5:4 challenge # 9 Chimichanga (p2)

Well this is the latest 5:4 challenge. This time around it was much easier for me than the last one that was extremely hard, in my opinion! We were to create a dish with: Peas, tomatoes, beef of our choice, potatoes of our choice and legumes.
Even though this has beans and sweet potatoes in it my daughter ACTUALLY ATE IT!!!! She is extremely anti beans and has become a bit of a veggie picky eater. She asked what I was making as it smelled good and when I told her she made a face of exasperation and said "Yuck beans, Never mind!" After I dished up my hubbies and my plate I suggested she at least give it a taste test. she took a bite and walked into the kitchen to look for more. she came out and asked were it was and I told her I'd only fixed one for her dad and i as she didn't want any. she batted her eyes at me and asked if I'd go ahead and make one for her too. Her friend came over in the meantime and i guess asked what I was making (Cathy always loves to eat what I make, bless her little heart!) and so I fixed one for her too. both enjoyed it and ate all of it!


Beef & Veggie Chimichanga (p2)
Roast Beef (cooked however you like)
frozen peas
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (what ever temperature you prefer)
1 can black beans
1 sweet potato, diced
Cheddar cheese, shredded
ww tortillas
cumin to taste
salt to taste
Olive oil

Cook up the Roast Beef however you prefer. I fixed up the roast early this week by cooking it in a pkg of Lipton's Onion soup mix (dry) with extra sliced raw onions and water to cover. I boiled this down til the meat was extremely tender (add more water if needed) I cooked this on top of the stove, in my dutch oven, and with the lid particularly covering.

Grate outer skin of one sweet potato, slice and dice it up. Fry this up til tender in a skillet with some olive oil and salt. When this is finished drain if needed and set aside. In the same skillet toss in pea's, tomatoes, beans, cumin, salt and shredded beef. Add a little water if needed but cook til the peas are tender and cooked. Season more if needed. Add the sweet potatoes and mix well.

Place a little of this mixture in a whole wheat tortilla, top with some shredded cheese and wrap up burrito style. In a heated skillet with some oil place this wrapped tortilla, wrapped side down, in the heated oil. when golden brown roll over and cook the other side. place on paper towels and let drain well and serve.

NOTE: A serving suggestion would be: to place on a bed of shredded lettuce, top with some more cheese, sour cream, salsa and chopped cilantro.

Dee's Fro-gurt (p2)

This is the little dish I'd whip up and serve as a snack or desert. Its good for ANYTIME of the day!!!! Its Sweet, tangy/tart, warm, cool, creamy and crunchy all at the same time. Its very easy to make and extremely wonderful!

Dee's Fro-gurt (p2)

Plain Yogurt
splenda
vanilla
sugar free amaretto flavoring
granola (click for recipe)
Mixed Frozen Fruit; strawberries, blueberries, and black or raspberries
(You can use what ever you like but these are our favorites)

This is real simple. For each person, pour some mixed fruit into a microwave serving bowl and nook til the fruit is thawed and warm (usually only 1 to 1.5 mins).

In another bowl blend 1/2 to 1 cup of plain yogurt and blend in 3 pkt's of splenda, a splash of vanilla and sf amaretto flavoring (its probably in your coffee isle).

Pour this over your warm fruit and sprinkle granola over the top and serve!

Flax Seed Granola (p1)

I got this recipe from the SB Century Club and was pretty interested as it. I used to make a snack or desert that we called: Fro-gurt; frozen fruit, plain yogurt (that I always doctored up a bit) and some granola. I am a bit picky about my granola as I'm not wild about the ones with raisins and such. I REALLY liked the Kroger brand granola and used to get it all the time. It was in the cereal isle but I never used it as such, only topped my fruit N cream with it. Since doing Sb I really haven't thought about this little dish til I came across this flax seed granola recipe. then I got rather excited to try it out and see about making my old dish (it too was a comfort food as it was sweet, tart, creamy and crunchy all at the same time!).

Flax Seed Granola (p1)
Preheat Oven: 250 / Cooking Time: 3 hr

2 cups ground flax
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup thin sliced, unsalted almonds
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1/2 granular Splenda
1/2 TBSP. vanilla
1/2 TBS almond extract
6 egg whites
1/2 cup water

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. Then combine together and mix well.

Spread in a jellyroll pan and bake until completely dry at 250 degrees for 2 to 3 hours. Every hour while baking, take a fork and break up any large bits. (Don''t break them too small or you end up with to tiny of crumbs.)

