Recipes - P4

Lo-Cal Chicken and Dumplings (8 servings, 272 cal per serving)
(I got the calorie count by entering the recipe into http://www.myfitnesspal.com/)

Ingredients:
Soup:
6 cups homemade turkey stock
3 split chicken breasts
3 cups water
2 cups frozen peas & carrots
3 tbsp corn starch mixed with 1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings:
1 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c 2% milk
3 tbsp veg oil

Directions:
Add stock, water, and chicken to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove chicken, allow to cool enough to handle (I stuck it in the freezer about 10 minutes). Remove meat from skin/bones, chop meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard skin and bones. Return chicken to stock and heat to boil. Add frozen peas and carrots. Return to boil about 5 minutes. Add corn starch mixture, reduce to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

While the soup is simmering, in a medium bowl, combine all dry dumpling ingredients thoroughly. In a separate small bowl combine all wet dumpling ingredients. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture, and stir just until moistened.

Drop dumplings by spoonful into soup. After adding all dumpling mixture, cover the pot and simmer about 12 minutes, until dumplings are done.



Crock Pot Maple Ribs
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine ribs, maple syrup, soy sauce, minced onion, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garlic powder and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours.


Loaded Nachos
tortilla chips
refried beans
salsa con queso or nacho cheese
chopped tomatoes
chopped lettuce
shredded cheese
sliced black olives
sour cream
guacamole

Heat beans until warm/hot on stove or in microwave.  Heat salsa con queso or nacho cheese in microwave or on stove until hot and runny.  Lay tortilla chips out on plate.  Top with refried beans.  Drizzle on salsa con queso.  Top with additional toppings (lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream, guac, olives, etc) and serve!  My kids LOVED it!!

Recipes - P3

Crockpot Smothered Pork Chops and Rice
6 pork chops
1 pkg fresh mozzerella cheese
1 pkg white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bag fresh spinach
1 1/2 c uncooked brown rice
1 1/2 c water
1 can great northern beans
1 qt fresh canned tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper

Mix rice, beans, pureed tomatoes, water, cumin, and cayenne in crock pot.  In a deep skillet or saucepan, heat oil.  Add onions and mushrooms and saute until tender.  Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and stir in salt and garlic powder.  Place pork chops in crock pot on top of tomato and rice mixture.  Top with spinach/mushroom/onion mixture.  Slice mozzarella and top the chops and spinach mushroom.  Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until chops are done.

Breakfast Sausage I love sausage, but at times the sausage I get from the store is too spicy or too bland, so I prefer to make my own.  This sausage can be mixed up and frozen or used right away.

1 lb ground pork, chicken, or turkey
1/4 c diced red onion (you can use whatever you have on hand, but I prefer red for this recipe)
1 clove minced garlic (to save time, I usually buy the jarred, pre-minced garlic)
1 pinch (or more, depending on preference) ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground oregano
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together.  Form into patties and pan fry, or crumble and fry as you would hamburger. 


Fudge
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)
butter

Use butter to grease 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  Over med-low heat in a med sauce pan, melt together chocolate chips with milk.  When mixture is melted and smooth, remove from heat.  Mix in vanilla and nuts, if using.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour into greased pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly cooled.

**If you're feeling adventurous (or not sharing with kids) add 1 tbsp Amaretto, Kahlua, or other hard liquor.  The fudge will also be a little softer.**

Cream Cheese Bars
2 cans crescent rolls (I prefer butter flavored)
2 8oz blocks cream cheese, softened
1 c + 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 egg, separated
1 tsp cinnamon

Grease 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350.  Unroll one can crescent rolls into bottom of pans.  Pinch together all seams, creating a bottom crust.  In a bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 c sugar, and egg yolk.  Mix with electric mixer until thoroughly combined.  Spread on top of crescent crust.  Unroll other can of crescent rolls onto waxed paper.  Pinch together all seams to make top crust.  Flip on top of cream cheese filling.  Beat egg white until foamy and brush onto top crust.  Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle on top.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Ham and Swiss Stuffed Pork Roast
3 1/2 lb pork roast
12 slices ham lunch meat
3 slices Swiss cheese (I cut them from an 8oz block - cutting them the long way)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut 3 long slits into the roast going the "long way."  Wrap each slice of cheese with 4 slices ham.  Stuff one wrapped slice in each of the 3 slits.  Tie roast together to hold cheese/ham in the roast.  Season on all sides with salt and pepper.  Cook for 15 minutes at 425.  Reduce heat to 350, bake approx 45 minutes or until cooked through.  Let rest 10 minutes before removing string and slicing.

Rice and Milk
1 1/2 c rice
6 cups milk
cinnamon (to taste)
sugar (to taste)
1 c raisins (optional)

Put all ingredients except raisins into a crock pot.  Cook on high 3 hours.  Add raisins, then reduce heat to low for 5 hours.  Stir occasionally.  Add more milk as necessary.  Serve as dessert or breakfast.  (can make it at night to be ready for breakfast, just leave set on low all night.)