Spring Spaghetti

A few weeks ago someone on an online forum I belong to asked what kind of sauce people associate with pasta primavera. To me pasta primavera is simple garlic and olive oil. I was shocked by the responses! It seems like this is something where everyone has a different opinion. One response that kept coming up was cream sauce. I have never had, nor made, pasta primavera with a cream sauce. However after heading it over and over I was really in the mood for a bowl of pasta with veggies and a cream sauce. I ended up making a cross between my usual primavera sauce and a cream sauce. The end result was delicious. It came together quickly and was perfect for my recent "I have no desire to cook" mood that occurs every evening!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pound spaghetti
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small squash, sliced into half moons
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- In a large pot cook the pasta according to packaging directions.
2- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and shallot. Stir until fragrant.
3- Stir in the tomato, bell pepper, and squash. Allow to head over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. Season with salt and pepper.
4- Remove the veggies. Add the 3 remaining tbsp of oil and the cream. Heat for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
5- Add the parmesan cheese and return the veggies and cooked spaghetti to the skillet. Stir together. Serve hot.

Grilled Veggie Skewers with Balsamic Lemon Drizzle

John and I have been in our house for 4.5 years. This is our fourth summer in this house and we just got a grill this past week. Can you believe it?! I can't. Growing up my dad grilled year round. I have distinct memories of him out grilling in the snow- nothing held him back. And yet getting a grill here just never happened! That first summer we passed because we had so many big expenses in the new house, and then before you know it we were just used to life without one. In the past week I've cooked on the grill twice and I seriously don't know how I lived without it. Prepare to see many grill-friendly meals coming your way!

These skewers were part of the Father's Day BBQ we had (hence the less than stellar picture- I was rushing to feed a crowd). I hate making green salad for parties because I feel like it never gets eaten. I decided to make these skewers so there were fresh veggies but in a more appealing way. Give this a shot- it's truly so easy and so delicious!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 zucchini, cleaned and sliced
1 yellow squash, cleaned and sliced
2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp rosemary

Drizzle ingredients:
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Italian seasonings

Directions:
1- Assemble veggies on skewers. If using wooden skewers be sure to soak them at least 10 minutes in cold water prior to assembling to prevent them from burning.
2- In a small dish coming the olive oil, Italian seasonings, and rosemary.
3- Using a basting brush brush the oil over the veggies.
4- Grill until all veggies are softened and cooked.
5- Meanwhile, combine the balsamic, olive oil, lemon, and Italian seasonings. Once the skewers are cooked, drizzle the dressing over top. Serve the extra dressing on the side for those who want more.

Broccoli with Cajun Garlic Butter

Well, hello there friends! It's been quite some time, hasn't it? John and I were without power for 11 (very long) days due to Hurricane Sandy. We were living with John's parents during that time and I just didn't have the time or energy to cook or blog. But I am back! And my triumphant return comes with... broccoli. Lame, I know! But I swear this is GOOD broccoli. You see, I thought about bringing you one of the fun desserts I have on deck to share, or a new chicken sandwich... but it's been so long since I shared a veggie side, so the broccoli wins. It's nicely seasoned, has a lot of flavor, and went great with the meal I served it with (coming soon!) Come back Wednesday and I'll share a decadent dessert to make up for my big return to blogging being broccoli, I promise!

Source: Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen steam-in-a-bag broccoli (or 2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets and steamed without salt)
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Directions:
1. While the broccoli is steaming, heat the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and continue to cook over low heat until fragrant. Add the Cajun seasoning and stir until it's fully incorporated.
2. Place the broccoli in a large bowl and pour the warm butter mixture over it, tossing gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Caramelized Onions

Food blogging has changed my life in a few ways. For starters it's the first hobby that I've ever stuck with for an extended period of time. It's really just part of me now- I can't imagine not blogging! Aside from that it has really changed the way we eat. We used to be the type of people who ate the same 10-15 meals over and over again. Blogging made me really expand my horizons and try new things. It also made John and I get more adventurous with food. We both used to hate onions to the point where I never cooked with them. John hated onions so much he wouldn't eat tomato sauce because he was scared they'd be hiding in there. But now? Now we eat it all- even onions. Caramelized onions are so good and add so much flavor to food. However, making caramelized onions is the worst! (In my humble opinion). I always burn them. I know... I know... slow, low, and long. But still they burn. So when I read that you could make them in the crockpot I was sold. I don't remember where I first saw this technique, I am not claiming it as my own, but I also don't know where it came from. It takes all of the work out of caramelized onions but doesn't take away any of the flavor. I'm converted- this was amazing.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 tbsp olive oil or butter

Directions:
1- Combine the onions and butter in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

*Any leftover onions can be frozen in small bags and defrosted as needed.

Roasted Vegetable Brushetta Chicken

I told you about the insanity that is dinner prep at my house these days. The fact that we eat a home cooked meal and I snap a halfway decent picture of it is quite an accomplishment now that Landon is getting active but not old enough to sit up/play independently. With that said I really love just throwing stuff in the oven and letting it do it's thing. Most of my cooking is done on the stove top in a skillet, but oven meals are becoming my favorite. This was one of those great meals because after chopping up all of the vegetables the meal just did it's own thing. Best of all it was super healthy and delicious. This is perfect for these spring days where you're craving healthy/light meals but it's still cool enough to turn on the oven. Winner winner!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, cut into rounds and then sliced in half
1 cup mushrooms
2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 thin chicken breasts
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Toss the zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, oil, garlic, and vinegar together in a large baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3- Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. After removing the vegetables from the oven lay the chicken in the baking dish with the vegetables and return to the oven, cooking an additional 15 minutes or until your chicken is cooked through (greatly varies based on thickness of chicken).
4- To serve, place the chicken atop pasta/couscous/rice/etc. and divide the vegetable mixture over the chicken.

Roasted Garlic and Vegetable Pizza

I wanted to title this post "diet pizza" because whenever someone is on a diet they eat so much grilled chicken and vegetables. To me that's...boring? Yes... boring. But once in awhile those foods just sound good! I was so excited to have found dairy free/soy free pizza crusts at Whole Foods (Udi brand if you're interested- very good!) so I decided pizza needed to happen. I'm still not loving dairy free cheese so I decided to use one of my favorite ingredients, roasted garlic, to spice it up. This pizza was delicious and healthy- can you beat that?

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 head of garlic
olive oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce
pizza crust
2 cups assorted cooked veggies, diced small
3 ounces grilled chicken, diced small
1/4 cup cheddar cheese*
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese*

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the top off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake for 1 hour. Once it's done squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb and mash with a fork.
2- Mix the marinara sauce with the roasted garlic paste and set aside.
3- Assemble your pizza crust. Top with a thin layer of sauce, veggies, and chicken. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake 10-12 minutes, until your crust is golden and cheese is melted.

Dairy Free Substitutes:
Daiya cheese works well

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I mentioned in my last post how I roasted a huge tray of veggies to use for several meals. After the stromboli, the next meal I used the veggies for was this lasagna. Last weekend during Hurricane Irene we became a bit of a refugee camp for our friends that didn't have power. They came here to shower and for a hot meal. I found out at about 4 that I was going to be making dinner for more than just John and I- luckily I had a pot of sauce on the stove so dinner was easy to throw together.

Being that John doesn't love lasagna I save it for events when there's other people around so John has to suffer silently doesn't have to have it too often. This lasagna was great- I really liked the flavor the vegetables offered. Best of all the vegetables held their consistency so there was a nice texture to the pasta dish. Easy to put together, delicious, and a balanced meal... can't beat it!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2-3 cups marinara sauce
15 oz low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp Italian seasonings
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup pecorino romano cheese
3 cups roasted vegetables

Directions:
1- In a 9x13 pan spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom.
2- In a small bowl combine the ricotta, egg, and Italian seasonings. Stir well.
3- Layer one layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the pecorino, and 1 cup veggies. Spoon marinara over the layer. Add an additional layer of noodles.
4- Repeat the layers from step 3, ending with a top layer of just noodles and marinara.
5- Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24 (optional- I prefer to do this so the flavors meld).
6- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Allow to sit 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

My favorite way to prepare veggies is to roast them. I feel like it brings out the flavors without compromising the consistency. Sometimes steamed veggies can get... mushy? I guess that's the best way to put it! Roasting them just lends itself to the perfect consistency and flavor.

A few weeks ago I roasted a big pan of vegetables and threw them all in a bowl to use for meals throughout the week. I'm so glad I did this because it made dinner so easy! I just had to grab my roasted veggie bowl and spoon out the desired amount for each recipe. I'll be sharing the other recipe with you soon so you can see a practical use for your pan of vegetables (that is, if you don't want to just eat them as-is!)

This stromboli was amazing. John told me it needs to be repeated frequently. It's kind of fun, I can see it being a hit with kids, and it's a little different from what I typically serve for dinner. I coasted the crust with an oil and seasoning mix that really took this to the next level. I loved the crisp top and the soft vegetables... ugh... now I want this again soon!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted vegetables* (see below for details)
1 batch pizza dough
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Tomato sauce

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450 with a pizza stone in the oven (if you don't have one just cook it on a baking sheet).
2- Roll out your pizza dough into a long rectangular/oval shape.
3- Using a pizza cutter, start on the right side of the dough and slice 1/3 of the way in, making 1 inch slits down the side. Keep going until the whole side is covered in 1 inch slits. Repeat on the left hand side, also 1/3 of the way in.
4- Spoon the vegetable onto the 1/3 of the dough in the center. Top with the cheese.
5- Start at the top, take one slit from the right and fold it over the center. Repeat with the dough slit directly opposite. Keep repeating until the dough is "braided" and covering the filling.
6- In a small bowl combine the oil, salt, and garlic powder. Brush over the dough.
7- Transfer to the stone. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
8- Slice and serve with hot marinara sauce.

* Roasting veggies- I used 2 zucchini, 1/2 a head of broccoli, a handful of baby carrots, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, and a green pepper. I diced them, drizzled with olive oil, and cooked about 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, at 375. For this recipe I smashed the tomatoes so they were flat, but that step isn't necessary. Use any veggies you want. This yielded a lot of veggies, enough for two meals.

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

If I was single or lived alone I can pretty much assure you I would eat pasta with sauce 3-4 times a week. I can eat just plain pasta and sauce and never get sick of it. Since I do have John to cook for I try to vary it up because believe it or not, he doesn't share my same die hard ways when it comes to pasta. He loves it, yes, but he wouldn't love just plain pasta and sauce 3-4 times a week. Whatever, he's weird... but I love him.

When I saw this recipe I knew this would be a great excuse for just pasta and sauce. I mean, it's not JUST sauce if it's made from veggies other than tomatoes, right? This came together easily and tasted amazing. It also made a decent sized pot of sauce so I froze most of it for when the baby comes in 3 months. I'm trying to start stocking the freezer with sauces since I know cooking won't be my first priority for some time. If you like red peppers you'll definitely like this. Best of all I had nice fresh tomatoes from my dad's garden and fresh peppers from the farmer's market so this sauce was delicious. I'd highly suggest it, especially while the produce is still so good.

Source: Slightly adapted from DeLish

Ingredients:
5 red peppers
3 medium/large tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
Olive oil
1/4 cup light cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a large baking pan with foil. Slice the tomatoes in half, placing them slice side down. Also place the peppers in the pan. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip them over. Return to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes. The peppers should be soft and have slightly blackened spots.
3- Chop off the tops of the peppers, clean out the seeds. (You can peel the skin if you want- I peeled any really blackened spots). Peel the tomato skins.
4- Place the veggies in your food processor, processing until smooth.
5- In a large sauce pot add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, stirring regularly. When onion is soft, about 5 minutes, add the veggie puree to the pot along with the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook 5-10 minutes over low heat, until smooth.
6- Serve over hot pasta.

Alouette Pasta

I can assure you that this has to be in the top 5 "easiest to make" category on my blog. With the heat outside, busy summer schedules, and just a lack of desire to spend time in the kitchen, I feel pretty confident that this recipe will come in handy on those nights where you just don't feel like cooking. This pasta came together in less than 20 minutes. Literally. So if you're short on time but don't want take out this is a great choice. Not to mention I'm obsessed with Alouette cheese and would put it on just about anything... but that's just me! If you don't know what Alouette cheese is it's simply a spreadable garlic and herb soft cheese. It's great melted on pasta, wrapped in chicken, or just spread on a cracker. Try this- it's tasty and easy.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta, any shape
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Alouette garlic and herb cheese
Salt and pepper
1 box frozen Green Giant antioxidant blend veggies (broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc.)
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- In a large pot prepare the pasta according to packaging directions.
2- In a sauce pot heat the broth. Stir in the Alouette cheese until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3- Microwave the frozen veggies according to packaging directions.
4- In the pasta pot combine the drained pasta, sauce, and veggies. Stir well. Top with parmesan cheese to taste.

Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans

Side dishes can fall in a bit of a rut around here. I have certain standby recipes that I make constantly, but typically I leave my creativity to the main course. However, in my opinion, side dishes make or break a meal! I have been known to like a place more for their side dishes then for their entrees, aka Bonefish Grill- I love their rice, but their entrees don't do it for me as much as the rice!

This dish came together as a bit of an experiment. I had the potatoes, I had the green beans, and originally the plan was to roast the potatoes and stream the green beans. Being lazy, I decided to throw it altogether and see what happened. I'm so glad I did! This was really delicious. John and I were both fans! It cooked perfectly, the potatoes were soft, the green beans were firm, and the sauce nicely coated it all. Best of all this is very low fat, but it tastes rich. The chicken broth thickens up so nicely that you'd almost think there was cream in there. Definitely worth making, I can assure you we'll be having it again!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

**One tip- When making this, a lot will depend on the heat you cook it at, the size of the pan, and how small you dice your potatoes. I have included two rounds of adding chicken broth and letting it steam. If you need to do that step more or less, that's fine. Just test the potatoes/green beans for tenderness as you go.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 ounces potatoes, diced evenly (3 small Russet, about 5 red potatoes, etc. Any potato is fine)
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed
Chicken broth (amount will vary- have at least 2 cups on hand)
1/2 tbsp  dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Paprika
3 green onions, finely diced
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1- In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, spray the surface with cooking spray.
2- Turn the heat up to medium high, add the potatoes.
3- Flip after 5 minutes, or when golden, and brown the other side.
4- Pour in a layer of the chicken broth until it covers halfway to the top of the potatoes, about 1 cup. Cover and allow to steam over medium/low heat for 5-10 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed. Test with a fork to see how firm the potatoes are.
5- Add more broth, again about halfway up the potatoes. This time add the green beans and the minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, and a sprinkling of paprika. Stir well. Replace the lid and allow it to steam again, about 5-10 minutes, checking often.
6- Once the veggies are cooked through, raise the heat to reduce the chicken broth. As it thickens, stir well to coat all veggies.
7- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with minced green onions, stirring well to incorporate.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Green Beans

As much as I love cake batter and chocolate, I do try to live a somewhat balanced lifestyle. I believe in eating real food- real butter, real sugar, real fat. I try to limit my intake of chemicals and "fake" food, and I really try to make most of our food from scratch. But I also love cookies. And cake. And bacon. Oh- and cream. Yes... I do love me some good creamy bacon. Ew... perhaps not creamy bacon, but you get what I mean. So with this love of indulgence, I do try to round out our menus with some lighter meals. This dinner was perfect for one of those "I-ate-twenty-too many-cookies-last-night" days.

I found this recipe on a new-to-me blog and instantly fell in love. Not just with the recipe but also with the blog! I do encourage you to check out the blog linked below. It's awesome. The writer of the blog has a healthy love for food (my kinda woman!) but she also lost 135 pounds and is now super skinny and healthy, plus she loves decadence! Again, my kinda woman. I'm a fan. And best of all my first recipe off her blog was awesome! This dinner was great. It was the perfect combination of flavors. John and I were both swooning, and it takes a lot to make a man swoon over green beans. Serve it with some brown rice and you have a well balanced, healthy, delicious dinner!

Source: Adapted from  Can You Stay For Dinner

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp. oil (sesame preferred, vegetable/olive will work)
2 tsp. chili sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tsp. cold water
3/4 pound shrimp
3-4 cups green beans, steamed
Sesame seeds

Directions:
1- Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, whisk well to combine (soy sauce through chili sauce).
2- Add to a small sauce pan, bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes.
3- Stir in the dissolved cornstarch mix. Return to a simmer, cook until thickened (it should coat a spoon).
4- In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, add the shrimp. Cook until both sides are cooked through. Add the cooked green beans to the skillet, along with the sauce. Stir well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with brown rice.

Mushroom Stroganoff

First and foremost, congratulations to the winner of my last blog giveaway. The winning comment was:

The Fenner's said...

I have a hard time saying "No" to anything baked. I loved baking more than cooking, so I love sweet recipes!:) Just found your blog by the way! Love it!

February 17, 2011 5:56 PM

I hope you enjoy your items! But onto the food...

It's funny how much blogging has changed the way John and I eat. When I started blogging the list of things we didn't eat far surpassed the list of things we did eat. Mushrooms were definitely on the "do not eat" list. John and I were both anti-fungi people. Yet with time we both have learned to like mushrooms- so much so that I was willing to put this pasta recipe on the menu with mushrooms playing a starring roll.

I have never been much of a stroganoff person because stroganoff typically involves beef, and beef just isn't a favorite of mine. So this recipe jumped out to me when I saw it. Plus it never hurts to get some extra veggies in, ya know? I will say that while there is nothing wrong with this recipe, in fact it's quite tasty and John loved it, I'm still not a stroganoff person! For me it comes down to the sour cream- it's not a favorite of mine and it plays too much of a starring roll in this. However, the other ingredients really compliment it nicely and make for a very comforting pasta dish. Not to mention my undying love for egg noodles... I could eat them daily. If you are a stroganoff person this will without a doubt be a bit hit. It's a nice healthier version of a comfort classic.

Source: Adapted from The Svelte Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1/2  large onion, diced
10 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp flour
1 cup light sour cream
12 oz  wide egg noodles


Directions:
1- Heat salted water to a boil and cook noodles until al dente. 
2- In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Cook onions until slightly soft, then add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release some of their water. 
3- Add flour, stirring well to combine, then add white wine, salt, pepper,  and Worcestershire. 
4- Cook on medium until liquid reduces and begins to thicken and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. 
5- Add hot, cooked noodles and stir gently so sauce coats noodles.

Garlic Ginger Glazed Carrots

A little fact about me- I love cooked carrots but you can't pay me to eat a raw carrot. (Well... maybe you could pay me, depending on the amount you're forking up...) I love how sweet and tender cooked carrots are... yummo.

On Christmas my mom and I were laughing about the fact that she had three huge bags of carrots and no need for this. Clearly my mom has a carrot shopping problem- poor mama. With that in mind we decided to add carrots to the menu at the last minute. I quickly looked through my parents' cabinets, grabbed some ingredients, and whipped these up. I personally loved them and they went over very well. I loved the flavors and I loved how easy they were to make. I was also EXTREMELY jealous of my parents for having this awesome ingredient in their house:

Unfortunately they have no idea where they got it... boo. I haven't seen it in my food stores, but now my eyes are peeled. 

Definitely worth trying- it's a different kind of side dish and if you're anything like me variety on the side is as important as variety in the main dish.

