Cheesy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

OK, so thank you Facebook friends for sharing recipes you see, and further more ones with pumpkin in the recipe. This SUPER EASY muffin recipe is also on the healthy side; as long as you leave off the frosting! Make mini ones for a play date or party, or indulge and make full size muffins. Either way, make these. You will not regret it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 15oz can of pumpkin
1 box Spice cake mix
cream cheese frosting

Directions:
1. Mix the pumpkin and spice cake mix together. Mix until well blended.

2. Place in muffin tins and bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes.

3. Allow to  cool (although the first one I ate hot!) and then frost and enjoy!

One Pot Chicken Dish

The crock pot is at work again. Tonight we are trying a chicken dish along with stuffing in the crock pot. I know the kids love chicken and bread, so I am hoping for a home run with this super easy and inexpensive dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I buy the one with the added spices)

1 box of Stove Top stuffing mix (I used cornbread stuffing)

1 3/4 cup water

1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Lay the halved chicken breasts at the bottom of the crock pot. In a bowl stir the soup and milk together until blended and pour over the chicken.

2. In the same bowl mix the stuffing and water and then pour over the soup. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

So the kids inhaled the chicken but the stuffing was too mushy for them. This dish does not photograph well at all but was so very tasty. My husband and I ate the entire crock pot! I will definitely make this again. 

Beef Daube Provencal

Happy Monday everyone! I am a sucker for food pictures, and this one caught my eye. From my trusty subscription to Cooking Light, this recipe looks delicious and a fun take on beef stew. All the veggies in the recipe I chopped in the food processor and serving them with egg noodles will ensure great veggie consumption with my toddlers! This receipt serves 6 and is about 367 calories per serving. 

I ate this with the egg noodles and my husband ate it over rice. Both were so delicious. This was so easy to make and very tasty. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 TBS olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lbs chuck roast, cut in cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup red wine (I used Bogle Cabernet)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
1 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
dash of ground allspice
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked egg noodles

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Heat a small dutch oven over low heat. A oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and add beef. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned on all sides, around 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and add to garlic.

3. Add red wine to pan and bring to a boil, scrape up brown bits. Add garlic, beef, salt and pepper and remaining ingredients (not egg noodles). Bring to a boil.

4. Cover and bake for 2.5 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf and serve over noodles. Enjoy!

Sirloin Roast with Roasted Vegetables

Another weekly oven meal that can cook while I take my little man to Tae Kwon Do. Again, if you live close to a Wegmans you can buy the meat all prepped and the veggies washed and cut. Tonight's dinner serves 4 and will introduce Brussels sprouts to the kids…well they were not in the mood to try something new, but I can say it was AWESOME! I hate Brussels sprouts, but this is the first time I had them roasted and they were delicious. Next time when I remove them from the oven I will toss them with fresh minced garlic and some fresh squeezed lemon juice…YUMMY!

This size roast easily serves 3-4 people, and was so tender and came out a perfect medium rare…to adjust time based on your desired level of doneness.

Ingredients:
2.5 pound sirloin roast
1 sweet onion
2 TBS black pepper corns, crushed
oven bag
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
2 TBS Wegmans basting oil (olive oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil blend infused with fresh herbs)
Wegmans Finishing Sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300.

2. Slice the onion and place in the oven bag. Top the roast with the black peppercorns and lay on top of the onion in the bag and knot it.

3. Cut 6, 1" slits in the bag and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile toss all the veggies in the Wegmans basting oil until well coated. Lay evenly on a baking sheet. When the roast is done raise the oven to 400 and roast the veggies for about 15 minutes.

5. Slice roast and top with Wegmans Finishing Sauce and a side of roasted veggies. Enjoy!

Crockpot Rigatoni

Here is my weekly attempt at a crockpot dinner. Calling it pizza pasta for the kiddos, two of their favorite dishes, got them very excited to eat and it was a hit. I even considered renaming this recipe to Lazy Pizza because that is what it reminded me of. I built the recipe in My Fitness Pal, and it calculates this dish, which serves 7,  to be 484 calories per serving.

I will definitely make this again and may even experiment with the "toppings." Leave out the pepperoni and add bell peppers would make a tasty veggie "pizza." Enjoy!

Ingredients:
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used Classico tomato basil)
13.5 oz whole wheat spring pasta, cooked
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz pepperoni, chunks
8 oz baby pearl mushrooms
1/2 sweet onion, chopped

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker layer ingredients in order listed until done (I made two layers).

2. Cook on high for 3 hours. Enjoy.

Italian Style Slow Roasted Pork with Roasted Yams in a Garlic Parsley Finishing Butter

I hope you are lucky enough to live close to a Wegmans. I can't imagine never having a Wegmans to shop at again in my life. When people come to visit they want to see my Wegmans; it is that amazing. This recipe is from Wegmans MENU magazine this quarter (Holiday 3013), and let me tell you it is tender, juicy and goes perfectly with the roasted yams. 

On Tuesdays we have Tae Kwon Do for my son and I need a dinner that can go in the oven before I leave and be cooking while we are gone, and then I can finish it up when we get back. This way I only have to do the finishing touches and I don't rush. So tonight we are trying this tasty dish that serves 6-8…so we will have lunches for the week to! Enjoy!

Roasted Yams with a Garlic Parsley Finishing Butter 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs organic yams, peeled, 1-inch dice 

2 TBS Wegmans Basting Oil

Salt and pepper 

2 TBS Garlic Parsley Finishing butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss yams with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Roast on center each for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Stir half way through.

