Rosemary Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, diced
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 turnip, peeled and diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
4 slices turkey bacon
olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350*

2. Combine all of your veggies in a large bowl.

3. Cut your bacon strips in half lengthwise, then chop into small bits. Add bacon to veggies.

4. Drizzle with olive oil. Add in rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to coat all veggies.

5. Spread veggies on a baking tray in a single layer. Cook for 1 hour.

Note: This makes a great side for a variety of meals, but I served it with a smoked Gouda and spinach omelet as an alternative to typical hashbrowns.

Nutritional Info: 150 calories per 1 cup serving

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan Optional)

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped (save the seeds)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
4 cups water
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbsp butter (optional--leave this out if you want to make the soup vegan)
2 tsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Directions:
1. Toss the butternut squash and onion in a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and half of the chipotle powder. Spread out on a pan and roast for one hour at 350*.

2. Transfer roasted squash to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the water.

3. Blend the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand-up blender a little at a time. (I did this in 2 cup increments.)

4. Stir in milk and butter.  Reduce heat to a simmer and let sit.

5. Rinse the reserved seeds and pat dry. Toss with a bit of olive oil and spread on a roasting pan in one layer. Sprinkle with brown sugar and remaining chipotle powder. Roast at 350* for 10-12 minutes.

6. Spoon your soup into a bowl. Top with seeds and serve immediately.

Nutritional Info: 157 calories per serving

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Sausage, Kale and White Bean Stew

This stew is super easy and is made mostly from items that you probably already have on hand in your pantry and produce drawer. I love it for weeknights because you can put it together in about a half hour, and it makes enough servings for leftovers. And the leftovers are worth it . . . the stew thickens overnight in the fridge and I think is even better the next day. 

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

7 oz turkey sausage (I prefer Butterball Recipe Starters), sliced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can cannelini beans

3-4 basil leaves, chopped

2-3 cups kale leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

2. Toss in sausage and continue to saute until lightly browned, approximately 7 minutes.

3. Add in your potatoes and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.

4. Add in tomatoes and beans, then add enough water to cover ingredients. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. 

5. Add in kale and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until kale is wilted. Soup can be served immediately if you're starving. But if you have time (and patience) to wait, allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the stew to thicken.

Nutritional Info: 270 calories per 2 1/2 cup serving

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Cous Cous Paella

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 sausages, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup uncooked cous cous
1 pinch saffron
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion until soft and slightly translucent over medium heat with just a touch of olive oil.

2. Add in sausage, carrots, and bell pepper. (I use pre-cooked sausage that just needs to be heated.) Cook until sausage is lightly browned and peppers are soft.

3. Add in black beans, tomatoes, and peas. Cook until warmed through.

4. Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Bring to a boil and stir in cous cous and saffron. You may need to add a little more water if cous cous is too dry. Stir for 3-4 minutes while cous cous cooks up.

5. Season with salt and pepper. Add some hot sauce if you like a little spice. Enjoy.

Nutritional Info: each serving has 290 calories

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Meatless Monday: Winter Squash Quinoa

I was looking for a good way to use up some random veggies I had leftover from last week's CSA. I found a few inspiring ideas online and melded them together to come up with this one. I served it as an entree--I think it's filling enough, it could also be served in smaller portions as a side item.

Serves: 4+ (more can be served if this is used as a side, but it serves 4 as an entree)

Ingredients:
4 cups quinoa, prepared
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 acorn squash
3 small-medium Japanese sweet potatoes, cubed
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp nutmeg
olive oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste

Notes: I used Japanese sweet potato, which has a similar texture and flavor to yucca. If you can't find the Japanese variety, regular sweet potato will do.

Directions:
1. Prepare the quinoa and set aside, keeping warm.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and season with half of the thyme and salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, cut-side up.

3. While squash is roasting, in a large saute pan, heat olive oil and saute 1/2 of the garlic and 1/2 of the onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add in the sweet potato and saute for approximately 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Season with the remaining thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil and saute remaining garlic, onion and peppers until soft. Stir in black beans and heat until warm. Stir bean and pepper mixture into the quinoa.

5. When squash is done roasting, remove from oven. Scrape off seeds and stringy middle goop. Carve the "flesh" out of the rind and chop into bite-size pieces. Toss those into the pan with the sweet potato and saute for a few minutes more.

