Homemade Crushed Tomatoes

Step 1 - Removing the tomato skins

Here's a trick you may not know: put the tomatoes, a few at a time in a large pot of boiling water for no more than 1 minute (30 - 45 seconds is usually enough)

then....

Plunge them into a waiting bowl of ice water.

This makes the skins slide right off of the tomatoes! If you leave the skins in, they become tough and chewy in the sauce, not very pleasant.

Step 2 - Removing the skins, bruises and tough parts

The skins should practically slide off the tomatoes. Then you can cut the tomatoes in quarters and remove the tough part around the stem and any bruised or soft parts.

Why remove the skins? They become tough when you cook them! Some people use a juicer and then cook the resultant juice down. It takes more time, but there's nothing wrong with that approach.

Step 3 - Removing seeds and water

After you have peeled the skins off the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half. Now we need to remove the seeds and excess water.

Step 4 - Squeeze of the seeds and water

Just like it sounds: wash your hands then squeeze each tomato and use your finger or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds. You don't need to get fanatical about it; removing just most will do. Another way to do it is to cut each tomato in half, across it, instead of lengthwise. Then just shake the seeds and juice out.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Fill jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process

Step 5 - Combine 1/6 of the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer

Combine one-sixth of the tomatoes in a big pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot. This will exude juice. There's generally no need to add liquid, most types of tomatoes have so much water.

Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning.

Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly These remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. As they cook, the tomatoes will fall apart into sauce with out much need of crushing or mushing!

Step 6 - Continue to add the rest of the tomatoes

Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently for 5 minutes.

Step 7 - Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and liquid to each empty jar

Before you fill each jar with tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. This helps to reduce the odds of spoilage and to retain color and flavor. T

Step 8 - Fill the jars with heated tomatoes

Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature, then fill your freezer containers (I like Ziploc freezer bags in the quart size), fill them completely, eliminate air pockets, seal them and pop them in the freezer. You're done!

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (Panera Style)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

I love Panera's Broccoli and Cheddar Soup. I found this recipe online.

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup serves/makes 4

Baked Potato Soup

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Not exactly healthy, but it tastes so good!

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter (I thought this was WAY too much, so I put in 1/2 c.)
  
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ( to balance the butter, I put in 1/2 c. of flour)
  
• 6 cups milk ( I used 3 c. half/half and 3 c. milk)
  
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 5 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

1. Bake potatoes 1 hour in a 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and set aside. Reserve the skins for another recipe or discard.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring until all the milk has been added. Bring heat to medium and keep stirring until the soup mixture starts to get thick.
3. Add the potatoes, green onions, salt, ground black pepper, bacon and cheese. Stir well and continue to heat for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Stirring well, mix in the sour cream until well blended with the soup. Serve immediately.

Fall Chili

I love Fall. It's my favorite season of the year. For me, it doesn't feel like fall until I make chili, so today I am celebrating the beginning of October with chili and football.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1lb of ground turkey
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of kidney beans
chili powder
cumin
paprika
red pepper flakes
cayenne pepper
cinnamon


1. In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.
2. Add ground turkey and cook.
3. Add tomatoes and kidney beans.
4. If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I don't measure. I put a generous helping of all of the spices and then adjust. I like spicier chili, but if you don't fix the spices to your own liking.
5. Cook on low until simmers, which usually takes 1-2 hours.

Serve with cheese and cornbread and the buckeyes.

Balsamic Chicken and Mozzarella

From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 4skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (16 fl oz) bottle balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1 tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Marinate chicken for 4-6 hours in balsamic salad dressing. I poked holes in my chicken breasts in order get more flavor.
2. Pour chicken breasts and dressing into baking dish. Bake chicken for 30 minutes at 350.
3. In the last 10 minutes, I put tomatoes around the chicken to cook a little.
4. In the last 5 minutes, I put one basil leaf and a slice of mozzarella on each chicken breast.
5. When serving place, tomato on top and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Note: This dish is so easy but also elegant. I would definitely serve this for a dinner party with salad and garlic bread!

Smoky Turkey Shepard's Pie

From Rachael Ray's 365 Recipes, No Repeats.

Very labor intensive, but definitely worth it in the end!

Ingredients

• 3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons EVOO - extra-virgin olive oil - 2 turns of the pan
• 1/4 pound smoky bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
• 1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market
• (You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons each sweet paprika and cumin combined)
• Coarse black pepper
• 2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, to the skillet. Add bacon and brown it up, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and peppe,r and thyme. When turkey browns up, add: onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook flour 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine. Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high.

