Grilled Parmesan Veggies

Last night we had a Tucanos inspired dinner with grilled chicken, grilled pineapple and these yummy parmesan veggies.  Quick and easy and super healthy! I made them in a grill basket but might try them on skewers next time to keep them crispier while cooking.  My 2 year olds both gobbled them up! And so did I :)

Grilled Parmesan Veggies (makes 8 servings)
2 small zucchini (thickly sliced)
2 small yellow squash (thickly sliced
2 roma tomatoes (thickly sliced)
1/2 red onion (cut into large pieces)
1 red bell pepper (cut into large pieces)
1 yellow bell pepper (cut into large pieces)
1 cup zesty italian dressing
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Cut veggies.  Marinade veggies in Italian dressing for 1 hour.  Placed veggies in grill basket or on skewers.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the parmesan.  Grill on high for 10-15 minutes turning often.  Sprinkle veggies with the other 1/2 of parmesan and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until veggies are cooked through and slightly blackened. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bites

A few days ago my 4 year old wanted to make cookies.  My husband and I have been trying to lose some weight so I turned to the internet to see what I could find. We came up with these little guys.  No flour, eggs or oil. Sweetened by mashed bananas and cinnamon with just a taste of chocolate! My kids loved them for dessert and the next morning for breakfast ;) This recipe makes about 20 and they only have 63 calories each. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bites (Yields about 20)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup quick oats
1 heaping scoop natural peanut butter
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
cinnamon (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

 Every once in awhile a recipe comes along that is so awesome I have to blog about it within an hour of eating it! I'm that excited to share it! :) Alex and I have been trying to eat better and get in better shape for my sister's upcoming wedding.  I've been playing around with new foods like ground turkey, spaghetti squash, quinoa, almond milk, greek yogurt and so forth.  For the most part I've been cooking for the kids like usual and just subbing in healthier ingredients for myself.  But I've also been trying to introduce them to a new "healthier" food each day.  Today they got a double dose because I made my friend Jenny's turkey and veggie meatballs (what's on your menu) and I made a new spaghetti squash recipe.

I kept calling the squash cheesy potatoes for the sake of my 4 year old.  But finally half way through dinner my 6 year old very matter-of-factly said to me "mom, these are not potatoes, they don't taste like potatoes, they don't even look at all like potatoes".  Which made my husband laugh and was pretty funny! But while they don't "even look like potatoes" that didn't mean it wasn't fantastic!  And while with cheese and sour cream it's not exactly "health food", I used an online calorie estimator (myfitnesspal) and this recipe comes in at 168 calories per serving instead of 380 for the same size serving of potatoes au gratin.  So give it a try!

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin (8 servings)
1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 small yellow onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 T. butter
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Pierce all over with fork.  Lightly brush cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place both halves of squash, rind side up on a large baking sheet and cover with foil (tenting slightly).  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 min. or until squash is tender. Turn squash back over and scrape out squash with a fork.

When squash is about 5 minutes from being done start cooking onions.  In a small sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes in butter until onions are soft.   Combine onion mixture, cooked squash, sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese in a 8x8 baking dish.  Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and bake for 20 min.  When casserole is hot and bubbly, turn oven to hi broil for 1-2 minutes to get the cheese nice and toasted on top.  Enjoy!
 

Odetta's Applesauce Cake

About a month ago my mom gave me copies of some of my ancestors recipes.  They are fun because they are in their actual handwriting and they have directions on them like "bake in a moderate oven". This recipe was my great-grandma Odetta's go-to recipe for apple sauce cake.  It's got a bit of a twist in that you add cocoa to it!  I know that applesauce can be used as a healthy alternative to oil but this cake also features 2 cups of sugar so it's not health food. Apparently my family has always enjoyed sugar! It's a good hearty cake and was very quick to make.

The recipe calls for raisins which I omitted but after trying the cake I think it would be delicious with some shredded carrot or zucchini...so I will probably try it with that next time.  She baked it in loaves and served it like a dessert bread.  I baked it in a 9x13 pan and topped it with a cream cheese icing*. Give it a try either way!

*I used the cream cheese icing from my cinnamon roll recipe. Click here to check it out!

Odetta's Apple Sauce Cake

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

1 qt. unsweetened applesauce (4 cups)

4 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

3 7/8 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves (optional-I left it out)

1 pkg. raisins (optional-I left it out)

1 cup walnuts

Cream shortening and sugar together in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl warm applesauce for about 1 min. in the microwave.  Dissolve baking soda in warm applesauce. Add applesauce to shortening mixture.  Add eggs, flour, and spices.  Mix until combined.  Fold in raisins and walnuts if desired.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish or divide evenly into 3 large bread pans (or 4 small bread pans).  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

 

Here's a quick recipe that can feed a lot of people! Not only that but you throw it all in the crock-pot and let it cook all day.  We have it a lot with company because then you can spend time with your visitors instead of cooking all day!  Also, it's sweet so kids love it.  Mine eat without the bun a lot.  It's also a great contribution for potlucks because one pot goes a long way.  I usually buy the big 2-pack pork roast at Smith's, double the recipe and then freeze half after I've cooked it. The frozen meat is great for a night where you don't have time to cook or if you need a meal to take to a friend. Enjoy!

