Lentils and Barley

I found this recipe looking for a light meal to use up our pantry staples. It is now an absolute favorite, and you can even crock it to have an easy night (put it all in and let it go 6-8 hours on low-though it gets a little mushier this way). It is great all on its own, kind of like a stew, with some salad or a nice whole-wheat roll.

1 cup dried lentils- rinsed and sorted
1/2 cup dried barley- rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped or grated garlic (2 cloves?)
1" piece of fresh ginger, grated or very finely chopped
4 1/2 cups water or stock/broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Spices to taste: cumin, coriander, chili power, paprika, salt, pepper, turmeric, chipotle, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, etc)

1. In a medium sized pot, bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt, and bay leaf if you opt for one.

2. Add vegetables as you have chopped them, and once water comes to a boil add the lentils and barley.

3. Return to a boil, turn to low, and simmer uncovered about 30 minutes until the water is almost all evaporated. Add soy sauce and your choice of spices. I throw in what I know our family likes, more of the savory and less of the spicy, just in pinches. You can go wild on all but the salt, and should wait to add more salt until right before serving to see how much you really need.

4. Cook another 10-15 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed.

Cheap, easy, and loved by all in this house It also reheats very well if you have leftovers and is a great grab for breakfast or lunch.

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Bites

1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon dried parsley
dash of soy sauce
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped green chili (cooked)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs
BBQ sauce of choice

1. Heat oven to 375. Combine breadcrumbs and stock to moisten.

2. Mix turkey and dry seasonings. Add moistened breadcrumbs, soy sauce, chili, onion, and eggs. Mix until blended together.

3. Form mixture into 12 balls and insert into the holes of a 2.5" muffin pan(s).

4. Bake for 30 minutes, remove and spread about 1 teaspoon of BBQ sauce on the top of each meatloaf. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until internal temp reaches 170.

5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Make-ahead Option: Instead of baking immediately, you can wrap the meatloaves and store overnight until you are ready to cook and serve.

Taco Meatloaf

1 pound ground meat
2 TBSP taco seasoning (equal to 1 packet)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (omit seeds for milder version)
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 egg
3/4 -1 cup breadcrumbs
optional: 1/2 cup taco sauce

Saute onions and pepper until soft to release extra juices. Mix all ingredients together by hand until combined, and all breadcrumbs a little at a time until mixture holds together.

Form into a loaf on a broiler pan or in a loaf pan. Top with taco sauce and bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes (depending on the thickness) until juice runs clear. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Brazilian Chicken

This is a quick dinner that tastes like vacation in a bowl!

2lbs boneless chicken breast, thin sliced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (divided in 1/2)
2 TBSP olive oil (divided in 1/2)

1 onion, sliced
1 seeded jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
1" chunk fresh ginger root, grated
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Mix spices and 1/2 tsp salt together in a medium bowl and rub into chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Cook chicken until browned and juices run clear, about 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. Remove to a clean plate.

In skillet, heat remaining oil and saute onions, garlic, jalapeno and ginger. Once onion is softened, add 1/2 tsp salt, tomatoes and coconut milk and stir to deglaze the pan. Simmer about 5 minutes to thicken, and add chicken into the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serve over rice or noodles or with a chunk of crusty bread for mopping.

Hearty Calzones

1 cup of warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup  rolled oats

Add all ingredients for the dough to a warm mixing bowl. Mix until combined and the dough is sticky and clings together. Knead for 10 minutes. Spray the ball of dough with cooking spray and turn so its all coated. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and stick in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees for 1 minute ONLY and shut the oven off. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put mixer bowl back on the mixer and knead (or punch the dough down) for 2 minutes. Divide into 4 and roll out circle on a floured cutting board until dough is about 1/4" thick.  Sprinkle a piece of wax paper with corn meal or semolina, and lay dough out flat. Repeat until you have rolled all 4.

Fill calzones with toppings of choice, for example:  

mozzarella              pepperoni                      peppers                mushrooms             basil

ricotta                     meatballs                       onions                  spinach                   sage

feta                          ham                                broccoli               zucchini                flat leaf parsley

cheddar (sharp)      grilled chicken              tomatoes              roasted garlic
                              sausage                           olives

                               

I would recommend about 1/4 cup cheese,  about 1/4 cup meat,  1/4-1/2 cup and vegetables per calzone.

Layer meat, vegetables, and cheese (if you use ricotta, spread it down first) on 1/2 of each circle, leaving at least 1" at the edge. Fold empty half of the dough over, and roll the edge tightly, pinching it to seal. Slide calzones from wax paper onto baking sheet, 2 calzones per sheet.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes until dough has puffed up and begun to harden, and poke a hole in the top with a knife to vent. Continue to bake another 20-30 minutes until dough is golden brown. Brush with olive oil before serving (optional).  Serve with marinara on the side for dipping.

I love to make my calzones with ricotta and mozzarella, and roasted vegetables. Meatballs, mozzarella, and peppers are a big favorite in my house too!

