Running Mama Cooks

I'll admit I was skeptical, but this was awesome!!! I doubt I'll make it the regular way ever again!

Crockpot Lasagna
Recipe from Christina Cooks

1 pound bulk Italian turkey sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
45 oz. homemade spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 no boil lasagna noodles


1. Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.
2. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)
3. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.
4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.
5. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

This awesome side dish from Our Best Bites was a big hit tonight. My friend Ryan who doesn't like green beans cleaned his plate and thought they were awesome. Can't wait to make them again!!

Caramelized Green Beans
Adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans
4 oz prosciutto, thickly sliced and cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Directions:

Begin frying the prosciutto in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl

Add onions and garlic to skillet

Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you're not cooking them until they're done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don't scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy. Stir fry for another 2 minutes. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the prosciutto. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

A closer look at the beans

Served with grilled flank steak that I marinated in Wegman's Teriyaki marinade. SOOO good.

This soup tasted rich, but it was very low in fat and calories! I even put it through weight watchers "recipe builder" and found out it was only 3 points per serving. And it was super tasty and filling. Another 5 star meal, I'm on a roll!

Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegetarian version
1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon of the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes break up and the onions brown slightly, about 7 minutes. Add the squash and the remaining teaspoon salt, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 12 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat. Stir in yogurt and vinegar. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a touch of Parmesan cheese if desired.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Seriously delicious. And easy. Might be my new go to appetizer.

Fettunta with Prosciutto
adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

6 slices good French boule, sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 to 2 plump garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 ounces thickly sliced prosciutto, minced
1 1/2 ounces finely grated smoked mozzarella or good Parmesan
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
10 large basil leaves

Directions:

Heat oven to broil

Toast the bread on a baking sheet under the broiler until golden. Remove the bread from the oven and immediately rub the garlic cloves over the top of the bread's surface. For really garlicky fettunta, rub hard and use both cloves of garlic. Drizzle a generous tablespoon or more of olive oil over each slice of bread.

Combine the prosciutto, cheese, basil and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each slice of bread. Return the bread to the broiler and cook the fettunta just long enough to melt the cheese and rewarm the toast a bit, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Yes, my family definitely has a thing for French's Fried Onions. I posted awhile back when I made chicken fingers with them, and tonight I thought Id give pork a try. It did not disappoint!

French's Friend Onion Crusted Pork Chops
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Boneless Pork Tenderloin Chops
1 large can French's Fried Onions
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup milk
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the over to 400

Place pork chops in between two pieces of parchment paper and pound thin. Place onions in a ziplock bag with flour and crush. Pour milk into a shallow bowl and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Put crushed onions into another shallow bowl.

Dip chops into milk and then coat with the onions. Bake for 30 mins.

I served the chops with Sauteed Garlic Zucchini
Sauteed Garlic Zucchini
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, cut into half moons
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add Zucchini and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Approx 10 mins. Remove from heat and toss with asiago cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Another winner from Allison. Delicious pasta meal! Loved the spinach, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Yum! It immediately got added to the "favorites" category.

Sausage & Spinach Penne Skillet


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach, a handful at at time, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Spring is here!!! The weather the past couple of days has been absolutely beautiful. We took advantage of it tonight but grilling a yummy meal and eating outside for the first time this spring.

This meal was a staple for us last summer. Light and good. I served it with a simple salad.

Grilled Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
A Running Mama Original Recipe

1 package thin cut chicken breasts
1/4 cup fat free Italian dressing (tonight I used roasted red pepper vinaigrette)
4 roasted red peppers, cut in half
1/2 cup low fat Italian blend cheese

Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour in dressing. Marinate for at least an hour.

Place chicken on a hot grill and cook through. Place 1/2 a roasted red pepper on each piece and sprinkle with cheese. Remove from grill when cheese is melted.

We enjoyed some more outdoor time by dying Easter eggs and making s'mores by our fire pit! Such a fun Saturday night!!

Zach's Rating - ****

Guy Fieri calls this dish "The Bomb" and it sure was!!! It instantly went on the top of Zach's favorite meal list. The beef and sauce were yummy and the other flavors made this dish a winner. We also loved the addition of the fried onions as a garnish.

