Creamy Taco Mac

CREAMY TACO MAC

Thanks, Annie, for another great recipe.  This was such an easy dish to make after a long day at work.  Soooo tasty and much, much better than the boxed stuff.

Creamy Taco Mac (Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey

8 oz. dry pasta shapes

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tbsp. taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Source: adapted from Delish

Spicy Shrimp Po’ Boys

SPICY SHRIMP PO' BOYS

I was stumped on my meal plan for the week, so I headed over to Annie's Eats.  She has such great recipes, so definitely check her out. 

This was so easy to put together and it had such incredible flavor.  Highly recommended!

Spicy Shrimp Po' Boys (Annie's Eats)
Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the remoulade sauce:
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 tbsp. stone ground mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tbsp. pickle juice
½ tsp. prepared horseradish
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. hot paprika
Dash of hot sauce

For the sandwiches:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning blend
1 baguette (or 4 sandwich rolls)
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato

Directions:

To make the remoulade sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can just mix it in a small bowl with a spoon.) Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill until ready to use.

To prepare the sandwiches, combine the shrimp with the olive oil and cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Toss well to coat the shrimp. Heat a grill pan to medium-high and grill the shrimp just until opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Slice the baguette into 4 servings, and cut horizontally to open the bread. Spread some of the remoulade sauce onto both pieces of the bread. Layer the bottom slice of bread with shrimp, then top with lettuce and tomato as desired. Top with the remaining piece of bread and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Creamy Garlic Pork Chops

CREAMY PORK CHOPS

This is a recipe my mom often made.  It's super easy and is always a great go-to choice for a quick weeknight meal.  Matt really enjoys this one . I serve it with mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie on the side.

Creamy Garlic Pork Chops:

4 boneless center cut pork chops

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lawry's seasoning salt (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Campbell's cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

1/2 can skim milk (I use the Campbell's can)

1/2 cup sour cream

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chops on both sides with Lawry's & black pepper.  Add chops to skillet and brown on both sides (approximately 5-7 mins per side).

In a medium sauce pan, add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and skim milk.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Once pork chops are browned, place them in a greased 9x9 glass baking pan.  Cover the chops with the soup mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 -1 1/2 hours, until pork chops are tender.

Benchiladas

BENCHILADAS

Thanks to Annie for this fabulous recipe.  It was incredibly easy to put together and was a big crowd pleaser!  I'll be putting this recipe into regular rotation. 

Cheesy Chicken "Benchiladas" (Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
8 oz. Ranch salad dressing
flour tortillas (10-15) - we like Azteca, packs of 10
jar of salsa
shredded mexican cheese (I usually use close to 4 cups, I love cheese!)

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit.

While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13" pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 10-15 enchiladas).

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

**I boiled my chicken breast in 4 cups of chicken broth for about 25 mins and then chopped it up after it was cooled**

Strawberry Bread

STRAWBERRY BREAD

This has officially become my FAVORITE bread.  I took a loaf over my parent's house last night and they feel the same way!  This is a must try!  You can find the recipe here.  Her pictures are much better than mine!

Strawberry Bread
Vintage Victuals

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped (frozen strawberries work too!)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the juices start flowing!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease well two 8×5-inch loaf pans. Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl; make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except strawberries), stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in the strawberries with their juices. Divide evenly between the prepared loaf pans, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove to racks.

Note: this recipe also makes great muffins. Fill muffin cups almost full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Creamy Shrimp Over Brown Rice

CREAMY SHRIMP OVER BROWN RICE

This recipe is a twist on the Creamy Shrimp & Grits recipe I found on With a Cherry on Top.  The recipe was a huge hit with my husband.  Would definitely make it again! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Lemon

1/4 Tsp. Lawry's Seasoning Salt

2 slices Bacon, chopped

1 Sm. Onion, chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, cliced

1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Scallions, sliced

2 Tbsp. Flour

14.5 ounce can of Chicken Broth

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare rice, following directions on package.

