Not-So-Meatless Monday

When I cook several nights in a week, as I am hoping to do this week, I typically try to throw in a Meatless Monday. First, I like the challenge of finding a meatless recipe that the boys will eat, and two, there are a ton of studies out there proclaiming the health benefits of going meatless for a day. I totally subscribe to that theory, and think the whole Meatless Monday movement is a good thing.

However, tonight was not one of those meatless nights. When I was meal planning, I basically picked the first several recipes that jumped out at me, mostly because we had just gotten home from vacation and I didn't have the patience to find something meatless that would appeal to the boys. Plus, this particular recipe has been calling my name for a while, but I never got around to cooking it until tonight. And it has loads of mushrooms!

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes
Source: Cooking Light, June 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12-oz ground sirloin
• 2 (8-oz) packages pre-sliced crimini or button mushrooms
• 1 c. pre-chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. no-salt added tomato paste
• 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano (didn't use fresh)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)
• 3/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• Buns

Directions:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add beef, cook for 4 mins or until browned, stirring to crumble.
• While beef cooks, finely chop 'shrooms in a food processor. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to pan; cook for 3 mins or until onion is tender. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to pan; cook 5 mins or until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates. Stir in pepper and hot sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (1 c. beef mix/1 bun)
Per serving: 439 cals; 14.7g fat (4.6g sat; 6.8g mono; 1.9g poly); 27.3g protein; 49.7g carb; 4g fiber; 55mg chol; 618mg sodium

Reviews:
The kid devoured his sammy and asked for seconds. Methinks he did not notice the mushrooms, because he is not typically a fan of the fungi. I, on the other hand, pretty much love all things mushroom, so the taste was kind of lost on me. The hubs grunted his approval as he shoveled in the food. Overall, this was a good dish, but I didn't find it to be that different from other sloppy joe/jane dishes we've had in the past. One note: Cooking Light did include this in its 20-minute "Super Fast" section, and it took exactly that amount of time - and I even chopped my own onion!

Ranking:
Three Forks

Bowling for Tacos

Ugh - so that might be the worst blog title ever.

Luckily, dinner tonight was not the worst. Because we have limited family meals this week, the boys were off the hook for Meatless Monday. Instead, we went gluten free!

A word re: gluten free. No one in my family (as far as I'm aware) has any gluten-based tolerance issues, so the reason I selected this recipe was simply because it looked yummy. Color me stupid, but I couldn't really tell you why this was gluten-free.

And, since I don't feel like typing out the entire recipe, you won't get the opportunity to look at the ingredients, so you won't be able to figure out the gluten-free for me thing either.

Kind of depressing?

Gluten-Free "Taco" Bowls

Source: Clean Eating Magazine, Jan/February 2012

Reviews:

First of all, let's start with the preparation. For a weeknight, this was not the best choice. It was supposed to simmer for 55 minutes. Because my stove tends to cook a little faster than usually indicated, I was able to cut that time down by about 15-20 minutes, so we didn't have to eat super late. Besides the long simmer time, the meal was fairly easy to throw together. Limited chopping, mostly just a throwing a bunch of spices together. As far as the food itself, no one missed the gluten (ha ha), because it was really good. The kid really liked it and didn't notice the fun pinto beans thrown in. It was basically like a shell-less taco, although the boys did use taco chips to scoop it up. And there are lots of leftovers.

Ranking:

Three Forks

Kind of NOT depressing?!

TGI-TH

Whew - we're at the end - I've actually cooked five nights in a row! I haven't had the opportunity to do that for a long time. Honestly though peeps, I prefer it that way. I like having meals together. I like making sure that my family is eating healthy fare. And there's so much to be said about the family meal.

Allow me to wax poetic for a moment. According to Meals Matter (and many other sources), family meals result in healthier habits, better test scores and overall happier kids. While I can't predict the future, I am proud that we are building a solid foundation for our children. We actively and openly discuss healthy habits and making positive choices.

Deep.

