Grandma Gerry’s Taco Filling
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
4 – 15 oz. cans kidney beans with the juice
4-5 8 oz. cans tomato sauce (it needs to look red)
chili powder to taste
cumin (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Brown ground turkey with onions. Drain any fat.
Drain 1 can of the kidney beans and smash them up. (I do this in a small food processor but can be done with a fork) This helps thicken it.
Add all ingredients and simmer until most or all of the liquid is gone. It needs to be real thick. This takes a couple of hours.
Freeze Ahead: Divide into zip lock freezer bags.
Lemon-Pepper Rosemary Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – about 5 oz. each
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice, fresh or bottled – or more to taste
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. parsley, chopped
1/2 – 3/4 cup canned 98% fat free chicken broth
Cut chicken into wide strips. Brown in heated oil over medium/high heat – sprinkling with a little salt or seasoned salt.
Once browned, add chicken broth, lemon pepper, rosemary and parsley.
Squeeze lemon over chicken. Swirl to blend.
Turn down to simmer. Cover pan and continue to simmer until cooked through, turning once. If liquid evaporates, add a little extra broth as needed.
Cook down until just enough sauce is left to spoon over chicken.
NOTE: If you are only making 1/2 this recipe – use a small skillet (10 inch)
Tastes wonderful over a fresh salad.
Recipe Source: Weight Watchers online – revised by Crista McCord
Lime Chicken Tacos
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 T. lime juice
1 T. chili powder
1 cup corn (I prefer white shoepeg corn)
1 cup chunky salsa
12 flour tortillas
sour cream, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce
Place the chicken in a crock pot. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to the crock pot with the juices.
Stir in corn and salsa.
Cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes (or heat it up in the microwave).
Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce.
Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken
1/3 cup catsup
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T. teriyaki sauce
3 T. sugar
1 T. corn starch
Stir together in small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2 tsp. canola oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into ¾ inch cubes
pinch of tarragon
dash of sesame oil
pepper
seasoned salt
Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken, season with the seasonings and stir-fry until cooked through – about 5 minutes. Set aside.
1 bell pepper, cut in wide slivers
½ – 1 onion, cut in wide slivers
snow peas (about 40), trimmed and cut in half
mushrooms (about 24)
¼ tsp. crushed garlic
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
Add the vegetables and pineapple and stir-fry about 3 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Return chicken to the wok along with the catsup mixture. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute.
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition facts: 296 cal., 6 fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 68 mg chol, 853 mg sodium, 32 g carb, 4 g fib, 29 g protein
Fruity Spinach Salad
1 pkg. fresh spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
¼ of a fresh pineapple, chunked
½ lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1/4 – ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, grated
½ cup raspberry vinaigrette dressing (Girard’s)
½ cup candied slivered almonds (recipe below)
Mix together and serve immediately.
CANDIED ALMONDS
¼ cup sugar
½ cup slivered almonds
Mix sugar and almonds in fry pan over medium heat. Stir constantly. Sugar will melt. Watch very carefully – it burns very quickly!
Pour on buttered cookie sheet to cool. Crunch up into pieces.
Recipe Source: Karen O.
Almond – Topped Fish
1 T. butter or margarine, melted
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh or frozen cod or haddock fillets (6 oz. each)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
½ tsp. dill weed
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 T. minced fresh parsley
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pour melted butter in a 9 x 13 pan.
Place onions over butter. Arrange fish over onions – sprinkle with salt, dill and pepper.
Combine the parmesan cheese, mayo, parsley and lemon juice – spread over fish.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds.
Makes 4 servings
Cheesy Chicken Pots
1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerated biscuits
1 cup (5 oz) cooked, diced chicken
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream chicken soup
2/3 cup (2.5 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of an ungreased cupcake pan, pressing dough up sides of cup.
Combine chicken, chicken soup, cheese, parsley and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let set for 2-3 minutes.
FREEZE AHEAD: Mix all ingredients, except biscuits and freeze in a freezer bag. Note on outside of bag that biscuits are needed to complete recipe.
Grandma Anona’s Vegetable Dip
This dip is perfect for your veggie tray. It’s the dip all of our grandma’s used to make before Hidden Valley Ranch dip was invented.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. bon appétit seasoning
2 tsp. dill weed
2 T. dry minced onion
Mix together and chill for several hours or overnight before serving.
Tami’s Macaroni Salad
12 oz. macaroni – boil and then cool under cold water
1 package dry ranch salad dressing
Sliced olives
Pickles
Sweet pickle juice
Cucumber
Green onions, chopped
Shrimp or chunk ham
mayonaise
Mix all together and season to taste.
Philly Steak & Cheese Sandwiches
Mushrooms
Onion, chopped
Pepperocinis – cut fine
Butter
Monterey Steak seasoning
Garlic granules
Seasoned salt
Beef Steak Strips (from Costco) – cut in bite size pieces
Monterey jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
Garlic hummus
Kaiser rolls
Chop mushroom and onions – sauté with pepperocinis, butter, garlic, seasoned salt and Monterey steak seasoning.
Add beef steak pieces. Saute on medium until steak is no longer pink.
Drain any excess juices through a colander. Put meat back in pan, mix together and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with a lid until melted.
Spread garlic hummus on buns – add meat mixture.