At-home takeout Chinese : Chow Mein

I found this recipe a few years ago when looking for something different to make with pork. I'm also a HUGE Chinese takeout fan but to save on the sodium and the wallet, I make my own to hold me over between cravings for those little white paper boxes of goodness.

2 TBSP oil
1 lb pork, chicken, shrimp, steak, OR 1 bag broccoli slaw (for a vegetarian version)
4-5 stalks celery, sliced into thin horizontal slices
1 large onion, sliced
1 can bean sprouts with liquid
3 TBSP soy sauce - low sodium version
1 jar chicken/beef gravy (or 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold vegetable stock/water for veg version)
salt and pepper to taste
chow mein noodles

Heat a large skillet on high, add oil and heat. Add meat and saute until browned. Push meat to the sides of pan, add celery and onion and cook until softened. Mix all together. Add spouts w/ liquid and cook about 10 minutes. Add soy sauce and gravy and cook for another 5 until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the chow mean noodles.

* If making the veggie version, just skip the meat and add the broccoli slaw in with the celery and onion.

* This is also great in the crock pot, brown the meat in a skillet, and add all ingredients but the gravy/cornstarch. Cook for 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Mix well and add in the gravy/starch, cook for another 20-30 min to thicken.

WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU?
* When you make at home takeout style dishes you control how much sodium goes in.

* Full of healthy veggies, even my onion hater would eat "the onions with the special chow mein seasonings"

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Light(er) Grilled Cheese

I got this great little recipe a fews years ago and was afraid I had lost it for good. Until I found it on Family Circle's website. (Just love technology!) Since re-making it, Ive updated this post to be MDP style..

SOUP
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Hunt's fired roasted diced tomatoes (my fav but any work)
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
bay leaf
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium heat. Add onion, sweet red pepper, bay leaf and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano and pepper. Break up tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. FIND AND REMOVE THE BAY LEAF!!! Puree with an immersion blender or work in batches in the stand up blender.

SAMMY
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 slices low-calorie whole-wheat bread
6 ounces 2% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix cream cheese, mustard and shredded sharp in a bowl and spread on 4 slices of bread. Cover with the other slice and spray both sides with cooking spray. Heat up a large George Foreman grill and grill for 2-3 minutes, flip and grill for 1-2 minutes more (you can also just use the regular fying pan too but I like how they get thin and crispy on the grill.)


WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU?
* Ill just go with the good old fashion nutrition info- not bad at ALL for soup and grilled cheese. Sparing the butter on the bread and using cooking spray saves a bundle and still tastes great!

Nutrition Facts (based on 4 servings)

Calories 362
Total Fat (g) 11
Saturated Fat (g) 6
Cholesterol (mg) 25
Sodium (mg) 822
Carbohydrate (g) 49
Fiber (g) 9
Protein (g) 26

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.

Green Eggs and Ham

The boys in our house are not fans of spinach, so sometimes I have to be a little sneaky....

12 slices ham

8 eggs

1 c frozen spinach

1 tsp dried onion

1/4 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

1/2 c diced fresh tomatoes

1/2 -1c shredded cheddar

In a 12 cup muffin tin, spray each hole with cooking spray. Line the cups with a slice of ham, and let any extra hang over the top.

Put eggs, spinach, and spices in blender and puree until spinach is broken up and mixture looks green (it will be a little thick almost like pesto, but not quite). Pour the mixture into the cups, there should be just enough to fill them a little more than 3/4 of the way.

Top each cup with the diced tomatoes and cheese. Fold any ham that was hanging over onto the top of the cup.

Bake on 400 degrees about 15 minutes until the eggs have set and the edges of the ham are brown.

WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR ME?

* Spinach is a great source of iron and calcium

* Eggs are high in vitamins, minerals and nutrients           

Sometimes we just eat pancakes for dinner....

Every once in a while when I am too tired to make something fancy, or just when I want to make something I know the kids will eat, we do a big batch of pancakes for dinner. These are supereasy, and come out fluffy and delicious!

Make up 1 batch of your favorite pancake batter from baking mix or pre-made pancake mix. I like Pioneer Brand buttermilk biscuit and baking mix (2 c. mix, 2 eggs, 1.5 cups milk).

In a food processor or mini chopper, coarsely chop up 1c. oats.

Mix oatmeal powder and 1 6oz container of flavored yogurt (strawberry and blueberry are my favorites) into the pancake batter.  Pour 1/4c scoops onto a hot griddle or electric skillet heated to medium. Once bubbles form, flip the pancakes.

WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU?
* The yogurt keeps the pancakes moist without adding fat
* Oats are a healthy source of fiber and said to be healthy for your heart