Jen's Chili Mac and Cheese

"I am really into casseroles right now...especially ones that have all the food groups, so I don't need to make anything else on the side.  My husband loves chili mac, but I really haven't ever ordered it at a restaurant because it just didn't sound good.  I decided to try to create a recipe that the whole family liked, and it was a huge hit.  Just a tip, this recipe was too much for a 9x13, but half of it would not fill the 9x13, so you can make 1/2 the amount and have a smaller casserole, or you can just make the full recipe and refrigerate the leftover chili separate from the mac and cheese."

INGREDIENTS:

Chili:

1 lb. ground beef  (I used sirlion)
1 lb. sausage
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. green pepper, diced
1/2 c. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 10 oz. cans of tomatoes with green chilis
2 16 oz. cans of chili beans
6 oz. tomato paste
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 T. beef base paste
2 c. water
1/3 c. BBQ sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. mustard
2 T. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
***************************
Mac and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni noodles
1 jar cheese whiz or equivalent Velveta
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
2 T. butter
1 T. Franks hot sauce
1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. of reserved water from boiling noodles

8 oz. more of shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Start the chili about 2 1/2 hrs. before you want to eat.  In large skillet saute beef and sausage with celery, peppers, onions and garlic.  Drain and brown.  Run meat mixture through food processor.  In a large pot mix remaining chili ingredients along with meat mixture and place on stove over low-medium heat.

When it is 1 hr. before you want to eat, in large pot start water to boil for noodles.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In medium pot over medium heat mix cheese whiz, shredded cheeses, butter, Franks, milk, and spices.  Cook until melted together, stirring frequently,  and turn down to low to keep warm.  Drain noodles, reserving 1/4 c. of water, return noodles to pot you boiled them in, add cheese sauce and reserved water.  Mix together.  In 9x13 baking dish fill dish 1/2 way with mac and cheese and most of the rest of the way with chili.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil, top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8* not including leftover ingredients

Italian Layer Bake

"This was so yummy and not intended for anyone on a diet (which means I cheated last night).  I made a few changes which are included.  You can find the original recipe over at Mr. Food.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8-ounce) container refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 lb. sliced deli ham
1/2 lb. sliced deli pepperoni
1/2 lb. sliced deli salami
1/2 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. sliced provolone cheese
1/2 c. Italian dressing
1 1/2 cups mild yellow pepper rings
3 eggs, beaten
garlic powder and italian seasoning blend

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll 1 roll of crescent roll dough without separating triangles and press into bottom of 9x13 baking dish.
Layer with half the ham, pepperoni, salami, Swiss provolone, and peppers. Pour half of beaten eggs over peppers and then 1/2 c. Italian dressing.  Layer remaining meats and cheeses and peppers.
Place remaining roll of dough over peppers. Pour remaining beaten eggs over dough and season with garlic and Italian seasoning blend.
Bake 20 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden and heated through.

Serves 6-8

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin With Cherries

"I made this for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit.  It looked and smelled amazing!  I found the recipe HERE.  I made a 4 pound roast and baked it for a total of 1 hr and 45 minutes on 325° F."

INGREDIENTS:

    1  2-pound piece boneless pork loin
    1/2  teaspoon  ground allspice
    black pepper
    1/2  cup  dried cherries, chopped
    1/2  cup  fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
    1  tablespoon  whole-grain mustard
    6  slices bacon
    1  tablespoon  currant jelly
    1  teaspoon  red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350° F. Season the pork with the allspice and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the cherries, parsley, and mustard. Spread evenly over the pork. Lay the bacon slices crosswise over the pork, overlapping them slightly and tucking the ends underneath. Roast for 45 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine the jelly and vinegar. Brush over the bacon and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°; F, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I changed quite a bit to give it more flavor and to make a larger amount.  It was very yummy!!"

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces egg noodles prepared
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
1/2 c. onions, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. poultry seasoning

1 can sliced carrots
1/2 c. milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter
1 t. garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While preparing noodles, saute diced chicken in large frying pan over med-high heat along with onions, minced garlic, olive oil, wine, and poultry seasoning.  In large bowl mix carrots with milk, cream soups, sour cream and cheeses.  When chicken is cooked through stir into creamy mixture along with noodles and salt and pepper to taste.  Place noodle mixture in 9x13 baking dish.  In small fry pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add crackers and garlic powder and stir together.  Sprinkle crackers over noodle mixture and bake in oven uncovered for 30 minutes.

