Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberry Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt

1 tsp strawberry flavored sugar-free gelatin (powder only)

In microwave safe container, thaw strawberries in microwave for 1 minute on high.  Add yogurt to blender (or Magic Bullet), pour in the slightly softened strawberries and sprinkle the gelatin over the top.  Blend until completely smooth.  If it's a little thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have the thickness you like.

It's only 150 calories.  I drink this for breakfast along with peanut butter toast or have it for a snack with cocoa roasted almonds. 

Simple Bean Burritos

This is a freezer-friendly meal.  Make these up once a month and keep in the freezer.  Pop them into the microwave for a few minutes to reheat and dinner is served on those busy nights.

Simple Bean Burritos
refried beans
tortilla wrappers (I used low carb, low calorie ones)
cheddar cheese (I used fat free)

Create an assembly line by laying out everything you'll need.

Spread about 1/4 cup of beans onto the tortilla and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar.  Fold up the sides and roll up.  Place onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid.  Store in a freezer bag.

To reheat:  place frozen burrito on microwave safe plate and cook on high for 2-1/2 minutes.

Naked burrito

Dressed up burrito

Yum!

Granny's Chili

It's funny how families have different food traditions.  When Daddy and I got married, he shared a lot of these with me.  For example, when I was growing up, Nana would make a big pot of chili and serve it with cornbread or oyster crackers.  That's how I thought everyone ate chili.  Until I got married and we were invited over to dinner at Granny and Papa's.  I asked if there was anything I could bring and they said, you can bring some hotdogs if you want.  Hotdogs???  I just went with it.  Come to find out, they eat chili on baked potatoes, hotdogs, tortilla chips.  And Granny makes cole slaw to accompany it.  It was strange for me, at first.   But now I love this and enjoy it very much.  I still love cornbread with my chili/taco soup, but it's nice to have a change every now and again.

We visited Granny and Papa recently and she made a huge pot of chili.  She had so much, she sent two freezer bags home with us.  This is a yummy and easy chili recipe.  Here's how she did it:

Granny's Chili
2 onions diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 lbs ground beef
2 packets chili seasoning
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
4 (14 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 oz) cans light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large cans pork and beans (like Campbell's)
shredded cheddar (optional)

Saute onion and pepper in a little olive oil until translucent.  Add ground beef, brown and crumble with a spoon.  Drain off the fat and rinse in a colander if you want.  Add back to the large pot.  Sprinkle in the chili seasoning, tomatoes and all the beans.  Stir together until combined and thick.  Simmer over low heat for an hour. Yields approx. 20 servings


YUM!

389.9 calories, 10 grams fat, 54.2 grams carb, 28.7 grams protein

Thin Crust Pizza

We love Friday Night Pizza Nights.  We were making our own pizza dough for nearly a year.  It is delicious, but not very figure friendly.  I found an easy way to make a thin crust pizza using flour tortillas.  And you love to help!  This coral dress is your absolute favorite dress.  You'd wear it everyday given the chance. 


Thin Crust Pizza
flour tortillas
pasta sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings
Italian seasoning

Lightly toast the flour tortillas in 425 degree oven for a minute or two on the oven racks.

Place them on baking sheets and spread some pasta sauce over them.

Add some veggies (we used peppers).

Sprinkle some cheese.

Top with pepperoni.

Bake in oven at 425 for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Finish it with a sprinkling of Italian seasoning and enjoy.


YUM!

Drying Herbs

I love fresh herbs.  Once while at the State Farmers' Market, I was able to get 3 huge bunches of fresh cilantro for $1.00.  I tried to tell the seller I only needed one bunch, but the language barrier prevented him from understanding me, so I just purchased all three bunches.  When I got home, I thought about how to store some of it.  Fresh cilantro will last about a week and a half if placed in a clean paper towel and then rolled up and stored in a plastic food storage baggie.  I received suggestions on my facebook page from freezing it for later to add to soups to making pesto.  All were great suggestions.  I love to add dried cilantro to guacamole, soup and salsa.  The taste is a little different but it's easier to keep it in the pantry.  Here's how I dried it:

Turn oven on 250 degrees F.  Rinse cilantro in water and pat dry or spin dry the extra moisture.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.  Arrange the fresh cilantro around the baking sheet and bake in the oven for a couple of hours.  Remember to turn and flip the cilantro with tongs about every 30 minutes.  Once it is completely dry, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Break the large clumps up and store the dried cilantro in plastic storage containers.  I don't know how long it will last, but if the container has lost it's fragrance, the herb will not flavor the dishes.

Incidentally, my homemade dried cilantro rehydrated in some guacamole I made recently and it tasted just like fresh cilantro, unlike the store bought dried cilantro.  

Freezing Summer Squash

Squash casserole is a favorite during the fall of the year.  However, yellow squash comes into season during the summer months.  Cousin Brenda told me about freezing squash when it comes from the garden and then using it in squash casserole.  Sounded like a great idea to me!

To prepare the squash for the freezer:

1. Clean and slice the squash or zucchini in half, lenthwise; then slice it across for half-moon shaped pieces (enough to equal 4 cups)
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil or butter or combo
4. Dice a medium onion (about 1/2 cup) and add to hot oil, saute for a minute
5. Add sliced squash or zucchini, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, pinch of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to skillet and saute for another 5-10 minutes, do not overcook to mush

Remove from heat and place in freezer storage container or baggie.  Label it and store in the freezer until you are ready to prepare Summer Squash Casserole.

Yummy!

Red Enchilada Sauce

Making our own enchilada sauce is a regular at the house since I always forget to buy the canned variety at the store.  The homemade kind is so much better and we always have the ingredients on hand.

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoon tomato chicken boullion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 6 oz tomato paste

Heat oil over medium heat in saucepan.  Add flour and chili powder and whisk together; cooking 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients and boil 10 minutes whisking occasionally.  Remove from heat and use in your enchilada recipes.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa harina (found in the Latin food section of the grocery store)
2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt

Put masa harina in mixing bowl and make a well in the center.  Pour water into the well and stir to form a dough.  Knead the dough until it's soft but not sticky (should feel like play-doh).  Pinch off a palm-size piece and roll into a ball.  Cut out two 7" circles from cleaned plastic grocery bags.  Put 1 circle on a tortilla press, place dough ball in the center and top with second circle.  Push handle down on tortilla press to flatten the dough.  To make it thinner, wiggle the handle from side to side while pressing down.  Open the press, remove the top piece of plastic and transfer the tortilla to the palm of your hand, pulling off the second piece of plastic.  Cook the tortilla in a heated cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Make sure it's lightly toasted on both sides.

Frittata or Crustless Quiche

A frittata is an egg dish baked in a skillet in the oven.  Sometimes they are called crustless quiche since it's only egg and whatever you want to add to the skillet.

Frittata
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt
pepper

additions:
crumbled cooked sausage
chopped cooked bacon
chopped deli ham
pepperoni
shredded cheese of any kind
sliced cheese, cut up (it will sink and stick to the bottom of the pan if you're not careful)
cooked, sliced potatoes
steamed broccoli
chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
cooked collards
peppers
onions
...the possibilities are endless!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 2 Tablespoons butter/margarine over medium low heat in a skillet on stove top.  Beat the eggs in a bowl, add milk, salt & pepper; pour into pan.  Sprinkle in your additions - meats, vegetables and top with cheese.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and center doesn't jiggle when you wiggle the pan.

Remove, flip out onto a plate to serve during a brunch or just slice and serve from the skillet.  I like to serve mine with chunky salsa or with Rotel, which is in the picture.

 Ham, Cheese and Spinach Frittata

Homemade Buttermilk

This is a little kitchen trick I learned years ago to make buttermilk.  It's nothing new but some have never heard of it.  I rarely buy actual buttermilk, usually because I forget.  So I do this instead (you can view the video here):

It's really easy:

1 cup milk (you can use skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk)

1-2 Tablespoon white vinegar (or lemon juice)

Pour the vinegar into the milk, stir it up and let it sit on the counter for a minute or two.  Miraculously you will end up with thickened buttermilk!

