Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad

Sister Jackson came to our congregation several years ago from California.  She makes this delicious pasta salad using McCormick's Salad Supreme seasoning.  I've never bought the seasoning but I found a way to make it so it tastes very similar.

Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery seed*
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (or Romano if you have it)

Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over 1/2 pound of boiled spaghetti noodles.  Toss with your favorite Italian dressing and veggies.

YUM!

You and Hunter eat this for lunch during the summer months when the garden is producing bountifully with tomatoes and cucumbers.

*If you don't have celery seed, no worries, add a stalk of celery very finely chopped.

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.

 

 

Chicken Fried Rice

We love Chicken Fried Rice.  It's easy, filling and cheap!  It's easy to throw together when the chicken and rice have been precooked and are waiting on me in the freezer.  Here's how to pull it together:

Chicken Fried Rice
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 of a head of cabbage, sliced very thin
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups precooked chicken
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
2 eggs, scrambled
1 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more for serving
1-1/2 cups precooked rice
steamed peas
steamed broccoli

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add minced garlic.

Saute cabbage and carrots for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour in water and cover with a lid to help steam them.  Toss in chopped chicken and Chinese 5 Spice.  Stir to combine.

Make a well in the middle of the skillet, pushing everything to the edges of the pan.  Pour the scrambled eggs in the middle of the well and begin scrambling with a spoon.

Keep stirring until the eggs are done.

Season with soy sauce and stir to combine.

Serve with 1/2 cup brown rice, top with 3/4 cup of chicken stir fry.  Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of soy sauce and enjoy.  Serve with a steamed peas or broccoli.

You can add the vegetables into the saute, but Daddy doesn't like peas or broccoli.   So I serve his up first and then add the peas and broccoli to the rest of dish.

4 servings:  260 calories, 10.5 gr fat, 26 gr carbs, 19.6 gr protein

Yum!

No Bake Granola Bar

These are so good!  We've been making them pretty regularly over the last couple of weeks.  I've made Peanuts and Chocolate Chip, Cherry and Almond, Cranberry and Almond, Cherry and Pecan... I think you get the idea.  Make these with your favorites and have fun!

No Bake Granola Bar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
4 cups old fashioned oats (or 2 cups old fashioned and 2 cups quick cooking)
1 cup rice krispies cereal
1 cup dried fruit and/or chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Melt butter, brown sugar and honey in a pot over medium heat.

Bring to boil and turn off the heat.

In the meantime, mix together oatmeal, rice krispies, dried fruit, nuts and coconut. (If you are using the chocolate chips, wait to press them in later on so they don't melt.) 

Pour boiling mixture over the oatmeal mixture

and stir well, coating everything.

Spray a piece of parchment with nonstick cooking spray and place into a 13x9 pan.  Pour mixture into the pan

and (add chocolate chips at this point)

press down firmly using the parchment.  Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.

Remove and cut into 16 equal pieces.  Store in an airtight container.

I leave these on the counter in a container to keep the chewy texture.  If you store them in the fridge, they will be harder and more firm.  They are still good.

YUM!

Butter Parmesan Noodles

This is a super simple lunch which I serve you and Hunter.  Sometimes I add frozen peas to cool it down.  You both love sweet peas.  

Butter Parmesan Noodles
half a box of pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 Tablespoons butter
parsley

Boil pasta to al dente per package directions.  Drain and add back to the pot.

Stir in Parmesan and butter.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 YUM!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I love all things pumpkin.  This is one recipe I tried during the fall of the year and we loved it.

Pumpkin Spice Granola
3-1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2-1/2 cups rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
In a large bowl, combine oatmeal and rice cereal.  In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla.  Whisk until very smooth.  Combine the wet ingredients with the oatmeal and rice cereal, stir to coat evenly.  Spread onto prepared baking sheet.   Bake for 30 minutes, tossing and turning with a spatula every 10 minutes.  Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and bake another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the dried cranberries over the top, tossing and turning to distribute evenly.  Allow to cool completely.  You may need to stir the mixture every so often to make sure it dries out enough.  Once the granola has cooled completely, you can store it in an air tight container in the the pantry. 

We eat this in yogurt parfaits, served with milk in place of boxed cereal and straight up as a snack.

YUM!

Bean and Pasta Soup

I'm always on the lookout for a yummy soup recipe.  This is a great one to make on a cold day.  It warms up the house and it warms up your tummy.  I serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Hunter likes to eat the pasta out of the soup, so I put a little extra in for him.

Bean and Pasta Soup
2 cups Great Northern beans, prepared*
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp tomato paste
3-1/2 cups water
1 cup small shaped pasta (like fusilli or conchigliette)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced**
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onions and garlic, saute for 5-10 minutes until golden and soft. 

Add in the chopped tomatoes,oregano, tomato paste, prepared beans and water.  Bring to a boil. 

Add Pasta and sun-dried tomatoes, lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 

 Adjust seasonings of salt and pepper.  Serve with parsley or cilantro and sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. 

