Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad

This is a fabulous, filling salad that I often make for dinner (about once a month) that my husband enjoys. It's delicious! My favorite part is the homemade dressing. I also like making a lot of it so I can eat leftovers for lunch the next day and the rest of the week.


Ingredients:
6 oz cooked, grilled chicken, shredded
1 container of Broccoli slaw (you may be able to find some in bags by the lettuce, but Darrenkamp's sells them in pre-packaged containers by the pre-diced onions)
8 green onions, diced (i love green onions)
1.5 cups of celery, diced (Darrenkamp's also sells these pre-chopped)
1/2 cup peanuts
1 small can of chow mein noodles
1 package oriental ramen noodles, broken up (set aside the seasoning packet)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp thai peanut sauce


Directions:
Mix chicken, slaw, green onions, celery,  peanuts, noodles, and ramen noodles in a medium bowl.
Mix sugar, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, and half of the ramen noodle seasoning in a jar with lid. 
Shake well and pour over slaw/salad.
Top with peanut sauce, making sure it gets mostly on the chicken. 


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Baked Turkey Croquettes

I shouldn't be posting this in the spring time because it's ideally the perfect post-Thanksgiving meal to use with your leftover turkey & mashed potatoes. So bookmark this and bust it out in November, please.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb of turkey (cooked & shredded thin)
3 potatoes, peeled, cooked, & mashed
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
salt & pepper, to taste
fat free olive oil spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mash potatoes in with 1/4 cup of the broth.
Add salt & pepper.
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil on low heat. 
Saute garlic & onions for a few minutes. Add parsley, more salt & pepper, and cook until soft for a few more minutes. Add turkey and remaining broth.
Mix well, then remove from heat.
Then add the turkey to the mashed potatoes. 
Use your hands to mix them together.
Add more salt if needed.
Scoop out the mixture, 1/4 cup at a time and form the oval croquettes.
Place each on waxed paper. 
Meanwhile, break & whisk egg and dip each croquette into the egg wash. From there dip into the breadcrumbs that are placed in a shallow dish.
Then place on a lined cookie sheet (parchment or tin foil). Spray with olive oil spray generously. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.


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Irish Beef Pies

I love Martha Stewart freezer recipes. I think all of her recipes are great, but they are always so involved, so when a good/simple one comes along, I embrace it. These Irish Beef Pies are easy to make ahead and serve for dinner during the week. There are great ways to enhance this recipe by adding garlic or paprika. But this is the traditional "Irish" pie recipe. I also would want to add onions or corn. Maybe some other veggies like carrots or celery but that's your call. Great recipe, makes 8 at a time. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 head of cabbage (won't need all of it)

1 lb ground beef sirloin

1/2 lb red potatoes

1 tbsp of tomato paste (you can use more, but i'm not a fan)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of water

1/2 tsp thyme

salt & pepper

2 pie crusts 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Shred the cabbage and cut the potatoes into tiny cubes.

In a sauce pan heat oil over medium heat.

Add cabbage & potatoes.

Cook for about 8 minutes until brown.

Then add beef and break up while cooking.

When they are no longer pink stir in tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, thyme, & water.

Cover, lower heat, and cook for about 15 minutes.

The potatoes need to be soft enough to mash.

After mashing with a fork season with salt & pepper.

Meanwhile, stretch out the pie crusts and split into 4 sections (use a pizza cutter).

Ideally you would want to make it more of a square then a circle, but I don't have time for that.

Place about 1/2 a cup of the filling on each square and seal up.

Crimp edges with a fork (if you're talented).

To Eat Now: Transfer pies to rimmed baking sheet (lined with foil) and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. You can rotate the pies after 5 minutes for even cooking.

To Freeze: After the insides cool, wrap in tin foil and place in freezer bags. I kept them in my freezer for about a month and used them regularly. No defrosting needed. 

To Eat From Freezer: Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

BEFORE BAKING:

 AFTER BAKING:

Nutritional Information:

Carbs: 7.5

Calories: 362

Fat: 20

Points: 8.6

Points Plus+: 10

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Sausage Spaghetti Pie

Sausage Spaghetti Pie is a recipe I found in Freezer Pleasers. I was able to make 3 at one time to save in my freezer. They say you can keep them in the freezer for up to 1 month, but I'll be honest and admit I did it for longer than that and nothing bad happened to me after I ate the Spaghetti Pie. What can I say, I walk on the wild side.


