TURKEY BACON ENCHILADAS

Need something to do with those turkey leftovers? 

I love this time of year. All the super cheap turkeys around. I'll cook one up just to shred it for meals like this!  Enchiladas, soups, casseroles, potpies...tons of things to do with shredded turkey! 

...and of course the bacon makes it better!!

Smokey Bacon Enchiladas Recipe Adapted from Meg's Cooking Corner

Filling:
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic; minced
5 cups cooked chicken breast; shredded
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
15 - 100 calorie whole wheat flour tortillas

Sauce:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
3 cloves garlic; minced
1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
5 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350,
 
In a medium sized bowl combine all sauce ingredients and stir to mix well. Set aside.
 
 In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, add onions and cook until onions are soft. Add garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Remove to a large mixing bowl. To the onions, add chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, shredded cheese and 3/4 cup of the prepared sauce. Stir to mix.

Spoon 3/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the 9 x13 baking pan and spread evenly. Warm tortillas slightly until they are soft and flexible. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken filling down the center of each tortilla. Fold in the ends and roll up the tortillas. Place seam side down in the Dutch oven or baking pan. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and top with cheddar cheese and green onions.

Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes or until hot and cheese is bubbly.

We put 10 enchiladas in a 9 x 13 pan and then 5 of them in an 8 x 8 pan and froze the small pan. 

Total calories = 4500
15 servings = 300 calories per enchilada

2 Bacon Enchiladas = 600 calorie dinner

S'mores and Turtle Kiss Pies--Save Room for Dessert

This is my kicked up version of the kiss pie. A Hershey's kiss and a little pie crust just wasn't enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. If a little bit of caramel, pecans, and chocolate sound good to you then we're on the right track. If marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, and chocolate are more your style, I've got something for you too!

Let's Get Started:

Turtle Kiss Pies

1 refrigerated pie crust (I rolled mine out to make it a little thinner)

Pecans

Caramel bits

Hershey kisses

3 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 Tablespoon sugar

I didn't give exact measurements because it's going to depend on how much you want to put into each kiss pie and how large you cut your squares or circles from the pie crust.

I placed a Hershey kiss, several caramel bits, and a couple of pinches of pecans on top of the pie crust and then cut a square big enough to be able to pull the sides together. Using a glass and cutting a circle out will work too.

Pull the sides together above the kiss to seal everything in.

This step is optional--Melt butter and stir in sugar to combine. Brush the top of each kiss pie with melted sugar butter.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes on 400 degrees F .

Optional--Sprinkle with powdered sugar

S'mores Kiss Pies

1 refrigerated pie crust (I rolled mine to make it a little thinner)

Hershey kisses

marshmallows

graham cracker crumbs

3 Tablespoons of butter

1 Tablespoon of sugar

I didn't give exact measurements because it's going to depend on how much want to put into each pie and how large you cut your squares or circles from the pie crust.

I placed a Hershey kiss, a few marshmallows, and a couple of pinches of graham cracker crumbs on a section of the pie crust and cut squares around it, allowing enough space to fold the edges together.

I added 4 marshmallows to each kiss pie but will add more next time. Four just didn't seem to be enough.

Bring the edges together above the kiss and seal.

This step is optional--Melt butter and stir in sugar to combine. Brush the tops of each kiss pie.

Bake for about 15 minutes on 400 degrees F on a greased cookie sheet.

Optional--Sprinkle with powdered sugar

Come visit me at Paper Plates and China

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

yields 4 servings
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/4 tablespoon salt
3/4 pound lean sirloin beef, trimmed, thinly sliced against the grain
2 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 cups broccoli, florets (about 12oz bag)
1 tablespoon ginger root, fresh, minced
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water

Directions:  On a plate, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add 1/2 cup broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan.  Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon water if needed, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon, cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan.  Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until lightly thickened about 1 minute.

Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat.  Serve.  Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Modifications:
-I also added 2 stalks of green onions and a few mushrooms.

Here's what you'll need:

If you are using fresh broccoli, cut up the broccoli.  Mince 1 Tbsp of fresh ginger and 2 cloves of garlic.  Trim and slice the beef.

I went ahead and added some green onions and mushrooms.

Put some cornstarch in a bowl and then toss and cover the beef.

Heat some canola oil in a wok or a pan.

Put the beef in the wok until lightly brown, around 4 minutes and then pull out and sit to the side.

Pour 1/2 cup of chicken stock in to the pan.  Stir the pan and get all of the leftover meat and crumbles.

Add the broccoli, cover for about 3 minutes until tender-crisp. (They will also turn a very bright green)

Uncover and add the ginger, garlic and any other veggies.

In a separate bowl or cup, mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup chicken broth and about 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch.

Mix and pour into the wok.  Let simmer and thicken just a couple of minutes.

I added some rice to the pan (see below for details) and then put the beef back in.

Here's what you'll end up with:

I served this with one of those whole grain rice-in-a-bag.  I boiled them separately and then threw them in the wok at the end when the beef went back in the wok.

You could do all type of variations and add a lot more veggies.  You could buy a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, add grated carrots, or bean sprouts.

1 serving of the beef and broccoli (1 cup)=5 points

1/2 cup of the rice=4 points

Hope you enjoy!

April

MAGIC BEANS and RICE ~ Fire Day Friday

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.  

I took this on a walk at our family's cabin in North Carolina yesterday.

These purple hull beans that we picked up at the farmers' market aren't really magic. They just turn color while cooking and end up looking like regular green beans. But “Beans that change color and rice” just didn't sound that catchy.

But if you have kids and can get your hands on some purple hull or purple teepee beans, you have to show them and say you have “kitchen magic”. The purple beans will turn green in less than the first 60 seconds of boiling.

I made these to go with my barbecue chicken a while back, so this kind of counts for Fire Day Friday.

It's ironic that I'm posting about these since they were the ONLY part of the meal not cooked on the grill.

I barbecued chicken.

I fire roasted new potatoes in garlic butter.

Alexis even baked rolls on her Big Green Egg.

Not Green Beans and Rice

www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 pound purple hull beans (or substitute green beans)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

1. Cook the rice according to directions.
2. Boil the purple or green beans about 4-5 minutes and then shock them in an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their color. (Chlorophyll, the pigment in green veggies is sensitive to heat and acids.  Unfortunately, there's no saving the purple in purple hull beans, they are going to turn green when you cook them.)
3. “French” the green beans by slicing them 3-4 times each on a sharp diagonal. Season with the salt. Toss into the rice, fluffing with a fork.
4. Put the butter and oil in a preheated pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic until turning golden. Pour over the rice/bean mixture.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING & OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING

We hope you and yours have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm sharing my family's scratch recipe for my Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing. My brother has been after me for years to always make it the same way dad always did (tradition) and write it down, so this one is for him and to see if he really does read my blog! LOL! We use this recipe for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and I always make enough to freeze for weekday meals too. It's a great way to use up stale bread. Sometimes I will collect the stale bread into a wrapper in the freezer until I have enough to make a large batch.

Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut intobite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 cloves garlic, minced

• Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
• Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
• Chop all the vegetables.
• In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
• Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
• Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
• Add the melted butter.
• In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
• Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
• Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
• Fold entire mixture into at least a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour.
• At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
• When it's time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn't dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes. 

Bean & Sausage Cassoulet

I've already made this twice.  It was that good. It's on the higher side of calories per portion but it was super filling.  It was wonderful to have this is the refrigerator for lunches all week.

I don't cook with sausage too often but I happened to have 2 packages of sausages.  Which is why I ended up making this twice.  I could probably drop the calories by adding chicken instead but the sausage was SOOOO good!  I also loved the slight tang from the red wine.  You could use beef broth but I encourage the red wine as it tasted wonderful!

Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe

1 (15 oz) can of black beans
1 (15 oz) can of white beans
1 (15 oz) can of red kidney beans
1 lb. turkey sausage, diagonally sliced
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients in an ungreased 3 qt. casserole dish. Cover and bake until carrots are tender, about 1 hour or until hot and bubbly. 

Total calories = 3320 calories
8 servings = 415 calories per serving

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies--Save Room for Dessert

These are the best sugar cookies I've ever made! And trust me, I've made a few.

I hope you enjoy them too!

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies

recipe from here



1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups shortening
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, beaten
4 1/3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Plain or colored sugar, for decorating

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together sugars and shortening using an electric mixer. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.
In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not over mix.Scoop with an ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes.

Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, do not let edges brown. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.



Come over and visit me at Paper Plates and China



Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches from Women's Day online

4 bonesless skinless chicken breasts

Teriyaki sauce

4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 pineapple slices (1/2" thick)
4 whole-wheat buns
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Pickled jalapenos (optional)

Directions:  Combine the chicken and enough teriyaki sauce to cover in a resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill until hot (you shouldn't be able to hold your hand above the grates for more than 5 seconds). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill; discard any remaining marinade. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side; flip and immediately add the cheese to each breast. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the chicken is lightly charred and firm to the touch. Remove and set aside.

  While the chicken rests, add the pineapple and the buns to the grill. Cook the buns until they're lightly toasted and the pineapple until it's soft and caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Top each bun with chicken, red onion, jalapeno slices, and pineapple. If you like, drizzle the chicken with a bit more teriyaki sauce.

Here's what you'll need:

Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag along with some teriyaki sauce.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat your grill or griddle until hot and then throw the chicken breasts on.  Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and add the cheese.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes (or until done).

Once the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, pull the chicken off and rest.  Next, put the pineapple rings on along with the buns.

Here's what you'll end up with:

With the bun, these sandwiches were 9 points on the Weight Watchers Points Plus program; 7 points without the bun