Baked Spaghetti (Squash)

1 spaghetti squah
16oz cottage cheese
1 egg
Italian seasoning
Prepared meaty spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese

Bake one spaghetti squash whole at 375 for 45 minutes. Cool slightly, cut in half. Scoop put seeds and remove flesh. Chop it up slightly. Place in bottom of square baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cottage cheese, egg, Italian seasoning and layer on top of squash.

Layer meat sauce on top and generously sprinkle Parmesan.

Bake at 350 for and hour. It will be a little watery on the edges. Just scoop it out and discard. Serve with salad and garlicky flax crackers.

Red Lentil Sloppy Joes

1 cup red lentils
2 cups stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 tbsp ketchup
1 cup homemade barbecue sauce

Bring stock to a boil. Add lentils and simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender.

Saute' onion & pepper in olive oil until tender. Add to cooked lentils. Then, add ketchup and bbq sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve on buns. Makes 4.

Spinach Fondue

1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chardonnay
5 cups shredded mild cheddar or colby jack cheese
2 8oz. packages cream cheese
1 box chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, slowly warm up all ingredients. Stir (or whisk if necessary) until the sauce is smooth and coats the back of the spoon. Takes about 10-20 minutes. The slower you warm it up, the better chance you have to avoid any graininess.

Serve with bread cubes, veggies, apple slices, meatballs, etc.

Serves 6 meal portions or 12 appetizers portions.

Super Easy Homemade Mac & Cheese

3 cups milk
3 cups whole grain pasta
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
salt to taste

Bring milk and pasta to a simmer on medium/medium low heat. Stirring often, cook pasta in milk until al dente- about 10-15 minutes. Keep the heat low because you don't want to scorch the milk or cause it foam and boil over.

Remove from heat, stir in cheeses and yogurt. Return to warm burner to melt everything if necessary.

Serve immediately. Add something yummy like peas, diced chicken, peppers, etc. to give it a little something extra. (Pictured with red & green peppers)

Make it into Alfredo by omitting the cheddar and doubling the parmesan. Grind black pepper onto it before serving. I like adding steamed broccoli to it, too.

You can also turn it into this with a few extra ingredients.

Serves 3 generous dinner portions or 6 as a side dish.

Cheesy Potato Soup

1 large softball size onion, chopped
6 stalks celery including the leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans evaporated milk, regular or low fat will do
1 bag frozen hashbrowns, thawed
5+ cups lowfat or skim milk
3 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sour cream

In a large soup pot, saute onion and celery in butter on medium heat. Add salt, pepper, parsley, & garlic powder. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the stock and evaporated milk to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Then, add the hashbrowns. Simmer for 10-15 minutes so you cook the potatoes.

Turn heat to low. Cream soups need delicate heat or they will scorch on the bottom of the pot. Add the milk and cheese to the pot. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until the cheese has incorporated, and the soup is smooth. Add more milk if you'd like it thinner.

SImmer on low for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add if necessary.

Stir in sour cream.

To serve, let cool in bowl for a few minutes. Cream soups seem extra hot when they come out of the pot! Top with green onions or bacon bits.

This soup can be made ahead. It will thicken, so add milk or stock if you need to thin it out.

Serves 12. Refrigerated leftovers reheat well on stovetop.

*I haven't tried freezing this, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's too much dairy in it, and I think it could separate or loose the proper texture upon freezing/thawing/reheating.

Avocado Red Pepper Pasta

4 ripe avocados, halved and pit removed.
1 medium/large sweet red pepper
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
splash of milk, I used almond milk

Place garlic and red pepper into food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Scoop out avocado flesh into food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Add to hot, cooked pasta. I used angel hair. Makes enough sauce for 1lb pasta.

Store extra sauce in airtight container.

Broccoli Millet Casserole

6 cups cooked millet- I used Bob's Red Mill Millet & Chicken Stock
1lb bag frozen broccoli cuts
1 12oz. bag italian cut green beans
2 1/2 cups stock
4 tablespoons corn starch
2/3 cup milk powder
2/3 cup greek yogurt, mayonnaise, or sour cream or a combo of them.
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
seasonings to taste- salt, pepper, garlic, onion, Mrs. Dash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the stock, corn starch, milk powder, yogurt, cheese and seasonings in a bowl. Add millet and veggies. Stir to combine.

Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on the edges.

Serve as a side or main dish.

