Bacon Potato Omelet

WHenever I need to get dnner on the table in a hurry, I usually turn to eggs. My family enjoys breakfast for dinner and this recipes combines bacon, hash browns and eggs for a wonderful omelet. Not only does this taste great but it is so easy to make. This omelet doesn't have to be flipped in half... you just cover it when cooking until the eggs are firm. Be sure to follow best practices when using eggs: wash hands before and after cracking the eggs, disinfect counter top after preparation and cook until the eggs are firm in the center (either shake the skillet to see if the center wiggles... it shouldn't... or insert a knife in the center.. it should come out clean).

You can easily substitute other types of frosen potatoes for the hash browns. I have used cut-up frozen french fries as well as tatot tots. Cubed or sliced ham can be substituted for the bacon.

For a different type of salad, toss together a bag of salad greens and add 2 green chopped onions, 1 cup of chow mein noodles, 1/2 cup chopped cashews or other nut and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds. Serve with your favorite light salad dressing. This crunchy salad complements the soft texture of the omelet very well.

Orange slices or other fresh fresh round out dinner.

I hope that your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine.

Happy cooking!

Carrie

Corn-Stuffed Pork Chops

Another easy recipe that looks like you've outdone yourself yet again for the family and friends! This recipe combines a meat, stuffing, and veggies - all of which you can adapt to what your family likes.

To begin, I always line my pan first with foil so I have very little clean up after the meal. Buy slightly thicker pork chops for this recipe so making the "pockets" in the pork chops will be easy. Then, stuff the chops with what you like in the way of veggies and experiement with the variety of stuffing flavors available at the store.

I know I sound like I'm repeating myself a lot in these pork presentations, but please don't overcook the pork and make it tough and dry. Pull out the food thermometer and check the pork - take it out when it reads 160 degrees. Each oven is different and times are never as accurate as the trusty thermometer.

Finally, garnishing is an important part of meal preparation. No matter how good food tastes, if it doesn't look good people are hesitant to try it! So, garnish these pork chops with paprika, parsley, pimentoes, etc.

I hope you have fun with this recipe - let me know how your family likes it!

Donna

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I absolutely love chicken pot pie and making this one is so easy but still maintains that great homemade flavor. You can substitute any vegetables that you and your family like for the ones that I have used. Remember to use up any leftover vegetables from your fridge in this simple recipe.

Also, as a twist I have experimented with using leftover roast beef. I simply shred it, then make a brown gravy using beef broth, water, and a packaged mix or if I have enough broth from the roast I simply use it, some flour and a few seasonings. Add your favorite vegetables and top it off with the crust and again you have a great pot pie!

Use Phyllo dough for the crust because it is flakey and you will notice the difference. Whether I use Phyllo dough or pie crust, I always brush the top of the crust with egg white before baking to give it that glossy "professionally made" look.

Have fun with this simple recipe! Let me know your creative tricks to pot pies!
Dee Lee :)

Black Bean & Spinach Quesadillas

You're probably wondering where's the beef? Well, you'd be surprised to know that black beans are a great source of plant protein, provide other nutrients our body needs like iron and folate, are naturally low in fat and sodium, and have no saturated fat or cholesterol. In this recipe I used canned black beans. I rinsed and drained them to help reduce the sodium content even more. You'll also notice I used spinach to compliment the black beans in this recipe. At the supermarket, you can find fresh, canned, and even frozen spinach. Either one can be used in this recipe. If you use canned or frozen spinach, be sure to drain the spinach and ring any excess moisture out using a paper towel. Spinach is a great source of Vitamins A and C. This recipe is filled with foods that really pack a punch!

Enjoy!

Healthy Taco Casserole

Hello Everyone! This is a simple recipe that will impress anyone. The casserole has zest, flavor, and tastes great. It is a visually impressive dish and can be made very quickly. I love it when you can pull items from your kitchen that are usually kept on hand and you are able to create a delicious meal. Another advantage is, the ingredients are inexpensive and can serve several people. I have made this recipe and split it into two smaller glass casserole dishes and stored one by freezing it for another busy day. That way I can pull it out of the freezer and defrost it in the refrigerator for that particular week. Or if you have a neighbor or friend that is in need you can split it or use the whole recipe to pass along to them. A friend and I would often do that and exchange dishes so it would break the cycle of giving our families the same meals every week. Although now that is not so much an issue because I FREQUENTLY go to the Dinner Tonight videos for healthy, fresh, and new ideas that are easy to prepare.

Lastly, you can use any meat of your choice; you can use turkey or chicken it is totally up to you! Like I always say make it fit your family's personality. I have also added celery to sneak in more vegetables, this recipe is open to most ingredients! I hope you give this recipe a try you will not be disappointed!

Take care my friends,
Cassandra

Pretzel –Crusted Chicken

This recipe tastes terrific and looks like you’ve really outdone yourself with effort and expertise. I’ll let you in on a secret – that’s not true; it just looks like it is! The key to this recipe is in the preparation – remember to preheat the oven and I like to foil line a pan to save on dish washing. Cutting the chicken breasts to make a pocket for the filling is easy – just don’t cut all the way through or you will have two pieces of chicken and no pocket!

You could easily substitute other ingredients that are in your refrigerator for what is listed in this recipe. For example, when it calls for deli ham and you have turkey instead – use it! Cooking is a creative process – use what’s on hand and what your family likes. Another hint: listen to your family. My husband always wants pecans on everything and suggested pecans as a topping. I ended up compromising and using lesser amounts of both pecans and pretzels - - and we both were happy! I hope you will try this recipe and it will soon become one of your family’s favorites!

Let me know what you think!

Donna

Turkey Parmesan

Are things around your house more hectic than normal? It is at my house. End of school activities, Memorial Day, graduations and weddings are filling my calendar. So if you have a special dinner coming up or just need a new idea for a family dinner, try Turkey Parmesan. By the time that you cook angel hair spaghetti, you can have dinner on the table.

This recipe features turkey cutlets. These are thin slices of turkey breast so they cook uniformly and quickly. By flattening to 1/8-inch thick, they will cook in a matter of a few minutes. If you can’t find turkey cutlets, chicken breast will work. Just make sure that you flatten them to the appropriate thickness. It only takes a minute for this step. I prefer using my wooden rolling pin since it only takes a few whacks. Be sure to sanitize your countertop and rolling pin after flattening the cutlets to prevent cross-contamination.

Turkey cutlets are low in calories, low in fat and high in protein. Turkey has a great flavor that works well with the spaghetti sauce.

To get dinner on the table in a matter of minutes, put a pot of water on to boil for the angel hair pasta. While it’s coming to a boil, flatten the cutlets, coat with the coating mix and cook in a hot skillet. The cutlets will cook quickly so turn them a couple of times to prevent burning. Heat the spaghetti sauce in the microwave When the pasta is done, drain and add a cutlet, top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Dinner is ready!

The sauteed green peppers make a great side dish. Green peppers are a good source of vitamins, are very colorful and are full of flavor. Try a mixture of green and yellow peppers. They add a crisp texture to the cutlets and spaghetti. Saute the pepper strips after the cutlets are cooked. They only take a few minutes. The small amount of olive oil adds a lot of flavor that compliments the turkey.

Add a whole wheat roll and you have a special meal even though it may be a weekday dinner. If your family doesn’t care for green peppers, just open a bag of salad greens, add some tomatoes, crunchy carrots and other veggies and serve with your favorite low-fat or light salad dressing.

We appreciate the Texas Turkey Federation for sponsoring this video.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as my family. Happy cooking! Carrie

Chili Mac

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

ChiliMac
This is a simply but delicious recipes. I love it when I can prepare a meal that is quick, healthy and economical that will please my whole family.

The Chili Mac recipe makes a wonderful family meal. It includes foods that represent MyPyramid and the preparation time is easy enough to allow your children to help in preparing this meal. This recipe allow you to cook your meat ahead of time and to preprep your ingredients as well. The meal serves 6 and you can have a full dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. A green salad would go great with this meal and to finish it off add a wheat roll. Thier you have a great nutritious meal.

I hope that you enjoy it.

Mango Chicken Salad

If I were going to describe the word ‘fresh’ this recipe would be the perfect way to do it! From the generous amount of cilantro it calls for to the touch of nature’s candy, the mango, this recipe is perfect for those hot summer days quickly approaching. While the Mango Chicken Salad is not your typical chicken salad recipe, it quickly becomes a favorite amongst many of the families I share it with because it has a great flavor without the added calories and fat found in most traditional chicken salad recipes. Whereas most chicken salad recipes call for mayonnaise (which is high in fat and calories) to moisten the salad, this recipe is unique in that plain yogurt is used as the moistening ingredient. In addition, the mango gives the salad a touch of sweetness. Of course a ripe mango that is in season is ideal for this recipe. Mangos can usually be found in most local grocery stores year round, but they are usually best between the months of May through September. Enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

Hello, Everyone! This is a quick and easy meal that does not take a lot of pre-planning or preparation. Just make a list prior to your next grocery trip and include the ingredient list items and they can be tucked away and brought back out when you are ready to impress your family and friends. This is also a meal that youth and adults can make. The best part is it is tasty and healthy! The lasagna noodles are whole wheat, the cheese is a low fat version, and the ground beef is lean. The health benefits with including green peppers to your meal is astonishing they have Vitamins, A, B, C, and Potassium. In addition, the tomato sauce also adds lycopene to our diets and vitamins A and C.

Can’t you just smell the aroma of the tomato sauce and seasoned beef, delicious! Also, picture in your mind the cheese melted all over the lasagna and some fresh green salad as the side dish. If you do not cook for a lot of people you can demonstrate safe food handling practices by putting the leftovers in small separate containers to enable them to cool quicker in the refrigerator. Also, it allows for you to have individual portion sizes. You can prepare this ahead of time and put it in the freezer. And remember to defrost in the refrigerator or microwave versus the dangerous counter top. You definitely do not want to risk anyone becoming sick from your meal. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family does!

Best Wishes,
Cassandra Coleman

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Every year my family and I could not wait until the first bell pepper crop would be ready for picking. As soon as the peppers were big and ripe enough to be picked we harvest them and use the first bell peppers to make one of my favorite dishes Stuffed Bell Peppers. This dish can be made year around and you can use fresh, frozen or store bought bell peppers to make this delightfully delicious dish.

This dish is really simple to make and does not take much time to prepare or cook. You can have a beautiful yet nutritious meal on your dinning room table in minutes. Some sides that you could serve with this delectable dish include but are not limited to mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, whole wheat rolls, and/or sliced fruit.

Meat ~ Ground turkey is the leanest as well as healthiest option but if you prefer ground beef or any other type of ground meat to add a unique flavor to this dish; most ground meats work great with this dish and do not cause adverse reactions in the cooking process. Just a healthy reminder when choosing your meat choice try to use the leanest ground as possible and always drain your meat. You will be surprised at how much additional fat can be removed from the leanest of meats.

Rice ~ In this recipe I used white rice but I have used wild, brown, and mixtures of all three. Just make sure you cook the rice according to the proper directions before adding to the dish.

Canned Tomatoes ~ If you have fresh tomatoes and would like to use those instead of canned tomatoes this will add freshness to the dish but will not alter the cooking process. Just add the same amount of ounces as the recipe calls for. If you choose to use canned tomatoes remember to look for "reduced salt" or "no salt added" options for a heart healthy dish. Another great way to add tomatoes would be to use frozen tomatoes. Many people are un-aware of the benefits of flash frozen fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that are flash frozen are picked at their peak of nutrient value and then flash frozen to retain their nutrition, texture, and flavor as if they were sold fresh. Something you might consider the next time you are shopping for fruits or vegetables.

Tomato Paste vs Tomato Sauce ~ I grew up in a very large family full of cooks and this debate has caused many discussions in my family. It really comes down to your personal preference because some brands taste different, have a different texture, and thickness. By definition tomato paste is suppose to be thicker than tomato sauce but this is not always the case on today's super market shelves. The importance of using tomato paste and/or tomato sauce in this dish is very important because it will keep the filling from drying out while baking in the oven. But the ultimate choice of which one you use is completely up to you and your family.

