Healthier Sloppy Joes

This had a really nice flavor, and no one complained about the mushrooms, green peppers and onions. They didn't even seem to notice! Everyone around here loves sloppy joes, so I thought it would be nice to have a recipe that includes some healthy veggies. 

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• ½ green pepper, finely diced
• 2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms, (about 4 ounces)
• 5 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz--or barbeque sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 8 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

1. Crumble beef into a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until it starts to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and flour; stir to combine. Stir in water, vinegar, chili sauce and ketchup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the onion is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm on buns.

Master Formula Veggie Lo Mein

This is a very flexible recipe, and so tasty! I have to fight my kids for the leftovers . No, I'm kidding, I always let them have their share. Okay....I usually share. I would never push the leftovers to the back of the fridge to ensure they were all mine. Let's just move on, shall we?

Pretty much any ingredient, goes. I like how the recipe is set up so you can make choices according to what is needing used up in your veggie drawer, and you can use meat, or not. The sauce is delicious and it's nice to have measurements (though I always end up throwing in more) for the veggies. I found this 'master formula' in an awesome book called Cook Without a Book.

Master Formula Veggie Lo Mein 
Source: adapted slightly from Cook Without a Book

Ingredients:
Optional: 8 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into bitesized pieces
                Or shredded seitan Or shredded cooked pork/chicken/beef

8 oz Firm Vegetables (pick one from list below)
8 oz lo mein or soba noodles
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. vegetable oil (I like to use peanut oil)
1 medium-large onion (or two if you like onions) cut into wedges
8 oz Tender Vegetables (pick one from list below)
1 T. minced garlic (about 3 or 4 cloves)
1 T. minced fresh ginger (i usually skip this, my family dislikes ginger)
Lo Mein Sauce (recipe follows)

Bring 2 quarts of water and a generous sprinkling of salt to boil in a large pot. Add the Firm Vegetable and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the noodles to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender; drain and set aside.

If using, toss the tofu with the soy.

Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet (I use a large wok) over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 T. of the oil and the onion; stir-fry until crisp and spotty brown. Add the Tender Vegetable and stir-fry until just cooked, about 2 minutes. If using tofu or meat, add next and stir-fry until browned. Add the cooked firm vegetable and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 T. oil to the empty skillet (wok) and heat until shimmering. Add the noodles and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes. Reutrn the vegetable mixture to the wok, along with the Lo Mein Sauce, stirring to coat. Serve hot.

Firm Vegetable Ideas
asparagus-   tough ends snapped off, spears cut into 1-inch lengths
snow peas or sugar snap peas-   strings removed if necessary
broccoli or cauliflower-   cut into small florets
carrots-   peeled and thinly sliced or julienned
white turnips or rutabaga-   peeled and cut into small dice
butternut or other winter squash-   peeled and cut into small dice
thin green beans-   cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

Tender Vegetable Ideas
succhini or yellow squash-   halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
baby bella (cremini) mushrooms-   sliced
bell peppers-   stemmed, cored, and cut into bite-size strips
eggplant-   quartered lenthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
fennel-   stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and thinly sliced
cabbage or bok choy-   cored and finely shredded
bean sprouts

Lo Mein Sauce
1/4 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 t. rice vinegar
2 t. toasted sesame oil
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. sugar

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside until ready to use.

There are a few steps, but if you lay everything out, it will all go very smoothly.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Let me start out by saying: I am the only one in this family who adores green peppers. 

If your family adores green peppers, and you make stuffed pepper recipes, then this is an amazing version that you should try.

I made this recipe one night and while the two older boys ate it nicely (but not with stars in their eyes, by any means), the youngest refused entirely (I scooped the rice out of his for him and ate his green pepper shell, gladly). My poor husband suffered it down, because he never complains about the food I make, but I could tell he was really struggling. Like I'm-gonna-hurl struggling. His aversion to green peppers is strong and irreversible, it seems (he likes other colors of peppers, and he is okay with green peppers cooked into things like chili or on top of pizza. But a big whole hunk of green pepper on his plate--he just can't do it. Yet he did. He loves me).

