Pita Pizzas

Pita Pizzas:

As soon as we made these they became a new family favorite! I just spread a pita with a mixture of fat-free cream cheese and light Ranch dressing and then we topped it with our favorite ingredients (Mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, onions, turkey, etc.).

Bake in a 400 degree oven until the pita is crisp, about 10 minutes. So yummy!

Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Linguini

As I mentioned, Stu has been wanting us to eat healthier again, so this week I made my weekly menu with only vegetarian main courses. We will see if we stick to it or not, but last night's dinner was a HUGE hit! Kaden and Stu both had it for lunch today too.

Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Linguini:

6 ounces of Linguini
2 cups seeded and chopped cherry tomatoes
1 package of Organic frozen spinach (10 oz.) (thawed and squeezed)
1 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (you can use your favorite of the flavored variety if you'd like)

1) Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until done.
2) Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, tomatoes and green onions and saute until soft.
3) Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, stir in the feta cheese.
4) Heat, stirring until warmed and cheese is melting.
5) Toss with the pasta and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Avocado Burritos

The hubby and I go back on forth on health kicks. This time it was him (I was content to just sit there and eat a tube of cookie dough). So I invented this meatless recipe since we LOVE both avocados and Mexican food. Perfect combo. Even my 20-month-old loved this recipe!

Vegetarian Avocado Burritos:

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp lime juice (I didn't have fresh so I just used the fake stuff)
6 flour or corn tortillas

Garnishes:
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped tomato
shredded lettuce

1) Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
2) Warm tortillas if desired and spread with avocado mixture, then top with your favorite garnishes. We used all of the one mentioned above.

If you like beans, this would be a good way to add some protein to this meal. I ate these by themselves for lunch, but with some Mexican rice, this could definitely be a whole meal. I was surprised how satisfied I felt. Enjoy! :)

Creamy Cheese and Onion Grits

These were awesome. If you like grits, give this recipe a try! :) This is only for one person since I was having dinner alone.

Creamy Cheese and Onion Grits:

1 cup of milk (I used fat free)

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon of butter

3 Tablespoons of uncooked grits

2 Tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons of chopped green onion

1) Bring the milk, salt, and butter to a simmer SLOWLY, being careful not to scald the milk.
2) Stir in the grits and gently simmer on low for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and cooked.
3) Stir in the green onions and turn off heat. Add cheese and stir to combine.

I served it with scrambled eggs. My son kept asking for bites. It was very good and simple to make. Enjoy!

Biscuits with Apple Topping

I wanted to make a dessert that wasn't too heavy or sweet, so I thought this recipe worked perfectly! It ended up being AWESOME and the apples could even be used as Apple Pie filling. The whole family loved this one! I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of it before it was half-devoured! :)

Biscuits with Apple Topping:

3 cups of thinly spiced apples, peeled

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

splash of Almond extract

1 can Biscuits

1) In a saucepan (no heat), stir together all ingredients except biscuits. Let sit for 15 minutes.

2) Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until apples are tender.

3) Transfer apple mixture to a 9-inch pie plate, spread out evenly. Top with biscuits and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top.

4) Turn them upside down onto a serving dish and serve warm.

Enjoy!

French Onion Salisbury Steak

No longer merely a nasty TV dinner, this adapted Salisbury Steak recipe was an instant hit at our house and will definitely make its way into our usual meal rotation. Enjoy!

(This recipe has been made Muslim-friendly with the omission (with substitution) of pork and alcohol... Enjoy! :))

French Onion Salisbury Steak:

1 pound of ground beef

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

2 Tablespoons minced white onion (or chopped scallions)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cups sliced onions

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cheese Toasts (recipe to follow)

1) Combine ground beef, parsley, onions, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well with hands. Shape into balls and flatten into patties (as many or as few as you prefer).

2) Place 2 Tablespoons of flour in a shallow dish and dredge patties. (Reserve the other tablespoon of flour for later).

3) Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

4) Add the onions and sugar to the pan and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Saute for 1 minute. Sprinkle remaining flour over the onions and then cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and vinegar and then add salt to taste (about half a teaspoon).

5) Return the meat to the pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for 10 minutes.

6) Serve on Cheese toasts with soup ladled over the meat. Garnish with cheese and parsley if desired.

Cheese Toasts:

6-10 slices of a baguette, sliced diagonally, about 1/2 inch thick.

Butter or margarine

garlic powder

1/4 cup Swiss cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 400 (F) (200 C).

2) Lightly butter bread slices on one side and place butter-side up on a baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle each slice with garlic powder and top with cheese.

3) Bake until toasts are crisp, about 8-10 minutes.

Sydney's Fabulous Nachos

Nachos are such an easy and yummy food. So we decided to make them "dinner" tonight. Here is my adaptation of Nachos:

Sydney's Nachos:

1 lb. good pork sausage
1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
Garnishes of your choice (guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, etc)

1) In a medium skillet, cook the sausage with the garlic over medium heat. Add the seasonings and cook well. Drain on paper towels.

2) Arrange a layer of chips on a baking sheet and top with sausage, cheese, and onion. Add another layer of chips and repeat.

3) Bake in a 450 (F) oven for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with any toppings you like.

Enjoy!