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3-4 lb. pork roast  

1 cup barbecue sauce (I LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's)

1/4 cup honey

3 T. dried minced onion

Sandwich rolls or hamburger buns

Pepperjack or provolone slices (optional)

Instructions:

Place pork roast in a large crock pot.  In a small bowl combine barbecue sauce, honey and minced onion.  Pour sauce over roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  (meat will be cooked at 6 but is easiest to shred at about 8 hours).  When roast is ready, shred  using forks or use you kitchen-aid*.  Do not discard juices. After shredding let sit in crock pot for 5 minutes to allow meat to re-absorb sauce. Serve on sandwich rolls with cheese if desired. Enjoy!

* Click here for directions on how to shred meat in a Kitchen-aid.

Or...

Freezer Meal Prep Instructions:

Place pork roast in a gallon sized freezer bag. In a small bowl combine bbq sauce, honey and minced onion.  Pour sauce over pork roast. Seal, label and freeze.  Place sandwich rolls in another gallon sized freezer bag. Label and freeze.

Freezer Meal Cooking Instructions:

Cook pork in a large crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or until cooked through and easily shredded.  Shred with forks or in a stand mixer (I use my kitchenaid with the flat paddle attachment). 

Serve shredded pork on rolls with sliced cheese, extra bbq sauce, tomato, and lettuce if desired..

 

Potato Corn Chowder

I work with the teenage girls at my church and one week they decided they wanted to learn to make potato soup.  I remember when I was a teenager one of my mom's friends used to make a yummy potato and corn chowder.  So I tried to find a recipe that reminded me of it and this is what I found.  And it's a slow cooker recipe to boot! You can see the original recipe at Mama Loves Food. Don't you love that blog name :)

It's a very thick and hearty soup which was perfect for winter.  So hurry and make it before the weather gets any warmer! And don't be stingy on the seasonings...the garlic is what really makes this soup delicious! You can also serve it with a well seasoned bread such as a roasted garlic loaf or rosemary bread.

Potato and Corn Chowder
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used the other 1/2 package as garnish)
5-6 medium sized unpeeled russet potatoes (washed and diced into 1 in. cubes)
3 (14.5 oz) cans corn (or 6 cups frozen)
1 large sweet onion
1 cup chopped celery
8 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
seasoned salt, to taste
32 oz. chicken stock
16 oz. half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook and crumble bacon.  Combine all ingredients, except half and half, in a large crock-pot. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6. Remove half of soup and puree it in a blender until smooth.  Add blended soup back to crock pot along with the half and half.  Cook another 15 minutes or until heated through. Add more seasoning if desired.  Enjoy!

Meatloaf

This is my dad's and my brother's favorite.  I'm surprised I haven't posted it before since we have it so often around here.  My kiddos love meatloaf too so it's nice to have a meal that everyone at the table likes (that doesn't happen a lot with kids).  It's a pretty basic recipe...no secret ingredient or anything...but it's a crowd pleaser!  The recipe below is for an 8x8 but when I'm feeding everyone we usually double it and do a 9x13. Great with mashed or baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs

20 saltines, crushed

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. parsley

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp celery seed

¼ tsp. cumin

Black pepper, to taste

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

*If doubling recipe, only use 3 eggs instead of 4.

*If you don't have all those seasonings you can omit them and use half a pack of McCormick Meatloaf seasoning instead.  It's a good time saver too and tastes great!

Instructions:

Mix raw ground beef, egg, crushed saltines, tomato sauce, and seasoning in a large bowl until well combined. Press meat mixture into an 8x8 baking dish.  

In a small bowl combine ketchup and brown sugar.  Spread over top of meatloaf.  Bake at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until cooked through. 

or....

Freezer Meal Prep Instructions:

Combine ground beef, eggs, saltines, tomato sauce and seasoning together in a large bowl.  Combine well and make sure seasoning are spread throughout the mixture.  Press evenly into a disposable 8x8 baking dish.

In a small bowl whisk ketchup and brown sugar together.  Spread ketchup mixture over the top of the meatloaf.  Cover with a double layer of foil.  Label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Defrost meatloaf in fridge overnight. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until cooked through. If desired you can make extra sauce and brush it on the meatloaf half way through baking. Let sit at room temperature for 5 min. and serve.