Barley Beef Stew

One of my pet peeves is wasting food. As a kid, I always finished my plate. I try to plan my trips to the store to account for nights where we won't be eating dinner at home. I hate throwing out food. What I hate even more, is the fact that Skinny Fat Kid can't cook and will spend money on takeout even though we have a full fridge. On most nights, he walks Izzy while I make dinner so its a bit difficult to get him involved and have him figure out where the stove is.
I was heading to Chicago for a long weekend with a fridge full of food and a hungry SFK. Before I hopped on the plane, I made up some of this barley burger stew. He gave it good reviews so I figured it was worthy of a post! And as an added bonus, I actually got to take pictures in natural sunlight!

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain, if necessary.
• Add in tomato juice, water, barley, chili powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 50-60 minutes or until barley is tender.  

Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries

Skinny Fat Kid would eat sweet potatoes at every meal if he could. Easily his favorite food. I've been making him sweet potato fries since we've started dating. Sometimes they're wedges, sometimes their fries. They're always good but I'm still working on perfecting that crispiness that you want in a fry.
I asked my mom for a French Fry cutter for Christmas. I figured if all my fries were uniform, they may cook evenly and actually be crispy! And sweet potatoes are not the easiest veggie to cut! Turns out, we couldn't find a French Fry cutter that wasn't going to take over my kitchen and would still work. I came across this knife that easily cuts through sweet potatoes and gives them a nice crinkle cut look!
















Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• Other spices to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Slice sweet potatoes as evenly as you can. Place all sweet potatoes in plastic bag. 
• Add in olive and spices. Shake to coat.
• Place on parchment or foil lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake about 15 minutes. Turn over and bake about an additional 10. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn!

Sausage Pasta Bake

Isn't it annoying when your day job gets in the way of blogging?? I've been working late nights and traveling on weekends for work which leaves little to no time for blogging or cooking! I do have a stash of recipes backlogged, but haven't had time to work up the posts yet...there's just not enough time in the day! What little spare time I have has gone to bizzy Izzy. Don't want her to feel neglected! She needs stimulation to keep her quiet, which of course makes it very difficult to blog! I hope to set aside one weekend soon to build up some posts.
Enough of my complaining and on to the food!

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 12oz whole wheat rotini or penne pasta
• 14oz can whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound hot turkey sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375. 
• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a blender or food processor, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and pepper. Cover and blend until smooth. 
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings and cook in skillet until browned and cooked through. 
• Add tomato mixture to skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add in pasta and olives. 
• Place pasta mixture in casserole or dutch oven. Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Pineapple Cranberry Pork Roast

Pork really is the other white meat. I love the new pork commercials that just came out. Makes me want to eat more pork. I'm not pig obsessed like some are, but pork is a the perfect protein for me. Bacon, pork belly, pork tenderloin, pulled pork, pork chops, pork loin, and more. Not all is healthy, but all is good.
I went to the store with the hopes of picking up a pork shoulder/pork butt to make some pulled pork. All of them were huge and I knew would never fit in my crockpot. Next to those monsters, was a nice, little pork loin roast. Wrapped up all nice and neat, and on sale too! This little guy would definitely fit in my slow cooker. I had no idea what to do with it, but figured I could find something! This package of pork sat in my freezer for a few weeks. Skinny Fat Kid recently came home with a new, big, slow cooker for me from his mom. I was motivated to defrost this little loin and eat it up!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• Boneless pork loin roast
• Seasoned salt 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 20oz can pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Rub pork on all sides with seasoned salt and black pepper. Place in slow cooker. 
• Pour pineapple chunks and juice over pork and sprinkle cranberries over top. 
• Cover and cook 7 hours on low. 
• Let meat rest before slicing.

Healthier Corn Fritters

Growing up, one of my favorite (and not so healthy) side dishes was corn fritters. For some reason, I remember my dad always making these, even though he didn't spend too much time in the kitchen. I may be wrong on this one, and I'm sure my mom will correct me on this! They were made with pancake batter and fried up in canola oil. They were greasy, savory and delicious!
I found this recipe for Timmy Cakes and used it as my inspiration. The Johnny Cake has been said to have originated in my home state of Rhode Island. I can't say we ever ate too many Johnny cakes, even though I recall attending a Johnny Cake Festival....how did I go to a festival and not eat Johnny cakes? Again, I'm sure my mom will step in and correct me on this one....

Makes about 12 fritters

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp Splenda or other sugar substitute
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup corn meal
• 1 can whole kernel corn

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in bowl. 
• Heat skillet with thin layer of olive or canola oil. You need just enough so they don't stick. Cook until browned. 

I only set the smoke detector off once making these with a stray kernel of corn that went south on my skillet. Usually happens at least once a week, so I hope that was my quota!

Coconut Chicken Salad

I've been a fan of Gina's Skinny Taste before I started blogging. It was one of the first healthy food blogs I frequented and she somewhat motivated me to get my own blog started. Most of her recipes are things that I have tried or definitely want to try. Lately I've been bookmarking nearly every single one! They are always healthy and most of the time simple enough for your average weeknight!
Today it was 77 degrees and humid here in NY. A terrible hair day. But much better than the 50 degrees that its been lately! A salad was the way to go for dinner tonight.