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

"I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came from Chef Mommy who got it from For the Love of Cooking.  This was a great dish!  The sauce was awesome and may have been even better with a little brown sugar or honey, but fine on it's own.  I follow the ingredient list exactly, not adding anything, but I did make the sauce ahead of time, right after searing the meat and used all of the marinade, which I wished I would have followed the recipe (although it doesn't tell you to throw all but the reserved marinade in the pan when you sear it, but I think you're suppose to).  I will try that next time."

Ingredients:

1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed) (I used pork loin roast instead)

Directions:

Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

"I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The original came from HERE and she adapted it from HERE.  I did not change anything.  The roast fell apart, which is awesome, but not awesome for a pretty photo of it.  It had a very unique taste and I would make it again.  I added carrots so I would not have to prepare a separate vegetable, and they were yummy as well."

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
Seasoning Salt

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder
black pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil (depends on your pan)
1/4 cup water to deglaze pan
2-3 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 cup beef stock, reduced to 1/2 cup (can use a can of beef broth, but be sure to reduce it)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Rub meat well with seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes; don't rush the browning step.
While roast browns put 1 cup beef stock in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, then let cool slightly and mix in balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Peel onions and cut into thick slices.  

When the meat is brown on all sides, remove the meat and then deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water. Add the pan drippings to sauce mixture.

Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Put meat on top of onions and pour beef stock mixture over. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beef is tender. The meat might be partly submerged in liquid after this much time.

Remove meat from slow cooker and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain liquid from Crockpot and remove as much of the fat as you can with fat separator or skimmer. Cook down liquid by about 1/3, and serve sauce with meat and onions.

Chicken Enchiladas II

"I found this recipe on pinterest, and you can find the original HERE .  The original was called White Chicken Enchiladas", but since I didn't want the chicken plain, it ended up not being "white" when I got done with it, so I renamed the recipe.  I still think the white sauce was lacking in something, so if you make this, let me know if you modified that, but it was still very yummy.  I included directions on what I did to cook the chicken, the original just said: 2 cup of shredded.  I also changed the cheese from Monterrey jack to cheddar jack."

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Sauce to cook chicken in:

1/2 c. taco sauce

1 large tomato

1/2 lg. onion

1 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1 t. paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. pepper

10 standard sized soft taco shells

3 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Put "sauce ingredients" into food processor, blend and pour over chicken.  Cook chicken breasts on high for 4 1/2 hours.  Remove chicken and shred with fork, put back into slow cooker and stir back into sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Indian Spiced Whole Roasted Chicken

"I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and the original is HERE.  I though there were too many steps and I did not have some of the forms of the ingredients (for instance it called for cracked cardamom pods and I only had cardamom powder), so I changed a lot, and my changes are included here.  This is definitely going in my recipe box...so yummy!"

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole, 4-pound chicken, rinsed, innards removed and patted dry with paper towel
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet Swanson "flavor boost" chicken flavor
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
2 t. Garam Masala
1/2 t. chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 t. dried tarragon
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cardamom
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. dried cilantro
1/4 t. ginger



DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix "sauce" ingredients together, rub evenly over outside and inside cavity of chicken.  Place chicken in roaster or baking dish and bake uncovered for 3 1/2 hours.  When juices start to form in bottom of pan, baste ever 1/2 hour until done.

Hot Tamale Pie

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com when looking for a Mexican casserole.  This was AMAZING and all of my kids loved it including my one year old.  I would say the heat compares to "medium" salsa, so it's not too spicy.  You can find the original recipe HERE, my changes are included below."

