Pasta with Kidney Beans

Pasta with Kidney Beans

1/2 white onion, diced

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8 oz can tomato sauce

4 cups water

1/2 lb. small pasta (Ditali)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in oil until golden. Add the sauce and beans and a little water. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the water and salt to taste. Once it comes to a boil, let cook for 15 minutes. Check beans to make sure they are cooked; should no longer be hard. When they feel right, add pasta and cook. The pasta will absorb the water when ready. If water is drying up during cooking, add more boiling water and adjust seasoning. When ready to serve, season with black pepper. Wouldn't be a pasta dish if you didn't add Parmesan cheese!

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe from my Grandma!

Veggie Wrap

Veggie Wrap

Flat Out white-wheat bread

Hummus

Fat free feta cheese

1 seedless cucumber, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 scallions, chopped

Spread hummus on bread. Top with veggies and feta. Roll up and enjoy.

This recipe may not have been worth a post, because it is so easy. I always forget about this one though - and it is so good for lunch!

Amy's rating: 10/10

Chad loved it - I just forgot to have him rate it. :)

Adapted from my sister!

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf

1 white onion, diced

1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs - I used 1/2 cup Panko and 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs.)

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey breast

1 large egg

Pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I added)

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard (I omitted)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to pan. Cook for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Combing mushroom mixture, breadcrumbs, chicken broth, parsley, soy sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground turkey, egg, pepper and cheese.

Spray Pam in a 9 x 5 pan. Shape turkey mixture into pan.

Combine ketchup and brown sugar. Spread evenly over top of meat loaf.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light October edition.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

184

Fat:

3.7g (sat 1.6g,mono 1g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

23.2g

Carbohydrate:

15g

Fiber:

1.2g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

1.3mg

Sodium:

405mg

Calcium:

30mg

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

Olive oil

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1 large egg

1 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked

2 scallions, diced

Hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add pepper and onion, cooking until the onion is soft (about 4 minutes). Add egg. Stir frequently until egg is firm and cooked through. Add chicken, rice, soy sauce and scallions. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes until blended well. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Women's Health July 2009 edition.

Rigatoni with Meatballs

Rigatoni with Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - reduced fat

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 large eggs

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 lb pasta (Rigatoni)

1 jar store bought sauce - or homemade (I was too lazy last night.)

1 small can Tomato sauce

Fresh basil

Oregano

Extra Parmesan cheese

Combine meat, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix together softly with hands. Over-mixing will cause the meat to be tough. Roll into small balls. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add meatballs and turn to brown on all sides. While the meatballs are working, prepare the sauce. When I use jar sauce, I like to doctor it up. Add the jar sauce to a pot. Add a small can of tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, add to the sauce. Add a little extra cheese to the sauce. Cook the noodles; drain and combine with the sauce.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 10/10

Meatballs melt in your mouth. Very good!

Turkey Feta Rice

Turkey Feta Rice

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 container fat free feta cheese

2 cups brown rice

1 container non fat Greek yogurt

1/2 seedless cucumber

Salt, pepper and lemon pepper

Prepare rice as directed on package.

Brown turkey; drain. Return to pan and add feta cheese and season with pepper. Keep pan on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir. Meanwhile, grate cucumber over Greek yogurt. Stir together. Season with salt and lemon pepper. Top turkey mixture with sauce.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10

Sorry for the picture quality! This is a must try. If you liked the turkey feta burgers, you will love this! This recipe was an experiment last night and it turned out perfectly. I will be making this again!

Eggplant Roll-ups

Eggplant Roll-ups

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into slices

4 large eggs

3/4 cup pesto - store bought

2 1/2 cups bread crumbs

3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup marinara sauce (I made my own quick sauce)

Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Whisk together eggs and 4 tablespoons of pesto. Pour the breadcrumbs into a large plate and mix with a handful of Parmesan cheese. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining pesto on each eggplant slice and top with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice. Bake until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes.

Prepare marinara sauce. Serve the roll-ups with the sauce and remaining cheese.

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8.5/10

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray. Picture is also from her website as I deleted mine.

Marsala Chicken Bake and Butternut Squash

Marsala Chicken Bake

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (white meat)

1 package sliced mushrooms

1-2 cups brown rice

Olive Oil

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1 tablespoon Flour

1/2 container Heavy Cream

Salt, pepper and parsley

2 cups water

Parmesan cheese

1 Butternut Squash, cored, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Cover bottom of pan with brown rice. Top with chicken.

