Asian Sloppy Joes

We discovered this recipe from a sample they were handing out at Byerly’s.  Have you ever tried ground chicken?  It’s basically just like ground turkey, but replace the meat with chicken instead.  Ground chicken worked perfectly to lighten up the traditional sloppy joe recipe – and the cilantro and Thai peanut sauce took a new twist on a classic sandwich.

Servings:  6

Size:  1 Asian sloppy joe sandwich

Points Plus: 8pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped bell pepper (red or green)

1 lb. ground chicken

5 oz. Thai peanut sauce

6 whole wheat hamburger buns

2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the chopped onion, celery and pepper – sauté until the veggies are tender.  Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, stir frequently to break up the chicken into smaller pieces.  Next, stir in the Thai peanut sauce making sure all the chicken and veggies are evenly coated.  Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve on hamburger buns and top each sloppy joe with chopped cilantro.

Tip:

Another way to cut out some pp value on this recipe is to turn this into a lettuce wrap instead of serving it on a hamburger bun - check it out!  The pp value would drop to only 5pp if you make lettuce wraps instead. 

XOXO Megan

BLT Sandwiches

A summer staple sandwich is the good ole BLT!  At the end of the season when tomatoes are at their prime is a perfect time to make BLTs for dinner.  This is a basic recipe, but quite delicious nonetheless.  Enjoy!

Servings:  2

Size:  1 BLT sandwich

Points Plus: 8pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List:

4 slices of bread, whole wheat or 12 grain

2 Tbsp. light butter

1 large tomato

6 large lettuce leaves

4 slices of bacon

Directions:

Cook the bacon according to the package directions.  Toast the bread and then lightly butter each slice.  Wash and tear the lettuce leaves into generous size leaves.  Wash and slice the tomato into hearty slices.  Once the bacon is done cooking, assemble each sandwich by layering lettuce, tomato and topping with bacon. 

Tip:

Although regular bacon is delicious, it isn’t as healthy as turkey bacon! Substitute turkey bacon to cut back on points, but without completely sacrificing taste and flavor!

XOXO Megan

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

This is quick, healthy appetizer that resembles something much more indulgent.  Serve this as a snack before dinner to help people feel satisfied, but not too full that you ruin your dinner appetite!

Servings: 4

Size:  About ½ cup

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini, sliced to ¼ inch slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°. Wash and slice the zucchini into ¼ inch slices.  In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini slices with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Begin an assembly line by taking a zucchini slice, dipping it in the bread crumb/cheese coating, pressing the coating to stick and making sure you coat both sides before transferring to the baking sheet. Bake until the crisps are browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Tip:

Grab a friend (or your fiancé) to help with the breadcrumb/Parmesan coating process – you will have quite a few zucchini slices so it gets a little repetitive!

XOXO Megan

Spicy Corn Soup

This recipe was an attempt to experiment with some CSA corn on the cob.  Unfortunately the corn didn't turn out after I boiled it, so I used canned instead.  This soup turned out spicy with a ton of flavor!

Servings: 6
Size: 1 1/2 cup
Points Plus: 3 pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List: 
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup white onion, chopped small
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Kohlrabi, shredded
2 cups of corn
6 cups of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 can spicy Ro*tel tomatoes
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in dutch oven.  Sautee onion, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving!

Tip:
I used Kohlrabi in place of a potato and it turned out really nice.  I also shredded it to add a different texture than the other chopped veggies!

XOXO - Katie

Egg McMuffins

One of my fiance's favorite things to have for breakfast is our homemade version of egg McMuffins!  Paul is great at making these, so all the credit should be given to him for this recipe (in fact, maybe I should have had him write this as a guest post...).  These are easy to make and a nice balance of carbs and protein for a delicious breakfast sandwich.  Pair these with some fruit and you have a satisfying breakfast meal!

Servings:  2

Size:  One egg sandwich

Points Plus: 6 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: n/a

Cook Time: 5-7 minutes (adjust cooking time based on your preference)

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

2 English muffins

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. butter spread

Generous salt and pepper seasoning

Optional: 2 oz. reduced fat shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large frying pan, fry two eggs to your preferred level of doneness (I like my eggs very over-hard, while Paul prefers a runny yolk).  Generously salt and pepper each egg before you flip it to cook the other side.  While your eggs are cooking, toast the English muffins.  Lightly butter each English muffin.  Once the egss are done, assemble each McMuffin sandwich and enjoy!

Tip:

If you want to add some reduced fat cheese, add a small amount (1 oz. for each sandwich) to the top of your fried egg when you add assemble the sandwich.  By immediately putting the top of the English muffin on your egg, the cheese will melt and result in a perfectly gooey sandwich.

XOXO Megan

Mashed Cauliflower

Did you know that you can mash (puree) cauliflower and add some spices so that it tastes almost like mashed potatoes?  Well...YOU CAN! This is an easy, guilt-free side dish that is quick and fun. 

Servings: 3

Size: 1 cup

Points Plus: 3 pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy (if you have a blender or immersion blender)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredients List:

1 head of raw cauliflower

1 bouillon cube

3 oz. low fat cream cheese

Splash of milk (maybe 1 Tbsp.)

Salt & pepper

Paprika

Chives

Directions: 

Boil water in large stock pot, add a pinch of salt and a bouillon cube (veggie, beer or chicken). Chop cauliflower into small pieces and rinse in a colander. When water is at a rolling boil add cauliflower and boil for 10 minutes, or until soft.  Drain cauliflower in colander and return to pot. Make sure cauliflower is well drained. Move pot to counter, and add cream cheese, salt & pepper to taste, a dash of paprika and milk.  Using your immersion blender, regular blender or potato masher, blend cauliflower to desired consistency.  Place even portions of mashed cauliflower in dishes and garnish with chopped fresh chives. Close your eyes and you will not know the difference!

Tip:

In immersion blending is very handy in the kitchen for dishes like this, soups or other foods that require a food processor (most have a food processor attachment).  Pick one up today for future stress-free pureeing.