Here is the original recipe

Beef "The Bomb" Bourguignon
Recipe by Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups red wine
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds rib-eye steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound bacon, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil, if needed
3/4 cup carrots, diced
3/4 cup parsnips, peeled and diced (I used mushrooms instead)
1 cup pearl onions, frozen
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped oregano leaves (I used dried)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan (I skipped this)
1 cup store-bought fried onions

Directions:

In a nonmetallic bowl, combine 3/4 cup red wine, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Add the rib-eye steak and let marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In a large saute pan, on high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. When crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the fat in the pan.

Remove the beef from the marinade, pat dry and add to the pan with the bacon fat. Cook over medium-high heat, browning the meat on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan, to a plate. Add extra oil, if necessary, to amount to 2 to 3 tablespoons of total fat in the pan. Add the carrots, parsnips, and the frozen onions. Cook until the onions are light brown, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the flour to the vegetable mixture to make a roux. When the roux begins to brown, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the remaining red wine and stir in the beef broth. Reduce over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the browned beef, cooked bacon, thyme, parsley and oregano. Adjust seasonings, to taste, with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with Parmesan and fried onions and serve immediately.

I skipped the parm because I didn't think it would really add anything to the already great flavor. And I served over egg noodles. Yummy!

This post marks the beginning of Zach's Recipe Rating System. You can see the key on the righthand side of the page.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Whenever we have company for dinner, I love serving something special. I feel like this meal fit the bill. I made my parmesan crusted tilapia but added a little twist. It came out great and I think it took an already tasty fish dish to another level.

The instructions are exactly the same as the link above, but the topping was a bit different. I put a handful of fresh basil, 5 sundried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts in the food processor and pulsed until finely chopped. Then I added a cup of parmesan cheese and 2 tbs of dried basil and pulsed to combine. This made enough topping for 9 tilapia filets. The flavor was amazing!!


My main side dish was Pioneer Woman's Sundried Tomato Risotto. Wow! Definitely make this if you love risotto. It was awesome

Sundried Tomato Risotto
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Large Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cups Arborio Rice, Uncooked
8 whole Sundried Tomatoes Packed In Oil, Drained And Minced
1 cup Dry White Wine (optional)
7 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (I used low sodium vegetable broth)
Salt As Needed
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Parmesan, Freshly Grated
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil, Chiffonade (I used dried basil)


Preparation Instructions

Heat broth (note: it’s important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir.

Then begin adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done—it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all.

Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

I originally thought I was going to skip the heavy cream at the end, but decided what the heck, since it was a special dinner. I'm glad I went for it. And I'm really happy to have some leftovers today. Is 9am too early for risotto?

I also served roasted asparagus (425 for 15 mins with olive oil and salt) and a simple Caesar salad.

Big Thanks to Lynsey and John for coming to dinner!

Despite growing up in a large Italian family with a mother who is a great cook, it wasn't until about a year ago that I made my own homemade marinara sauce.

I was always intimidated so I stuck with the jarred sauce. One day I decided to give it a go, so I looked at a bunch of recipes and also watched my mom make her sauce before coming up with my own version. Since making my own, I will never go back to the jarred stuff! Its so easy to make a big pot, have enough for dinner, and left overs to freeze for future use. Not to mention the house smells amazing for the rest of the day!

So if you are the way I was, trust me and just give it a try. This recipe usually makes enough for one meal (pound of pasta, homemade pizza, baked ziti, lasagna, etc) and enough to freeze for at least one more.

What you need:


UPDATE - I usually grate some carrot into the sauce with the onions now, and also use my immersion blender to smooth out the sauce.

This meal is a staple for us in the winter, I can't believe how long its been since I've made it! The flavor combo on the chicken is so delicious. My friend Leslie makes her chicken the same way and she turned me onto it a few years ago.

I washed split breasts and placed them into a baking dish. Squeezed a half a lemon on top and sprinkled generously with Paprika and Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb. Then I add a drizzle of olive oil and dot the skin with a teeny bit of butter.

I baked it a bit differently this time and was really pleased with how juicy they were. For the first 10 minutes I put them in on 450 and then dropped the temp down to 350 for 45 minutes more. They were perfect!

All ready for the oven:

My side dishes were also really good and very easy. We love mashed butternut squash. Just boil water and then add in pre-cut and washed squash. Cook for 15-20 mins until fork tender.

Or should it be turkeyed up biscuits? This is one of my favorite comfort food meals, but I like to lighten it up a bit by using ground turkey breast and reduced fat biscuits.

Since we got about a foot and a half of snow today, it was the perfect time for this meal, which I've been making for years. I got it from the NJ Nest, 5+ years ago. I believe it was Tina who originally posted it, any NJ Nesties who want to chime in a confirm?

Beefed Up Biscuits

1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey breast)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (I use a little more, about 1/2 a green pepper, chopped)
1 cup (8 oz can) tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt (I use garlic powder as well as 1/2 tsp cumin)
1 can (8 oz) hungry jack biscuits or Flaky Grands (I use reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large pan brown beef, pepper, and onions. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder and garlic salt. Simmer while preparing dough

Separate each biscuit into two pieces, lay half on the bottom of a 9x9 pan and save the other half for the top. Put 1/2 cup of the cheese into the meat mixture and spoon mixture on top of biscuits. Arrange remaining biscuits and sprinkle cheese on top

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Biscuits should be a deep golden brown.

Turkey Mixture:

Ready for the oven:

Flavor, flavor, flavor!!!! These Lettuce wraps were SO good, I am really happy I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try making these. The recipe was relatively simple (the prep work was a little time consuming, but not too bad) and the end result was a super tasty (with just enough spice) and attractive meal.

Lettuce Wraps
Inspired by Big City Cooking
Adapted from Allrecipes
Serves 4, 6 WW points plus per serving

Boston Bibb lettuce (I used Iceberg)
1 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
8oz water chestnuts, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil

Cook turkey in oil till just cooked, but not yet brown. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, and vinegar. Cook till onions are translucent, then add water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil. Cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Lay out lettuce and top with meat mixture and dip in peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce
Backpacker Magazine and The Way the Cookie Crumbles
serves 4, 3 WW points plus per serving

1 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chunky peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Heat oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add water and heat till boiling. Removed from heat and add peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and return to heat. Stir for 2-4 minutes until thickened. (I added another heaping tbs of PB because it wasn't getting as thick as I wanted, then it was perfect)

Another look at these yummy wraps!




UPDATE - I have since made this with Boston Bibb lettace and that is definitely the way to go. Its softer, tastier and easier to work with. Love this one!!

I've blogged about this dish once before, when I made it with all the fresh veggies our friends Fabiana and Anthony gave us. I've since made it a dozen times and have perfected it with store bought ingredients. This is definitely up there on my favorite dinner list. Its good comfort food, yet it's not too heavy and full of healthy veggies.

I start by mincing 6-8 garlic cloves and slicing a turkey kielbasa on an angle into chunks. Heat oil on medium low and add the garlic. Cook a minute or two until slightly browned and then add the kielbasa. Saute for 3 mins or so until it crisps up a bit (I usually crank up the stove to medium at this point).

Then add one sliced onion, one sliced green pepper (or red, but the green is nice for color) and one package of sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook on medium for 5 mins or so, until veggies are tender.

Add a splash of white wine and a can of Italian diced tomatoes (undrained). Add a generous shake of dried basil. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and simmer.

Serve over 3/4 lbs pasta (Ive found that a half pound is too little and a pound is way too much) and a handful of shredded asiago cheese.

I was looking online the other day for a Chicken Bruschetta recipe and came across the video of this one on Food Network. I found the original recipe on the Kraft website and decided to give it a try.

Bruschetta and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided (I used have mozz, half shredded asiago)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.) (I used 6 large breasts)
1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing (I used Wegman's fat free Roasted Red Pepper dressing)

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

PLACE 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag; place, top-sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.

BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

This dish was definitely a winner. Simple to make and really delicious. Relatively low fat too. I will be making it again for sure! The chicken was moist and the stuffing was super flavorful. I served it with a simple Caesar salad (romaine hearts, Wegman's Caesar croutons, shredded asiago cheese and Cardini's Light Caesar dressing).

Chicken ready to be rolled up

Ready for the oven