Healthy Turkey Meatloaf

1 package lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (preferably one without sugar)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and spices and cook until it simmers. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the ground turkey, oat bran, egg, and tomato mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Pack into an 8 X 4 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf, about 4-6 servings.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Chopped Walnut

• Topping:
• Chopped Walnuts
• Brown Sugar
• Melted Butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Add Waluts and mix in.

Pour batter into prepared pan

Top with Walnuts. Mix Butter and Brown Sugar and pour on top.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Best-Cookies-I've-Ever-Eaten Cookies (a chewy cookie)

I know you guys like your own recipes-- and I like them too.  They are delicious.  But I've been on the hunt for cookies that don't taste too salty (for me), don't taste like baking soda (to me), aren't too cakey (to me), and have enough chewiness and a tiny crunch on the edges to completely satisfy me. This is the one!  I actually didn't even use chocolate chips, rather, I divided the batter in 3 and made some with minced up Twix bar (mom's idea), peanut butter Dove bar, and Heath bar.  I'm so happy I did! I'm completely hooked.  If only Greta could let me have a glass of milk once in a while...

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I barely sifted it, I used a spoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (yes! melted!)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or crushed candy bar of your choice... I'd advise against Skittles ;-))

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. (I just kept checking them until they looked golden.  This was at exactly 15 minutes for me, but depends on your oven)

Goat Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

This is amazing.  They seem a little nicer than my average hors d'oeuvres (if you can call guacamole an hors d'oeuvre ;-)) and they're super quick to make.  As in like 10 minutes. SO addicting and absolutely delicious...

• 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
• 1 scallion (white part only), thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons aged Spanish sherry vinegar
• 1 can (13.75 ounces; 16 peppers) piquillo peppers, drained
• 3 ounces soft goat cheese (I used A LOT more :-))
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Whisk shallots, scallion and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Slice open the top of each pepper to create a pocket. Spoon cheese into peppers, dividing it equally among them. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat; coat with a little olive oil. Cook peppers, flipping once, until cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds each side. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and thyme. Drizzle dressing over peppers and serve.
Seriously, I could eat these like candy.  Enjoy!

PS recipe and image from epicurious.

The Pioneer Woman

So about a year ago I found The Pioneer Woman's food blog. I have tried a few of her recipes and most of them are pretty amazing. I even bought her recipe book at Costco. I thought I would post my top fave's so far here:

White Chicken Enchiladas(my change: use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Way better for you and you don't taste the difference, I PROMISE!)

To go with the enchiladas you will want...
Mexican Rice (my change: use a rice cooker if you are like me and have never been able to make decent rice on the stove top.)

Meatloaf(so easy and sooooo delicious!)

Pie or Quiche Crust

There you have it.

You are welcome. ;)

Stuffed Peppers

Yet another recipe I randomly threw together... thankfully it is super easy and turned out yummy!
Hard to mess up because everything is to taste...

Ingredients:
2 red peppers (washed, halved, and seeded)
appx. 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey... if ground beef I like the free range/grass fed)
appx. 2 c. brown rice
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
dash garlic powder
dash seasoning salt
appx. 1 c. salsa (I like Green Mountain Gringo jarred, but fresh would be even better)
appx. 1 c. cheddar cheese (+ extra for garnish)
greek yogurt (or sour cream) for garnish
avocado for garnish

Saute chopped onion in a fry pan with a little butter.  Add ground beef.  Season with garlic powder and seasoning salt. 

While meat is cooking, place pepper halves on cookie sheet and bake on 350 for about 6 min.

When beef is fully cooked, add salsa, rice and cheese to the fry pan. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Scoop the beef mixture into the pepper halves evenly.  Cover with remaining cheddar cheese and put back in oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with a scoop of Greek yogurt and a few slices of avocado.  Yum!

-my guess is that Ty would really like this one (especially when made with turkey) because it's pretty healthy and still tasty.

