Crockpot Freezer Meal: Apple Cherry Pork Loin

• 2 lb pork tenderloin
• 1 c. fresh cherries, pitted. (OR use dried cherries or cranberries, about a cup, I just eyeballed it)
• 1 c. apples, diced
• 3/4 c. apple juice
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. onion, diced
• 1/2 c. celery, diced
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in gallon freezer bag. TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.

To use, thaw, then cook in crock pot on HIGH for 4 hours or until pork is cooked through.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

• 2 lb pork tenderloin (cut into 4 or so pieces)
• 1/3 c. prepared teriyaki sauce
• 2 tbl. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter (I'm using chunky because it's what I have on hand)
• 1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 c. green onions thinly sliced

Place pork, teriyaki, vinegar, red pepper flakes and garlic in  gallon size freezer bag. (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.)

When ready to use, thaw and put in slow cooker on LOW for 7-9 hours. Check around 6 1/2, you don't want it over cooked. Depends on your slow cooker.

Remove pork and cut into chunks. Add peanut butter to sauce and stir until it dissolves.

Return pork to slow cooker and mix with sauce. Serve over jasmine rice, or whatever rice you have on hand, sprinkle top with peanuts and green onions.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

• 1-2 pork tenderloins
• 1/4 c. grainy mustard (I used dijon instead, it's what I had on hand)
• 1/4 c. honey
• Optional: Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and garlic clove.

Mix all ingredients  in freezer bag. (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.)

When ready to use, empty into slow cooker (while frozen) and cook LOW for 8 hours.

Freezer Meal: Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops

• 5 boneless pork chops
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix seasonings together, put pork chops and seasonings in freezer bag. (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.)

Squeeze air, freeze flat (easier storage).

Thaw completely in the fridge, place pork  chops on foil lined baking sheet and cook at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Ranch Pork Chops

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 1 packet ranch dressing powder
• 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 c. milk

Add pork chops and ranch dressing powder to freezer bag, seal. (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it)

Dump contents of freezer bag to crock pot. Add the cream soup and milk.  Cook HIGH for 4-6 hrs or LOW 6-8 hours.

NOTE: don't overcook, you'll loose the "Gravy". 

Freezer Side Dish: Herb Dijon Potato Wedges

• 6-7 small red potatoes, cubed or wedged, however you prefer
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp dill
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tsp dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients in bag and freeze! (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.)

When ready to cook, bake (from frozen) at 475 for 25 minutes or until desired tenderness. Cover with foil but remove during last 5 minutes to allow for browning.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Cilantro Lime Chicken w/ Corn & Black Beans

• 6-8 boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tbl olive oil
• 2+ limes juiced (I eyeballed it with a prepackaged lime juice squeezer thing)
• 2 cups cilantro, chopped
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp cumin or chipotle powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in large bowl and split into two freezer bags. (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.)

Thaw the night before or run under cold water until ingredients loosen up. Cook in crock pot on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4.

Yummy in a burrito, or by itself, topped with any of your favorite toppings. Cheese, Guacamole, Green Onions, Sour Cream, etc.

I had more beans and corn than chicken so I used the left over as a chip dip!

Crockpot Freezer Meal: French "Dump Chicken"

Very easy, cheap chicken meal!

• 4-6 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 can cranberry sauce
• 8 oz. French Dressing (aka Catalina)
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix

TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.

Mix all ingredients in bag, seal, and freeze! Thaw the night before (or run under water until ingredients loosen up) and cook in crock pot on LOW for 4-6 hours.

Great over rice! 

Freezer Meal: Carribean "Dump Chicken"

Dump Chicken = You literally put everything in a bag, freeze it and dump it in the crock pot when ready to use!

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
• 8 oz pineapple chunks in juice
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 c. orange juice
• 1/2 c. golden raisins

For immediate cooking:  Place all ingredients in baking dish, coating chicken. Bake at 350 for 30 min or so until chicken juices run clear.

For freezer cooking: (TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.) Place all ingredients in bag, seal, and freeze! Thaw the night before and follow above cooking directions.

Serve with anything, I ate it over rice, it was good to soak up the sauce.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Teriyaki Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbl cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp water

TIP: Take gallon size freezer bag and write on the outside the name of the recipe, and cooking instructions, that way you don't have to pull out the recipe when you are ready to use it.

Place all ingredients (except cornstarch and water) in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal, and try to get all ingredients flat in the bag, it makes for easy storage.

Take bag out the night before, and place in crock pot when thawed (or run frozen bag under water till ingredients loosen up), cook LOW for 4-5 hours.

Remove chicken, cut up, and strain liquid into skillet and boil. Mix together cornstarch and water and pour into skillet to thicken sauce. Serve over brown rice!

