Stewed White Beans with Spinach and Bacon

This next recipe comes from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Rachel Ray. I have varied from this recipe just a bit, to make it a little more healthy. It is a perfect 30 minute meal for those chilly nights!

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon; Rachel Ray calls for regular bacon, but I like to use turkey bacon or low-sodium bacon
• 1 pound baby red-skinned potatoes, cut into cubes (I don't put this in my recipe all the time, the picture below is minus potatoes)
• 1/2 to whole onion, roughly chopped
• 2 15 oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt and peper
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning halfway through, until just crisp; drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from skillet. If you want a little healthier version, do not reserve any grease and instead use olive oil. 

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the potatoes (if using potatoes) and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. If not using potatoes, add in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, chicken broth and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. 

Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Crumble the bacon on top and sprinkle with the scallions and parmesan. Serves 4! 

Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs

Have you ever gone to one of those Superstores (like Costco) and purchased the Chicken Thighs? Yes, the same chicken thighs that has 10 packages in it! Well in a recent trip, my boyfriend threw this into the cart and I have to admit the idea of 5 meals of bbq chicken thighs made me depressed (such a boring meal)! So I sent him on a mission to find me some marinades! We tried the diced tomatoes and veggie baked chicken thighs, which was delicious! But a less healthy version is always more fun!

Ingredients:

• 5-10 chicken thighs (fat trimmed)
• Bread crumbs (for dragging chicken in)
• Ranch dressing (regular, low fat, or non-fat)
• Paprika
• Ground Pepper 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Mix together bread crumbs, paprika, and pepper in shallow bowl. In a separate bowl put in enough ranch dressing for coating.

After trimming fat off chicken dip in ranch dressing to coat throughly. Then drag chicken in bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish. After finish, bake chickens in oven for 1 hour and 15 mins. Serves about 4.

Serve chicken with some garlic parmigiano green beans! Yummy!

Before cooking

After 

Baked Mostaccioli with ground sausage

One of the downsides to moving away from home is not being able to eat my Nonna's Baked Mostaccioli! So my boyfriend and I began to experiment and came up with our own version! We have made this a few versions of this and all have been excellent! We like to add in any ingredients we can get our hands on! So if you don't want meat, sauté some vegetables! Our first attempt you chopped up mushrooms, peppers, capers and sliced black olives!

The other night we were at the grocery store and purchased the ground sausage since it was on sale. So here is the recipe!
Ingredients:

• 1 lb of mostaccioli (any tubed pasta will do, like penne)
• about 20 oz of pasta sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 lb of ground sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• about 4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (your preference)

Brown the meat in a large sauce pan with the chopped onions. Stir in the sauce and cook on medium heat. Cook the pasta as directed on package. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or if you prefer the broiler on high. 

When the pasta is cooked, drain and mix with sauce. Use your discretion on the amount. You want to coat the pasta, but if you like more sauce then use all. If you don't use all of the sauce, don't worry put reserve in tupperware and freeze! 

In a 13x9 baking dish, spoon the first layer of the pasta, evenly. Then sprinkler 2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the pasta and sprinkle the parmigiano reggiano cheese. Spoon the top layer of pasta over cheese, evenly. Again atop with the rest of the mozzarella and some parmigiano. Put the mostaccioli in the oven and melt and brown the cheese. About 15 mins. Use your discretion. Let sit at least 10 mins, then cut and serve! *Great make ahead and freeze meal* 

Pasta sauce recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can 20 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 can 15 oz puree tomatoes
• handful of fresh basil
• chopped parsley
• chopped garlic
• olive oil
• salt
• ground pepper
• red pepper flakes (if desired)

Saute the garlic in olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add in the crushed tomatoes, and puree tomatoes. Stir in basil leaves, chopped parsley, salt and pepper (to taste), if desired red pepper flakes. Let warm for at least an hour. If your sauce is not sweet enough add in 1/2 tsp of sugar. 

Enjoy! 

Turkey and Broccoli Meat Loaf

So my boyfriend and I are trying to eat a little more healthy, starting with cutting down on the amount of red meat we eat. I bought some ground turkey at Whole Foods and started to research some recipe ideas. I found a lot of different meatloaf recipes and after a few attempts with boring, bland turkey meatloaf... I figured out how to make it a little more exciting with an italian twist! So here it is.

First, you will need:

• about a pound of ground turkey
• 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 medium/large onion
• 2 eggs (you can also use egg substitute if you prefer)
• 1 tbsp of  worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed or chopped
• 1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained well (you can use fresh if you choose, then you would probably use between 1/2 cup to a cup of it chopped
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• 3 oz grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 1 cup tomato sauce

Grease 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, eggs, worcestershire sauce and garlic. Place 1/2 mixture in loaf pan. Spread broccoli, 1/2 of mozzarella and parmigiano cheese over turkey mixture. Top with remaining turkey mixture and pat down evenly into a meat loaf shape and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with tomato sauce and reserved cheeses and bake for an extra 15 minutes longer.

Enjoy!