely a win recipe in our house. I found this recipe in a recent issue of Family Circle magazine. 

1 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

3 very ripe bananas

3 eggs

2 tsp melted butter
pinch of salt

blueberries, washed

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a blender combine bananas, eggs, and melted butter.  Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.  If the batter is too thick you can add a little water to thin it down.  You can add the blueberries at this point if you want.

Coat a griddle with non stick spray.  Pour batter onto griddle (this is when I added 4-5 blueberries onto each pancake), cook until it starts to bubble, flip over and continue cooking until browned.  

#1,820: Blender Pancakes

I found this recipe by Katie Lee for a super simple Blender Pancake recipe.  I had semi-high hopes for this recipe because my kids do love pancakes, but they are not fans of cottage cheese (no surprise there).  They were not fans of these pancakes at all.  There is a gummy consistency to the centers of these, almost like they were slightly underdone, but I cooked these on a lower heat and definitely long enough that these should have been cooked through.  It's too bad my kids didn't like these, because they certainly were easy. 

1 cup cottage cheese 

2 large eggs

1 cup rolled oats
I added blueberries for sweetness

Preheat griddle over medium-high heat.

In a blender, add oats, eggs, and cottage cheese and blend until smooth. Spray griddle with nonstick spray and pour pancake mixture onto griddle in whatever size you would like.  (I added the blueberries into the pancake batter after I poured each pancake).  One batch should make about 4-6 pancakes (mine made about 12 smaller pancakes). Cook until bubbles start to form in the batter, 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for about 1 minute more. 

#1,819: Banana Pudding Cake

I have been trying to make some sort of bread/baked good for the kids for breakfast to eat during the summer because I know they get tired of cereal and bagels.  I've been trying to find easy recipes that the kids can do on their own because they are really enjoying being in the kitchen and cooking for us.  This recipe has very few ingredients and seemed simple enough for them to do. This got pretty good reviews, except for the big chunks of banana...so next time I'm going to mash this WAY more or even puree it before adding it into the mixture.  A few chocolate chips wouldn't hurt either.  :) 

2 very, very ripe medium bananas, roughly mashed

1 box yellow or butter-yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist turns out best)

1 (4-serving size) package Jello banana cream instant pudding powder

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup water

¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower-middle position. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and instant pudding powder. Whisk to loosen any lumps. Add eggs, water, and oil. Whisk just until incorporated. Using rubber spatula, fold in bananas just until combined; don't over-mix.

Pour into prepared bundt pan, lightly shaking to even out the batter.

Bake 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached. Don't over bake.

Cool completely in pan on rack. Once cool, use very thin knife to separate cake from pan edges, if needed. Invert and remove cake.

#1,818: Strawberry Yogurt Fluff

This fluff/salad is so simple to make, the kids have been in charge of making it and are loving it!  I think we've made it 3 times already now.  Once, I was out of strawberries so I added blueberries to it.  Both ways were just as good.  This one is so simple.  You can mix up your fruit and yogurt combinations too! 

1 8oz Container of Cool Whip

1/2 Bag of Mini-Marshmallows

2 containers of Strawberry flavored Yogurt

Fresh Strawberries 

Wash and chop strawberries into bite sized pieces. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to use.  This can be made ahead of time.  (We find this is good for 2 days in the fridge).  

#1,817: Sweet-Tart Cucumber Salad

Apparently I didn't take a picture of these cucumbers...which means I need to make it again so I can add a photo to this!  I think I'll make these again this week.... :)

This actually was a really, really good side dish/salad.  We saved the liquid once the cucumbers and onions were gone and added more ingredients to make it a second time.  I will definitely be making this again!! 

10 pickling cucumbers or 3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 teaspoons celery seed

1 teaspoon pepper

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

(I skipped this step) Place cucumbers in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, celery seed, pepper and remaining salt until blended. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers and onions. Pour dressing over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

#1,816: Roasted Herbed Red Potatoes

I made these roasted potatoes for dinner one night over the 4th of July weekend for my family.  I totally intended to use red potatoes, but they were out at our grocery store and they substituted russet potatoes instead (yes I get my groceries delivered!).  Instead of getting more potatoes, I figured I'd just go with it!  These turned our really well and there weren't even any leftover after dinner....a big hit with our family, and I'd highly recommend these super easy potatoes!!

3 pounds red potatoes, washed and halved (quartered if potatoes are on the medium/large side)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a large baking sheet with non-stick spray or olive oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients except the parsley until potatoes are evenly coated. Pour coated potatoes onto prepared baking sheet, spreading them out as evenly as possible. Bake for 45-55 minutes, turning every 15 minutes with a spatula, until browned and crisp. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. Potatoes are best served immediately, but will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. 

