Tossed Spinach Salad

This is a wonderful recipe I got from my mother-in-law. It is one of our family's favorite salads, it is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Salad Ingredients

1 package of baby spinach (10 oz.), torn

1 pound of mushrooms, sliced (I bought mushrooms already sliced ... I don't like them, but the slices were big enough that I could pick them out)

1/2 pound of sliced bacon, cooked & crumbled (I used about 1/2 cup of Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon ... I got a big bag of this at Sam's and love it! So easy to use!)

3 ribs of celery sliced (I "stripped" my celery before I sliced it ... I took a veggie peeler and peeled all the strings off of it and get it down to the tender white part ... it is much tastier and easier to slice this way)

1 c. of shredded cheddar (I used about a cup and 1/2 of Kraft Sharp Cheddar Crumbles)

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped (I love egg in my salad)

3 to 4 green onions, chopped


Dressing Ingredients

1 Cup of Ketchup

3/4 c. of white vinegar

3/4 c. of vegetable oil

1/2 c. of sugar

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of Worcestershire Sauce

In a LARGE salad bowl, combine the salad ingredients and toss. You'll need a large bowl to start out, but once you add the dressing you could transfer it to a smaller bowl.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together or put them in a jar with a tight lid and shake. Wait to toss the salad with the dressing on until you are ready to serve the salad. And, when you do, only put about 1 and 1/2 cups to 2 cups of dressing on it at the MOST. The recipe makes about three cups, but that is WAY too much dressing!

Creamy Italian Noodles

I get in a side dish rut. My "go to" is always instant brown rice cooked in chicken broth. It is good, but it gets boring after a while. So, I found this recipe and adapted it a little bit. All three of my little boys LOVED it and asked for seconds. You could add cooked chicken to it and make it a main dish.

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) package of whole wheat pasta (the original recipe called for wide egg noodles, but I used whole wheat penne pasta)

1 package of dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 cup of milk (I used whole milk but you could use whipping cream or fat free milk)

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook noodles according to package direction and drain. I didn't rinse mine ... just drained it.

2. Cut the butter into chunks so it melts easier. Stir that up in the hot noodles. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

3. Serve hot.

Best Light Salad Dressings

I cannot tell you how many light and fat free salad dressings I have bought only to end up throwing them away because they tasted SO bad. I know one good tip is to water down your favorite dressings ... that at least cuts the calories down a little and you get the taste.

Anyway, I thought I would share five of my favorite light dressings, and therefore I think the best. I have not found a good light ranch dressing, yet. I don't like the bottled full fat ranch dressings, though ... so that may not be possible. The ranch dressing you make from the package of dry mix is my favorite.

My favorite light salad dressings in no particular order:

1. Wishbone Balsamic Breeze Spritzer ( I have not tried the others, but this dressing is fabulous ... even my husband who will eat NOTHING low fat - he's skinny and hates low fat stuff ... go figure - likes this dressing.)

2. Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard (I just found out they even have recipes at this site using this dressing ... I'll have to give those a try)

3. Ken's Steak House Lite Ceasar

4. Ken's Steak House Lite Honey Mustard

5. Ken's Steak House Fat Free Raspberry Pecan

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Quiltermama, this recipe is for you. You requested some veggie side dishes for a Christmas dinner ... I have several good ones already listed here (check the labels to the left). But, here's another one that is very impressive when served but very easy! You will probably want to double this recipe. As listed below, it serves 4 to 5 people.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) of WHOLE green beans (make sure you get the whole green beans, the long ones ... not the cut or French cut)
4 to 5 slices of breakfast bacon
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
Course ground black pepper to taste

Drain beans. Arrange beans into 4 to 5 bundles and place each bundle on a slice of bacon. Wrap bacon diagonally around beans and tuck ends under or secure with toothpicks (remember to remove the toothpicks before you serve them). Put the bundles in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle vinegar over bacon and grind course ground pepper over the bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until bacon is brown.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

This is one of my favorite salads. When my mom's family used to get together for a Thanksgiving and Christmas meal (before all of her siblings ... all 6 of them ... started having grand babies), one of my aunts would make this every year. My mother is working on a family recipe book and got this recipe from my aunt. We were thrilled to get it. It makes a large batch so make it when you know you are going to have a big group or you are going to your next potluck.



