Holiday Bliss

I made this drink over the holidays...after a day of holiday baking.

I used the following ingredients

Titos Handmade Vodka
Sprite 10 with Cranberry
 Lite Cranberry Juice
Rosemary simple syrup
Orange rind

Honestly, you can fiddle with measurements until you get a taste you like.  I went a little heavier on the Titos but then Tito and I are good friends.

Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Soup

I found this in the April 2016 issue of Cooking Light.  This will pair perfectly with a salad or sandwich for a quick lunch or dinner.

2 1/2 C. unsalted chicken stock
1 C. part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 16oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process 1 minute or until smooth.

Pour mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.  Stir in lemon juice and salt.  Divide soup among 4 bowls and top with chives.

Per serving: 184 calories, 8.4g. fat, 11g. protein, 14g. carbs, 4g. fiber, 30mg. cholesterol, 2mg. iron, 654mg. sodium, 297mg. calcium

Short Rib Lasagna

So I have mentioned that I get just about every cooking magazine under the sun but this recipe came from a flyer that came with a NON cooking magazine.  I may try this.  It's a long recipe but I am betting it will be worth it!

2lb. boneless beef short ribs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
16oz. button or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 C. dry red wine
1 C. reduced sodium beef broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. all purpose flour
3 C. milk
6oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
12 lasagna noodles
Olive oil
Additional Gruyere cheese and fresh thyme

Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, combine mushrooms, carrots, onion, wine, broth and garlic.  Add ribs.  Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook, covered 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour.  Stir in milk all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 1 minute more.  Stir in Gruyere cheese.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Transfer ribs to a cutting board.  Shred meat.  Strain cooking liquid; reserve vegetables.  Return meat to pot.  Stir in reserved vegetables and thyme.

Meanwhile cook noodles according to package direction, unless you are using no boil noodles.

Drizzle the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish with olive oil.  Arrange noodles in a single layer, top with 1 cup of white sauce.  Using a slotted spoon, add 1/3 of the short rib mixture.  Repeat layers, ending with noodles.  Pour remaining white sauce over top.  Cover with parchment paper brushed with olive oil, coated side down; seal tightly with foil.

Bake 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is golden brown and lasagna is bubbly.  Remove from oven.  Top with additional cheese and fresh thyme.  Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving

Per serving: 574 calories, 27g. fat, 132mg. cholesterol, 479mg. sodium, 39g. carbs, 3g. fiber, 39g. protein

Turkey Tomato Pizza

This is another recipe from Light Cooking Done Right from Taste of Home.  It reminds me of a turkey club sandwich turned into a pizza.

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (I may use the pizza dough I get at Caputo's.)
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 C. reduced fat mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 C. shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4lb. thinly sliced turkey, julienned
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced (I wonder if you could use sun dried tomatoes here?)
1 C. shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese
2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

Roll out pizza dough onto a 15x10x1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Flatten dough and build up edges slightly.  Prick dough several times with a fork; sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine the mayonnaise and lemon peel; spread over crust. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese and basil. Top with turkey, bacon, tomatoes and Swiss cheese.  Bake 7-9 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with onions.

1 slice equals 284 calories, 11g. fat, 27mg. cholesterol, 865mg. sodium, 27g. carbohydrates, 1g. fiber, 19g. protein

Pizza Pasta Soup

I saw this recipe in Taste of Home's Light Cooking Done Right.  I tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

1lb. ground beef
4oz. fresh mushrooms
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
4 C. beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 C. tricolor spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook the beef, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, carrots, pepper, bay leaf and oregano.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots and peppers are tender.  Add pasta and heat through.

Makes 8 servings.  Per serving: 168 calories, 5g. fat, 28mg. cholesterol, 401mg. sodium, 17g. carbohydrates, 2g. fiber, 13g. protein.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Black bean soup is one of my favorites at the restaurant where Chris and I had our first date.  This is a bit of a different spin but definitely worth a try.  The recipe is super easy and will make a great lunch full of protein.

2 15oz. cans low sodium black beans
2 C. low sodium vegetable broth
1 C. chunky salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

Blend together beans, broth, salsa, and cumin in a blender until almost smooth.  If you would like a little texture, hold back some beans from the blender and add them back before cooking.

Cook bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Divide soup among 4 bowls and top each with a tablespoon of sour cream and a half tablespoon of green onions.

Per serving: 216 calories, 3g. fat, 11.3g. protein, 36g. carbs, 13.9g. fiber, 581mg. sodium, 6.2mg. cholesterol

Chicken and Noodles Lasagna

I found this recipe in Midwest Living; the January/February 2016 issue.  It struck me as a great example of comfort food and we're having a pretty decent cold spell right now.  Don't get me wrong, this winter has been fairly easy if you compare it to the last two.  Locals will understand!  LOL

1lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
5 tbsp. butter, divided
1 1/2 C. fresh mushrooms
3/4 C. pearl onions, thawed
1/4 C. all purpose flour
1 14.5oz. can chicken broth
3/4 C. half and half or light cream
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 C. thinly bias sliced carrots
3/4 C. thinly bias sliced celery
3/4 C. frozen peas
9 no boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 C. shredded Havarti cheese with dill

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Fill a medium saucepan with water; add thyme sprig and bring to boiling.  Add chicken, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 to 18 minutes or until cooked through.  Transfer to cutting board to cool; discard cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large saucepan.  Add mushrooms and onions.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until just tender.  Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

Reduce heat to medium low.  Melt remaining butter in same saucepan. Stir in flour until well combined.  Stir in chicken broth, half and half, 1 tbsp. thyme, and remaining salt and pepper.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Set aside 1 C. sauce.

Stir carrots, celery and peas into remaining sauce in saucepan.  Cook, covered, for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Chop chicken; add to mixture in pan, along with mushroom mixture.  Simmer 2 to 3 minutes more or until heated through.

To assemble: Spread 1/3 C. of the reserved sauce in a greased 2 quart square baking dish.  Top with 3 noodles, half the chicken mixture, and a third of the cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with the remaining 2/3 C. sauce.  Set aside remaining third of the cheese.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until noodles are tender and cheese is melted.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving

Per serving: 477 calories, 27g. fat, 153mg. cholesterol, 1024mg. sodium, 30g. carbs, 3g. fiber, 30g. protein.