Ingredients:
1 package of spaghetti
4 eggs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I get the light kind, but there really isn't much of a difference between that kind and the regular kind that you can find in the pasta aisle)
1 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup butter (i use olive oil cooking spray instead)
2 cups sour cream (I have to use fat free)
1 - 2 lbs. sausage, casings removed
2 tsp Italian seasoning (i'm sure I actually used more than that)

2 cups water 12 oz tomato paste (I despise tomato paste, I use it sparingly, so I'm sure I only did about 3 oz)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package.
Meanwhile, beat eggs lightly and add them to the pasta after it has been drained.
Add parmesan cheese.
Mix it all together. 
Transfer to greased pie plates (can divide among 3 pie plates)
Press mixture into the bottom of the pie plates and up sides to form the crust of your pie (use hands)
Meanwhile, cook onion in butter until tender.
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and italian seasoning. 
Spoon over crusts.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat until brown.
Stir in water & tomato paste after draining out any grease.
Bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Once it thickens spoon the mixture over each of the pies.
Top with mozzarella & cheddar cheese. 


To Eat Now: Cover & bake pie at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.


To Freeze: Cover & Freeze for up to 1 month (or more!)


To Eat From Frozen: Thaw in fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.



Nutritional Information (based on ¼ of a pie)

Carbs:	Calories:	Fat:	Points:	Points Plus+:
7.4	451	20.6	10	11.7

 What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Wasabi Guinness Chilli

As previously posted, cooking with beer is amazing. It really enhances the flavor of every dish you can think of. From veggies to dessert, it is YUMMY. I enjoy experimenting with chili, I make it often and never make it the same way twice. Found this awesome recipe from AllRecipes.com that I used to inspire my chili dish for cooking club at the end of last year. It was so so so so so so good. I can't stop raving about it. Secret Ingredient? Not the beer (though that was great), not the wasabi powder, (thought that made it kickin!) It was COFFEE!!!  All the crazy ingredients together make for a flavorful, exotic meal with a lot of kick. I dare you to use it for any chili kick-off you compete in.

I know that picture isn't that classy, but trust me...this dish was FANTASTIC.

Ingredients:
1-2 cups of diced onion
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of ground beef, extra lean
1 lb of spicy Italian sausage (remove from casing)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bottle (12 oz) of Guiness (or other dark beer)
1 cup of brewed coffee (I used some fancy Jack Daniels brew)
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup chili powder (or more)
1.5 tbsp wasabi powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp coriander (or ground coriander)
1 tsp salt
1 can kidney beans, dark red
1 can kidney beans, light red
1 or 2  chile peppers or 1 jalapeno peppers, chopped (don't rub your eyes!)


Directions:
Cook onions, garlic, beef, and sausage over medium heat until browned and tender.
Pour tomatoes, beer, coffee, broth, and hot sauce.
Add chili powder, wasabi powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, sugar, oregano, coriander, and salt.
Stir in beans & peppers, bring to a boil.
Then reduce heat, cover and simmer.
Cook for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve with cornbread & biscuits!

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Golf-Themed 30th Birthday Party

My husband turned 30 in the past year and I threw him a golf-themed surprise party. It was actually a wine & cheese party with golf decor, so it was the the best of both worlds. We have thrown a wine & cheese party before and they are fab. Invite all your friends...all the ladies bring a bottle of wine and all the gentleman bring a block of cheese (encourage uniqueness) then supply plenty of pairings for the wine and cheese such as olives, dark chocolate, honey, jam, crackers, pretzels, fruit, etc. You'll be enjoying the delicious flavors all night. Special shout out to all my friends & family for their help. It was a great night and he was totally surprised. 

Check out all the details...

Tic Tac Favors & Powdered Donut Holes to serve as golf balls for the driving range.

Pretzel rods that serve as hole flags (all for hole 30!) & blue gatorade that serve as water hazards. A nice alternative would be to serve "trash cans". 

My mother made all the decorations (she's amazing)...this is a funny gift for any friends who turn 30. Though I don't think it's really true...30 is the new 20!!!

Cute center piece idea stolen from a friend. These are split peas to match the green & black color scheme. I bought the cheap bags in the Goya aisle. 

Awesome spread!

I made little pre-laminated cards so the guests could label the type of cheese (or wine) that they brought.

There was lots of wine & lots of wine glasses, so I used these cute animal glass markers that "sit" on the lip of your wine glass and help you keep track of who's glass is whose.  [Warning: Sometimes they just fall into the glass.]