Saute mushrooms in olive oil over medium high heat. Once softened add flour, Marsala wine and cream. Stir until thickened. Add water and seasoning.

Pour gravy over chicken and rice. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered another 5 minutes.

Steam squash in steamer bag (Glad Simply Cooking) for recommended time. Place softened squash in bowl. Add butter and brown sugar. Mash until creamy.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10

Amy's rating: 8.5/10 - The butternut squash was a 10 for me.

Recipe was adapted from Rachel Ray's magazine (a few issues back). The recipe did not give exact measurements, so I just "eyeballed" it. I would use less Marsala wine next time.

Beef and Potato Pocket

Beef and Potato Pocket

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)

4-5 small red skinned potatoes, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 small white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 can Pillsbury Recipe Creations dough

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Crushed Red Pepper flakes

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook until softened. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Brown beef in another pan; drain and add to potato mixture.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray Pam on cookie sheet. Roll out dough and cut into large squares (1 can should give you 3 squares.) Pile meat and potato mixture in center of each square. Stretch dough over top of mixture and pinch all sides to seal. Bake for 13-15 minutes until dough is baked and lightly browned.

Chad's rating: 8/10 - would be good with a mushroom sauce on top.

Amy's rating: 8/10

Mexican Inspired Chicken

Mexican Inspired Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts

1 avocado

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Mexican cheese blend

Medium salsa

Marinate chicken breasts in a bag or sealed Tupperware dish. Combine olive oil, chicken broth, lemon juice, honey and spices. Place in fridge for about 20 - 30 minutes. Cook on grill pan on both sides until cooked through. Top with shredded cheese right before taken off the grill pan.

Meanwhile, saute onions and red peppers in olive oil.

Top cheesy chicken with salsa, onion and pepper mix and avocado slices.

Serve tortillas and rice on the side.

Chad's rating: 9.5/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10

Marinate measurements are not exact. I just used anything I had that sounded good and it worked!

Sausage with Cannellini Beans

Sausage with Cannellini Beans

1 package Italian sausages

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons oregano

1/2 cup chicken broth

Olive Oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Spinach leaves

Parmesan cheese

Prick the sausages with a fork and place in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1/2 cup of wine and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low for about 5 minutes. Uncover pan, raise heat to medium high and cook sausages until well browned; turning often.

While the sausages are cooking, in a separate frying pan over medium high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and pepper and cook until softened. Add garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Then add beans, oregano, remaining wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered.

Cut sausages into bite size pieces and add to beans. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over spinach leaves and top with Parmesan cheese.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10 - Would make again!

Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma's Weeknight cookbook.

I used Spinach vs. Arugula. Added red pepper flakes. Cut sausages into bite size pieces. I only used 1 can of beans - recipe called for 2. Cut down the amount of wine and chicken broth.

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

20 ounces of store-bought ravioli (cheese or mushroom)

1 small can mushrooms, drained and sauteed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Cook ravioli in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, cook butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once foam subsides and the butter starts to turn golden brown (about 3-4 minutes), turn heat off. Let cool for a minute. Then stir in balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Add cooked and drained ravioli. Stirring to coat evenly. Top with walnuts and cheese.

Chad's rating: 8/10 - More mushrooms, less walnuts

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis. Recipe reviews said to use mushroom ravioli. My store only had cheese so I added sauteed mushrooms to the sauce.

Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes

Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes and Garlic

Sourdough bread

Sharp Cheddar cheese

4 farm fresh Tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Slice tomatoes and place on plate. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over each slice. Top with chopped garlic. Let marinate for an hour. Finally, prepare grilled cheese as you normally would. Spread butter on both sides of bread. Add cheese and marinated tomatoes. Grill for a few minutes on each side. Serve with Tomato Basil soup.

Since I have been traveling for work, Chad decided to make this for me when I got home. What a sweet surprise!

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8.5/10

Spiced Mini Burgers with Couscous Salad

Spiced Mini Burgers with Couscous Salad

1 box Parmesan couscous

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, trimmed and sliced

1 -2 Tomatoes

1 container pine nuts, toasted

1/2 container feta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 container hummus

Wheat pitas, halved and warmed in oven

Prepare couscous according to package directions.

Combine ground beef with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Form small patties. Heat olive oil over a grill pan or skillet on medium heat. Add the patties and cook about 4 minutes on each side.

Combine fluffed couscous with scallions, tomatoes, feta, pine nuts and lemon juice.

Serve with pita and hummus.

Chad's rating: 8/10 - not a fan of scallions; would like to try with meat all ground vs. patty style.

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine.