French Cheeseburger Loaf

Hello and Happy Holidays loyal blog readers, it's good to see you again! I apologize for not writing any new posts in the past couple of weeks but with the holidays upon us, things have been kind of hectic. With four Christmas parties already under my belt this season and three more to go, my time has mostly been spent preparing appetizers and goodies for the parties and not focusing on dinner. Needless to say, we've been eating a lot of Subway in this house the past two weeks. But with most of my Christmas shopping done and the presents already wrapped and only one party to go to this week, I had the time to try out a new recipe tonight. I found this in one of my mother-in-law's "tasteofhome: Healthy Cooking" magazines when we were visiting them for Thanksgiving. I thought it sounded tasty and fairly easy to make. I was right about the tasty part, not so right about the easy part. I followed the instructions but then once I got the seams of the bread sealed, realized I had forgotten to put the cheese in it. So I had to open it back up, cheese it, then re-seal it. Then I was supposed to put it seam side down on the baking sheet, but couldn't for the life of me get it to flip over without the whole thing falling apart. As it was, as I was trying to get it from the counter to the baking sheet, the bread was tearing and meat was falling out. So I figured just getting it on the baking sheet was a success although it wasn't pretty at all with the seam side up. I contemplated not putting up a photo but Matt said that was cheating. In the end, even though it was by far not one of my prettiest creations, it tasted great and Matt gave it 8 out of 10 stars. If you try to make it, I hope you have better luck with flipping it than I did! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 small green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. ketchup

2 Tbsp. mustard

1 tube (11 oz) refrigerated crusty French loaf

4 slices reduced-fat American cheese

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the flour, mustard and ketchup; set aside.

2. Unroll dough starting at the seam. Pat into a 14-in x 12-in rectangle. Spoon meat mixture lengthwise down the center of the dough; top with cheese-slices. Bring long sides of dough to the center over filling; pinch seams to seal.

3. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in top of loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings, 6 WW points per serving, 277 calories, 7g fat, 1g fiber.

Family Recipes and Traditions: Pickle Dip

Does your family have one recipe that is present at all family events? You know what I mean, the one dish that makes it a true family event and it just wouldn't be the same without it? For my family, it's pickle dip. Yes, odd sounding, I know, but pickle dip is something that has been a part of my family for as long as I can remember, present at all holidays, birthdays, baby and bridal showers, etc. It wouldn't be a Small family event without it. I even considered trying to figure out how to be able to have it at my wedding but due to catering restrictions wasn't able to and had to be satisfied with just having it at my rehearsal dinner. Pickle dip is also the dish that I bring the most often to gatherings with our friends and as a result, my friends now expect it and sometimes even get a little upset if I don't bring it with me :). It's funny to see how the pickle dip has evolved over the year, as each of the women in my family have started making it a certain way, whether it be with a special pickle, addition of a seasoning, or cutting your pickles a certain way. With only three official ingredients, pickles, pickle juice and cream cheese, it really is more about the technique than anything.

At this point, we all seem to think that we have mastered the art of pickle dip and of course all think that we make it the best. So this year, for Thanksgiving, we decided to have the first annual "Pickle Dip Off" and find out just who really does makes the best dip. There were three entries in all, myself, my cousin Amanda and my cousin Denise. We set it up as a blind tasting, with all three entries in the same bowl so as not to show any favortism and used a rating system that included four categories, taste, texture, appearance and dipability. I am sad to admit that my dip did not win, I placed second, losing by a mere two points to my cousin Denise. I did win in the categories of texture and dipability so I guess that is better than nothing. My Aunt Darlene brought a prize for the winner, a Christmas ornament called "The Christmas Pickle" which was quite the appropriate prize for this contest. We've already declared a rematch for next year, but I don't know if I will make any changes to my technique or recipe because even though I may not technically have won this year, my pickle dip is still and always will be #1 in mind.

Saucy Beef with Broccoli

Tonight's recipe is one that I found in a Healthy Cooking book by tasteofhome (you know, the ones that they sell in the grocery stores that are similar to the size of a Reader's Digest?) Anyway, it is one that I have already made three or four times, as it is very quick and easy to make and tasty at the same time! Matt isn't a huge ginger fan but he doesn't seem to able to taste it as much in this recipe as in some of the others I have tried. I don't have much else to say about this dish except that you should give it a try! I am heading north tomorrow for Thanksgiving and then Black Friday shopping with my Mom (an annual tradition of ours), so I won't be posting again until I get back. Hope you all have a fabulous turkey day and get to eat lots of yummy food!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

1/4 cup sherry or additional beef broth

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot

1/2 cup lean boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in 1 teaspoon oil for 1-2 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same pan, stir-fry broccoli in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add onions; stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Return beef to pan.

3. Stir in cornstarch mixture and gradually add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.

I serve it over brown rice, which has not been calculated in the points total.

Makes 2 servings, 6 WW points per serving, 313 calories, 11g fat, 4g fiber.

