Manicotti w/ Meat Sauce

Man, this has been one hot summer. Living in the midwest, compared to the Pacific Northwest, has been a definite change for us. We were used to summers that get up to only 70 maybe 80 degrees. Now we are close to 100 degrees. Thankfully we have AC. :)

I have been making Manicotti since I was a teenager. My mom has been making it since I can remember. This was one of the first dishes I made for my husband when we started dating, so you can say I know Manicotti. There hasn't been one recipe that I have stuck with though. I like to mix it up. This was the first time I have made this with a meat sauce, and really liked it. One thing I love about Manicotti is that you can do whatever you want to the filling or sauce. The picture of ingredients doesn't show the Italian Seasoning, because I decided to add that in later. You could really put anything you like in the filling. I love a versatile dish!

To make it easier on yourself, and not make a huge mess, put the filling in  large zip lock bag (or a pastry bag if you are fancy and have one). Snip off the corner and twist the top to apply pressure.

Look how easy that is to fill those delicious shells! No mess and really quick!

Manicotti
adapted from Cooking for Less Pasta

Ingredients:
1 container (15oz) light ricotta cheese
2 cups (8oz) shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
1 package (8oz) uncooked manicotti shells
1 lb ground lean turkey
1 jar (26oz) pasta sauce (any kind/flavor you like)
2 cups water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella, cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, and garlic in large bowl; mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Fill manicotti shells with cheese mixture; place in 13x9 inch baking dish. 
3. Brown turkey in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Season with salt and pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Drain fat. Stir in pasta sauce and water (mixture will be very thin). ** Pour sauce over filled manicotti shells.
4. Cover with foil and place dish on a baking sheet, incase of any overflow. Bake for 1 hour at 375º or until the sauce is thickened and shells are tender. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. 

**At this point, before pouring sauce over manicotti shells, I seasoned the meat sauce with some red pepper flakes and more Italian seasoning. You can skip that or put in any other spices you like.

Serves 6.

Nutrition: Calories 497; Fat 21g; Protein 40g; Carbs 41g; Cholesterol 159mg; Fiber 4g

Oven Fish n' Chips

My goodness has it been hot this summer. Well, hot for me. This is the first summer I have spent out of the PNW in about 15 years. Even though I may be melting, I still want to spend all day in the hot kitchen cooking up delicious food. Since it is so hot, a light and easy meal is the best way to go. This dish would definitely fit that bill. It was fast and really good. Of course you could do anything you like for the "chips". I found a great recipe for actual baked sweet potato chips that I will definitely be trying.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Oven Fish N' Chips
adapted from tasteofhome Guilt Free Cooking

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium baking potatoes (1 pound) {could use sweet potatoes}

Fish:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs (could also use crushed cornflakes)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound frozen haddock fillets, thawed (could use cod, I used tilapia because that is all I could find.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil and pepper. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2in strips. Add to oil mixture; toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Back at 425º for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish. In a second dish, beat egg substitute and water. In a third dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese and cayenne pepper. Dredge fish in flour, then dip in egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs.
4. Place on a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brake at 425º for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 
5. Serve with potatoes chips, and tartar if desired. 

Serves 4

Nutrition: Calories 243; Fat 2g;  Carbs 28g; Cholesterol 67mg; Protein 27g; Fiber 0mg 

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Wow, it has been a really long time since I last posted. Almost three months. What have I been doing with myself? Well, I started working full time about three months ago. Ever since then I haven't had much time to try new recipes. I had to get used to my new hours of working, and I really had to get used to both my husband and I working full time. For months it was just him working and me staying home with the dog. I had all the time in the world to plan out our weekly meals and work on new recipes. Well, three months of working and I think we are getting settled in our new ways. I have been looking for recipes that able me to prep ahead of time and allow my husband to finish right before I get home. So as you may guess I have been using my crock pot A LOT!

Now I'm going to try my hardest to get back into taking pictures and posting recipes, but I can't guarantee lots of posts.

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to in the last few months though!

