Wedge Salad

1 head of iceburg lettuce, sliced into quarters, and core removed
1 package of grape tomatoes
6 slices crispy bacon
crumbled blue cheese
balsalmic vinaigrette
honey

Place each wedge of lettuce on separate plates, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, blue cheese, and tomatoes. Whisk together balsalmic vinaigrette with honey, and drizzle over lettuce.

Turkey Meatloaf

1 pound ground turkey
2 slices low carb, high fiber, 100% whole wheat bread
2 splashes skim milk
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 small onion, diced fine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground mustart
1/4 tsp cumin
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

cut bread slices into small cubes, place into mixing bowl, and add the milk. Allow to soak for a couple of minutes, then add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Divide meat into 2 equal sections, and form into loaf shapes in a 13/9" pan (2 loafs side by side in pan). Top with barbeque sauce, and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to slicing.

Cabbage

1 small to medium head cabbage, rinsed and cut into 6 wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Add about 1/2 inch of water to a large skillet or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add cabbage wedges and salt; simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn cabbage carefully and simmer about 8 minutes longer, or until boiled cabbage is tender. Pour off water and return to low heat until moisture has evaporated. Add melted butter; coat boiled cabbage thoroughly. Sprinkle boiled cabbage with salt and pepper - season to taste.

Taco Soup

This can easily be made in the crock pot or on the stove top.

1 pound lean ground beef, browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced mexican style tomatoes (8-oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (8-oz)
2 cups chicken stock

Mix all ingredients, in crockpot, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, diced green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese as garnish.

Beef Stroganoff

This is Rev's favorite meal!

1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter
1 pound round steaks, trimmed of fat, and sliced into thin strips
1 vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-oz pkg white button mushrooms, sliced (I do NOT add these, but they are in the original recipe, so I added it here, add them after the meat and onions are cooked, before the flour is added in the recipe directions below -- we hate mushrooms in our house!)
2-4 tbsp flour
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 package egg noddles, cooked

Cook egg noddles per package directions, while boiling, start meal.
In large nonstick skillet, Heat oil and butter until combined over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, sautee for 1-2 minutes, then add steak, and sautee until browned. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, and stir to combine (Start with 2 tbsp, and add more as needed to soak up all the juices and oil) Continue cooking for at least 3-4 minutes to take away the raw flour taste, then add the soup, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in sour cream, and cook, stirring frequently until heated through. Serve over egg noodles.

Crockpot Swiss Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
4-6 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken stock
1 box Stouffers Stuffing -Chicken flavored
1 stick butter, melted

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place in bottom of crockpot, overlapping if necessary. Place one slice of swiss cheese on top of each breast. Mix soup and stock, and pour over top. Sprinkle top with stuffing mix, and then drizzle with melted butter. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Crockpot Roast Beef Vegetable Soup

1 pound leftover Roast Beef, in smallish chunks or shredded
1 can italian seasoned stewed tomatoes
1 pound whole wheat egg noddles
4-6 cups beef stock
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
(any leftover veggies -lima beans, corn, etc - in your fridge you need to clear out)
1/2 cup leftover beef gravy from your pot roast
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all in crockpot, cover, and cook on low 8 hours or until noodles are al-dente.

Wassail

I love this drink, it is so soothing and Christmasy! I would drink this everyday, I think, if I lived in Alaska or someplace that stayed cold. But, here in the deep south, I'll stick with making a batch in December, and maybe another in January if necessary!

1/2 gallon Apple Cider (unfiltered)
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cans apricot nectar
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
4-5 cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves

Mix all ingrediants in large pot on stove, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. I like to transfer it to a crockpot set on low after it has simmered to keep it warm if we serve it during a party. (I have actually made it in the crockpot once, and it worked well, too)

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
1 pound turkey sausage
2 tablespoons smart balance light buttery spread
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
7 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 cups coarsely chopped peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
6 cups chopped fresh kale (about 3/4 pound)
1 teaspoon dried basil
9 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese (may substitute parmesean)
Preparation
Crumble and brown sausage, drain grease and set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, potato, salt, browned sausage, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.
Stir in kale and basil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher until thick and chunky. Top with cheese.

Turkey Sausage Pasta Bake

I got the recipe from Savvy Suzie, and thought it sounded good.

Sausage and Penne Bake
Ingredients:
1 pound box whole wheat penne pasta
1 pound Italian turkey sausage (hot or sweet - or use ground beef, turkey, or pork sausage!)
2 bell peppers, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 (14 oz) jar tomato sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:- Preheat oven to 350 degrees- Cook pasta according to package directions, removing from heat while still slightly firm (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.- While pasta is boiling, crumble sausage into a skillet and brown over medium-high heat. After about 3 minutes, add peppers, onion and garlic, and brown for an additional 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until heated.- Remove from heat, stir in penne and half the mozzarella. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.- Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly browned and melted.

Pumpkin Delight

A perfect no-fuss recipe for the holidays.


Ingredients:
1 large can Pumpkin
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 can evaporated milk (12 0z.)
3 eggs (beaten)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Beat together first 5 ingredients. Prepare a 9" X 13" pan with cooking spray,pour beaten ingredients into pan.Sprinkle cake mix over mixture, spread pecans over cake mix and pourmelted butter over everything.Bake at 350 deg. F for one hour.Cool and serve with Cool Whip or Whipped cream.