P.S.- My most recent blog giveaway, a 1 year subscription to Cooking Light Magazine, is up on my facebook fan page. The last chance to enter is tonight at 10 (EST). Make sure you "like" me on facebook and answer the question of the day. Be sure to look for one more giveaway Thursday!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
6-7 carrots, peeled and sliced into even rings
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. crushed garlic and ginger (or 1 tbsp. each)
1.5 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tbsp. honey
Salt
Pepper
Parsley

Directions:
1- Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium high heat.
2- Add the garlic and ginger, allow to heat for about 1-2 minutes.
3- Add the carrot rings. Cook for about 20 minutes, until tender, stirring frequently.
4- Once the carrots are tender, combine the butter and honey in a small bowl. Add the honey butter to the skillet, stirring to coat.
5- Season with salt, pepper, and parsley to taste

Chicken Pot Pie

Last Sunday my husband turned 30! We spent the weekend snowboarding in Vermont and got home just in time for dinner Sunday. I was honestly a bit sick of eating out so I wanted to make dinner at home. I decided to make my husband's FAVORITE food of all time- chicken pot pie. I spent time scouring for recipes the whole way home from Vermont and ended up decided on using this recipe.

It came together easily and quickly. John was in heaven- he could live off of pot pie. While it isn't my favorite food in the world I do enjoy it and found this recipe to be quite delicious. It wasn't as heavy as a typical pot pie and was a very healthy alternative to a comforting classic. This will definitely be repeated in our house!

Source: Slightly adapted from WeightWatchers.com

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped raw carrots
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup reduced fat evaporated milk
4 triangular reduced fat crescent rolls, 1/2 a tube

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9-inch round pie baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, until tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Add vegetables, broth and chicken. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  
• In a small cup, combine flour and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk; stir into chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
  
• Spoon chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Unroll crescent rolls and arrange dough around inside edge of baking dish to form a border (there will be a hole in the middle). Bake until rolls are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

** 6 PointsPlus per 1/6 of the recipe

Hoisin Shrimp Stir Fry

Stir fry is a pretty easy weeknight dinner. Throw some veggies and protein together, add a sauce, serve with rice. It's so easy you don't even need a recipe... and yet here I am providing you with one... hmmm. Let's just move on, shall we?

This recipe was excellent. I am a big fan of hoisin sauce. If you are unfamiliar with it hoisin sauce is an Asian condiment. I'd equate it almost to a runny ketchup, only a bit less tomato-y. Some equate it to a BBQ sauce, but I don't really feel like it's too BBQ-y. It's really quite appealing and once you buy a jar you'll be amazed at how many uses you have for it. It's found in the Asian section of the grocery store and it's not expensive.

Feel free to substitute chicken for the shrimp, broccoli for the snap peas, etc. Truly the options are limitless and this is just a base! Needless to say John and I loved it, so I encourage you to try it. Best of all dinner is done in 15 minutes!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup carrots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 lb. shrimp
1 tsp. flour
3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:
1- In a wok or large skillet, heat your oil. Add the carrots and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
2- Add the mushrooms and snap peas. Cook until everything is tender.
3- Remove the veggies from the pan. Add the shrimp. Allow to cook on one side, then flip.
4- Sprinkle the flour over the shrimp and stir well until the flour lightly coats the shrimp.
5- Return the veggies to the pan.
6- Add the sauces, stir well to combine. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes.
7- Serve with rice.

Baked Garlic Green Beans

Green beans are pretty high up on my favorite vegetables list. Particularly when they are very thin. Yum yum yum. My local Italian deli had some beautiful green beans last week so I grabbed a bunch and then turned to google to find something interesting to do with them. When I stumbled across this recipe on All Recipes I decided it was a great starting point.

I had just recently received these mini cast iron skillets for my birthday and was dying to use them. I know green beans aren't traditionally cooked in a cast iron skillet, but I figured why not?! Plus, anything in little individual serve ware is more exciting. Once John and I dug into these green beans we were both thrilled. The crunchy panko topping offered a nice contrast to the soft green beans. I really liked the vinegary garlic taste as well. Big winner- we will definitely have these again.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

1.5 cups cleaned and trimmed fresh green beans, steamed until firm
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1.5 teaspoons white vinegar oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon panko
1 tablespoon fresh shredded parmesan cheese

1- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a small baking dish (or individual bake ware) with cooking spray.
2- Toss the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and some salt and pepper together. Add the green beans and stir well.
3- Combine the panko and parmesan cheese.
4- Place the green beans into the pan. Top with the panko/cheese mixture.
5- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated.
**I placed them under the broiler for a minute just to get them golden.

