Chicken and Citrus Couscous Salad

• 1 C orange juice
• 2 tsp olive oil or butter
• 3/4 C plain couscous
• 6oz cubed fully cooked chicken breast (approximately 3/4 C)
• 1/4 C dry roasted peanuts
• 1/4 C mandarin orange segments, drained (or one "fruit cup" size)

1. In medium saucepan, bring orange juice and olive oil just to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, transfer to a covered dish, and refrigerate.
2. In 10-inch skillet, heat chicken and peanuts for 4-6 minutes, or until chicken is browned.
3. Add chicken and peanuts to cooled couscous, top with mandarin orange segments.

Robyn's notes: the couscous does not need to be cold, just cooled. This is meant to be a quick dish for a warm day, and if the couscous is hot it makes the orange segments seem kind of gummy. I served this on a bed of baby spinach.**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Frittata

• 4 C fresh spinach, stemmed and lightly packed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 C coarsely grated zucchini
• 1/2 C thinly sliced green peppers
• 1/2 C thinly sliced onions
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Wash the spinach in cold water to remove any sand and grit. Shake off the excess water but don't dry the spinach.
2. Place the spinach in a heavy 10" nonstick skillet with just the water left clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat until just wilted. Coarsely chop the spinach and set it aside.
3. Dry the skillet with a paper towel and place over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the oil, then stir in the zucchini, green peppers, and onions. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the liquid released from the zucchini has evaporated and the vegetables have cooked down to about half their original volume. Stir in the spinach and remove the skillet from the heat.
4. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs, salt and pepper until foamy. Return the skillet to the heat and pour the eggs evenly over the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
5. Run a knife around the edge of the frittata to loosen it; then carefully invert it onto a plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cut into wedges and serve.

Robyn's notes: this is not something I can eat, but my sweetheart loves when I make frittatas. I like them as a way to use up leftover vegetables before they go bad. My general rule of thumb is about 1/2 cup cooked vegetables for every egg, and I briefly blanch raw veggies (except tomatoes and onions). One that I made that went over particularly well was mostly asparagus pieces, with extra Parmesan. Even though I can't eat them due to my dietary restrictions, I really like frittata nights because they're quick to make and I can make myself a fast omelet at the same time.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Chocolate Cherry Bars

Check yield, this is a full-size dessert, not scaled down for two

• 1 pkg Pillsbury Fudge Cake Mix
  
• 21-oz can cherry fruit filling (pie filling)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs, beaten

Frosting:

• 1 C sugar
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 C milk
• 6-oz pkg (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using solid shortening or margarine (not oil), grease and flour 13x9inch pan.
2. In large bowl, combine first four ingredients. By hand, stir until well mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. While bars cool, prepare frosting. In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and milk. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate pieces until smooth. Pour over partially cooled bars.

Yield: About 3 dozen bars.

Robyn's notes: this has been a family favourite for decades, because it's so easy but comes out so good every time. It's moist and the cherry isn't overpowering. This was a Pillsbury Bake-off recipe winner in 1974, and Pillsbury does sometimes change the name of their boxed mixes. I don't know if they currently use the words "fudge cake mix", but any basic chocolate cake mix works. Just be sure it's a cake mix, not brownies, and that there isn't anything additional (such as chunks of chocolate). When making this last night, we had a Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Cake Mix in the house, and that's what we used.

***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

Stir-Fried Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds

• 2 Tbsp hot water
• 3 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1/2 C soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp canola or peanut oil
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• pepper to taste

1. Place sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook briefly until nicely brown and fragrant. Place seeds in a small bowl.
2. Whisk the water, dry mustard, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds and garlic in a small bowl.
3. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and stir-fry 5-8 minutes until lightly brown and opaque. Sprinkle with pepper, lemon juice and remaining sesame seeds. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until heated through. Serve with mustard sauce as a dipping sauce.

Robyn's notes: this was seriously painful to eat. It has potential, but would need some changes. For me it was especially difficult because I'm not allowed to eat sesame seeds, but I felt that the toasted flavor they'd impart was probably necessary to make the recipe "go", so I didn't leave them out, which meant lots of scraping my food before I could eat it. For me, if I were to make it again, I'd strain part of the sauce and set it aside for my own use. In addition, I'd definitely reduce the amount of mustard and probably be more sparing with the lemon juice. Every time I put a piece of chicken in my mouth, my tongue seized up. I served this with white rice and glazed carrots.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

I did not take the below picture, forgive the poor angle

Skillet Spaghetti with Hot Dogs

• 1 1/4 C elbow macaroni
• 1/2 lb hot dogs, sliced into coins
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2oz (1/2 C) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 C water
• 1/2 C condensed tomato soup (half of a 10.75oz can)

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In large skillet, fry hot dogs with onion and butter over medium heat. Add cheese, water, and soup. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Stir in cooked pasta and cook until heated through.


Robyn's notes: this is purely comfort food, I do not claim this as a healthy recipe. Ever since 1981, my family has used this as a go-to meal when everybody is tired or stressed and needs something quick and filling.  See "Using Up Ingredients" at the top of the page for suggestions for using the other half of the can of soup. Originally this recipe called for "sp-o-ghetti rings™" which I've never seen in stores (like the pasta in spaghetti-o's), we really just use whatever small pasta we have on hand. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Lazy Meaty Lasagna

This is based on the recipe for Lazy Lasagna, which was vegetarian. I was cooking this for people who prefer to have meat with every meal, so I added the ground turkey. Follow the above link for the meatless version.

• 1 1/2 C wide noodles
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 C spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 C cottage cheese
• 3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble turkey into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella. Fold in the noodles. Pour into two greased 2-cup casserole dishes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Robyn's notes: very simple recipe. I had shredded Parmesan in the house, so used that instead of the grated and I think it was better. As far as "greasing" the casserole dishes, I sprayed them with Pam cooking spray. I've made the meatless version in the past using lasagna noodles that I broke in half before cooking. Made this again, for my sister, June 14, 2011, using ground beef instead of turkey. Came out very well.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Processed Dinners For Two

Sometimes, I'm just too ill or too exhausted to cook a full meal. But we do need to eat, and I don't like leftovers or tv dinners, so when I can't cook for whatever reason, I try to stick with items marketed specifically for two servings. Some are pretty good, some are pretty awful, some are fine but a waste of money.

Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini 8oz package



I've walked past this on the shelf a few times and it never grabbed me, so I never grabbed it. But last time I went shopping it was on sale, so I decided to give it a try. The sale price was 2 for $6 (I bought only one) and regular price $3.49.

Pros: definitely enough pasta for two people, possibly even a bit more than we'd normally have. Very few of the tortellinis opened in cooking/draining, so very little filling spilled out. Easy prep. Tasted good. Shelf stable.

Cons: Apparent typo on package instructions. Package advertising not strictly accurate.

