Quick and Healthy

I keep on hand a stock of prepared sauces (I get mine from Trader Joes, but I have seen others at Shop N Save) that I make when I have to get a meal on the table fast.

Quick meals-Emily Gibb
1 jar simmer sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 package frozen spinach
Rice
Plain yogurt, for garnish

Start your rice, whether on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until it is starting to get clear. Add the simmer sauce and chickpeas and spinach. Simmer on low until rice is done. Serve on top of rice with a dollop of yogurt.

*You can add in anything that you have on hand that your family would like. When I have a little more time on my hands I may add chicken or tofu

Baked Quinoa With Spinach and Cheese-Emily Gibb

This is an easy gratin, a comforting casserole that you can serve as a main dish or a side.
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1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère, and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. The recipe can be made through Step 3 several hours or even a day ahead. The gratin can be assembled several hours ahead.
Just a few side notes about the dish:

I am more than happy to pick up some quinoa for you if you can't find any at Shop n Save, but I think you could easily substitute couscous and it would be ok. You would probably lose some of the nutty and slightly crunchy texture, but it would work. Also, it calls for fresh spinach, but this last time I used some defrosted frozen spinach and just squeezed as much water out as I could and completely skipped step 2 of the recipe. Using fresh spinach gave it more texture the first time, but it also takes more time to prepare. Lastly, the recipe calls for Gruyere cheese, which I read is similar to swiss, so I just used swiss since it is more readily available and less expensive.

Here are some recipe sites that I really like:
recipezaar.com
prudencepennywise.blogspot.com
crockpot365.blogspot.com

“Goo Losh”-Lucenda Usher

1 cup cooked rice
3 cups cooked macaroni
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
(Lucenda used 1 ½ cup Ragu instead of tomato sauce and paste)
3 strips cooked bacon, broken into small pieces
½ lb. hamburger

Combine all ingredients while warm and serve.

Speedy Bread- Lucenda Usher

6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast, dissolved in 3 cups warm water

Mix together and knead for 5 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves and place in loaf pans. Let rise about 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Slice, add garlic butter and cheese. Warm in oven until cheese is melted.


Salmon Patties--Sheila Moen

1 Can of Salmon (drained)
2 Eggs
1 small onion diced
2 handfuls of crackers crushed

Mix all of the ingredients and mold into patties, using small amount of oil on skillet, grill them on both sides.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie- Jamie Hoskins

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 9 oz. pkg. frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9" pie plate, mix soups, veggies and meat. In a bowl, combine Bisquick, egg and milk. Pour over meat and veggies. Bake for 30 mins. ( I put a cookie sheet underneath in case it leaks out.)

Skillet Lasagna-Malinda Williams

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
2 garlic clov3es, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
6 oz curly-edged lasagna noodles (8 noodles), broken into 2-inch pieces
*NOT no boil noodles
1 (26 oz) jar tomato sauce, such as marinara (about 3 cups)
2 cups water
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
(*mince the garlic and measure out the pasta while the meat cooks)

1. Cook meat in 12*inch nonstick skillet over hight heat, breaking it into pieces with wooden spoon, until fat renders, 3-5 min. drain meat and return it to skillet.
2. stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and 1\2 tsp salt and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Sprinkle broken noodles into skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 min.
4. Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Season with salf and pepper. Dot heaping Tbs of rivotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 5min.
5. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Beef and sour cream noodles- Wendee Bacon

2 cups egg noodles cooked ( 3cups uncooked)
1lb ground beef
8oz can tomato sauce
½ tsp garlic salt
1-2 cups sour cream depends on your taste
1 cup shredded sharp chesses

Brown beef , salt, pepper, and garlic salt
Boil noodles
Mix beef and tomato sauce together
Mix noodles and sour cream together
In 9x9 dish layer the beef and then noodles top with cheese
Bake at 350 for 20- 25 minutes

Fettuccine Alfredo –Leigh Christensen

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 package (8 ounces) fettuccine

Cook fettuccine in boiling water for 11-12 minutes until al dente (or according to box instructions). While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce:

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard garlic, stir in cheese and remove from heat.

When pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta. Return sauce to low heat, add 1/3 cup of pasta water and the cooked pasta then toss until evenly coated. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 1 minute, adding water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings, each 320 calories and 12 grams fat (6 grams saturated). Delicious topped with grilled chicken.

