September 7, 2010 · 10:37 pm

Italian Meatloaf

Our boys love meatballs, so I thought this might be like a meatball, but in a different shape. I was kind of right.

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup carrot puree (I use baby food)
1/4 cup catsup
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
4 slices bacon

Instructions:
Preheat over to 350 and coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions and cook for about 7 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add the celery and cook about 3 minutes more. Put the onion mixture in with the breadcrumb mixture. Add the turkey, Parmesan, carrot puree, ketchup, salt and pepper. Stir (or use your hands) to combine.

Put the mixture in the loaf pan and smooth the top. Spread tomato sauce over the meatloaf and lay the strips of bacon on top. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until the meatloaf in no longer pink and the bacon begins to brown.

We had this with broccoli sprinkled with Parmesan and some watermelon.

Did I change anything? I didn’t change anything, but I think the next time I make this I will use less tomato sauce. The meatloaf wasn’t as firm as I am used to, so I think less tomato sauce might help.

What did the family think? Well, the kids were not convinced that this was like a meatball but in a different shape. However, after quite a bit of stalling, they did finally eat it and actually liked it. Our youngest even ate the bacon…he has never had bacon. Ever.

from Deceptively Delicious

Leave a Comment

Filed under Everybody Ate It, Italian

September 6, 2010 · 11:07 pm

Pumpkin Doughnuts

This will be our special back-to-school breakfast tomorrow morning.

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg white
1 T butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup powdered sugar, optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a doughnut mold or mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, pumpkin, milk, egg white, margarine and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spice and mix completely.

Pour the batter into a gallon-sized Ziploc-type bag, snip off the corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze the batter into the doughnut mold.

Bake about 20-25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

When cool, dust with powdered sugar or eat them plain.

Store in an airtight container for up to two days.

adapted from Deceptively Delicious

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

· 12:01 am

Homemade Sloppy Joes, Take 2

Last spring I tried a recipe for homemade Sloppy Joes that did not go over so well with the hubby or our youngest, so I thought I would give it another try.

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I use baby food)
1/2 cup butternut squash puree (baby food, again)
1/4 cup raw carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Hamburger buns

Instructions:
Coat a large non-stick pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onion, celery and garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften.

Add the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook until no longer pink.

Add the veggie purees, the carrots, the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened to the desired consistency.

Spoon the mixture over toasted buns and serve.

We had this with corn on the cob, blueberries and strawberries.

Did I change anything? I didn’t add the salt. It needs the salt. Also, sometimes I put a slice of cheddar on top. I forgot to do that this time, but it sure is yummy.

What did the family think? Everyone really liked it. Hubby thought it needed more salt. Umm, well, I forgot to add the salt.

from Deceptively Delicious

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Sandwich

September 4, 2010 · 7:25 pm

Roasted Veggies

I haven’t found a roasted veggie I don’t like and these are no exception…

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, cut into spears
1 red bell pepper, cut into spears
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Place veggies in a large roasting pan or on a cookie sheet that has sides. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and stir/toss to coat.

Arrange veggies in a single layer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Veggies are done when they are light brown and tender.

We had this with pesto and lemon kabobs, grapes and bread and butter.

Did I change anything? This recipe also called for asparagus, summer squash and a yellow bell pepper, but I knew we wouldn’t be able to eat all of that, so I just chose a few veggies to work with. If you are going to use all of these veggies, then you need more olive oil.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked them. My favorite was the red onions. The kids weren’t impressed.

from cooks.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

September 3, 2010 · 9:39 pm

Spaghetti Carbonara

We love pasta around here and this dish was no exception…

Ingredients:
1 box spaghetti
8 oz pancetta, cut into thin strips (can use bacon instead)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.

Beat egg yolks with cheeses and salt and pepper.

Cook pancetta in skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add olive oil.

Drain pasta and add to pancetta, stir and cook for one to two minutes.

Add egg and cheese mixture to pasta and cook until eggs have thickened up, stirring constantly.