6. Spoon quinoa onto plate. Spoon sweet potato mixture on top and serve.

Nutritional Info: approx. 400 calories in a serving

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Chicken and Dumplings Pot Pie

Mr. FoodWhore and I both love chicken pot pie.  It's a great winter meal and great for freezing leftovers. I also like that it's really easy to make this a healthy meal.  I've made chicken pot pie the traditional way, with pie crust, and in less-traditional ways, topping it with corn bread.  This time I wanted to try topping it with biscuits.  This was equally delicious, and turned out to be a little more like chicken and dumplings, hence the name: Chicken and Dumplings Pot Pie!

Ingredients
4 potatoes, chopped
olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 1/2 cups skim milk
mushroom soup mix
2 large chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
1/2 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw)
1 tube of ready-to-bake biscuits
salt and pepper
paprika
parsley

Directions
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the potatoes. Cook until softened, but not mushy.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sautee until soft.

3. Add the carrots to the skillet and continue to cook for about five minutes.

4. Add the milk and soup mix to the skillet, stirring to mix well.

5. Add the chicken pieces, corn and peas and cook for five more minutes.

6. Add in the potatoes and mix.

7. Pour the entire mixture carefully into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

8. For the top layer, you'll need to pull apart seven raw biscuits. There should be a bit of layers to the biscuit to guide this. I used my hands, but you could try a knife too. It was relatively easy. Most tubes have eight biscuits. I only used seven.

9. Season the top of the biscuits with salt, pepper, paprika and parsley.

10. Bake at 350* for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are a light golden brown.

This recipe yields 8 servings at 360 calories each.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Garlic Chicken Pasta Bake

I have to give myself mixed reviews on this one. I was going for a lighter pasta dish (without a heavy sauce). That's what I got, but it was definitely lacking something. I think next time I would definitely add more veggies--the proportion of veggies to pasta was not as high as I would like. For the leftovers, we poured on some spaghetti sauce to add a little more flavor and to prevent the pasta from drying out.  For those of you attempting to make this recipe yourselves, I would suggest mixing in a jar of pasta sauce instead of just the juice from the tomato can. And perhaps increasing the portion of veggies.

Ingredients

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

olive oil

2 large chicken breasts

1 bag  fresh spinach

1 box your favorite pasta

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 medium floret of broccoli

1 can whole tomatoes (and juice)

garlic powder

salt and pepper

fresh parmesan

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350*.  Cut broccoli pieces into small florets without much stem.  Toss in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

2. While broccoli is roasting, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and sautee garlic until tender.

3. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until done.

4. While chicken is cooking, boil pasta to al dente, approximately 7 minutes. Drain, toss in olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

5. Add spinach to the chicken mix and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

6. Chop the tomatoes and add to chicken mix.

7. Stir in pasta and broccoli and mix well.

8. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Pour 1/2 of the pasta mix into the pan. Pour half of the juice from the canned tomatoes over the pasta. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat layer with the other half of pasta, cheese and juice.

9. Top with salt, pepper, fresh parmesan and oregano (optional).

10.  Bake immediately (30 minutes at 350*), refrigerate to bake the next day (45 minutes at 350* if cold) or freeze for another time. Let thaw for 24 hours in the frige before baking.

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes is one of those meals my mom used to cook that I loved. It's pretty easy and can be served as a side dish or a main course. We often served it as the main meal.  It can also be made vegetarian by omitting the ham.

Ingredients:
1/2 dozen potatoes, rinsed and thinly slice (peeling them is optional)
2 1/4" thick slices of ham, diced
1 cup heavy whipping cream mixed with 1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese (I prefer a cheddar mix)
quick mixing flour
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

Directions:
1. Grease a 9 x 9 pan. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on 1/4 of the ham, then 1/4 of the cheese.  Sprinkle a fine layer of flour. Season with salt and pepper. Pour on 1/4 of the cream/milk mix.

2. Repeat layers until the pan is full. (You'll probably get about 4 layers, hence the 1/4 portions above.)

3. Top with a sprinkle of paprika.

4. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.

Spicy Peas and Pasta

Ok, so that's probably the worst descriptive title ever, as I don't think it gives you a great idea of what this post or recipe is about, although spicy, peas and pasta are all part of the recipe. I liked the alliteration though, and for lack of a better name, I went with it. I can also blame it on the name of the dish that inspired this . . .  which is simply "rigatoni" on the menu of a local restaurant. I love said rigatoni, but it's like $14 which seems absurd for some pasta and peas . . . and spiciness/spicyness(?).

So I decided to make it myself last night, and I'm going to have to pat myself on the back with this one.  This is a perfect meal for the weather we've been having lately (cold and wet). It's hearty, warm and filling. And not as unhealthy as it may sound.