Here is the AWESEOME circular fondant Titlelist golf ball cake that Byers Butterflake Bakery made!  SOOO COOL!

No Birthday party thrown by yours truly would ever be complete without CAKE POPS! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Guiness Beer Biscuits

Cooking Club back in August did a Beer-Themed Night. It was amazing. Everyone had to cook with beer as one of their ingredients. Just so you know, everything tastes better when made with beer. It's so flavorful and delicious. Instead of steaming veggies in water, do it with beer instead. So good! I made this insanely delicious wasabi beer chili (stay tuned for that recipe) and since we were in need of a starch, I made these beer biscuits. Simple to make, only a few ingredients, but worth all of them.

Ingredients (this makes 12 muffins):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 bottle of beer (I used Guinness!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, & salt.
Cut in shortening until the dough has a cornmeal consistency.
Stir in beer.
Kneed the dough lightly.
Break off even pieces and place into greased muffin tins.
Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with some delicious butter!


ENJOY!


What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Black Bean Burgers

Found these on Martha Stewart's website under Easy Freezer meals. They were quite easy to make (considering it's a Martha recipe) and they were delicious.
 

Nutritional Information (Based on 10 patties served on Arnold's circle bread & no dressing)

Calories: 217       Fat: A little more than 1 gram      

WW Points: 3      Points+: 5.3

Ingredients:
2 cans 15.5 oz black beans, rinsed & drained
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp cilantro paste (or fresh cilantro)
1 tbsp lime juice


Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a food processor mix 1 can of the beans, green onions, and cumin.
Pulse until a chunky paste forms.
In a large bowl, combine the paste with rice & remaining can of beans.
Mix in salt & pepper.
Divide into 10 thin circular patties.


To Eat Now: Bake in oven on rimmed baking sheet that's been sprayed with pam for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip after 5 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine yogurt, cilantro, & lime juice. Add salt & pepper. Put some on the top of patties after they finish baking and serve on bread as a sandwich with cucumbers, tomatoes, & lettuce.

A nice alternative is ranch dressing if you don't want to make the sauce/dressing.


To Eat Later: Wrap patties individually in plastic wrap and freeze all in a large freezer bag laid flat.

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Back when school started in September I made a lot of meals ahead of time. I spent Labor Day weekend trying out more recipes from Freezer Pleasers. Believe it or not, there are actually recipes in that book I still haven't tried yet! Here is an easy one.

Nutritional Information (Serving Size: 1 Cup)

Calories: 172    Fat: 4 grams      WW Points: 3.1   Points+: 4.4

Ingredients:
6 cups water
1 30 oz. package frozen shredded hash browns
1 24 oz. bag mixed vegetables
4 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 lb 2% milk Velveeta cheese
2 cans 14.5 oz. low fat cream of chicken soup
1 cup skim milk 



Directions:
Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Add hash browns, veggies, and bouillon granules, bring to a boil again.
Reduce heat and cover.
Simmer for 10 minutes until veggies are tender. 
Stir in cheese, soup, and milk.
Cook until cheese is melted and well mixed.
Add croutons & serve with black bean patties!

To Freeze: Wait until soup has cooled. Transfer to freezer container or tupperware and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Use Frozen: Thaw in fridge, then heat in pot. You may need to add additional milk. 

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Ravioli Lasagna

What a delicious recipe! Found this from Rachel Ray & it feeds a ton of people!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp basil
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp allspice
salt & pepper
1 cup red wine
6 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp bay leaves
1/2 cup carrot, grated
1/2 cup onion, diced
3/4 pound, ground turkey
3/4 pound, ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
16 oz. provolone cheese, shredded (I used slices)
3 large bags of frozen cheese raviolis


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cook raviolis according to package directions. Be sure to add salt & separate the raviolis after you drain them so that they don't stick together.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan cook turkey & beef with olive oil. 
Rachel Ray recommends that you brown the meat to extra crispy to give it extra flavor and I would support her advice.
Add onion, carrots, garlic, & bay leaves.
Cook for about 5 minutes. 
Season with salt, black pepper, and allspice.
Add Worcestershire sauce & beef broth.
Bring to a boil.
Add tomatoes & tomato sauce.
Cook for 15 minutes (give or take) until sauce thickens. 
Add parsley & basil then remove from heat shortly after.
In a baking dish add 1 cup of the meat sauce.
Then line with 1 layer of the raviolis.
Repeat two more times, then top with cheese and bread crumbs (optional).


What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)