Herbal Fish

This recipe is really good served with wild rice. I leave out the olives and shallots. I use dried herbs sometimes. Just depends on what I have on hand. I also use whatever fish I have on hand.

HERBAL FISH

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, cubed
1/2 (6 ounce) can black olives, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds cod fillets
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Stir in onions, red and green bell peppers and shallots. Cook 3 minutes. Sir in zucchini, squash, tomato, olives, and balsamic vinegar. Saute until vegetables are just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread 1/2 of the vegetables into an oiled 9x11 inch baking pan. Cover the vegetables with 1/2 cup of the herbs.
Arrange the filets on top of the vegetables and herbs. Spread the second 1/2 of the vegetables over the fish and sprinkle the rest of the herbs onto the vegetables. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes

Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving

We have discovered ground turkey! I tried it years ago and didn't care for it but have tried it again and love it. I have found that I can substitute ground turkey for any recipe using ground beef. Using ground turkey is 1/2 the fat, lower in calories, AND cheaper!! I'm all about the cheaper part...lol! At my Super Wal-Mart the 93/7 ground beef is $3.08 a pound but the Jenny O ground turkey is $1.37 a pound!!!!!
This morning I made a great turkey meatloaf to put in the crockpot. My house smelled so good all day. Neal and I both loved it. Kinsey's not sure about it. She's still learning to eat what we do. I made "smashed" potatoes and steamed green beans. So much color on one plate!

CROCKPOT TURKEY MEATLOAF

2 pounds ground turkey (or 2 lbs lean ground beef)
2 eggs
2 slices bread (I used 3/4 sleeve saltine crackers crushed)
milk (I used evaporated milk)
salt
pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
small can of tomato sauce

First, make foil "handles". Fold a 30-inch long piece of foil in half lengthwise. Place in bottom of a slow cooker with both ends hanging over the top edge of cooker. The foil strip will make it much easier to remove the meatloaf when it's done.
Whisk eggs; tear bread up and add to egg (or crushed crackers). Add enough milk to make nice and wet. Add seasonings. Mix in ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper.
Drop mixture into crockpot and shape into a loaf. Pour tomato sauce on top. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for about 4 hours.

SMASHED POTATOES

5 large russet potatoes (leave skins on)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 small (5oz) can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Slice potatoes into cubes and boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and put stick of butter and milk in pot. Cover and let butter melt. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until the consistency you like.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

This is a new recipe we tried tonight. It was really good and very easy. I ended up not doing it in the crockpot. I just put it in one of my dutch ovens and let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. I also added a can of corn to the recipe.

UNSTUFFED BELL PEPPERS

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
4 large green bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 can of Sloppy Joe sauce
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 c. rice
3 c. water

Brown ground meat in a pan. Drain fat and transfer meat to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until peppers and onions are soft.
***I did mine on top of the stove in a dutch oven. I turned it down and let it cook for about 30 minutes until the peppers were soft. I also added a can of corn because we like corn in our stuffed bell peppers.

Turkey Chili

It's such a cold windy day that chili just sounded good today. I have been buying ground turkey to use in stews and chili since it's amazingly cheaper than ground beef and is much healthier. The thing about turkey is that it will take on the taste of what you mix it with so it's good for stews, soups, and casseroles. This isn't a traditional Texas chili because I add beans and diced tomato to my chili but that's the way we like it.

Brenda's Turkey Chili

1 lb lean ground turkey (or beef)
1 onion chopped
1 package dry chili mix
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can Kidney beans
1 15 oz can chickpeas

In a large dutch oven or soup pot brown turkey meat with onion and a little water. You have to watch turkey meat because it has very little fat and can burn easily. Add chili mix and stir through. Add tomatoes, beans and chickpeas. I usually add about 2 big cans of water and let it cook on medium heat until it thickens up (30 minutes to an hour). Serve with grated cheddar cheese, chopped onion, and cornbread.

Viva la bell pepper!!

I haven't posted in a few days because I've been busy working on Kinsey's costume. It's going pretty good. I had a little problem with the skirt but I'm working it out. I still need to make the jacket but I have it cut and ready to go.

I haven't made any new recipes so I have nothing to report there. My Mom is here visiting and brought me my birthday presents. She and my Dad got me a great set of Dutch Oven pans. I have been wanting a BIG pot to cook soups and stews in and these are prefect. My brother got me a set of Wolfgang Puck Santoku knives with a wood block to store them in....really cool knives. I keep finding things to cut with them...lol!

Speaking of cutting, I have been buying bell peppers to cut up and freeze. My little grocery store has a rack that they put packaged veggies at a reduced price on. I always check it out to see if there is anything I can use. Lately they have had bell peppers on it. The regular price for 1 red pepper is $.89 or I can get 4 for $1.50 on the reduced price rack. Usually the peppers have a little mushy place that I just cut off. Tonight I bought 2 packs of peppers. One pack had 4 yellow peppers and the other had 5 green and one yellow. I had so much fun chopping them up. It's amazing how fast you can cut things up with a sharp knife.

I love bell peppers because they are so versatile and are considered one of the world's healthiest foods . They are high in vitamins A and C and have a good fiber content. You can use them in Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Cajun, and so many other kinds of foods. I just take some out of the freezer and toss them into things when I'm cooking...good flavor and color!

The best low cal/low fat pumpkin recipe yet!

PUMPKIN FLUFF

1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 4 serving box sugar free/fat free vanilla or cheesecake pudding
1 8 oz Cool Whip Free (or Lite)
1 tsp or tbsp pumpkin pie spice (depends on your taste)

Mix together and refrigerate. Serve as a dip with graham cracker sticks or animal crackers.