My husband loves to hike and spend the beautiful days outdoors. So I have been happy to join him and so has our pup Leia! We got her around February and were instantly in love. Thankfully she is an outdoors dog and loves to go on hikes with us. Living in Colorado Springs we have a plethora of trails around us so we will have plenty to do. Right now with the temperature above 90º we haven't been hiking much. Being from the Pacific Northwest anything above 75º I'm melting. Definitely have to get used to this heat!

Done with our crazy life! Here is a great healthy recipe that will spice up any night!!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps
adapted from P.F. Changs recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, mince
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or less if you like it less spicy)
dash of pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, then cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add garlic and ginger then continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine soy sause, vinegar, oil, peanut butter, water, honey, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.
3. Add green onions and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves. 

Beer Infused Pizza Dough (with Homemade Barbecue Sauce recipe)

I have to say I am really proud to post this recipe. Last night I made a completely homemade pizza, down to the dough and sauce. When I plan the next weeks menu, I try to ask my husband what he is craving. This time he showed me a recipe for Beer Infused Pizza Dough; that used one of our favorite beers. Going a little off topic here: Recently, he has been getting me to try more craft beers. Now I am proud to say I am all about the fancy full flavor beers, and not just the big brewery beers (like coors or bud). Every week we try to find a small brewery variety pack. Just to expand our beer repertoire. I'm finding one of my favorites is Sam Adams. I started with their winter variety pack, but now since it's spring I'm going for their spring variety. My husband is proud of me whenever I just try a new beer now without even blinking. :)

Anyways, back to the pizza! Yes, this dough is made with beer, and it was the easiest dough I have ever made. Normally you have to proof the yeast, but not with this recipe. It took less than 15 minutes to mix everything together. You do have to plan for the dough to rise, so save this for a day off or weekend. One thing you want to make sure of is the temperature of the beer. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast; if it's too cold it wont wake up the yeast. I actually bought my thermometer with yeast in mind, because I always killed my yeast. Yes, I'm confessing. :/ After the dough had risen, I decided to save one of the rounds. I'm glad I did because this pizza was so good! The dough has a slightly different flavor. It has a fuller, deeper flavor than regular dough made with water. When you have the dough shaped you can use anything you want for toppings. The day before I had made homemade barbecue sauce, so we decide on BBQ Chicken Pizza. The sauce was so easy to make, and it made a lot so you can save some for later. I made the sauce extra spicy, because we looove spicy! Since the sauce was so easy I decided to include it at the bottom. ***

Seriously, this pizza was so good. It came together in no time, and I was proud that it was completely homemade. Don't be scared of making your own pizza dough. It's one of the easiest things you could do, and it tastes ten times better than any store bought dough!

That's it! So simple right?!

I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse, but the water from our faucets can get really really hot; so I didn't have to warm up the water at all. First, I left the bottle on the counter till it got to room temperature. Then I just placed the bottle into a large bowl and filled the bowl from the faucet up to the bottleneck. It didn't take more than 10 minutes for the beer to get to the perfect temperature. 

Take your time as you stretch the dough. Make sure you get out as much air as possible, otherwise you will get bubbles during baking. 

We decided to do a BBQ Chicken pizza since I had just make homemade barbecue sauce the day before. I included the recipe below! :) ***

Beer Infused Pizza Dough
adapted from Men's Journal

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting) *
1 packet instant, high active yeast
1 tablespoon fine granulated salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bottle Sam Adams Boston Lager (warmed to 120-130º) **

*As I was making this I was thinking about trying this out with wheat flour. I haven't tried it yet, but I will be doing it soon, and will update!
**I have researched and found that some beers work, and some don't. Pretty sure it's all about trial and error. One thing I read, is that it really makes a difference if you use "active yeast" beers. There are recipes where that type of beer can substitute for the yeast. Now, I'm not so certain about that. Although I will be trying out different beers in the future.