Easy Quesadillas

I love Tex-Mex food and could eat it everyday, but then I hear protests from Daddy.  I wanted to share an easy, no-fuss quesadilla recipe.  It's really a method versus a recipe, seeing how you can tuck beans, chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or even grilled veggies inside with the cheese.  Here's how we do them:

Easy Quesadillas

10 flour tortillas $.99

non-stick cooking spray $.25

3 oz cream cheese, softened $.08

1 Tablespoon taco seasoning $.12

filling: beans, chicken, beef, etc...about 2 cups $.45-1.25 (depends on what you are using)

2 cups shredded cheese (your choice) $1.17

1. Heat skillet over medium low heat.  In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and taco seasoning together until well combined; set aside.  
2. Remove two (2) flour tortillas from bag and spray one side of one tortilla with non-stick cooking spray (if you don't have this, use butter or olive oil, your choice), place the 2nd tortilla on top.  
3. Using the back of a spoon, spread about 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over the tortilla.  Spread thin layer of cooked beans or meat over the cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of shredded cheese over the bean/meat layer.  
4. Separate the tortilla from the oily one beneath it and place it into the heated skillet.  Place the oily tortilla over the cheese layer, oily side out.  After about 1-2 minutes, carefully flip the tortilla so the other side can brown.  Remove the quesadilla from the skillet to rest and so the cheese can finish melting.  
5. Continue making quesadillas.  Cut them into quarters or sixths.  Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Dump Chicken Freezer Meals

Caribbean Dump Chicken

1/2 large can of pineapple chunks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup orange juice

3 chicken leg quarters

Dump everything in a large one gallon freezer food storage bag and lay flat to freeze.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Pour everything in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F for an hour.  Adjust the cooking time if you are using boneless chicken, 30-40 minutes. 

Apricot Dump Chicken

juice and zest of one lime

zest of one orange

1 can of mandarin oranges

1 jar apricot preserves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt & pepper

3 leg quarters

Dump everything in a large one gallon freezer food storage bag and lay flat to freeze.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Pour everything in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F for an hour.  Adjust the cooking time if you are using boneless chicken, 30-40 minutes.

Russian Dump Chicken

1-16 oz bottle Russian dressing (I used Catalina)

1/2 can peach pie filling

1 pouch onion soup mix

3 leg quarters

Dump everything in a large one gallon freezer food storage bag and lay flat to freeze.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Pour everything in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F for an hour.  Adjust the cooking time if you are using boneless chicken, 30-40 minutes.

Asian Sesame Dump Chicken

1-16 oz bottle Asian Sesame dressing

1/2 can of pineapple chunks and juice

1/2 can of peach pie filling

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger root

3 leg quarters

Dump everything in a large one gallon freezer food storage bag and lay flat to freeze.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Pour everything in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F for an hour.  Adjust the cooking time if you are using boneless chicken, 30-40 minutes.

Home Grown Tomatoes

Home Grown Tomatoes have to be the best tasting! My dad planted a huge crop of tomatoes this year, yellow, red and orange. They are beautiful and tasty! One thing with home grown tomatoes is the tough outer skin. Store bought tomatoes are usually picked early and then gassed later to help ripen them. So their skin stays thin. Home grown tomatoes develop and ripen on the vine so when they are ready to pick the skin has toughened up quite a bit. The best way to remove the skin is by using a knife to cut an "x" on bottom of the tomato (not the stem end). Bring a pan of water to low boil and drop tomatoes in the simmering water for about 1-2 minutes depending on the size of your tomato. Using tongs, remove the tomato to a cutting board and immediately you will notice the skin has split apart more and the skin may have begun to curl up ready for you to take hold of it with your tongs and peel it away. At this point, you can refrigerate the tomatoes for salads or sandwiches or use them right away. Home grown tomatoes are easy to grow even if you don't have a garden in the ground. You can purchase some big planter pots at your local department store (Walmart had them for $5) and plant tomatoes in them. Just make sure you water and fertilize regularly. You'll be harvesting tomatoes in no time!

Enjoy!