I found this recipe the other day and tried it yesterday. It tastes just like pumpkin pie. It is so good!

I spread the fluff on graham cracker squares for my snack today and it was very good.

Speedy Cassoulet

This great recipe can be made either on the stove top or the crockpot. I have made it both ways and it turns out great.

SPEEDY CASSOULET

1 can (15-16 oz) cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) dice tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) readt-to-serve chicken broth
1/2 pound fully cooked turkey kielbasa (Polish or smoke sausage), cut into 1/2 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped bell peppers , thawed***
seasoned bread crumbs, if desired

STOVE: Heat beans, tomatoes, broth and turkey kielbasa to boiling in a 3-quart saucepan, stirring occasional; reduce heat.
Stir in bell peppers. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bread crumbs
CROCKPOT: Put everything in the crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours.

***We prefer our bell pepper cooked through so I always add it at the beginning instead of the end.

1 serving: calories 345 (calories from fat 155); fat 17g (sat. 6g); cholesterol 35mg; sodium 1200mg; carbohydrate 36g (dietary fiber 9g); protein 21g)
% daily value: vitamin A 10%; vitamin C 52%; calcium 14%; iron 30%
diet exchanges: 2 starch, 2 1/2 medium-fat meat, 1 vegetable

10-12-06 I guess I really like this recipe because I was just looking through old posts and realized I also posted it on July 7th. At least this one had the calories for you! It really is yummy and comes together fast.

Should I change the name of my blog?

So I'm thinking I should change the name of my blog to "Cooking Healthy with a Crockpot" because I have been trying new recipes all week. I found 2 great recipes that are both tasty and healthy! I haven't been doing any baking because....well it's not not so healthy. It could be if I didn't scarf up all the cupcakes/cookies/pumpkin anything in the first 5 minutes but that's not going to happen any time soon. I'm an emotional eater and tend to turn to food when I'm happy/sad/everything. I'm trying to change that but after almost 37 years it's kind of hard. Are you wishing I would quit blabbering about my problems and just get to the recipes yet??? Here they are

SOUTHWEST STEAK AND BEANS

1-1/2 lbs. flank steak*
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. jar chunky salsa
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed**
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice***

Trim excess fat from steak. Place onions and garlic in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker and top with steak. Mix salsa, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over meat. Top with drained black beans. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat from slow cooker and slice into thin strips against the grain. Turn heat to high and return beef to slow cooker along with sliced peppers. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender. Serve with rice. 6 servings.

*I couldn't find flank steak at my little grocery so I used bottom round steak. After 8 hours in the crockpot it basically just flaked into chunks so I never got to slice it. It was very tender.
**I found out I really don't like black beans. I think next time I make it, I will use pinto or red kidney beans.
***We ate it more like a stew and put low fat sour cream and low fat cheese on top. We also each had a flour tortilla to scoop it up. Kind of like eating picadillo or green chili stew. Very yummy and filling.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine *
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Serve with hot cooked pasta, if desired. 6 servings

*didn't add the wine b/c I don't drink wine.
This was very good! I served it over egg noodles.

I had a few tips for both these recipes. Since I know I'm going to be in a hurry in the morning when I start the crockpot, I try to cut any veggies up and put them in baggies in the fridge the night before. I also set any can goods, spices, etc on the counter with the crockpot. I always spray my crockpot with non-stick spray. It makes clean up so much easier. Lastly, since I'm using the bell peppers in the crockpot, I checked the discounted veggies section. Instead of paying $.89 each I got 2 red, 1 yellow and 1 green for $1.50!

Even though we are trying to eat healthier, I still want great flavor. This is why I found recipes that would give us that. I have also been making my lunches taste good. Today I made chicken salad with a can of chicken, 1 tbs of light mayo, 1/2 a small chopped Granny Smith apple, 10 grapes sliced, 2 tbs pecans pieces, salt and pepper. Mix and serve on a bed of romane lettuce or spinach leaves (if we can ever eat them again). I sliced the rest of the apple and put it around the edge of the plate and had a few thin wheat crackers with it. Arby's makes a similar sandwich filling that I love but they use tons more mayo. I got the same results with much less LITE Miracle Whip.
Stay tuned for more healthy crockpot recipes!!

Healthy eating has begun

Neal and I are both trying to lose some weight so we are eating healthier and I'm exercising! I've been looking up recipes for us to try and found a few new ones I'm going to try this week. Today I made minestrone soup for us to take for lunches and it smells soooo good! I've already divided it into containers so we can just grab one and go.

MINESTRONE SOUP
6 servings

1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15-16oz) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 small zucchini, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti
1 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, crushed

Heat all ingredients to boiling in Dutch oven, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

I made a few changes by using diced tomato instead of whole and used chicken bouillon cubes instead of veggie. I added extra Italian seasoning and some pepper. I started it on the stove but my pan was not big enough so I put it in my 6qt crockpot and it came to the top. I would advise not putting the elbow macaroni in the crockpot because it tends to not cook. If you are going to cook it in the crockpot, cook your pasta separate and just add some in your bowl when you serve it.

This recipe is Low Calorie, Low Fat, and High in Fiber.
1 serving: calories 240 (calories from fat 25); fat 3g (saturated 1g); cholesterol 5mg; sodium 900mg; carbohydrate 47g (dietary fiber 9g); protien 15g.
diet exchange: 2 starches, 3 vegetables