Sesame Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 I am adding this recipe even though it has maple syrup in it.  I am not a fan of maple syrup.  I find it to be sickeningly sweet.  I may add something different or skip it altogether.

I found this in the Summer 2024 edition of allrecipes magazine.  It was under the no cook dinners section.  After being unemployed for 6 months I am going back to work in a couple of weeks and this would be a good choice for those evenings when we want dinner in a hurry.

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded

1/2 C. shredded carrot

1 8oz. can water chestnuts, srained and chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1/4 C. sour cream or plain Greek style yogurt

1/4 C. toasted sesame oil

1/4 C. rice vinegar

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tspe crushed red pepper

20 leaves baby romaine lettuce

Stir together chicken, carrot, water chestnuts, and onions in a large bowl.  Whisk together, sour cream, oil, vinegar, ginger, maple syrup, salt and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken mixture; toss to coat.

Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves and eat!

Guinness Beef Stew

 This is a recipe we had before Christmas at the home of friends.  It was good to get together; almost normal after almost 2 years of pandemic ruined gatherings.  This is delicious and hearty; a perfect winter meal with some crusty bread.  A word of warning early in the cooking process, this smells terrible.  Don't worry, the bad smell goes away quickly and then your house smells amazing while it simmers.

4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces (do not skimp on this, it adds great flavor)

2 1/2lbs stew beef; marinated in salt and pepper

2 onions; rough chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

1 14oz can Guinness

1/4 C. tomato paste

4 springs fresh thyme

3 carrots; rough chop

2 stalks celery; rough chop

2 1/2 C. chicken stock

Bay leaves (I used 2 large), salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes (I used Yukon gold roughly 3lbs) cut into large pieces

In a stock pan fry bacon, remove and set aside.

Brown beef, remove.  Soften onions for 5 minutes.  Add minced garlic for 1 minute.  Deglaze with Guinness.  Scrape with wooden spoon for 2 1/2 minutes.  Add tomato paste, thyme (I tied the sprigs with butcher's twine), carrots, celery, bay leaves and potatoes.  Add stock, cook on high until mixture comes to a boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork tender.  Uncover and raise heat to reduce and thicken.  Add a cornstarch slurry for further thickening if desired.

Italian Joes on Texas Toast

I found this in the August/September issue of Simple and Delicious.  I am going to try this for a weeknight supper.

1lb. ground beef
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. dry red wine or beef broth
1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 C. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. frozen garlic Texas toast
8 slices part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a skillet, cook and crumble beef with green pepper, onion and minced garlic over medium high heat until no longer pink; drain.  Add wine.  Bring to a boil; reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer until the mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place Texas toast on a foil lined baking sheet; baked until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Top with beef mixture, then cheese; bake until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes.

Per serving: 353 calories, 19g. fat, 58mg. cholesterol, 626mg. sodium, 25g. carbs, 22g. protein

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I am going to make these next week.  Lettuce has been good recently and this will save some calories skipping the tortillas.  Chris said he would try the lettuce wraps is I went Asian with the flavors.

1/2lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 C. chopped peeled jicama or celery
1/4 chopped onion - I may do red onion slices
2 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. julienned carrots
6 Bibb lettuce leaves
Hot mustard, optional

In a large skillet, cook turkey, jicama, and onion over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, breaking up the meat into crumbles.  Stir in soy sauce, ginger, garlic and peppers.  Add carrot; cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed.

Serve in lettuce.  Add mustard if desired.

212 calories, 9g. fat, 78mg. cholesterol, 655mg. sodium, 9g. carbs, 3g. fiber, 24g. protein per serving.

Sausage and Peppers

This is a recipe Chris shared with me and we have pretty regularly for dinner. He says I make it better than he does. I think he's just being nice. I alternate between regular and lite smoked sausage---basically we buy whatever is on sale. The regular sausage carmelizes better in the pan; I use my wok...it holds a double batch when the kids are here.

1 package smoked sausage
2 green peppers
2 small onions or 1 large one

Slice the sausage lengthwise then into chunks. Toss in a wok of fry pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Regular will brown and carmelize. Lite won't.

