hamburger stroganoff

now this is more alan's style. this is from cooking light. here is the recipe. one of the reviewers suggests adding nutmeg for some 'pop.' i might try that next time.

i also sauteed some red and green peppers as the recipe suggested for some veggies. (alan passed on them. alex tried them). this made A lot! mmm, leftovers!

ham and asparagus casserole

found this delicious dish in my gmail box. 'casseroles under 300 calories.' here it is

i made a few modifications. alex and i loved it. alan liked it - which we have now defined as he will eat for the initial dinner night, but not for leftovers.

chicken cilantro tortilla soup

straight from the progresso recipe card. or found here online.

super delicious! the whole family enjoyed it.

shrimp and broccoli stir fry

orzo with sausage, peppers, and tomatoes

i had some sweet italian turkey sausage in the fridge to cook up and was a little burnt out on tomato sauce/traditional pasta flavors. then, i remembered we had some orzo and was determined to find a recipe for this combination. this is what i found. and i had 90% of the ingredients on hand. i only had to buy fresh tomatoes and parsley. it's a winner!

makes 4-6 servings

• 3 c chicken broth
• 1 lb orzo pasta (1 box)
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 package mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tb chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. boil chicken broth and some water in lg saucepan. add orzo when boiling and cook according to package (~10minutes)

2. while pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in lg skillet over med-high heat. add turkey sausage and saute until cooked (~4minutes).

3. then add garlic, cook 1 minute.

4. finally add peppers, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. add drained pasta and sausage mixture in large serving bowl.

6. add salt pepper and parsley. mix well.

7. add parmesan cheese and a little more parsley to top.

Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

This is from Cooking light, but i think it depends on what type of sausage and pasta you use...

1 lb uncooked penne pasta (the Barilla fortified is great)
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 chopped red bell pepper
1 (12oz) package sausage (turkey/chicken) halved and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper
3 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
cooking spray
1 cup (4oz) shredded sharp provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until sausage is browned.
4. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover.
5. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Combine pasta and tomato mixture and spoon into 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
7. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Artichoke Chicken and Parmasean Orzo

This one is a recent favorite of ours from http://www.cuisineathomespecials.com/ . I credit the great recipe.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breats
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 box frozen artichoke hearts thawed and halved (or 1 can drained)
1 cup dry white wine (chardonnay works well)
1/4 cup honey
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Dust seasoned chicken breasts with flour.
2. Saute in oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until brown, ~3 min per side.
3. Add artichokes and saute 2 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
4. Whisk wine, honey, and vinegar together then pour over chicken.
5. Simmer 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
6. Finish with butter, then stir in parsley. Season before serving.

1 cup dry orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesean, grated
salt to taste

1. Bring pot of salted water to boil for orzo.
2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain.
3. Return pasta to pot and stir in cream and Parmesan.
4. Cook until thick, about 1 minute, then season with salt.

Macaroni Cheese Casserole

this is a quick dinner that has meat, cheese, and pasta for the husband and vegetables for me!

I found it on kraftfoods.com 

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/cheesy-mac-topped-casserole-75975.aspx

Spicy Chicken and Pasta

my favorite dinner i've made so far.

2 Chicken breasts
2 T corn starch, divided
1 T dry sherry or water
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
4 t white vinegar
½ t crushed red pepper
2 T oil, divided
2 carrots, cut into julienne strips
1 large green (I use red) pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 T Soy sauce
Hot cooked pasta (or rice)

1. Cut chicken into strips, coat with mixture of 1 T corn starch, sherryand garlic. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine next 3 ingredients with remaining cornstarch, set aside.
3. Heat 1 T oil in wok over medium-high heat.
4.Add chicken and stir-fry 3 min., remove from skillet.
5. Heat remaining oil in same pan over high heat.
6. Add vegetables; stir-fry 3 min.
7. Return chicken to pan with broth mixture
8. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.
9. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce.
10. Serve over pasta or rice.

Baked Chicken Parmesean

from cooks.com

Alan skipped lunch so he was starting to get cranky with an empty stomach. I knew we had chicken to cook up, so found this recipe. Turned out really tasty!

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup parmesean cheese (grated)
2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1 lb chicken breasts (4-6 pieces)

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In 13x9 pan, melt butter in oven.
3. Meanwhile mix dry ingredients in bowl.
4. Put milk in separate bowl.

5. Dip chicken breasts in milk, then coat in flour mixture.

6. Dip both sides in melted butter and lay in pan.

7. Bake 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

I also made a side of whole wheat linguine and some jarred pasta sauce.

I think next time I'll save a little of the parmasean cheese to sprinkle directly on top of the chicken breasts before cooking. Also, the bottoms of some pieces didn't get very crunchy due to the butter. Not a huge problem though since it was delicious anyways.

Crockpot Chili

This is taken from my mom. She made the best -I think it was the favorite thing she made in the crockpot.


1.5 lbs lean ground meat
1/2 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 cans rinsed kidney beans (one light/one dark)
chili powder
cayenne pepper
cumin


1. Brown ground meat, onions, and green peppers in pan. Strain fat.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, and ground meat, onions, and peppers to crockpot.
3. Season to taste with chili powder, cayenne pepper, and
4. Cover and set on low for 8 hours.
5. Serve over whole wheat elbow macaroni and top with light cheddar cheese.

Chicken with Sherry-Soy Reduction Sauce

from Cooking Light

Alan agreed this was yummy. The chicken was cooked to perfection! I'm so proud. Alan even requested leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add sherry, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper to pan; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Stir in oil. Add chicken back to pan. Serve with rice noodles and sliced green onions.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, 1 tablespoon sauce, and 1 tablespoon onions)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 230(13% from fat); FAT 3.3g ; PROTEIN 39.9g; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 27mg; SODIUM 528mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.7g