Bell Peppers ~ When preparing this dish you are not required to cook the bell peppers before stuffing them and placing them in the oven but if you prefer softer bell peppers you can boil them for a few minutes (no more than 5 to 10). Another way to make the peppers softer as you cook them would be to cover the dish will the dish is baking in the oven. This will create a steam oven type environment and produce a softer dish. If you choose to follow the recipe as is the dish will still taste great but may have a slight crunch in your bite. Fresh, Frozen, or store bought bell peppers may all be used in preparation of this dish. The first precaution you should take is to wash all of your bell peppers inside and out (even if they are frozen). This will remove and dirt found on the inside or outside. You do not have to use a chemical fruit and vegetable cleaner unless you feel the need too. Running water in combination with a vegetable scrub brush will essentially get the job done when it comes to cleaning fruits and vegetables.

Seasoning ~ There is very little seasoning added to this dish because the flavor combination is amazing. With the lack of salt this dish is great for diabetics and is very heart healthy. If you do choose to add aditional seasoning most seasoning mixtures added in moderation will complement the dish.

I hope Stuffed Bell Peppers becomes a favorite among your family and friends this upcoming gardening season and beyond!

Apple Tuna Salad

This isn't your traditional tuna salad! It's loaded with fiber filled apples and calcium rich yogurt. That's right, yogurt not mayonnaise. Fat-free yogurt gives you the creaminess of traditional tuna salad without added fat found in mayonnaise. As an added bonus, it also has a touch of honey. It's layered on whole wheat bread and can be served with a side of carrot chips for added crunch and assorted grapes for added sweetness. It is a great alternative to your everyday brown bag special. However, don't forget to add an ice pack to keep your food free from bacteria and safe to eat.

Quick Italian Tortellini Salad

Spring is here and what a great way to kick off the warm weather than with a yummy salad! This recipe is low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates, but if you want to reap the health benefits even more, try a low carb or fat free tortellini. I used a light Italian salad dressing, but you can use fat free or sugar free, if you are trying to watch your caloric intake.

Jazz up this simple dish, by substituting your favorite vegetables. Pair this salad with a slice of crusty bread and fruit. At $1.28 per serving and only 15 minutes time from refrigerator to table, make this a the perfect 'fast food' meal for your family.

Happy Spring! Enjoy! ;)
Dee Lee

Simple Skillet Pizza!

Pizza! Yes, you read correctly, pizza. Contrary to popular belief, pizza can be a healthy meal option for you and your family. When considering all the ingredients that go into making a pizza, many times, all the food groups on MyPyramid (USDA’s food guidance system) are covered. Let's review:

Grain Group – crust
Vegetable Group – tomato sauce, plus onion, peppers, spinach, etc.
Fruit Group – pineapple is sometimes a favorite on pizza
Milk Group – cheese
Meat/Beans Group – pepperoni, chicken, Canadian bacon, hamburger, etc.

When building your pizza at home, it is important if you are going for healthy, you try to limit calories and sodium (salt) by choosing low-fat and low-sodium products. Looking for low-fat cheese and lean meat are key. Turkey pepperoni, Canadian bacon, chicken and even beans can be lean sources of protein perfect for pizza topping. Another great option to bulk up the nutrition content of your pizzas at home is choosing a 100% whole wheat crust. In this recipe, I used a 100% whole wheat tortilla, which is very easy, in-expensive and nutritious. Believe it or not, pizza crust can also be pretty easy to make at home using whole wheat flour or it is even possible to buy whole wheat crusts already prepared and ready to top at local grocery retailers. If you plan to buy an already prepared crust to save time, look at the ingredient list to be sure it is a whole grain. If it is a whole grain, the first ingredient listed should read “whole”. Sometimes whole grain products come with a heavier price tag, so just be sure you are getting what you are paying for! Last, but certainly not least, I think it is important to remember to make your pizzas colorful. The more fruit and vegetables you use to top your pizza, the more colorful your pizza becomes (which is appealing to the eye) and the easier it is to increase your daily fruit and vegetable consumption.

The “Simple Skillet Pizzas” recipe is a quick, in-expensive and healthy way to make pizza a regular meal in your home! If you have children in your home that are interested in helping in the kitchen, this is a wonderful recipe for families to prepare together.

I hope you enjoy your Dinner Tonight!

Layered Ham and Pea Salad

This is a perfect, Asian inspired spring salad that you can literally layer in just a few minutes. If served with whole wheat crackers, this salad can be eaten as a main dish since it includes foods from each food group or eaten as a side dish to help you make half your plate vegetables and fruits, both of which are great ways for you to be a healthy role model for your children.