Pasta Primavera- Abbie Hafen

3 carrots, peeled 1 tablespoon dried italian herbs
2 medium or 1 large zucchini 2 tsp salt
2 yellow summer squash 2 tsp pepper
1 yellow bell pepper 1 lb pasta (bowtie or whatever you have)
1 red bell pepper 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 onion, thinly sliced 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 olive oil

preheat oven to 450 degrees. cut the carrots, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers into thin 2-inch-long strips. On a large, heavy baking sheet, toss the veggies, onion, oil, hearbs and 2 tsp each of salt and pepper to coat. transfer half of the veggies to another baking sheet, and arrange the veggies evenly over both sheets. bake, stirring after the first 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the other veggies begin to brown about 20 minutes.

meanwhile, cook pasta, drain reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cooked veggies to combine. add the cherry tomatoes and enough of the reserved cooking liquied to mosten. seaon the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. dish up and sprinkle with cheese!!

Pasta, Peas and Pesto- Amy Larson

1 lb. medium pasta shapes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup prepared pesto (I usually use it from a jar I get at Trader Joe's or make it myself if I'm feeling really ambitious)
1 (10 ounce package) frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
juice of one lemon
heaping 1/3 cup mayonnaise or whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Toss with olive oil and cool to room temperature. In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine reserved cooking liquid, pesto, spinach, lemon juice, and yogurt/mayonnaise. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with pine nuts, if desired.

Mexican Recipes

Mexican Casserole- Jill Anderson

Chopped olives
1 can chili
½ lb. hamburger, browned
1 can tomatoes (diced or crushed)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
Tortilla chips
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Add chili, tomatoes, garlic, olives and chili powder to browned hamburger and simmer for 15 min. Smash tortilla chips in the bottom of you dish and cover with chili mix. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken Tacos- Tara Hille

7-8 frozen chicken breasts
(3 chicken breasts feed John and I will some extra)
½ packet taco seasoning
16 oz container Mild Pace Picante Salsa

Place ingredients in Crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours. Remove from Crock pot and shred. Serve in crunchy or soft tacos with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa.

Turkey and Black Bean Chili-- Malinda Williams

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 cup couscous, uncooked
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp roma tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
2 bay leaves
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in large sauce pan over med-high heat. Add onion and sauté. Toss in garlic, cook 1 min add turkey, stirring often to break up chunks, cook till brown.

Add tomato paste, beans, oregano, salt, chili powder, cumin and tomato. stir and cook 1 min (+/-) Add water, bay leaves and cocoa powder.

Simmer uncovered until liquid is almost evaporated (10-15 min)

remove bay leaves.
Prepare couscous according to package directions

top couscous on plate with the chili. sprinkle cheese on top.

FRIED MEXICAN ICE CREAM -- Tara Hille

1 pt. vanilla ice cream
2 c. crushed corn flakes
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. sugar (you don’t need to add sugar if you use Frosted Flakes)
1 egg

Veg. or Canola Oil for deep frying

Honey
Chocolate topping

Whipped cream
Scoop out 5 or 6 balls of ice cream. (may vary depending on the size of ball you want) Place each ball in a sandwich bags and return to freezer. Mix crushed cornflakes, cinnamon and sugar. Roll frozen ice cream balls in half the crumb mixture. Place back in sandwich bag and freeze again. Beat egg and dip coated balls in egg, then roll again in remaining crumbs. Freeze until ready to use (for thicker coating repeat dipping in egg and rolling in crumbs).
When ready to serve, heat oil to 350 degrees on medium heat. Place a frozen ice cream ball in fryer basket or on a perforated spoon and lower into hot oil 10- 20 seconds. Immediately remove and place on serving dish. Drizzle with honey, chocolate, and top with a dab of whipped cream. Continue to fry balls one at a time. Balls will be crunchy on the outside and just beginning to melt on the inside. 5-6 servings.

Cowboy Caviar -- Mary Dawn Meier

2 avocados (cut into pieces)
1/2 red onion (chopped into small pieces)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
6-8 tomatoes
2 cans corn (drained)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
cilantro (a small handful)
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.

Sour Cream Enchiladas --Michelle Maddox

1 lb of hamburger cooked
½ onion, cupped
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can of diced green chilies
8oz. of sour cream
1 cup cooked rice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican)
1 package of tortillas

Mix all but tortillas together. Set aside half of sauce. Place other half of sauce in tortillas and wrap. Place in pan and top with remaining sauce and extra cheese. Turn oven to 350 degrees and cook for about 40 min or until center is bubbling.


Beans and Rice –Wendee Bacon

2 Cups Brown rice (cooked)
1 egg
1 ½ cup Salsa
11/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 can pinto Beans

Mix rice, half salsa, half chesses, egg, together put in 9x13 pan. Then the rest of the salsa, beans and cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Fresh Pico Salsa--Tara Hille

2 cans (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
1 small red onion diced
6 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 tsp rice or regular vinegar
Juice of ½ fresh lime
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper

Drain tomatoes. Chop in chopper to desired consistency, set aside. Add chiles, onion, leaves of cilantro in chopper and chop finely. Add all ingredients together and serve with chips or any Mexican dish.