Amazing Raspberry Bars

Crust:

1 c butter (softened)

1 c sugar

2 c flour

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 c coconut (optional)

Cream together butter and sugar

Mix all dry ingredients together

Combine the two mixtures and mix well.

Press in to the bottom of 9 x 13 pan.

Bake 375 for 10 mins

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Spread Jam on top (about 1 1/2 c)

Sprinkle with 1/2c to 1c sliced almonds (or whatever nut you prefer)

Bake 375 for 13 mins

Mix powdered sugar w milk and drizzle on top!!

Baklava

This is best Baklava recipe ever. I made it with Sara in college and it's amazing every time I have it.

Sweet Chex Mix

Ingredients

1 1/2 c butter shopping list
1 c white kayro
1 c sugar
3 c Rice Chex
3 c Corn Chex
6 c golden grahams
1/2 c coconut
slivered almonds
How to make it

In large bowl combine cereals, coconut and almonds
In saucepan combine butter, sugar and kayro
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes
Pour over cereal mixture
Spread on wax paper till slightly dry to touch
Separate into bite-sized clusters

Roasted Squash Soup with Sage

Time: 2 hours

Yield: Serves 8

-8 medium acorn squash (roundish)

-4 Tbls. mild extra virgin olive oil

-1 medium yellow onion, chopped

-1 tsp. smoked paprika

-2 Tbls. chopped sage, plus several leaves for garnish

-about 1 1/2 tsp. course sea salt

-2 galic cloves, chopped

-5 to 6 cups chicken broth

-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

-1/2 cup creme fraiche (I used heavy whipping cream,

but you can make your own creme with

buttermilk and whipping cream)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut top third off each squash. Scoop out seeds from squash bottoms and tops; discard. Trim just enough off bottom of each squash so that it sits straight. (Don't cut off too much).
2. Set squash bottoms and tops on 2 large baking sheets and drizzle with about 2 Tbsp. oil, rubbing it all over insides and rims. Bake 45 to 55 mins. or until flesh is soft and golden brown, but before squash start collapsing.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaning 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onion, paprika, sage, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until golden brown , about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Scoop cooked flesh from squash into pot, leaving enough flesh so that squash keep their shape. Pave over any holes in squash "bowls" with some cooked squash and keep them warm.
5. To pot add 5 cups stock, remaing 1 tsp. salt and the pepper. bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Puree soup in batches in a blender, adding more stock if soup is too thick (cover top with a towel to keep hot soup from spurting out). Reheat in pot. Stir in creme fraiche and more stock if necessary.
7. Laddle soup into squash bowls and top with sage leaves.

Janies Texas Sheet Cake!

Preheat oven to 400

Stir together in large bowl:
-2 cups sugar
-2 cups flour

Stir the following over medium heat until mixture is boiling. Pour over flour mixture.
-1 cup butter
-1 cup water
-1/4 cup cocoa

In a separate bowl:
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-2 eggs
-1 Tbl. Soda
Whip together and mix with flour and cocoa mixture.
Pour into greased (buttered) jelly roll pan and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

In a pan melt:
1/2 cupp butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, remove from heat.
-add 3/4 cup to 1 lb powdered sugar
And whip until smooth. Pour over cake that is still warm. Add nuts to top if desired. Yummy yummy!

Greek Pasta (by Breck Reed)

Ingredients:
1 lb. penne pasta
¾ cup feta cheese
4-6 chopped cherry tomatoes
½ package baby spinach chopped
¼ cup milk
¾ cup pesto sauce
½ cup sliced peppers
1 cup ranch dressing

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until you have 4 more minutes left and add the peppers to the boiling pasta.
2. Drain pasta/pepper mixture
3. Add the pesto and feta to the drained pasta.
4. Add tomatoes, spinach, and peppers to the mixture.
5. Add milk to ranch dressing.
6. Add ranch mixture unto the pasta.
7. Add grilled chicken strips or shredded chicken if desired. (Boiled chicken works well, boil chicken 15 minutes then shred.)