Seared Salmon in Creamy Dill Sauce

I have made this 3 times in the last 6 weeks. The first time, I only made 2 salmon filets, and we wanted more. So the 2nd time I made an extra one for us to split, and with extra sauce and I just used the sauce during the week as a dip for cucumbers & veggies. The 3rd time I made it was when my in-laws came over, and I impressed them, they loved it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low fat mayo
1/2 cup nonfat (0%) Greek Yogurt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 tbl. fresh lemon juice
4 (6oz) salmon fillets, with skin
salt and pepper
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

In a small bowl, combie the mayo, yogurt, scallions, dill and lemon juice. Season the salmon with salt & pepper. (SIDE NOTE: I've added a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the sauce as well and it turned out yummy. Or a bit of fresh garlic. Play with it a bit!)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the salmon, flesh side down, and sear until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and sear the skin side until the salmon just flakes when tested with a fork, about 3 minutes longer.

Spoon 3 tbl of the sauce of the dill sauce and serve.

Nutrition at a glance:
Per serving: 419 cals, 27 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 37 g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 235 mg sodium

Chicken w/ Cremini Cream sauce

Looking to jazz up your weeknight chicken dish? This is a very easy sauce to add to your usual grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

 4 (6oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
8 oz small cremini mushrooms, quartered (I just bought the bag of sliced cremini mushrooms from Trader Joes)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lower sodium chicken broth
2 tbl reduced fat cream cheese (I added a little more than that to the sauce to make it more creamy)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used about a tablespoon of fresh rosemary)

Steps:

Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms, scallions and remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the mushrooms have wilted, about 3 minutes.

Add the brother, cream cheese, rosemary and remaining salt. stir until the cream cheese melts, about 1 minute. 

Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and still juicy, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition at a glance:

Per serving: (Makes 4) 256 cals, 7 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 42 g protein, 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 594 mg sodium

Reeces Peeces Bars

Okay if you like reeces peices, or peanut butter, or oreos, or all 3 combined, then you HAVE to make this. It only has a few ingredients, requires NO BAKING, and tastes like heaven.

(makes enough to fill 9x13pan)

20 oreo cookies, crushed to crumbs
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Press crushed cookies in bottom of pan (reserve few for topping if you want). Then beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir in peanut butter until blended. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crushed cookies, sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs on top, and freeze for a couple hours. Then cut and serve!

(tip, it may be hard to spread the filling over the cookie crumbs but be patient, put big globs at a time and use a spatula to gently coax it to the right places, it'll get there!)

30 Min Meal: Italian Meatball Soup

Ok so you have to try this, it's so easy and warm and comforting. I'm sorry I didn't take a photo!

2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small onion
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree (I used the Italian style ones, but regular work too)
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups water
16 frozen fully cooked meatballs
salt/pepper to taste

*GREAT with some toasted ciabatta bread or croutons

NOTE: I made this once according to the recipe and it was delicious. I made it again last night with bacon and mushrooms and a couple extra carrots. It was even better!!!

1. Peel carrots. Finely chop carrots, celery and onion (small dice) (If you want to add bacon and mushrooms then chop it up at this time too)

2. Spray soup dish with cooking spray (or just put a bit of olive oil in). Add carrots, celery, onion (and optional bacon and mushrooms). Cook over medium heat until veggies are softened and beginning to brown. Stir occasionally.

3. Push veggies to one side of dish, and add tomato paste. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes until tomato paste begins to caramelize.

4. Add pressed garlic and seasoning, mix well. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water, bring to a simmer.

5. Cut meatballs in half and add to soup. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot and garnish with croutons or crusty ciabatta bread.

(at the end I also put chunks of fresh mozzarella in the soup to melt a bit. yummy!)

Any kind of piccata!

This is such an easy Piccata recipe that you can use either chicken, turkey or pork. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish and it tastes amazing. Give it a try and let me know!

1-2 lemons
1 tbl fresh parsley
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
About 4 thin chicken/turkey/pork cutlets. ( You can always pound them thin if needed - about 1/2 inch thick at most )
1 tbl butter (maybe more) =)
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tbl capers rinsed and drained

Zest lemons and also juice the lemons
In separate shallow dish, mix flour salt and pepper (NOTE: I probably added more salt/pepper and I also included Italian seasoning mix, you really need to add a lot of flavor to the meat & the flour)
Heat skillet and melt butter
Coat meat in flour mixture and shake off any excess, then put meat in skillet with melted butter,
cook a couple minutes each side until browned
Remove meat from skillet, then add broth, lemon juice, zest, garlic and heat until slightly thickened just a few minutes, add remaining butter to skillet and swirl until melted.
Pour sauce over cutlets and top with parsley and capers.

YUM!

Chicken Pasole Verde

1 tbl olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (29 oz) white hominy, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 can medium green enchilada sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp mexican oregano
2 cups cooked chicken (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 cup sliced green cabbage
2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
lime

1. Add oil and garlic to large pot and heat over medium high heat 1-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Meanwhile, drain hominy.

2. Immediately add broth, enchilada sauce, water, oregano and hominy to pot, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8 minutes.

