Over Stuff'd Avacado

Breakfast and Lunch are the hardest meals of the day for me.  I am constantly on the hunt for something good to eat.  This recipe was  good and easy.  Perfect to add to my menu.  The original recipe was found  Here.

Over-stuff’d Avocado
Ingredients:
1 medium Avocado
can tuna, drained ( I used canned chicken from Costco )
1/4 cup each:
        green pepper, red onion, cucumber - all diced  ( I used just a little of peppers.  They are good but I don't like a lot )
1/3 cup nonfat greek yogurt, plain
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 packet sweetener( stevia)
1/4 cup fresh orange sections, diced
How to Prepare
1. Slice Avocado in half, lengthwise. Split open and remove the pit.
2. Scoop out the center of the avocado, leaving about ¼ inch of the fruit all around, and put the scooped out fruit into a bowl. Set the halves aside.
 3. Add tuna ( chicken ), pepper, onion, cucumber yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, salt and sweetener to the bowl with the scooped out avocado. ( I mixed my sauce in a bowl, then I mixed the rest in a separate bowl.  That way I can control how much sauce is used.  I had some left over when I was finished.  )
 Mix all ingredients until very well blended.
 4. Add orange sections and mix gently.
 5. Scoop half of the mix into each of the Avocado halves.  ( I put mine inside romaine lettuce leaves for a sandwich. )
6. Put in refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes to slightly chill.
 7. Grab a spoon and eat up! 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

This was a super yummy dinner.  It was a little different than what we usually have and sometimes that's a good thing.  The only thing that I would do different next time is to add some shredded chicken.  I think that my kids and husband would like them even more with the addition.  The jalapeno adds just enough flavor so I would definitely keep it in the recipe.  When you add cheese to the mixture it's not hot at all.  My kids ate it just fine. I can't eat the tortilla so I just put mine in a bowl and topped it with cheese and avocado.  It was very filling.  The original recipe is found Here

INGREDIENTS:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3-4 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 red pepper, diced small
1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drain
1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your taste)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6-8 burrito-size tortillas (whole wheat, white or other favorite variety)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.
Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.
Place 3-4 tortillas on a microwave-safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind.. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days).
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through. Serve immediately.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Papers

I saw these I knew that I had to make them.  It was a little tricky finding some roast beef that didn't have any sugar but I found a Western Family Brand that was sugar free.  If that isn't something you are worried about get a good flavorful one and it will make it taste even better. The leftovers were really yummy as well. The original recipe is found Here

Ingredients
8 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef

8 Slices Provolone Cheese

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium Sweet Onion

6 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 Tbs. Butter

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Garlic – Minced

Salt and Pepper – to taste

(2 Tbs. Peace and Love)

DIRECTIONS

Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

* I don't like super crisp peppers so after I cut them and seeded them I boiled them for 5 min in really salted water.  It makes them so they are still crisp and ready to go in the oven.  They are perfect when they come out, easy to cut and eat but still with a little bite. 
* if you don't boil them before you stuff them I do recommend pre cooking them a little otherwise you will end up with a bunch of water in the bottom of your pepper when you are done baking. 
 

Slice onions and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized. About 25-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*

Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture. Allow to cook 5-10 minutes

Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese.

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Serve and Enjoy!!

* The only thing I would change is to add cheese through out the mixture instead of just on top and bottom.  I love cheese. 

The Best Chicken Fajitas

Just looking at this picture makes me crave these.  I love them so much.  They are a huge hit with my kids as well.  It's always nice to find something so flavorful that even peppers and onions sound good to them.  My oldest always jumps and cheers when he smells me cooking these.  The leftovers with these are awesome as well. 

I of course can't have the tortilla so I just pile it all up on my plate add some Mexican blend cheese avocado and tomatoes and I am one happy girl. 

