Recovery week.

I hope you had a great Easter. We sure did. And as I think about it, I had some pretty darn tasty food last week. Went to Smoque downtown (absolutely heavenly. Like-there IS a Smoque is Heaven). Ate some pretty luscious Carrot Cake. Not to mention those Easter cookies, super yummy meatballs and an Asparagus tart that is SO simple AND delicious. Oh-and then there were Annie's rolls. I still need that recipe...YUM! There's no way I'll top all those tasties this week...but we have to eat. So here's what it will be:

*Monday: Easter Dinner leftovers

*Tuesday: And more leftovers...I made a whole ham! And Annie made us keep the extra rolls...darn. ;)

*Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas with guacamole

*Thursday: Tortellini/Broccoli Salad

*Friday: Baked Potatoes with veggies on top

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Salmon with Spinach & Peppers and Trader Joe's Basmati Rice

Easter Week!

*made these for a friend who we took dinner to. I needed the fastest, easiest cookie recipe(Burke actually made these!). So I resorted to the "cake box cookie". Go HERE for the delicious, yet super un-healthy recipe. We rolled them in granulated sugar (rather than powdered), dipped in melted chocolate, then coconut, and placed baby eggs on top for the nest effect.

I am super excited about Easter. I've been waiting for weeks to have a reason to make a Carrot Cake. But don't start thinking this blog is all about sweets...I have some other yummies up my sleeve that are much happier for the waistline. Check it out:

*Monday: Leftover Chili. This stuff is incredibly delicious. And healthy. I don't think I'll be able to make Chili with meat for a long time now...

*Tuesday: Roasted Pepper/Onion Hummus (mix Garbanzo beans, Tahini, roasted veggies+garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper in a food processor) & Parmesan Crisps with Corn on the Cob

*Wednesday: Chicken Quesadilla Pie

*Thursday: Spaghetti & Meatballs...it's been WAY too long since we've had this. I always make my own meatballs with ground turkey, garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, worcestershire sauce, shredded parmesan cheese and anything else I feel like adding. I form them into balls, brown them in a pan on the stove, and then bake for about 20-30 mins in a casserole dish with the spaghetti sauce. We'll have a green salad to round out our meal.

*Friday: Homemade Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with dipping sauce and Sweet Potato Fries

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Happy Easter Day! Because we don't get home from church until 4pm, I'm making this meal as simple as possible. We'll have a Glazed Ham, Asparagus Tart, Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks, Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Carrot Cake for dessert. Anybody want to come join us for Easter Dinner???

Something to Satisfy Even the Sweetest Tooth

Ever since I saw this post about Cheesecake Pops, I have been trying to figure out some excuse to make it! I haven't found one yet, but I'm keeping my options open. Maybe an Easter treat for the kiddies? All I know is we'll definitely have to do this recipe soon! Try it!

This week...

*It was a total "accident", but my bananas went rotten. I had to do something with them. Go HERE for the recipe. I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla & chocolate chips to mine. And I made them in my itty bitty loaf pans for extra cuteness. As a warning, don't make this at 10am. It was an early lunch I couldn't turn down, and had my house smelling spectacular all day...making me want more and more.

*Monday: Leftovers

*Tuesday: Baked Potatoes (we load ours with broccoli florets, diced tomatoes, green onions, shredded cheese and any other toppings I have on hand)

*Wednesday: Wet Burritos (see recipe below) with roasted corn & avocado salsa (I buy frozen roasted corn from Trader Joes, mix it with diced avocados, tomatoes and diced onions and squeeze fresh lime juice over all)

*Thursday: Chicken with green beans, roasted squash and Baked Brown Rice (recipe from last weeks post)

*Friday: Leftovers

*Saturday: SMOQUE! I've been waiting to try this place. We're going with friends who are in love with the food. And it's been featured on Diners, Drive-in's and Dives, so it has to be good!

*Sunday: Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes (I know it's getting warm for soups, but I've been wanting to try this one...and with 1:00 church, I LOVE using my crock pot)


WET BURRITOS

-1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (or ground turkey)
-1 can refried beans, divided (I use lowfat/fat free)
-1 pkg. chili seasoning mix, divided
-1 pkg. taco seasoning mix, divided
-1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
-1 pkg. large flour tortillas (I have also used whole wheat before and love those...)
-Shredded Cheese (about 1 cup)

Toppings (in amounts desired):
-lettuce, shredded
-tomatoes, diced
-onion, chopped
-sour cream
-black olives, chopped
-shredded colby/jack cheese
-avocados, sliced

In one saucepan combine half of the refried beans (about 1-1/2 c.), half of the chili seasoning, half of the taco mix, and the tomato soup. Add a soupcan of water; stir and heat ingredients through. This is the sauce.

In another saucepan, combine ground meat, remaining refried beans, taco mix and chili mix. Fill up chili mix packet with water and add to meat mixture, then mix ingredients and heat through.

To assemble: Place 2-3 TBLSP meat in center of each tortilla; fold sides to center and roll up. Place each one in a 9x13 pan; cover with sauce; then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes or just until warmed through and cheese is melted on top.

*I always use fat free Refried Beans, ground turkey (instead of beef) or chicken, and whole wheat tortillas to keep these a little more healthy. The sodium from the chili/taco mixes might put this dish over the top, but I'm not too worried. ;)

Pretzel Bread

Here's a yummy recipe for pretzel bread that you can use to make pretzel bread sandwiches out of. This bread tastes great with anything on it so use your imagination!

Go here for the recipe. The only difference is I divide the dough into 4th's and make four oval-shaped loaves to be used for sandwiches.
Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

We had this soup at Salem's when we came over to visit. I could not get it out of my mind it was so good! So I looked online for a recipe. The original is from here but I tweeked it a little bit so I'm posting my version of the recipe - much easier to make, yummier, and healthier.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 red bell peppers
4 large tomatoes diced (or 2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon white sugar
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional - I leave this out)
1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional - I leave this out)

Directions:
1. Roast peppers: Place peppers in 9x13 glass pan and broil until blackened, turning to get all sides. Put into paper bag/container with tight lid and seal. Let rest for 15 minutes, then peel will come right off and core and seeds will fall out. Chop peppers; set aside.
2. Heat olive oil over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, bell peppers (except reserved), thyme, paprika, and sugar. Cook over medium-low heat until soup begins to boil.
3. Stir in chicken stock, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce (if using). Bring to boiling, lower heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Pour soup (in batches) in food processor or blender, and process until fairly smooth. Once soup is completely pureed, add back in to pot.
5. Ladle into bowls and enjoy - this soup tastes especially good with pretzel bread sandwiches (also had at Salem's)!