Healthy Ranch Dip

It's been awhile since I last wrote. That is mostly due to a new eating plan we started that is protein heavy. So we cook a whole bunch on Saturday and Sunday so that we have pre-made healthy meals for the week. Everyday is pretty much the same, but hey it takes the stress out of writing a menu or figuring out what to have for supper every night. :) I came up with this recipe just now. I have to admit, I DO NOT enjoy eating greek yogurt. It is, however, a healthy way to make a dish creamy. And considering that just one cup of Greek yogurt yields 23 grams of protein, 340 mg of potassium, and 0 grams of fat, I think I can manage. Now that I have you unsure about whether or not to try this, here it is. The good thing about this is it does not have that sharp greek yogurt taste so it is pretty tasty.

NonFat Ranch Dip (with protein!)

1 dry ranch packet
Greek Yogurt
Fat Free Milk (This is just for consistentcy purposes)

Note: I did this as an experiment. I combined about 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt with about 1 tsp of dry ranch dressing and 1 tsp of milk. If you like a stronger ranch flavor, add more seasoning. If you like a thinner ranch dip, add more milk.

Pizza Sauce

I tend to cook the same things over and over, which is why I haven't posted in a while. But tonight, I discoverd a really yummy pizza sauce.

Tomato Sauce
Garlic sauce
A tiny squirt of yellow mustrad
Basil
Parsley

I am generous with the parsely and basil, but add all ingredients according to taste. I used the pizza crust from a previous post and topped it with mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni. Very easy meal and very inexpensive. Hopefully I will get some new recipes soon!

Homemade Apple Cider

I have really been wanting some apple cider lately. Not the kind in the packets but real apple cider. Growing up in French Camp, I had a neighbor who made the BEST apple cider. I have always wanted to learn how to make it but I just can't bring myself to spend the money on the pre-made jugs in the store. There are just other things we need. Then I thought, "Why can't I make my own?" So I did some research and stumbled across this recipe. It is SO easy and it makes the entire apartment smell like cinammon and nutmeg. It takes about 3 hours, though, so make sure you try it on a day you will be home.

Homemade Apple Cider

8-10 apples - I only used 4 cuz that's what I had and I only feed 2 people.. I just lessened the water
1 orange
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks (ground cinnamon works too, I just guessed on how much to put)
1 - 2 tsp of nutmeg
1 T whole cloves
1 tsp all-spice(optional) - I didn't have this on hand
Water

Cut fruit into quarters (no need to peel or remove stem or seeds)
Place into a large stock pot (Thank you DAVE for giving me a stock pot) :)
Add sugar (start with less, you can always add more), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and all spice.
Cover with water until the pot is almost full
Bring to a rapid boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 hour
Reduce to simmer, cover, and allow it to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally

Periodically, use a spoon or tongs to mash the apple and orange slices. After simmering, strain the cider into a pitcher. I have a wire strainer but you could also use a cheese cloth.

Serve hot and it keeps well in the fridge so you can reheat it later.

If you want clean apple cider, don't add the sugar. You can add a natural sweetner like Stevia later.

Source: gimmesomeoven.com

Italian Chkn

I haven't been cery creative lately, thus the lack of posts.

Italian Chkn

2 Chkn breasts
Italian dressing
Lemon Pepper

1. Marinate chkn breasts in lemon pepper and Italian dressing
2. Bake at 350 until no longer pink in the middle

I usually pair this with brown rice or fried pasta (see below)

Fried pasta

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Place cooked pasta in a skillet with 1 T of Olive Oil
3. Sprinkle pasta with Garlic Salt, Pepper, and a couple of drops of Crab Boil (this is great flavor, but spicy too so don't use too much)

I mentioned in an earlier post about how I decided to try buying my veggies fresh and freezing them myself. So far it has been a success! I can a zucchini and a squash for less than $1 together. I chop them up and place them in a freezer bag. Push all of the air out of the bag. When I am ready to use them, I sautee them in a skillet with a little bit of garlic salt.

Crockpot Chicken

The best chicken ever and a meal ready when you get home.

Buy a whole chicken (Bones and all). You can usually get one of these for about $3.50. Stick it in the crockpot with a can of chicken broth. Season with either Rotiessere seasoning or Rosemary/Thyme or any dry seasoning you like. Crockpot on low for 8 hrs. It literally falls off the bone.

Don't be one of those people creeped out by bones. It is the bones that make it tender and natural. Serve with peas and dill gravy.

Dill gravy

1 and 1/2 T yogurt butter or Smart Balance
1 T Cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Cup Milk
1 T dried Dill

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Add Dill and stir.

Left over chkn makes AWESOME bbq sandwiches.

Total meal cost for 2 assuming you have the herbs and cornstarch on hand - 1.30. Considering you get about 4 servings depending on the size of the chicken, total cost drops to about .95.  Make your own variations! That's the joy of cooking!

4 Alarm Chili

Our first cool day in Texas! The high today was 65 degrees with a low of 48! I thought it might be a nice night to have Chili. We haven't had chili since March. This recipe was adapted from Bill Phillips Eating for Life Cookbook. In case you haven't noticed, I adapt a lot of things. :) It is pretty inexpensive and makes about 4 servings. It is really good when you heat it up for lunch.

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/8 cup parsley
2 jalepenos, seeded and chopped (you can sub this with a can of green chiles if you're a bit of baby)
Chili powder to taste - depends on how much you like
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Kidney beans, drained - I have also used black beans

1. Brown Turkey with onions, garlic, and bellpepper - drain
2. Combine all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Top with a sprinkle of cheese

Serve with sweet cornbread

1 cup all purpose flour (You can use wheat flour for a healthier option)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 and 1/2 tsp baking powser
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients and mix.
3. Add egg, milk, and oil.
4. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
5. Bake about 20-25 minutes.

I usually use a round cake pan or a mini muffin pan. See if you like it!

To Patty - Eat something besides PBJ!! Leave out the Turkey :)

Shepherd's Pie

If you have never eaten Shepherd's Pie, don't let the name throw you. It's actually really good and really cheap. It also makes enough for you to carry over to lunch if you only feed two people. Makes 4 servings.

1 lb ground turkey
Veggies, chopped - I used squash, zucchinni and bell pepper. The original recipe calls for carrots and celery.
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 large potatoes, mashed

Preheat oven to 400.

1. Cook the onions, garlic and veggies using olive oil cooking spray until tender - set aside
2. Brown the turkey. Drain and rinse. Add tomatoes, oregano, and thyme.
3. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until tender. Mash them with skim milk and a little bit of Smart Balance butter.
4. Mix Turkey and vegetables together. Pour the mixture into a 9x5 casserole dish.
5. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the turkey mixture.
6. Bake at 400 until potatoes are slightly brown, about 15 minutes.

I decided that since some fresh vegetables are really inexpensive, like squash, zucchini, onions, and broccoli, it may be cheaper for me to chop and freeze my own vegetables. I'll let you know how it goes :)