**I always use my kitchen aid mixer for dough making, but you can make it by hand with a large bowl, strong wooden spoon and your 2 hands. **

If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Everything Bagel Calzones
Breakfast Pinwheel Calzones
Homemade Pizza

Sweet and Sour Sausage Skewers

1 lb sausage links (I used turkey basil)

4 bell peppers

1 onion

3 TBSP whole grain mustard

2 TBSP honey

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 TBSP sweet citrus-like preserves (orange marmalade, apricot, pineapple, etc)

black pepper

Add sausages to a pot of boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain water and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk mustard, honey, vinegar, preserves, and black pepper together. Slice sausage into 1/2" slices and toss into the marinade.

Wash pepper and cut them into chunks about 1" square. Cut onion into 1" chunks. Add peppers and onions to marinade and toss to coat. Let sit 15 minutes.

Thread skewers alternately with sausage and vegetables. Reserve marinade for basting skewers while they are cooking.

Preheat your broiler on high or your outdoor grill. Grill until edges of peppers are charred and crispy. Take any remaining marinade and pour it into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to a boil stirring frequently (2-3 minutes). Serve on the side as a dipping sauce.

Serve on or off the sticks depending on the age of your eaters, and serve with some roasted potatoes.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Sausage and Pepper Ravioli

Kielbasa and Pepper Skillet

Sausage and Pepper Quiche Bake

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)

2 eggs

1 medium/large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 cups chopped celery (about 3-4 stalks)

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 TBSP buffalo sauce
2 slices bread, cut into 1/2" cubes or 1 cup breadcrumbs
2-3oz crumbled blue cheese/Gorgonzola

Beat egg and buffalo sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, celery, onion, and bread crumbs and still to combine. Add chicken and mix until just combined (over handling the meat will make it tough). Add blue cheese and gently fold in.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 75 minutes. Baste with additional buffalo sauce if desired or serve additional sauce on the side.

This is a very moist meatloaf thanks to all of the veggies, which make up about half of the loaf's volume. I served it along some ranch style mashed potatoes and fresh sweet corn:

8 small potatoes
1 cup ranch dip (or 1/2 packet ranch seasoning and 1 cup sour cream)
1 TBSP butter
1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Cook and drain potatoes as you normallly would. Mash or whip with remaining ingredients, starting with 1/4 cup buttermilk and adding more until potatoes reached the desired consistency. YUM!

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Buffalo Drums(ticks)
Buffalo Tilapia
Buffalo Chex Mix
Buffalo Turkey Burgers
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Best Meatloaf Ever

Juicy Turkey Burgers

3 lbs ground turkey
1 packet onion soup mix
1 TBSP chili sauce or siracha
1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 TBSP MDP's seasoning

Mix ingredients together and let stand 15 minutes. Shape into 9 balls and flatten into patties. Make a dent in the center of the patties (this keeps the patty from rising in the center while you cook it). Freeze any extra burgers for later use by placing on a baking sheet lined with wax pepper, freezing until hard, and storing in a freezer bag.

MDP's Classic Juicy Burgers (revised)

5 lb ground beef
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
2 TBSP siracha or chili sauce
2 TBSP dijon mustard
1/2 c Worcestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic , grated
1 TBSP MDP's seasoning
Combine all ingredients well until blended. Let stand 10-15 minutes.

Divide into 15 portions. Form each portion into a ball and flatten to make a patty. Push down in the center of the patty to make an indent on both sides. This helps keep the burger flat while cooking as the meat shrinks and contracts.

Freeze extra burgers for a later use. Line a baking sheet with was paper. Form patties and lay them on sheet not touching (or just barely). Freeze until hardened and remove to store in a freezer bag.

Cook to your liking on a grill pan, broiler pan, outdoor grill, or in a frying pan.

Chicken Parm Burgers

1 lb ground chicken (you can substitute turkey if you cant find chicken)
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 small onion, grated
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 egg
1 tsp Worcestershire

1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 c. fresh basil leaves
4 slices mozzarella

Combine all but the last 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Form into 4 patties, and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook under the broiler about 5 minutes per side until browned well.

After cooking both sides, layer with tomato slices, then basil leaves, and a slice of cheese. Return to the broiler until melted and browned.

WHY DIDN'T YOU GRILL THEM? you ask? The chicken was a little moister than burgers usually are here are our house and it would've oozed through the grate before forming an exterior crust. If you want to grill, I'd suggest just setting down a sheet of foil to keep them together when they first go on.

This is GREAT with a little arugula and sun dried tomato. Serve as a salad with the burger patty on the side or as a sandwich on a ciabatta roll with a little herbed mayo. YUM!

Giada's Spiced Pork Roast

1/4 c whole grain mustard
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (2 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin, patted dry with paper towels
1 medium onion, sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 c low-sodium chicken stock
Salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Place pork in a 13X9 roasting pan and coat with the spice rub. Add onions, carrots, and broth.