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp with the juice of the lemon and 1/4 tsp Lawry's; stir and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Add in the onions and red peppers; continue cooking until onions become translucent and peppers are tender. Stir in the garlic and scallions and let cook up for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, spinach and cook until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). 

Once the gravy has thickened, add in the shrimp and cook until pink (about 3-5 minutes).

Spoon the rice into a large shallow bowl and top with shrimp mixture; serve immediately.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce

SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE AND SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

So delicious!  Great weeknight meal.  I added some red bell pepper and spinach.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

4. Place tomatoes in a food processor; process until almost smooth. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Add sausage and cooked pasta to pan; toss well. Top with fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Easy Pumpkin Waffles

EASY PUMPKIN WAFFLES

So delicious!  We really enjoyed these!

PUMPKIN WAFFLES

Yield: 4 servings (approximately 8 waffles)

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/3 cup Hungry Jack Original Pancake & Waffle Mix

1/2 cup Libby's 100% pure pumpkin

1 1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon ginger

DIRECTIONS:

Heat waffle iron and grease, if needed.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir ingredients until well blended.  Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto center of hot waffle iron. Close lid of waffle iron.

Cook about 4-6 minutes or until steaming stops. Carefully remove waffle.

Enjoy!

Rio Grande Meat Loaf

RIO GRANDE MEAT LOAF

Matt asked for Southwest meat loaf for dinner last night.  I ended up finding this recipe on Cooking Light and it was perfect.  The meat loaf was so moist and full of flavor!  We'll definitely be making this again!

RIO GRANDE MEAT LOAF
(Cooking Light)

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 slices)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 taco shells, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 egg whites
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pounds ground round
Vegetable cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine first 12 ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Crumble beef over vegetable mixture, and stir just until blended.

Pack mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let meat loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove meat loaf from pan; cut loaf into 16 slices. Serve with commercial salsa, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 234 (29% from fat), Fat: 7.5g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.9g) , Protein: 28.9g, Carbohydrate: 11.6g, Fiber: 1.9g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Iron: 4.1mg, Sodium: 483mg, Calcium: 31mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 1996

Corn and Smoked Mozzarella Mashed Potatoes

CORN AND SMOKE MOZZARELLA MASHED POTATOES

These potatoes were absolutely delicious.  The addition of the smoky mozzarella was amazing!  This was the perfect side for our Rio Grane Meat Loaf!  Highly recommended!

CORN AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA MASHED POTATOES
(Cooking Light)

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking Spray
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender.

Drain and return potato to pan. Add milk, cheese, and butter; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Add corn, cilantro, and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 240 (27% from fat), Fat:7.2g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.6g), Protein:7.2g, Carbohydrate:39.7g, Fiber:4g, Cholesterol:19mg, Iron:1.5mg, Sodium: 325mg, Calcium:77mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

White Bean Chicken Chili

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

I'm so glad I finally made this recipe. This is the first time I've ever made a white chili and now I'm hooked. So, so tasty and easy to put together. I followed Annie's recipe exactly. I highly recommend this dish. You'll love it! Be sure to check out Annie's Eats, as she has amazing recipes. Thanks, Annie!

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI
(Annie's Eats)

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. oil
2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
½ cup whipping cream
fresh cilantro and paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and whipping cream. Sprinkle with paprika and top with fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.

Barley and Beef Soup

BARLEY AND BEEF SOUP

I made this soup on Sunday. It was so, so good and made great leftovers.

BARLEY AND BEEF SOUP
(Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrot (about 4)
1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and beef to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add chopped carrot and chopped celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in barley and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until the barley is done and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 275, Fat: 5g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 21.8g, Carbohydrate: 36g, Fiber: 8g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Iron: 3.1mg, Sodium: 649mg, Calcium: 57mg

Curried Beef and Lentil Stew

CURRIED BEEF AND LENTIL STEW

It's been a while. Things have been so hectic around the house and work has been keeping me busy. Weight Watchers is going great! I'm sooo close to goal! YAY!

Anyway, on to the recipe. This is another Cooking Light recipe. This was a great weeknight dinner. The flavor was great and it was super easy to put together.

CURRIED LAMB AND LENTIL STEW

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean boned leg of lamb (I used beef stew meat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup lentils
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
3 1/2 cups chopped collards or spinach (1/4 pound) (I omitted)
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Trim fat from lamb, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Set lamb aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add lamb; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Add curry, cumin, and pepper; stir well to coat. Add broth, lentils, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add greens and carrot; simmer 10 minutes or until lamb is tender. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Note: The purchase weight of lamb is 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds to equal 1 pound, trimmed.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 309 (26% from fat), Fat: 8.8g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.9g), Protein: 33.7g, Carbohydrate: 25g, Fiber: 5.7g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Iron: 6.9mg, Sodium: 311mg, Calcium:
115mg

**NUTRITIONAL INFO IS FOR THE ORIGINAL RECIPE AND DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CHANGES**

Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

ROSEMARY-MERLOT FLANK STEAK

I had seen flank steak on sale at the meat market, so I decided to give it a try. It was such a nice change from our typical chicken dishes! Good stuff!

As far as an update on my weight loss, I am on Week 15 and down 21.75. I have to say that these Cooking Light recipes really make it easy for me to stick to the program. I have yet to have a bad meal and they don't taste light at all!

ROSEMARY-MERLOT FLANK STEAK - (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
3/4 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat grill or broiler.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

While steak cooks, combine reserved marinade, tomato paste, and mustard in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 7 minutes). Serve the sauce with steak.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 203 (39% from fat), Fat: 8.8g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.5g) Protein: 23.8g, Carbohydrate: 6.1g, Fiber: 1.1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Iron: 2.7mg, Sodium: 445mg, Calcium: 32mg

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

So, I decided to make a couple loaves of pumpkin bread to take into work. With doing Weight Watchers I don't make too many sweets. Having them around usually leads to me eating them, so I just don't tempt myself like that. Anyway, I took a loaf and Matt took a loaf. Everyone loved it. When I got home, Matt had only taken 3/4 of his loaf and saved some for us. I was so happy because I was dying to try it. This is seriously my favorite pumpkin bread. It's so moist, sweet and incredibly tasty. It's the perfect fall recipe.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD - (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar (I only used 1.5 cups)
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding (I used fat-free vanilla yogurt)
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 152 (30% from fat), Fat: 5g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.1g), Protein: 2g, Carbohydrate: 26.5g, Fiber: 1.1g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 1mg, Sodium: 137mg Calcium: 10mg

Mexican Lasagna

MEXICAN LASAGNA

I couldn't think of anything to make today, so I turned to Matt. He first asked me to make lasagna. Then he asked if I could make a Mexican lasagna. I remembered seeing this recipe on Pioneer Woman's site and decided today would be the perfect day to whip this up.

We both LOVED this. The flavor was on point and it tasted like something you'd get at a fancy restaurant! Best part is, we'll have plenty of leftovers for a few days! I'm not complaining! I halved the recipe and baked it in my deep ceramic lasagna pan.

MEXICAN LASAGNA
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unprepared rice
3-4 cups chicken broth
2-4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed
1 can black beans, undrained
taco seasoning (or chili powder, paprika and cumin)
1 ½ lb. ground sirloin
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde
8-12 small flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
8 oz. enchilada sauce
1 can corn, drained
sour cream and cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the rice according to package directions with chicken broth in place of the water. In a large skillet, melt a half tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until onion is tender. Add in chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each), to taste. Stir to combine. Add the can of beans and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add cooked rice. Stir to mix well.

In the now empty skillet, brown the ground sirloin. Mix with chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each) and salt to taste, as well as 2 oz. of water to create the taco beef.

To assemble the lasagna, pour half of the jar of salsa verde in an even layer over the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer evenly with flour tortillas to cover. Spread approximately half of the rice mixture evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded Mexican cheese. Add another layer of flour tortillas. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Spread taco beef evenly over the enchilada sauce. Layer one can of corn over the beef. Top with the remaining rice mixture in an even layer. Spread the remaining salsa verde evenly over the rice, and sprinkle with a layer of shredded cheese to finish.