Ingredients:
olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small-medium white onion, chopped
1 lb meat*
3/4 cup peas (frozen are fine and you don't even need to thaw them)
red pepper flakes
oregano
dash of salt
6 oz low fat cream cheese
1 jar tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet (medium heat) and add the garlic and onions. Sautee until soft.

2. Add the meat and brown.

3. Toss in the peas and cream cheese.  Stir until the cream cheese has melted into the meat and there are no more large clumps of it.

4. Season lightly with salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Note: you'll notice I don't put a lot of specific measurements for spices and herbs. I don't like following recipes ver batim because everyone's tastes are different. If you like spicier foods, add more red pepper flakes. I was quite liberal with mine. If you think ketchup is spicy, like my mom, then it's best to stay away from things like red pepper flakes.

5. Pour in the pasta sauce and mix well. Cook until sauce is heated to desired temp. Remove from heat and spoon over your favorite pasta.

*I say "meat*" because the original is made with this amazingly delicious spicy sausage from a local deli, but I'm a simple girl and a girl from Florida who up until recently has been living in a one income home. So what does this mean and what does it have to do with "meat*?"  It means that . . .

a) when I have perfectly good ground beef in the house, I am not going to create another errand  just to get some sausage, even if it is amazingly delicious.
b) it's freaking cold outside and I am not leaving the house unless I have to (ie. work, going to a bar, boot shopping).
c) amazingly delicious sausage is not cheap.

So the moral of the story is, any sort of ground meat will do unless you are feeling a bit bourge-y or want to impress someone. In which case, I suggest you have directions to a local deli with amazingly delicious sausage on hand.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup

I mentioned before that I've wanted to start cooking with new foods.  Parsnips is one of the first foods I wanted to try. I'd never eaten parsnips until a couple of weeks ago when my restaurant featured a special with whipped parsnips.  I really enjoyed them and knew that I wanted to find a couple good recipes.  The first was Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup.

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 yellow onion, sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
pinch of cumin, nutmeg, and ginger
vegetable or chicken stock (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F.


2. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, parsnips, onion, oil, salt and pepper, and spices. Mix well to coat the carrots and parsnips with seasoning.

3. Spread the vegetables on a pan in an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

4. Put the veggies in a blender, along with 2-3 cups of stock or water. Blend until smooth and well-mixed.  Add more water as needed, 1/4 cup at a time.

5. Put the soup in a pot on the stove and reheat to serving temperature.

Note: I was really looking for a smoother soup, but the blender was still leaving the tiniest bits of carrot. To remedy this, I strained the soup once, and then added in about 1/2 of the bits strained out to add a little more texture, but still preserve the smoothness I was looking for.


Serving Suggestion: Serve this soup with a couple slices of toasted baguette brushed with olive oil.
Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

*Original recipe found on realsimple.com

Taco Surprise Stew

A friend passed this recipe along to me. I tweaked it a bit.  At first, I did not like the flavor of the ranch dip seasoning at all. It just didn't taste right.  It was too overwhelming. So I added hot sauce to kick it up a notch and to mask the ranch flavor. Problem solved. Next time, I might not even use the ranch dip mix at all.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
3 cans no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope ranch dip/dressing mix
1 minced onion
1 can chicken broth
hot sauce to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Sautee the onions in a pot. Add the meat and cook.

2. Pour the tomatoes and corn into a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow soup to sit for at least 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Calories: 185 per heaping cup
add 1/4 cup low-fat mexican cheese, 80 calories
serve with Stacy's bagel chips, 130

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Chicken and Dumplings

The first time I made dumplings was a disaster. I made them in a pot on the stove and then burned the stew on to the bottom of the pot. And then the whole damn thing tasted like burnt stew...gross!  But this time was very successful.  Very delicious!

Chicken Stew
Ingredients:
8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts
1 can corn
1 cup peas
1 cup broccoli
1 cup carrots
season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and bay leaf

Directions
1. Slow cook chicken and broth over night in a crock pot. Shred the chicken.

2. Add the other ingredients and cook on high for another hour.

3. Scoop in dumpling batter and cook for 15-20 minutes or until done.

126 calories per 1 1/2 cups (roughly 6 servings)


Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons margerine
3/4 cup skim milk

Directions
1. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, thyme, parsley, and oregano. Cut in margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add milk, using just enough to form a thick batter.

2. Use 1/3 cup to scoop batter into your simmering soup or stew, cover, and allow to cook 15 minutes.
Makes 7 dumplings; 132 calories each

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Baked Potato Soup

As part of my efforts to lose weight, I am trying out new healthier recipes.  Most of these are just lower calorie versions of the original.  Since I'm a self-proclaimed food whore, I'm not usually big on "diet" food.  I don't like fake tasting food. I hate bland stuff. And I detest the taste of fake sweeteners. So rest assured, if the recipe is here, it is food-whore approved.  While nothing can replace heavy whipping cream and butter, I think these healthier recipes are pretty damn good. And good for you.  I'll also be posting nutritional info along with these recipes so you can see for yourself how it compares to the real thing. 

Yes, even with all that cheese and bacon, this is still a healthy recipe!

Ingredients:
10 creamer potatoes
1 bundle of leeks
6 cups broth
2 1/2 cups skim milk
turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Chop potatoes and leeks and place in slow cooker on low. Add broth and cook for 6 hours.

2. Strain out the broth. Set aside one cup for use, and feel free to do what you want with the leftovers. You can freeze it or toss it.

3. Place the potatoes back into the crock pot. Add the broth and the milk and mash the potatoes until it's a soft, chunky "soup." It will resemble the texture and color of applesauce.

4. Top with cheese, bacon and chives to serve.

Makes 5 servings; 142 calories each; add 2 slices of chopped turkey bacon (add 50 calories) and 1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar (add 80 calories)

*Note: I originally posted that 2 slices of Turkey Bacon = 100 calories. This was an error. 2 slices is only 50 calories. Sorry!

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Faux Chicken Alfredo

This is a delicious healthy version of alfredo. It's not going to take the place of real alfredo,  but it was quite tasty. Kudos to Ashlee at A Year in the Kitchen for coming up with this.  Note: This dish was not as good warmed up the next day (in my opinion), so next time I won't make enough for leftovers. But it was great the first night.

Ingredients
whole wheat rotini
1/2 head of cauliflower florets
2 c. vegetable stock
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flake

Directions
1. Boil pasta, drain and set aside.

2. In a medium sized pot, bring vegetable stock to a boil. 

3. Add cauliflower and simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

4. In a  blender, combine the cauliflower, the parmesan cheese, and the milk.  If needed, add more stock to loosen.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garlic powder is also optional here.

5. Stir in sauce with the pasta.  Note: I added sun-dried tomatoes and grilled asparagus and chicken at this point, but you could add any of your favorite veggies/meat.

6. Top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Bon Appetit!

The FoodWhore

Cold Weather Food

Well, it finally got cold down here. So in honor of the nip in the air, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite cold-weather recipes.  These are some of my favorites for a chilly night.  I'll be adding more to this list as we navigate through this fall and winter.  And to make it even easier to find these recipes, I've added a new link on the side-column.

Turkey Meatball Subs
Blueberry Meatballs
Twice Baked Potatoes
Chicken Pot Pie
Pork Wonton Soup
Chicken Veggie Soup
Chili
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Manicotti

Turkey Meatball Subs

After seeing Ashlee's parmesean and sun-dried tomato meatballs over at A Year In the Kitchen, I was seriously craving a meatball sub. These were amazing and I will probably use this recipe for all future meatballs.

Ingredients:
for meatballs
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 eggs
1/2 white onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Worcestshire sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

for subs
1 baguette loaf
1 cup marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
oregano

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for meatballs into a large bowl. (We had to switch bowls...ours was too small.)


2. Mix ingredients well by hand. This is the easiest way to make sure it's well-blended.



3. Roll into balls about 1 1/2" in diameter, and place on a greased baking pan. We used our pizza stone.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 30 minutes. We made a lot more meatballs than Ashlee did, hence the cooking time difference. Cut one open to see if they are done. When it's no longer pink in the middle, it's done.

5. Cut a section of baguette and slice it down the middle leaving the bread connected in the middle.

6. Spread with marinara sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

7. Slice 2-4 meatballs in half and place on the sub. Top with more mozzarella, parmesean, and oregano.

8. Toast in a toaster oven or on broil in the oven until cheese is melted and edges of the bread are crispy and light brown.

9. Squeeze it together and enjoy. And don't forget extra napkins...this one got messy!

*Note: this recipe yielded about 2 dozen meatballs. Ashlee's recipe yielded only 8, which would probably be plenty for 2 sandwiches. We wanted leftover meatballs, so we went with more ground turkey.

Bon Appetit!

The FoodWhore

Blueberry Meatballs

You read that right: BLUEBERRY meatballs. I found this recipe on the new food blog I mentioned a few posts back, A Year in the Kitchen. I love blueberries so I was thrilled to see a post full of recipes containing this delicious little fruit. Mr. FoodWhore gave me another doubtful look. But he was brave and tried it and we were rewarded with a delicious meal.

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp blueberry blossom honey (I used just regular honey)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup blueberries
1 chipotle in adobo (I subbed a jalapeno since our store didn't have chipotle peppers)

Meatballs
8 oz lean ground turkey
1/2 cup oats, ground
1 egg white
1/2 yellow onion, grated
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, sautee for 5 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

4. While sauce cooks, prepare meatballs.

5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

6. Add all ingredients in a bowl, toss gently, form into 10 meatballs.

7. Spray skillet with nonstick spray, drop in meatballs. Brown on all sides, then place in a baking dish.

8. Spoon all BBQ sauce ingredients into the blender. Blend for 30 seconds.

9. Pour over meatballs, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

I served this over white rice with a veggie on the side. The sauce was delicious. I think the next time we make this, I might even make meatball subs. Can't wait to try this one again.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Twice Baked Potatoes

I've been on a baked potato kick lately. We made twice baked potatoes the other day with a salad. We'd packed the potatoes so well, we were stuffed at the end. Thank goodness we didn't do the potatoes as a side instead of the entree. Since it's getting unseasonably cold here tonight, I thought I'd post this hearty and warm simple meal.

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 large baking potatoes
1 cup sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

*Note: to make this a healthier simple meal, use low fat turkey bacon, fat free sour cream and cheese made from 2% milk.

Directions:
1. Chop all your veggies and set them aside.



2. Nuke your potatoes until a fork easily slides through. Lay the potato on its side and slice the top 1/4 off. Repeat with 2nd potato. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. In the bacon grease, cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add in the peppers and cook until softened. Mix in the bacon and take off the heat.



4. Using a spoon, scoop the potato out of the skin. Be sure to leave a layer of potato inside the skin to help it hold it's shape.

5. Mix the potato filling, sour cream, veggies and bacon in a medium bowl. Blend until well mixed and smooth. Add in 1/2 the cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Scoop the filling back into the potatoes. There will be a lot more filling now, so the potatoes will be over-flowing and stuffed.

7. Top with remaining cheese and place in toaster oven or regular oven on broil until the cheese melts.



*Note: to make this vegetarian, simply omit the bacon or substitute in a fake meat crumble product of your choice for more protein.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Pork Won-Ton Soup

Back to the pork recipes that I was posting before life interupted....

The pork won-ton soup was awesome and so easy to make. Our grocery store didn't have won-ton wrapers, so we subbed in egg noodles which worked fine and tasted great.

Ingredients:
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
6 to 8 large spinach leaves, sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup green onions, sliced on the diagonal
2 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon wheat free soy sauce
Pinch of ground white pepper
3 fresh wonton wrappers, cut into strips
5 to 6 1/4-inch slices cooked pork tenderloin, sliced again crosswise into thin strips

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan bring the chicken broth to a simmer.

2. Add the ginger, spinach, green onions, mushrooms, fish sauce, soy sauce, and white pepper and return to a simmer.

3. Add the wonton strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

*Note: we pre-cooked the egg noodles and added them in.

4. Add the pork, cook for 20 seconds, and serve immediately.



Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Chicken Pot Pie

I saw a recipe similar to this on Oprah one day and decided to try it myself since Mr. Foodwhore loves both cornbread and chicken pot pie. It was a success. This recipe (excluding a 2nd box of cornbread mix) is enough for two pies. I froze half of the filling for another time.

Ingredients
4 potatoes
4 carrots
1 can green beans
1 can corn
1 onion
3 chicken breasts
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or other cream of soup)
water
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Jiffy cornbread box mix, prepared according to box

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Dice potatoes and carrots and steam until soft, but not over cooked.

3. Dice onion and sautee it in a bit of olive oil until translucent.

4. Chop the chicekn into bite-sized pieces and add to the onions and cook.

5. When chicken is done, add in potatoes and carrots and reduce heat to medium low. Add in green beans and corn.

6. Stir in cans of soup and add one can of water. Mix well, but carefully so as not to smash the veggies.



7. Season to taste and pour half of the mixture into a greased pie pan. The other half can be frozen for another time.

8. Top the mixture with the prepared cornbread mix. Spread evenly. It will be a bit thin, but it's enough. Salt and pepper.



9. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread is done.



Bon Appetit!
The Foodwhore