Avocado Basil Pasta with Pine Nuts (Meatless)

This one is definitely going on the dinner menu calendar rotation. This tastes like it should be bad for you. I use organic angel hair pasta, but choose your favorite.  Here's the recipe for the sauce.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 avocado - smashed

5 leaves of fresh basil - chopped (reserve small amount for garnish)

3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped

1 TBSP - fennel seed

1 - 2 cups (consistency) - organic vegetable stock

1/4 cup - toasted pine nuts

Olive oil cooking spray

SNP - Salt and pepper

MEAL PREP: 10 MINUTES

You can boil the water for the pasta and slice a baguette during the time it takes to prep the ingredients. Cook the pasta to the package directions. Toast pine nuts and let cool.

In a bowl, smash the avocado.  Add half of the vegetable stock to thin out the consistency. Chop basil and reserve a couple of tablespoons as a garnish.

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan set to medium heat, spray cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and fennel seed and cook for 5 minutes. Add avocado mixture and stir for one minute or until combined with the garlic and fennel. Add remaining vegetable stock, SNP, and let simmer on low. The pasta should be close to done as this is comes together rather quickly.  Toss in noodles and turn off the heat. Let the flavors marry for five minutes. Add pine nuts and basil garnish. Serve with french baguette and side salad.

Pasta Primavera (Meatless)

INGREDIENTS:

1 - whole yellow or red onion diced

2 - cloves garlic diced

1 - 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1/8 - cup kalamata olives diced

1/8 - cup capers diced

1 - cup button mushrooms sliced

5 - leaves fresh basil diced

3 - cups fresh baby spinach

1lb. organic pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil cooking spray

1 - cup vegetable stock

DIRECTIONS:

Veggie Prep: 5-10 minutes of slicing and dicing

Pasta Prep: 10 minutes. Fill large pot and bring to boil. Add pasta when you're ready to start making the sauce. Cook the pasta to package directions.

In a large skillet, spray a thin layer of cooking spray. Cook onions on medium high heat for five minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another two minutes and then add the can of fire roasted tomatoes. At this point add a little pinch of salt and pepper. Add vegetable stock, mushrooms, capers, and olives. Cover pan with lid and let simmer on low for 5 minutes. Uncover lid and add spinach in batches as it wilts. Pasta should be done cooking at this time. Drain and add pasta to sauce mixture along with half of the chopped basil. When serving sprinkle basil on top.

Baked Ravioli (T-30 Minutes To The Dinner Table)

This dish is kid friendly and mom approved. I like to whip up Baked Ravioli later in the week when we're on the homestretch for the weekend. It's super easy, delicious, and takes no time to prep or bake.

INGREDIENTS:

1 - Package frozen ravioli - your choice (thawed previous day in refrigerator)

1 - 28oz. jar store bought pasta sauce

1 - 14.5oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 - cup fat free or low fat cottage cheese

1 - cup mozzarella/provolone shredded cheese

1/4 - cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 - TBSP garlic powder

1 - TBSP Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

I like to thaw my ravioli a day in advance. If you're pressed for time you can always set it out on the counter or defrost it in the microwave.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella mixture, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Combine ingredients so they are thoroughly combined. Add in ravioli and stir until all the pasta is covered with sauce and cheese.

In a 9 X 11 baking dish, add mixture and even out the top with spoon. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese for one layer, then add the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Let it set for five minutes prior to serving so the pasta sauce sets.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 6-8)

3-4 medium sized boneless skinless chicken breast

2 - 48 oz. boxes of chicken broth (College Inn Lite)

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced celery

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1/2 package of egg noodles

PREP:

This recipe takes 4 hours to cook on high with your chicken frozen. I dice the chicken breast in one inch cubes prior to freezing.

Dice the carrots and celery the same size so they cook evenly.

DIRECTIONS:

Add frozen diced chicken breast, carrots, celery, SNP (salt and pepper), and Italian seasoning in the slow cooker. Add both containers of chicken broth. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours.

