Yummy recipe

I am sitting here in my new raft room. Remember those pis I posted of the pretty craft/play room? Well that lasted 3 months. I have outgrown that room and it was becoming unfair to the girls. I was gating off the room because my crap was everywhere, my stuff taking up room, etc. Now I am in the basement, but its all good. The basement is finished, even has a small kitchen. Our big screen TV is down here as well, so I an watch TV while crafting. It also gives me peace and quiet to work. I am working on several new bow styles and it does take patience to figure out the new folds, how to secure the bow, etc. I think my move to the basement will work out well.

I made this yummy dish the other day. So quick and easy. I served it with some Chinese noodles & asparagus and I also doubled the sauce.

Sesame Beef

• 1 pound round steak-I used sirloin because that is what I had on hand.
  
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, garlic, and onions in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut steak into strips and add to bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 30 minutes.
3. Cook in wok or frying pan until brown, about 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds and cook for additional 2 minutes.

WW friendly meatballs & meatball lasagna

I make a big batch of the meatballs(recipes yields 48) and then save some for the lasagna. If you dont think the meatballs are seasoned enough after they are done, just throw some extra dried basil, garlic, S&P on top and bake for a few more minutes.

Mediterranean meatballs

Ingredients-r
1 jar roasted red peppers
whole wheat bread crumbs 1.5 cups
2 eggs
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 pounds 95% lean ground beef
Salt Pepper cumin Parsley garlic

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 of a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped; 1-1/2 cups soft whole wheat bread crumbs (about 2 slices); 1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product (thawed) or 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1/3 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed; 1/4 cup snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1 tablespoon garlic. Add 2 pounds 95 percent lean ground beef; mix well.

Shape meat mixture into 48 meatballs.
Place meatballs in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
Bake about 30 minutes or until done (160 degrees F).
Reserved cooked meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I served the meatballs with some buttered white rice(brown for me) and a tomato wine sauce-

Sauce-
2 teaspoons Olive oil
1 cup Onion; finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic; minced
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Fennel; ground
1 teaspoon Dried oregano1 teaspoon Dried basil
⅓ cup Red wine
3 cups Canned tomatoes; undrained (28 oz)-I used tomato sauce instead of whole canned tomatoes
Salt and pepper; to taste
In a saucepan, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, cover, and saute on very low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add fennel, oregano, and basil and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Whirl the tomatoes in a blender until just pureed and add to the pan. Cover the sauce and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Lasagna

Ingredients-
2 medium green sweet peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
6 dried regular or whole wheat lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 of a 15-ounce container (3/4 cup) light ricotta cheese
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (chèvre) or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1-1/2 cups purchased light or low-fat tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 recipe cooked Mediterranean Meatballs (24)
Shredded fresh basil or small fresh basil or oregano leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place sweet pepper quarters, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until pepper quarters are charred. Wrap in the foil; let stand for 20 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, peel skins from pepper quarters. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.2.
Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.
For filling, in a small bowl, stir together 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, and the goat cheese or Parmesan cheese; set aside.
To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer two of the cooked noodles in the dish. Arrange meatballs in a single layer on top of noodles in dish. Add two more of the cooked noodles. Top with the ricotta cheese mixture, spreading evenly. Arrange sweet pepper pieces over ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining cooked noodles. Spread the remaining pasta sauce over noodles.
Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs. Makes 8 servings, each serving is 6 points.

Stuffed Zucchini

4 medium zucchini
1 medium onion, minced
1 can roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 egg, beaten
2 thyme, sprigs
1/4-1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
3/4 lb lean ground beef (or chicken, turkey, fish, 1 can of tuna, or other veggies...you get the idea)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mozzarella cheese-amount varies according to your liking#

Steps-

1. Wash zucchini, and put in a pot of cold water (do not remove ends).








2.Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, maybe a little longer depending on the size of your zucchini.




3.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a fairly large skillet.




4.Sautee garlic first, then add onions, green pepper, thyme, and oregano.




5.When the veggies begin to soften, add ground meat (or whatever you are using), season with salt and pepper, and brown until cooked through.




6.Drain off any exess grease.




7.Set aside to cool slightly.




8.When the zucchini have cooked through, remove from water, and allow to cool enough to handle.




9.Slice cooled zucchini lengthwise, and scoop out center, leaving a little veggie flesh to form a boat.




10Mix ground meat mixture with the red peppers, and the scooped out zucchini (chopped), and the egg.




11.Fill the zucchini boats with the mixture, and top each with some cheese*I use low fat




12.Bake in a 375º oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through, and cheese begins to bubble and brown.




13.Serve hot









I used lean beef, skim cheese and this was a very WW friendly recipe. Each boat is 4 points.

Weekly Menu

Cheesesteak sandwiches and Onion straws
Onion Straws(recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman Cooks)

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone.
Eat before your family sees them.
Repeat with another onion, because they’ll be really mad they didn’t get any.

Porcupine meatballs and rice:
1 egg
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup instant rice(you can also use leftover rice)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Lightly beat egg with a fork, then add a heaping tablespoon of the soup and mix lightly. Mix in rice, onion, parsley, onion salt and pepper. Stir in the ground beef and mix well with hands. From mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs.

Coat a large skillet over medium heat with cooking spray. Cook meatballs and brown on all sides.
Combine remaining soup with Worcestershire (you can increase or decrease Worcestershire to your liking), stir until smooth, then spoon over meatballs. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Fried Chicken and Mac n Cheese:
Fried Chicken recipe from Alton Brown
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening, for frying

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it?s a gas oven.

Southwestern egg rolls:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half(I use canned chicken for these)
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 quart oil for deep frying(I bake mine, dont need the extra fat)

Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.
Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.