Bake at 375° for 25-35 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving. Top individual servings with sour cream and fresh cilantro, for garnish.

Barbecued Pork Chops

BARBECUED PORK CHOPS

I'm always looking for new ways to cook up pork chops. This recipe is now my ABSOLUTE favorite. The BBQ sauce is so tangy and flavorful and the dry rub on the chops is so yummy! So, yeah, I'll be making this quite often. Maybe, one day, I can get a better picture. This one isn't very good!!

I doubled the sauce and doubled the rub. I used most of the rub, but not all of it.

BARBECUED PORK CHOPS - (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Remaining ingredients:
6 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick) (I used 4 boneless center cut chops)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare sauce, combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Place 1/4 cup sauce in a small bowl, and set aside.

Trim fat from pork. Combine the thyme, garlic salt, and pepper; sprinkle over pork. Place pork on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side, basting with remaining sauce. Serve pork chops with reserved 1/4 cup sauce.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 244 (42% from fat), Fat: 11.3g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 1.4g), Protein: 24.6g, Carbohydrate: 9.9g, Fiber: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Iron: 1.5mg, Sodium: 649mg, Calcium: 22mg

**NUTRITIONAL INFO IS FOR THE ORIGINAL RECIPE AND DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CHANGES**

Spicy Jalapeño Corn Bread

SPICY JALAPENO CORN BREAD

This was my first attempt at corn bread and it turned out excellent. It went perfectly with the chili. Yum ... you must try this!!!

Spicy Jalapeño Corn Bread - (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeño peppers
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet coated with cooking spray in oven 5 minutes or until heated (I used a 9 inch pie plate).

3. Combine cornmeal, corn, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, cheese, jalapeños, butter, honey, oil, and eggs in a small bowl; add to cornmeal mixture. Stir just until combined. Spoon mixture into preheated pan. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into 12 wedges.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 138 (33% from fat), Fat: 5.1g (sat 1.9g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 4.7g, Carbohydrate: 19.5g, Fiber: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Iron: 0.8mg, Sodium: 263mg, Calcium: 68mg,

Springfield Chilli

SPRINGFIELD CHILLI / CHILI

Per Cooking Light, the Illinois version of chili is typically spelled with an extra "l," so don't think I didn't use spell check!

This was so, so good. All the flavors went perfectly together. This has to be the best chili I have ever made!! I was very impressed!

Springfield Chilli - (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
1 bacon slice, finely chopped
2 1/4 cups finely chopped onion, divided (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound coarsely ground turkey breast
1/2 pound coarsely ground sirloin
1 (12-ounce) can beer (such as Budweiser)
3 tablespoons chili powder (I used an extra 1/2 T)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I doubled)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (I doubled)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I added an extra can of kidney beans)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Oyster crackers (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in 2 cups onion; cover and cook until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Uncover and stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.

2. Increase heat to medium-high; add turkey and sirloin to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add beer; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 7 minutes). Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through tomato sauce). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 4 teaspoons cheese and 2 teaspoons onion. Serve with crackers, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 278 (25% from fat), Fat: 7.7g (sat 3.4g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.6g), Protein: 33.1g, Carbohydrate: 20.3g, Fiber: 4.5g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Iron: 3.2mg, Sodium: 623mg, Calcium: 123mg

(Nutritional information is for the recipe made as printed. It does not include my changes.)

Healthy Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

HEALTHY PUMPKIN RAISIN MUFFINS

I love, love pumpkin and was so excited to see this recipe on Elly's blog. Not only are these muffins incredibly tasty, they are healthy too! I followed the recipe exactly and will definitely make these again!

Healthy Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - (Elly)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ginger

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable/canola oil, if you're not calorie counting)

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Sift together flours, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.

In a separate bowl, beat egg with brown sugar until well combined. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, applesauce and pumpkin puree.

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts and raisins.
Pour mixture into muffin cups and bake approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutrition Info, per muffin: Calories: 143 / Fat: 3g / Carbs: 27g / Dietary Fiber: 2.4g / Sugar: 2.2g / Protein: 3.8g