Ingredients for Salad

1 head of raw cauliflower, diced
3 to 4 crowns of raw broccoli, diced
1 onion chopped or one bunch of green onions chopped (I prefer green onions ... in the picture, my mom used red onions and green onions)
1 large stalk of celery, cut up
2 cups of shredded cheese (Longhorn or Cheddar is the best because of the stronger taste ... you can also buy crumbles at the grocery store that works well, too)

Toss the above ingredients together in a large bowl.

Dressing for salad:

1 cup of mayonnaise (not salad dressing like Miracle Whip ... you could probably use low fat mayo if you wanted)
1 Tbsp of Salt
1 Tbsp of sugar

Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Let is set overnight before serving for the best taste ... but when my mom made a batch the other night, we just had to eat some right away and it was still yummy ... though it was better the next day. :o)

Broccoli Rice & Cheese Casserole

I cannot believe I have not posted this sooner! With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I thought I would share. Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for!

This is one of the items I'm bringing to my parents' Thanksgiving meal (along with Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes). It is the best I've ever eaten, and I got it from my sister-in-law, Terry. She is also a fabulous photographer and you can see and buy her work at Art.com.

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 c. of chopped celery
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 Tbsp. butter
16 oz. of Velveeta - can use the light version and save some calories
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) - could use 98% fat free
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
4 cups of cooked rice (2 cups uncooked) - could use brown rice and up the fiber

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, celery and broccoli in butter for 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in cheese, soup and milk until smooth. Place rice in a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Pour cheese mixture over; do NOT stir. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

I've done this with all low fat items and it is just as wonderful and no one knew ... even the picky eaters.

You can add chopped, cooked chicken for a complete meal if you don't want to serve it as a side dish.

Santa Fe Pinto Beans

Here is my version of a recipe I got off of a can of Bush's Pinto Beans. It was a nice change for a side dish. The boys wouldn't even try it, but my hubby and I really liked it.

Ingredients

1/2 C. frozen chopped bell pepper
1 C. of frozen chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 T. of olive oil or canola oil
1 T. of chicken base or bouillon
1/4 c. of water
1/2 tsp. of cumin
2 cans (16 oz.) of pinto beans (drained and rinsed) - the original recipe called for one can of pinto beans and one can of black beans. Since I only had pinto, that's what I used, but you could use one of each.
1 can of rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 and 1/2 C. of frozen corn

In a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onion, and garlic in the oil. Stir in the chicken base, water and cumin. Bring to a boil and add the beans, tomato and corn. Reduce heat and simmer until heated through.

To see what else is cooking on Wednesday, check out What's Cooking Wednesday.

Rotel Squash

This recipe is one that my mother-in-law came up with I think. Anyway, I watched her make it and really liked it. My sister-in-law and I have tweaked it over the years and each do our own thing with it. Shout out to Amanda! It is very low fat, and a great way to cook squash. I used to hate squash, but when I was pregnant with my second son, I had to have this dish everyday!!! This is one of those recipes I don't measure anything for ... so just do what looks right to you.

Ingredients

Chopped sweet onion to taste (I usually use half a large, sweet Texas 1015 onion)
A little olive oil
1 - 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic (can use the jar kind if you want, but fresh tastes better)
A couple of yellow squash sliced about 1/4" thick
A zucchini squash sliced about 1/4" thick (I don't like zucchini so I don't add this when I'm
making it, but Amanda does and likes it)
If I have some baby carrots, I chop up some of those and add them, too.
1 can of Rotel tomatoes, drained a little (I use regular, but you can use mild, too)

Heat olive oil in a skillet (2 to 3 tsp should be enough) over a medium high flame. Add the onion and cook until a little tender. Add the garlic and cook a little more. If you are adding carrots, do that now and cook until a little soft. Add the squash. If you like your squash soft, cook it a little longer. I like mine a little firm, so I cook it until it is just tender but still a little firm. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes and cook until warmed through. I add a little extra salt to taste before serving it.