In other not-so-deep thoughts, I am super-behind on all of my Bravo shows. And I had the great pleasure of sampling some amazing cupcakes today from La Bella. Which also included the fun adventure of two East Siders attempting to navigate the West Side. But they were worth the trip. Yum. And NOT heart healthy.

Sally's Noodle Casserole
Source: The Healthy Heart Cookbook, by Joseph P. Piscatella

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs leanest ground beef
• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed (used minced)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2-15oz cans tomato sauce (used no-salt added)
• 1-8oz package light cream cheese (softened)
• 1-8oz package light sour crm with chives
• 1-12oz package rotini noodles (used whole wheat)
• 2 tbsp nonfat shredded cheddar
• 2 tbsp nonfat shredded jack (used mozzarella)

Heart healthy ingredients: tomato sauce (and we had broccoli as a side)

Directions:

• Saute beef and garlic 4-5 mins or until beef is browned. Add sugar (and salt/pepper to taste). Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 20 mins.
• Using a wire whisk or electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Spray an 8-inch round x 3.5-inch deep baking dish with cooking spray. Add a layer of noodles. Spread a layer of cream cheese mix, then a layer of the tomato sauce mixture. Repeat 2 more times.
• Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins. Top with cheddar and jack and bake uncovered for about 5 more mins.

Yield: 8 servings (not sure what a serving size is... annoying. Went with 1 cup)
Per serving: 379 cals; 15g total fat (6g sat) 101mg chol; 39g carbs; 3g fiber; 25g protein; 610mg sodium

Reviews:
First of all - and you know I'm going to type it - this meal took way too long for a weeknight. While prep was super-extra simple, the 20 minutes here, 30-40 mins here is a bit ridic. I MUST start reading ahead more. But alas, you know I won't.

Taste-wise, we were a little split. I'm a cheesy kind of gal, so I appreciated the creaminess of the sour cream/cream cheese mix. The boys did not. Overall, it is a very filling dish.

Ranking:
Two Forks - although I vote three, but I guess majority will rule tonight?

Maybe just a little extra cheese?

Super Sunday

It would have been too cliche to make New England clam chowder or New York cheesecake for Super Bowl Sunday. So I didn't. It's not because I'm anti-Super Bowl (I'm not) and anti-cliche (I'm obviously not based on previous blog posts), but mostly because I don't like either of those foods.

So, instead I went with a "man's meal" of chili. Again. With a twist, of course. Chili as a casserole! Because I love a casserole! (And yes, you read it right - I do not like cheesecake.)

I don't make tons of casseroles during the week because I don't have as much time, plus a casserole usually lends itself to over-sized portions and over-eating. But, my heart still belongs to an old-fashioned casserole.

Chili Cornbread Casserole
Source: EatingWell, Sept/Oct 2010

There are a ton of ingredients and directions to type in, and I have Super Bowl commercials to watch. Therefore, I'm instead just providing you a link.

Heart healthy ingredients: Kidney beans; tomatoes; cayenne pepper

We also had:
Garlic Roasted Kale
Source: Cooking Light, not sure of date

I also made:
Texas Sheet Cake
Source: Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2012

This cake is one of the "All-Time Best" Cooking Light chocolate recipes I referenced in a previous post. This cake came in second place, so obvs I had to give it a whirl. I made a couple of minor adjustments (mainly no nuts because I don't like them in baked goods).

Reviews:
Kid: "Didn't love it." He forced himself to eat approx 10 bites so he could partake in post-dinner ice cream. He did eat all of his kale, and the hubs ate most of his kale, which is a win-win in my book. The hubs gave it a double thumbs up. I thought the chili was good, but the cornbread portion was a little bland. I also cut back on the cheese, so that kind of got lost in translation.

I don't think the cake warrants its runner-up ranking in all-time best ever chocolate recipes, but it is very rich and has an interesting flavor, thanks to the fun addition of cinnamon. And there's a TON of it, which will make my mother happy when she stops by later this week to hang with the kiddos.

