A different take on frozen pizza

One organic cheese pizza
Dice favorite fresh veggies
Dice leftover meat
Arrange on pizza
Add favorite cheese
Drizzle bbq

Bake according to pizza directions.

Viola -  pizza batter than delivery for a quarter of the price.

Crock pot chicken stock

Chicken carcass/chicken bones

Onion-diced

One celery stock-diced

A few carrots-diced

One sprig of parsley

One bay leaf

Fill crock pot with water

Add all ingredients

Cook for 10 hours

Strain all bones, skin & veggies

Throw away veggies.

Chicken bones can be used again.

*I have been saving veggie scraps in the freezer and adding them to this recipe.*

I have also been adding a little bit of this every night to Choppers food.  He LOVES it.  Choppers now begs for me to "fix" his food.  It is very satisfying to know you used 100% of a chicken.

As my Iron Man training has been ramping up, I have been looking for low calorie, low cost, EASY recovery "nutrition".  I have read lots of benefits to drinking chicken broth like tea. I have also seen chicken broth at aid stations.  Last weekend, I heated this up and took it in a thermos for a post workout "meal".  It was very satisfying. 

Grandma Diane's Macroni Salad

1lb of cooked macaroni
1/2 bottle of red pimentos
3 chopped celery stocks
4 green onions
3 chopped or grated boiled eggs
6  oz can of sliced olives
2 table spoon of sweet relish
1 teaspoon of pepper
Pinch of Salt
1 can of tuna
1/4 cup of mayo
1 knife of mustard

Mix in big bowl
Dust top with Paprika

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

 1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flower
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sald
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 400
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
combine egg, milk and oil into dry ingredients
Fold in blueberries

bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown

Peanut Butter Pro Cookies

Here is a figure friendlier cookie that you might want to stick your teeth into!
Ingredients

• 2 cups natural peanut butter (you may even use almond butter for almond butter cookies)
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk peanut butter and egg together in a bowl until smooth.
3. Add in vanilla protein powder & honey, continuously stirring.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Jan is gone.  The month of love is upon us.  Now that I have mastered the crock pot, I have decided to dedicate each month to a new type of food/cooking style.

February will be vegetarian month. I will make one new veterinarian recipe per week.  Note to self: cheese is not vegetarian.

Trying new food has been fun.  Everything so far has been really good.

Original recipe makes 12 burritos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.
   
   
   I cut this recipe in half.  These were really good.  They barely lasted the weekend.  The sweet potato was a good substitute for ground turkey.  I will make these again.  Maybe I will try to get sweet potatoes to grow in my garden.  

Slow Cooker Black Beans

Slow Cooker Black Beans

Substitute any dry bean in this recipe. Variations included below the main recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb. black beans, picked over to remove broken or wrinkled beans or small stones
6 cups water
1 onion, halved or diced
2-3 whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt (this seems like a lot, but is fine with this much water, you can use less if desired)

Instructions:

Place the beans in a big bowl, cover with water, agitate the beans a few times to remove any dirt, drain in a colander and rinse again.

Place black beans, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add water.

Cook on high for about 3-4 hours, testing after 3 hours. To test doneness, spoon out a few beans and blow on them. If the skins peel back, they beans are ready. Taste just to make sure. If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. Beans must stay completely covered to prevent them from burning. If cooking on low for 6-8 hours, test the beans at the 6 hour point.

Add the salt and let cook, or sit with heat off for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion before using, if desired.

Use immediately, or allow to cool before transferring beans and some of the cooking liquid to a zipper-lock freezer bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, flatten bag in freezer–it makes for easier defrosting. Defrost in warm water.

These were good!  Cheap and easy.  I will never buy canned black beans again.

Crock pot Jambalaya

Ingredients -12 Servings 

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails
• 4 cloves of garlic
  
  
  
  
  

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
   
   This is the best crock pot recipe yet!~  I will definitely be making this again soon.  The fresh shrimp was delicious.  This was just as good the next day.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of orange juice
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
1 table spoon of grated peeled fresh ginger
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
16 OZ of pineapple (fresh or canned-drained)
1 large green bell pepper cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 cups of hot cooked rice

Combine the first 12 ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over rice.