Roast for an hour and 15 minutes under temp reads 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing to allow juices to settle. Serve with the roasted vegetables, and the pan juices seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

2 full boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
1 c chopped spinach
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
3-4 slices cappicola or prosciutto, chopped
1 TBSP oil from sun-dried tomatoes OR olive oil
1 roasted red pepper, thin sliced
8 slices bacon

course ground mustard
1 c shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pound out chicken to 1/4" thickness. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add cappicola/prosciutto and cook until fat renders out, add spinach and peppers and cook 1-2 minutes longer.

Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on each chicken breast. Top with 1/4 of the spinach mix. Roll chicken breast up, and wrap with 2 slices of bacon. Tie with kitchen string to hold together if needed.

Heat a cast iron skillet or saute pan over medium/high heat until its screaming hot. Add chicken breasts, turning to brown all sides. Baste the top with drippings and drain out the remaining bacon grease.  Drizzle with coarse brown mustard.  Continue cooking in the oven 15-20 minutes.

Cold Night Chicken Pot Pie

This is a combination of using up some things in the fridge and wanting a warm hearty dinner with not a lot of time. It was hot and bubbly and ready in 45 minutes and we all gobbled it up. We had the potatoes leftover from making potato skins, but you can flip it and use the leftover skins to make potato skins another night!

1 pre-made roll out pie crust
1 tsp olive oil
4 medium potatoes
3 carrots
1 large onion
5-6 celery stalks (from the inside with leaves if you have them)
1 sprig rosemary
1 large can chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bouillon cube or 1 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes and bake in the microwave. Let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Cut in half vertically and scoop out the flesh.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use an 8x8" glass baking dish and toothpick to trace a square into the pie dough and cut out with a knife.  Spray dish with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium skillet. Add onion, celery, and carrots roughly chopped and saute until softened. Chop rosemary and add. Add potatoes, spices, broth or bouillon cube and water to cover. Simmer 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the potatoes. Stir in chicken (undrained) and soup. Stir until blended.

Pour filling into baking dish. Lay crust on top and use knife to cut slits in the center to vent. Bake 25-30 minutes until the crush is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.


*** You can either:  bake the potato skins until crispy in the oven now, and top with cheese and bacon and bake until melted; or lay them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, freeze, and then throw them into a freezer bag until you are ready to use them :)

French Style Meat Pie

I make this every year at Christmas, but with the fall cooking and baking season rolling in, what the hay bale.

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork sausage

1 small clove garlic, chopped

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. water

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried sage

2 pie crusts (uncooked, for top and bottom)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Put the potato in a small pan and cover with water, bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. Mash.

Brown the meat, then add the garlic, onion and water.

Add the spices, and cook until the meat is broken up and browned, and the spices are mixed in.

Remove from heat and mix in the mashed potato.

Put the meat mixture into the pie crust, crimp the edges, and use a knife to put two slits in an "x" in the center to vent the steam. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.

Bake 25 minutes or until the crust is browned.

Serve with brown gray or ketchup.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

20 oz lean ground turkey or chicken breast (ever wondered why they sell it in 1.25 lb packages?!?)
1 egg
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 c finely minced onions
1/2 c finely minced celery
1 shredded carrot
2 tablespoons Buffalo sauce (our favorite is Ken's)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
Buffalo wing sauce for basting

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Draw an "x" in the meat to separate into 4 sections. Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten into a patty, use your fingers to make a divot in the center (helps it keep its shape when the meat starts to shrink).

Top with crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese as soon as it comes off the grill/out of the pan (or a slice of your fav if you don't like the funky stuff). Serve on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, extra wing sauce and a little ranch dressing if you would like.

WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU?
* Ground turkey/chicken are lower in fat and calories (make sure you buy ground breast for this benefits so its just the lean white meat and not the "extras" OR grind your own from boneless, skinless breast meat)
* You get the taste of buffalo chicken without eating deep fried breaded strips of chicken or deep fried, skin covered fatty wings (not that I don't love me some buff strips or chicky wings)
* Go for the grill pan/foreman/outdoor grill. Making it on the grill over a fry pan lets the grease drain away.

Unstuffed Cabbage

This is a great dish that is quick and easy to make (and a hit with my kids)! One of the few healthy dinners  my son will gobble up without a fight!

1 lb ground chicken or turkey sausage
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 can diced regular or fire roasted tomatoes
1 c chicken broth OR 1 c water and 1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 medium size head of green cabbage, shredded or cut to fine ribbons
1/4 tsp cumin
bay leaf
salt, black pepper, red pepper to taste

Heat a large pot to medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown sausage and break up until crumbled. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened. Add tomatoes, seasonings, bay leaf and broth/water and bring to a gentle boil.  Turn back to medium, add in cabbage and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serve over brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or Mashed Potatoes !

* You can also use ground turkey or chicken, but will need to season the dish up a little more with a few shakes of Italian seasoning, fennel, extra salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.

You can also adjust the seasonings to what you like and for variation.