Ranking:
Chili Casserole: Three forks - made a ton, overall pretty good
Texas Sheet Cake: Three forks

Chef Hubs Strikes Again

It's a little disingenuous that I'm writing this post, because the self-dubbed Chef Hubs did most of the heavy lifting tonight. Why, you might ask? Well, allow me to explain.
1. Chef Hubs is a teacher and is now on break.
2. I am not a teacher and am not on break.
3. Chef Hubs wanted to eat earlier than normal because he wanted to take the kid to a basketball game.
4. I'm always down for eating early and catching up on my Housewives whilst he and the kid do the sports thing.

To his credit, Chef Hubs was going to write this post upon his return home tonight, but I don't feel like waiting up to deal with it (i.e., the likelihood of me staying up much past 9p is slim to none), so you are stuck with me.

To make life easier for everyone - even before this basketball-hubs-break plan was set into motion - I decided to crock pot it tonight. However, one big issue I seem to have with many crock pot recipes is finding the healthy ones that spell out specific portion sizes, etc. So obvs the recipe gods were smiling down on me when I happened across a new little cookbook - Diabetic Slow Cooker recipes! Let's all give a woot woot!

Now, I am not diabetic, nor is anyone in my family (although there is a history), however, I knew these recipes would be healthy, and that portions would be specifically spelled out. Plus, you know I love a new resource.

The other new item for tonight is polenta. I know I included it in a meal at some point over the past few years, but my memory is pretty mushy, so I don't remember. Polenta is also mushy - cornmeal mush in fact - although I believe you can bake it for a more solid consistency. We went with the mush tonight.

Polenta with Ground Beef Ragout
Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker, from the editors of Diabetic Living

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 1 14.5 oz can no-salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained (used diced - couldn't find no-salt added stewed)
• 3 carrots cut into chunks
• 2 onions sliced into wedges
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (used pre-minced)
• 1 large red sweet pepper, cut into pieces
• 1 med zucchini, cut into slices
• 1 16-oz tube polenta
• 1/4 c. purchased pesto (skip)

Directions:

• In a large skillet cook ground beef. Drain fat and transfer into slow cooker.
• Stir in tomatoes, carrots, onions, water, seasoning and garlic.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 3.5-4.5 hours.
• If using a low setting, with about 30 mins left to go, turn to high. Stir in pepper and zucchini and cook until crisp-tender.
• Prepare polenta. Serve meat mixture over polenta and top with pesto.

Yield: 6 servings (1 c. beef mixture, 1 slice of polenta, 2 tsp pesto)
Per serving: 285 cals; 9g fat (3g sat); 50mg chol; 488mg sodium; 30g carb; 6g fiber; 21g protein

Reviews:
The kid was not a fan of the polenta. He complained about it from the moment he saw it in the tube, assumed it was a tube of cheese (?) and rolled it around on the counter. That was thrilling for me. Chef Hubs thought there were too many veggies, per usual. Of course, I am the one who added the veggies at the end, so my guess is if it was up to him, he might have "forgotten" that step. I liked it all - I liked all of the veggies, and the polenta was a funsies change-up.

Ranking:
Two Forks - more based on kid and hubs than me.

Look at the juxtaposition. I'm so artsy.

Beef & Pasta Skillet

I couldn't come up with a great title for this post, so there you have it.

When the hubs and I first moved in together, and long before I saw the light with clean eating, I would make Hamburger Helper. So help me, I did. Go ahead and judge. I give you permission.

Obvs, I no longer buy or eat the stuff. Or for that matter, very much boxed anything anymore. But that doesn't mean that a good old fashioned pile of beef and noodles can't be done in a healthier way. Because it can. And it makes for a great family meal on a busy weeknight.

Beef and Pasta Skillet
Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried tricolor rotini (used whole wheat tricolor)
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 med garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp salt-free Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 c. water
• 6oz can no salt added tomato paste
• 2 tbsp parm cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (skip)
• 1 tsp low-sodium Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)

Directions:

• Prepare pasta, drain and set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet, stir together the mushrooms, beef, onion, garlic, herb seasoning and basil. Cook, covered over med-high heat for 8-10 mins, or until the mushrooms have released their juices and are fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Stir the mixture and the pasta into the skillet. Heat thoroughly.