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray
2 pounds ground beef (I used sirlion)
2 cups diced poblano peppers
2 10 oz. cans tomatoes with green chilis (I used original Rotelle)
1 c. diced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried or 2 T. fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground dried chili powder
1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1 T. lime juice
2 cloves minced garlic

2 (8.5 ounce) boxes dry corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy®)
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk, divided
8 oz.(2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 oz.(2 cups) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
8 ounces frozen corn, thawed

sour cream if desired


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Saute beef with tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, lime juice and spices over med-high heat until meat is cooked through.  Take off burner and set aside to preserve  "sauce" so it doesn't completely cook out.
Meanwhile mix one package of corn muffin mix with 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk in medium mixing bowl. Spoon into greased 9x13 baking dish, and spread evenly in bottom of dish.
Sprinkle corn over the muffin mix, followed by half of each of the cheeses, then the beef mixture.
In same medium bowl, mix the second package of corn muffin mix with 1 egg, 1/3 cup of milk and remaining cheeses.
Spoon the corn muffin mix with cheese on top of the beef and carefully spread over the top with a fork, leaving about half an inch from the edges of the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top of each piece if desired

Serves 8

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

 "This was amazing!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and you can find the original HERE "

{For the Crock Pot}

 

*Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
Pork:
2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water


Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce


DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

"I found this recipe on pinterest.com and made it for dinner. I am going list some ideas under the recipe to make this more flavorful because it was good, but slightly bland. (the photo is not great....it didn't stay in a solid piece when I plated it"

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (not fat free)

1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)

3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
9 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

What I did differently:

-I added about 1/3 cup diced onions and garlic to the chicken while it was cooking
-I made three layers (using 1/3 of each ingredient [noodles, cheese and chicken with sauce] in each layer)...still only using 9 total noodles
-I didn't read the recipe right and bought fat free evap. milk, so to thicken it up and make it creamier I added 1/2 a brick of light cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of light miracle whip
-I used wheat lasagna noodles
-I covered the pan with foil for 35 minutes and took it off and baked an additional 10 minutes
- when I ate my portion I sprinkled on more pepper and curry, and that was AWESOME
-next time I might try adding some Franks Red Hot sauce and two packets of ranch mix instead of one

Marinated Pork Chops with Apple Compote

"I found this on allrecipes.com. I made a few changes including using ground instead of fresh ginger, sauteing chops instead of grilling, and reducing the butter by half. This was delicious!"

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless pork chops
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 t. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup olive oil


4 T. butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme and oil in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Saute pork with remaining marinade from bag in a large frying pan until browned and cooked through (about 15-20 min)
3. While the pork is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it begins to simmer. Add the apples, cherries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook and stir until the apple is tender, about 10 minutes. Serve the sliced pork topped with the apple compote.

Beef Stroganoff

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, took suggestions from a review, and then added my own changes....very tasty!"

INGREDIENTS:

approx 2 lbs flat iron steak, cut into bite sized pieces
salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste
1 T. olive oil
1/3 c. white wine
1 T. browning sauce (I used the bottled Gravy Master, found near the dry gravy packets)

1 stick butter
medium onion chopped
2 - 6 oz cans mushrooms
1 T. minced garlic
10 oz. beef stock (reserve 2 oz to stir into cornstarch and flour)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. yellow mustard
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. corn starch
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

1 pound flat noodles cooked according to directions on package (I used Amish noodles)

DIRECTIONS:

1st Method for cooking meat:
In large skillet brown meat in olive oil on medium heat with spices until cooked through. Add wine and browning sauce and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Remove meat leaving liquid in pan.

2nd Method for cooking meat: (method I used)
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In 13x9 dish stir together meat with olive oil, wine and browning sauce, add spices. Bake for 1 hr., remove from oven, and pour just remaining liquid in large skillet, setting meat aside.

Sauce Directions:

Melt butter along with liquid from meat over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and minced garlic and saute until onions are soft and clear. Stir in 8 oz. beef stock, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. In measuring cup, dissolve flour and cornstarch in 2 oz. beef stock. Slowly stir mixture into skillet. Add cream cheese and sour cream and stir in until melted and mixed thoroughly. Stir in wine and season with salt and pepper. Add meat and mix. Stir meat and sauce into prepared noodles or serve over noodles.

Serves 8

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon Fillets

"This is the first time I've prepared or even eaten salmon. It was so delicious, and I'm glad I have a new fish option."
INGREDIENTS:

1 lb salmon cut into 2 fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
3. Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with 1/2 of balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil (if there is skin).

Jen's Beef Enchilada Casserole

"It's been a long time since I tried making a new recipe. I am really into learning to make more authentic-tasting Mexican food, so I wanted to try my hand at a sauce from scratch. Canned enchilada sauce tastes cheap to me, so I made my own and it was so yummy. Looking forward to getting some reviews of this...enjoy!"


INGREDIENTS:

23 small corn tortillas
4 cups Mexican-Blend shredded cheese

Meat Mixture Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use sirloin)
3 green onions finely chopped
1 Pablano Pepper diced
1 large tomato diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups beef broth (I use no salt added)
6 oz. tomato paste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine meat mixture ingredients together and saute in large pan until meat is browned. Run mixture through food processor. In medium saucepan over medium heat melt butter and add flour to make roux. Stir in broth and tomato paste continuing to stir until smooth. Add vinegar and spices and stir until smooth and sauce starts to simmer.

Layering (in 9x13 dish sprayed with cooking spray)

1/2 cup sauce
9 tortillas (place so they go up the sides of the dish)
1/2 of meat mixture
1/2 cup of cheese
1/2 cup sauce
8 tortillas
rest of meat mixture
1/2 cup cheese
1/2 cup sauce
6 tortillas
remaining sauce

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, add remaining cheese and bake additional 10 minutes. Allow to sit and "set" for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Chicken (Pork) with Egglant-Pepper Sauce

"Obviously the photo is of pork chops. That is what I had, so I'm sure what I made was a little more fattening. I found this is Cooking Light magazine. Also what is pictured is only three chops because I did not put the sauce on one chop for the kids."


INGREDIENTS:

1 medium eggplant (about 1/2 pound)
2 medium red bell peppers (about 1 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
4 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, and pierce skin with a fork. Cut tops off bell peppers; discard tops, seeds, and membranes. Place eggplant and bell peppers on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 8 minutes or until tender.

While the eggplant cooks, combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, ginger, garlic powder, and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper; sprinkle the chicken with the ginger mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

Combine eggplant and bell peppers in a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper, 1 teaspoon oil, paprika, and juice; process until smooth. Serve chicken with sauce.


Nutritional Information:

Calories: 194 (19% from fat)
Fat: 4.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 27.9g
Carbohydrate: 11.8g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1.7mg
Sodium: 518mg
Calcium: 29mg

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

"This recipe was awesome, and my family devoured it. I found it on allrecipes.com. My changes are included."


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange concentrate
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.
Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Saute pork until cooked through (about 15 mintes). Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.
In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops.

Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers

"My husband loves buffalo chicken, so I wanted to try to make my own. I used pieces instead of wings and baked them instead of frying to help with the fat and calories. You can also skip the butter in the sauce if you want to be extra healthy."

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into fingers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Franks buffalo sauce)
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic and salt. Coat chicken in mixture. Place wire cooling rack onto long cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Lay chicken pieces on rack. Spray top with more spray. Bake 45 minutes on 350 degrees. Turn oven to 400 spray chicken again and bake for additional 10 minutes.

In Large microwaveable bowl heat sauce ingredients until butter is melted. Add baked chicken to bowl and toss to coat.
Serve with blue cheese dressing if desired.

Serves 4-6

Indian Pork Chops

"These had a great flavor, but it was hard to think of a non-Indian side dish besides rice. My kids even liked them!"


INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 (4 ounce) pork chops
3/4 cup apricot nectar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chops in the hot skillet, turning once.
2. In a measuring cup, mix together apricot nectar, curry powder, garlic powder, and salt. Pour over chops, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until meat is done.

Beef Bourguignon

"I have never cooked or even eaten this dish, but I'd heard of it. This was absolutely fabulous and smells wonderful baking! I found it on allrecipes.com. My changes are included."


INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds cubed stew meat
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups red wine (Merlot)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms sliced in thirds



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and ground black pepper. Coat the beef cubes with this mixture.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour this into a 9x13 baking dish.
Return the skillet to the heat and add the onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic to it. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add 2 cups of the wine, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme; stir together and pour over meat.
Bake, covered with foil, for 2 1/2 hours. Add remaining 1 cup of wine, put cover back on and bake for 30 more minutes.

Notes:

-I tenderized the meat with a tenderizing mallot
-I served this over wheat fettuccine