When you're ready to serve, cook egg noodles to the package's direction, BUT slightly undercook the noodles and add them to the soup. Turn off slow cooker and let sit for 10 minutes. Ready to serve.

Santa Fe Chicken & Brown Rice (Slow Cooker)

Hey mamas! Got a busy day ahead of you and no time for dinner? This recipe is an easy one. All you have to do is take five minutes to prep your slow cooker and this meal puts itself together when it's time to hit the table.

Since I plan on using the leftovers for chicken quesadillas the next night, I use four boneless skinless chicken breasts. I layer them in the slow cooker with one cup of water, salt, pepper, 1 TBSP of cumin powder, 1 TBSP of garlic powder, and 1 TBSP of chili powder. If you're going to be away all day, then set your slow cooker to low for 8hrs. Set it to high for 4hrs.

After cook time: Shred the chicken with two forks, stir in one bag of corn, one can of black beans, and 1 cup of store bought salsa. Serve over brown rice (I use instant to save time).

Turkey Chili (Easy 20 Minute Recipe)

I like to prep as much as I can in advance so this quick chili is perfect for tiring week nights when you just need to get dinner on the table fast. I start by precooking my ground turkey (93/7) on the weekends...preferably on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I buy 5 lbs. of Butterball ground turkey from Sam's and cook it all at once. I can get 6-7 freezer bags of 2 cup portions of the cooked ground turkey.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups ground turkey

1 red or yellow onion diced

1 can of dark red kidney beans

1 can of black beans

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 can of crushed tomatoes (larger than 16 oz.)

2 TBSP cumin powder

1 TBSP chili powder

1 TBSP garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 TBSP olive oil or cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat olive oil or use cooking spray to sauté onions until translucent. Add precooked ground turkey (thawed if frozen). Add cumin, chili, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper and mix seasonings well with the turkey and onions. Add red and black beans and stir mixture slowly.  Add diced and crushed tomatoes.  If mixture looks thick, then add up to half the can of crushed tomatoes with water. Cover with lid and let simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, with tortilla chips, or crackers.

Serves 6-8

Grilled Chicken Pasta Primavera

My family loved this quick dish. It's ready in as little time it takes to boil your pasta. This is one of those dishes that you throw in anything you have from the pantry or fridge. I added whole black olives, chopped tomatoes, chopped spring onions, and sliced cucumbers. I added one of those Italian seasoning salad dressing packs to the the liquid I steamed my leftover chicken in the microwave. There's a tip for ya. If you have leftover grilled chicken breast and you plan on using it for a quick dish, then add about a quarter of a cup of water and let it steam in the microwave on high for a few minutes. Your chicken will be moist. So I added the salad dressing mix packet to that leftover water and then mixed it all together with the pasta. I topped this dish with some fresh Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Some torn basil leaves would go well with this dish also. 

Deb's Easy Guacamole (Kid-Friendly No Jalapeños)

I like to have cucumber slices with my guacamole. It's refreshing and not as guilty as eating half a bag of tortilla chips in one sitting.

I smash one medium avocado. Squeeze and add in the juice of half of a lemon. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and cumin powder. I finely dice tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro and stir until everything is well mixed.  That's how easy it is to make fresh guacamole that is a great side dish to all of your Mexican dishes.

Italian Chickpea Patties (Falafel Fake Out)

I happened upon this one by accident, but most of my recipes are trial and error anyway. I had one lonely can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and I was trying to figure out a way to use it besides...hummus. So here you go! It's a chickpea patty! It's versatile and so good.  It looks and tastes like it should be bad for you, but it's on the healthy side. If you're watching your Weight Watcher Smart Points it is 1-2 points per patty depending on how big you make them. 