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I love Bethenny Frankel. If you are reading this and going "WHO!?" you clearly don't watch as much trashy reality TV as I do. I credit most of my 25 pound weight loss (and year of maintenance) to Bethenny and her book "Naturally Thin." I recently discovered her website and have been bookmarking some of her recipes. This one had me at hello. Low fat+creamy=happy.

I am a fan of pasta dishes that come together quickly. I'm also a fan of lighter meals that taste decadent. This came out excellent. I used too much pasta and not enough sour cream (I halved the recipe but I think I used too much pasta... I'm not good as estimating pasta quantities). Even with my slightly less creamy pasta it was still awesome. John and I both enjoyed it. Winner winner... mushroom dinner?! Sure. Why not.

Source: Adapted from Bethenny.com

1/2 box whole wheat fettuccini or linguine
6 mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1  tbsp butter
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese


Directions:
Bring pasta water to a boil, seasoned with salt.


In nonstick pan, over high heat spread out the mushrooms and the onion powder with 1 tablespoons of oil. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes without touching or moving the mushrooms. Then flip them over and leave them sautéing for another 5 minutes. 


With tongs, remove pasta from water and add to pan and toss thoroughly.


Add butter, low-fat sour cream, and vegetable broth, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Again, toss thoroughly.


Top with parmesan.

White Pizza with Mushrooms and Broccoli

I love making pizza at home. Looooove. I vary my level of homemade-ness, from homemade sauce and homemade crust (see here and here) to just using a Boboli crust and topping it. I'm not a hater- I like it both ways. It really just depends on my mood.

The other night I was in the mood for a quick and easy dinner so I grabbed Boboli crusts and dug through my Google Reader for a pizza recipe. Sure enough I had over 20 pizza recipes starred so I picked one and went with it. I am so glad I chose this recipe because John and I were both obsessed. The white sauce was awesome. I wanted to lick the bowl and eat all of the sauce! Plus, when you top a heavy creamy sauce with veggies they cancel each other out, right? RIGHT?! I thought so. So  to sum it up- make this pizza and enjoy yourself. And if you lick the sauce right out of the bowl, I won't judge you.

Source: Chef Mommy

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter, divided 
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced 
8 ounces broccoli florets 
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup low fat milk 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, divided
Pizza crust
Directions:

1. Place pizza stone or baking sheet in center of oven, and heat to 425 degrees F.

2. Melt 1 1/2 tsp. margarine in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook 4 to 7 minutes, or until beginning to brown, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and 1/3 cup water. Cover tightly, and steam broccoli in skillet 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook 2 minutes, or until pale golden, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, garlic and salt. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until mixture thickens and begins to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan until sauce is smooth and cheese is melted.

4. If using homemade dough, shape pizza dough according to package directions. Remove pizza stone from oven, and place dough on hot stone.

5. Spread white sauce over dough to within 1/2-inch of edge, and top with broccoli mixture. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over top. Return to oven, and bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until edges of pizza are golden and center is hot and bubbly. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Roasted Green Beans

Now now... if you are looking at my post and thinking "booooring" hear me out- these are good stuff. Roasting veggie tends to result in a delicious, caramelized taste that can't be beat. I used to roast veggies, but I never got them right. Where I went wrong was following the recipe too closely. You really need to pay attention to the veggies, not the clock. They need to be withering a bit, browning a bit, and really softening up. Once you get to that point you are golden (no pun intended).

These were really just so very good. John said they were his favorite part of the meal- and that's saying something when there are mashed potatoes on the plate too. I topped them with Garlic Gold nuggets and they were just divine. BTW- Garlic Gold is my new favorite seasoning. It's like crunchy roasted garlic and I just die when I eat it, die I tell you. I bought all four varieties and if you are interested in trying something new give them a shot.

Source: Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Trim the ends of the green beans and add to a large bowl.

Toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once halfway through, until lightly caramelized and crisp tender, 12 to 15 minutes.