The original recipe is found Here

*Note: liquid smoke may seem like an unnecessary, optional ingredient but I promise it adds an irreplaceable flavor and smokiness – I keep a bottle of liquid smoke on hand in the refrigerator just to make these fajitas.
INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Fajitas:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon fresh lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)
dash of salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-3 hours.
After marinading, take chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken 5-7 minutes per side . ( *I like to pour my chicken and marinade into a pan and cook it all together.  Then I discard any that doesn't cook off.  I feel like it adds a lot of flavor )
 Remove from grill or pan and tent with foil to keep warm.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice chicken thinly on the diagonal and toss with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream…the options are endless!

I just wanted to say Mels Kitchen Cafe is one of my favorite places to find recipes.  Every single thing I have tried from her we have loved. 

Lasagna

Hands down my mom makes the best Lasagna that I have ever tasted.  I use her recipe and I still can't get it to taste as good as when she makes it.  It was my favorite food growing up and now my kids have told me it's their favorite as well.  Since I can't have any grains right now I have to make it with out noodles.  Trust me it's still delicious!! I bought some eggplant to try as a replacement for the noodles but my fridge died ( it's outside in the shed ) right in the middle of the coldest week that we have had and everything in it froze.  So next time I make it I will try it.  Another option is to use gluten free noodles if you are going that rout.
Here is the amazing recipe adapted from the Better Homes and Garden , New Cook Book

 (This is the version without noodles.  Sorry my pictures are so terrible but you get the idea.  It's a little messier without the noodles to help hold it all together. )


1 Pound of ground hamburger or ground turkey ( I prefer the turkey )
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups tomatoes ( canned is what I use )
2  6oz  cans tomato paste
10 ounces lasagna noodles
2 eggs
3 cups cottage cheese
2 Tbs Parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese

Brown meet ; spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 30 min, stirring occasionally.
Cook noodles in large amount of boiling salted water till tender; drain; rinse.

In a separate bowl beat eggs; add remaining ingredients except the cheese.

Layer the noodles, then the egg cottage cheese filling, mozzarella cheese, meat.  Repeat.
Bake at 375 degrees  for about 30 min of until warm through and cheese is melted.  Let stand for at least 10 min before serving.

For version without noodles still layer and bake.

This also freezes great.

Italian Turkey Meatballs

These are such awesome little meatballs.  So flavorful, warm or cold they are great. I usually make a few batches of these at once and then freeze them.  They are great when you just cant figure out what to eat.  Heat up a few add some veggies on the side and you have something good to fill you up.  

I have made it with the pasta and sauce but my family and I prefer them served with rice and no sauce. The original recipe is found Here

Linguine with Italian Turkey Meatballs
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Domestication in Progress
Meatballs
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
2 oz. pancetta or 3 strips lean bacon (not maple or brown sugar), finely diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 c. freshly grated Romano cheese
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1/4 c. plain bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped sun-dried or oven-roasted tomatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic

Sauce
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use the tomato paste can to measure the water)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Linguine noodles
Preheat the oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon or pancetta with the minced onion and garlic until the meat is crispy and the onions and garlic are tender and fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool. Combine the remaining meatball ingredients and then add the bacon/onion/garlic mixture. Shape scant tablespoons into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown.
While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it’s fragrant. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer until the meatballs are done. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and serve over hot linguine noodles. Makes 8 servings.

White Chicken Chili

This soup is fabulous.  I have tried a lot of White chili recipes and this is by far my favorite and every where that I take it people are asking for the recipe.  Mmmm its so good and filling.

The original recipe is found Here
 
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
2 14oz cans of chicken broth
2 15.8 oz cans of Great Northern beans ( drained and rinsed)
2 4.5 oz cans of chopped green chile's
1 15.8 oz can of pinto beans
2 cups of shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 8 oz container of sour cream
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Cilantro ( garnish )

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute chicken for 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. Take off the heat and set aside.
2. While chicken is cooking, add broth, beans, undrained chile's and seasonings into the crock pot. Add chicken to broth mixture once it is done cooking.
3. Cook soup on high in the crock pot for 2 hours. Cook on low for the last hour.
4. Add sour cream and whipping cream at the 3 hour mark. Cook on low for another hour.
5. Serve with cilantro and shredded cheese. ENJOY!