Details: the packaging attracted me because it's labelled as "Dinner for 2 in 10 Minutes". It is not, however, a 10 minute prep time. There was very little information on the packaging, and the instructions were nearly on the bottom (it's bag-shaped, so a curved base, which means it was somewhat back, somewhat bottom), but it says "Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a rolling boil". This annoyed me, frankly, because while I do own a pan large enough to boil 3-4 quarts of water, it's my stockpot, which is not often used, and it takes forever to bring that much water to a boil. Since the pasta had to cook for an additional 10-11 minutes after the water came to a boil, obviously it's not "dinner in 10 minutes". The product description on my grocery store's website says "Total Time 20 minutes" but that is not anywhere on the packaging. The same website includes the instructions for the product, which state "bring 2-3 quarts of water to a rolling boil". This sounds much more accurate for the amount of pasta being cooked, so I can only assume that there's an error at the package printing site, and that the instructions for the 12oz size were printed on what is definitely an 8oz bag.

I plated the pasta with two separate toppings, as I didn't have any pasta sauce in the house. I sprinkled a shredded cheese combination over the top on one plate, and it was acceptable. On the other, I tossed the pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese. Better than the other plate but still not exciting, though it's what the packaging suggested.

In the past I've several times served Buitoni refrigerated Three Cheese Tortellini in the 9oz package and liked it. Comparing the two it's basically a draw. The Buitoni fridge pasta tastes a bit better to me, but has to be eaten or frozen within a certain number of days, it's more pasta than we need for two people, and it's $1 more expensive at my grocery store. The Barilla wasn't quite as good, seemed a bit lower quality, but can sit on the shelf for months just like canned foods, and is the less expensive option. Both should be served with a pasta sauce for best results, whether fresh or in a jar, which drops both products down a notch for me because it doubles the price of the meal and means leftover sauce that has to be used or tossed (as pasta sauce is not generally available in sizes serving 2).

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Oven Ranch Chicken

• 1/3 C bread crumbs
• 1 (0.4 oz) package buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix
• 1/3 C light sour cream
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In shallow dish or pie pan, combine bread crumbs and salad dressing mix; mix well. Place sour cream in another shallow dish or pie pan.
3. Dip chicken in sour cream, coating well. Roll coated chicken in bread crumb mixture. Place chicken on sprayed cookie sheet. If desired, spray chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Discard any remaining bread crumb mixture and sour cream.
4. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear.

Robyn's notes: I used Progresso bread crumbs. This recipe keeps the chicken nicely juicy, and it's very quick to make. Not visually exciting, but quite good.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Mediterranean Vegetable Medley

• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 eggplant
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1/2 yellow pepper
• 1 C mushrooms
• black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

1. Chop & salt eggplant, let stand 15 minutes.
2. Chop remaining vegetables.
3. Fry onion and garlic until soft.
4. Add yellow pepper and zucchini, fry for 5 minutes.
5. Rinse eggplant and squeeze to remove water and juice, add to frying pan with mushrooms and black pepper, fry for 10 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes to the pan with lemon juice and soy sauce, fry until tomatoes are soft.

Robyn's notes: this was meant to be placed on Foccacia or Ciabatta bread and topped with cheese, but I didn't have any bread in the house, so I simply served it as a side as shown below. Because this called for 1/2 each of several vegetables, I prepped two meals at once so as not to waste the other half.

Mini Cottage Pies

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C beef stock
• 1/2 C frozen peas and carrots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 C leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp granulated onion powder
• 1 C shredded Cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and brown.
3. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
4. Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
5. Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.
6. Spoon equal amounts of turkey mixture into two ramekins. Top with equal amounts of warm potatoes. Finally top with equal amounts of cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Robyn's notes: I was using four-cheese mashed potatoes, so didn't add the garlic powder or onion powder to them. Because I can't have onions, garlic, peas, or carrots, I made half this recipe twice. First the version I could eat, omitting those steps, then as written above for my sweetheart. The photo below isn't the best, but he was hungry so I had to take it quickly.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Ice Cream Mini Pies

• ½ C chocolate graham cracker crumbs¹—abt 3 whole crackers
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp egg substitute (OR 2 tsp egg white)
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 1 -1/3 C fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, softened²
• 8 miniature chocolate peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped
• ¼ C hot fudge ice cream topping—at room temperature

1. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar, stir in egg white and butter.
2. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of two oven-safe custard cups or ramekins coated with cooking spray (crumb mix will not reach tops of custard cups).



3. Place custard cups or ramekins on a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 6-8 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Spread 1/3C of frozen yogurt into each crust. Sprinkle each with one-fourth of the peanut butter cup bits; drizzle with one-fourth of hot fudge.



5. Repeat with remaining yogurt, peanut butter cups, and fudge³. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

¹Don't have a food processor to make your crumbs, or don't want to pull out all the pieces (and later have to clean them) just to crush a few graham crackers into crumbs? Put crackers into a ziploc bag (make sure to seal it!), and crush with a rolling pin. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a mallet, or your fingers. Even a double pointed knitting needle will suffice as a roller to crush the crackers down to bits. It is possible to purchase graham crackers that have already been smashed for you, but in my opinion the extra expense is simply not worth it. You'll only save 2 or 3 minutes when you're crushing such a small amount of crackers. While I usually get the name brand graham crackers if I'm using them whole, when I'm buying crackers specifically for crushing I always get the store brand. I cannot tell any taste difference, they crush just as easily, and there is no visible difference in the crumbs.

²Often, when a recipe says “softened”, you can get away without doing so. For this one, if the frozen yogurt hasn't softened for several minutes, it will be nearly impossible to get it to spread into the crust and all that will happen is you'll have a firm blob of frozen yogurt stuck to your spoon, with graham cracker crumb crust clinging to it all over. Just take the frozen yogurt container out of the freezer when you put the crust cups into the oven and it should be softened enough by the time they've baked and cooled.

³Alternate option: do not add fudge to the top. Freeze as directed. Just before serving, heat remaining hot fudge and drizzle over the top of each mini-pie.

Robyn's notes: Approximating how much fudge is being drizzled on is fine, really, it's not like that stuff comes out of the bottle easily. To make it easier on myself, when I chopped the mini peanut butter cups, I chopped two at a time into four separate piles. Then, when it came time to sprinkle one-fourth of the total onto the pie, one of those piles was exactly the amount I needed. This is obviously not a "healthy" recipe, but it is made somewhat better for you in terms of calories through the use of egg substitute and frozen yogurt.

Sharpen Your Knives

This blog has been a long time neglected. First I was too sick to keep it updated. Then I was too sick to cook. Then I was too sick to cook or to bring it at least to the most current. Then it got to be too much of a pain to log in and out of my different gmail addresses all the time. So I've switched it over to this gmail address, where two of my other blogs are, and left my locked up blogs on the other gmail address, since I only post on them for me and therefore it matters less whether I get around to it regularly.

Now that it's here I've switched it from Blogger's Template format (to which I had done a lot of tweaking) to the Layout format. I think I've maintained all the basic and important personalizations, but there may still be some changes and/or additions as I discover I've forgotten something.

There are a handful of recipes from 2008 that still need to be added to the archives, but I did not keep track of my 2009 daily recipes as I did in the time previous, so there will be a huge jump between the old and the new. I am not healthy enough to cook on a regular basis anymore, so there will likely be fewer posts, but hopefully that will be made up for by the fact that I now have a camera (secondhand, but still! gift from my folks) and a pressure canner (gift from my sweetheart), so I intend to include more photos of the meals and to have preserved dishes as well as complete meals. My sweetheart has begun hunting again, which trips I enjoy accompanying him on, so at some point there should be recipes for game animals and birds, also. We'll see what truly happens in the end.

Deviled Tilapia

• 2 (5oz each) tilapia fillets
• 2 tsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp dry vermouth or lemon juice
• paprika to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the broiler
2. Line a small baking pan with foil, then lay the tilapia on the foil, skin side down.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard and vermouth or lemon juice. Spread the sauce evenly over the tilapia. Sprinkle with the paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Broil 6" from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tilapia is firm and the topping is well-browned.

Robyn's notes: the original recipe called for mackerel. This would go well with new potatoes or coleslaw.

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 green onion
• 1 C canned diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 corn tortillas
• 3/4 C rinsed and drained canned pinto or kidney beans
• 1/2 C coarsely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 C nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 C coarsely shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Thinly slice the green onions, including the tender green part. Place the green onions in a small bowl or glass measure. Add the tomatoes (with juice), cilantro (if using), chili powder, cumin and garlic.
3. Spread half the mixture evenly in an 8" pie pan. Top with half the tortillas and all the beans. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Top with the remaining tortillas and tomato mixture. Whisk the yogurt briefly and spread it over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle the Cheddar over the top.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling hot throughout and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Robyn's notes: the recipe says that the casserole can also be microwaved on high for 2 minutes, but I can't speak to that. It's easily double-able if made in an 11"x7" baking pan instead of pie pan.

Braised Broccoli With Whole Wheat Spaghetti

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 C coarsely chopped broccoli
• 1/2 C dry white wine or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6oz whole wheat spaghetti

1. In a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic begins to colour. Stir in the broccoli, wine or water, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid quickly to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender (if necessary to prevent sticking, add a little water from time to time).
2. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package but without salt. Drain and toss with the broccoli. Serve hot.

Robyn's notes: easy, quick. Good way to measure spaghetti is to keep a string in the kitchen marked off like a ruler. Wrap the string around the bundle of spaghetti. Two ounces of dry spaghetti = 2.25 inches circumference.

Madras Chicken and Broccoli Salad

• 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 1/3 C nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp prepared mango chutney
• 1 tsp hot Madras curry powder
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 C finely chopped broccoli
• 1/4 C finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 C chopped cashews

1. Place chicken in a small skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, chutney, curry and cilantro in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add broccoli, onion, cashews and the cooked chicken; toss to coat.

Robyn's notes: I used regular curry powder. GFers: doublecheck the chutney when you buy it, most brands are GF. To use up leftover mango chutney, whisk with yogurt for a quick dressing, dip or marinade; serve alongside grilled meat, fish or chicken; blend with reduced-fat cream cheese for a spread. This was easy and quick to make.

Salmon Sizzler with Late Summer Veggies

• 1 large tomato
• 6-8 leaves fresh basil (optional)
• 2 (5oz each) salmon fillets or steaks
• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 2 small yellow squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Core the tomato and cut it in half crosswise; gently squeeze the seeds from each half and cube the halves.
3. Stack the basil leaves (if using), roll them into a cylinder and slice across to make thin strips.
4. Brush the salmon with the oil; arrange each fillet on a 12" square of heavy foil. Top with the squash or zucchini, tomatoes, green onions and basil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Fold the foil diagonally over the fish to form a triangle and seal it tightly by folding and crimping the edges.
5. Set a heavy, 10" cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
6. Lay the foil packets in the skillet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque at the thickest part and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer the packets to dinner plates and serve.

Robyn's notes: Not having an entirely oven-safe skillet, I used a glass (pyrex) dish.

Salad Bar Pasta Primavera

• 6oz linguine or fettuccine
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 C broccoli or cauliflower florets
• 1/2 C sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash
• 1/2 C sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 C thinly sliced carrots
• 1/4 C thinly sliced red or yellow onions
• 1/4 C sliced red or green peppers
• 1/4 C sliced celery
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 C dry white wine or chicken broth
• 3 C spinach leaves, loosely packed
• 1/4 C frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/4 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. Cook the linguine or fettuccine according to the directions on the package but without salt.
2. While the pasta is cooking, place a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and stir in the broccoli or cauliflower, zucchini or squash, mushrooms, carrots, red or yellow onions, red or green peppers and celery.
3. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then add the wine or broth. Stir in the spinach and peas, cover the skillet and cook for 1 minute, or just until the spinach is wilted.
4. Drain the pasta well. Serve topped with the vegetables and sprinkled with the Parmesan or Romano.

Robyn's Notes: used chicken broth, not white wine. My version of "thawing" the frozen peas was to scoop them into the quarter measuring cup before doing anything else, and letting them sit on top of the stove near the burner I was using. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth or the white wine, not chicken broth.

Turkey Florentine

• 8oz boneless turkey breast cutlets (1/4inch thick)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp butter or margarine
• 4 tsp minced shallots or onions
• 1/4 C dry white wine or apple juice
• 8 C spinach, loosely packed
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg (optional)

1. Dry the turkey pieces with a paper towel, then sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.
2. Place a heavy, 8" nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter or margarine and add the turkey. Cook, turning as necessary, for 3 minutes, or until the turkey is browned and firm to the touch, with no trace of pink in the center. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. To the skillet, add the shallots or onions, wine or apple juice and spinach. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 minute, or until the spinach is barely wilted. Sprinkle with the nutmeg (if using). Place the spinach on a serving plate, top with the turkey and serve.

Robyn's notes: used onion not shallot and apple juice not wine. This recipe went over very well taste-wise, but it was kind of a pain for me. It was difficult to find a store that had turkey breast cutlets in stock (several normally carried them but didn't have any when I was there, don't know why), and I always have minor issues with "transfer to a plate and keep warm". No matter where I put the item on the plate (inside microwave often, to keep it off the counter and out of my way) or how I cover it (often covered with a second plate upside down), the meat never stays as warm as I'd like it to.

Vermicelli with Herbed Mushrooms

• 6 oz vermicelli
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 C sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 C minced shallots or onions
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the vermicelli according to the directions on the package but without salt.
2. While the pasta cooks, place the oil in a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet and warm it for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots or onions and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the mushrooms are piping hot throughout.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add the juice to the pan along with the parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper.
4. Drain the pasta and place it in a large bowl. Toss the pasta with the mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

Robyn's notes: this was one of those recipes that I thought wasn't going to be filling enough for a whole meal, but he said it was perfect. It was very quick to make, and since I used a lemon from our tree it was satisfying, too!

Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous

• 3/4 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 sliced scallions
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 C whole-wheat couscous

1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in small saucepan. Add couscous, return to a simmer, cover and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Robyn's notes: he liked this and it went very quickly.

Spiced Turkey with Avocado-Grapefruit Relish

Avocado-Grapefruit Relish:

• 1 large seedless grapefruit
• 1/2 small avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp red-wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey

Spiced Turkey

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 turkey cutlets (8 ounces)
• 1 Tbsp canola oil

1. To prepare relish: Remove the peel and white pith from grapefruit with a sharp knife and discard. Cut the grapefruit segments from the surrounding membrane, letting them drop into a small bowl. Squeeze out remaining juice into the bowl and discard membrane. Add avocado, shallot, cilantro, vinegar and honey. Toss well to combine.
2. To prepare turkey: Combine chili powder, five-spice powder and salt on a plate. Dredge turkey in the spice mixture.
3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink in the middle, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve the turkey with the avocado-grapefruit relish.

Robyn's notes: Served with Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous and a side of salad greens. This was a slightly more complex meal than usual because it was his birthday, but it still wasn't too complicated and didn't take long, just about a half hour. Was quite good, and was nice to be able to use grapefruit from our own tree.

Spanish Pilaf

• 1 1/2 tsp Olive oil
• 1/3 C chopped onion
• 1/3 C chopped sweet red or green peppers
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 C long-grain white rice
• 1 C canned tomatoes (with juice)
• 3/4 C chicken broth or water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf

1. Place the oil in a heavy, 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and red or green peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
2. Stir in the garlic and rice; cook for 1 minute. Use a fork to break up the tomatoes right in the can; add to the skillet (with juice). Stir in the broth or water, salt, thyme, pepper flakes and bay leaf.
3. Bring the rice to a simmer, stir it well and reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. During cooking, stir the rice once or twice and add a little extra liquid if necessary to prevent sticking. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Robyn's notes: I topped this with shredded Cheddar cheese to make it an entree. Another option is to cook some cleaned and de-veined shrimp into it or some roast chicken.

Mini White Breads

Note: Total time approximately 2 3/4 hours

• 1 package (1/4oz) active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/3 C warm water (110F to 115F)
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour (divided)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 C milk
• 2 tsp butter or margarine, melted
• additional melted butter or margarine

1. Combine yeast, sugar and water in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 C flour, salt, milk, and butter.
2. Mix for 3 minutes on medium speed. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape into two loaves and place in greased 5 3/4inch x 3inch x 2inch pans.
4. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Brush tops with melted butter.

Robyn's notes: mini loaf pans can be found in the utensil aisle of the grocery store if needed. I have never actually checked the temperature of the warm water, just keeping it warm but not hot. I've made these mini loaves several times over the past 8 years and they're very simple to make. Using these loaves makes for cute mini sandwiches or mini toasts, which may seem less than useful but they're great for smaller households because having two mini sandwiches is similar to having one regular sized sandwich, and then the loaves don't last so long that they get stale.

Nutritional Analysis: One 1/2 inch slice (prepared with margarine) equals 75 calories, 156mg sodium, 0 cholesterol, 14gm carbohydrate, 2gm protein, 1gm fat.
Diabetic Exchange: 1 starch

Thai Chicken Wrap

Note: received this recipe in a Ravelry group recipe swap, and the yield is not given. Definitely more than 2, but I cannot remember if I halved the recipe or what. Use best judgment based on given amount of chicken.

• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 (8-10inch) flour tortillas
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 4 C packaged shredded broccoli (broccoli slaw mix)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

For Thai Peanut Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp white or brown sugar
• 1/4 C creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• dash Tabasco sauce

1. Slice the chicken into thin strips for stir-frying. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the seasoned chicken over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add the shredded broccoli, onion, and ginger to the hot skillet. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
2. Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high power for 30 seconds to soften. OR wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350degree oven for 10 minutes.
3. To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.
4. To assemble, spread each tortilla with about 1 Tbsp Thai Peanut Sauce. Divide the chicken strips and vegetable mixture among the tortillas and roll them up, securing with toothpicks. Serve remaining peanut sauce on the side.

Robyn's notes: this was good, we both enjoyed it very much and he was sopping up the remaining peanut sauce with every scrap of tortilla he had. But it was seriously messy. We both had peanut sauce all over our hands and had to eat with our heads jutted forward to keep from wearing it.

Couscous with Sweet Potatoes & Yellow Squash

• 16oz canned tomatoes (with juice)
  
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small yellow summer squash
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
  
• 1 C water
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ground red pepper to taste
• 1 C cooked or rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
  
• 1 C couscous

1. Use a fork to break up tomatoes right in the can and set them aside. Cut the sweet potato into 1" cubes. Peel the carrot and cut it diagonally into 1" lengths. Cut the squash into thick slices. Set the vegetables aside.
2. Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir in the onions and cook them, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Stir in the garlic (if using), then the tomatoes (with juice), water, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots. Raise the heat and bring the vegetables quickly to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the mixture for 15 minutes.
4. Add the squash and chickpeas; cook for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
5. While the vegetables are simmering, cook the couscous according to the directions on the package.
6. Fluff the couscous with a fork and place it in shallow bowls. Ladle the vegetables and broth over the couscous.

Robyn's notes: this recipe appears to be long and involved, but it's really not so bad. Due to a leak that meant the bathtub needed re-glazing, the complex had put me up in a hotel this week. Having only a mini fridge, a sink, two burners, and less than 12 square inches of counterspace is not much to work with, and I was able to make this with no problems. I made this the day of my procedure so I couldn't eat, but it smelled soooo good it was hard not to dab my finger in the sauce and lap it up.

Tuna Nicoise

Note: Yield is 1 serving. This "recipe" came from an email from my health insurance company, so it's not written in regular recipe form.

• 3 oz water-packed tuna, drained
• roasted red peppers
• 2 sliced hard boiled eggs
• tomato cut in wedges
• boiled potato, sliced (1 medium)

Serve over:

• chopped Romaine lettuce

Dress with:

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil

Finish with:

• 1 ripe pear
  

Skillet Casserole of Bulgur & Crimini Mushrooms

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 C sliced crimini mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onions or shallots
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C bulgur
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

1. Place a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the mushrooms and onions or shallots; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their juices.
2. Stir in the broth or water, raise the heat and bring the mixture quickly to a boil. Then stir in the bulgur, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender.