Directions:

1. Warm the beer in a bowl of very warm, not boiling, water. If you don't have a thermometer, the beet should feel very warm to the touch.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, and oil. When blended, create a pile in the center.
3. When beer is warm, pour around flour pile creating a "moat". Stir with a fork until the dough is lumpy, then start kneading with hands. The dough should feel a little sticky, gradually add flour as your knead until it is just slightly tacky. Knead slowly by pressing down, folding it inside-out, and repeating.
4. Split the dough into two equal sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place in an airtight container, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. 
5. Place in a warm location (about 70-80 degrees). Should take about 1-2 hours, or until dough as doubled in size. To make sure it is ready press two fingers into dough; if indentations remain dough is ready. 
6. If you plan on using both pieces of dough immediately skip this step. If you plan on saving the second ball of dough continue to read. Take one ball and place on a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Wrap dough and place in a freezer bag. If you have a food sealer, suck out all of the air. If you don't have a food sealer, squeeze out as much air as possible. Place dough into freezer for up to 3 weeks. When ready to use dough, thaw in fridge for up to 12 hours or overnight. Half hour before use, put out onto counter top and let dough rest and get to room temperature. 
7. When ready to use dough, stretch into size of a greased cookie sheet or a pizza stone. Tips on how to stretch dough: First be patient. I start by pressing down on the dough with my finger tips to take out any air. While doing this I start to shape it into a circle; making a border around the edge. Then I think of being a DJ. Spinning the dough in a circle with one hand as I stretch it equally in a circle with the other hand going the other directions. There are great videos all over the internet with instructions on stretching dough. That's where I learned. :)
8. When in the shape and size you desire, put on all of your favorite toppings. Place pizza into a preheated 500º oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. *If using a pizza stone, place in oven while it is preheating. Be careful when removing stone as it will be very very hot. 

Makes 2 rounds of dough for 12" to 14" pizza.

***

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Magazine

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup finely chopped onions (about 3/4 of a large onion)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I ended up adding more near the end)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon hot sauce, less or more to taste (you could use mexican hot sauce, chipotle sauce; anything you have in your cupboard)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or let cool and place in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Makes 3 1/2 cups. 

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Spring is here, but you wouldn't know it by the weather we have been having here in Colorado Springs. Snow one day, then it melts the next, two days later it's back. I'm so ready for warmer weather.  This is a great recipe for one of those snowy spring days. Just put everything in the crock pot during the day and your house will be warm and smell fantastic by dinner time. I love crock pot recipes, because I don't have to be in the kitchen the entire my husband is home after work to just cook. Everything is already cooked and I can sit and watch an episode of The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones before we eat. We are really big nerds if you didn't know. :)

I know some germ freaks are probably out there wondering how I could put veggies on the same cutting board as the chicken. Don't worry, I was very careful to put the chicken down then not move it, and none of the veggies touched the chicken. Trust me I am a clean freak every time I use raw poultry. 

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
Betterhome and Garden's Slowcooker Mag

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
2 cups thinly sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1 (14.5oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
1  1/2 teaspoon salt-free cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon slat
8 oz fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp (keep tails on if desired)
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
3/4 cup chopped green, red, or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Celery leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. In a 3 1/2or 4 quart slow cooker combine chicken, celery, onions, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, garlic, and salt.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
3. Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. If using low-heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in uncooked brown rice and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes more or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
4. Before serving, stir shrimp and parsley into chicken mixture. If desired, garnish each serving with celery leaves.

Serves 8

Nutrition: Calories 211; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 88mg; Protein 23g; Fiber 4g; Carb 26g

Broiled Salmon with Black Bean Salsa

This dish was delicious and light. I thought that black beans and oranges were going to be weird together, but I was proved wrong. The sweetness of the orange sections cut into the beans, and with the spices you combine with the salsa blends the two together. Summer is on it's way, and with it simple yet tasty new dishes!

Broiled Salmon
Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

Ingredients:
Salsa:
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced orange sections
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cumin

Fish:
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
2 (8oz) salmon steaks (1 inch thick, each cut into 2 pieces)

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, combine all salsa ingredients; mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours to blend flavors. Stir before serving.
2. Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, combine chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, garlic salt, and oregano; mix well. Lightly sprinkle both sides of salmon steaks with chili powder mixture; place on sprayed pan.
3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, turning once. Serve salsa with fish.

Serves 4

Nutrition: Calories 300; Fat 10g; Protein 31g; Carbs 21g; Cholesterol 75mg; Fiber 7g