Vegetable Tian

Ingredients:

• 1 large summer squash
• 1 medium zucchini
• 3 small potatoes
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• salt and pepper
• Shredded Italian style cheese

Instructions:

1. Finely dice the onion and garlic and saute in a skillet with some EVOO until softened and transluscent.
2. Thinly slice the other veggies.  I recommend slicing the potatoes slightly thinner than the other veggies because they take longer to cook.
3. Spray a 2-qt or 8×8 or 9×9 casserole with cooking spray.  Layer the cooked onions and garlic on the bottom of the dish.
4. Layer the sliced veggies in an alternating pattern in the dish.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 30-45 minutes until veggies are tender.
6. Remove foil, cover veggies with cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown.  You may need to switch to broil if you’re impatient like me

This was a very tasty side dish.  We had it with salmon and garlic knots.  I think this would be really good with sweet potatoes, and you could change up the cheese and seasonings, too.

Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Ranch dressing (from the bottle, or homemade)  I used bottled, light Ranch.  1 1/2 cups is almost a whole bottle.

1/2 cup sour cream  I used light sour cream.

one  bunch of cilantro, stems removed

one large fresh jalapeno, de-seeded and coarsely chopped

one 7 oz. can chopped green chiles  I used the smaller can, it was less than 7 oz.

a large garlic clove, roughly chopped

a teaspoon of salt  I used less, maybe 1/4 – 1/2 tsp.

juice of one lemon  I used half a lemon

Instructions:

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  I would imagine a blender would work, too.  Taste and adjust ingredients as desired.

Wayne and I dipped Doritoes in this, and it was really good.  For dinner, I put it inside turkey wraps with lettuce, tomato, and cheese.  Mmm, mmm!  Today, I plan to use it as salad dressing.  I think it would be really good drizzled on burritoes, enchilladas, or tacos or used as a dip for raw veggies.  The possibilities are endless!

Polynesian Sausage Supper

I used beef smoked sausage, red onion and red bell pepper.  I did find the whole thing to be a little too “liquidy.”  Next time, I would probably omit the beef broth and add some salt in its place OR use the beef broth and only half of the pineapple juice.

Roasted Chickpea Fajitas

I followed the recipe loosely.  I didn’t have any cilantro because the stupid store was all out.  I also added some cheese, sour cream, hot salsa, and diced yellow tomatoes.  I didn’t really measure the seasonings either, and ended up adding some EVOO, garlic powder and pepper to the chickpeas before roasting.

Italian Crescent Casserole

I used lean ground beef, spicy tomato and basil spaghetti sauce, and reduced fat crescents.  I also spiced it up with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.

Broiled Salmon with Thai Sweet Chili Glaze
Recipe from HERE

Basically, I just combined some Thai Sweet Chili sauce and soy sauce, marinated the salmon in it for about an hour, and broiled it.  Then I topped the salmon with some of the same sauce after it was done.  Delicious!!

Spinach Salad
This simple spinach salad has been my go-to side dish lately.  All I do is put a ton of fresh spinach in a big bowl and top with balsamic vinegar, honey, and EVOO.  Then I toss it really well and let it sit for like 15 minutes so the spinach breaks down a little.  This salad is good on its own, or you can top it with whatever you want.  Last night, I used toasted pecans and shaved parmesan.  Simple and tasty!

Roasted Broccoli
Based on recipe HERE, found via Pinterest

Ingredients:

• 1 head fresh broccoli (I threw some cauliflower in, too)
• EVOO
• salt, pepper, garlic powder
• Shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Do not wash the broccoli (the heat of the oven will take care of any bad stuff).  Preheat oven to 400 F.  Cut broccoli into bite size florets.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
3. Spread broccoli in a single layer on cookie sheet, do not overcrowd.  Use a second pan if you need to, as overcrowding will just cause the broccoli to steam instead of roast.
4. Liberally drizzle EVOO on broccoli, and liberally season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Roast in oven 20-25 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender and starts to brown.  Keep a close eye on it, and toss halfway through.
6. Remove from oven and squeeze some lemon juice over it and toss with a handful of shaved parmesan.  Serve immediately.

The second recipe of the day is a new (to me) twist on meatloaf.

Mozzarella and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Meatloaf
Recipe from HERE, found via Pinterest

I used turkey instead of chicken, and omitted the parsley and fennel seed.  I also used fresh spinach and wilted it in the microwave for a minute.  This meatloaf was very tasty, and it smelled like pizza while it was cooking!

Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
Copied and pasted directly from Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 9 large roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup tightly packed basil + more for garnish
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling on tomatoes
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Your desired amount of cooked Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Place sliced tomatoes on the sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour and 10 mins at 400F. Watch closely during the last 15 minutes of roasting.

2. Reduce oven heat to 325F and toast almonds for 8-10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup into food processor and process until finely chopped. I left mine a bit chunky for texture. Remove and set aside.

3. With processor turned on, add 2 garlic cloves and let it whirl around until finely chopped. Now add in the basil and process until finely chopped.

4. Add in the oil, optional nutritional yeast, and 1.5 cups of roasted tomatoes (you will have tomatoes left over). Process until smooth. Pulse in 1/3 cup toasted almonds. Season generously with salt and pepper. I think I used about 1/2 tsp salt or a bit more.

5. Pour your desired amount of pesto over the cooked pasta and mix well. Chop the remaining roasted tomatoes and stir into pasta. Chop remaining almonds and Chiffonade the basil.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless chicken breasts (still frozen, I used 4 large breasts)
1 bottle BBQ sauce – I used Sweet Baby Ray’s
1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Directions:

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!  Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.  Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce.  Serve over rice.

Delicious soup, terrible photo

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Click here for recipe from Skinny Taste

The only changes I made:  added about 1 Tbsp of Worchestershire to the meat/peppers while they cooked, omitted the marjoram, and let the soup simmer for about 1.5 – 2 hours instead of 30 minutes.  I also served it with parmesan cheese on top.

Dutch Apple Pie

Click here for recipe

I followed it exactly!  It turned out really well.