Terrific Chili

SO I tried to make my own version of chili but non of them were coming out right. Here is a recipe that I loved but you need to add a can of kidney beans and black beans to the recipe. Not sure why she left it without beans but it is very spicy and delicious and healthy!

Pot Pie done healthy

So I topped my pot pie with corn muffin mix mixed with 1/3 cup buttermilk (low fat). Lots healthier than a pastry pot pie but still had a great taste. To make the vegetable part just boil your favorite veggies (ex: red potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, and corn) in 3 cups of chicken stock for 10 min then drain the liquids into a bowl and mix the stock with 1/4 cup of flour and put back on stove and let thicken. Then mix in veggies and meat that you plan to use and put in pan and top with corn muffin mix and bake at 350 for 30 min.

Menu for Thanksgiving

I had Thanksgiving at my house so I got to pick the menu and it was delicious!
We had turkey, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted acorn squash, mashed red potatoes, cranberry sauce, and rolls. Then for dessert I made my sister a pumpkin cheesecake and some baked apples.

More Spinach...Spinach Enchiladas

I really love this recipe because it is vegetarian and has protein (black beans). I wouldn't change much since it was so great as is. I didn't use low fat cheese just cause I am cheap. If I was trying to make it less healthy I might put cheese inside the rolled up tortilla. Also it could use a bit more sauce. To make a full pan I would double the recipe. ANYWHO I love to fit in spinach in recipes where you can. It does really well in Mexican and also with Italian pasta recipes.

Hearty Mediterranean Salad with Balsamic Chicken

Camille here is my first Mediterranean recipe. This was inspired by a recipe I found in Shape magazine November 2008.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
18 cherry tomatoes
1 summer squash
1 bell pepper
1 small onion
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
4 Tbs olive oil
1 bag of romaine lettuce or spring mix

Just put all the veggies on skewers. Whisk balsamic, mustard, and olive oil together. Brush over veggies and also chicken and place on nice and hot barbecue. Left over balsamic can be used as a dressing. When all cooked (5 min each side) cut chicken into chunks and place that and veggies on top of greenery. This was so good and the first salad that I really liked that didn't call for cheese of any kind.

Marshmallow Popcorn

This recipe came from my friend Allie and she got it off of another friend and she got it from who knows where. But it is super tasty and a good treat.

On VERY LOW heat

1 1/2 cubes butter, melt then add
1 1/2 cups brown sugar,
completely melt then add
3 cups marshmallows

Pour over 2 (I use 3) bags of popcorn (it's already so rich that I use plain or light so it's not totally overwhelming)

Enjoy!

Spinach Lasagna

Okay this recipe is from several resources. Me, cooks.com and a vegetarian book that I copied a page from but I cant find the title.

Cheese mixture
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese or Mozzarella
1 15 oz (or two cups) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh basil

Spinach mixture
2 (10 oz) packages of spinach thawed
2 tsp minced garlic
1 med sized zucchini chopped and sauteed
1 med sized onion chopped and sauteed
1 package (or 8-10 unsliced) of sliced mushrooms and saute
1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 lb ground beef cooked (optional)

1 package of uncooked wheat lasagna cook according to directions (snap lasagna in half before boiling). You will only need 9.
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 more cup of cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine each mixture in separate bowls. In 9X13 baking dish pour 3/4 cup of sauce then place a single layer of lasagna then cover with another 1/2 cup of sauce. Layer with 1/2 the spinach, 1/2 the cheese and then more noodles. Repeat layers. After final layer top with 1/2 cup sauce and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 1 hour. Uncover and top with 1 cup of cheese for last 15 min of baking.