We had this with a simple salad and grapes.

What did the family think? After our youngest got over the fact that this was not the type of pasta with red sauce everyone loved it and wanted seconds. Everyone even loved the pancetta (and these are kids who refuse to eat bacon.)

from barillaus.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Pork

September 1, 2010 · 11:17 pm

Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon Chicken

So easy and simple!

Ingredients:
2 1/2-3 lb. fryer, cut up
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Wash chicken and pat dry. Pour olive oil in a 9″x12″ pan. Place chicken pieces in pan and turn to coat oil on all sides. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. Sprinkle garlic, and lemon juice over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

We had this with watermelon and a baguette.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it so it must have been a hit. Hubby ate his with spicy German mustard and the boys ate theirs with catsup.

Did I change anything? I just used chicken breasts. Also, the recipe called for parsley. I used the parsley, but I think it would have been better without it.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicken, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

August 27, 2010 · 11:16 pm

Meatballs in a Hurry

These are great in spaghetti and for meatball sandwiches. They freeze well, too.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/2 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix together using your hands.

Form golf ball size meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet about one inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes and then turn over and bake for another 5 minutes.

What did the family think? These are so easy and the family acts like I am some sort of gourmet because I made them homemade meatballs. They loved them!

4 Comments

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

August 26, 2010 · 7:52 pm

Pintos and Cheese Salad

This was SO much better than I thought it was going to be. My husband wouldn’t even pass me the bowl so I could have seconds because he wanted it for himself. He did eventually give it up. 🙂

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 cups canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
1/2 cup red onion, diced
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, diced

Dressing:
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.

Combine dressing ingredients in a blender and until cilantro is chopped fine. Pour over salad and serve immediately. (If taking this to a picnic or a potluck, take the salad and the dressing separately.
Pour the dressing on the salad when you get there and it is about time to eat.)

We had this with tacos and grapes. It’s a nice little salad to add to whatever Mexican dish you are having. It’s also good to have with hamburgers, steak or grilled chicken. It’s very summery, too.

Did I change anything? I halved this recipe when making it for my family. If I was taking it to a potluck, I would follow the amounts in the recipe above.

What did the family think? Hubby was hogging the bowl and wouldn’t give it to me so I could have seconds. I think he liked it. 🙂

from Disneyfamily.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

August 25, 2010 · 10:37 pm

Chicken Souvlaki (Greek Chicken)

As I said in a precious posting, we went to a Greek festival this weekend. Hubby and I got the requisite gyro, but our oldest decided to get some chicken souvlaki. He liked it so much that hubby went and got some for himself. I didn’t manage to get a bite since they both wolfed theirs down, so I decided to make my own.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T garlic, chopped
1 T dried oregano
Cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes (garnish)

Instructions:
Cut chicken into bits that can be thread onto a kabob. Put chicken strips in a large mixing bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together. Pour mixture into bowl with the chicken and stir to coat the chicken.

Place bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for eight or more hours. Stir mixture every once in a while to make sure all chicken pieces are getting marinated.

When you are ready to grill the chicken….First, drain the chicken. Then thread the chicken onto the skewers, folding each piece of chicken as you put it on the kabob so the chicken won’t spin around.

Spray the grill with non-stick spray and heat grill to medium-high.

Grill kabobs for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

We had this with pita bread, leftover couscous salad, some watermelon and tzatziki sauce.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it!

from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time

· 8:10 pm

Greek Salad

We went to a Greek Festival this past weekend, so there are going to be several Greek recipes on MommaCooks this week. I love Greek food; it’s so fresh and simple.

Ingredients:
Dressing
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T dried oregano
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and let stand for about an hour so the flavors have time to mingle.

Salad
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (more or less to taste)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, together with the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Did I change anything? I left out the Kalamata olive; they’re not my favorite.

What did the family think? Hubby and I loved this; it’s a perfect summer salad. The boys liked the feta.

from Wickedfood Cooking

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicken, Make Ahead of Time, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian