Pan Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

4-6 chicken thighs (bone in and with skin on)
1 pound baby red potatoes,  quartered
2 cups baby carrots, quartered
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsley diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 Tablespoons olive oil (plus some for chicken)

For Chicken: Additional olive oil, seasoned salt, pepper & paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix vegetables, seasonings and olive oil in large bowl.  Spread in Pampered Chef bar pan (or 15x10x1 pan of your choice.  There should be enough oil that it doesn't stick but you can spray with cooking spray if you think it might.).

Lay chicken thighs on top of vegetables.  Rub them with olive oil and season them with a little seasoned salt, pepper and paprika.

Bake for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

ALTERNATE: This also works great with Shake'N Bake. Just prepare the chicken as directed on the package and bake it on top of the vegetables.

Pizza Casserole

2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

1/4 pound ground beef

1/4 pound Italian sausage, turkey sausage or pork sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup sliced pepperoni, cut into bite sized pieces

16 ounces pizza sauce

4 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese*

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray 2 quart casserole with cooking spray.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef and sausage with garlic, onion and pepper. Drain excess fat. 

Stir in pasta, pepperoni, mushrooms, pizza sauce, milk, Parmesan and half of the mozzarella cheese.  Mix well and pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

based on this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Casserole/Detail.aspx

*I didn't have enough mozzarella so used 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup Mexican blend cheese and it was great

Berry Cherry "Green" Smoothie

I just recently started making green smoothies and this is my favorite so far. I'm a big fan of berry flavors so haven't ventured away from that yet. Adding the cherries made this one just right for me. This has more sugar than some green smoothies but starting out, I am going with what tastes good to me so I can get in the habit of drinking them regularly.

Tips: Use organic ingredients. I use a regular Oster blender and it works fine although there are better blenders out there that will make it easier. I don't actually measure anything so measurements are approximate and can be adjusted to your taste.

1 cup apple juice
4 Tbsp. Hemp powder
1 scoop Amazing Grass
1Tbsp. Freshly ground flax seed
2 leaves fresh kale, destemmed
Handful of fresh spinach
1 or 2 sprigs of fresh parsley
1/2 cup frozen berry medley (raspberries, blackberries & strawberries)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen pitted cherries


Add apple juice, hemp. Amazing Grass and flax seed and blend.  Add greens and blend. Add fruit and blend some more. Add a little water if too thick. Blend until smooth.

Wild Blackberry Cobbler

2 cups wild blackberries

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup bisquick

1 cup milk

1 stick butter, melted

Rinse berries in cold water & drain.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar with blackberries and set aside

Mix rest of sugar with remaining ingredients and pour into casserole dish.  Spoon berries on top but do not stir. 

Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Serve warm. Tastes great alone or serve with ice cream. 

Cool Veggie Bruschetta Appetizer

I turned the Pampered Chef cool veggie pizza recipe into a bruschetta appetizer. Some measurements are estimates because I didn't measure.

1 (10 ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent roll dough
Olive oil

1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. Ranch dressing
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. (approx.) dried basil (fresh would be better)
1 tsp. (approx.) dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. (approx.) olive oil

1/2 cup (approx.) shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Unroll crescent roll dough and arrange in a single layer on lightly greased 9x13 pan, cookie sheet or Pampered Chef bar pan. Spread out to cover pan and pinch together seams. Brush with olive oil. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 30 minutes.

Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, onion and olive oil and allow to marinate while the crust cools and cream cheese mixture is prepared.

Mix together cream cheese, ranch dressing, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture on cooled crust. Top with tomato mixture and then sprinkle shredded Parmesan on top.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Crispy Baked Buffalo Style Wings

These wings are delicious! Very crispy for baked wings and as good as many restaurant wings I've had. I found the cooking method online. They are boiled on the stove, then broiled in the oven, then tossed in a mild traditional Buffalo style sauce. Adjust the amount of hot sauce to your taste or try them with your own favorite sauce.

24 wings (used Kroger brand frozen chicken party wings)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Seasoned salt to taste

Place wings (frozen or thawed) in large pot and cover with water. Add salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil 15 minutes.

Place wings on aluminum foil lined baking sheet and season with seasoned salt. Set oven to broil on high heat. Place baking sheet on lowest rack and broil for 15 minutes. Make sauce (see below) while wings are cooking. After 15 minutes, remove from oven, turn wings over, and return to the oven to broil another 10-15 minutes.

SAUCE
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup hot sauce*
1/2 tsp. garlic (optional - adjust amount to your taste)

Melt butter on medium heat. Add hot sauce and stir. Cook on low until wings are done. Toss wings with sauce using tongs. If you prefer, you can brush the wings with sauce after the first 15 minutes.

Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery or carrot sticks if desired.

Serves 2.

*The above measurements are for a mild sauce. Increase hot sauce to 2/3 cup for medium wings; 1 cup for hot.


iPhone photo - didn't know I would like them enough to post the recipe so just snapped a quick pic.

Crockpot BBQ pulled pork

1 pork tenderloin
Dried minced onion
1 bottle Stubb's BBQ sauce
Heiner's New England Split Top Weiner Buns

Spray crockpot with cooking spray

Place tenderloin in crockpot. Sprinkle with onion to taste. Add sauce.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or until falling apart.

Pull apart with fork while still in crockpot(or I sometimes use a knife and fork to shred and then cut so the pieces aren't too long for sandwiches). Stir to get all the pork coated well with sauce.

Serve on buns or just eat on a plate if you like.

Lasagna

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup minced onion
1 24 oz jar Barilla roasted garlic pasta sauce
8 Barilla no boil lasagna noodles
8 oz reduced fat cottage cheese
1 small jar sliced mushrooms
16 slices reduced fat provolone cheese
Parmesan cheese

Brown turkey and onion together until turkey is done and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 2 qt square casserole or 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Spoon approximately 1/2 cup sauce into bottom of dish and spread to coat.

Layer 2 lasagna noodles, 1/3 cottage cheese, 1/3 turkey, 1/3 mushrooms, 4 slices provolone, sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.

Repeat twice. End with remaining 2 noodles, sauce and 4 slices provolone.

Bake covered with foil or lid for 50-60 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Serves 4.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

1/4 cup butter, cut into patties
1 bone-in turkey breast, thawed
Seasonings

Spray crockpot with Pam and place butter in bottom of crockpot. Turn on to low.

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry. Place in crockpot.

Season liberally with your favorite seasonings - I used garlic powder, seasoned salt, dried minced onion and Mrs. Dash. When the turkey cooks, the seasonings are watered down so be generous with your seasonings. Turn over and season the other side as well. Season under the skin also.

Cook all day on low - meat will be falling off the bone. I pour the drippings over the meat when I serve it.

Roasted Red Potatoes

I have hesitated to put this up as a recipe because I don't measure the ingredients. But in the event someone wants to try it, here it is.


Ingredients:
Red potatoes
Olive Oil
Onion (minced - I use dried minced)
Fresh garlic, minced
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
Sea salt

Cut red potatoes into quarters and place in bowl. Add enough olive oil to coat the potatoes. Add remaining ingredients to taste.

Stir and let sit in the fridge to marinate a bit if you have time and meanwhile preheat the oven to 375.

Place potatoes on baking sheet (I use the Pampered Chef bar pan). Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes, until they are as browned and crisp as you like them. Turn with a spatula 2-3 times while cooking.

Tomato Basil Skillet Chicken

1 packet Grill Mates Tomato Garlic Basil marinade
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 package thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine marinade mix with water, olive oil and white wine. Marinate chicken in mixture in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Place chicken and all the marinade liquid in large skillet. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add a little more wine if you need more liquid. Turn chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered 10 minutes or until done. Stir and turn a few times while cooking. (NOTE: If you don't use the thinly sliced chicken, you may need to cook it longer).

Pesto Pasta with Chicken & Veggies

• 1 13 oz. package pasta (I used whole grain penne)


• Olive oil


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/4 cup minced onion


• 1 zucchini squash, sliced and quartered


• 1 yellow squash, sliced and quartered


• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces


• 1 small jar sliced mushrooms


• 2 6-oz. packages Perdue Italian Style chicken shortcuts


• 10-oz. jar Classico Traditional Basil Pesto sauce (more or less, to taste)


• Sea Salt


• Fresh ground pepper


• Italian seasoning


• Parmesan cheese (I used approximately 2 Tbsp.)

This is a very flexible recipe - add or change vegetables and adjust seasonings to suit your taste.

Cook pasta according to package directions. While it cooks, saute garlic, onion, zucchini and yellow squash in olive oil, approx. 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken and cook until warmed through.

Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add pesto sauce and chicken mixture and toss to coat evenly. Add enough olive oil so that it's not too dry. Season with remaining seasonings to taste and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Heat up again if necessary (by the time I got the seasonings the way I wanted them, it needed to be warmed up a little) and serve.

Serves 6.

Cool Veggie Pizza

This is a Pampered Chef recipe, altered slightly

1 (10 ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated reduced fat crescent roll dough
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Pampered Chef dill seasoning
Garlic powder
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

2-3 cups worth of veggies of your choice (I used green peppers, red peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumber & grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup Kraft shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan or on a Pampered Chef bakin pan, arrange the crescent roll dough in a single layer. Pinch together the seams of the dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 30 minutes.

Mix together cream cheese, dill seasoning, salt and pepper. And additional garlic powder if desired or a close of fresh garlic, pressed. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture on crust.

Veggies should be finely chopped or sliced. Sprinkle veggies on top of cream cheese spread. Top with cheddar cheese.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the spread to thicken. Cut chilled pizza into wedges or squares with a pizza cutter to serve.

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Seasoned meat tenderizer (or regular seasoned salt)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. dried or fresh minced onion
1 cup Weight Watchers shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 small jar sliced mushrooms
1 cup Weight Watchers shredded Mexican cheese blend (optional)

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 375.

Coat the bottom of the dish with a spoonful of soup.

Place chicken in dish. Sprinkle a little seasoned meat tenderizer on top of each piece of chicken. Top with garlic, onion and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Mix remaining soup with mushrooms and spread on top.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. If you want it extra cheesy, add the Mexican blend cheese on top now and return to oven for 10-15 minutes.

Chicken ala the Fighting Sophias

My office recently had an iron chef competition, and the name of my team was The Fighting Sophias. Long story. Anyway, I tried to recreate the turkey dish we made at the competition using chicken. It is not exactly the same but it is good nonetheless. Problem is, I didn't measure anything so you have to guess at how much of everything to use. If you're up for that challenge, give it a try!

CHICKEN

• Marinate chicken breast (thinly sliced or pounded flat) in a mixture of white wine, olive oil, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, fresh ground pepper and sea salt for at least 30 minutes, turning a few times.


• Bake on aluminum foil 10-15 minutes or until done (or better yet, grill)

CHUTNEY

• Mix chopped red pepper, chopped onion and minced garlic.


• Add Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, a little olive oil and a dash of crushed red pepper.


• Saute 5 minutes over medium heat

Serve chicken topped with the chutney. At the competition, we also included yellow peppers in the chutney and served it on a bed of sliced grilled zucchini. I just had sauteed zucchini and yellow squash on the side.

Reduced Fat Version: Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups Weight Watcher's shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Egg Beaters

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown turkey and onion together. Drain. Stir in seasoned salt.

Spray 9" pie pan or square casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread cooked turkey mixture on bottom. Top with cheese.

Mix remaining ingredients with a fork until well blended and pour batter over top. Bake 25 minutes.