Sloppy Joes with a Twist

A family fav, sloppy joes on a cool fall evening cannot be beat!

What you need:
1 pound ground beef
2 tbls Flour
1/2 cup canned French Onion Soup
4 Whole Wheat Buns
Deli Mustard
4 Medium Potatoes, cut into french fry strips
2 tbls olive oil
1/4 cup Corn Meal
Non Stick cooking spray
Salt and Pepper
What you do:
Preheat oven to 425, spray baking pan with non-stick spray and coat with corn meal. Layer sliced potatoes in pan, spray tops with cooking spray and add salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven. Brown ground beef and drain, sprinkle with flour and add soup, simmer until thickened.
To Serve:
Spread mustard on wheat buns, top with ground beef mix, once fries are cooked to how you like them, place on plate and chow down!

Pasta Salad

Here is a quick recipe for a nice Tuna Pasta Salad that only takes minutes to make:

1 small package salad pasta
1/2 cup Lite Mayo
1/4 cup Hot Dog Relish (yep, hot dog relish)
1/2 cup frozen Peas
1 can Albacore Tuna
Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste.

Simply cook the pasta, rinse with cold water and mix all ingredients and enjoy, a nice addition to you BBQ and only takes as long as the pasta cooks!

Super Health Dinner Menu

Sometimes we all fall off the Eating Healthy wagon, for me, it was a recent move, our life is in turmoil, everything is in boxes, can't find my socks, no time to go to the grocery store, fast food, pizza and junk food rule the day, here is a great Weekly Menu for getting back in the groove:

Monday: Breakfast-Apple, Banana and Yogurt
Lunch-Toasted Tuna Sandwich and Apple
Dinner-Chicken Spaghetti and Broccoli

Tuesday: Breakfast-Apple, Banana and Yogurt
Lunch-Chef Salad with low fat dressing
Dinner-Veggie Stir Fry with Rice

Wednesday: Breakfast-Oatmeal and a Banana
Lunch-6" Turkey Sub Sandwich (hold the mayo)
Dinner-BBQ Chicken Breast Sandwiches and Veggies

Thursday: Breakfast-Veggie Omelet and an Apple
Lunch-6" Turkey Sub Sandwich (the rest of my 12" from Wed.)
Dinner-2 Pulled Pork Burrito's

Friday: Breakfast-Apple, Banana and Yogurt
Lunch-Left-over Chicken Spaghetti
Dinner-BBQ Chicken with Baked Potato and Corn on the Cob

Saturday: Breakfast-3 Scrambled Eggs, Apple and Yogurt
Lunch-Left-over Veggie Stir Fry with Rice
Dinner-BBQ Lean Hamburgers with Health Fries

Sunday: Breakfast-3 Eggs over Baked Country Style Hashbrowns
Lunch- Left-over Pulled Pork Burrito
Dinner-EZ Night, just misc. Left-overs from the week.

Additionally, each day, take a good multi vitamin, drink 2 servings of Green Foods and LOTs of Water! One week like this and you should be completely back in the swing of things. Enjoy the week.

Left over Fajita's

Here is one of my favorite left over dishes. Have chicken or beef left over from earlier in the week? The whole family loves this solution.

Ingredients:
4 pieces of leftover chicken and steak
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 cup grated cheese
Salsa
Hot sauce (Dave's Insanity is the BEST)
8 whole wheat soft shell tortilla's
1 tbls olive oil

Heat a wok with olive oil, cut up your green pepper and onion into strips, slice the leftover chicken and steak into strips. Stir fry the peppers and onions until soft, add the sliced chicken and steak (or either separately depending on what you have), heat until warmed through. Place mixture in your tortilla's, top with cheese, salsa and hot sauce to taste! Simple, quick, healthy, can't beat this for using up whats around.

Ultimate BBQ Chicken Dinner

OK, its summer, friday night and you want something great for the bbq, here it is:

2 whole chickens, cut in half
2 tbls "Johnny's Seasoning Salt"
1 cup Favorite Bold and Spicy BBQ Sauce
4 Potatoes
1 Onion
1/2 cup Butter
4 Cloves Garlic, course chopped

Preheat the bbq to a medium temp with one side at low. Chop up the onions and potatoes into 1/2 inch square pieces, combine with 1/8 cup of butter and one of the garlic cloves, wrap each individually in tin foil and place on the grill. Season chicken with Johnny's and place on the grill, let everything slowly cook for about 60 minutes, turning chicken every 15 to 20 minutes, move both potatoes and chicken around to avoid burning and to assure even cooking, keeping potatoes over low heat. During the last 15 minutes, place chickens bone side down and coat with bbq sauce. Serves 4 hungry people

Shredded Pork Taco's

Hot summer days need a little spice and these shredded pork taco's are the ticket. Super fast, fun and easy for hot nights.

Ingredients:
3 lb lean pork roast
2 packages of your favorite taco seasoning
4 cups of lettuce
1 cup of cheese
1 cup of tomatoes
1 cup of salsa
1 package of whole wheat tortilla's

In slow cooker, mix taco seasoning with 3/4 cup of water, place pork roast in cooker, close and cook on high heat for 6 hours. After pork is cooked, shred with forks to desired consistency, serve by wrapping in warm tortilla's with shredded lettuce, cheese and tomatoes, top with salsa and, if you are brave, my favorite "special sauce" - Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce (not for the young!)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/Cucumber Salad

OK, Its summer, you don't have lots of spare time, its sunny, you want to go swimming or boating or hiking after work, you don't want to spend your evening getting dinner ready. Here is a nice summer favorite, pulled pork and cucumber salad.

