Favorite Recipes New & Old

Kalynx

I thought this might be a good running topic for the group? I know there's another recipe board out there for everyone but maybe some would feel more comfortable posting in a smaller setting..and it might help us get to know each other a bit more! :flowerforyou:

I tried an idea I got from the main recipe board tonight, or is it last night, I can't sleep!! Mozzerella Stuffed meatballs, yum!!

Here is what I used - you could make your meatballs however you like though:


They were really good!! Trick: I used cut up string cheese, easy peazy! Also, I read on a web site to form the balls first then make hole for cheese, and reform, that worked great. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes then let simmer with my homemade spaghetti sauce.

Kalynx

leftovers for breakfast at lunchtime!

findingfit23

This looks great! I will definitely make these!

Kalynx

Does anyone make their own tomato/pasta sauce? I tried making my own and I sorta like it but its missing something!! It could just be the salt, and if so thats ok...some recipes I read added sugar, I didnt do that I wonder if thats it? Here is what I used:

Organic tomato puree (low sodium)
Sauteed diced onion, green and yellow bell pepper and fresh garlic and added to sauce
oregeno.

Any suggetions to make it better? Could it be the sugar I am missing?

Mijo88

I know it sounds different but I like to blend in some low fat cottage cheese to my sauce. And don't forget the to add a little basil and black pepper.

findingfit23

Does anyone make their own tomato/pasta sauce? I tried making my own and I sorta like it but its missing something!! It could just be the salt, and if so thats ok...some recipes I read added sugar, I didnt do that I wonder if thats it? Here is what I used:

Organic tomato puree (low sodium)
Sauteed diced onion, green and yellow bell pepper and fresh garlic and added to sauce
oregeno.

Any suggetions to make it better? Could it be the sugar I am missing?

You need sugar to cut the acid of the tomato.

alliekat893

My mother always used baking soda to cut the acidity of tomatoes. I used to like watching it bubble up when she added it to the sauce. :-)

Mijo88

I think the cottage cheese adds a creamyness also negates the acids in the sauce

Kalynx

I just tried making kale chips, and man they are tasty! I think this batch I oversalted but next time I'll know better.

All you do is tear the kale leaves off the stem into bite size pieces, dab with olive oil and salt to taste.

I used one bunch of kale (four leaves), 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, and a little over half a tsp of salt. It made 6 servings.
I baked mine for 40 minutes at 350.

I just sampled one and they taste like thin crisp potato chips.

When I entered my recipe it shows:
49 calories
0 carbs
6 fat
206 sodium

Next time I'll use half the oil and half the salt - I can tell I overused both. I just didnt think the little I had looked like enough and they have too much of both. Live and learn!!

nitepagan

Here's my recipe for meatballs,

1 lb 93% lean hamburg
1 lg egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
parsley & Italian herb mix(basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary), garlic and onion powder as desired
Seasoned bread crumbs, I use 4C because it does not contain HFCS
Salt & Pepper as desired.

I mix the ingredients by hand adding, extra bread crumbs as needed to obtain the right consistency, Roll into balls of desired size. place on lightly oiled baking pan, I use the spray oil, eevo. cook under broiler, turning them as needed. Makes about 18 1 1/2 inch meatballs.

nitepagan

Spaghetti Sauce

Stop adulterating a good thing.

2 tbsp olive oil (evoo)
1 medium union chopped
1 cup or more of sliced mushrooms
3 or 4 garlic cloves chopped
1 green pepper chopped (optional)
1 lb Italian Sausage, sliced in small pieces (omit for marinara sauce)
1 lb 93% hamburg (if not making meatballs) (omit for marinara sauce)
3 28 oz. cans of tomato puree plus 42 ozs. of water
2 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp or more of sugar (to cut acidity)
spices: parsley, Italian herb mix (oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary)

Heat oil in 5 to 6 qt heavy bottomed pan, use enameled cast iron pot if possible, do not use aluminum pan. Fry onion, mushrooms, garlic, pepper and meat in oil until done. Add tomato puree to pan plus half the volume with water. Use the water to get all the puree out of the cans. Amount of water does not need to be exact. Add salt and sugar and simmer slowly for several hours, being careful not to burn the sauce on the bottom of the pan, the reason for the heavy bottomed metal pan. Or put pan in a slow oven for several hours. When half to three quarters done, add spices, fresh parsley is best, red pepper flakes for a spicier sauce.

I was shown how to make the sauce by my Italian mother in-law, When I divorced her daughter, she hated me until her death. This is the authentic way to make spaghetti sauce, updated by me.

Kalynx

I made my own jalepeno poppers last night with colby jack cheddar and fat free cream cheese and a couple cloves of garlic..man o man were they good!! low carb and not super fatty either.

Also made breakfast egg cups for the week with low sodium bacon, cheddar and apple baked in, yum!!!

Kalynx

Tried something new tonight on the grill with my steak - a red bell pepper to cut up and eat with the steak, grilled brushed with a little olive oil. And for dessert, a banana grilled wrapped in foil with cinnamon, splenda and a tiny bit of unsalteld butter!! yum yum yum!!

Kalynx

Posting the idea yesterday made me hungry today for broiled tomatoes with oregano & mozzarella. Thought I would share recipe here.

1 Medium Tomatoe, sliced into .25 inch slices
1 tsp olive oil - I used Annie's Roasted Pepper Olive Oil for this, drizzled a little on two slices and rubbed the others against that to spread the oil thinly and save on fat grams.
.2 cup part skimmed mozzarella Cheese
1 tsp Oregano (I like the wet kind you keep in a jar in fridge)

Baked at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Mine today got a little brown from too much time in oven, I got busy outside grilling pork chops.

Spicy rub mix I made up and love = little brown sugar, mexican chili powder, mrs dash spicy flakes, onion flakes and flaked oregano. Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes at HOT on grill(400 degrees)

findingfit23

I have this going in my crock pot right now! Instead of the peppers I used a can of green chilies. I also had fresh peeled garlic about to go bad so I used about 12 cloves and skipped the onion. I skipped the whole cooking in chunks part and have it whole in the crockpot with the spice mixture sitting on top.

From Skinytaste.com
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/04/barbacoa-beef.html

Barbacoa Beef
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 4 oz • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 161.4 • Fat: 5.0g • Protein: 24.9 g • Carb: 2.8 g • Fiber: 0.7 g

Ingredients:
3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
5 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/2 lime, juice
2-4 chiptoles in adobo sauce (to taste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp ground cloves
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 tsp oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chiptoles, cloves in a blender.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brown on high heat in 1 tsp oil. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on low two hours in a pressure cooker. (If you are making this in a regular pot, you will have to double the cooking time to at least 4 hours or more, covered on low flame and add more water from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out.)

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate.

Kalynx

sounds good! i love smelling the crock pot all day. Or walking in after a long day at work and letting the smell hit me when I walk in. And roasts are great and can save some $$ on sale! Last week I got a roast to put in the freezer for 15 dollars and got with it a 5 lb bag of potatos, 3 lb bag of carrots,3 lbs of onions & a packet of seasoning all for free!!

findingfit23

Made these today for brunch, very good! Im not sure if it needs the stevia, it gave it a funky aftertaste.

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/cream-cheese-pancakes.html

Cream Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients:

2 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1 packet stevia sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet. Blend until smooth. Let rest for 2 minutes so the bubbles can settle. Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan greased with butter or pam spray. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, flip and cook 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with sugar free syrup (or any syrup of your choice) and fresh berries. A surprisingly satisfying substitute for the real thing. Tastes like skinny fried cheesecakes! Even if you aren't watching your carbs these are a delicious departure from the traditional doughy stack of pancakes. And you won't have the sleepy feeling that usually comes afterwards!

findingfit23

And Im on a roll today! I just made bacon in the oven. Someone made it for me once that way and I thought it came out perfect. I made a bunch of pieces so I can just microwave through out the week for breakfast.

Here is what I did:
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, for easy clean up.
Lay the bacon out on the sheet next to each other but not over lapping.
Put the bacon in the oven.
THEN turn the oven on to 400 degrees. I guess that is the magic trick!
Bake about 17-20 min. I had thick cut bacon and went for about 25 min.
Just watch it towards the end and take out at the desired crispness.
Drain on a paper towel lines plate and WALA!

Mijo88

Well I thought I'd pass this on because it is really good. I really like potatoe chips. They are my weakness. So lately I've been making my own with my dinner. This is what I do.
I take 1 whole potatoe and peel the skin.
I slice the potatoe as thin as possible.
I spray my baking sheet with Pam cooking spray.
Then lay the slices on the cooking sheet and season with a little salt pepper and whatever you like.( I like to use a little garlic powder as well)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Place the cooking sheet in the oven on the middle rack.
Cook for 15-25 minutes depending on how thick you cut your chips and how crispy you like.
TADA!
I eat with my dinner but can also be nice snack.
If flavored chips are your thing then use a little popcorn seasoning after they are cooked to make cheesy or ketchup chips... Whatever you desire.

Hope you enjoy!

Kalynx

14 cooked jumbo pasta shells (make a few extra because some will rip/fall apart, etc)
1 cup light ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella shredded cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (4 TBS)
10 oz or so chopped broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
Favorite tomato sauce ...i used my homemade stuff but jar is fine

Fill the shells with cheese and broc mixture, cover in sauce and bake in covered dish.

I baked mine at 400 for 25 minutes, but it was still a bit cold because it had been in fridge for 24 hrs - so had to bake 20 more minutes.

You can top with more grated parm, or add more mozzarella to recipe and top before baking, whatever you want. Very filling and tasty and a great way to work more veggies into your diet!

66 calories per shell, 8 carbs, 2 fat, 5 protein, and 82 on sodium. I add the sauce seperately to food journal as it has its own recipe.


pardon the messy plate..

Kalynx

BBQ Pork Cupcakes



now tell me that doesnt look good! lol Love that I could pick it up and eat it with my hands, and liked the crunch from the eggroll wrapper.

It was just one eggroll wrapper cut in to 1/4 squares, tucked into muffin tin cups, 1 oz of pork (pork steak cooked in crockpot with water previously this week) in each cup topped with half a tablespoon of bbq sauce...(i need get some lower sodium bbq sauce but I had this stuff in cubbard).

one cupcake was 99 calories, 8 carbs, 4 fat, 8 protein and 119 on sodium. I had three for most of my dinner last night!