Sausage Wontons

Okay so not the healthiest meal, but so good!!! I just made them Sunday, and the good thing is you can cook the sausage/peppers the night before, so all you have to do is take them out of the fridge and cook. The recipe yields 50 wontons, but thats a ton, so I just put the half recipe for 25.

1/2 grn. pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 onion 1/2 cup ranch dressing (you can use low fat if desired)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top)
1/2 cup monterrey jack cheese
1 pkg. Jimmy Deans HOT sausage
1 pkg. square wontons (I found these in the produce section by the mushrooms at Smiths)

In a skillet cook the sausage,peppers, and onion till sausage is brown and veggies are tender. Refrigerate till cool (overnight if you want). Combine sausage mix with cheeses and ranch. In muffin tins place the wonton dough and cook at 350 degrees for 3 min. Take out and then fill and put in the oven again for 5-10 min until just barely brown around edges. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and enjoy. Yummy! These can be served as an appetizer or meal with rice on the side.

Herb Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

1 large plastic oven bag
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
8 small red potatoes, cut up.
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken with herbs soup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375. In bowl mix soup, water and garlic powder. Place chicken and potatoes with 1 tablespoon flour into bag, poor soup mix on top. Close bag with twisty tie and cut about 6 slits in top of bag. Bake for about 30 min. or until chicken and potatoes are done.
From Campbell's classic recipe book

Derek's Nutrition

Derek is still my pickiest eater. But he likes Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin French Toast. One way to get him to eat just a few small bites of a squash. I just mix2 tablespoons with a cup of pancake mix, or for french toast, I mix 2 T. with 2 eggs and a splash of milk and some cinnamon. He loves them! He will it 2 or 3 pancakes, and usually 1 & 1/2 pieces of French Toast. It's not a ton of nutrition, but it equals out to a few small bites of pumpkin, and it is pretty yummy. If you put too much pumpkin in, it changes the texture. About 2 T. is the most I can get away with. It is good with applesauce too, but he already gets apples. One of the few fruits he will gladly eat.

Come On!!!

Doesn't anyone have any recipes to share!!!!!! Or at least let me know if you have tried any of these. Hello....Hello...anybody....

Citrus Chicken

Okay, so this one is not very quick or easy, but it is really light and yummy, and it looks really pretty, and I wanted to post it while it was still summery.

1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning.

Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).

Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce.

Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

Apricot Chicken

2 T. EVOO

2 lbs. Chicken Tenders

Salt and Pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 T. Vinegar

12 dried and pitted aprictos

2 C. Chicken Broth

1 C. Apricot Fruit Spread

2 T. Chives for garnish

Cook Chicken in EVOO on med-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add Onions. Cook 5 min. Add vinegar and let evaporate. Then add apricots and broth. When broth bubbles, add preserves and stir. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer, 10 to 15 min. Sprinkle with chives.

Serve with rice, or potatoes.

***Jeff made this for me when we were dating.....ah, memories!

Rachel Ray's Shepard's Pie

2 lbs. potatoes

salt and pepper

1 T EVOO

1&3/4 lbs ground Beef

1 Carrot, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 C. beef broth

2 t. worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. frozen peas

2 T. sour cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 c. cream (or broth ofor lower fat)

1 t. paprika

2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley

Boil Potatoes.

While potatoes boil, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan, then beef. Season with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat. Add carrot and onion; cook 5 min. Whisk in broth and worchestershire. Cook to thicken, 1 min. Add gravy to meat mix. Stir in peas.

Drain potatoes and pour into bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Pour the cream mix into the potatoes and mash.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and veg. mix. Spoon potatoes evenly over the meat. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from heat until evenly browned. (2 to 3 min.) Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Power Mac N Cheese

Puree cooked Cauliflower in a blender or food processor. Follow instructions to prepare Mac and Cheese on the box. Add 1/2 c. of cauliflower puree to the mac and cheese when you add the milk. You really can't taste it! Derek even eats it! It's awesome! You can also add 1/2 cup to 2 cups of mashed potatos! It is really tricky to sneak a little nutrition in however we can.

Freeze your leftover Puree for another time.

For more great tips, check out Jessica Sienfield's book, or go to the website:

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

The Best Tuna Melts EVER!

4 English Muffins
3 Cans (18 oz.) of Tuna in water (Drained)
8-10 radishes
2 stalks of celery
1/2 white onion
5 T. relish (optional)
Tomato slices (Optional)
2 T. Old Bay seasoning (Optional, but recommended--it's spicy)
1/2 c. Mayo
Grated Cheese--your favorite kind--we use white cheddar or mozz.
salt
pepper

Chop radishes, celery, and onions. Add tuna, veggies, and mayo and relish. Add seasoning. Mix together. Divide evenly on top of english muffins. Add tomato slices and sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 2-3 min, until cheese is melted and muffins are toasty! Delish!

Chicken Pizza

Crust:
1 refrigerated Pizza Dough (16 OZ)
2 t. extra-virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2T. Grated Parmesan Cheese (Fresh is best)

Topping:
1T. EVOO
1/3 lb. Chicken Breasts
3 cloves of Garlic
salt and pepper

8-10 sun dried Tomatos in Olive Oil
1 C. Ricotta Cheese (part skim)
1/3 pound Broccoli
1 C. Mozarella Cheese
15-20 leaves of fresh Basil (sliced)

Cube Chicken and cook with Olive Oil and Garlic. Cook Pizza dough half-way, after brushing with Olive Oil and sprinkling with Fresh Parmesian cheese (Especially on the crust). Spread Ricotta cheese on pizza, sprinkle with tomatos, broccoli, and mozz. cheese. Bake for 15-20 min. (look at Pizza directions for temp. of oven.)
Add fresh basil to top of pizza after you take it out of the oven.
Soooooo good and fresh! Perfect for early fall.