But hey, I LOVE GREEN PEPPERS, and you know what, this recipe is for ME! I love, love, love it. It made way too much stuffing, which was great, because the rice itself is amazing. For lunch the next two days, I took the stuffing and sliced up a raw green pepper on top of it, added some cheese, and nuked the whole mess for a couple minutes. YUM. The rice is also super delicious without using any peppers at all, just as a pilaf. I will be making this recipe for myself, even if not for the hubby. He is not picky about almost anything I make, and is always very gracious about my cooking hobby, so I'll let the stuffed green pepper thing go for family suppers. You can bet though, that the next time I get a nice bunch of green peppers, I will be making this for a good week's worth of lunch for myself!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

4-6 medium peppers
2 T. olive oil
1 c. brown rice (I used 3/4 c. brown rice, 1/4 c. barley)
2 c. vegetable broth
1 small red onion
1 clove garlic
7 oz canned chopped tomatoes
pinch each of dried thyme, parsley and rosemary
1/2 c. peas (can thaw from frozen)
salt and pepper

1. First cook the rice in the vegetable broth and 1/2 c. of water. Either cook in a pot using instructions on rice package or use a rice cooker. Assemble your ingredients while the rice cooks. Read a book while waiting. :)

2. Turn oven on to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry peppers, put them on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil (I misted them with olive oil using a mister, click here to see). Bake peppers for 12 minutes.

3. Let peppers cool on the pan enough so that you can slice them in half, remove stems and seeds. Lay them, open side up, on the baking sheet.

4. Peel and dice the onion. Pour 1 T. olive oil in pan, bring it to medium heat, and throw the diced onions in. After 3 or 4 minutes, mince the garlic and add it to the onion. Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes, herbs and a little salt and pepper. Let the mixture bubble and simmer on med/low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and peas to this mixture, then spoon in the halves of pepper.

5. Put the stuffed peppers into the preheated oven for 10 minutes. For extra flavor, sprinkle shredded cheese of your choice on top after the 10 minutes, switch the oven to broil, and broil for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is beautiful and bubbly.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

These wraps are so delicious! The tortillas had a nice crisp on the outside, and the filling tastes wonderful. I use shredded rotisserie chicken, but I think this would be good even without meat. The recipe says to spray with cooking spray, but this is a recipe where my olive oil mister comes in handy. I use my favorite base rice, which is almost always on hand in the fridge. Everyone in the family loves these!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
CallMeLou

*Makes 6 wraps*

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center (it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Mulligatawny

Fun name to say, delicious soup to eat! My whole family liked this hearty soup. It is the perfect thing to make for chilly winter night. I served it with a green salad and some homemade french bread : sliced very thin, brushed with olive oil and garlic, and toasted in the oven. I used 2 heaping t. of curry powder, not knowing if the flavor would be too overpowering, but next time I'll go ahead and use 3 full t. Very fulfilling and delicious!

Mulligatawny

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 apple, cored, peeled, and chopped

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (I used 2 c. rotisserie)

1/2 c. flour

2 to 3 t. curry powder

5 c. chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

salt and pepper

2 c. hot cooked rice

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, green pepper, apple, and chicken (unless using rotisserie like me...if so, add chicken with the broth in next step). Saute for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat to low.

2. In small bowl, mix the flour and curry powder. Add the mixture to the pot, then stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth (rotisserie chicken now if you are using it) and tomatoes. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

3. To serve, place about 1/4 c. of rice in a bowl and ladle the soup over the rice. Makes about 8 cups.

Source: Family Fun magazine

Unstuffed Zucchini Sausage Casserole

This makes a really great supper all by itself. We usually enjoy it on a hot summer night with tomatoes and zucchini picked straight from the garden, but when a craving hits, veggies from the grocery store will do. ;) I use ground turkey instead of sausage, and I spice the meat up while it cooks with red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and garlic. The dish is good with or without the cheese (did I just say that???). Make a big bowl of fruit for everyone to dip into for dessert, and you'll have a fulfilling, taste-filled meal!

Unstuffed Zucchini Sausage Casserole-4kowboys

1 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. of spicy sausage (as mentioned above: I use ground turkey and spice it up)
3 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, chopped
fresh oregano, thyme, sage, etc. to your taste (I would recommend 1/2 tsp. each fresh) (optional)
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded



Cook and crumble sausage in large skillet until cooked through. Set aside. Add oil to pan. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, green pepper, zucchini, salt and pepper and saute until onions are clear and potatoes are browning on all sides. Add sausage and tomatoes to pan. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 20-25 mintues. Turn off stove and add cheese to top, recover and let melt

Corn Soup

If you google Corn Soup recipes, there are so many wonderful ways to make it, and I have my eye on a few variations that I hope to make soon. This recipe, however, is very minimalist, and sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones I turn to when time and ingredients are short. The kids love it, it goes well with Mexican meals or with sandwiches, and it can be left alone or dressed up with fresh cilantro. In the picture, along with the cilantro, you can see bits of red pepper and corn peeking out. Reserving some of that before you blend up the rest of the soup is a wonderful way to make the soup look more interesting and give it a little texture in each bite. Depending on the size of the red peppers you use, the soup's color will vary from creamy yellow to sunset-orange. I've also found that the longer you blend the soup, the more vibrant the color. We love ours nice and pureed and orange, but if you want a chunkier, more yellow soup, don't blend the heck out of it like I do!

Corn Soup

Ingredients

2 roasted red peppers (I use jarred)

2 T. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3-4 c. corn niblets, thawed if frozen

3 c. chicken stock

2/3 c. light cream (can use milk, or sour cream--sour cream will give a sour bite--or omit this ingredient entirely and it will still taste great)

salt and pepper to taste

If you are using fresh red peppers, roast, peel, and set them aside. Otherwise open your jar of roasted red peppers like I do. :)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and saute over low heat for about 10 minutes, until it is translucent and soft. Dice the roasted red peppers and add them to the onion. Add the corn and cook over medium heat for 10 more minutes. Spoon out a half a cup or so of the mixture and set it aside.

2. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Blend the soup in a blender or food processor until it's as smooth as you want it. Pour it back into the pan and heat, then serve. Sprinkle with roughly chopped cilantro and some of the reserved corn/pepper/onion mixture, if you want.

Baked Fajitas

This is a very easy, quick way to make fajitas. I love making sure the dish is chock-full of veggies and coating them all in the sauce with my hands before baking. Everyone here loves this! My picky child just picks out whatever veggie he thinks he hates that day (and sometimes accidentally eats one of those--seemingly without noticing!). I found this recipe on babycenter and my small changes are in parentheses.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

EliseaGracesMommy via Eatinonthecheap.com

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into strips (I use shredded rotisserie chicken)

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I use fresh cut up tomatoes)

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies

1 medium onion, sliced (oh gosh, more than that!!!)

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp tsp salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies. peppers, and onions in the dish.

In a small bowl combine oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warm tortillas and enjoy.

Chickpea Soup With Spinach

This is a gorgeous soup that I adore but the family doesn't do cartwheels over. I made it once for everyone, but the reception wasn't stellar, so I make it for myself now, freezing individual portions for lunches. I think it tastes fantastic! It has a strong chickpea and onion flavor. It is 'soupy-brothy', perfect for cold days when you need to sip some soup at the table while reading a book.

Ingredients

1/2 pound dried chickpeas (about 2 1/2 c. cooked)

4 T. olive oil

2 large onions, sliced (I chop them; easier to eat)

1 medium red pepper, chopped

salt and pepper

4-5 c. vegetable broth

good dash of red pepper flakes

1 lb fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Soak dried chickpeas several hours or overnight in water to cover. Drain, and place in a pot with fresh water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer, covered, at least 1 hour, or until tender.

Put oil in deep skillet, and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later, add onions, a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook, adjusting heat as necessary so onions soften rather than crisp. Stir occasionally, and cook until onions become very soft and quite brown, at least 10 minutes. Add red pepper and cook a few more minutes.

When chickpeas are tender, remove from heat, and drain, reserving their cooking water. Puree half the chickpeas in food mill, immersion blender or upright blender, adding enough of the reserved cooking water (or fresh water) to keep mixture moving smoothly. (Use care when pureeing hot liquid. If you have time, let mixture cool to room temperature first.)

Return puree to pot along with remaining chickpeas, plus whatever chickpea cooking liquid remains, plus red pepper flakes, plus broth. Stir, adjusting heat so mixture simmers. Add spinach, and stir. When spinach is tender, after 5 minutes or so, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Green Rice

Another variation of rice that we enjoy with our Mexican-themed suppers!

Ingredients

2 fresh green chiles, preferably poblanos (in a pinch I use a small can of green chiles)

1 small green pepper

1 c. long grain white rice

1 garlic clove

large bunch cilantro

small bunch flat-leaf parsley

2 c. chicken stock

2 T. vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

salt

1. Dry roast the chiles and green pepper in a griddle pan, turning them frequently so that the skins blacken but the flesh does not burn. Place them in a strong plastic bag, tie the top securely and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Put the rice in a heatproof bowl, pour in boiling water to cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Drain the rice, rinse well under cold water and drain again. Remove the chiles and peppers from the bag and peel off the skins. Remove any stems, then slit the vegetables and scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife.

4. Put roasted vegetables in a food processor (I use Magic Bullet), with the garlic. Strip off the leaves from the cilantro and parsley stalks, reserve some for garnish and add the rest to the processor. Pour in half the chicken stock and process until smooth. Add the rest of the stock process the puree again.

5. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and rice and fry for 5 minutes over medium heat until the rice is golden and the onion translucent. Stir in the puree. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Add salt and garnish with the reserved herbs.