Reheat in the microwave as needed, or reheat on baking sheet or large casserole dish, covered, in a 300ºF oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

#1,815: Blueberry-Lemon Pound Cake

So I decided to make this one night so we could have it for breakfast the next day and realized it needed an hour to cook.  I was tired and didn't want to wait that long, so I put it in a larger size pan and cut the bake time down a little bit.  This got very mixed reviews.  Some of us loved it and others thought it had way too many blueberries.  (I was one that liked it a lot!).  Personally it would have been better with the glaze, but it was so moist, it really didn't need it.  Also, I intended to use ricotta cheese with this, but it went bad when I went to go use it and I really didn't want to run to the store at 10 pm...so I just subbed sour cream instead.  Still good, but I would try the ricotta next time. 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I used sour cream)

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in ricotta, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla until just combined. Sprinkle flour on top, then evenly sprinkle baking powder and salt over the flour. With the mixer on low speed, beat until almost combined. Add blueberries and gently fold into the batter. Transfer to the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until starting to brown around the edges and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the rack. Carefully turn it right-side up. Let cool completely.

I skipped this step.  We didn't need any more sugar.  :) Clean the bowl, add confectioners’ sugar and whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. Brush the glaze on the cake.

#1,814: Copycat Crunchwrap

This picture doesn't really cut it, but I swear there is nacho cheese and a tostada in there!  Although this recipe was supposed to also have lettuce and tomatoes (yum), my kids would have never touched it.  So I just did the nacho cheese sauce and the sour cream.  One kid loved it, and 2 thought it was "just ok."  And the big one (aka my husband) wouldn't even try it.  Big babies.  I had a bite of it and I thought it was good!  I'd make this again for my oldest, but the other 3 prefer a regular taco.  I think a Crunchwrap Supreme with sour cream, lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and black olives would be awesome!

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 can nacho cheese (or queso cheese dip)

6 burrito-size flour tortillas

6 tostada shells or corn tortillas

1 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded lettuce (I omitted)

1 tomato, diced (I omitted)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain grease. Stir in the taco seasoning mix, and water it calls for on package. Cook according to package directions.

Warm the nacho cheese sauce or queso cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the flour tortillas on a large plate. Microwave for 20 seconds to warm them.

Lay one flour tortilla on a flat surface. Spread 1/2 cup of taco meat onto the center of the tortilla. Drizzle a couple Tablespoons of nacho cheese over the meat. Top meat with one tostada shell or crispy corn tortilla *see notes below. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over the tostada shell. Top with lettuce, tomato and shredded Mexican cheese.

To fold the crunch wrap, start with the bottom of the flour tortilla and fold the edge up over the center. Continue to work your way around, folding the flour tortilla over the center fillings. There will be a spot left open in the center; cut a piece of another flour tortilla and tuck it in the center, so it's fully covered.

Repeat with all remaining tortillas, tostadas and fillings. You'll have 6 crunch wraps total.

Spray a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Place one crunchwrap seam-side down onto the skillet. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Carefully, flip over and cook other side until golden-brown. Repeat process with all crunchwraps. Serve immediatley.

#1,813: Corn and Cucumber Salad

Brian's grandma is turning 90 (love that sweet lady!), and we had a family party for her.  I wanted to bring a side dish/salad type of dish that would be healthy, was easily portable, was quick to make, and didn't need to be heated up.  So when I came across this recipe, I knew it fit all of my requirement.  Although it would have gone even faster to prep if I would have used frozen corn, with it being summer, I wanted to use fresh corn off the cob instead.  The recipe says to cook the corn, but I really love fresh corn right off the cob so I decided not to. I also cut back on some of the other ingredients to really let the corn be the star of this dish.  Overall, I really enjoyed it.  I would definitely make this again...it surely was easy...and goes great with BBQ-type/picnic-type foods!

6 ears fresh corn or 3 cups frozen corn
3 cucumbers chopped (I used 1 ½ cucumbers)
1 red pepper chopped (I used 2)
1 green pepper chopped
1 red onion chopped

Dressing :
1-1/2 cups Italian dressing
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar or sweetener
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

(I omitted this step because I did not cook my corn.  I just cut it off the cob and put it right into the bowl!). Cook corn until tender Rinse under cold running water or put in an ice bath; drain well.

Chop cucumber, red and green peppers, and onion. Add to corn in large bowl.  

In a small bowl mix salad dressing with the remaining ingredients then pour over corn mixture and toss well.  Chill 2 hours before serving.