Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom

I just love the Food Network.  And I love the show The Next Food Network Star.  Last season's winner was Aarti Sequeira.  She was my favorite from the very first episode.  She's different and has a unique point-of-view.  I just love her recipes too!  I'm most interested in using different spices to brighten up our everyday meals.  She shared a recipe a few weeks ago which used cardamom.  It's a floral scented spice and can be very strong and very expensive.  I went to Sevenanda and picked up a tiny bit for about $.45.  I figured I give it a try and see if I liked it.  Well, I love it.  Let me share my tweaked "pantry-friendly" version of the Aarti Party recipe.  It was so good!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom (adapted from Aarti Party)

14 oz canned pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups)

2 cups water

2 cups vanilla almond milk, plus more for serving

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

chopped almonds

honey

In a large saucepan, whisk pumpkin puree, water, almond milk.  Bring to a boil.  Add cranberries, salt, pumpkin pie spices, cardamom and oatmeal.  Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes.  Follow the directions on your oatmeal canister.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Serve with chopped almonds, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup almond milk.

This was so good!  I think she says there are 4 servings in the pot.  There is no way I could eat that much oatmeal!  I filled my bowl with about 1 cup of the oatmeal and couldn't even eat it all.  It's very filling.  I think it's pretty healthy.  I plugged this into sparkpeople and it came out to be 288.1 calories for 6 servings.  That's good in my book!  I divided the leftovers into 1 cup servings and stored them in the fridge.  I heated them up each morning in the microwave until warm and then drizzled with honey and milk.  Perfect make-ahead meal!  Super fast and healthy breakfast option.

 

 

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

This is my most favorite way to use leftover roasted turkey.  Of course, Daddy doesn't like cranberries, but I put them in this one anyway.  It's too good to eat without them!

Back in 1995, I moved out on my own with my best friend, Jodi.  She and I rented a small garage apartment behind Sister Trout's house in Douglasville.  About the same time I got a job working at McMaster-Carr Supply Co.  One of my co-workers introduced me to Pampered Chef.  It was love at first purchase!  I bought nearly every single thing they offered.  I had enough of their products, I could have demonstrated without even receiving a kit from them!  Anyway, after all these years, I still have my original purchases and $1 catalogs.  They are my favorites!  This is one my all-time favorite Pampered Chef recipes.

Turkey Cranberry Wreath (original recipe found in All The Best)
2 cups leftover roasted turkey, chopped
1-1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, or 6 oz slices, sliced very thin and cut across to resemble grated cheese
1 stalk celery, very finely diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoon honey mustard
pinch of black pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or fresh if you have it)
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine everything together in bowl.

Create the wreath using crescent rolls.
Lay them in a "sunshine" or "star" design on your baking sheet.

Match up the seams and pinch them together.

Carefully lay them on top of each other, making sure not to pinch the tips of the crescent rolls into the seams.

Scoop the filling over the seams. 

Finish the wreath by pulling up the crescent tips and crossing over the top.  I start with the inside and work my way around. 

Then finish with the outside tips.

Cut any extra bits off using a pizza cutter, it's just easier for me.  If you have kitchen shears, they would work great too.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

YUM!

Serve this up with greens beans, mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.  Oh my word!  So good!

 You've got to try this one!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Casserole

This is an easy meal to create with leftover chicken from Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken.  Be creative and add what you like.  When I make this for supper, I add the chicken but not the spinach and then pour half of the mixture into the casserole dish.  Daddy doesn't like spinach and he'll refuse to eat supper if it's in there.  The rest of us like spinach, so once his portion is in the dish, I mix up half a box of frozen spinach into the remaining chicken and sauce mixture.  Then pour it into the other half of the dish.

...what we do for love :) 


Three Cheese Chicken Penne Casserole
1-1/2 cup penne pasta (whole grain or regular)
10 oz box of frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 teaspoon dried basil
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
14 oz can diced tomatoes (or use more spaghetti sauce)
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Mozzarella, divided
1 large precooked chicken breast (about 1 lb) cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook pasta according to box directions to "al dente".  Thaw spinach in microwave if it's not already thawed.

In large mixing bowl, add dried basil, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese.  Microwave for 2 minutes until heated through, stirring well. 

Add cubed chicken, prepared pasta and spinach to bowl; toss well to coat pasta and chicken. 

Pour into an 8x8 casserole dish and top with remaining Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

YUM!

Spicy Pineapple Beef

I made this for the first time using leftover beef roast.  I saved about 2 cups of beef roast shredded into fairly large chunks and covered it with the remaining cooking liquid.  Daddy and I loved it.  I guess you could call this a "double duty dinner".  We had Beef Roast one night and this meal another night that week. 

Spicy Pineapple Beef
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drain juice
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups leftover beef roast with about 1/2 cup cooking liquid
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

In Dutch oven, heat oil and vinegar.  Add pineapple and jalapenos, cook for 5-7 minutes.  Add leftover beef roast, cooking liquid, water and soy sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl and then pour into the beef mixture.  Stir well until thickened and turn on low.

Serve over steamed rice.