3. As mixture comes to boil, dice or shred chicken and add to pot, simmer till heated through.

4. As is simmers, thinly slice cabbage and chop cilantro. Slice lime into wedges.

5. To serve, divide into bowls and top with cabbage and lime and cilantro.

30 Min Meal: Skillet Lasagna

1 jar marinara sauce
3 cups water
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb Italian turkey sausage (casings removed - hot or spicey is up to you!)
2 garlic cloves pressed
2 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbl chopped fresh parsley
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
additional Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

1. Combine sauce and water in a skillet, cover and bring to boil.

2. Meanwhile, wrap noodles in a towel and break crosswise into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 16-18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. As noodles cook, place sausage into another skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into pieces as you go (in other words, you want the sausage to end up into little chunks, as if you were browning beef). Add pressed garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir sausage into noodles/sauce mixture.

4. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese, chop parsley, and combine all cheeses and 1 tbl of parsley and black pepper, mix well. Scoop cheese mix over noodles and cover skillet, simmer gently about 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

5. To serve, sprinkle with remaining parsley and additional cheese if desired.

30 Min Meal: Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

POTATOES & CHICKEN

3 small red potatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp of a rosemary herb seasoning
2 tsp olive oil, divided

ARTICHOKE TOPPING

1/2 c chopped artichoke hearts
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tsp mayonanaise


1. Preheat broiler on HIGH. Meanwhile cut potatoes into quarters. Place potatoes, water and salt into microwave safe dish and microwave on high 6-8 minutes until tender. Drain and place aside.

2. Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley and place in small bowl. Grate cheese and set aside 2 tbsp for later use. Add remaining cheese and mayo to artichoke mixture.

3. Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness, sprinkle both sides of chicken with herb seasoning.

4. Add tsp of oil to skillet and heat 1-3 minutes 'till shimmering. Meanwhile, add remaining oil and remaining herb seasoning to potatoes, stir to coat.

5. Place chicken and potatoes cut side down into skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over, cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.

6. Remove potatoes from skillet, set aside to keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken, sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place skillet as close as possible to heating element in broiler and broil for 4-6 minutes or until topping is golden brown and internal temp of chicken is 170 degrees. (watch carefully for uneven browning, remove immediately)

Serve chicken with potatoes.

Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine

As I sit here and sip some white wine, and watch a cooking show on BBC America, I decided to blog my latest recipe I made last night for dinner. This was very simple, and again from Cooking Light Magazine October 2010 issue. They promised quick and healthy meals for weeknights that are still yummy. I've made quite a few of the meals so far and have not been disappointed.

I usually like a more visually prominent sauce on my pasta but was pleasantly surprised at the flavor still packed in this simple sauce. Try it!

6 oz uncooked linguine
4 (6 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I used pre-chopped garlic, I usually don't but this worked well in a time crunch)
1 leek (or 2 depending on size) thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups or so)
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with some of the salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.

(Note, I didn't pound the chicken thin. I sliced mine in half length wise and they were automatically thin just by doing that. In the end, they were almost 1/2" - 3/4" inch thick. Just depends on your preference but the cooking time will vary depending on thickness. Thinner is a bit better because then the chicken will cook quicker and not be as dry. The longer you cook it the more risk of dry chicken)

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from heat and keep warm. Try not to move the chicken too much so that it is able to get a "crust" from the flour coating.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium high heat. (same skillet) Add garlic, leek and remaining salt, saute for 4 minutes or so. Add broth and juice, cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in last tablespoon of butter. Add pasta to leek mixture and toss to combine and coat. Serve chicken on top. Sprinkle with parsley.

**Note, for the leeks, if you have never cooked with them before. ......
They look like this:


The edible portion of a leek is the white and light green stem. Once it goes darker green and starts to go into "leaves" then that is no longer the usual edible portion.

These are notoriously dirty, so the trick is to first cut off the ends that you don't use, then slice the stem in half lengthwise, then place the flat side down and slice thin. The leek will peel apart in layers so they should look like little moon shaped pieces.





Once you have them sliced, place them in a big bowl filled with water. Keep them soaking for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and when you're ready to use the leeks, just scoop them off the top of the water (they float) with a slotted spoon.

Also, I made a double batch of the sauce to pour over the pasta, just to be sure it was moist enough. I thought that was a good idea, you might want to try it too.

Hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ok Everyone, here it is! Proof that I really did bake it! I am trying to make the old saying "practice makes per...err I mean better" (thanks mom) come true. I figured I just have to jump in and start trying and following recipes and getting the hang of measuring EVERYTHING, even the 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt, because with baking, EVERYTHING has a purpose!

I made a double batch of the glaze and saved the second half of it for an extra drizzle when you re-heat a piece for a snack.

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbl butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 tbls chopped dry roasted peanuts
cooking spray

GLAZE:
1/3 c powdered sugar
1 tbl 1% low fat milk
1 tbl creamy peanut butter

PreHeat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugar; beat until blended.

Measure flour into another large bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through the all spice). Thoroughly combine. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat until blended. Stir in peanuts. Pour batter into 9x5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 1 hr and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick or knife inserted in center comes our clean. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes, remove bread from pan and cool completely.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk and peanut butter in small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Yields 16 servings. (1 slice is a serving)

Serve Warm (I think that'd taste best!)