While the sausage is cooking slice the pepper into strips and slice the onions and then separate into rings.

Take sausage off of the heat and set aside. Cook peppers and onions until onions start to brown. Add sausage back in, turn flame to low, add 1/4 C. of water and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Mediterranean Steak & Egg Pitas

I found this in Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious. It's yummy for someone who likes breakfast for dinner...or dinner for breakfast.

1 beef top sirloin steak (1lb), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp. Greek seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
4 eggs
4 whole pita breads, warmed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 can (2 1/4oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained
2/3 C. crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese

Sprinkle beef with Greek seasoning, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, saute beef in oil for 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, fry eggs as desired. Spoon steak over pita breads; top with tomatoes, olives, cheese and eggs.

Poultry Crepes

OK, this started as chicken crepes but we are trying it for the first time today as turkey crepes so we'll see how it goes.


Crepes
1 C. flour
1 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. sugar

Beat ingredients with a whisk and then put 1/3 C. of liquid into a hot buttered nonstick fry pan. Cook until brown, flip. Set these aside. This will make 7 crepes

Filling
1 can cream of chicken soup--low sodium
1/2 can water
1/8 C. Asiago cheese
1 C. turkey breast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon peel
2 fresh sage leaves, ribboned
4oz. water chestnuts

Mix all ingredients together and place 1/4 in crepe and roll up. The above ingredients will fill 5 crepes. Chris is saving the last two crepes for some dessert ingredients later on.

Place filled crepes in a baking dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Top with more Asiago cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

As I said at the beginning of this post, you can do this with chicken. You can sub cream of mushroom soup, or cream of celery. You could veggies in the filling mixture, sub different kinds of cheeses and herbs.

You can also use the crepes for sweet treats...see the next post!

Salsa Chicken Fiesta

Have you ever leafed through a magazine (perhaps in your dentist's office) and found a recipe you couldn't resist? I am going to post this recipe here so I can destroy the evidence. Sorry Dr. Craig!

1 1/3 C. Original Bisquick
1/4 C. water
2 eggs
2 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 16oz. jar thick and chunky salsa
Sour cream, if desired
Cayenne pepper, if desired

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, water and eggs; spread in pan. Sprinkle with 2 C. of cheese.

In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, cook chicken over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in salsa, heat until hot. Spoon over batter in pan to within 1/2 inch of the edges.

Bake about 25-30 minutes or until edges are dark golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake about 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted; loosen from side of pan.

Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with cayenne if desired.

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

I have made stuffed peppers both in the oven and in the crockpot and I bet this recipe could go in the crockpot as well. This is a little spin on an old favorite. It will keep me from analyzing the shape and size of every green pepper in the store. If I am going to cook this in the crock I would just put everything in the crock instead of the casserole dish and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

1lb. ground beef
2 green peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. cooked long grain rice
1 26oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 C. finely shredded five cheese Italian blend

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown meat with peppers and garlic in large skillet; drain. Stir in rice, spaghetti sauce and 3/4 C. cheese.

Spoon into 2 quart casserole; top with remaining cheese.

Bake 25 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

If I am going to cook this in a crockpot, I would add uncooked rice. I have also substituted brown rice for the white rice.

South of the Border Chicken and Pasta Skillet

This was in the Kraft Food and Family Spring 2010 issue. It looks delicious and I think this is something the kids will like when they are here this summer. I look at it this way. You can rarely go wrong with chicken and cheese.

2C. medium shaped pasta, uncooked
1lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 jar thick and chunky salsa
1 pkg (10oz.) frozen corn
4oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 C. Mexican style shredded cheese

Cook pasta as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium high heat 6 minutes or until done. Add next 4 ingredients; mix well. Simmer on medium-low heat 6 minutes or until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture with 1/2 C. shredded cheese. Simmer 3 minutes or until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Top with remaining shredded cheese; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand until cheese is melted. Serve.

Easy Layered Taco Pie

This is a great recipe for summer as you make the whole thing in the microwave. If you want to cut back on the sodium, make your own taco seasoning or buy taco seasoning from Penzey's. You can use ground turkey in place of ground beef as well...just add a little olive oil when you brown the meat so it doesn't dry out.

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/2 C. water
4 flour tortillas, cut into quarters
1 C. salsa
1 C. Mexican style shredded cheese
2 C. shredded lettuce
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 C. sour cream

Crumble meat into microwaveable colander, place over microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 8 min. stirring every 2 minutes to break up meat. Discard fat. Transfer meat to 9-in. microwaveable pie plate. Stir in seasoning mix and water. Microwave 5 minutes stirring after 3 minutes.

Remove half of the meat mixture; set aside. Cover remaining meat mixture in pie plate with half of the tortilla quarters. Repeat layers of meat mixture and tortillas. Top with salsa and cheese. Microwave 4 minutes.

Top with remaining ingredients. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf

I am still working on this recipe as it didn't turn out the way I had hoped the first time I tried it. This does work well in a crockpot for 8-10 hours. I cook all of my meatloaf recipes in my crockpot because otherwise dinner would be pretty late after work! I toss it into the oven for about 20 additional minutes to give it a little crust.

1lb. extra lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, seasoning salt, and dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper
6 slices of bacon, cooked

Mix all ingredients but the bacon together and form a loaf. Place in a loaf pan and top with back. Cook either 1 hour in a 400* oven or 8-10 hours on low in a crockpot.

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce

Opa!! This was a huge success tonight. I even got Chris to thoroughly enjoy 2 vegetables that each have more than 3 syllables! I used my Foreman grill but I am sure this will be a fan favorite on the outdoor grill all summer.

Souvlaki

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-in pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered length wise and cut into 1/2-in thick slices
cooking spray

Tzatziki sauce

1/2 C. cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1/2 C. plain lowfat yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare souvlaki, combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini alternately onto 8-in. skewers.

Heat a grill pan or grill. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done; turning once.

To prepare tzatziki sauce, combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and garlic clove; stirring well. Serve tzatziki sauce with souvlaki.

Beef Stew

This recipe is also from my WW cookbook.  It works great in a crockpot for 8-10 hours.   I make my veggies chunkier when I am using the crockpot so I don't have a big pile of mush...just add the peas in with about 30-40 minutes to go.  This was a big hit for my Mom's birthday this year!

4 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely chopped carrot
1 tbsp. finely chopped celery
1lb. beef roast or 1lb. stew meat
1 C. chopped canned plum tomatoes
1/2 C. dry red wine
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 frozen pearl onions
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1in. pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1in. cubes
1 C. hot water
1 tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

In a medium nonstock Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Saute the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the beef and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add the pear; onions, carrot chunks, potatoes, and water. Cook, covered, 40 minutes.

Stir in the peas, cook 4 minutes, then add the parsley and oregano and cook 1 minute longer. Discard bay leaf.

Classic Pot Roast

This recipe came from my WW New Complete Cookbook.  I am entering it as written and will note my revisions as I go.

2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
2lbs bottom or top round bonelss beef roast, trimmed of all visible fat
2 onions finely chopped---I only use 1
1/2 carrot finely chopped---I used 8 baby carrots
1 celery stalk, finely chopped--I used 3 stalks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried---I used about half
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp. dried
6 juniper berries crushed (optional)---I didn't use them
1/2 C. dry red wine---I used chianti
1 can chopped plum tomatoes with juice---I used a 14oz. can
1 C. low sodium beef broth
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the roast and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.  Transfer the roast to a plate.  Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage and juniper to the pan.  Saute, stirring constantly until the vegetables are golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Add the wine, turning up the heat slightly and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Return the roast and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper (the liquid should cover only about 1/3 of the meat); partially cover the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently, turning the meat occasionally, until tender when tested with a fork, about 2 hours.

Slice the meat thinly across the grain.  Skim the fat from the gravy.  Return the mat to the gravy in the pot and reheat over low heat.  If you desire a thicker gravy, boil the gravy over high heat for a minute or two, keeping the sliced meat warm.

I have made this recipe in a crock pot for about 6-8 hours on low and it worked well too.

Instant Potato Gnocchi w/ Ragu Bolognese

Chris and I made this for our Valentine's Day at home meal this year.  They were awesome together.  The gnocchi came from taste of Home's Healthy Cooking and the bolognese came from Taste of Home.  We may try the gnocchi with some chopped fresh basil once spring alllows the herb garden on our deck.  The only thing I would change about the bolognese would be I would cook it longer than it calls for, the longer the flavors meld, the better.

Instant Potato Gnocchi

1 C. mashed potato flakes
1 C. boiling water
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 C. all purpose flout
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

6 cups of water
pasta sauce of your choice
grated parmasan cheese, optional

Place potato flakes in a large bowl.  Stir in boiling water; add egg.  Stir in flur and seasonings.  In a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times forming a soft dough.

Divide dough into 4 portions, roll each portion into a 1/2 inch thick rope, cut into 3/4 inch pieces.  Press and roll each piece with a lightly floured fork.

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Cook gnocchi in batches for 30-60 seconds or until they float.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Serve with sauce; sprinkle with cheese if desired.


Don't be afraid of the long ingredient list in this recipe.  It's really easy.

Ragu Bolognese

1lb. ground beef
1/2lb. ground pork
1/4lb. bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 C. dry red wine or beef broth
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp each ground cumin, nutmeg and pepper
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. fresh parlsey
1/2 C. grated Parmasan cheese

Hot cooked pasta and additonal Parmasan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork, bacon, onions, celery, and carrots over medium heat until meat is no tlonger pink; drain,  Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer.  Add wine; cook for 4-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leave, sugar and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Discard bay leaves.  Add the cream, butter and parlsey; cook 2 minutes longer.  Stir in cheese.  Serve with pasta and additional cheese.

Bucket of Beef

I have made this for years.  It couldn't be easier.  It is a fan favorite in my family served with French rolls, cole slaw, chips, macaroni salad, the list goes on and on.

1 3-4lb beef roast trimmed of excess fat
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 14oz can beef broth

Place roast into crock pot.  Sprinkle with dressing mix, add broth.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours until meat can be shredded with a fork.

If you prefer your beef spicier, add a jar of giardinara, hot or mild.

Prairie Land Pot Roast

This is a kraftfoods.com recipe. The recipe is written for a Dutch oven but it works in a crock pot as well.

1 boneless beef blade roast (2lb)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. Kraft Catalina dressing, divided
2 large onions sliced
2lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-in pieces
1lb. carrots peeled, cut into 1-in pieces
1 can low sodium beef broth
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Season both sides of roast with salt and pepper. Brown meat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven on high heat with 1/4 C. of the dressing turning to brown all sides. Add onions, stir to brown.

Add remaining dressing, potatoes, carrots and broth. Bring to boil, cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 1.5-2 hours or until meat and veggies are tender.

Remove meat from pan. Slice meat thinly against the grain. Serve meat and veggies topped with pan gravy. Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

If you would like to use your crockpot for this, brown the meat and onions in a Dutch over then transfer meat, onions, carrots and potatoes to the crockpot and add the broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Gorgonzola Topped Pork Tenderloin

This was a surprise find. It is delicious with polenta, mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes.

1 (1lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Cooking spray
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. beef broth
1/4 C. dry red wine
2 tbsp. crumbled Gorgonzola or other bleu cheese

Place the pork between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound to a 1 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Heat oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Combine garlic, pepper and salt, rub over both sides of pork. Add pork to pan and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the pork from pan and keep warm.

Add broth and wine to skillet scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Increase heat to high and cook until reduced to 1/3 C. (about 6 minutes). Spoon sauce over pork; sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This is a Campbells recipe that I have tweaked just a bit. It makes a lot so I usually bake a pan and freeze a pan for another time. I have also different salsas and shredded the chicken instead of chopping.

1 10oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. Pace Picante sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 C. chopped cooked chicken
1/2 C. shredded Monterrey jack cheese
tortillas
small tomato
chopped green onions

1. Stir soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a bowl.
2. Take 1 C. of soup mixture and add chicken and cheese.
3. Fill tortillas, put remaining soup mixture over the top of enchiladas in a 9X13 pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
5. Garnish with tomatoes and green onions.