Guacamole--Jill Anderson

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Mexican Rice--Jill Anderson

1 cup long grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped (I use about 1/3 of a small can of diced green chilies instead because I like a milder flavor.)
1 tomato chopped
1 cube chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, halved

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and diced tomato. Season with bouillon cube, salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Empanadas--Jill Anderson

Bisquick mix
½ lb hamburger
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cilantro, minced
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cumin
finely chopped olive (add as much as desired, I like more my family likes less)
finely chopped onion (add for flavor)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the bisquick according to directions on the box.
2. Brown the hamburger, olive and onion. Add the salt and pepper. When browned add the garlic, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin. Let cool completely.
3. Roll out bisquick mix until about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into circles. Add hamburger mix to one circle and the cover using another circle. Press sided together using a fork. These can be served with sour cream and salsa or ketchup.

Chimichangas- Joie Spencer

Flour tortillas (burrito size)
1-2 cans Refried beans with sausage (Old El Paso brand)
Velveeta cheese
Shortening (about 1 1/2 c. to 2 c.)

On medium heat, melt shortening in deep medium-sized pan. BE CAREFUL TO NOT LET YOUR SHORTENING GET TOO HOT. In the microwave, warm-up your tortillas (about 1-2 minutes for entire package) so they're more pliable when you're folding them.
Lay the tortilla flat on the counter and put a large spoonful of your refried beans with sausage on the very end, closest to you. Next, cut a strip or two of velveeta cheese and lay it on top of the beans. Roll the tortilla once over and hold in place. Then fold the outer edges in and tuck the middle in as you roll the whole thing away from you two more times. Set aside and repeat with the next tortilla.
Make sure your oil is hot enough. (Put your hand above the top of the oil to feel the heat.) Put two chimichangas in at a time (there should be a sizzle) and brown on one side (be careful not to over brown). Flip over, and brown the other side. When both sides are browned, carefully take them out of the oil and place on a plate covered with paper towels to drain off the excess oil.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, or serve them plain, depending on taste preference.

Hawaiian Recipes

Hawaiian Banana Bread-- Nicole Ward

3 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts -- walnuts, pecans ,macadamia, or shredded coconut
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups mashed bananas
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple (well drained)
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir in nuts. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in another mixing bowl; blend well. Pour wed ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just moist. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. If using coconut in recipe, sprinkle some on top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 30 min. check center of loaf with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool ten minutes before removing from the pan.

Coconut Cake-- Amy Mortensen

Prepare one box white cake mix according to package directions. I Use a 19 x 13 pan. While cake is still warm, poke holes in cake and pour in the following ingredients mixed together:
1 can cream of coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
After cooled, top with either cool whip or whipped cream. Sprinkle shredded coconut on top.

Creamy Coconut Watermelon-- Tara Hille

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 can cream of coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 watermelon
Blend first four ingredients. (do not blend thick. We want it thin) Set aside. Then ball watermelon or cut into cubes. Place in small clear cups. When ready to serve drizzle with coconut mixture.

Pineapple Stuffing-- Jamie Hoskins

1 cup sugar
1 cube butter (melted)
4 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple (size is up to you depending on how much
pineapple you like.)
5-7 pieces white bread, broken up
Mix sugar and butter. Then add eggs, beat in one at a time. Stir in
pineapple (with juice) and bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish and
cook for half an hour on 350 degrees--or until golden on top.

PINEAPPLE SALAD-- Mary Dawn Meier

1 small pkg. lemon Jell-O
2 c. water
1 c. crushed pineapple, drained (save juice)
1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
2 bananas (cut into small pieces)
Prepare Jell-0 from back of the box. Add pineapple, marshmallows, and bananas. Refrigerate until set.
Topping: Add enough orange juice to pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Add 1 beaten egg. Bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup sugar. Cook until thickened. Cool. Add 1/2 cup cream, whipped. Spread on set salad when cooled. Refrigerate.

Island Cookies --Lucenda Usher

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baling powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (11 1/2-ounce package)Nestle Toll house Milk chocolate morsels
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 and1/2 sticks) butter or margarine softened
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted if desired
3/4 cup macadamia nuts or walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels, coconut and nuts. Drop by slightly rounded tablespoon onto un-greased
baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 375*F. oven for 8 to 11 minuets or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand for 2 minuets; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
*note that any kind of chocolate chips can be substituted for the milk chocolate morsels
Best loved cookies cook book by Nestle Toll House

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