Robyn's notes: I added crumbled feta at the end. Additional options are yogurt cheese, nonfat yogurt and light sour cream.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Raspberry Chocolate Mini Muffins

Note: check yield, makes 16 mini muffins

• 2 Tbsp baking cocoa
• ¼ C boiling water
• ¼ C butter, softened
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 C all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp seedless raspberry jam
• 2 Tbsp chopped sliced almonds
• 1 tsp coarse sugar (optional)

1. Dissolve cocoa in water; let stand until cool. Meanwhile, in small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg; mix well. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture.
2. Fill paper-lined miniature muffin cups half full. Drop ¼ teaspoon of jam into the center of each; cover with 2 teaspoons batter. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar.
3. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the chocolate portion comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Yield 16 muffins

Robyn's notes: these are great. Prep takes some time, about 40 minutes, but with the short baking time they're ready in less than an hour.

Nutritional Information: Calories 76; Fat 4g; Saturated Fat 2g; Cholesterol 21mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrate 10g; Fiber trace; Protein 1g
Dietary Exchange: 1 Starch

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Note: check yield, makes 12 regular-sized muffins

• 1 (16.6-oz) pkg. date bread and muffin mix (One 14oz pkg banana bread and muffin mix can be substituted)
• ¾ C milk
• ¼ C oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 C shredded peeled zucchini
• ½ C miniature chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups.
2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients except zucchini and chocolate chips; beat 50 to 75 strokes with spoon until mix is moistened. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Batter will be stiff. Divide batter evenly into paper-lined muffin cups. Muffin cups will be nearly full.
3. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm or cool.

12 muffins

Robyn's notes: He likes these and I took a batch to work and everyone there enjoyed them as well. Including cooking time it takes less than an hour.

Nutritional Information: Calories 280; Calories from Fat 110; Total Fat 12g; Saturated Fat 4g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 170mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugars 23g; Protein 4g

Dietary Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 ½ Fruit, 2 ½ Fat OR 2 ½ Carbohydrate, 3 ½ Fat

Chewy Cinnamon Trail Bars

• 1 C quick-cooking rolled oats
• ½ C honey
• 1/3 C coconut (see notes, below)
• 1/3 C white vanilla chips
• 1/3 C pecan pieces
• 1 pkg. Pillsbury Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Mix
• ½ C butter, melted
• 1 ½ Tbsp water
• 2 egg yolks

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12x8 inch (2 quart) basking dish or 13x9 inch pan. In food processor bowl with metal blade, combine oats, honey, coconut, vanilla chips, and pecans; process 10 seconds or until coarsely ground.
2. Set cinnamon swirl package from bread mix aside. In large bowl, combine bread mix and oat mixture. Stir in butter, water, and egg yolks; mix well. Spread half of batter in greased baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon swirl from package. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over cinnamon swirl; carefully spread.
3. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool 2 hours or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

Robyn's notes: I adapted this recipe from another, but I no longer remember the changes I made to it. He likes it, I've made it as lunch bars/granola-type bars a number of times.  I generally use sweetened flaked coconut because it's what I tend to have in the house.

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars

Note: check yield, this is intended to be eaten over multiple days

• 2 C rolled oats (quick cooking ok)
• 1 C sliced almonds
• 1 (14-oz) pkg. Pillsbury Banana Quick Bread and Muffin Mix
• 1 C raisins
• ½ C toasted wheat germ
• 1 C chunky peanut butter
• ½ C oil
• ½ C water
• ¼ C honey
• 2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 350. Spread oats and almonds in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until oats and almonds are toasted, stirring occasionally.
2. In large bowl, combine toasted oats and almonds, quick bread mix and raisins; mix well. Add all remaining ingredients; mix well.
3. Spray same baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in sprayed pan.
4. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely.

Approximately 24 bars

Robyn's notes: I make these as lunch bars/granola-type bars for him so that we feel confident about the ingredients in them, instead of the assortment of things in store-bought bars. I don't make this particular one all that often, because I can't always find the Quick Bread and Muffin Mix.

Nutritional Information: Calories 270; Calories from Fat 130; Total Fat 14g; Saturated Fat 2g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 150mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugars 15g; Protein 7g

Dietary Exchange: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, ½ High-Fat Meat, 2 Fat OR 2 Carbohydrate, ½ High-Fat Meat, 2 Fat

Skillet Spaghetti

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 C chopped green pepper
• 4 to 6 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken
• 1/3 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, green pepper, 4 Tbsp water, salt, chili powder and spaghetti. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until spaghetti is tender, stirring frequently and adding remaining water if necessary.
3. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and heat until cheese is melted, about 5 minute

• Robyn's notes: it was good but not exciting, though being easy basically made up for that.

Soba with Peanut Sauce

• 8oz soba noodles
• 1/4 C natural peanut butter
• 1/3 C rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp Chinese chili paste with garlic OR 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 C thinly sliced scallion greens

1. Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 6-7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
2. While the noodles cook, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili paste or cayenne in a bowl.
3. Add noodles and scallion greens to peanut butter dressing. Toss well and serve.

Robyn's notes: I used the cayenne instead of chili paste.

Ingredient Info: Soba: the Japanese buckwheat and wheat-dried noodles contain twice the dietary fiber of plain noodles. In terms of essential amino acids, soba scores higher than pasta or bread. Soba includes a lot of lysine, and therefore a good balance of amino acids.

Carrots with Rosemary Butter

• 1 1/2 C julienned carrots
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary OR 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 3/4 tsp minced fresh parsley OR 1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 3/4 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

1. Place carrots in a steamer basket; place in a small saucepan over 1inch of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add carrots and toss to coat.

Robyn's notes: Easy and quick, I served these with Flavorful Chicken Pasta

Flavorful Chicken Pasta

• 3/4 C uncooked spiral pasta
• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 C sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in oil for 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, basil and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in vinegar. Reduce heat; cover and season for 5 minutes.
3. Add olives; heat through. Stir in sour cream until blended (do not boil). Drain pasta; stir into chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Robyn's notes: this was good and he noted just how tasty it was. I served it with Carrots with Rosemary Butter.

Panzanella

• 2 large, very ripe tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 C bread cubes cut from a whole-grain loaf
• 1 C drained and sliced roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 2 Tbsp sliced fresh basil

1. Seed and chop the tomatoes; place them in a strainer set over a bowl to drain for 10 minutes.
2. In a serving bowl, toss together bread cubes, sliced red peppers and drained chopped tomatoes. Stir olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic into the drained tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour tomato juice dressing over the salad. Toss once again and garnish with sliced basil.

Robyn's notes: he liked this, even though the dressing didn't seem to go very far. This was intended as a side but I served it as a whole meal and he said it was very filling.

Sesame Asparagus

• 12 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Steam asparagus in vegetable steamer for 5 minutes.
Combine butter, lemon juice, and sesame seeds. Drizzle asparagus with butter mixture.

Robyn's notes: really easy

Nutritional Information: Calories 71, Sodium 47mg, Cholesterol 0, Carbohydrate 5gm, Protein 3gm, Fat 5gm
Dietary Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat

Beef Barley Stew

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 C sliced celery
• 1/3 C chopped onion
• 1 3/4 C water
• 2 tsp reduced sodium beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 C quick-cooking barley
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1. In a large saucepan, cook the beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
2. Stir in the water, bouillon, chili powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in tomatoes; heat through.

Robyn's notes: this time I was able to find the quick-cooking barley, which made this recipe go quickly.

Middle Eastern Pasta Skillet

• 1 C uncooked ziti or penne
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 C cubed eggplant
• 1/2 small green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1/4 C water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Italian plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 C) purchased garlic or roasted pepper hummus

1. Cook ziti to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in 12inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add eggplant, bell pepper and onion; cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring once. Add water and salt; cook 4 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes, hummus and remaining 1 Tbsp oil; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated. Add cooked ziti; toss gently to coat.

Robyn's notes: It has taken me a long time to get to updating this blog, so I don't remember exactly the response, just that it was acceptable.

Creamy Rice Chicken and Spinach Dinner

• 2 Tbsp roasted red pepper Italian Parmesan dressing
• 8oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 3/4 C chicken broth
• 1 C minute brown rice, uncooked
• 2oz Neufchatel cheese, cubed
• 4oz baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat dressing in a large, deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook for 3 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil.
2. Stir in rice, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes. Stir neufchatel cheese into rice mixture until melted. Add spinach; cover, and cook until spinach is wilted. Stir mixture gently to mix in spinach, cover.
3. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Robyn's notes: I used cream cheese instead of Neufchatel. Easy and quick, he liked it.

Quinoa Mango & Black Bean Salad

• 1/2 C quinoa
• 1 C water
• 1/4 C orange juice
• 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp salt
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 small mango, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 C canned black beans
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Toast quinoa in a small dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it crackles and becomes aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Return the quinoa to the pot and add water. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add mango, bell pepper, beans and scallions; toss to coat.
3. When quinoa is finished cooking, add to the mango mixture and toss to combine.

Robyn's notes: dicing mango is not the easiest thing in the world, but he really liked this, so it was worth it. GF - doublecheck your black beans.

Chicken Fried Rice

• 1/4 C chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 C cold cooked long grain rice
• 3/4 C cubed cooked chicken
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 green onion, sliced

1. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in the rice, chicken and soy sauce. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add egg and onion; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until egg is set.

Robyn's notes: very easy and quick, he liked it a lot.  I made this a second time November 4, 2012.  I had to turn the heat up to get the egg to set properly, and my chicken got a bit dry, but it was still good.  The rice was especially tasty.  Although we don't have leftovers to deal with very often, this is a good way to deal with leftover rice and chicken when needed.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1 tsp beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 C boiling water
• 3 C sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 C milk
• 6 oz cream cheese, cubed

1. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in water; set aside. In a small saucepan, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour.
2. Gradually add milk and reserved broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cream cheese until melted and soup is heated through.

Robyn's notes: I used beef broth instead of the bouillon granules, it turned out fine. He liked this, it has strong flavor.

Vegetable Turkey Soup

Note: Check the Yield before making!

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/3 C chopped onion
• 1/3 C chopped green pepper
• 29 oz beef broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 C cubed potatoes
• 3/4 C green beans
• 1/2 C chopped carrot
• 1/2 C water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp pepper

1. Cook turkey, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer containers. May be frozen for up to 3 months. To use frozen soup: thaw in fridge overnight. Transfer to a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until heated through.

Yield: 6 servings

Robyn's notes: easy, takes about an hour total. He liked it.  We didn't ever get around to eating the rest of the leftovers, though.  I found them in the freezer much later, forgotten.  Basically the last time we tried making a large soup and storing most for future consumption.

Pizza Ravioli

Note: this is vegetarian only because I used meatless pepperoni.  If you don't have access to that, it won't be.

• 16 frozen cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/4 C finely chopped sweet yellow pepper
• 1/4 C finely chopped green pepper
• 1/4 C finely chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 C pizza sauce
• 12 slices pepperoni, cut into quarters
• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Divide ravioli between two microwave safe bowls; dot with butter. Top with peppers, onion, pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese.
2. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Robyn's notes: this wasn't terribly exciting. Easy, though. I used meatless pepperoni.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Tarragon Crusted Chicken with Garden Salad

• 1/4 C dry bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine lemon juice and oil. Dip the chicken in lemon juice mixture, then crumb mixture.
2. In a small skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Fresh Garden Salad

• 1/2 small zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 small summer squash, sliced
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 thin slice sweet onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup poppy seed salad dressing

1. In a small bowl, combine the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and onion. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Robyn's notes: salad was fine, but the chicken just wasn't good. Very little flavor and I had to burn them to get them to cook through, even though I used thin sliced chicken breasts. He was not impressed.

* 1 Star: Not Too Good. Neither of us liked this enough for me to bother making it again without complete overhaul

Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta with Summer Squash Saute

• 14 oz vegetable broth, divided
• 3/4 C water
• 6 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/3 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 small summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C chopped fresh basil

1. Bring 1 C broth and 3/4 C water to a boil in small saucepan. Slowly whisk in cornmeal and pepper until smooth. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick and no longer grainy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in Gorgonzola; remove the pot from heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add zucchini and squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and garlic; stir to coat. Stir in the remaining broth and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in basil; serve the saute over the polenta.

Robyn's notes: he loved this, and it was much easier than it appears.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Spinach and Mushroom Couscous with Feta

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5oz crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 2 C baby spinach
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/3 C whole wheat couscous
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushrooms and cook 1 minute.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pine nuts and cheese, and bring to a boil; cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Toast the pine nuts lightly.
5. After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and sprinkle with pine nuts and cheese.

Robyn's notes: Very quick and easy, he liked it a lot. 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Rosemary Turkey and Vegetables

• 1 pkg uncooked Parmesan couscous
• 1/4 C chicken broth
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lb fresh turkey breast slices, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium zucchini, julienne cut
• 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 3/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1. Cook couscous as directed on package, cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine broth and cornstarch; blend well. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add turkey, salt and pepper; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink in center.
4. Add bell pepper and zucchini; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
5. Stir broth mixture until smooth. Add broth mixture, tomatoes, and rosemary to skillet; cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Serve with couscous.

Robyn's notes: good but I didn't think it was worth all the steps in preparing.

Spicy Chinese Chicken Tacos

• 6 taco shells
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized strips
• 1 tsp grated gingerroot
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 large green onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 C shredded lettuce

1. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, gingerroot and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Reduce heat to low. Add soy sauce, honey, onion, and crushed red pepper flakes; stir to coat. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally.
3. Place about 1/4 C chicken mixture in each taco shell. Top each with lettuce. 

Robyn's notes: I substituted cabbage for lettuce and flour tortillas for taco shells. He liked it, ate it all very quickly.

Ravioli with Salsa-Black Bean Sauce

• 1 (9oz) pkg refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
• 1 (14.5oz) can salsa-style tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. In large saucepan, cook ravioli to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain in colander; cover to keep warm.
2. In same saucepan, combine tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; mix well. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
3. Add cooked ravioli; stir gently to mix. Spoon onto serving platter or into serving bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Robyn's notes: easy and quick

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut up
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 2 whole grain burger buns, split
• 2 slices tomato

1. In medium bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, chili powder and garlic salt; mix well. Shape mixture into two 4-inch patties.
2. Place patties in medium skillet and cook until no longer pink in the center, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, in blender container, combine mayonnaise, avocado, lemon juice and garlic powder. Cover; blend until smooth.
4. Spread bottom halves of buns with mayonnaise mixture. Top with turkey patties and tomato slices. Cover with top halves of buns.

Robyn's notes: the recipe instructed for these to be grilled, but the grill isn't ready yet, and I didn't want to broil them for fear of making them too dry (if broiling is preferred, these are the instructions: To broil turkey patties, place on broiler pan; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat using times above as a guide, turning once.). I used safflower mayonnaise and the heels from a loaf of whole wheat bread (why buy a whole package of buns?).

Chewy Granola Bar

• 1 C maple syrup or honey
• 2/3 C chunky natural peanut butter
• 2 2/3 C rolled oats
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 C wheat germ
• 2 C mix-ins in any combination of the following: sweetened flaked coconut, raisins, chocolate or carob chips, unsalted nuts, any finely chopped dried fruit such as dates, apricots, apples, etc.

Example:

• 1/2 C raisins or dried apple
• 1/4 C wheat bran
• 1/2 C walnuts (for omega-3's)
• 4 scoops soy protein powder (between 1/4 and 1/2 C)

(These would add up to the 2 C total)

1. Mix syrup (or honey) and peanut butter until well blended. Stir in oats, flour, wheat germ, spices, and mix-ins. If mixture seems too dry, add water 1 tsp at a time. If it is too sticky, add oats 1 tsp at a time. Mixture should be slightly sticky, but still easily spread in a pan with greased fingers.
2. Press into a 9x13 inch pan lightly greased. Bake at 350°F until barely browned (approx 12 minutes). Do not overbake! Cut while warm into desired sized bars.
3. When completely cool, remove from pan with a greased spatula. Wrap each bar separately in plastic wrap then store in a zip bag or air tight container.

Makes about 2 dozen bars.

1 serving contains: Carbs: 37 grams; Protein: 12 grams; Fat: 7 grams; Fiber: 5 grams

Pecan Chicken w/ Creamy Honey-Mustard Sauce

Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/3 C purchased honey mustard salad dressing
• 1/2 C finely chopped pecans
• 2 Tbsp butter

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp purchased honey mustard salad dressing
• 1/3 C sour cream
• 1 tsp sliced green onions

1. Pound each chicken breast half to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch.
2. Place flour, 1/3 C dressing, and pecans in 3 separate small flat dishes. Coat each chicken breast half with flour. Dip in dressing to coat well. Dip in pecans, coating both sides.
3. Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add chicken; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; place on serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
4. To drippings in skillet, add 2 Tbsp dressing and sour cream; cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with onions.

Robyn's notes: I felt that there wasn't enough dressing or pecans for both chicken breast halves, and since I can't eat pecans, I made a different breaded chicken dish for myself and only gave this to him. He said it was one of the best chicken dishes he had ever had.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Turkey Chow Mein

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 7oz beef broth
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 3/4 C sliced celery
• 1 (8oz) can bean sprouts, drained
• 1 (4oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 (4oz) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Tbsp water
• 2 C chow mein noodles

1. Brown turkey in large skillet over medium heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
2. Add broth, soy sauce, ginger, celery, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and mushrooms; mix well. Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine cornstarch and water; blend until smooth.
4. Stir cornstarch mixture into turkey mixture. Cook until mixture boils and thickens. Serve over chow mein noodles. If desired, serve with additional soy sauce.


Robyn's notes: had to be careful not to make the turkey dry. But was an easy recipe.

Chicken 'n' Pepper Subs

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips
• 1/8 tsp salt
• dash pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 C sliced sweet red pepper
• 1/2 C sliced green pepper
• 1/2 C sliced onion
• 3/4 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 slices provolone cheese (1oz each)
• 2 submarine or hoagie buns, split

1. In a large skillet, saute the chicken, salt and pepper in oil until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, saute the peppers, onion, vinegar and garlic until the vegetables are tender. Stir in hot sauce and chicken.
2. Place cheese on bun bottoms; top with chicken mixture. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Replace bun tops.


Robyn's notes: This was so easy and the chicken had a lot of flavour.

Macaroni Salad

• 1/2 C uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/2 C quartered cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp chopped celery
• 3 Tbsp chopped carrot
• 3 Tbsp chopped peeled cucumber
• 2 Tbsp chopped radishes
• 1/4 C fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine the macaroni and vegetables.
2. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Stir before serving.

Robyn's notes: Fast, easy. I used safflower mayonnaise.

Crunchy Turkey Salad

• 1 C cubed cooked turkey breast
• 1/4 C seedless red grapes, halved
• 3 Tbsp chopped celery
• 4 tsp chopped pecans
• 4 tsp chopped water chestnuts

Dressing

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• dash curry powder

1. In a small bowl, combine the turkey, grapes, celery, pecans and water chestnuts. In another small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Pour over turkey mixture; toss to coat. Chill until serving.

Robyn's notes: easy, quick. I almost always use safflower mayonnaise instead of regular mayo and did this time as well.

Italian Lentil and Barley Soup

Robyn's notes: crockpot recipe, plan ahead

• 1/2 C lentils
• 1/4 C pearl barley
• 1/2 C carrots, chopped
• 1/2 C celery, chopped
• 1/2 C onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 3/4 C vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 C water
• 7oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1. Sort through lentils to remove debris and shriveled beans, then rinse.
2. Add lentils to crock pot, along with barley, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs and bay leaf.
3. Pour in broth, water, and tomatoes.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 12 to 14 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours.
5. Discard bay leaf and just before serving stir in parsley and vinegar.

Robyn's notes: This is the halved recipe. The original states the yield as 12 servings, but this halved version does not serve 6. There is no way that it would serve more than 3, max. I added chopped zucchini. I had training out of town all day, so this was for him only.

Sour Cream Meatballs

• 1/4 C dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 C grated peeled potato
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp beaten egg
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper, divided
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 3/4 C water
• 2/3 C condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1/3 C canned mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 4 1/2 tsp onion soup mix
• hot cooked egg noodles

1. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, potato, onion, egg, garlic powder and 1/8 tsp pepper. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.
2. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place in a shallow 1qt baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the water, soup, sour cream, mushrooms, soup mix, and remaining pepper, pour over meatballs.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Serve with noodles.


Robyn's notes: I didn't peel the potato before grating it. This was easy, although not quick, about an hour total time. Had a surprising amount of flavour.

White Bean Hummus Pitas

Note: Check yield before starting!
Hummus

• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 (15.5oz) can great northern beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/4 C loosely packed fresh parsley

Sandwiches

• 1 1/2 C loosely packed spinach leaves
• 1/2 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
• 4 very thin slices red onion, halved
• 8 thin slices tomato, halved
• 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pita pocket breads, halved

1. Chop garlic in food processor bowl with metal blade. Add all remaining hummus ingredients except parsley; process 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Add parsley; pulse to chop.
2. To assemble sandwiches, place spinach leaves, zucchini, onion and tomato slices in each pita bread half. Spoon about 2 Tbsp hummus into each.

Yield: 8 sandwiches; 4 servings

Robyn's notes: this was really quite good and very easy to make. I just had white bread pitas with the hummus, while he had the whole wheat pitas with everything. If variation is desired, the hummus can be made with either sun-dried tomato or marinated artichoke heart. Add either ingredient when adding the parsley.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Alfredo Chicken Ravioli

• 1 1/2 C frozen cheese ravioli
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 bacon strips, chopped
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp adobo seasoning
• 1/3 C chopped onion
• 1/3 C chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 can (10.75oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/3 C sour cream
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 C frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

1. Cook the ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook and stir the chicken, bacon, garlic and adobo seasoning over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir until tender.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream and Parmesan cheese; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.
3. Drain ravioli; add to chicken mixture. Stir in broccoli; heat through.

Robyn's notes: I used cheese and spinach ravioli, vanilla soymilk and turkey bacon. It was quick to make and he enjoyed it.

Meatball Stew

• 2 portions Versatile Turkey Mix, thawed
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 4 tsp canola oil
• 1 medium potato, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 C beef gravy
• 2/3 C water
• 2/3 C sliced celery
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme

1. Shape turkey mix into three meatballs; coat with flour. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in oil on all sides. Remove and keep warm.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.


Robyn's notes: I added green beans and peas. This was ok, but not exciting, needs a little something. I never peel potato for him, he likes the skin, so I just scrubbed them hard.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Versatile Turkey Mix

Note: check yield, this is a mix intended to be used as a base for multiple recipes

• 1 egg
• 1/2 C dry bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Divide into four portions; place in freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Yield: 4 portions

Robyn's notes: I have four recipes that use this mix. I used vanilla soy milk and Italian-style bread crumbs.

Tossed Salad with Dressing Options

Salad

• spinach
• red cabbage, shredded
• carrot, shredded
• hard-boiled egg, diced
• red onion, sliced
• mushrooms, sliced
• bell pepper, sliced
• tomatoes, sliced
• yellow squash, sliced

1. Combine all ingredients, toss. Serve with chosen dressing:

Chili Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced

1. In a small, nonmetal bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend well, refrigerate.

Lemon-Pepper Parmesan Vinaigrette

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• dash coarsely ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients. Blend well, refrigerate.

Cumin Red Pepper Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt to taste
• ground red pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and ground red pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in the oil.

Pine Nut Dressing

• 3 Tbsp pine nuts
• 3 Tbsp water
• 4 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 C packed fresh parsley sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 C olive oil

1. Place pine nuts in blender; cover and process until finely ground. Add the water, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil and salt; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.

Robyn's notes: I made all four dressings, put each in a labeled jar, and let him choose. He went for the Pine Nut Dressing. I wanted to have edamame in the salad, but couldn't find any at the 5 different grocery stores I tried (including the local organic market and health foods market). Frustrating.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

• 2oz reduced-fat goat cheese
• 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1C spinach leaves
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Combine goat cheese, tomatoes, and spinach leaves. Spread mixture over chicken, roll up and secure with toothpicks.
2. Place on backing sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Robyn's notes: I served with whole-wheat couscous. If goat cheese is not available, use feta cheese. The recipe called for frozen spinach, which we rarely use, fresh spinach was fine. I never secure my rolled up chicken dishes with toothpicks, I just roll them carefully so they'll stay on their own. Surprisingly healthy, if served with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert (which we didn't), this entire meal has 766 calories, 30g fat, 9g saturated fat, 62g Protein, 66g carbohydrate, 15g fiber, 412mg sodium. Very easy and he and I both really liked it.

Zucchini Chickpea Tagine Over Couscous

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 can chickpeas (15oz), rinsed and drained
• 1 pinch each of ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and/or cumin
• 10 oz vegetable broth
• hot sauce to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Stir in chickpeas and spices. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add broth and hot sauce. Cook for 5 minutes to mellow flavor and thicken sauce slightly.

Serve with whole-wheat couscous (GF see note below); sliced tomatoes garnished with fresh mint leaves

Robyn's notes: if harissa is available (spicy yet mellow pepper paste made from chiles, garlic, olive oil, cumin and other spices), use it in place of the hot sauce. This was really easy and he liked it a lot.  GF if served over rice instead of couscous.

Tossed Salad with Pine Nut Dressing

• 2 C baby spinach
• 1/4 C seasoned salad croutons
• 1/4 C shredded red cabbage
• 3 Tbsp shredded carrot
• 3 Tbsp shredded zucchini
• dash pepper

Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp pine nuts
• 3 Tbsp water
• 4 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 C packed fresh parsley
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved*
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 C olive oil

1. In a small salad bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Place the pine nuts in a blender; cover and process until finely ground. Add the water, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil and salt; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.
2. Transfer dressing to a small pitcher or bowl. Serve with salad. Refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 3 days.


Robyn's notes: He really liked this. Raved over it. It was very quick to make.  Gets 3 stars instead of 4 because I can't eat salad.
*garlic: I used the chopped garlic in a jar, because I was in a hurry. Worked fine.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Cacciatore Chicken Breasts

• 1/2 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1/2 medium green pepper, sliced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 C canned stewed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 tsp pepper

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm. Cook chicken over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
2. Add the tomatoes, broth, garlic salt, rosemary and pepper to the skillet; cook and stir until heated through. Add onion mixture. Serve over chicken.


Robyn's notes: I served this over rice, and it was really quite pretty and filling. He and I both liked it. It went quickly (about 30 minutes) but once started there was no walking away from it.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Dilled Potato-Leek Soup

• 1 C sliced leeks (white portion only)
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C cubed peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp snipped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp dill weed

1. In a large saucepan, saute leeks and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, potatoes, carrot, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.
2. Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth. Return to the pan. Whisk a small amount of soup into buttermilk; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Add dill; heat through (do not boil).

Yield: 3 3/4 C

Robyn's notes: This was very easy and quick to make. He really liked it. I had potato soup for myself. Substituted vanilla soymilk for the buttermilk.