Yield: 6 servings (I assumed one cup/serving)
Per serving: 262 cals; 16g protein; 40g carbs; 23mg choles; 5.5g fat (2.0g sat; 0.5g poly; 2.0g mono); 187mg sodium

Reviews:
Great meal! Super easy to prep, not a lot of mess, and the entire family enjoyed. I even managed to hide the 'shrooms enough for the kid to eat a few. AND he asked for seconds! AND we have leftovers! Score!

Ranking:
Four Forks

I see a 'shroom peeking out!

All Done!

All Done!

Not only is the baby learning the sign for all done at school (a super-fun touchdown sign!), but we are now at the end of the first-ever GBRC Quick Fire Challenge! I bet The Beatles have something to say about that...

(Please note, I do not endorse the fact that many of these images have absolutely no association with the time frame in which this song was recorded. Just so you know. You should also note the excellent guitar work in this song. The three solos are amazing. Really.)

On to tonight's contender - a selection from Cooking Light's "Super Fast 20 Minute Cooking" feature (a regular feature in the magazine, btw).

Sloppy Joe Sliders
Source: Cooking Light, November 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 large carrot
• 10 oz. lean ground beef
• 3/4 c. pre-chopped onion (just chopped my own)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1 tbsp Dijon
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (used no-salt added)
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 8oz no-salt added tomato sauce
• Slider buns

Directions:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Grate carrot/ Add carrot, beef and onion to pan, cook until beef is browned. Add garlic powder and chili powder, cook 1 minute.
• Combine remaining ingredients (except for buns, obvs) in a bowl and add to pan, stirring to coat beef mixture. Simmer for 5 mins or until thickened.

Yield: 4 (2 sliders - 2 slider buns with 1/4 c. beef mixture on each bun)
Per serving: 373 cals; 10g fat (3.6g sat; 3.5g mono; 2.3g poly); 23.1g protein; 52.2g carbs; 38mg carb; 736mg sodium (yikes!)

Reviews:
The only grousing at tonight's table was the hubs when the kid tried to slip him a piece of broccoli (we also had wild rice). The slider buns were perfectly sized for the kid, and he devoured almost his entire portion. I thought the flavor was delish. However, this did take me a bit longer than 20 mins only because in my typical fashion, I did not read the directions ahead of time. However, this meal is a great option for a busy weeknight - especially since all of the ingredients are pantry staples.

Ranking:
Four Forks - yum!

Touchdown broccoli!

Chex it Out!

Oh yeah - I went there.

I made not one, but two variations of Chex Mix today. In fact, today I became one of "those" moms. You know the kind I'm talking about. The moms who show up to school parties with sweet little bags of pretty homemade treats. I'm usually one of "the other" moms. I go to every party at the kid's school, but I typically sign up to bring something uber-creative like bottled water or napkins. Not because I don't like to bake - obviously I have a thing for the kitchen, hence the challenge - but because I don't have a cute, cooking/creative gene in my body unless it is specifically (and easily) spelled out for me.

But today, I went for it. I signed up to bring "salty snack" (OMG the irony) for Halloween. I was going to purchase a bunch of bags of pretzels, but instead made homemade Chex Mix (with some minor variations). And, because I have sooo much of the cereal leftover, I also made a chocolate variation for our personal eating pleasure. (Note: We still have oodles of the Chex goodness to spare.) I'm not going to include the recipes here - just purchase any box of Chex cereal and you'll find a bunch of recipes on the back. And box tops. Because I'm THAT mom.




Original

Chocolate

Ready to party!





On to dinner. Per usual, when I was planning the menu for this week, I asked the boys for some suggestions. This time, the hubs offered up a "it's almost cold enough for meat loaf." So, meat loaf it is.

Dutch Meat Loaf

Source: Healthy Heart Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce (used no-salt added)
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 c. bread crumbs (used no-salt added whole wheat)
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)

Directions:

• Combine tomato sauce, water, mustard, and vinegar. Mix beef with bread crumbs, egg, onion, pepper and a quarter of the tomato sauce mixture. Shape into a loaf pan. Pour enough sauce over top of meat loaf to coat. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees, basting often. Warm remaining sauce, serve over sliced loaf.

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving 218 calories; 8g fat (3g sat); 19g carbs; 18g protein; 47mg choles; 431mg sodium

Roasted Red Potatoes with Lemon and Olive Oil

Source: Healthy Heart Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 lb tiny red potatoes, halved
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (used refrigerated)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)

Directions:

• In a casserole dish, arrange potatoes. Combine the rest of the ingredients, pour over potatoes. Roast at 350 degrees 30-40 mins or until potatoes are tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Per serving 157 calories; 3g fat; 30g carbs; 2g protein; 275mg sodium

Reviews:

The meatloaf was good. Not great. I have an amazing meat loaf recipe that will be coming your way at some point, and this one was just OK. I tasted a lot of the breadcrumbs. The potatoes were so-so - very lemony, and not crispy enough for my taste. I should have - as I have in the past - roasted them at a much higher temperature for longer to crisp them up. Oh well. The hubs enjoyed the meal, and the kid ate half of his 'loaf (no ground beef issues tonight) and predictably, a half of a bite of potato.

Ranking:

Two Forks

Meat and taters





A Man's Meal

Tonight is not a night for foo-foo type of foods. Our late night last night (highly atypical for us old fogeys) combined with the cooler fall temps, means we need stick-to-the-ribs sustenance. Especially if we have any hope at all of staying awake through both the Amazing Race and RHONJ reunion (do not get me started on that Teresa).

However, "stick-to-the-ribs" is not usually the healthiest of choices. Enter Clean Eating Comfort Foods with all of its tempting goodness. After perusing the cookbook a few dozen times, I decided go a bit outside of our comfort zone with tonight's main event. I went with bison. I went with fresh cauli. Ooooh.

Bison - according to BisonBasics.com by way of the USDA - is low in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, and is chock-full of iron and omega-3s. And cauliflower has all sorts of cancer-fighting benefits, and serves as a detox support (score!). Remember, I am not a nutritionist or an expert. I find my information online so do not assume it is 100 percent accurate.

Skinny Shepard's Pie
Source: Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods

Ingredients:

• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed well and quartered (used russet)
• 2 c. cauliflower florets (peeps, I used FRESH here)
• 1 tsp each salt/pepper (skip)
• 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1 diced onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 lb ground bison
• 1 c. sliced carrots, chopped into half moons
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 1 c. low-sodium beef broth (used no-salt added)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (didn't use fresh)
• 1 c. frozen peas

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Bring a large pot of water to boil, add potatoes and cook 8 mins. Add cauli, cook 7 additional mins or until potatoes are tender. Drain and transfer to a large pot. Add salt, pepper and mil, and mash until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet on med heat, mist with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, bison and carrots and cook until bison is no longer pink.
• In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until no lumps remain (approx 1 min). Gradually add broth, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Add Worcestershire and thyme, whisking to combine.
• In a 10x15 (?) casserole dish, add bison mixture, broth mixture and peas, stir to combine. Spread in an even layer, then top with potato-cauli mixture. Mist top with cooking spray (forgot to do this), and bake until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown, approx. 30 mins.

Yield: 8 servings (1 cup per serving)
Per serving: 191 cals; 5g fat (1g sat); 19g carbs; 3g fiber; 3.5g sugar; 16g protein; 332mg sodium; 41mg choles

Reviews:
A mashed potatoes-meat combination? This did not go over at all with the kid. He ate approx. 1/2 tsp of the meat mixture, and even less of the mashed potatoes. Oh well - he won't starve. The hubs approved, although he noted there were "too many veggies." Yes, peas and carrots equals "too many" for his five-year-old palate. Fortunately, I liked this meal very much. The mashed potatoes with cauli turned out nice and smooth, and the bison mixture had a good flavor.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Mashed cauli mixture!

New, New and More New

After much anticipation, tonight was the night I tried my first recipe out of the brand new Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods! This new cookbook combines all of my favorites: clean recipes, delish foods and pretty pictures. Bam!

So, for the cookbook's debut in our house, I stepped a teeny bit outside of my comfort zone with this one. Normally - as you may have noticed - when recipes call for fresh herbs/spices, I rely on those little jars to get me through. I don't have a garden (and most likely never will. I do not like to garden. There. I said it.), and I feel like buying a whole gaggle of fresh whatever is kind of a waste of money. Yes, I can be cheap with stuff. And lazy when it comes to chopping up little bits of herbs. Because really, who wants to do that? But tonight, I went with the real deal. Clean-tastic!

OMG did a commercial just use the phrase "neti pot thingy"?? I approve.

Baked Greek-Style Pasta with Mint and Pea Pesto
Source: You know the source! Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp EVOO
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 lbs lean ground beef or lamb (went with beef)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (used refrigerated)
• Pinch sea salt/pepper (skip)
• 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 12 oz whole-grain rotini (used penne)
• 1/2 c. low fat feta
• 1/2 c. skim cottage cheese
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1 packed cup fresh mint
• 1/2 packed cup fresh parsley
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (didn't use fresh)
• 2 tsp lemon zest (skip)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add peas and cook for approx. 1 min. Transfer peas to food processor; add mint, parsley, green onions, 4 tsp oil and 2 tbsp water. Pulse until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Scrape into a large bowl, stir in lemon juice and zest. (Use a super big bowl, btw)
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil on med heat. Add yellow onion and cook until soft, about 5 mins. Stir in beef, garlic, salt/pepper and cook until browned. Add broth and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta cooking water (I started the pasta at the same time as the peas, btw).
• Add pasta and reserved water to bowl with pesto and combine. Add in beef mixture. Transfer to a 13x9 dish and sprinkle with feta and cottage cheese. Bake until golden, approx. 20 mins.

Yield: 8 servings (1-1/2 c. per serving)
Calories: 299; total fat: 9g (2g sat, 3.5 mono, 1g poly); 34g carbs; 8.5g fiber; 4g sugars; 20.5g protein; 186mg sodium; 27mg chol

Reviews:
The hubs took one look at the empty (green) blender bowl and turned his nose up. You know how he feels about green. AND this includes ground beef - we all know how the kid feels about ground beef. So I was kind of expecting the worst from the boys. Yet, they were both members of the clean plate club. The recipe was delish. My only small issue? After about 22 minutes in the oven, the top wasn't super brown, so I popped on the broiler for about 2 minutes to crisp it up a teeny bit. 

Ranking:
Three Forks: Kind of a lot of prep for a weeknight, but once that was complete, it was fairly easy to prepare.

Extreme food close-up!

A Lie and a Pie

Tonight's dinner is not a new recipe - I've made it several times before, and actually was scheduled to prepare it last week. However, because I was a tad sniffly, it was bumped to today.

The kid is usually pretty easy to please when it comes to food, but he's pretty sure that he does not like hamburgers. Honestly, I don't get it. He likes meatballs. And countless other items that are made with ground beef, but utter the word "hamburger" and it is an insta-no-go.

Therefore, I told the kid we were having turkey pie. Because he likes things with turkey (turkey tacos, anyone?). He pointed out the suspiciously-colored meat, and I told him it was the seasoning. Yes, I lied. Blatantly and purposefully. Just another notch in my "mother of the year" status.

P.S.: A special birthday shout-out to Christy @ The Daily Dish! Check out her blog... it's fabu!

Hamburger Pie
Source: Weight Watchers Magazine, March/April 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 c. low-fat baking mix (i.e., Bisquick) + 2 tbsp
• 1/4 c. skim milk
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 minced garlic clove (used refrigerated)
• 1/2 c. eggbeaters
• 1/2 c. low-fat shredded cheddar
• 2 tbsp parm cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
• To make crust, mix 1 c. Bisquick and milk in medium bowl until soft dough forms. Transfer to lightly floured surface and knead five times. Roll out into 6-inch round, put in pie plate, pressing it evenly against bottom and side of dish.
• Spray large skillet w/ spray and set over med-high heat. Add beef, onion, Worcestershire sauce and garlic; cook until beef is browned through. Stir in 2 tbsp Bisquick. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, add eggbeaters, cheese and parm to a small bowl, combine. Spoon beef mixture over crust, top evenly with cheese mixture.
• Bake until filling is set and crust is golden, approx. 25-30 mins.

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving: 234 cal; 3g sat fat (0g trans); 44mg chol; 501mg sodium; 19g carb; 22g protein

Reviews:
There's no fooling this kid. Although I don't think he caught on that it was actually "hamburger" instead of "turkey," he still didn't like it. Nor did he like the Alexia fries I served as an accompaniment. He did eat all of his broccoli, and I let him have a banana so he wasn't totally starving. We do have a rule - what I make for dinner is all you get - so the banana was a big concession. Again - mother of the year here.

The hubs and I both liked the meal - I didn't eat most of the crust because it was a little too much (and I kind of screwed it up when I was making it - too much milk), but the hubs ate his entire portion.

Ranking:
Three Forks



Appetizing!



Special Guest Blogger

Tonight, my super-control freak self relented and gave up both my kitchen and my blog to the hubs. Enjoy!

This is a special day. My loving wife and chef extraordinaire has bequeathed this space to me tonight. Much like when Johnny Carson used to have guest hosts, it will probably not live up to the quality of the innovator of this blog, but here goes...

Since my parents are in town, my wife decided to make a crock pot full of chili due in part to the "gloomy, March-like weather." After standing in the 45 degree rain watching my son's flag football game (in which he caught a long TD pass!), this sounded like a splendid idea.

Since the chef had a bunch of errands to run, I ended up making the chili. As previously mentioned in the blog, I won over my wife's heart on our second date with my award-winning beef stroganoff. Outside of that, however, I don't usually make too many forays into the kitchen except to make a bowl of cereal. Today though, I happily took up the charge of making the chili before settling in for an afternoon of watching my beloved Buckeyes.

Fortunately for our stomachs, I think the chili was much more of a winner than OSU on this Saturday. In fact, the Buckeyes were downright vomit-inducing. 

Thanks for letting me fill in, I'm guessing this might be the first and last time it happens.

No-Bean Chili
Source: Taste of Home Heartwarming Soups (2011)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce (we used no-salt added)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 can chopped green chiles
• 1/2 c. minced fresh parsley (skip)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-1/4 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)

We added 2 cans no-salt added pinto beans and a can of no-salt added diced tomatoes.

Directions:

• Combine in slow cooker, mix well and cook on high 4-6 hours.

Yield: 6 servings (1c/serving)
Per serving (original recipe, not our no-salt, with beans version): 217 calories; 9g fat (3g sat); 56mg choles; 954mg sodium (ugh); 11g carbs; 24g protein

Reviews:
The OC (original chef) said that it was OK, nothing special :(  Chef Hubs thought it was pretty good, although maybe a little too heavy on ground beef. I usually like my chili with more bean & tomato feel to it.  My parents both approved and were members of the clean-plate/bowl club. In his usual protest to all things ground beef, the kid took maybe a half bite before shaking his head and refusing to eat any more.

Ranking:
Three forks (although I fear the OC would probs only give it 2 forks)

Note from HF: I really like the name "OC" and think that all of my peeps should start referring to me by that name. Esp since OG probs doesn't really fit my suburban-raised self.

Sodium Smarts

Not feeling particularly creative tonight - sorry peeps. Howevs, what is very exciting tonight is all of the season premieres! Yes, I like my TV. Tonight's show list? Glee (obvs), Biggest Loser, 90210, Gossip Girl. PLUS Rachel Zoe. Ba-nanas! Side note - the likelihood I'll make it through anything but Glee tonight? About 0 percent, considering Tuesday is my double workout day (spin in the a.m., lift with my trainer at night).

Our selection tonight comes courtesy of another one of those "heart healthy" cookbooks I have on hand. Howevs, as you'll see with this one, many of the recipes, while lower in fat and cholesterol, still have oodles of sodium. Of course I adapted mine to lower it, but still. My personal definition of "heart healthy" includes sodium smart (!) meals. Maybe it's just me. Or maybe its just that this book was published more than a decade ago, before sodium became all the rage as it has of late (much to my joy).

Campfire Mesquite Beef & Beans
Source: Betty Crocker's Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cooking Today (2000)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 2 c. water
• 1/4 c. mesquite-flavored bbq sauce (I use Old Carolina BBQ - 35mg sodium/serving - who knew this was right here in the NEO, btw? I sure didn't. Will have to check it out)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp bouillon granules (I use sodium-free)
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I use no-salt added)
• 2 c. uncooked pasta (I used a whole-wheat penne/mac combo I had on hand)

Directions:

• Spray a 4-quart Dutch oven with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in Dutch oven, stirring occasionally, until brown. Drain.
• Stir in remaining ingredients except pasta. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 18 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Spoon beef mixture over pasta.

Notes: Recipe recommends adding salsa (I did - use Newman's Own, which is low-sodium), sour cream (blech) or if you don't want pasta, rolling up in a fat-free flour tortilla (I would use La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat tortillas, in case you are wondering). We did add some mozzarella cheese - I just used a sprinkle.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 355 calories; 7g fat (sat 2g); choles: 25mg; sodium: 840mg (this is the original, not my variation); carbs: 57g; protein: 23g

Reviews:
The kid didn't have a banner evening - he was complaining of stomach pains, so he went to bed without eating. For some reason, he's not a huge fan of ground beef, so I don't know that he would have loved this anyway. The hubs really enjoyed - he's taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow, and he's not typically a leftover or pack-your-own-lunch kind of guy. I also enjoyed, although I wish that the recipe outlined specific serving sizes (I made assumptions) and started off as a low-sodium meal.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Campfire Meal - although there is no camping in MY future

Taco Tuesday

I know - "Taco Tuesday" is not that original, but it's late (for me), I'm tired, and today wasn't a banner day.

We love tacos - who doesn't? If you remember, when I started this challenge and broke it to the kid that we were no longer having turkey tacos, he was more than a little annoyed. However, the whole point of this challenge is that we might not have that particular recipe, but since I have gazillions of taco recipe variations, tacos will continue to be a part of lives. And really, who would deprive a kid of his tacos? Not this mom.

And now, thanks to Ladies Home Journal and its four taco recipes on ONE page, I have even more options!

Oh - and a special shout-out thanks to Penzeys Spices. WTF?! You send me a whole catalog chock-full of delish recipes that are low-sodium (for the most part) and amazing looking? My Great Big Recipe Challenge might go on for years... I have already identified a bunch of recipes I want to try out. From a catalog.

Mexican Picadillo
Source: Ladies Home Journal, September 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 clover minced garlic (used pre-minced)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (skip - forgot)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1 diced bell pepper (used red)
• 1 diced tomato (used no-salt added canned diced tomatoes)
• 1 c. tomato sauce (used no-salt added)

Directions:

• Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, cayenne and black pepper. Cook, crumbling meat, until just browned.
• Add bell pepper, tomato and tomato sauce. Simmer until thickened about 15 mins.

Yield: 4-6 servings (I assumed 4oz meat/serving)
Per serving: 230 calories; 12.5g total fat (4g sat); 525mg sodium; 9g carbs; 59mg choles; 20g protein; 3g fiber

Reviews:
The kid called this meal "top notch." Even with my accidental omission of the cayenne, this still had a tiny kick, and we have lots of leftovers. I served it with plain brown rice and used Garden of Eatin yellow corn taco shells, which only have 5mg of sodium per TWO taco shells. Sidebar - I heart Garden of Eatin products. Obvs.

Sidebar #2 - the above nutritionals - and all of my nutritionals, for that matter, do not reflect my adjustments (i.e., no salt, using no-salt added ingredients, etc.). Just in case you were wondering.

Ranking:
Four Forks. Woot!

Yes, I had to have some cheese tonight. Just one of those days.