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Stuffed Pizza Peppers (p1)

I was needing to fix supper the other day and totally wasn't sure what I wanted to make. I started to toss some things into a skillet, as I needed to cook up some hamburger meat before I forgot about it and risked it going bad. My hubby entered the kitchen and "noticed" we had many bell peppers and mentioned how he ALWAYAS enjoys stuffed peppers (hint hint hint with a snuggle and a few kisses too). Sooo, that's what my skillet bake turned into. Hey, I can't argue with such persuasiveness as all that. Ha ha.

Stuffed peppers are so easy to make and there are so many ways to make them....this is one I came up with that night.
Stuffed Pizza Peppers (p1)

1lb hamburger meat (or ground turkey sausage), cooked and drained well
1 small can of tomato paste with roasted garlic
1 can diced tomatoes Italian flavored (with juice)
1 to 2 tsp dried oregano
1 can of white beans, drained
turkey pepperoni slices
mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 can black olives, drained and sliced or roughly chopped
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
Bell peppers, approximately 6 whole peppers
salt to taste

Cook the hamburger or turkey sausage in a skillet til well cooked and chopped into small bits. Drain (I like to rinse in hot water and drain again). Place back into skillet and add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, beans, oregano and salt to taste. cook til all juice has evaporated and or thickened. While the meat mixture is cooking slice the bell peppers length wise and clean out for stuffing. Place peppers on a cookie sheet (lined with foil makes for easy clean up) and stuff the meat mixture in each pepper. after all the peppers have been over stuffed top each pepper with 3 to 4 slices of turkey pepperoni. Bake in oven for 30 mins at 350 degrees. After timer goes off place mozzarella cheese on each pepper and bake additional 5 mins or til cheese is bubbly and starting to brown a bit. Let cool a few moments and ENJOY!

Egg, Sausage, and Veggie Scrambled Hash (p2)

I was fixing up some breakfast for my hubby for work and I scrambled up a really good dish.

Egg, Sausage & Veggie Scrambled Hash (p2)
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 eggs, mixed
1/4 c diced onion
1/3 cooked rope sausage, diced
3 large TAB of cooked sweet potato hash (click sweet potato hash for the recipe)
salt to taste
a little olive oil

Dice and cook up the rope sausage and set aside. In the same skillet scramble up 2 to 3 eggs and set aside with the sausage. Add some olive oil to the skillet and saute diced onion and bell pepper with a little salt til tender.Toss in the precooked sweet potato hash, eggs and sausage til its all reheated and mixed well. This was a very good combination. Enjoy!

Egg in a Basket (p2)



When I was little my mother and grandmother used to make these for me. Granted then it was on white bread and I had two of them...but Today I made it on Wheat and it was just as good. (I also just had one as I'm watching my starch intake).

One slice of bread per person (or for how many you want to eat)
1 egg per slice of bread butter spread of your choice (I like I cant believe its not butter)

Butter both sides of the bread and place in a heated nonstick skillet. With a cookie cutter or small round jar opening cut a whole in the bread and remove the inner cutout. Place it besides the bread to continue to brown. Place an egg in the middle of the whole and cook. Flip when bread is browned and the egg is cooked well on the bottom. Cook well on the other side to your desired egg consistency. I like the yolk a bit runny but some like it cooked through. Just cook til your liking.

I served this with cooked rope sausage and veggie juice but what ever you serve this with or as alone, its a really easy and good way to have toast and eggs. ENJOY!

Layerd Pumpkin Pudding Dessert (p2)

This recipe was posted by "Northerner " on the Sb forum. She said she got this recipe from a Kraft magazine and just modified it for the SBD. She said she has also doubled it and put it in a 9 x 13 pan for larger gatherings but its rich and so a little goes a long way. Some commented that they put this into ramekin's and make individual servings.There was also mention of making different crusts with such things as ground All Bran Extra Fiber cereal and a little almond flour, baked 15 mins, cool and then add the pudding pumpking mixture. Its very easy and yummy and has some nice possiblities too! ENJOY!!
Layered Pumpkin Pudding Dessert (p2)
Spray a glass pie plate with Pam. Sprinkle ground pecans over (just enough to cover). Spray Pam over pecans to help hold them in the pan.

First Layer:
4 oz. light cream cheese, softened
2 TB. fat free or skim Milk
2 TB. Splenda
4 oz. light or sugar free Cool Whip

With wire whisk, blend cream cheese, milk and splenda. Gently stir in the cool whip. Spread over pecan crust.