1 3lb lean pork roast
1 cup BBQ Sauce
BBQ Seasoning
3 Cucumbers
1 Red Onion
1/2 cup Italian Dressing
2 Roma Tomatoes
8 whole wheat hamburger buns

Put the Pork Roast in a crock pot 6 to 8 hours before dinner, season with bbq seasoning and top with 1/4 cup bbq sauce and put in 1/2 cup of water, put on low heat and cook all day. Also, first thing in the morning, peel and slice into 1/4" pieces the cucumber and onions, put into large plastic storage bag with the Italian dressing and mix then place in refrigerator for the day. When its time to eat, drain excess liquid from pork roast, shred with a couple of forks and mix in remaining bbq sauce. Cut tomatoes into small pieces, toss with cucumber mix in bowl, top the buns with pork mixture and serve with cucumber salad, quick, healthy, summer dinner for the whole family. (by the way, I usually need to make a double batch of the salad because I really like it!)

Super Turkey Lasagna

This family favorite is fantastic, filling and loved by young and old!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 green bell pepper
1 bunch fresh spinach
3 cups small curd cottage cheese
3 eggs
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 can favorite spaghetti sauce
1 16 oz package cooked lasagna noodles
1 tbls each of oregano and parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In large sauce pan cook turkey through, add garlic, onion and bell pepper, cook til soft. While cooking mix cottage cheese, eggs and spices and place in refrigerator. Add spaghetti sauce to turkey mixture and heat. Place a layer of noodles in lasagna pan, put 1/2 of the sauce, 1/2 of the spinach and 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture layered on top, cover with another layer of noodles and add the other 1/2 of the sauce, spinach and cottage cheese mixtures, put a final layer of noodles on top, cover with the grated cheese, cover with foil and bake in oven for about 40 minutes or until cheese is melted through. Last 10 minutes uncover and serve hot with Garlic bread.

Veggie Spaghetti

Quick, easy, healthy and really good. This spaghetti recipe has it all.

1 cup broccoli, medium size cut
1 onion, large cut
1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1" pieces
1 can favorite spaghetti sauce
16 oz package whole wheat spaghetti
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Easy: Put spaghetti sauce and veggies in pot and heat for 20 minutes. Boil water and cook spaghetti noodles as directed, serve noodles, top with sauce and cheese, enjoy. Can't hardly beat it!

Baked Chicken Burittos

A family favorite for sure.

3 chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tbls olive oil
10 whole wheat tortilla's
Taco Seasoning
Chopped Onions
Sliced Green Bell Pepper
1 cup of gratted cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Hot Sauce
Salsa

Preheat Oven to 350

Cook the chicken until done through in olive oil, add onion and bell pepper until soft. Put equal amounts of chicken in tortillas, roll tortillas and place in 9X13inch pan. Sprinkle with cheese, top with salsa and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. To serve, place on bed of shredded lettuce and use hot sauce to taste. A quick, easy and tasty meal for the whole family!

Kabobs and Rice

A family favorite, quick, easy and ready for action, serves 4

16 oz your choice of steak, cut into bite sized pieces
2 yellow onions cut into 1.5 inch size pieces
2 green bell peppers cut into 1.5 inch pieces
20+ mushrooms
2 zucchini cut into 1 inch slices
salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Favorite BBQ Sauce
3 cups cooked rice

Alternating steak, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini, skewer all ingredients on several wood or metal skewers, place on the grill and cook until steak is cooked through and veggies are semi-soft, make sure and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder, during last couple of minutes, rub bbq sauce over all, serve hot over rice and enjoy

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

If your like us, your always in a hurry and still want to eat good and eat healthy, here is a common summer dinner at our home: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches and Health Fries

Ingredients for 4 people

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into Strips
Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
Salt
Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
4 Whole Wheat Buns
BBQ Sauce of your preference
4 Medium Potatoes
Non-Stick Spray (I use Pam)
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash Potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch think pieces. Spray cooking oil onto cookie sheet, arrange potatoes in a single layer, spray top with cooking oil and season with Cayenne, salt and pepper. Place into preheated oven for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.
Season the Chicken Breasts with the Cayenne, Salt and Pepper, place on the grill, flipping often to prevent over cooking. Meanwhile, cut onion and bell pepper into strips and saute in a pan with olive oil until soft. When Chicken and Veggie mix are almost done, move your potatoes to the top rack in your oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes to brown potatoes nicely.
To Serve: Place Chicken on Whole Wheat buns, cover with Onion and Peppers and put a Tbls of BBQ sauce on top, place well browned potatoes next to chicken sandwiches with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy.

More quick, tasty and healthy meals on the way, thanks for visiting.

Cajun Shrimp and Noodles

A very fast and very excellent summer dish loved by all

Ingredients for 6 people:
2 pounds of Medium Shrimp
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Large Yellow Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
8 oz cooked spaghetti noodles
2 Tbls Olive Oil
2 Tbls Butter
Cajun Seasoning

Peel shrimp, season with Cajun Seasoning, mix and set aside

Chop Peppers and Onion in quarter (or slightly bigger if you like) pieces.

Heat Olive oil to Medium heat in large wok, stir fry crushed garlic for 30 seconds, add peppers and onion, stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes, until veggies start to soften.

Add seasoned shrimp, stir fry until cooked, in the meantime, chop up cooked spaghetti noodles into 1 to 3 inch pieces. Just before shrimp is cooked, add cooked noodles and butter, saute' until heated through and butter is completely melted.

Serve with your favorite all purpose hot sauce and enjoy!!

Welcome to Healthy and Quick Dinners

I know we are all busy, I know we all don't have the time to eat the way we should, but, it isn't that hard with the right recipes. This Blog will give you recipes, meal plans and much more so you can start to live a healthy and fit life. Thanks for visiting and see you back soon!