Corn Casserole

1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1 stick melted butter
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm

Crockpot Pepper Steak

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef sirloin, sliced into strips
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons splenda
3 green bell peppers, cut into strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the steak strips, and quickly brown on both sides, adding the garlic to the steak while it cooks. Transfer the steak and its juices to a slow cooker. Add the onion, soy sauce, salt, pepper and splenda. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
One hour before the end of the cooking time, add the green peppers. Stir together the cornstarch and cold water. Pour into the slow cooker during the last few minutes, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

My favorite Chili

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb sausage (I use mild, because I can't have it too spicy)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2-3 jalapeno's diced small (I use 1 whole with the seeds, and 2 more with the seeds removed before dicing)
1 12-oz can tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 cans beer (Yes, the secret ingrediant ~ I have made it with water instead, but it's not as good)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
Brown sausage and ground beef, and then drain grease. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos, and saute until softened. Add in spices, stirring to combine, and tomato paste, then slowly pour in beer, stirring to incorporate. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add in drained beans, stirring to combine. Recover, and continue to simmer another 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced scallions.

Crockpot Asian Short Ribs with Cabbage and Carrots

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small green cabbage (about 1 pound), quartered
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Add the short ribs and carrots and arrange in a single layer. Lay the cabbage on top.Cook, covered, on high for 5 to 6 hours (or on low for 7 to 8 hours)*, until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Transfer the cabbage, short ribs, and carrots to plates. With a large spoon or ladle, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard.If the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs and vegetables and sprinkle with the scallions (if using).*Because different slow-cooker models cook at different rates, the total time is presented as a range. Check for doneness at the low end of the range (but not before, or the escaping heat will slow the cooking). If the food is not done, continue cooking to the end of the suggested range.Yield: Makes 4 servings

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1 pound Chicken breasts
black pepper
1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (Not grated)
Dash of Cayenne pepper

Trim chicken breasts, cover with saran wrap, and pound thin, then cup into smaller portions (about the size of chicken tenerloins) season with black pepper.
On a large piece of wax papper, pour the parmesan cheese, and a dash or 2 of red cayenne pepper, mix well, then spread out into a rectangular shaped pile. Take each piece of chicken, and press into the cheese, flip, and press the other side. (You may have to pick up the chicken, and take some cheese, and press it down into the chicken that way, get a good cover of cheese over the chicken.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil oven med-high heat. Then, add chicken breast pieces covered with cheese. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until cheese formes a crispy, golden crust and chicken is cooked through. Serve with whole wheat cous cous and green salad or roasted vegetables.

Oven Roasted Vegetable Medley

1 red onion
1red bell pepper
2 small zucchini squash
1 bunch aspargus
1 eggplant
olive oil
black pepper
salt
fresh rosemary or basil

Cut all of the vegetables into large chuncks. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and fresh herbs. Toss to combine. Pour into 9x13 pyrex dish, and roast in oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Turkey Black Bean Chili

1 lb ground white turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chicken broth
1 cup frozen whole kernal corn
sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Brown ground turkey nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add onion and spices and cook 2 minutes. Pour into crockpot, and add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

White Velvet Cake

Makes 2, 8- or 9-inch cake layers
4 large egg whites / 135 grams
1 cup milk / 242 grams
2 1/2 tsp vanilla (or any extract flavor: almond, lemon, orange, etc.) / 9 grams
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon or orange zest (peel) or 1/8 teaspoon pure citrus oil
3 cups sifted cake flour / 300 grams
4 tsp baking powder / 19.5 grams
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar / 300 grams
3/4 tsp salt / 5 grams
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and then sit out to soften / 170 grams


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2, 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with bakers grease or vegetable oil spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper.
In a 4 cup bowl, combine the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla, and orange zest. Beat with a fork to combine. Set aside.
In your mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix with the paddle on low speed for 30 seconds to incorporate. Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk. Mix on low until the mixture is moistened. Scrape the bowl and increase the speed to medium and beat 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape and gradually add the egg white mixture in three batches, beat 20 seconds after each addition, then scrape the bowl each time.
Pour into the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake 30+ minutes until the top is light brown and springs back when lightly touched. The sides should not shrink back from the pan until after you remove it from the oven.
Remove cake from oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn the cake out onto cooling racks. Cool completely and finish with your favorite frosting.

Asian Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (may use fresh or frozen, thawed)
1 package broccoli slaw
1 head Bibb or Butter Lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and patted dry
1/2 cup chopped cashews or peanuts

Marinade:
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

Combine marinade ingredients, and pour over shimp in large zip lock baggie, place in fridge, and marinate for 30 min.

Slaw Sauce:
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar or splenda
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
Combine all ingredients, and pour over 1/2 bag of broccoli slaw, tossing to combine.

Prepare marinated shrimp on grill pan or sauté over medium high heat in non-stick skillet until cooked through (they will be opaque and some pink, no longer translucent).
To assemble wraps, Place 3-4 shrimp on an open lettuce leaf, add some of the dressed broccoli slaw, and chopped nuts.

Serve with brown rice.