Second layer:
15 oz. can Pumpkin
2 small size pkgs. instant sf vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Mix all ingredients well and spread over first layer. Spread 4 oz. light cool whip over the top. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

BBQ Bacon Cheese Meatloaf (p1)

I never liked meat loaf when i was a kid. I'd always try it and scrunch up my nose at it. Now that I'm older and here lately I have been really hungry for it??? I've been looking for some recipes to try and have found so many variations that I'm almost overwhelmed. I have my mothers recipe and I like it much better now that I'm older - but wanted to perhaps try some others. In visiting with my friend Gretchen the other day she told me about one that her family enjoys and is basically P1 friendly. Below is the ingredients she uses:

Gretchen's BBQ Bacon Cheese Meatloaf (p1)

1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground turkey (both the 93/7 if you can)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar free or low sugar BBQ sauce, divided
1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped greenbell pepper
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, small diced
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1tsp garlic powder either
1/4 cup bacon bits (real ones)
salt and pepper to taste

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until well cooked Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and mixed well. Place and shape in a (lightly sprayed on bottom) loaf pan and bake. Take out and drain a few times if your hamburger meat isn't overly lean. After 30 -35 mins take out and pour the last 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce on top and bake approximately 30 min's longer or til done.

Twiced "Baked" Cauliflower (p2)

I came across this YUMMY recipe at Kalyn's kitchen blog.
This is such a good recipe that I've made it a few times now and still just love it. I made it once with the green onions and once without and both times it came out really well. The green onions help give some color and texture but I found that adding salt and some onion powder brings out the flavor even more. My friend Gretchen made a virstion of this that looked and sounded really good too. Take a look at what she did on her blog: The Kitchen Goddess. Kalyn mentioned that she adapted this recipie slightly from a book she recommends called: The Low Carb Gourmet (by Maren Caruso and Karen Barnaby)

Twice "Baked" Cauliflower (p1)
1 large head cauliflower (I used frozen)
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
1 T butter (optional)
1/2 cup low fat sour cream (I used at free and it still was good)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked very crisp and crumbled
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces, or just use frozen. Cook in large pot of boiling water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, butter (if using), sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the bacon. I also recommend using some onion powder and salt to taste!

Spread evenly in an 8 X 8 inch glass casserole dish (or 9x13 for thinner casserole). I baked this for 15 mins and then sprinkled with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon and baked for an additional 15 to 20 mins (until hot and bubbly).

This is a REALLY good side dish. It smells awesome when baking and reheats well. ENJOY!!!!

Whats Mozes chewing on NOW?

Here he is going to town on his ball. I thought he was just chewing on it but then I saw him yanking on the fuzzy part and I knew he was at it AGAIN!!! Here he is looking very innocent like he doesn't know what ball I'm talking about and asking him to bring me....

YUM Ball taste gooooood!
If you look closely you can see some fuzzy hanging off his fur.

WHATS THE DEAL MOZES??? Lately little Mozes has been a real chewer????? He has been having a GREAT Ole time digging around his and Euros toy box and chewing on the toys - however, lately he has been chewing some of them up.....as well as other things. I found he had gotten a hold of some cotton from something as the fluff was on the carpet as well as hanging out of his mouth. I see him walking around the other day chewing on something that seemed like it was chewing gum as he just walked around the house chewing on it. I kept an eye on him as usually he does this with small bits from his pig ear. Come to find out it was plastic from one of their toys (a hot dog w/ bun) that he chewed a few holes in. He did the same thing with a rubber Turkey leg awhile back. He has been chewing on his bones and pig ears lately too so its not that he doesn't have enough good things to chew on. He's old enough to be past the puppy chewing stage so I'm not sure what the deal is. He's just been one busy little destructive little boy lately!!! He ALSO has been pulling the fuzziness off some of the squeaker balls (they are like tennis balls only for dogs with a squeaker inside). Now, you saw what he did to my feather pen awhile back....I guess he has really been into textures lately????????? What a Nerd-O!

Cinnamon Chocolate Pudding (p2)

OK i love pudding and the many things you can do to alter it for different flavor effects - such as adding fruit, whip topping, cream cheese, ricotta, nuts and so on... so when i came across this easy recipe from Kraft foods I thought I'd give it a try.

Cinnamon Chocoltae Pudding (p2)
2 cups cold skim or fat free milk
1 pkg (4 servings size) Jell-o Chocolate Fat Free Sugar Free instant Pudding mix
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c thawed sugar free cool whip

Pour milk into medium bowl and add dry pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat with wire whisk 2 min.s or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping.
Spoon evenly into four dessert dishes and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftover pudding in refrigerator. I added a little more cinnamon than was called for and I sprinkled a few toasted walnuts ontop. I think it was even better the next day.ENJOY!

Sweet Potatoe Hash (p2)

Since doing South Beach I really haven't missed potatoes all that much. In fact I have been so happy with all the wonderful dishes I have had that I really don't think of potatoes much at all. When I ate potatoes it was always white as I have never been too much for sweet potatoes. The traditional canned yams with marshmallows have never been too high on my food priorities until I had it a bit differently at a party. Then I started making it the same way and actually enjoyed it (it was blended and had pecans and was much more desert like). I also found one recipe for a southern sweet potato pie with a hint of lemon that was really good too. I got it from a woman who secretly gave me the recipe that had been in her family for many many generations! Now aside from those two highly sweet dishes of sweet potatoes I really cant say I'm that wild about them. I cant see having them in anything that isn't a sweet brown surgery dish...until now!

While visiting the really great blogs ( listing on the right side of this page) that I like to check out once or twice a week, I came across this recipe for a sweet potato hash on the Kitchen Picasso's blog. She stated she has never been too wild about sweet potatoes either but the seasonings in this dish mask the sweetness and really gives a good flavor. I decided to try it and have made it twice now. Its very good. Still a bit rich so a little does it for me, but as a side dish it was great and is very versatile for any meal of the day; breakfast, lunch or supper! I made them once as the recipe called and served it as a side to Supper. The last time I made it I shredded the sweet potatoes and served it along side of scrambled eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast. As Maggie (the Kitchen Picasso) stated: This recipe is based on the original " Party line with the Hearty Boys" recipe, which can be found on the Food Network.

Sweet Potato Hash (p2)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 2 cups)
2-3 sweet potatoes, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
pepper to taste
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (optional)

Heat a large skillet with oil and add the potatoes ( I found I like them shredded).
Cook til the potatoes start to get a bit tendar and add the onion , bell pepper and all the seasonings. Lower the heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and or browned like you like. The potatoes will begin to stick as they cook. Just continue to turn with a spatula. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed and serve.
Optional: Stir in 1/4 c green onions, top with another 1/4 c, serve and ENJOY!

Cabbage Goulash (p1)

I saw this dish on a really great blog called: deLIGHTful (click the name to go that blog). The blog owner, shell LOVES cabbage and created this dish one day. Its extremely good and easy to make. I don't think I have ever liked cabbage in a dish more than this one. Even my veggie picky teen liked it and even asked if I'd make another batch as we gobbled up the first one so fast. This dish is hearty, a full meal in itself, easy to make and tastes wonderful! I truly recommend it and cant say enough good about it, other than give it a try! Now when I made it, I added a bit more meat, an extra bell pepper and an extra amount of the seasonings as the head of cabbage I had was so big. This is truly a favorite in our home now and bet it will be in yours too. Below is a combo of the orrigional recipe and my additions.

Cabbage Goulash (p1)

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 bell peppers, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp chopped garlic (from jar)
1 to 2 c cooked hamburger meat, crumbled (I tend to make a big batch and use 2lbs of HB meat)
1 to 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 to 2 tsp cumin
1 to 2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
couscous or brown rice (optional)

In a large skillet precook the hamburger til crumbly and browned. Drain, rinse in hot water and drain again. Add back into the skillet and cook til all the water is gone and its cooked well (add a bit of salt too). Take out the cooked hamburger meat and set aside. In the same large skillet sauté the cabbage, onion, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil until tender. Add in all the seasonings and stir well. Add the pre-cooked hamburger meat, tomatoes, more seasoning if needed and let simmer still cabbage is tender and all the flavors mix...or til the wonderful smell gets to you and you HAVE To dig in! Ha ha.

Spoon mixture over couscous, brown rice or by its self on a big plate and ENJOY!

!!!!

Big Bird BEWARE!!!!!

I have feather plucking puppy Nerd-O's!

OK, so I'm typing at the computer and I look out into the backyard cuz the boys are being rather quiet and I see this:

I was telling Mozes to look at me and it got Euros attention and so he went to help Mozes.