Skinny Chicken Stroganoff

Tonight's recipe is yet another successful and delicious one that I found in my Pampered Chef, "It's Good For You" cookbook (seriously, when are they going to start paying me for this free advertising?). I had never made a stroganoff before and the only ones that I had growing up were from a Hamburger Helper box. The name certainly doesn't sound appetizing but all of the ingredients sounded like things we liked so I decided to give it a try. I have already made it twice in the past couple of weeks and highly recommend it for something that is quick and easy and very tasty! I can't remember what Matt rated it and he is out of town for work this week so I can't go and ask him, but I give it 8 out of 10 stars. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 ounces uncooked extra-broad cholesterol-free egg noodles

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 can (14 1/2 oz) 99% fat-free chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and flour until well blended. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until mixture is smooth. Stir in salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Slice mushrooms and chop onion. Slice chicken into 1/4 inch strips. Heat skillet over high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Return chicken and reserved bacon to skillet. Stir in sour cream mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in parsley; serve over noodles.

Makes 6 servings, 6 WW points per serving, 300 calories, 7g fat, 3g fiber.

Beef Tamale Bake

Well, it was bound to happen. I finally found a recipe in my new favorite Pampered Chef cookbook that I didn't like. I debated whether or not to blog about recipes that aren't a success but my husband says that I should because that way I can warn people :) I don't really know if I need to warn people, but I think it is important to blog about the new recipes that I cook, even if I don't end up liking them because not everyone has the same tastes and someone out there might make also make it and really like it. Also, I can't expect to love every new recipe that I try, that's just not realistic. So here it is, the Beef Tamale Bake. I had such high hopes for it, I love cornbread and was really hoping that it would taste just like chili on top of cornbread. Unfortunately, it did not. One of my biggest complaints about this casserole was that the cornmeal made it taste very gritty. The flavors themselves weren't too bad, I just couldn't get past the texture with the all of the grittiness. If you end up trying it and liking it, please let me know, there is always a possibility that I screwed something up along the way during preparation!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

2 egg whites

3 tablespoons 70% vegetable oil spread, melted

1/2 pound lean 95% ground beef

1 jar (16 oz) thick and chunky salsa

1 can (15 1/2 oz) red beans, drained and rinsed

1 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray deep dish casserole with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, whisk water, egg whites and vegetable oil spread into cornmeal mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into casserole dish.

2. Place ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain, if necessary.

3. Add salsa, beans, garlic, chili powder and cumin to beef; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Spoon beef mixture evenly over batter to within 1/2 inch of edge of baker. Bake 20-23 minutes or until crust is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Makes 8 servings, 5 WW points per serving. 270 calories, 8g fat, 5g Fiber.

Creamy Spinach Ravioli

I am on a roll with this new Pampered Chef cookbook, cooking yet another tasty dinner tonight. Seriously, I know I said this before but I am so impressed. How many times do you buy a new cookbook, maybe try one recipe from it and then have it sit on a bookshelf and never even look at it again? Definitely not the case with this cookbook and even though I feel like a walking advertisement for Pampered Chef, I don't care, you should go out and buy this cookbook.

I think I have only ever made ravioli once or twice before and have only used traditional tomato based sauces. I love the sauce for this ravioli with the spinach, mushrooms and red pepper, so different and delicious. The recipe calls for light cheese-filled ravioli which I had a hard time finding. In the end I ended up buying Hannaford's Nature's Place brand all natural Whole Wheat Medallions with portabella mushrooms and cheese. I figured they were even better than light cheese-ravioli because of the portabella mushrooms in them instead of just cheese. I don't make vegetarian meals that often and was hoping my husband wouldn't notice because he is definitely a "meat and potatoes" type of guy but as I was cooking, he came into the kitchen to see what I was concocting and the first thing out of his mouth was, "where's the meat?" In the end though, he really enjoyed eating it and even without any meat, he gave this recipe 7 out of 10 stars.

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 package (9 oz each) refrigerated light cheese-filled ravioli

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

1/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1 package (10 oz) frozen creamed spinach in low-fat sauce, thawed

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Slice mushrooms, chop onion and dice red pepper.

2. Cook ravioli according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray; add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, garlic and black pepper. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese and evaporated milk. Stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in creamed spinach. Simmer over low heat 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Pour vegetable mixture of ravioli; stir gently. Serve immediately. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 6 servings, 7 WW points per serving, 340 calories, 10 g fat, 4 g fiber.

Turkey Vegetable Cobbler

Tonight's recipe is another one from my new Pampered Chef cookbook, "It's Good for You". I can't tell you how happy I am that I have found so many great recipes out of this cookbook. Many times I get a new cookbook only to find one or two recipes that I want to try, so this is certainly a nice change. The liquid mixture in it was a lot thinner than I expected it to be but still very tasty, next time I will eat it in a bowl instead of on a plate. Also, next time I think I will microwave the veggies a little longer so they aren't so crunchy and lastly, I used skim milk instead of 2% because that's all I buy. All in all, another success and with the new rating system, Matt gives this recipe 7 out of 10 stars.

Turkey & Vegetable Filling

2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cup broccoli florets

1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat-free reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup 100% fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Biscuit Topping
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat all-purpose baking mix (I used Heart Healthy Bisquick)

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut carrots into 1/4-inch slices, chop onion, cut up broccoli. In a large Micro-cooker (I don't have one, so I just used a microwaveable plastic dish with cover), combine carrots, onion and broccoli with a small amount of water in the bottom. Microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup, broth, milk, garlic, thyme and black pepper; whisk until blended. Stir in turkey and vegetable mixture; mix well. Pour into a deep casserole dish.

3. For biscuit topping, in a small bowl combine baking mix, milk and egg white; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture forms a soft dough. Using a scoop or large spoon, drop six scoops of dough over filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Makes 6 servings, 5 WW points per serving. 270 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber.