Home Made Calzones

Home Made Calzones

Ingredients:

1 Batch Garlic Herb Pizza Crust (recipe here)

1 cup marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional fillings of choice (I used 1 cup ground turkey and 1/2 cup ricotta cheese)

1 egg

1 tbsp. water 

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Additional marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Make crust per instructions and separate in to fourths. 

Blood Orange Mojitos

The other day I was shopping at Whole Foods and I saw that they were having a sale on oranges. I had no idea that I was buying blood oranges! As soon as I cut the first one open, I know I wanted to try my hand at making my own blood orange simple syrup. This easy recipe is perfect in alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks alike. And my personal favorite cocktail is the Mojito, so of course I had to make a version with my new syrup! Cheers!

Blood Orange Mojitos

Ingredients:

8 mint leaves

1/2 lime, cubed

Ice

2 oz. blood orange simple syrup

2 oz. Bacardi silver rum

4 oz. club soda

Additional lime/blood orange segments for garnish

Directions:

1. Place mint and limes bottom of glass and muddle about 5 times. 

2. Fill glass with ice, add syrup and rum and shake well in cocktail shaker. 

3. Pour back in to glass and top with club soda and garnish. Enjoy!

Blood Orange Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 blood oranges

Zest of 1 blood orange

Peel of 1 blood orange

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and bring to boil, stirring often. Boil until all sugar has dissolved. 

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain through fine mesh strainer into jar or bottle. 

3. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Enjoy!

Bang Bang Chicken Wings

Recipe coming soon!

Turkey & Veggie Lasagna Soup

In the winter I can't get enough soup! Besides the fact that soup is the ultimate comfort food I also love it because it's amazing leftover. However, my picky boyfriend "doesn't really like soup." Who doesn't like soup?!? Well, I finally found out that he doesn't like brothy soups, so I had to come up with something hearty that he would enjoy. There was no way I was going to be able to finish a whole bowl of soup by myself. 

So I made a healthy spin on a classic. This recipe uses ground turkey and low fat cheeses to lighten the calories without loosing that yummy classic lasagna flavor. I also snuck in a bunch of veggies in the mix. So yummy, healthy, and perfect for a cold winter day!

Turkey and Veggie Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. ground turkey breast (99% lean)

½ large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium yellow squash, diced

2 tsp. fresh oregano 

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 

2 tsp. salt 

8 lasagna noodles 

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

 

Cheese topping:

8 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese

½ cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup basil leaves, chopped

½ tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In large fry pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey and cook until fully cooked, stirring and crumbling frequently.

2. In large kettle, heat remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

3. Add broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, zucchini, squash, and all spices. Mix, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes.

4. For cheese topping, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

5. When soup is fully cooked, add the lasagna noodles to the soup. Cut them into bite-sized pieces if you'd like. Cook 9-12 minutes or until noodles are soft. Add the spinach and warm until wilted then ladle into soup bowls and top with a dollop of the ricotta cheese topping. Enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Parm with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Skinny Chicken Parm with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Recipe coming soon!

Jalapeño, Jack & Bacon Breakfast Grits

Grits are one of those foods that can be completely disgusting or simply amazing. It's all in the way they are prepared. Luckily, working at a BBQ restaurant for 4 years gave me exposure to some delicious cheddar grits, and I have always been a fan. 

My boyfriend was reluctant to try this, as he has only tried the slimy, tasteless version. I promised him that he would like my recipe, I mean, how could he not? My grits have cheese, bacon, and jalapeños. That's a winning combination. Is decided to top it all off with a fried egg, and it was amazing! The yolk combined with the spice of the peppers, the salt of the bacon, and the richness of the cheese is simply amazing! 

Jalapeño, Jack & Bacon Breakfast Grits

Ingredients:

8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

2 small or 1 large jalapeño, seeded and diced

1 cup skimmed milk

3 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 1/2 cups hot water

1/2 cups corn grits/polenta

1 tsp. salt

2 cups reduced fat shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided

4 eggs

1/4 cup green onions, sliced (for garnish)

Directions:

1. In large sauté pan or cast iron, add bacon and jalapeños. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy. 

2. Remove from heat, transfer bacon and peppers on to plate with paper towel. Pat with towel to remove grease. Drain grease from pan and set aside. 

3. In large sauce pan, add milk, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil and slowly add the grits and stir with whisk. Reduce heat and continue simmering 5-7 minutes or until grits have thickened, stirring frequently. 

4. In the mean time, fry eggs in frypan used for cooking bacon. I prefer mine sunny-side up, but cook eggs however you like them. Remove eggs from pan and set aside. 

5. Once grits reach desired consistency, add salt, bacon, jalapeños and half of the cheese. 

6. Transfer to fry pan, top with remaining cheese and broil in oven 2-3 minutes to melt cheese.  

7. Top with green onions, spoon evenly in to four bowls and top each with 1 fried egg. Enjoy!

Czech-Style Potato Soup

Czech-Style Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and chopped into large pieces 

1 large container chicken broth

6 eggs

1 qt. half and half

1 tbsp. dried dill weed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In large pan, add the potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook just until potatoes are tender. Mash the potatoes in the broth to form bite sized-pieces. 

2. Lower the temperature to a simmer and drop each egg into the mixture. (It helps to drop them in different places in the pan so they don't stick together.) Do not stir. Allow eggs to cook about 10 minutes.  

3. Add the half and half to the pan. Stir gently to combine. Add the dill and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to hear through, but do not boil. 

4. To serve, place one egg at the bottom of each bowl, then fill with potatoes and broth. Enjoy!

 

Ground Turkey Lasagna Rolls

Now that Chicago has decided to be extremely cold and stay frigid until spring, I find myself craving warm comfort food. Usually these dishes are super high calorie, so I like to find healthier substitutions. This recipe uses ground turkey instead of greasy pork or beef, skim milk ricotta, and fat free mozz. Each roll is only 260 calories each! Yum! 

Ground Turkey Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:

32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

1 lb. Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Lean Ground Turkey

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 3/4 cup (1 bag) fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In large fry pan, cook turkey until browned, stirring occasionally. Once turkey is cooked, remove from heat.  Pour 1/2 container of spaghetti sauce in pan with cooked turkey. Stir until well combined. 

3. Cover bottom of lasagna pan with 1/4 jar of spaghetti sauce, spreading evenly. 

4. Place cooked noodles flat on wax paper. Spread a thin coating of ricotta cheese, covering each noodle. Spoon thin layer of meat mixture over ricotta. Sprinkle small amount of shredded mozzarella over meat mixture. Roll up noodles slowly and place seam sides down in baking dish. 

5. Ladle the remaining 1/4 jar of spaghetti sauce on top of lasagna rolls. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is melty. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread Muffins

I'm always experimenting with different variations of banana bread. It's a slight obsession. I actually buy bananas just to let them get brown. I love how moist and flavorful my banana bread always turns out. And I just happened to have some apples that needed to be used up. So, I give you this recipe for apple cinnamon banana bread muffins with a delicious cinnamon sugar crumble. This may be my favorite banana bread recipe yet! So delicious and perfect for fall! 

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 small or 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped 

2 tsp. cinnamon

For crumble topping:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In large mixing bowl, combine bananas, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture. Slowly stir in flour, making sure not to over mix. Fold in apples and cinnamon. 

3. In separate bowl, combine all ingredients for crumble topping. Squish with hands until well combined and crumbly. 

4. Pour batter evenly in to greased muffin pan. (Makes about 14 muffins.) Fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full with batter. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly on top of batter. 

5. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are browned and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy!

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I've said it a million times, breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day, hands down. However, finding the motivation to cook breakfast every day is hard. This recipe is great because you get all the delicious layers of breakfast-y goodness and you can prepare it the night before! My recipe makes enough for 2-4, but double it and make enough for company too! My recipe below gives low-cal substitutions for those of you watching your weight! Yum!

Ingredients:

4 uncooked Johnsonville original breakfast sausage patties (or 1/2 log Jennie-O turkey breakfast sausage or 1 cup Morning Star Farms breakfast sausage crumbles)

1 tsp oregano, divided 

4 large eggs (or 6 egg whites)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Mexican Four Cheese Shredded Cheese (or light/reduced fat shredded cheese blend), divided

20 frozen Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns tater tots (or sweet potato tots)

1 tbsp chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In fry pan, cook and crumble sausage until fully cooked, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease and add 1/2 tsp oregano. Spread evenly across bottom of small casserole dish. 

3. In cereal bowl, whip together eggs with fork. Season with salt, pepper and remaining oregano. Pour over sausage in casserole dish. 

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese over egg mixture. Place tater tots evenly across top of egg mixture. 

5. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. 

6. Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chives and enjoy! 

Butternut Squash and Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

Who doesn't love Mac 'n cheese? It's one of those warm comfort foods that hits the spot every time. Here's my spin on an old classic. By using butternut squash in the sauce, this recipe gives you all the ooey gooey cheesy flavor without all the fattening calories! 

Make it a meal with my Turkey Meatloaf Muffins and some roasted asparagus!

Butternut Squash and Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:

4 cups butternut squash, cubed

3 cups whole wheat macaroni noodles, dry

1 tbsp Tuscan herb flavored olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups skim milk

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

4 green onions

3/4 lb cubed + 1/4 lb shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided

2/3 cup Panko crumbs

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. 

2. Coat casserole dish with nonstick spray.

3. Bring two pots of water to a boil. In first pan, boil squash for 5-10 minutes or until softened. In second pan, boil pasta for 5-10 minutes or until tender. 

4. Drain pasta and return to pan, set aside. Drain squash and return to pan. Mash squash with potato masher until smooth, set aside. 

5. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add yellow onion and sautée until browned, stirring frequently. 

6. Add half the milk and bring to simmer. Whisk in pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and green onions. 

7. Gradually add cubed Gouda and remaining cup of milk, melting cheese each time. Continue to cook until mixture thickens, whisking continuously. Add mashed squash and mix until combined. Pour over cooked pasta and stir until evenly coated. Transfer pasta to casserole dish. 

8. Combine Panko crumbs, Italian seasoning, and shredded cheese. Sprinkle Panko mixture evenly over pasta.  

9. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until bubbling and slightly browned on top. 

10. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Helpful Tip: when cooking for one or two, bake half and freeze the rest for next week!