Pasta Fagioli Soup

Pasta Fagioli Soup

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, undrained
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
12 oz V-8 juice
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes
8 oz shell pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pot, brown ground beef and drain. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, saute for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except for pasta and cheese. Simmer for 1 hour. With about 10 minutes left, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta, then stir into soup. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from Cooking With Mandy

Cold Szechuan Noodles

My friend Katie brought this salad to a party a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to make it again! Yum, it is so good!

Cold Szechuan Noodles
recipe courtesy Katie Wenerstrom

3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp oriental sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz oriental noodles or broken up spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 shredded carrots
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

In small bowl, combine oil, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes; blend well. Rinse cooked noodles in cold water to cool. In large bowl combine cooked noodles, chicken, cabbage, onions, carrots, and bell pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to mix. Salt to taste. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Refried Beans

I had heard great reviews about this recipe from multiple friends, so I was excited to try it. I knew it cooked in the crock pot all day, so in the morning I looked at the recipe so I would be prepared and cook it long enough. To my dismay I learned I was supposed to soak the beans over night. My husband was going out of town, looking forward to what I had told him we were having for dinner, and I wasn't going to change my plans. So I altered the recipe a little, and they still came out really good. I will put the changes I made to the original recipe at the end so if you are on top of things you can do it the right way, or if you are not (like me) you can do it a different way, that still tasted really good.

Refried Beans
adapted from Katie's Recipes

3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chicken broth
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

Add all ingredients into an oven safe pot and cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours. (Or you can put it in a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours). Take out some of the juices. Blend in a food processor or blender until desired consistency. If it is too thick you can add some juices back in.

If you want to use dry beans: Soak 1 lb. dry pinto beans over night and drain. Instead of the one can of chicken broth add 2 cups water and 3 cups chicken broth to replace it. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I initially made the pork to put in enchiladas. They were good, but the pork on it's own is so good, we felt that the enchilada sauce covered it up. So we used the left over pork for sandwiches and put a little BBQ sauce on it. They were wonderful. I think the pork would also be really good on rice or as pork tacos. We will be trying those options the next time I make this.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast
adapted from Everyday Insanity

Pork shoulder roast
salt
pepper
cumin
dried oregano
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced green chilies

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pan. Season pork shoulder with salt, pepper, cumin, and dried oregano. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the chicken broth, cilantro, garlic and chilies. Bake covered at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours. Turn the roast half way through. Roast is done when meat is tender and shreds easily.

Remove pork from pan and shred. Drain the drippings, remove fat, discard. Drizzle drippings over shredded pork. At this point the meat can be made into a sandwich or used for enchiladas, tostadas etc. It can also be frozen in 1 or 2 cup portions.

Orange Chicken and Vegetables

My husband loves Chinese food. I think he would choose take out every night if he had the choice. I also like Chinese food but always feel like I've eaten a ton of grease afterwards. This recipe satisfied both of our Chinese food desires. The chicken was nice and juicy and had a nice, light breading. The sauce was great and I loved all of the vegetables. This will definitely show back up on our menu soon.

Orange Chicken & Vegetables
adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
5 large carrots, julienned
1 small onion, cut
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
4 stalks celery, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Orange Sauce:
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 cup chicken broth

Cut the chicken breasts up into 1 inch cubes. Combine the flour and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl or large zip lock bag. Coat the chicken with the flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or wok and add half the chicken. Once it is cooked add the second half.

Cook your chicken until it is golden all over. (About 10 minutes) While your chicken is cooking, cut up your vegetables. Make sure they are about the same size. When the chicken is golden brown place it on a plate lined with a paper towel. Add another tablespoon of oil into the hot skillet. Add your vegetables and cook over medium high heat until crisp tender, about another 10 minutes.

While your vegetables are cooking add all of the orange sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan. Whisk them together until combined. Bring to a boil. Keep cooking until it thickens. When your vegetables are done add the sauce and chicken into the pan. Stir the mixture to combine. Serve over rice or Chinese noodles.

Low Calorie Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

We had this meal for dinner tonight. It was delicious! I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of it. I have tried many similar recipes, but on the low calorie side, this has definitely been the best!

Low Calorie Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
adapted from Food Network Magazine

1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% milk
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
12 ounces fettuccine
1-2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Make the sauce: melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 tsp salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Add the chicken, sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine
adapted from Cooking Light

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne pasta
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup milk
1 can condensed reduced-fat cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper. Saute 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Salt to taste. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.