Category: Cooking

It’s called Miracle Soup because it’s so easy! Make as little or as much as you would like.

• • • • • 2-3 Cans fat-free Chicken Broth
        • 1 & 1/2 pounds ground turkey
        • 1 TBS. Salt
        • 1 TBS. Parsley
        • 1 TBS. Basil
        • 1 TBS. Chopped Garlic
        • 1 Cup each:
        • Celery, Onion, Green Pepper, Carrots, chopped
        • 1/3 cup uncooked barley
        • 1 can French-style Green Beans
        • 1-2 cans red Kidney Beans
        • 1-2 cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes

      In a large soup, kettle I sauté garlic with a small amount of oil. Add turkey and brown. Add broth, salt, parsley, basil, onion, green pepper, celery, carrots, barley, and a dash of pepper and the stewed tomatoes.
      Simmer slowly about an hour or until vegetables are done. Add green beans and kidney beans and heat another 15 minutes. Thicken gravy with flour, if desired, serve with a garden salad and hot crusty bread. This recipe also freezes well.

      Note: Add any other vegetable that you might like. I like red peppers. Enjoy!!!

    • To make this more points friendly subtract the barley and add some cabbage which you can chop up.

      

Turkey Scallopini

This is a quick-cooking meal made with turkey breast slices. This recipe is a winner when you only have a few minutes to fix a satisfying meal. Instead of the flour/egg/bread crumb combo (featured below the recipe), I use Extra Crispy Shake & Bake.

Ingredients:

1.  package (17.6 ounces) turkey breast cutlets
2. 1 package Extra Crispy Shake & Bake
3. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4. PAM
5. 2 tbs Olive Oil
6. Minced fresh parsley
7. Lemon Wedges

Directions:

1. Flatten turkey to 1/4-in. thickness.
2. Mix package of Shake & Bake and Parmesan Cheese in a bowl and mix well.
3. Then Place on a shallow plate.
4. Cover each Turkey Cutlet with the Shake & Bake and Parmesan mix.
5. Chill for half an hour.
6. Spray a large skillet with PAM and heat olive oil over medium-high heat;
7. Cook turkey for 2-3 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink and the coating is golden brown.
8. Sprinkle with parsley & lemon wedges.

Note: I like using my cast iron skillet and when I do that I just use the olive oil.

Alternate Mix:

1. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2. 1/8 teaspoon salt
3. 1/8 teaspoon pepper
4. 1 large egg
5. 2 tablespoons water
6. 1 cup soft bread crumbs

• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
• In another bowl, beat egg and water.
• In a third shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and cheese.
• Dredge turkey in flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture and coat with crumbs.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.

*Follow the cooking directions above.*

I played around and made these for Jack’s dinner. I did not eat them, but I did a quality control taste test and these really are good! If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F

Ingredients:
2 slices Italian bread, stale
1/3 cup cold water
1/2-pound ground pork
1/2-pound ground beef chuck
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
A little olive oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes.

1.    Break up the bread or pulse into crumbs in a food processor. In a small bowl toss the breadcrumbs with water to re-hydrate.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pork, and beef, Parmesan, parsley, salt, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and egg and mix until combined. Season the meat mixture with pepper.
3.    Using your hands, gently form the meat mixture into slightly larger than golf ball-sized balls. (Packing the meat mixture too tightly together will result in tough meatballs). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
4.    Spray with non-stick spray a glass dish. 8 X 12 and place the meatballs into this.
5.    Cook in oven 30-40 minutes or until meatballs are done.
Serve with spaghetti and a nice sauce over this. A great Saturday night meal!

Maribeth’s Stuffed Cabbage

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1 large green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cups cooked rice
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces Italian Sausage
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped
4 cups tomato sauce (I like an Italian meat-sauce)
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish

Instructions:

1. Using a paring knife, remove the center core of the cabbage.
2. In a large nonreactive stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil.
3. Add cabbage and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until outer leaves are bright green and tender.
4. Lift cabbage from water, and remove outer leaves. Return cabbage to boiling water, and repeat brief cooking and removal of leaves until all leaves are cooked. Reserve 2 cups of cabbage cooking water.
5. Trim thick center vein from the bottom of each leaf. Reserve four large outer leaves to line the bottom of the pan.
6. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until golden and tender, about 8 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, beef, sausage, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, green pepper, and celery. Stir to combine.
8. Add mixture to one cabbage leaf. Fold sides of cabbage over the filling, and, starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
9. Line a 5-quart Dutch oven with reserved outside leaves. Transfer stuffed cabbage leaves to Dutch oven.
10. In a large bowl, combine tomato puree and the reserved 2 cups of cabbage cooking water.
11. Pour some of the tomato sauce over cabbage to almost cover. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer; cover.
12. Place in the preheated oven Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes. Or until cabbage is very tender, adding additional tomato sauce as needed.
13. Place sour cream in a small bowl, and ladle in about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce from the cooked stuffed cabbage rolls. Whisk to combine.
14. Add sour cream mixture back to Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream.

Enjoy!

This French Onion Chicken Bake is so easy to make and delicious. A seasoned chicken breast smothered in French Onion Soup and topped with shredded Mozzarella (or Grueye) cheese.

• Ingredients:
• 6 (4 oz.) chicken breasts, raw
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 tbsp  canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled & sliced
• 1 (10 oz.) can French Onion Soup ( I use Progresso)
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella (or Gruyere)
  Instructions:
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a skillet pan (or cast-iron skillet) add oil.
• Add sliced onions. Saute the onions in oil until softened and translucent.
• When onions become soft, place onions on a plate and set aside.
• Using the same skillet, add a little more oil.
• Season each chicken breast with paprika, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
• Place seasoned chicken breasts into prepared skillet.
• Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium-high, on both sides or until chicken breasts are golden brown.
• Add onions back into the skillet with the chicken breasts.
• Pour in the can of French Onion Soup.
• Simmer the chicken and onions in the soup for 2-3 minutes-this will allow the soup to caramelize the chicken.
• If using a cast-iron skillet top each chicken breast with cheese. (otherwise-transfer chicken, onions, and sauce into an oven-safe baking dish and top with the cheese.)
• Place skillet or baking dish in a preheated oven.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

I made this recipe up and put it through the recipe builder. Zero Points!

Banana Bread: My Favorite!

I know pumpkin bread is really popular about now, and I love pumpkin bread,  but even more delicious to me is banana bread, which is my favorite.  Fortunately, it’s easy, and a great use for those bananas sitting on the shelf.

Time: 10 mins prep, 40-50 minutes baking.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup milk

Mash your bananas, then add your sugar, eggs, and butter.  Mix thoroughly.  Sift your flour, spices, and soda together and add them to your wet ingredients.  Mix it all up until you have a somewhat stiff batter.  It’s much thicker than cake batter. Which is why I like to use a little milk to smooth it out. I also tend to double the batch as this freezes well.

Spray your loaf pan with non-stick spray.  I just LOVE using the little loaf pans.  They gift easily, for one.  Also, while I can’t seem to stop at one slice of bread, I do have to stop at one loaf.  This recipe makes 3 little loaves if you want to go that route too.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until you pass the toothpick test (where you stick it into your bread and it comes out clean).  For my little loaves, usually 40 minutes.  For a traditional loaf, closer to 50.

Jack and I have both been enjoying the bread. It is soooooo good!