Showing posts with label healthy meal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy meal. Show all posts

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti


Sundays are pretty great. Well, except for the whole "Sunday dinner" thing. I know a lot of families have this tradition, but I consider myself somewhat blessed to have a husband in the ministry. Don't get me wrong-I'm all about cooking. And family. But it's kinda' nice to have the place to myself on Sundays. I don't have to deal with anything in the afternoons and evenings. Except myself. And my bath tub. And the Notebook playing on my 42" HDTV.

These are surprisingly worldly things I'm listing, considering I just got back from worship. I think He gets it, though. He knows I need to soak in some suds and cry at a chick flick. It is, after all, my day of rest.


Speaking of rest, I think we need to rest more and cook less on Sundays. Yes, I just said you need to cook less on Sundays. That means fewer ingredients, less time, and consequently, less stress. I had a friend mention this recipe to me awhile back, but I never had the nerve to try it. Lemon? Gross. I envision myself making that nasty sucking face that little kids do. No thanks.

Consider my mind changed. This is light. Airy, almost. Very natural; almost as if I should be eating it in a vineyard while sipping white wine. Except I don't drink wine, so it would have to be 7Up, just to keep up appearances. Wanna know the cooking time for this?

13 minutes.

I can't do my hair in 13 minutes. I can't get to work in 13 minutes. I sure as heck can't normally make a meal in 13 minutes. Now I will warn you-this is one of my most "go with the flow" recipes I've ever posted. Because quite frankly, I didn't measure everything exactly. Go off of your preferences and tastes. Trust me-it's fun.

Consider it my birthday gift to you...just on my birthday.

Ingredients:
  • Spaghetti noodles
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Salt/pepper
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lemon
Directions:
  • Cook noodles according to package.
  • In a separate pan, combine garlic and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn heat on medium low and let the two get to know each other. Once the garlic starts to brown even a little bit, take it off the heat immediately. Garlic cooks quick.
  • Add a small splash of the balsamic vinegar. We're talking about a teaspoon. This stuff is strong, but it adds a nice kick to it.
  • Stir in some basil, thyme, salt and pepper.
  • Drain noodles and put back in the pan they were boiled in.
  • Squeeze the lemon juice over the noodles and mix well with 2 forks. 
  • Stir in olive oil mixture and mix well.
  • Add about 1/4 cup of parmesan. Mix again.
  • Place spaghetti on serving dish. Top with a dash more of the basil and thyme. Optional: Add a bit of lime zest to make it even sweeter.
Love and light,


Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas


I'm currently going through a refining stage with All Kinds of Yumm, where I'm realizing that there are a few recipes that need to be seriously upgraded. My chicken enchiladas was one of those dishes. I actually deleted 3 other recipes of this sort in favor of this one variation.

Sometimes, favoritism is necessary.

The best part about this new (to me) spin on these is that it involves the crock pot. Now, if you're new here, you might not know that I am ob-SESSED with my crock pot. I know so many women, God bless them, who have time to make everything from scratch and can start cooking at 4 pm. They tend to have dinner on the table at 5:30 pm, sharp. Their men must be happy.

Now there's no judgment here-that's the rule. I applaud these ladies. I am not, however, one of them. I stumble into my apartment at about 5:30, and contrary to popular belief, most days I don't feel like cooking a meal. I normally feel like making brownies, but my husband pulls the whole, "I-need-a-well-balanced-meal" thing.

It's an epidemic, I tell ya'. So the more I can use the crock pot, the better. Seriously. It's like...hiring a halfway cook. For about $20. From WalMart.

I'm waiting for a gadget that will do my laundry, clean Tim's toilet (care to help?), and rub my feet at night. Better yet, I just need a Mexican vacation. Mom, pack your bags. We're making enchiladas. OlĂ©.

Now, this is really the time-saving way to make enchiladas. If you're looking for a better-quality tortilla taste, go with the method I use in my traditional chicken enchiladas, and just crock pot the chicken.

Ingredients (makes 10-12 enchiladas):
  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 3 14-oz cans enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
  • 1 15-oz can black beans
  • 10 oz shredded Mexican cheese (2 1/2 cups)
  • Tortillas
Directions:
  • Leave chicken in crock pot with entire packet of taco seasoning 6-8 hours or until cooked.
  • Shred chicken with two forks
    • If you have time to make the chicken the night before you need it, after shredding, combine an extra can of enchilada sauce and let sit in the fridge overnight.
  • Fill each tortilla with a tablespoon-full of chicken. Add small amount of enchilada sauce, black beans and shredded cheese.
    • How much you specifically put is your call; just remember, it shouldn't be busting at the seam.
  • Roll each tortilla up tightly and place on a baking sheet. Continue process until you either a) run out of room on the baking sheet or b) run out of ingredients. 
  • Top with remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
    • I typically use one can of enchilada sauce in the filling and two to top the enchiladas with.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 
  • Serve immediately with sour cream.
Words don't even do this justice. It's such a cheater meal, because it will absolutely seem like you spent at least an hour preparing these. And my timer says...13 minutes prep time. Who doesn't have 13 minutes to make dinner?