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (butterflied if thick)
• 6 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg white
• mixed greens
• 1 plum tomato, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 tsp dijon mustard

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine coconut and panko in shallow bowl. Put egg white in another shallow bowl.
• Dip chicken in egg, then press in coconut mixture. Place chicken on foil lined baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked, turning halfway. 
• Mix oil, honey, vinegar and mustard in small bowl. 
• Place your veggies on plate (feel free to add additional veggies). When chicken is ready, slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in microwave for 10 seconds. Pour over salads. 

Izzy got a great shin bone from the butcher on Sunday. She's been hard a work on it. She decided if she wedged it between the 2 ottomans in the living room, she could go to town on it without having to hold with her paws!

White Chicken Chili

I'm baaaaackkkk. Did you miss me?? I've been going through my saved recipes for the blog and came across this one for the white chicken chili. Figured I needed to get this one up since the weather is finally getting warmer and who wants chili in the summer?? I'll credit my sister for sending this recipe my way. I"m not sure I would have gone for this since I'm so in love with my Smokin' Chili. But this is definitely a nice change of pace.

Apparently this is a knock-off recipe of the Cheesecake Factory's White Chicken Chili. I can't say I've ever had it there so I can't say for sure!

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 4oz cans chopped green chile peppers
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 packets low sodium chicken bouillon
• 6 cups water
• 5 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 5 15oz cans white beans
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:

• In large dutch oven, heat oil over low to medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to carmelize. Add in the jalapenos, garlic, green chile peppers, oregano, cumin, cayenne and bouillon. 
• Cook, stirring often for about 3 minutes. Mix in water, chicken and 4 cans of the white beans. 
• Take the final can of beans and blend it or mash it. This will serve as a bit of a thickener. Add it to the chili. 
• Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Remove from heat and add in cheese, stirring until melted.

Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls

Food is a total comfort for me. After a hard day at the office or an exhausting weekend, there's nothing I want more than an awesome meal (and probably a glass of wine). I'm not talking about going on a binge with a bag of Doritos and some cupcakes. I'm talking about a good, filling meal that tastes awesome and makes you forget about everything for that 20 minutes or so that you're scarfing it down. And good company helps too. While I'll admit Skinny Fat Kid and I usually have the TV on while we eat, its really the only time we get to sit down together and talk since we're both so busy. And most of the time we're watching Bizzy Izzy to make sure she doesn't jump on the counter and snag some leftovers!

I've been trying to do more baking and came across this recipe for sweet potato crescent rolls. Hello!! Sound amazing....must try. I made a few changes to make them a bit healthier as SFK would not appreciate it if I dropped 1/4lb of butter in there!

Makes about 2 dozen rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1/4 cup Splenda (or sugar)
• 1 T active dry yeast
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup no sugar added applesauce
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

• Heat sweet potato, milk, applesauce and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until melted and warm. Remove from heat.
• Mix together 1 1/2 cup flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice.
• Add sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add in egg and continue to combine. 
• Add enough flour to make dough easy to handle and not sticky. Likely closer to the 2 cup mark. Knead dough for about 7 minutes, until elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled. 
• Once dough is doubled, punch it down and divide in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface to about a 12" circle (mine were definitely bigger!)
• Cut each circle into wedges and roll up each wedge from wide end to point. Place point side down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until doubled. 
• Bake at 375 for about 12-15 minutes. 

So as I was writing this recipe, I realized that I only added 1/4 cup of milk. I guess my head just wasn't there yesterday! I did end up adding less flour at the end, and now I know why! These won't be extremely flaky like your typical popped out of the can crescent rolls will. Probably because I eliminated almost all the butter. But the taste makes up for anything you're missing with the texture! 

Mediterranean Spaghetti

Its April 1st today and its about 35 degrees outside. So unfair! It was sleeting a bit this morning on my walk with Bizzy Izzy and we were not too happy about it. There's a missing dog in our small city so we spent some extra time hittin' the pavement to see if we can spot her. At one point, Izzy became excited about something underneath a car. Could it be??! Nope, just some pizza crust that she wanted to snack on. It wasn't whole wheat though so Skinny Fat Kid would not have approved of that snack.

I started to get excited about the idea of getting to grill again a few weeks ago when the weather was 70! What a tease! For now, I'm still sticking with heartier foods. This was a spaghetti bake that was warm, hearty and filling. I adapted the recipe from Cooking Light.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (I used Shiraz)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes, undrainged
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parm, divided
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs, divided
• 4 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the first 4 ingredients and saute for 5 minutes. Add the wine and next 6 ingredients (through tomatoes). Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until thick. 
• Combine flour, milk and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add in feta, 1 tablespoon parmesan and egg.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs into a casserole or dutch oven. Place 2 cups of spaghetti in casserole and top with 2 cups of ground turkey mixture and 1 cup of cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle remaining parmesan and breadcrumbs over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.