Broccoli Pesto Pasta

I found this recipe in a magazine, and thougth it sounded and looked great. I love bright colorful food, especially on a dark winter night, it lights up the night and the dinner table. I couldnt find my recipe, so I just made it up, and it came out pretty good I thought. I just dont know how one can go wrong with pesto. A few of the key ingredients are garlic, olive oil, parmesean cheese, nuts(optional, but we like) and then main ingredient of choice-basil, olives, roasted pepper, murshroom etc....broccoli sounded healthy and flavorful, and it was.
Here is my less then 5 minute recipe:
1 lb tubular pasta
boil according to direction
2 cups frozen broccoli thawed
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 half cup parm
1/4 cup almolds
salt and pepper
put all in food processor or blender and pulse until creates a paste(keep in blender until pasta is boiled)
when noodles are cooked, drain and keep 1/2 cup water for reserve
pour 1/2 cup pasta water into pesto and pulse for 20 seconds
toss pesto and pasta together, serve with fresh parm


and that's your simple broccoli pesto pasta meal.

Roasted Cauliflower

Yum!! I saw this recipe in http://www.skinnytaste.com/, a while back and I thought it looked so good. I am a big fan of cauliflour. I love the taste and I love the versitility. That reminds me of a pizza crust made with cauliflour that is gluten free that I will have to make for the blog. In the
meantime, this is very easy, and super good.

medium cauliflower washed and cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves minced
juice from 1/2 medium lemon
1/4 cup fresh parmesean

preheat oven to 450
in a baking dish mix cauliflower, oil, garlic and lemon
bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
top with cheese, bake 5 more minutes
serve

pizza Blackbean Burger

Back again, to finish out the calender month/year of cooking on a budget- our blackbean burger. This meal has proven to be one of the most economical and healthy meat replacements we have discovered. Beans are one of the healthiest foods one can eat. They contain high amounts of fiber which is amazing at lowering cholesterol, and protein which is a very needed building block for our healthy bodies, but they are virtually fat free! I like to bake my burgers and then at the end of cooking, I throw them under the broiler to give them that crisp kindof bbq flavor.

1 can blackbeans(drained and rinsed thoroughly)
1/cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp redpepper flakes
1 tsp oregano(optional)
1 cup diced tomatos
4 slices mozarella or provolone cheese

In food processor or blender mix all ingredients except tomatos and cheese
when thoroughly mixed for into 4 patties(I usually like to stick them on a tray and put them in freezer for an hour, so they arent so mushy to work with)
bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350
top with cheese and tomato and cook another 5 minutes until cheese is meleted
serve with or without bread, if eating with bread or bun, stick to wholewheat and get all the grainy goodness

Stuffed Chili and Cheese Potato

Haven't done this in a long time - and this one is different from our previous potato bars because it's got last night's chili in it!  Potato bar is SO versatile, and something we should do more often.  The health factor in this dish is in appropriately choosing your potato.  A serving of potato for you is about the size of your fist.  What's right for you is not right for your spouse...choose wisely.  Also, don't dump the bag of cheese onto your potato... it needs a sprinkle, not a bath!

4 medium potatoes
2-3 cups left over white chili from last night
16 ounces frozen broccoli (12 will do if that's what size bag you have)
shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese

microwave potato until soft - about 7 minutes for one - probably 15 minutes for all four.  You  can open the microwave and touch your potato - it should be slightly soft when you sqeeze it.  When the potatoes are done, remove them to a plate and cover with an inverted serving bowl to lock in the moisture.  Very important step!!!
warm the chili and the broccoli together either in the microwave or stove top. 
Next cut the potato lengthwise, top with the chili mix, then sprinkle with cheese.

Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl

Ah, recipe two from the desktop cleanup!  This picture looks so yummo, and easy!  AND healthy.  Under 500 calories for sure.  Man, I oughta clean the desk more often :-).

Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl.

8 oz whole wheat pasta (spaghetti type)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic
ginger to taste, peeled and grated
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
8 cups frozen stir-fry veggies (buy the ones from Aldi, throw the sauce away!)

4 tablespoons chopped peanuts
scallions or green onions, sliced.

COok pasta according to directions.  In a skillet, saute' peanut butter, lime juice, garlic, and ginger for one minute.  Add adamame and veggies and cook for 12 minutes until veggies are tender.  Pour over pasta.  Top with peanuts and scallions.

(So, here's a meatless version for Barbara - I'm thinking of adding shrimp to mine for protein! - sorry B, gotta do it!)

Italian Sausage & Veg Pasta

Cleaned off my desk yesterday - the one in the basement that hasn't been cleaned off in "a while" we'll leave the description of time as that.  I found some cool recipes that I'd pulled uhm before we began this project.  Anyway, this one page had three kickin' recipes that we're going with this week - this being the first of them.

To me this is sort of a justification recipe...see, this is something I would regularly make for the family but usually feel that it's more of a thrown together meal than cooking from a recipe - but now I have a recipe for this, so it legitimizes my method of healthy meal making!  Sweet!

In the picture above I omitted the pasta entirely - part of my reduced carb consumption plan (we don't say diet here in my house!).  I subbed in a bowl full of baby spinach but otherwise followed my recipe.  Calories? as if...

bring together
8 ounces whole-wheat pasta
2 cups spaghetti sauce (of choice)
4 pre-cooked Chicken or Sausage sausages - like Asiago and Spinach Chicken Brats or Sundried Tomato and Gouda or whatever you find/like.
4-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup grated Parmsan cheese (to your liking - this seems like ALOT!)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Saute the mushrooms, onions and zucchini in a large frying pan over medium heat (sprayed lightly with cooking spray) - after about 5 minutes, add the sliced sausages and garlic, brown slightly - another 4-5 minutes, then add the sauce for the final few minutes until it's all hot and married together and the veggies are really tender.
Top pasta with sauce mixture and sprinkle with cheese!

SIMPLE and YUMMY! -

Roasted Red Pepper, Onion and Swiss Cheese Quiche

I love this blog because I step outside my comfort zone all the time in the kitchen and then I realize I should have done it long, long ago. Ive never made quiche before, Ive ordered it in resturaunts , but never made it before. It couldnt have been easier and although my son didnt like our selection of add ins in the quiche tonight, he liked the crust and I am sure I can come up with some other combos ie deli meat, bacon, veggies that he wouild like.
I have to admit I didnt make my own crust, that is on my list of things to do next. I just didnt have time and truly the crust I got at Aldi was good and easy and two crusts came in the package, so we will be having another quiche or pie in the very near future.
heres the recipe, short and sweet

Ingredients
1 pie shell
4 eggs(two whole eggs, two egg whites)
1 large red pepper
1 half onion(sliced thin)
1/2 cup milk
2 sliced swiss cheese cut into pieces(size of a dime)
salt and pepper to taste

wash pepper and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until pepper begins to look slightly shriveled
remove from oven and place in plastic bag
let sit for 15 minutes, remove and carefully peal skin off, and dice peppers
in a skillet heat oil and saute onions until glassy
add peppers last few minutes of saute
in seperate bowl crack eggs, whisk in milk
add pepper onion combo and swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste
pour into pie shell
bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top of quiche is golden brown
let stand 5 minutes and cut into pie shape pieces

Pasta Primavera Fall Style

This pasta was a fun dish because it truly was made as quick as the pasta noodles boiled(hey, btw, just discovered water boils much quicker on an electric stove than a gas stove.) This was a clean out the fridge for my friend and I, and I love those kind of nights because the old me would usually just let the food get rotten, but the new thrifty me tries never to waste. I had carrots, onion and zucchini that needed to be used and my friend had brussel sprouts that needed a meal to be part of, so our "Fall Primavera" was created. The meal was simple, fresh, and light. I even got Michael to try a brussel sprout.

Ingredient
2 carrots pealed and cut into 2 inch(approx) match sticks
1/2 lb brussel sprouts
2 zucchinis pealed and sliced horizontally
1 medium onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 tablespoon olive oil
s(alt and pepper to taste
parm cheese
1 lb pasta

boil noodles according to instruction
in large skillet heat oil on medium and add onions
cook onions until glassy
add garlic on low, saute for 5 minutes, stirring and careful not to burn
add remaining vegetables
saute 10 minutes, or until pasta is done
drain pasta noodles leaving 1/4 cup pasta water aside
add water to vegetable saute
salt and pepper to taste
toss pasta in skillet with the vegetables
and serve
parm cheese optional

Spaghetti Squash with Zucchini in a Sage and Butter Sauce

Thumbing through our recipes, I didnt realize we just had spaghetti squash a few weeks ago. This dish will be totally different becuase the squash really takes on the flavor of the sauce and we are going to do a butter sage sauce instead of a red sauce. The biggest draw to this dish for me is the illusion of eating pasta but not being weighed down by the gluten.
This squash can be boiled or baked, we are going to bake the squash.
ingredients
2 squash cut in half lengthwise, scoop out insides including sead and discard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoons butter

1 medium zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
parm cheese

preheat oven to 375
place squash on a bake pan cut side up, brush olive oil on top and salt and pepper
bake for 35-40 minutes
remove from oven and remove all the spaghetti squash with a spoon or hand
in a skillet melt butter add zucchini and sage saute until zucchine soft

add squash and saute together for 5 minutes
remove from stove and top with parm cheese

Roasted Corn and Pepper Soup

Here's another "researching" recipe ... we found this recipe just like you found it... while searching the web for something that sounded irrestiably good!  We hope we enjoy it!  But really, read the ingredients, what's not to LOVE?  And there are only about 150 calories in a 2 cup serving!  YUM!  Serve it with a side salad and a regular size serving of crusty bread and it's a full meal.  you could also, of course, pair it with meat of your choosing - fish or chicken, probably even burgers or even a steak.  It's a very versatile soup!

Roasted Corn and Pepper Soup


This is a great recipe when the garden is overflowing. (but if it's the dead of winter, we've got alternatives!)

INGREDIENTS

4 ears yellow corn, shucked OR a pound of frozen corn kernels

3 bell peppers, (red, orange or yellow) OR 1 jar roasted peppers packed in water

5 Roma tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped  OR 1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes, drained

1 T olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, finely diced
pinch red pepper
1/4 t cumin, ground
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t black pepper
16 oz chicken broth, low sodium
1 T chives, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Roast the corn and peppers over a grill set on medium heat or in a 400 degree oven until the kernels just start to brown and the skin of the peppers starts to char. Place the peppers in a paper bag or in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Allow the peppers to steam for 10 minutes. While the peppers are steaming, allow the corn to cool to the touch. Using a knife and slicing away from you, remove the kernels from the cob. (if using frozen corn, follow the same directions, but spread the kernels out into a single layer on a dark baking sheet and bake as outlined herein).  Remove the charred skin from the peppers and chop them.

Heat a large stock pot or saucepan over moderate heat. Add oil and once hot, add onions. Cook onions for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree approximately half of the soup with an immersion blender or in food processor - mix the puree and the "chunky stuff" together and serve.  You can also puree all of the soup - it's your choice!

Make four two-cup servings.

Polenta with Mushrooms

I was at a wedding last weekend and three food items being served struck my fancy, I decided I want to make them all on this blog. There was a cream of polenta that was out of this world. It was similar to mashed potatoes, but it was very creamy considering polenta is very gritty. Im not sure how this was accomplished, possibly lots of butter and it was run through food porcessor after cooked, at any rate everyone was raving about the "polenta".

I decided to make polenta as a main entres on the blog this week, since I have never actually made it before and nor has Kim. However, I decided to not try to replicate what I had the other night since I really dont know how it was prepared and It was more of a side dish, not an entres. Upon researching Polenta, I discovered their are tons and tons of ways to make cornmeal- boiled, baked, fried, as a pizza crust, muffin base, pie crust the list goes on. The first choice was easy, I decided to boil it because that seemed easiest route, because even if I was to bake or fry the cornmeal, I would have to boil it first to get it ready to bake or fry. Does that make sense? I decided to top the polenta with a combination of button and portobello mushrooms sauce. All in all, I think my first attempt at polenta came out pretty good. I made a few mistakes, but the good news is, Kim is making hers tonight and upon discussing with her, she already knows how she will make it better then mine, so hers will be near perfect.
I learned a few facts about polenta in the last few days and made lots of discoveries

First, it originates from northern Italy(long ago :))
It is ground up corn(I guess I knew that but never really thought about that)
It was considered paesant food because it was so cheap to make
It is served at some of the finest dining establishments and a pretty penny is charged for it(may be considred so gourmet because of its long prep period)
It is healthier then white pasta or rice, containing tons of fiber

oh, and lastly, it is cheap, cheap, cheap!! $1.99 a 5 lb bag at my very expensive local grocery store. That translates to 25 cups of cornmeal in a bag, and 1 cup(which serves 4 hungry eaters, cost .08, so that would be .02 a person! unreal.

lastly, it was easier to make then I thought, I did however boil the cornmeal with water, and i did think it very bland, even after I added some salt, and thats when Kim said "chicken broth" would have been better than water.

Recipe for Polenta
1 cup cornmeal
4 cups of water(thats what I did, Kim is going to use chicken broth instead)
salt to taste
Boil water, when the water is boiling add cornmeal slowly, stirring the whole time, slowly lower heat to low-medium and continue stirring 10-20 minutes
add salt if water is used and not chicken broth

serve imediately

for mushrooms
1 lb button mushrooms sliced in quarters
1/2 lb portabello mushrooms sliced in quarters
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 cup white wine

heat oil on low
add garlic
saute 5 minutes
add mushrooms, stirring
saute for 10 minutes
add white wine
saute 10 more minutes
add salt and pepper and parsley

keep on low until polenta is made
plate each plate with equal portions of polenta
top with mushrooms
add parm cheese or red pepper if desire

Beef Stew and Brocolli Side $2.19

OK, confession time, as I was looking back at our blog I discovered we had made and blogged about a beef stew in January. Since I had allready purchased the ingredients and was about to start cooking, I decided to make the stew anyway. One of our driving forces behind this blog was not to have to run to the store at 5 pm to buy ingredients to make dinner, and I have LOVED not having to do the Dominiks Dinner Dash all year long.(Dominicks is our local grocery store that I only frequent in a pinch.) Aldi is the way for me to go, and Im sorry for anyone who doesnt live near or close enough to an Aldi. So to spice up this meal and make the post a bit different Im going to blog my roasted brocolli, which I prepare the same way I roast brussel sprouts, asparagus, and french green beans, and actually I do it often. Sometimes I even make them for a snack!

1 lb bag frozen brocolli $1.19
4 garlic cloves silced thin .30
2 tbsp olive oil .60
salt and pepper .10

total $ 2.19

preheat oven to 450
in a baking dish place thawed out brocolli
coat in olive oil and toss in garlic slices
salt and pepper
bake for 15 minutes

I like my brocolli cooked, but still with a bit of crunch
yum! The whole house will smell devine

Zucchini Lasagna $7.26

The name of this gives the implication that it is a lasagna with zucchini, which it is, however the trick here is the zucchini is used in place of pasta noodles. It is strictly a coincidence this week that we replaced two typical pastas with imposters, which happens to be vegetables! The first time I made this, it was a soupy mess, good, but a mess. I had read that sprinkling the vegetable with salt and letting them sit for 10 minutes or so, helps to eliminate of a lot of liquid that vegetables tend to contain, and it does, however, their was still more liquid to be had, and when baked in a pan with sauce, which is a liquid and cottage cheese, the zucchini became even wetter and the rest is history-soupy mess! So not to be daunted, I was thinking about it all night, and although the recipes I found did not say to cook the zuchini prior, I decided it was a good idea, and that is exactly what i did second time around, I lightly salted the zuchini strips, let them sit 10 minutes, then broiled them. This eliminated much of the moisture, but shrunk the zucchini, so I did have to go get another zucchini at the grocery store(and running to the store last minute is my pet peave in life, but I was on a mission) So I grabbed another zucchini, sliced it thin, salted, and broiled the stripes. assembled Lasagna, and baked. The result- less of a soupy mess, but still didnt hold up like I would want a lasagna to. Im on a mission though, and I am going to make it again, this time adding more parm cheese and bread crumbs with the cottage cheese, and eliminating the egg, so it will be drier..... I really want to master this lasagna because it was delicious, and very light tasting, yet it gave me the illusion of eating a pasta dish, but without all the gluten!

1 lb lean beef $2.29

3 cloves garlic .30

1/2 onion .15

1 tsp olive oil .20

salt and pepper .10



28 oz crushed can tomatoes $1.38

2 tbsp chopped basil .20

3 medium zucchini slices 1/8 inch $1.19

8oz shredded mozarella cheese $1.15

1/4 cup parm cheese .20
1/4 cup bread crumbs .10
1 egg .10



In a sauce pan brown meat and season with salt

drain in colender to remove fat

add olive oil to pan

saute garlic and onions

return meat to pan and add tomatoes and salt and pepper

simmer 30-40 minutes

meanwhile, slice zucchini 1/8 inch thick(if you have a mandolin that would be helpful)

salt zucchini and set aside for 10 minutes, zucchini has lots of water, if salted it helps to remove alot of moisture

broil or grill zucchini

combine cottage cheese, parm cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and basil



in a 13 x 9 pan coat bottom of pan with meat sauce

layer evenly with strips of zucchini, cottage cheese, mozzarella and repeat with sauce etc...

sprinkle parm cheese on the final layer

Cowboy Caviar weekly reorg...$5.64

Wholly cow- see, I told you I was having some organization issues
TONIGHT is the Packers vs. Bears game... uhm, tortilla encrusted whitefish isn't gonna cut it.
WE NEED POWER FOOD.
We're making chili
And our side dish will be...

COWBOY CAVIAR! (ehh, wait, I don't like the football Cowboys either)
can't wait!

Cowboy PACKER Caviar ... it does have both green (avocado) and gold (corn!).


INGREDIENTS
1 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed .69
1 (17 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained .80
2 large tomatoes, chopped .90
2 large avocado, diced $1.58
1/2 red onion, chopped .20

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro .20
3-4 Tbsp lime juice .60
2 Tbsp olive oil .60
1 tsp salt .05
1/2 tsp pepper.02

First mix the cilantro, lime, oil, salt & pepper in a small bowl - then toss the rest of the items in a medium size bowl - cover with the "dressing", refrigerate then serve with chips, over chicken, with large shrimp, or just with a fork. This is so a "can't go wrong" dish.

Chiles Rellenos $5.18

Very exciting, I made one of my favorite meals at a mexican resturaunt, but that I avoid a lot because of the fact that it is fattening and also looked complicated to make. I found a recipe that cut out lots of fat, and looked relatively easy to make. traditional version of Chiles Rellenos are dipped in light egg batter and fried, I cut out the egg and the dipping and baked the peppers, instead of frying. The result was flavorful, yet light. Infact, many recipes call for breadcrumbs, but I cut that out as well.
Ingredients:
2 large Pablano Peppers $2.99
2 tsp olive oil .25
1/2 medium onion.15
1 medium zucchini chopped .40
1 cup fresh or frozen corn .39
1 cup shredded low fat cheddar or monteray jack cheese$1.00

sauce:
prepared sauce if you have a fovorite
or you can make your own
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion
2 tsp chlli powder
1 can 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 can chipotle chili(optional)

set oven to 450, rub peppers with oil, place on baking sheet for 30-40 minutes. turning until charred on all sides
remove, place in bowl, wait 15 minutes. rub skin off, it should come off easily.
heat skillet with oil, add onion saute 5 minutes, add zucchini, saute 4 more minutes, add corn and mix all together, add salt and pepper to taste
transfer to bowl and mix in cheese
make a slit down each pepper and and stuff with filling, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

make sauce:
Heat oil in skillet, add onion and saute 5 minutes, add chile powder, tomtos and sauce, and chipotle, let come to a boil and reduce heat. simmer 20 minutes. pour in blender and blend until smooth
serve sauce over peppers

Penne with Spinach, Tomatoes & CHICKPEAS $3.60

I found this recipe on the internet and it so fits with what I'm doing. Simple, nutritious, and no artificial stuff or hard to acquire things. Just...

Ingredients

Spinach, frozen, 1 package (10 oz) yields - or 10 oz bag fresh $1.19

1 Tbsp Olive Oil .30
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic .10
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes .02
1 medium, whole, Red Ripe Tomato .40
1 can Chick Peas .89
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated .20

8 ounces Penne Pasta .50

Directions

1. If Fresh Spinach is used, place the spinach in a large skillet with just the water that clings to it after thoroughly washing, cover, and cook over medium heat just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain, cool, then squeeze dry with your hands. (If you are using frozen spinach, just squeeze out all the moisture with your hands.) Set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the penne. Cook until al dente, 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chick peas and cook 2 minutes more. Add the spinach, salt, and 1/4 c of the boiling pasta water and stir well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly in a colander. Return it to the pot or put it in a large serving bowl. Spoon on the sauce and toss well. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, toss again, and serve with additional cheese to pass at the table.

Makes 4 servings.

Another night where Barbara and I made the same dish and they both turned out BEAUTIFUL! I used cherry tomatoes from a friend's garden - they were so amazingly sweet and yummo! I could probably get to like those!

Baked Potato Bar $5.39

My kids don't eat potatoes if they can help it, unless they are either french fries or... the roasted potatoes that they call Mommy Fries... two weeks ago they nibbled on a great baked potato at the festival luncheon in my home town - and tonight ... Mom, these are great - can we have potato bar more often. Seriously, I looked at Joe and asked who had delivered these alien children.

They devoured potatoes,

butter,

sour cream,

cheese,

ham, and even

broccoli.

they each at a half of a big baker - i mean like a 10 oz baker - so they ate some SERIOUS potato for my expectations. I grilled some chicken for mine, and ate it with a plethora of fresh broccoli and some 2% cheddar cheese that I sliced off the block. This fit well for me with my eating plan of the week - simple, and high protein! The potato had a TON of carbs, but in moderation, I needed them tonight!

I cooked the potatoes in the microwave, and mine has a button and auto sensor, so I can't be sure how long they cook, but I'd say one 8-10 oz baker takes about 7 minutes in the microwave. Start by washing your potato well so you can enjoy the YUMMY and highly nutritious skin. Scrub it well - get your frustrations out. Then poke 3-6 holes in the thing with a fork ... stab it good - more stress reduction! Finally throw it in the micro and get your other stuff ready. Potatoes get softer and moister if you let them sit under an inverted bowl after they finish cooking. It really changes the texture, try it!

Brats and Coleslaw

Labor Day time!! Feel like it was just Memorial Day, and yet Summer is coming to an end. While Im sorry to see it end, Im looking forward to more structure with kids in school, and less idle time playing X Box, Play Station, driving around like a taxi cab to golf, pool, friends houses. Time to get going on the many projects that Kim and I are working on. I love coleslaw, infact I love any version of colslaw whether it is made with vinegar, mayo a combo of both, lemon juice, poppyseeds......there are many different "secrets" to making coleslaw. This is the first time I have ever made coleslaw from scratch and it was a snap. It was easy, fairly cheep, and really good.

We had a bbq at my brothers house and I was incharge of the bruscetta and coleslaw.
Heres my version:
4 to 5 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium green pepper(thinly sliced)
3 carrots coarsly shredded
2 tablespoon onion
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c vinegar
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mayonaise

shred cabbage, add peppers, carrots and onions
in separate bowl combine sugar, vinegar, oil, mayo, mix well
toss with cabbage combo until completely coated add salt and refrigerate for a few hours

I warmed Chicken Sausage Brats (With mozzarella and sundried tomaotes inside) on the grill.  I then threw them in buns, and served with sausage! 

Here's a look at the brat...  yeah, that's my thumb.  sorry.

Veggie Pita Pizza

I made this dish for Memorial Day. and it was YUMMY...but, the crust that crust is made with crescent rolls - from pillsbury.  They are buttery, flakey, and nice - in the pan, not so nice on my hips and stomach.  This is a great alternative - with a ton of healthiness!

4 whole wheat pita flats

1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
8 oz low fat cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian Seasoning (herbs only, no salt)

VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES!
I like cucumber, red pepper, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower - about one cup of each, cut into really small pieces.

Mix the yogurt/cream cheese mix - spread evenly onto the four pitas
spread the veggies on the cheese mixture
refrigerate until ready to serve

cut into wedges and enjoy.

We had this AS supper - a whole pita each, and it was awesome.  Very filling and refreshing! 

Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies $7.88

This dish sounded really easy and simple, wholesome and fresh. It delivered. The lemon was not overbearing at all - in fact, I like even more lemon flavor - I upped the zest to 2 Tbsp now! Also, I made it with asparagus, which goes amazingly well with the lemon and peppers! We loved this dish - and it was not high in calories or carbs... very wholesome!

Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies

4 tsp olive oil, divided .40
2 large red bell peppers, diced $2.20
1 pound asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces or brocolli(or both)$1.19
2 T freshly grated lemon zest .20
1/4 tsp salt
5 cloves garlic, minced .35
1 to 1 1/2 pound(s) chicken, cut into bite size pieces $2.50
1 cup chicken broth .49
2 tsp cornstarch .15
2 T lemon juice .20
2 T chopped parsley .10

Heat 2 t oil in large skillet. Add peppers and aspargus and or brocolli, lemon zest, and salt, cook until softened - about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Add the rest of the oil, chicken and garlic. Cook about 6-8 minutes until chicken is almost cooked thru.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and chicken broth. Once chicken is cooked, add this mixture and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes more. Then remove from heat and stir lemon juice and parsley into the chicken.

Serve the chicken over top of the veggies.

Here's a day when Barbara and I didn't get exactly the same results, but I think she used brocolli, and I used asparagus. Be creative folks - just because you don't have the exact recipe ingredients, don't be limited, use what you have, and make it work!