Love and Mexican (again),



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Original Ranch Pork Chops


I have this weird thing about pork chops. The name creeps me out a little bit. So much so that I wouldn't eat them growing up. It's not really anything I can explain, but it is very real. And very stupid, apparently.

My deep love for pork came when I made crock pot pork tenderloin sometime last year. I was finished. Caput. Done for. It was the most flavorful perfect meat that had ever crossed my lips. So I began my lifelong (or more like 20-minute) search for an equally perfect pork recipe.

A memory came flashing back to me. "I like pork chops." Tim had said that, like, when we first got married. And I had pushed it in that "Ignore" compartment in the back of my brain. I didn't like pork. But we already tackled that.

Now, I used the small, boneless pork chops, which require less cooking time than the big chunk-o-monks that you can also buy. Going back, I wish I had bought the large ones, but what can I say? I'm new to pork. We're just getting to know each other, and I'm trying to take it slow. I don't want to mess this thing up, as my pal Hillary Scott would sing.

But I can tell you this much-I can see things getting very, very serious between us.

Ingredients:
  • Pork chops
  • 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Seasoning Pack
  • Salt and pepper
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Sprinkle Ranch seasoning, salt and pepper generously on both sides of the pork chops
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature is 160
  • Serve immediately
Serve this with garlic red mashed potatoes and green beans. That's the start to a beautiful relationship.

Love and chops,


Pita, Feta & Spinach Pizza




I sat here for several minutes debating on what the name should be for this pizza. It was not an easy decision. You see, this dish was a mistake. Kind of like my younger brother. And me, as we found out over Christmas dinner.

Merry freaking Christmas to you, too, mom.

Anyway, there's this new place in Greenville called Your Pie, and it's kind of like a Moe's for pizza. You get to choose your dough, sauce, toppings-the works. What's really amazing about this pizza is the crust. It is so thin. And while I love bread, there's nothing quite like that *crisp* of a thin crust pizza.

So whenever we grace Your Pie, Tim orders something very similar to this, and it is astounding. The pita "crust" is our own little concoction, as our local grocery store was out of whole wheat pizza dough. On the bright side, it is severely fewer calories than pizza crust.

The main idea of this pizza is freshness. I wanted it to be all-natural cheeses, sauces and veggies. That way, eating a pizza is more of a good decision, instead of the type of decision you have to burn off later at the gym.

You're welcome.

Ingredients:
  • Whole wheat thin pitas
  • Pizza sauce
  • Olive oil
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Feta cheese
  • Spinach leaves
  • Green bell peppers (optional)
  • Basil
  • Garlic salt
Directions:


Throw your pita on a baking sheet. At first, I was extremely upset that the grocery store was out of pizza dough, so I figured I'd settle for this. Little did I know that I was settling for pizza dough all along. The beauty of a thin pita is a) fewer calories than pizza dough, and b) a very thin crust that is hard to achieve with pizza dough.


Pour some olive oil on the pita and spread evenly.


Then add the pizza sauce. I won't be a bully and tell you which kind to buy; however, I will tell you that the pizza sauce at Whole Foods is by far the best I've ever had.


Grab a block of fresh mozzarella cheese and shred it. Yes, you can buy the normal pre-shredded bag of cheese. This will result in a perfectly normal pizza. If you want it to be amazing, get the fresh stuff.


Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.


Top with spinach.


Ooooooooh. Wow. Feta cheese. Top it with as much as you'd like. I used half the package. Don't judge me.


Throw on the green bell pepper. Or red. Or none. I opted for the latter; spinach is about as healthy as I get.


Sprinkle with basil and garlic salt. I know the garlic salt seems a little strange, but it adds an incredible kick to the pizza.


Throw it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, but you know the drill-keep an eye on it. I can't help but compare this pizza to a caterpillar. It's a little ugly and awkward, but it goes into its little "cocoon," and...


...well would ya' look at that. It's a butterfly. A cheesy, delicious butterfly.


Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starved.

Love and thin crust,


Crockpot Pork Tenderloin


I meant to re-blog this a long time ago. Like, in January...of last year. In fact, this is what my child looked like when I intended to update this recipe:



And this is what he looks like now:




This recipe is mouth-watering perfection. It's inspiring. I wasn't a big pork person until this recipe came alone. And it's totally not to my credit -- a big thanks to Amanda Odom for this gem!


Ingredients:
  • 1 2-lb pork tenderloin 
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 3 Tablespoons garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper ground black pepper to taste

Directions:


First off, if we're just being real here, I grabbed the garlic and herb pork tenderloin from WalMart, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.




Place port tenderloin in a slow cooker.




Pour in the wine and soy sauce, turning the pork roast to coat.




Carefully spread garlic over the port, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible.




Add the onion soup mix.





Add the water, being careful to not pour on top of the pork. You don't want to wash all the seasonings off.




Sprinkle with the pepper, cover and cook on low setting for 4-6 hours.




Optional step: Transfer tenderloin to small pan and put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. This is a preference, but just like a ham, I like the outside texture to be a little more crisp. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't burn. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.



Love and finding-your-fancy,


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Lemon Roasted Chicken

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: my mother is what we in the Doney household refer to as the "total package." Stressed about anything and everything in life? No worries. She has it all under control, and she knows exactly what you need to do to fix your situation. Which is nice, because I have absolutely nothing under control or figured out.

I'm working on it. Sometimes.

I called mom yesterday and expressed my woes about how my lovely husband packed (aka, LOST) my camera cord. This means that I have about 5 different pictures of tasty recipes held captive on my camera, unable to make an appearance on my blog or on your dinner table. It has me in a funk. So she has shared this recipe with me and you, my wonderful readers.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 Teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lemon- cut into 8 wedges
  • Olive oil and thyme sprigs for seasoning
Directions:
  • Warm olive oil in a small pan on medium low heat.  
  • Add minced garlic and cook for one minute.  Don't let the garlic get brown.  Remove from the heat and add white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.  
  • Pour sauce into a 9X13 baking dish.
  • Wash and pat dry chicken (remove any giblets).
  • Season well- inside and out with salt and pepper.  
  • Put two or three wedges of lemon into the chicken cavity and place the chicken on top of the sauce in the 9X13 pan.  
  • Rub well with olive oil and lay a few sprigs of thyme on top.  
  • Place other lemon wedges around the chicken for seasoning.
  • Cook at 375 for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (Adjust time, depending on the size of the chicken.)
  • Once roasted, allow to "rest" under tin foil for 10-15 minutes. 
  • Enjoy with white rice, sauteed green beans and biscuits.
Love and mothers-fix-everything,
Rachael

Maple and brown sugar oatmeal

My dad is...enthusiastic about oatmeal. We fought him for years; we wanted a donut from the place down the street. Not...oatmeal. Gross.

Well, not anymore. Now that I'm an adult, I get to choose what goes in my oatmeal. So let's forget the nutritional value, fiber and whole oats that we'll be putting into our bodies. Let's have some fun, shall we?

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp honey 
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp raisins (optional) 
Directions: 
  •  Boil the oats and milk. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 10 minutes.
    • The consistency of your oatmeal is completely up to you. You can add more or less depending on how thick you want it. I would add small amounts of milk at a time until it's the consistency that you prefer. This is just how much milk I like. 
  •  Remove from heat and set aside. Allow it to thicken a little while.
  •  Add maple syrup, brown sugar and honey. Stir gently over low heat. 
  • Top with raisins or other dried fruit.
Now for the fun part. No one ever said you have to only do maple and brown sugar oatmeal. Here are other add-ins for your oatmeal:
  • Fruit (frozen fruit makes it extra tasty)
    • Sliced apples
    • Peaches
    • Blueberries
    • Blackberries
    • Cranberries
    • Raspberries
    • Banana slices
  • Sugar
  • Don't freak out when you read this, but...butter pecan ice cream. Just sayin'.
  • Granola
  • Walnuts
  • Pecans
  • Chocolate
    • Believe it! Add some cocoa mix, stir well, and top with chocolate chips. Even the healthiest of breakfasts can turn into a monstrosity.
  •  Nutmeg
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • A small scoop of your favorite cereal
    • Fruity pebbles are a great choice
Was I thorough enough? So you tell me — what's your favorite oatmeal topping?

Love and changing-tastes,
Rachael

Simply perfect chicken pasta

This isn't the most masculine meal I've ever made, but my man loves it, and he's anything but dainty. My other obstacle is that he's definitely not one to request a dish with spinach. But this meal is creamy, filling, and has so many different flavors all packed into one dish. And he absolutely loved it.

Ingredients:
  • 1 box of your favorite pasta
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tbs. butter
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 tbs. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup frozen spinach
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 can drained chick peas (optional)
Directions:
  • Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions on the box
    • Drain when finished and return to pot
  • Pour olive oil into large pan over medium heat
  • Add minced garlic and stir continually for 1-2 minutes
  • Place chicken breasts into pan and cook over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked
  • Once the chicken is fully cooked, use 2 forks and tear the chicken apart 
  • Keep chicken over low heat while we work on the sauce
  • In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat
  • Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Turn the heat to low.
  • Add the garlic salt and stir continually for 4-5 minutes. Letting it cook that long helps eliminate the flour taste.
  • Slowly add the milk while continuing to stir
  • Continue to stir until smooth and thick
  • Add the chicken and sauce to the pot of cooked noodles
  • Microwave the spinach for about 2 minutes, or until completely thawed and hot. 
    • It's important to drain the spinach. My mom always taught me to do so by placing thawed spinach into a clean dish rag and squeezing over the sink. If you use a paper towel, it will break, and you'll burn your hands.
  • Once the spinach is thawed, chop it up and add to the chicken/sauce/pasta mixture.
  • Turn the stove heat on low and stir until well-combined.
  • Serve with french bread and soup.
Maybe I just go into way too much detail, but don't be intimidated by the length of this post; this pasta dish took less than 20 minutes to make, start to finish. It's one of my "go-to" recipes when I'm in a rush.

Love and convincing-your-husband-to-eat-spinach,
Rachael
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