I measured and prepped all the ingredients the night before.  I used real fresh squeezed OJ.

It was good. I will try it over quinoa next time.

Calories:381
Fat: 8.7g
protein: g
sodium: 396 MG

Nic's Portuguese Lasagna

Friends & old roommates have asked me for this recipe.  I have never written it down until now.

Here you go!!



No boil lasagna noodles

4 hard boiled eggs (add a pinch of banking soda to the water to peel the shell off easy)

1lb of ground turkey, sausage, or ground beef. You can always use 1/2 lb if you are looking to save money on groceries or eat less meat.

1 diced onion

1 diced bell pepper

8 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

Half a carton of mushrooms (cut in half)

1 can or corn (optional)

1 zucchini (optional) diced

1 jar of your fav pasta sauce

1 table spoon of cracked pepper

Favorite dried/fresh Italian seasoning

Fresh Parm Cheese





Pre-Heat Oven to 375

Hard boil eggs

Brown turkey meat/drain

Combine:  Pasta sauce, browned turkey mean, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn, zucchini.  Simmer on low-medium until eggs are done.

Slice hard boiled eggs.

Add a few table spoons of water to pasta sauce container.  Swish water around container.  Cover the bottom of your lasagna with the watered down sauce.  This prevents the bottom layer from sicking.



Layer lasagna with noodles, pasta sauce mixture, eggs & cheeses.  I have also added spinach as a layer.

Do 2-3 layers.



Cover lasagna for 50 minutes at 375.  (follow cooking directions on the box of noodles)

The last 10 minutes take the cover off.

Let cool for 10 minutes.  Let it cool, otherwise the lasagna doesn\"t come out in squares.



You can add whatever fresh veggies you have.  Feel free to add ground chicken/beef instead of turkey, or add Spicy Italian sausage.  ENJOY!  It is always better the next day.

Crock Pot Healty Fajita Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can of corn
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz of fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped (I used a red onion)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Sheradded cheese for garnish

Combine all ingredients cover & cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.
Halfway though shred chicken.  Return chicken to slow cooker for the remainder of the cook time.

Serve over rice, quinoa or in tortillas with your favorite garnish.
Easy 10 minute prep for delicious tacos. Low fat & packed with protein.

Crockpot Chili

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 diced sweet onion
2-3 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 (14.5 oz) can of fire roasted tomatoes with liquid
1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (optional vegetable broth or water)
2 table spoons of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15.5 oz) can Cannellini or navy beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained & rinised
reduced fat cheddar cheese for garnish

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Shred chicken and put back in crockpot.

This was a big hit recently at a football party with Frito. Remember Frito Chili pies?!!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 can of black, beans drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz size southwest style)
1 packet of taco sauce
1 1/2 cup of water
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 chopped onion
1 can ( 103/4 oz cream of chicken soup)
2 cup of milk
3-4 boneless chicken breasts (frozen ok)

Combine ingredient, cover and cook 6-8 hours.
Shred chicken with an hour left to go.
Put shredded chicken back in crock pot for remaining hour.

(optional) Top with shredded cheese

I love the crock pot.  Who knew it was so easy.  I went out of town for a few days after I made this.  I put the leftovers in the freezer.

Update: I have made this several times. Easy, healthy and super good. This has made it into the rotation.  Try it.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Shredded Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken


4-6 large boneless skinless frozen chicken breasts
1 1/4 Cup Honey
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ
1/4 cup of vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of garlic powder

Mix bbq sauce with vinegar, red pepper flake, brown sugar & garlic powder
Place chicken in crockpot.  Frozen chicken is ok. Pour sauce over chicken.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken and hour before it is done and put back in crock pot for the remaining hour.

This is a really easy recipe.  Put over rice or in sandwiches.  You can always freeze half of it for later.

Happy New Year

Every year around the Holidays I make a list of things I want to achieve in the new year.  This year I decided to expand my culinary skills.  Jon and I are each responsible to making a new recipe once a week.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Simply find a recipe, buy the ingredients and cook.