When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg. Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

From the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients nocoupons

• 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
• 3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
• 1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Comments: I didn't have goat cheese so I just used mozzarella cheese. I put it in the oven for 20 minutes and it was overcooked, next time I would do 18 minutes. Also, the Barefoot Contessa doesn't say to do this, but I always serve mine with Balsamic Vinegar drizzled on top.

I also don't do all of the fancy stuff with the pastry. I just cut the puff pastry into squares.

Leftover Mexican Casserole

Like I said previously, SUB had tons of leftovers from Moe's last night, so we took home some leftovers and I made a casserole to freeze today.

We had onions, peppers, rice, chicken, and salsa. So, I just combined all of it into one and froze it.

I'll let you know how it is...

Black Bean Soup

Elon's Student Union Board ordered Moe's (like, Welcome to Moe's) last night for dinner and of course, there were tons of leftovers. I felt guilty throwing away a huge tray of Black Beans, so I took it home and made Black Bean Soup today.

I have no clue how many black beans I used. So here's a recipe that I used, but I used my huge tray instead.

2 tbsps of Olive Oil (2 times around the pot)
1lb black bean, soaked over night.
1/2 onion, roughly chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, chopped.
a large sprinkling of cumin (I start shaking quickly at one end of the pan and stop at the other)
a large sprinkling of red pepper
a large sprinkling of salt and pepper
4 c. beef broth

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add Olive Oil, onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add black beans, spices and beef broth. Cook until simmering (a long time, like 1 hour). Then, take a potato masher and mash the black beans until you get the consistency you like.

Serve with a huge dollop of Sour Cream. Enjoy!

Comments: I don't like my black bean soup very smooth, but if you do, after cooking you can put it in a food processor or blender until you get the consistency you like.

Rachel Ray's Springtime Bows with Asparagus, Ham and Peas

From: Rachael Ray's 365 Norepeats
(My favorite)

Ingredients:
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup EVOO
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 pound asparagus
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped or shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the bow ties al dente. Drain, reserving a couple ladles of the cooking water.

Halve each stalk of asparagus lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooking water, drained pasta, and cheese. Add the peas and prosciutto as you toss. The peas will heat through quickly. Season with salt and pepper and serve in shallow bowls with lots of basil on top.

Comments: I like a little bit of sauce with my pasta so I added a teeny bit of Alfredo Sauce that I had in the Fridge. Not my favorite, but I felt healthy eating it so thats a plus.

Baked Ziti

I love pasta and sauce. Who doesn't? Baked Ziti is one of those easy dinners that you can just pop in the oven.

Pre-heat oven to 350

1 box of Ziti, or your favorite pasta.
2 jars of sauce, or like I did was 1 jar of sauce and 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes.
1 diced pepper.

Mix all together and pour into a glass baking dish. Sprinkle shredded Italian cheese and bake for 1 hour.

Pot Roast

It snowed in North Carolina. I had to make a pot roast. It was hard to not open the lid and peek at how I was doing. Very Yummy and Wintery.

3 lb. chuck roast
2 c. beef broth
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
dash of salt and pepper
5 potatoes, peeled and rough chopped
3 handfuls of baby carrots
5 parsnips, peeled and rough chopped

Wash chuck roast. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat with flour.

Place floured roast into oiled skillet and brown lightly on both sides.

While browning roast, add diced onions to skillet.

Transfer roast and onions to greased crock-pot. Toss in whole garlic cloves, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and bay leaf.

Pour in 1/2 can beef broth over roast and add salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or 5 to 6 hours on high.

Cherry Chocolate Cake

I love this cake and so does Mike Roesch. This is my Aunt Jean's recipe. I think about her when I make it!

Pre-heat oven to 350

1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 can of cherry pie filling, if you like lots of cherries you can add to cans.
1/4 c. of vegetable oil
2 eggs
1tsp. almond extract

Mix by hand and pour into a 13x9 baking pan.

Cook for 25 minutes. I always check to see if its done by sticking a toothpick in the middle. Sometimes it's not.

While baking you can make your own icing like my Aunt Jean does. She was a much better woman then I am. I use store bought icing.

Icing
Boil 1c. sugar, 1/2 stick margarine, 1/3 c. milk. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1 c. chocolate chips.

Club Salad

My mom made this salad one Summer for Lunch when my dad was working from home. She wanted it to be manly but healthy. I love this salad, you definitely aren't hungry after eating it.

You can choose whatever you like to put in it. I'll tell you what I did but you should change it for what fits your family.

1 bag of Romaine Lettuce
1 tomato, diced.
1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced.
1 cucumber, cubed.
1 cup of shredded cheese
4 slices of bacon, crumbled.
8 slices of turkey lunch meat, sliced.
1 cup of frozen peas.

Eat with your favorite dressings, I like Ranch or Blue Cheese :)

Chicken Potstickers

I love potstickers and last night Bobby and I ate potstickers, drank wine, and played Rock Band. What a beautiful Saturday night.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1/3 cup minced green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 30 won ton wrappers
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup water, divided

Preparation

Add chicken and next 6 ingredients (chicken through garlic) to mixing bowl; stir well.

Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining won ton wrappers to keep them from drying out), spoon about 1 tablespoon chicken mixture into the center of each wrapper.

Moisten edges of wrapper with water, and bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring the remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover loosely with a towel to keep them from drying out.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place half of pot stickers in bottom of skillet; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet; cover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Place pot stickers on a serving platter; set aside, and keep warm.

Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable oil, remaining pot stickers, and remaining water.

Potato and Leek Soup

Since going to Paris this winter, I've been wanting to try out some of the new recipes. I was old fashioned and went to the library and checked out a cookbook! I've never cooked with leeks before, so I had to do some research, this really helped.

I used my salad spinner to help clean the leeks better. It really worked!

The recipe called for 2lbs of leaks and 5lbs of potatoes. I didn't want to eat this for the next 5 months, so I made it up a little bit.



2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 leeks, cut into rings.
6 mediums potatoes
1/2lb of bacon, cubed.
8 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Reduce heat and fully cook bacon and add leeks and potatoes. Stir bacon, leeks and potatoes until coated with olive oil. When leeks have softened, add water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove from heat and sit for 1 hour.

It's sitting in my freezer right now for a time where a warm soup is perfect for a cold day!

Mexican Stew

Made by Bobby, my Favorite.

2 chicken breasts, cut into "pieces you would like to put into your mouth"
2 cans of salsa, choose your favorite. Tonight, we used Medium Mango
1 pepper, roughly chopped.
1/2 an onion, roughly chopped.
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
brown rice (I make 2 servings)

In a large pot, saute chicken until fully cooked through. Add peppers and onions and cook for 3 minutes until soft. Add salsa, black beans, and corn. Simmer until bubbly and add rice.

Serve tortilla chips (for more carbs!) with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, cheese, or cilantro.

Everything Breakfast Casserole

I only like Eggs when they are covered up by vegetables, hash browns, ketchup and hot sauce.. This recipe does it all!

You can put whatever you have in your kitchen into this casserole.

First, pre-heat oven to 350.

8 Eggs
1 bag of hash browns, I like shredded but cubed works, too!
1 chopped pepper, whatever color you have
1 chopped tomato
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
1 cup of shredded cheese
1lb cooked sausage or bacon, crumbled

Mix hash browns, pepper, tomato, onion,cheese and meat in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a greased glass baking dish.

Beat Eggs and evenly pour over hash brown mixture.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. I put a fork in the middle to check before I pull it out.

David's Chicken Soup

I don't know who David is, but he makes really good Chicken Soup.

You must follow the direction for this soup to turn on right.... but it pays off in the end.

1/3 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
6 1/2 c. of chicken broth
1 1/2 c. warm Evaporated Milk
2 c. diced chicken
1/4 tsp White Pepper

Melt butter and then add flour.

Slowly add 2 1/2 c. of Chicken Broth (I add a little and then stir it all in, then add some more and stir)

Cook until thick about 2-3 minutes
Add remaining Chicken Broth, Evaporated Milk, Chicken and White Pepper.

Cook for 15 minutes until warm.

Serve with sourdough bread and a green salad.

Veggie Enchiladas

Mexican food is one of my favorites to make and eat. I always order Enchiladas when I eat out at Mexican restaurants. This meal is almost a comfort food to me.. The picture explains it all! I usually fill them with chicken or ground turkey, but this time I just put some vegetables.

Beginning Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375
• Spray a glass cooking dish with Pam or other cooking spray.
  

Inside mixture

1/2 jar of your favorite salsa
1/2 can of black beans
1/2 of a small can of green chilis.
1/2 green pepper
1/2 an onion (sliced finely)

I sauteed the onion and green pepper before putting them inside the enchilada.

Then, I put a large spoonful of the mixture in the center of a tortilla. Wrap the tortilla up with the mixture and pack 5-6 tortillas in the glass dish. Check here for how to wrap it well. The envelope works the best.

Pour a large can of Enchilada Sauce over the top. I like my enchiladas with lots of sauce, so pour slowly so you can choose how much to pour over the top. Then, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Chik Parmesan

Morning Star Chik Patties are one of my favorite things to buy. I love making Chik Parmesan with them. I do have shout out to Holly because she gave me the recipe.
I love this dinner because it makes me think about dinners I would make for myself in college. The other thing that I love about this dinner is that Bobby remembered it was one of my favorites and made it for me tonight!

Here's how he made it for 2 people:

Sauce
1 large can of crushed basil tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
large sprinkling of Italian Seasoning

Cook on low until simmering.

• Cook Chik Patties as according to on the box (1 per person, or cook extra for leftovers)
  
• When Chik Patties are finished place a tablespoon over the Chik Patties and sprinkle mozzarella on the top. Cook 1 more minute until the cheese is melted.

• Make spaghetti or your favorite pasta as according to on the box (I like to measure by hand. One handful for each person, plus one for luck)
  
• When the pasta is finished pour remaining sauce over the sauce and mix in.
  

Top pasta with Chik Patties and serve hot. Lots of leftovers for the next days lunch. Yum.

No pictures of the food so here's one of Riggy. Isn't his sweater cute?

Chicken, Pasta, Veggie.

I feel like all of the dinners that I make have a combination of these three things. Tonight, I deconstructed (as they say on Top Chef) my favorite dishes and made Breaded Chicken, Steamed Broccoli and little noodles.

Breaded Chicken is my favorite thing to make for many reasons-- mainly about the main sauces that you can dip or pour over it.

Start making your dinner in this order, so that everything come out hot!

Noodles (10 minutes)
Broccoli (start 3 minutes after you pour noodles in)
Chicken (start 5 minutes after you pour noodles in)

Noodles
Who doesn't love noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese? It makes me think about my childhood dinners. I had tiny soup noodles so I used those tonight. I really wanted spatzel but our grocery store didn't have any.

Broccoli

Ingredients

1 bunch of broccoli

Lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Method

1 Rinse out well your broccoli, and break into large, bite-sized florets. Cut off the stem and peel off the thick skin around the stem. Quarter or halve the stem lengthwise.

2 Bring 3/4 to 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer. (Note that is you don't have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 6-7 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork. But be careful not to overcook the broccoli. As soon as it is pierce-able, remove from heat, place in serving dish.

3 Salt and pepper. Squeeze half a lemon over the top!

Serves 2-4, depending on how much broccoli people like to eat.

I make my Breaded Chicken by...

First, I butterfly the chicken breast and flatten it using a meat mallet. Then, I dip the chicken into breadcrumbs, no eggs for me! I pour olive oil in the bottom of the pan, very very thin layer. I let the oil heat up on medium-low heat.

Cook 3 minutes on each side. Before taking the chicken out, squeeze half a lemon over top and cook for 1 more minute.

Seriously yummy dinner.

Cheese Ravioli

Day 2 of Wii workout. Its seriously hysterical that I'm working out while pretending I'm a member of the marching band.

I love making my own marinara sauce. It is seriously easy and healthier (I think) than something that is poured out of a jar. Plus, you can add whatever extras you would like!

This dinner, as like any dinner, is especially good when someone else makes it for you. Thanks, Bobby!

Ravioli-- I LOVE ravioli especially the ones with different flavors inside. I've been buying whole wheat ravioli lately... seriously yummy :)


Marinara Sauce ( I don't do any measuring, I just eyeball it all. It all works out in the end!)
1 big can of crushed tomatoes with basil
half of onion, finely chopped (to see my new favorite way to cut onions check this out)
1 clove of garlic
a large sprinkling of Italian Seasoning

First, add the garlic and onions to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the tomatoes and seasoning.

Cook until simmering and pour over ravioli.


Serve with garlic bread (not healthy) and a green salad (healthy)

Ginger Stir Fry

I love using those Chicken Sausages that come in all sorts of flavors. And after my 20 minute Wii workout, I was craving something healthy with tons of veggies. Tonight, I used the Ginger Chicken Sausages in a Ginger Stir Fry.

I made a Soy/Ginger Sauce (below) and added it to the Sausages and veggies(I like to buy the frozen bag of stirfry vegetables). If you like it saucier, and I do, double the sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• a large sprinkling of sesame seeds
  
• sesame oil to taste
  

Cook until heated through (5-7 minutes)

Serve over Rice.


Bobby even liked it :)