INGREDIENTS

1 - 15.5 oz can of chickpeas

1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1 TBSP minced garlic

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (poured in a bowl for the breading)

Salt N Pepper
(1-4 TBSP of water for consistency)

DIRECTIONS:

Drain and rinse chickpeas. In a medium size bowl smash chickpeas to smooth consistency (takes elbow grease with a fork). Add parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, and salt/pepper. If the mixture isn't thick add a teaspoon or two of the bread crumbs. At this point it's your judgment if you need water to help the patties come together. Start with one tablespoon and keep mixing until you think they'll form ok.
Form patties with a two inch diameter and pat bread crumbs on both sides. In a medium nonstick skillet spray olive oil cooking spray and cook patties on medium heat. Makes 8-10 patties.

For an Italian dinner, add marinara and mozzarella to have a vegetarian version of Chicken Parmesan.

This is also great TexMex style with cumin and chili powder for a side dish for tacos. You can add black beans (keep them whole) with the chickpea mixture.

Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli & Rice

 INGREDIENTS:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 16oz Package Frozen Broccoli

2 Cups Brown or White Rice

Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

For frozen or thawed chicken: Add to slow cooker with vegetable stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Cook rice to directions or use instant. Shred chicken and add frozen broccoli to mixture and cover for ten minutes. Add rice and mix thoroughly. Serves 4-6.

Chicken Piccata & Salad

 Chicken Piccata (The kid friendly version)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp chopped capers

1/2 fresh lemon juice (zest optional)

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Chicken Prep: Make sure chicken is thawed. Tenderize to 1/2 thickness. Salt and pepper both sides and dip into breadcrumbs. You can can follow a traditional egg and flour dip also, but I'm cutting those steps out. In a nonstick skillet coat the bottom of saucepan with cooking spray. Cook chicken thoroughly and set aside to rest. Chop capers and add to pan along with garlic. Add vegetable broth and let simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add the squeezed lemon juice (and optional lemon zest). Dice chicken and add to sauce. Can be served alone or over rice or mashed potatoes with a side salad.

Pizza Quesadillas

This was a winner for us and it's being added to our monthly meals. It's easy on time and money so when you're in a pinch and need a quick meal this can be a go-to dinner that is a crowd pleaser. 

INGREDIENTS

4 - 8 inch flour tortillas

1 - package of pepperoni (I used turkey)

8 oz. mozzarella/provolone cheese

1/2 jar of your favorite pizza sauce

These are self explanatory. You just assemble and cook. I chose to cook two quesadillas (folded over in half) in a skillet or you can cook them on a griddle or a panini press.

Quick & Easy Ramen With Veggies

This is a crowd pleasure, especially for kids even though it has veggies. Everyone loves Ramen noodles, so if you're in a pinch on time or just don't feel like making anything then this is a go-to recipe that feeds plenty.

I used two packs of chicken flavored ramen and I crunch them up in a microwave safe container. I added the two seasoning packets and filled water to just above the noodles. I cooked on high for 10 minutes and then added a 12oz. package of mixed veggies and mixed with the noodles.

Serves 4-6

Pear & Pecan Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

SALAD DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

Equal parts red wine vinegar 

Equal parts extra virgin olive oil

2-3 TBSP Strawberry preserves

Water to thin out your consistency

Salt and pepper to taste

I first encountered having a "sweet" salad at a company Christmas party years ago. It was magnificent and it changed my salad game forever. I slice or chop pears, but apples are great as a substitute. Additionally if you're not a pecan fan, then you can easily sub in walnuts/almonds or leave them out entirely if you have a food allergy. Add diced pepper jack or sharp cheddar cheese to round out the salad.

The secret is in the dressing. Now I live in the Midwest and Ranch Dressing is a condiment in these parts. So going outside my boundaries to try a sweet dressing was a new one on me. The dressing is easy to make. You need vinegar and oil (equal parts)... bam nothing you didn't know right??? and voila you have dressing. I like to sweeten this one up with strawberry preserves. Two or three tablespoons is enough. For oil I like to use Pompeian Extra Virgin but it's your preference. As far as vinegar goes, apple cider or balsamic work perfectly. Again your choice.

I like the combination of pear, pecan, and sharp cheddar. It compliments the dressing nicely, but you can make various combinations of this quick side salad to match your main course.