Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Okay I am the first to admit that my family and I are not big on cooked vegetables.  This of course makes coming up with new side dishes difficult.  I usually stick with salads or plain ol' sliced tomatoes, avocados, ...you get the idea.  So when I stumbled on this recipe I was sure it was going to bomb.  To my surprise Justin and I both liked them and Ella liked the crunchy outer parts of the Brussels sprout.  That is like a 50% approval rating!

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400*.  Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, oil, salt and pepper in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Seal and shake to coat.  Pour onto a baking sheet and place on center oven rack.  Roast for 30-45 minutes, shaking pan every 5-7 minutes.  Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black when done.  Adjust seasoning with kosher salt if necessary.  Serve immediately.

Greek Chicken Salad

This a super simple and delicious meal that can be eaten on a bed of lettuce topped with tomatoes and onions, as a sandwich or with pita chips. 

In a large bowl mix together:
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dill
pepper to taste

Add in:
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp sliced green onion
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I use rotisserie chicken)

Stir well and serve....Enjoy!

*If you are going to grill the chicken, try this marinade:
Mix 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp oil olive, and 1/4 tsp oregano in a small bowl.  Brush on chicken coating all sides and spinkle with salt and pepper.

Asian Noodle Salad

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
7 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
16oz bag coleslaw mix
2 packages Ramen noodles, broken up (throw away the seasoning)

In a skillet over medium heat, toast almonds and seeds until light golden brown.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Whisk in oil.  In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix and Ramen noodles.  Add contents of small bowl and mix well.  Toss in the almonds and sesame seeds just before serving.

This is a tasty salad that could be served as a side or meal.  To make it more of a main dish I topped each salad with a salmon burger, crumbled.

Manicotti

Easy, delicious and freezable...does it get any better?

1 Package (8oz) Manicotti

15oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley (2 Tbsp fresh)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce (28oz jar) - I used a home made red sauce that was amazing, I'll post this later.

Cook pasta according to package. Lay noodles on foil to cool. Heat oven to 350*. In a large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread about half the sauce on the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish (I used to 2 8x8 pans when I froze half), arrange filled tubes in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta (I sprinkled a little extra mozzarella over the top) and cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes longer.

If you freeze:
Bake at 350* for about 2 hours.

Egg Drop Soup

This soup is another great recipe from my friend Jamie.  Super easy and tasty!  I served it with her fried rice and chicken with a maple syrup marinade. (I used the maple salmon marinade, doubled it, and poured it over 5 chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Cooked until tender and sprinkled with sesame seeds.) My family loved everthing and it statisfied our take out carvings.

(I know the picture doesn't do it justice)

2 Tb soy sauce
¾ tsp sesame oil - I prefer to leave this out
4 c chicken broth
frozen mixed vegetables - I use peas, carrots and corn
3 Tb cornstarch
4 Tb water
2 eggs, beaten
2 T vinegar
1/3 tsp pepper

Combine broth, soy sauce, dash of pepper and sesame oil, and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and bring to another boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water first then add to the soup and stir until thickened. Gradually pour eggs into soup and stir until eggs float. Add vinegar and pepper and stir over med heat until mixed well.

*On a side note, this is a wonderful make-ahead meal.  I started the chicken in the morning and let it cook on low all day.  I also made the rice and soup ahead and just reheated them when the chicken was ready. No stress dinner.....LOVE them!

Taco Soup

Now that the fall weather is finally deciding to make an appearance it is time to pull out all the soup recipes that have been hibernating all summer. I love this soup because it is by far the easiest meal I make.  You literally dump, heat and serve.  I do not have a picture of this yummy meal but take my word, it is absolutely scrumptious. I usually make this meatless but it is wonderful either way.  I also double it and freeze half for busy weekday nights.

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 1/4 oz can corn, undrained
15 1/4 oz can hominy, undrained
15.8 oz can Great Northern beans, undrained
16 oz can pinto beans, undrained
14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing

Garnishes:  Cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.  Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.  TA-DA! It is that easy!  Around here we serve each bowl of soup with cornbread and honey butter.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Keaton has been begging me for weeks to make banana bread.  Actually he has been encouraging his sisters to NOT to eat the bananas so they would over ripen and I would have to make him bread.  So today I FINALLY got around to making his wishes come true.  I decided to try a new recipe that I found on All Recipes.com.  OMG! They are so delish...I hope Keaton will love them as much as me.  This is definitely a new favorite!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 11 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.