...Hey Euro, don't try to look so innocent! you got some feathers sticking out of your mouth.

Mozes thinks that Euro is gonna get more than he got of that pen bird and he wouldn't look at me....however its like tolet paper on your shoes - look at the yellow feathers on his foot. Ha ha.



look at this face.....THIS is why i wanted him to look at me! HAHAHAHA....

Now if you're wondering what the heck they got into (or start to freak out thinking it was a real bird) it WAS this (a cute Pen I got for Xmas):

Note: The pen feathers can be fixed and the boys did not get into trouble (they are like toddlers and just had more fun with this new "toy") Good thing they are cute! :D

Gourmet Pizza (Wheat State Pizza Inspired) (p2)

My good friend Gretchen (the Kitchen Goddess), likes to eat at this great pizza place in Kansas called the Wheat State (check out their awesome menu at their site: Wheat State Pizza! ) Anyways, Gretchen told me about their great selection, wheat crusts, and fresh ingredients. She also told me about some of the specialties she and her family has enjoyed...and how I could recreate some of them in my own kitchen (as I live in Europe and wont be visiting this restaurant anytime soon). She mentioned that their really thin crust is much like a tortilla and that a whole wheat one would probably do just fine. She also said that on some of their pizzas they use Pesto Sauce instead of traditional red sauce. She and I visited about the possibilities and I've made MANY variations since then; its so versatile and easy! Its a great meal without stuffing yourself and its really about what you want to top it with that day :D The photos are of a: Pesto, Artichoke Hearts, Sweet Onion, Yellow Bell Peppers, Mushroom, Olive Oil, Salt and Mozzarella and the one for my daughter is: Red Pizza sauce, Yellow Bell Peppers, Cooked Ground Beef (crumbled), Sliced Deli Ham, Black Olives, Olive Oil, Salt and Mozzarella.

Gourmet Pizza (p2)
Ingredents:
Whole Wheat Tortilla, per person
Olive Oil
Salt
A good Red or Pesto sauce (I get a great one from a jar that has a wonderful flavor!)
Mozzarella Cheese and what ever toppings you want. Here are some basic ideas:

Beans, Tomatoes, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Spinach, Red Onions, Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, Banana Peppers, Spicy Peppers, Black Olives, Green Olives, Mushrooms, Pineapple chunks, Broccoli, Artichoke Hearts, Garlic, Portabella Mushrooms, Corn, Avocados, Turkey Pepperoni, Pork Sausage, Italian Sausage, Beef, Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Chicken, Anchovies, and or Shrimp, Herbs and or Dried Seasonings


I've made different variations like these:
Vegetarian:

• Pesto, Eggplant, Artichoke Hearts, Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Red Onions, Broccoli, Black Olives, Fresh Mushrooms, and Cheese
• Red sauce, Spinach, Portabella Mushrooms, Red Peppers, Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, and Mozzarella
• Pesto, Spinach, Black Olives, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Feta Cheese

Meat:

• Red Sauce, Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, Spinach, and Mozzarella Cheese
• Red Sauce, Bell peppers, Mushrooms, Canadian Bacon, Onion and Cheese
  
• Dry oregano, Fat Free re fried Beans, Taco Seasoned Ground Beef, Diced Onions, topped with Taco Sauce, Sour Cream, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Black Olives and Cheddar Cheese
• Red and Pesto sauce mixed, Grilled Chicken, Artichoke Hearts, Mushrooms, Red Onion

As you can see there are really a lot of variations. Its just a matter of what you are hungry for or have on hand.
Basic instructions:

1. Of coarse precook any raw meat however you like....grill, bake, fry, steam etc....
2. Chop the veggies or drain canned veggies
3. Lay out one whole wheat tortilla per person on ungreased baking sheet
   
4. Spread prepared Pesto Sauce or Red Pizza Sauce over tortilla
5. Top with what ever meats and veggies you like, drizzle a little olive oil on top, sprinkle with salt and bake 15 to 20 mins at 350 degrees - or til all ingredients are at desired doneness.
   
6. Take out and top with Cheese and bake another 10 to 15 mins til the cheese is turning golden and bubbly.
   
7. If you are making Taco Pizza than top with the sauce, beans, meat and bake 20 mins or so and then top with cold veggies; lettuce, tomato, black olives, salsa and sour cream and then ENJOY!

NOTE: This thin crust base doesn't lend itself to be picked up and eaten like the thicker crust variations. This gourmet pizza is best eaten European Style (with a knife and fork)