*Prepared beans are precooked and frozen for future meals, or the canned variety at the grocery store.  If you are using dried beans, soak them overnight.  Drain and rinse them and set aside.  Proceed with the above directions through adding water.  Add the beans and cook for an hour.  Then proceed with directions by adding pasta...

**I used dried sun-dried tomatoes, ones not in water or oil.  I added these to hot water and allowed them to plump up for about 5 minutes while I waited on the onions and garlic to saute.  Then drained them and chopped them up.

YUM!

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!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

Most of the meals I prepare for you are from scratch.  Occasionally, the grocery stores will run sales and combined with a coupon, we get free or cheap packaged products.  Even though some of these are free or cheap, I'm still selective with what we get to avoid junk.  I was able to get two boxes of Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix for $.14 each after coupons during a sale.  To make them even better, I vamped up the mix and came up with this recipe.  This is a bulk recipe to make during once-a-month-cooking or freezer-cooking. 

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
1 box of pancake mix (or 6 cups)
3 cups quick oats
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar (or honey)
4-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
3 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix pancake mix, quick cooking oats and cinnamon together.  Add sugar (or honey), milk, water, eggs and vegetable oil.  Mix well.  Using a 1/3 cup measuring scoop to pour up equal sized pancakes.  This made 24 pancakes.

Yum!

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

This is one of our favorite pasta salad recipes.  You and Hunter eat the entire bowl within 2 days.  It's really pretty healthy so I don't really mind if you eat it up.  

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

12-16 oz box of favorite pasta (I like to use rotini, rotelle, shell, farfalle)

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (I use Roma)

1 cucumber, seeded and finely diced

1 cup chopped deli ham, Canadian bacon, pepperoni

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Dressing

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Boil pasta according to box directions.

Chop the vegetables and put them in a large bowl along with the meat.  

Sprinkle poppy seeds over the vegetables and meat.

In a small jar with a lid, combine, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, Parmesan cheese and oil.  Shake until well combined.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Drain pasta and toss with the vegetables and dressing in large bowl.  

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. 

The longer this sits, the better it tastes.

Yum!

Mexican Rice & Beans

This is a staple we eat nearly every week for our Tex-Mex night.  It's pretty healthy since we are adding lots of beans for the fiber.

Mexican Rice & Beans
1 cup water
1 teaspoon tomato chicken boullion
1/2 cup rice
1 cup black beans (either precooked or canned)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and chiles (like Rotel) drained
pinch of salt
shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring water and boullion to a boil, add rice, stir, cover with lid and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Add beans and tomatoes and chiles and stir. 

Scoop and serve with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

(Our regular Tex-Mex Taco Night spread, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, cheese, lime wedges, black olives, salsa, taco meat, shells and of course, the rice and beans)

Yum!

Summer Veggie Pasta Salad

Pappy grows lots of squash and zucchini in his garden every year.  And he always has an abundance.  So I've been coming up with some new recipes to utilize it in different ways.  This time I decided to make a pasta salad.  It was great for the Circuit Assembly, you ate it with a fork, while Hunter picked through to find the noodles with his fingers.  


Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

1/2 box favorite pasta (I used Farfalle)

1 large Green Zucchini, diced

1 large Yellow Zucchini (this is not the same as Yellow Summer Squash, but you can totally use that too!), diced

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

16 oz Homemade Italian Dressing or your favorite store brand

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add pasta.  Check the pasta box for the recommended cook time and set the timer.  

When there are 3 minutes left on the timer, add the diced zucchini or squash.  Drain the pasta and zucchini and rinse with cold water to stop the zucchini from cooking. 

In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and zucchini, the tomatoes and peppers.  (I made the Italian Dressing in the bottom of this bowl, hence the herbs and spices on the side of the bowl.)

 

Pour the Italian Dressing over the top and stir to combine.  Refrigerate until cool or overnight. 

It's super good and easy.  And it's also mayo-free so it's great for the summertime gatherings!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Wow! Is this the easiest thing ever?!  Having the ground meat already cooked and in the freezer saves time when assembling this meal.  I start this about 4 hours before dinner and cook it on high.  Then I turn it off to cool slightly before serving so the layers stay together.  It's so good!

Crock Pot Lasagna
1-1/2 cup ground meat, pre-cooked (anything you like)
1 jar spaghetti or pasta sauce
6 lasagna sheets, uncooked
1 cup cottage cheese (I use lowfat, just because)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I keep this in the freezer too)
2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh parsley, chopped

Mix together the meat and sauce in a bowl; set aside.  Break the lasagna sheets in half; set aside.

Pour about 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the crock pot.

Layer this way:

• arrange 4 lasagna sheets over sauce,
• spoon about 1 Tablespoon of cottage cheese over each halved lasagna sheet,
• pour about 1/2-3/4 cup meat sauce over the cottage cheese layer,
• repeat 2 more times,
• then top with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Turn Crock Pot on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings:  364.3 calories (calculated based on ground turkey); 10.8 grams fat; 39.7 grams carb; 10 grams sugar; 25.9 gram protein