Salmon Burgers

I had seen Paula Deen make this recipe a while back and thought that it would be one I'd actually try. It was one of her recipes that wasn't actually dripping in butter!

We make burgers all the time in the spring and summer, but never out of salmon. I had some salmon fillets in the freezer that needed to be used, so I decided to whip these burgers up for dinner this past week. They were a breeze to throw together and a nice change from our typical "winter fare". The original recipe serves 8, so I cut the recipe in half. The changes are reflected below.

Salmon Burgers

Ingredients
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onions, diced
8 T panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound salmon fillets, skinned and finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Mayonnaise
4 kaiser rolls
lettuce leaves
tomato slices

red onion slices

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine peppers, panko, garlic, and salmon.
In a small bowl, combine egg, soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt; add to pepper mixture, tossing gently to combine. Form mixture into 4 patties.
Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Grill or cook patties, 5 minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness. Spread Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Top each with a lettuce leaf, tomato slice, onion slice and salmon patty. Cover with tops of buns.

Source: burgers adapted from Paula Deen via Food Network

Herb Crusted Rib Eye Roast

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not very good at cooking chunks of meat. Give me chicken, ground turkey, or fish and I'm good. Give me a chunk on beef, and I'm instantly intimidated. Since discovering Little One is devouring all my red blood cells, leaving me anemic, I've been trying to eat red meat a bit more. Rib Eye Roasts were on sale last week, so I knew I had to try this recipe. I love all the ingredients separately, so why not as a crust on a roast?!?!

This roast was easy to throw together and came out perfectly. I was impressed with my roast fearing self. I served this with a spinach salad and a loaded baked potato. We had a lot of leftovers, so we sliced the meat up the next night and made fajitas, which were equally as good!

Herb Crusted Rib Eye Roast

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless rib eye roast, all fat trimmed off
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
3 tsp prepared horseradish
kosher salt and fresh pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp herbs de provence (rosemary, thyme, marjoram and savory)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl combine sour cream, salt, pepper and horseradish.

In another bowl combine breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic and oil.

Season meat with salt and pepper.

Sear roast in a large skillet on high heat for about 10 minutes total on all sides.

Place in roasting pan and cover with sour cream and breadcrumbs on top of roast.

Place in the oven and cook until thermometer reads 140°, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 8.

Source: Everyday Food

Brocoli Cheese Macoroni

I ripped this recipe out from the June 2009 issue of Better Homes and Garden. It looked quick and easy , since it comes together in under 25 minutes. So, I finally got around to make it. B and I thought it was good and a super easy weeknight meal. I served it with garlic bread and a green salad.



Chicken-Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
8 oz. dried rigatoni
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 2 to 2-1/4 lb. whole roasted chicken (I used 2 left-over chicken breasts)
1 5.2-oz. pkg. semisoft cheese with garlic and fine herbs (I used the light version)
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and snipped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, optional

I added Parmesan cheese and a dash of red pepper flakes at the end.

Directions:
1. In large saucepan cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. While pasta is cooking, remove meat from roasted chicken. Coarsely chop chicken. Drain pasta and broccoli; set aside.
2. In same saucepan combine cheese, the 34 cup milk, tomatoes, and 14 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta mixture and chicken. Heat through. If necessary, thin with additional milk. Sprinkle fresh parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Chimicangas

I love Mexican Food. I have been making Chimichangas since college and I been using the same recipe that I had ripped out of a Seventeen magazine. They were excellent. However, they were fried. I saw this recipe in one of the blogs that I follow, I knew I had to try them. I had never thought of baking or browning them in a skillet.

I thought these were delicous and easy to put together, even for a weeknight meal. I think chimicangas will now be making a regular appearance in our little green kitchen again. Ole!

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb of lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Dash of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 can of chili beans, drained

Flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese (I used sharp)

Salsa, Gucamole, and Sour Cream, for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break up the meat into crumbles. Add the onion and garlic as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained can of chili beans to the beef mixture and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Heat another skillet coated in cooking spray over medium heat. Heat the tortillas in paper towels in the microwave for 20 seconds so they are soft and pliable. Layer the tortilla with some cheese then some beef mixture. Fold in the sides and roll into a burrito, making sure the ends are closed. Place seam side down in the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Enjoy.

Beef Stew in the Crockpot

It's been really foggy and cold here lately. Plus, I've been way too tired to do much of anything in the kitchen after work. So, when I stumbled across this recipe on AllRecipes.com, I knew I had to try it.

I was instantly intrigued because the recipe called for no browning of the meat before adding it to the crockpot. I like to get everything ready the night before, so I can simply slip the insert into the cooker on my way out the door in the morning. There is something about doing this with 1/2 cooked meat that grossed me out. Sorry....it just does. It was easy to put together and tasted delicious. I came home to a great smelling dinner that I served with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Delicious!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients
4 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 pounds cubed stew meat
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup (I used regular cream of mushroom)
1 3/4 cups water

Directions
1. Place the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onion and celery in the slow cooker. Place the stew meat over the vegetables.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the soup mix with the can of soup. Add the water and mix together well. Pour this in the slow cooker over the meat and vegetables.
3. Add water as needed so that the liquid comes just to the bottom of the meat.
4. Cook on low setting overnight, adding more water as necessary in the morning. Allow to cook all day. (I cooked mine for 8 hours on low and I thought everything came out perfect)

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

Don't laugh at this picture! It was a crazy week-night and I just wanted to eat. Let's just call it an "action shot!".

I ran across this recipe from Annie's Eats. I knew that I had to try it immediately. What's not to love....chicken, creamy pasta, veggie, and easy prep in one pot??? I urge you to try this recipe...I will definitely be making it again!

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

Ingredients:
8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence. Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low. Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted. If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Source:

World's Best Lasagna

Call me Garfield....but, I love, love, love lasagna! So does Brian. I can almost always count on him to order lasagna when we go out to eat Italian! I've been making this lasagna recipe for a while now. It turns out great every time. I did make few changes to it. I cut the salt and sugar in 1/2 and use turkey sausage and ground turkey. The flavors are great and even better the next day. The name of this recipe doesn't lie....it is the world's best!

World's Best Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe and Photo Source: AllRecipes

Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce

Brian's parents were visiting this past Spring. His dad made dinner one night. It was a delightful dish with lemons and capers. I was smitten! Ever since, I've been meaning to try more dishes with lemons and capers. We have a huge lemon tree in our yard, so we have an endless supply.

This recipe came from October's issue of Cooking Light. It was a breeze to throw together and I think the rice took longer to cook than the chicken did! There is just something about the flavors of lemon and capers that I love. I served as suggested with a white and wild rice blend and green beans.

Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, drained
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken over. Add broth, juice, and capers; reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 minutes, basting chicken occasionally with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley; cook 1 minute. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
3. Bring sauce to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Serve over chicken

Company Pot Roast

I picked up a chuck roast a few weeks back when they were on sale at the grocery store. I knew that I wanted to try this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. I'm so glad that I did! It was fantastic. I'm not sure what was better...eating the roast or smelling it's delicious aromas filling the house all afternoon while it cooked.

Don't be scared of the cook time. You can prep everything as you are browing the roast and then put it in the oven and forget it....welll....don't forget it...but, you know what I mean! I served with garlic mashed potatoes. We had a lot of sauce left-over, so I boiled up some noodles and poured the sauce over it for an easy lunch.



Company Pot Roast



Ingredients:

1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
Good olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 branches fresh thyme
2 branches fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.
Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.



Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/company-pot-roast-recipe/index.html

Spicy Turkey Meat Loaf with Ketchup Topping

I found this recipe in the October issue of Cooking Light. Bri and I thought it was great...not to spicy, very moist and flavorful, and quick and easy to throw together. I whipped it up the night before and Bri popped it in the oven once I was on my way home from work. We enjoyed it with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.

Spicy Turkey Meat Loaf with Ketchup Topping

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3. Combine mushroom mixture, panko, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Shape turkey mixture into a 9 x 5–inch rectangle on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Garlic Ranc Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Sorry, friends! No picture, it disappeared too fast! Why? Because it was awesome...and super easy!

This was a super easy weeknight meal. We had a left-over roasted chicken from earlier in the week, so Brian shredded the rest of the meat off the carcass and so the chicken was ready to go when I got home. He popped the carcass into the freezer to use later in chicken stock.

The original recipe called for a can of Cheddar Cheese soup. I didn't have any and I don't really care for it, so I just used 2 cans of Cream of Chicken. There was plenty of sauce and I didn't feel like it was missing anything due to the lack of the cheese soup.

Garlic Ranch Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Mix, reserve 1/2 tsp for topping
2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup milk
1-15 oz bag frozen mixed veggies
3/4 cup crumbled bacon (I used a jar of Hormel bacon bits and thought it was plenty)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 6 count can Pillsbury Homestyle Biscuits
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with ranch mix, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
2. In a large dutch oven, place soup, broth and milk oven medium heat; whisk until combined. Stir in mixed veggies and shredded chicken. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. (I used 2 8x8; one now; one into the freezer for later!)
3. Open biscuits and place onto wax paper. Cut each biscuit into 10 pieces. I cut into 1/2 and then each 1/2 into 5 pieces. Place biscuits over chicken mixture until covered. Sprinkle biscuits with remaining ranch dressing mix, garlic salt, and 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until biscuits are cooked through and golden brown. I covered with foil for the last 20 minutes or so to prevent too much browning.
5. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve!

Hamburger Stroganoff

Ok....here's a comfort food classic in our house. I love it...quick, easy, and oh, so comforting to me. My mom made this growing up. We make it on a regular basis.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 tbs. butter or oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I've used Cr. of Chicken in a pinch)
1 cup sour cream

1 can of slice button mushroom, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the oil or butter and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the meat and brown, then drain of any extra fat. Add the soup, mushroom, salt and pepper and heat through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

Source: My Mom via the Cambell's soup can

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ok...who hasn't made this, might be the better question to ask. This recipe is floating around everywhere from Taste of Home to the back of the Campbell's soup can. My brother and I made this on a regular basis while we were in college. However, I don't recall putting in the mixed veggies...maybe we did...I don't remember!

Brian and I were in need of some serious comfort food, so I decided to whip this up.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked, regular long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Cover the baking dish.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.

Source: Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole Recipe Taste of Home Recipes