Sorry this recipe isn't very exact ... but that is generally how I cook (I don't bake that way ... you have to be exact there). My husband learned early in our marriage that if he liked something, he better enjoy it because it will rarely be exactly the same twice. :o) If it is something he likes, I try to measure and write it down when I cook it the next time. Anyway, hope you like the squash.

Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes

I searched for this recipe out of desperation. My husband is a mashed potato expert (don't even mention instant mashed potatoes to him). Since he loves mashed potatoes and most kids do, too, we were always asked to bring them to family gatherings. I hated it because you would always have to time it right and then be in the kitchen peeling and boiling and mashing potatoes while everyone else was visiting because they had brought something they could make ahead. So, I found this, and it is WONDERFUL! My husband even highly approves of it. Take this to your next holiday dinner celebration, and everyone will be amazed at how yummy these are! In this picture they are served with Frozen Pot Roast.

Ingredients

3 pounds of potatoes (about 9 medium)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I usually just use regular whipping cream because the heavy is expensive and I can only find it in larger containers and you only use 1/2 cup for this)
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes. Leave skins on, if desired, or peel thinly and remove eyes. Cut into large pieces. Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling in a 3 quart pan. Reduce heat. Cook covered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender (don't over cook!). Drain potatoes. Shake pan gently over low heat to dry the potatoes.

Heat milk, whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir occasionally until butter is melted. Measure out 1/4 cup of the milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate it. This 1/4 of creamy milk mixture is the key to these tasting so good I think.

Add remaining milk mixture in small amounts to the potatoes in a medium bowl. Mash with potato masher or electric mixer after each addition. Don't over beat! The amount of milk needed to make the potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on the amount of starch in the potatoes. Continue adding a little and beating a little until the potatoes are light and fluffy.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon potatoes into casserole. Bake immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour reserved milk mixture over the potatoes. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are hot. Just before serving, stir potatoes.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This is often the dish I cook when I want to take a meal to someone. It is one of my kids' favorites, and you can make it low fat if you want. It is easy and you have your protein and your starch cooked in one dish. You just have to add a vegetable on the side or a salad. It is an old recipe, but this is my version of it.

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 pieces of chicken breast)
1 cup of uncooked rice (I haven't used brown rice with this, but if you do and it works well, let me know)
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 can of cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free, but you don't have to)
2 dashes of celery powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the uncooked rice evenly across the bottom of the pan. (This won't look like much, but it it cooks up to make plenty of rice) Put the chicken on top of the dry rice. Sprinkle with the dry onion soup mix. Mix the soup with two cans of water and add the celery powder. Pour over the top of the chicken. Bake covered for about an hour or an hour and a half (depending on how large your chicken breasts are).

Tip: Make sure your chicken is thawed for this recipe. I tried doing it with partially frozen chicken breasts one time, and it took FOREVER to cook. It did not turn out well.

Taco Seasoned Squash

CeCe shares her new veggie creation with us! Thanks, CeCe!

I cooked turkey tacos (I am on LA weight loss so....). I really have never associated "turkey" with anything good except baked turkey for Thanksgiving so this was a HUGE stretch for me. Anyway, after scooping out all the turkey meat/ taco mix , I noticed there was a lot of stuff left in the skillet. Lots of seasoning, bits of turkey browned....I thought there has got to be a way to use this to cook this yellow squash that I was FORCING myself to make. (I don't like many veggies unless they are fried. So LA weight loss and I have been chatting about new ways that I might be able to eat them). I cut the squash super thin and peppered them. Sprayed the skillet (left all the stuff in it and just sprayed lightly on top of it), and added the squash. I browned them on either side. OH MY GOSH.....my son and I fought over the whole skillet. IT was the best squash I have ever had and tasted fried but it really wasn't!! ; I tried it again the next day without all the taco seasoning. It was almost as good so I ate it again! There goes another vegetable that I can eat!! Yahoooo!

CeCe