These were exactly what I wanted and I knew it! They were so delicious, in fact, that I ate more than one. But less than two.
skinny sloppy joes (adapted from skinnytaste)
1 pound lean ground beef (the good stuff- lean and without antibiotics or hormones)
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Chop the onion and red bell pepper until minced. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season the meat with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns. Add onion, garlic and red peppers to the skillet. Add the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir until everything is well combined. Simmer 5 minutes. Use a spoon to scoop mixture onto toasted whole wheat hamburger buns.
The flavor of this dish was OUTSTANDING! My little culinary queens from culinary camp used the marinara sauce they made the day before (it was a 5-day camp) to make this baked chicken parmesan and I am sure it was their marinara sauce which made this dish shine. My only complaint was the chicken. I have always bought Foster Farms chicken from Costco. I got a really bad batch that was tough and stringy. Had we known we would've pounded out the chicken to tenderize it. The whole bag was that way. Disappointing.
baked chicken parmesan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used the thin sliced from Costco)
3/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
handful of mozzarella cheese
1 cup classic marinara sauce (use the homemade recipe found on this blog!!)
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on a plate. Melt the butter in a shallow bowl.
Dip each chicken breast into the butter (both sides) then dip both sides into the breadcrumb mixture. Place each piece in the casserole dish.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from the oven and spoon some marinara sauce over each piece of chicken and top each chicken breast with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
I planned to teach a cooking camp the week my oldest left for college as a distraction. It turned out to be a great distraction. One of the recipes my little culinary queens made was this classic marinara sauce. The next day they used it to make baked chicken parmesan, which was divine.
This sauce is so good I made it tonight and served it over tortellini. I'm going to declare it Hall of Fame.
classic marinara sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, strongly recommended
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes (and fresh basil if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for at least 10 minutes.
My kids love soup. This soup was a breeze to make and I love that it was full of veggies.
creamy cheddar broccoli soup (adapted from skinnytaste one & done cookbook)
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup milk
3 big red potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
4 cups chopped broccoli florets, about 2 heads
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring until softened 5 to 7 minutes. Add the flour, salt and pepper to taste and stir until smooth. Add the chicken broth, milk and potatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the potatoes are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the broccoli florets and Parmesan. Cook, stirring occasionally until the broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cheddar and stir well until melted.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup for a few seconds, leaving some chunks. Ladle 1 generous cup into each of 6 bowls and serve hot.
This bread is sooo delicious. I think it's the best homemade bread ever! My 11-year old wanted to learn how to make bread so we made these loaves as a trial so she can arrange to make the bread for the sacrament at church sometime soon. It's so light and fluffy! Hall of Fame.
the most delicious white bread (allrecipes.com)
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two packages)
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons shortening, softened
1 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 cups bread flour (we used all-purpose flour)
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in shortening, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until double in volume, about 40 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
These were a hit! (Photo taken before the potatoes were roasted). One of my kids asked if I would please make them every night.
roasted mixed potatoes (pass the peas, please)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into rounds then lengthwise
5 small red potatoes, cut into rounds then lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Place foil over a cookie tray and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a ziplock bag, pour in oil and add seasonings. Add cut potatoes. Zip the bag and shake the potatoes until they are coated in oil and seasonings.
Place in the oven and roast for 35 minutes.
This soup was exceptionally flavorful. It was a huge hit with my family.
Note: I 1 1/2 times the recipe to serve my family of 6.
vietnamese chicken pho (adapted from skinnytaste one & done cookbook)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved
6 cups chicken broth
5 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 small bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon sugar
3 rectangles of the brown noodles that Costco sells (Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen- it's gluten free and vegan and one of my new favorite Costco products)
1 cup bean sprouts (I had to use canned!)
2 large scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sriacha sauce, optional
For the pho broth, press the saute button on an electric pressure cooker. When hot, add the oil and ginger,and place the onion halves in the bottom of the pressure cooker cut side down. Cook, without moving, until they are both charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, the broth, chicken, cilantro, coriander and sugar.
Seal and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Use a slotted spoon to discard the ginger.
Press the saute button and bring the broth to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until pliable, 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken, bean sprouts and some of the jalapeno rings to the soup.
Divide the soup among 6 bowls. Top each bowl of soup with jalapeno, green onion and a lime wedge.