Barley Tomato Risotto

1 cup pearl barley

1 tbsp EVOO

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1 15oz. can diced tomatoes

2 cups milk (I use unsweetened almond)

Put barley and oil in pot on medium and toast until deep caramel color. Add garlic and let that toast a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook covered on medium/low, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for about  40 minutes. Then, switch to low for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn burner off, leave pot covered, and let sit until all moisture is absorbed. Serve slightly warm with Pea & Chive Pesto on top. 

Pizza Dough

Basic Pizza Dough

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey/raw sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups flour (AP, Whole Wheat, White Whole Wheat, or a combo)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the water, yeast, & honey/sugar into your mixer bowl. Combine. Add the olive oil. Turn mixer on medium speed. Add the salt to your flour. Gradually add flour/salt mixture to mixer bowl. Combine everything until the dough comes away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Work quickly, and don't be afraid to really turn the mixer up. The whole process should only take about a minute. 

Let the dough rest in the bowl while you prep your other ingredients. It doesn't really NEED to rest, but I'm sure it helps the dough cooperate a little. 

Roll it out and top as you'd like. When baking it, use the highest temperature on your oven- like 550 degrees. It's the most promising way to end up with a "pizza place" type crust. Their ovens are usually at least 600 degrees.

You can also use this dough for calzones, stromboli, focaccia, breadsticks, even for quick cinnamon rolls.

Rice & Bean Bake

This makes a really flavorful rice & beans dish. I like it a lot better than making a batch on the stove top, and it's a bonus that you just dump it all in the pan and it comes out beautiful! Easy and delicious!

1 1/2 cups raw brown rice
3 1/3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 15oz. cans, drained)
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
2 1/2 cups stock, heated to boiling in a saucepan
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix rice, beans, tomatoes, salsa, onion, garlic, & pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add hot stock and stir. Add the shredded cheese.

Pour mixture into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for approximately 70 minutes or until rice is cooked through.

*sometimes I crank the temperature up to 400 to make things cook a little faster, and sometimes it takes up to 90 minutes…it just depends on the day.

Serve with salsa & sour cream.

Campfire Chili

This is the chili I make whenever we go camping. It's a hearty chili that's got classic chili flavors with a vegetarian twist. So filling that you won't miss the meat.

This is the pot I use over the campfire. Well, not this actual pot. Mine is a little more "seasoned" looking than this one. You can do this on the stove top or even on the grill too, but the smoky flavor from the fire is what makes this super tasty.

4 veggie burgers or 1 pkg veggie crumbles
1 14oz.-ish can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 14oz.-ish can diced tomatoes with onion
1 14oz.-ish can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups stock or water
3 cups cooked beans (I use red kidney beans, or a combo of black & pinto beans)
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder

Mix everything in the pot. If the veggie burgers are still frozen, just put them in the bottom of the pot. They'll break down when you add the heat.

Cook indirectly over the fire, keeping the lid on & stirring often until the onions are translucent. You can simmer this gently all day long if you'd like to develop the flavors, but it's ready to eat in about 30 minutes.

Cook in the same kind of pot right on the grill or simmer on the stove top.

Serve with cornbread and chili toppings- sour cream, shredded cheese, & chopped onion.

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

A leaner and quick-to-prep version of a classic comfort food.

1 lb whole wheat pasta, any small shape, I used spirals

1 can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups skim or plain soy milk

1 cup water

1 egg

2 egg whites (eggs are for binding the custard, you could probably use egg replacer)

3 cups shredded cheese, any flavors you like
1 tablespoon butter, for just a bit more flavor
1 lb broccoli pieces, I used frozen, but you could use fresh too
pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Boil pasta for 5 minutes, drain. Spray a 5qt. or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Turn on high to warm it up while you mix. Whisk milk, water, & eggs in the cooker. Add butter, cheese, pepper, broccoli and stir to combine. Fold in par-cooked pasta. Smooth out the top & sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan.
Cook on high for 30 minutes.
Reduce to low and cook for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Keep warm for 30 minutes if you need to.
Serve hot. Store individual servings and freeze the leftovers for quick meals.

12 generous servings, approximately 350 calories per serving

Taco Pizza

Here's a quick and easy dinner. 


Dough

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey/raw sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the water, yeast, & honey/sugar into your mixer bowl. Combine. Add the olive oil. Turn mixer on medium speed. Add the salt to your flour. Gradually add flour/salt mixture to mixer bowl. Combine everything until the dough comes away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Work quickly, and don't be afraid to really turn the mixer up. The whole process should only take about a minute. 

Let the dough rest in the bowl while you prep your other ingredients. 

Ok, now for the Taco Pizza

You'll need:

Dough

1 cup Salsa

2 tsp-1 tbsp taco seasoning 

1 can (1 2/3 cups)Black Beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 cup Shredded Cheese

Roll out your dough and place it on a pizza pan or large cookie sheet (it's ok to make a rectangular pizza…I won't tell!) dusted with a little cornmeal. 

Spread the dough with some salsa.Dust it with some taco seasoning. Sprinkle on the beans, corn, & cheese. 

Bake at 550 degrees for about 8 minutes. 

Top with sliced green onions, chopped lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. 

Serve with salsa, guacamole, & sour cream. 

Potato Asparagus Tart & Freezer Cooking Day Results

I've accomplished a lot today, due to careful planning. I map out my cooking days the day before. I usually break it down step by step so I am efficient- combining like tasks (like chopping all of the onions I need for every recipe all at one time), starting the longest recipes first, etc. I was able to get all of this done in about 6 hours today. I took a few breaks and took my time. 


10 cups pancake mix
2 jars of fresh salsa

8 lunches of broccoli & brown rice

8 lunches of potato asparagus tart

30 cups poultry stock

3 dinners light turkey tetrazzini

3 dinners turkey & brown rice casserole

2 pans whole grain cinnamon rolls

3 dinners (1 1/2 lbs) parmesan chicken nuggets

1 lb sliced roast turkey for sandwiches

dozen hamburger buns

one jar of ranch dressing

one jar of italian dressing

one jar of french dressing

………………….

Now, for a new recipe- Potato Asparagus Tart

I've made this tart once before. It was delicious. I had stocked up on fresh asparagus in the springtime, so I was able to use it right out of the freezer today. This makes for a nice warm lunch, nice for fall even though it's got spring flavors. 

For tart:

10 stalks of asparagus
1 large potato, sliced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
5 eggs
1 cup milk
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

crust

For crust:
1 cup ap flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup butter

pinch of salt

ice cold water

Combine flour, salt, and butter with a pastry blender until you get something that looks like wet sand. Add a little cold water at a time until the dough holds together on it's own. Start out stirring the water in, then move to gently kneading it. 

OR

I use my food processor for this- pulse flour and butter, scrape sides, and pulse again until you get the wet sand-ish looking crumbles. Add ice cold water in a stream while the processor is running. Takes about 30 seconds to form into a bunch of crumbles and a slightly sticky ball of dough. 

Remove dough and pat it together to form a ball. Use a little flour if it's sticky, but not too much because it toughens the dough.

Grease a 13x9 baking pan. Pat crust into bottom of pan and up the sides about an inch. 

Clean asparagus & chop into 1 inch pieces.

Slice potatoes and add to a pot of cool water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender. Drain & cool. 

On top of tart crust, add a single layer of potato slices and sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Season with salt & pepper. 

Combine eggs and milk in a bowl and pour over the potatoes/cheese layer. Sprinkle asparagus spears equally across the tart. 

Bake at (375°F) in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until the egg mixture is slightly brown and throughly set. 

Serve warm with soup or a salad. 

Chicken & Noodles

This thick stew has slightly chewy, dumpling-like egg noodles. Warm, filling, and comforting!

Chicken & gravy:
6-8 cups chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
salt
pepper
fresh or dried parsley, rosemary, & thyme to taste

Noodles:
2 cups flour
1 egg
about a 1/2-1cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

For noodles: 

Combine flour, egg, baking powder, & salt. Add water slowly until a slightly sticky but firm dough forms. It should combine into a ball, with little dough/flour left on the sides of the bowl. Let dough rest while you prepare the chicken & gravy. 

Bring stock to a boil in a large pot. Add veggies and seasoning. Poach chicken breasts in simmering stock for about 20mins. Remove chicken & shred with two forks, pulling it apart into bite size pieces. Place chicken back into stock.

Roll out noodle dough with ample flour to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza or pastry cutter to slice the noodles into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2-3 inches long. Sprinkle more flour on top of the sliced noodles. Gently pick up noodles and toss them together with ample flour. They will slightly lose their shape, but should be coated in flour and easily able to separate from each other.

Place the noodles very gently into simmering stock. Place lid on pot for 3 mins. Remove lid and gently stir.

Combine 1/4 cup flour with a little cold water. Stir to dissolve flour. Add to simmering pot and stir. This will thicken the gravy.

Check for seasoning. Add as desired.

Serve steaming hot.

Vegetarian option: Use vegetable stock, omit chicken, & add double the veggies.

Can be frozen. Thaw & reheat on stovetop. Add a little water as gravy will thicken substantially.

Make-It-Your-Way Easy Quiche

This recipe makes one 9" quiche. It can be frozen (after cooking) & reheated.

1 cup milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, or plain yogurt (or any combinations of these that equals 1 cup)
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup All Purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
1 cup shredded cheese (any flavor)
1-2 cups veggies (any kind, I use spinach, carrots, broccoli, etc.) The easiest to add the veggies is 1 box frozen veggies (a medley or chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained)
1/2 cup meat (ham, bacon, etc.) OPTIONAL

Combine everything in a bowl and pour into a 9" pie pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.

To freeze, wrap  cooled quiche in plastic wrap or put into a gallon size plastic bag.

To reheat, place frozen quiche in oven for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.

Blueberry Sweet Corn Pancakes

These are a nice change in flavor and texture from traditional pancakes. 

2 cups Whole Grain Pancake Mix

2 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

1/2 cup cooked sweet corn cut off of the cob (smaller pieces are best, not whole kernels)

1/2 cup corn meal

about a cup of fresh or frozen whole blueberries

Combine ingredients with whisk. Let stand for 20 minutes. Prepare 4"-5" pancakes as you usually would. Once you pour batter onto the griddle, sprinkle 4-6 whole blueberries onto each pancake. Flip, cook, & enjoy with syrup. 

Variation: Omit the blueberries. Sprinkle a little chili powder into the batter. Prepare as usual. Serve as a savory dish with salsa, sour cream, black beans, and guacamole. 

Can be frozen. See this post for instructions. 

The Best Veggie Burgers

This recipe makes a lot. It can be 1/2ed or 1/4ed, but I recommend making the whole thing and freezing them. 


These can also be used for taco filling, meatballs, etc.

1 onion
4 stalks celery
1 cup carrots
1 med zuchinni
3 cloves garlic
Mince all. I used my food processor. Salt & saute until barely translucent. This step is important because the burgers will hold together a little better and crisp up more easily if the veggies have let go of some of their moisture prior to being mixed in with the grains and beans.

2 cups dry lentils
2 cups dry split yellow peas *note- black beans could also be used
Cook beans in stock according to package directions. Mash them up up a bit. 

1 1/2 cups dry bulgur
Cook in water according to package directions.

1 cup walnut meal
about 4 cups oatmeal- you may need up to 6 cups depending on the moisture level of everything
4 eggs (or 6 egg whites)
Mrs. Dash
Parsley
 20 dashes or more liquid smoke
4 tablespoons  or more worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper

Combine everything and refrigerate for a few hours. Add more oats if it seems too wet to hold any shape. Season liberally. This makes a lot of burgers. If you are wondering if it's seasoned enough, take a small amount and brown up a tiny patty to taste for seasoning. 


The mixture is going to be fairly wet and kind of gummy and sticky. Form into patties. I form patties by putting some of the mixture on the counter, smashing it down to the thickness I want my burgers, and use my largest biscuit cutter to cut them uniformly. 


Flash freeze on baking sheets lined with plastic wrap. Bag up once frozen. 


Saute frozen patties on medium for 6-10 minutes per side depending on how frozen they are and how crisp you'd like them. Makes about 40 med-lg burgers.

Rice Fritters

This is adapted from a recipe in Rachael Ray's magazine. 


1 cup white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste
2-4 tbsp. olive oil 
1/2 cup bread crumbs


Cook rice in stock until all liquid is absorbed- about 20 minutes. Put rice in mixing bowl to cool for a few minutes. Add egg, cheese, salt, & pepper. Stir to combine. 


Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle 1/2 of the bread crumbs on the sheet pan. Form 12 mounds of rice mixture on the pan (on top on the bread crumbs). Gently press the mounds into patty shapes (approx. 3" around). Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs on top of the patties. 


Preheat a skillet with 1/2 of the olive oil on med-high heat. Cook the patties in batches for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towel if necessary. 


Serve with sautéed spinach. I cooked the spinach in the same pan once all the fritters were done cooking. It only takes a minute to sauté the spinach. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit.