Yummy Coleslaw

I had this coleslaw at my dad's house this weekend and it was AMAZING!!
The essential ingredient is the dressing-you can put whatever you like in your coleslaw but these are the ingredients my dad's wife used:

Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing
peeled apple
golden raisins
red cabbage
white cabbage
green onions
walnuts

Did I mention it was good? It really was!!!
(This coleslaw goes well with corn on the cob and grilled garlic & herb chicken.)

Sausage Rigatoni Bake

biggest loser baby!!! this is also a 1 serving recipe, just adjust for your family!

sausage:
3 ounces extra lean ground pork
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of salt

rigatoni and sauce:
3/4 c. whole wheat rigatoni
2/3 c. thin 1 inch long red or yellow bell pepper stips
1 c. canned crushed tomatoes
1 Tb. no salt added tomato paste
1 Tb. water
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. grated reduced fat parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

to prepare sausage combine the pork, fennel seeds, parsley, pepper flakes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. with clean hands or a fork mix well.

Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. with an oven mitt, briefly remove the pan from the heat to lightly mist with olive oil spray.

Add the sausage to the pan. Cook until no longer pink. remove from the pan and cover to keep warm.

to prepare the rigatoni and sauce: lightly mist a 2 to 3 cup baking dish with olive oil spray. set aside.

cook the pasta according to package directions. drain and set aside. (they may take longer because they are wheat)

meanwhile return the skillet to the heat, add pepper strips, and cook until tender. add the sausage. add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, honey, and garlic powder. stir to mix well. Add the pasta. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 10 min. remove the foil. bake for 5 min. or until heated through and the top is starting to brown. Let stand for 5 min. before serving.

*my picky brother loved this dish, and so did my 1 year old!!

chicken with apricot mustard sauce

another biggest loser recipe! (we are trying to eat healthy around here)!

1 Tbl. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. salt
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. apricot 100% fruit preserves
2 Tbl. spicy brown mustard

preheat grill to high heat. ( we put them in the oven on the broiler about 400 degrees)

in small bowl combine all spices. mix to blend.

place chicken on a large plate. drizzle with oil. rub to coat both sides of the chicken evenly with the oil. sprinkle the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken. rub to coat evenly. cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate for at least 10 min. for the seasoning to flavor the chicken.

Meanwhile, spoon the preserves into a small microwavable bowl. cook on low power in 15 second intervals until melted. stir in the mustard until well blended. set aside.

place the chicken on the grill and reduce the heat to medium. (if it is not possible to reduce the heat, cook the chicken away from direct heat). Cook for 3 to 5 min. per side, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear. serve each breast with 2 1/2 Tbls. of the sauce spooned over the top.

*this was super super yummy!

spicy meatballs with chili sauce

Ok this recipe is built for only 1 serving. I of course use a pound of hamburger and just dump the rest of the spices in without measuring. I think you get the point.

this came out of my biggest loser cookbook, it is healthy!!!!

1/4 pound 96% lean ground beef
2 Tbls. cooked brown rice (if I don't have leftover brown rice from the night before or whatever, I just use a little bit of oatmeal)
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. dried minced onion (I usually just cut up a fresh onion really small)
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

sauce:
2 1/2 tbls. chili sauce (we use the sweet chili sauce, i did use the hot once...we had to eat half a box of Popsicles and a whole gallon of milk to cool down our mouths!!!!!)
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or more to taste (I have never found this product, if you do let me know)

*for my sauce I usually do the sweet chili sauce a little BBQ sauce, and some ketchup if it is too spicy. you could really do any kind of sauce you like, it probably just isn't as healthy as the sauce they tell you to use!!

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

in medium bowl combine the meatball ingredients and mix well. I use my hands! form mixture into 1 inch meatballs. place the meatballs in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. bake for about 7 min. (I usually bake for about 9 min. since i do more) make sure meatballs are not pink inside.

meanwhile in a small bowl, combine your sauce ingredients. pour the sauce over the meatballs. Toss to coat with sauce and serve immediately.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups Water
2 T. Chicken Bouillon
2 can cream of chicken soup
1 sm. Onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups Carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cup Peas, frozen
3 cup Chicken, cooked and shopped into small pieces
one large stalk celery chopped
1/2 tsp Thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. Basil
1/8 tsp Oregano
1 (12 oz.) pkg. Egg noodles, any type - I like no yolks, healthier

Mix water, bouillon and cream of chicken soup together in large soup pot. Then add everything else. Cook until noodles are done and then remove from heat and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes to thicken and cool. EAT!!! I put rolls in the oven while it thickened. Timing was perfect. Note: I added way less herbs - dashes not teaspoons. I also didn't need to add the salt. It is thick and creamy, very yummy.

Olive Gardens Sausage & Peppers Ziti Marinara

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs sweet or hot Italian sausages links
1 1/3 cups green bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1” x ¼” strips
1 can Italian-style or plum tomatoes, including liquid (28 oz)
1 can tomato puree (10 3/4 oz)
1 tsp garlic cloves, chopped finely
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup basil, fresh, chopped finely, firmly packed
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb ziti or penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
Fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated


Procedures:
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

1. BAKE sausage links in oven for 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Cut sausages in half lengthwise; then cut into 1/2" slices. Result will be semi-circles of sausage. Set aside.
2. SAUTE pepper slices in olive oil until their crispness is lost, but not soft.
3. CHOP tomatoes or use a food processor on “pulse”; do not puree tomatoes.
4. COMBINE chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil in sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Add sausage pieces and pepper pieces and stir well.
5. TRANSFER cooked, drained pasta to large serving platter. Top with sausage & pepper marinara mixture.
6. GARNISH with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese

Yummy Chocolate Frosting a Nestle Toll House Recipe

Use on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and graham crackers!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
• 2/3 cup (I only use 1/3 cup) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 5 to 6 tablespoons milk, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
BEAT 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and milk until smooth. Makes 2 cups total.

Catalina Chicken

1 (8oz.) bottle of Catalina -I always use light dressing
1 env. dry onion soup
1 can whole cranberry sauce
4-6 chicken breasts

mix all ingredients together and pour over the chicken breasts. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes. You can cover with foil if you want.

Serve with rice. I like to use brown rice to make it more healthy.

Angel Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and LOVED it. It can be cooked in the oven or in a crockpot.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1/2 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 ounces cream cheese with chives
1 pound angel hair pasta (I used thin Spaghetti because it holds better)


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in half the package of dressing mix. Blend in chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Mix in cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over.
Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven. Twenty minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until done, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

If cooking for crockpot, which I did, melt butter in microwave and then stir in the dressing. Make sure to only use half the package, as most the reviews I read on this said if using the whole package it's too salty. Mix in everything together in the crockpot till smooth and then put chicken (I sliced it into thin strips) and cook till chicken is cooked through. I think it was 2 hours for me, my crockpot heats fast and high. Cook pasta till done, drain, and mix in with the chicken.

Cashew Chicken Salad

Pefect for a nice lunch!

Combine:
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can water chestnuts
1 cup grapes, I usually slice in half
1 cup pinapple tidbits
1/2 cup diced apples
1 cup shell macaroni, cooked
2 hardboiled eggs, diced (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 tsp grated onion

Mix Dressing:
1/2 cup coleslaw dressing
1/2 cup mayonaise

Combine all salad ingredients and then add dressing and fold. Use enough dressing to make salad a bit wet as it will be absorbed some. If you are not eating right away do not add cashews until just before serving. Place chicken on a salad leaf. Serve with a slice of cantalope and a roll.

Thai It, You'll Like It Shrimp or Chicken (Rachael Ray's Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth, divided (I used water with chicken bouillon)
  
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used chicken, since I don't like shrimp)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 fresh red chili, seeded and thinly sliced or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1-1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce or 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cups basil, torn (a couple of handfuls) (I used dried basil and just added about 2 tsp)
  
• Zest and juice of 1 lime (I used lemon juice, a 1-2 cap fulls)
  

Preparation

Toast the coconut in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Reserve 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut for garnish. To the remaining coconut, add the chicken stock, rice and salt, then bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on top and cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture stand for five minutes off the heat, then fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, pre-heat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat with the canola oil. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp, red bell peppers and chili or red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the fish sauce or soy sauce and basil and toss to combine. Serve the shrimp and some of the sauce over the coconut rice and squeeze some lime juice over everything. Garnish with the reserved toasted coconut and the lime zest.

Rice Patties

I got this idea off of Rachael Ray, it is yummy!

Makes about 4 patties - depending on the size I guess!

2 c. Chicken Stock (I have just done water too)
1/2 c. uncooked rice (I like to use brown, it is a bit healthier)
1 pkg. Bacon (I have also used chicken, but I like it better with bacon)
2 eggs
bread crumbs ( I have used italian breadcrumbs, also whole wheat crackers crushed)
hot sauce (whatever is your favorite)
little garlic salt or powder
salt
pepper
(I usually just throw whatever kind of seasoning sounds good at the time)

cook rice in chicken stock. Let cool until you can put your hand in it. cook bacon, drain fat. combine all ingrediants in bowl and mix, I use my hand. make patties (like you would with hamburger) fry in frying pan with a little bit of Olive Oil.

serve with salsa, sour cream, and we like to put a little monterey jack cheese on ours too!

Mexican Noodles

Mexican Dry Soup - Sopa Seca

I love this! It's a classic of my mom's. It is nice to have a side dish other then refried beans and Spanish rice when its a mexican night. It is fresh and so good, a nice change at least. And don't worry it tastes very Mexican, not Italian at all!

1 to3 TB oil
18 to 14 oz package of Mexican broken vermicelli
1 can petite diced tomatoes
chicken bullion to taste
pepper
Basil 1/4 tsp maybe
1/2 onion chopped in small pieces
1/2 green bell pepper chopped in small pieces
2 cups chicken broth
Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot add the vermicelli. Saute until the noddles start to brown to a light golden brown. can burn so watch carefully. then add onion and bell pepper. let that saute some more to slightly cook the veggies and continue browning noodles. when the noddles are a nice light brown and the veggies are a little soft add the can of tomatoes. stir in the pepper, Basil, and bullion. Then add the chicken broth. reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer 10 minutes or until the soupiness is gone and the noddles are tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with Parmesan and recover until ready to serve. This is one of our favorites!

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
4 tbsp. sour milk
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional) - I have never put nuts in mine and it is still oh so yummy!

Mix all together and bake in a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

If it is still gooey on the top after the hour, I cover it in foil so it won't get any more brown and let it finishing cooking for about 10-15 min.

Also I like using lemon juice instead of vinegar to make my milk sour for this recipe.

I have also been told this recipe doesn't work to double it...I haven't ever tried it, so let me know if you try it and it works!