3. Remove from oven and toss with butter. Enjoy!

Italian-Style Slow Roasted Pork Roast

Ingredients:

3 small onions, peeled, halved, sliced

2  navel oranges, skin-on, thinly sliced 

1 (7-10 lb)  pork shoulder 

6 garlic cloves, minced   

1 Tbsp  fennel seed 

Salt and cracked black pepper 

Directions:

1. Day before: Combine onion and orange slices in a roasting pan (no rack). Diagonally score fat-side (top) of the pork about 3/4-inch deep in a diamond pattern. Rub garlic, then fennel seeds into top of pork. Season well with salt and pepper. Place pork on top of onion and orange slices. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

2. Day of meal: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake uncovered for 7-8 hours.

3. Remove from oven. Carefully roast on clean platter; let rest. As roast rests, ladle hot juices into gravy separator. Reserve de-fatted juices; keep warm. Reserve onions if desired.

4. Serve au jus with pork.

Chef tip: Thicken gravy: add 2 TBS cornstarch and 2 TBS cold water in a small bowl; set aside. Add 1 pkg (8oz) of home-style gravy to de-fatted juices. Bring to a simmer; add cornstarch mixture. Cook, whisking, 2 minutes. 

Margherita Spaghetti Squash

Can you say delicious and easy, except for the arm strength you need to cut the squash! Incredibly healthy, meatless and savory. I found this recipe on Facebook, and have made it multiple times already. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and clean out all the seeds. Drizzle each half with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper and place face down on a nonstick baking dish. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and see if the squash is tender; if not bake an additional 10 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Lossen all the squash up into "noodles" leave it in the shell. Toss with tomatoes and basil and top with cheese.

4. Place in broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese bowls. Enjoy!

Beef and Vegetable Stew

So this is a must make! I found this recipe a few years back when I was on weight watchers and it is by far the best beef stew recipe I have ever made. No starches, full of flavor and perfect on a cold winter night. You don't even feel guilty about having a slice of fresh sourdough bread along side because there are no starches in the dish. This dish serves for and is only 6 weight watchers points plus. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
16 oz lean beef (stew meat), cubed
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
1.5 cups low sodium beef broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
5 oz frozen peas

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a medium non-stick dutch oven over medium high heat and add beef. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes and stir constantly.

2. Stir in carrots, celery, onions, parsnip; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Lay both herb sprigs on top and cover.

3. Place covered dish in the oven and bake until veggies are fork tender, about 1.5 hours. Remove herb sprigs and stir in peas and bake until heated through about 15 more minutes. Yields about 1.5 cups per serving.

Chicken and Dumplings

                            So this recipe was definitely good, but I would like to point out you must start this recipe THE NIGHT BEFORE! My plan to cook this for dinner changed when I saw the time involved, and so I cooked it through step 2 and then finished it the next night. If you are not counting calories or you can afford extra ones then you may not need to cool and skim the solidified fat from the top. This is from Cooking Light and serves 8, with 258 calories per serving. Definitely a tasty dish on a cold winter night. It is very similar to chicken soup, just with dumplings on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) whole chicken

10 cup water

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)

2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 ounces)

2 bay leaves

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges (about 10 ounces)

1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 ounces)

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions:

             1. Remove giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Place chicken, 10 cups water, and next 7 ingredients (through parsley bunch) in an 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming foam from the surface as necessary. Remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes.

             2. Remove skin from chicken; remove chicken from bones, discarding skin and bones. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Cool stock and chicken to room temperature. Cover and chill stock and chicken separately for 8 to 24 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 8 cups stock and chicken. Refrigerate remaining stock in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

             3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and ground pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 8 cups reserved stock and chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

             4. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces flour (about 1 cup) into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Cut in remaining 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring until moist.

5. Drop dough in 24 portions (about 1 teaspoon each) into stock mixture. Cover and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and ladle into shallow bowls.

10-Layer Slow Cooker Dish

I am now experimenting with one crock pot recipe per week. We attend church on Saturdays at 5:30pm and so by the time mass is over, we load back up in the car and get home it is close to 7pm. At that point dinner needs to be ready and yummy. I figure with winter approaching quickly comfortable meals from the crock pot are just what we need. Here is my first one…where I have parsnips the recipe actually calls for potatoes, but I try to limit our starches. The parsnips at such a flair to this recipe, but I do think it needs a bit more…maybe some thyme next time :)

Ingredients:

6 medium parsnip, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

15 oz corn

15 oz peas

1/4 cup water

1.5 pounds of lean ground beef, browned

10 3/4 oz can  of cream of broccoli soup

Directions:

1. Layer 1: 1/4 of parsnips, 1/2 onion, salt and pepper

2. Layer 2: 1/2 corn

3. Layer 3: 1/4 parsnips

4. Layer 4: 1/2 peas

5. Layer 5: 1/4 parsnips, 1/2 onion, salt and pepper

6. Layer 6: remainder of corn

7. Layer 7: remainder of parsnips

8. Layer 8: remainder of peas

9. Layer 9: ground beef

10. Layer 10: soup

11. Cover. Cook on high for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes and Peas

So behind on my posts and I am so sorry for that. Here is another meatless dish that came out fantastic. The kids loved it except for the tomatoes; I bought an assortment of baby cherry tomatoes so there was a ton of flavor and color. From my trusty subscription to Cooking Light, which I just renewed for 2 more years, this dish serves 4 and has about 381 calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked penne
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 TBS dried parsley
1 oz fresh Parmesean cheese, shaved

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to directions, omit fat and salt. Add peas during the last 2 minutes and then drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook about 4 minutes or until it begins to brown, stir occasionally. Increase heat to medium high. Add tomatoes and cook one minute. Add pasta mixture, salt and pepper and stir until heated.

3. Stir in basil and parsley. Sprinkle with cheese.