Green Monsters.... Ahhh!!!!!!

Ingredients

• 6 oz pineapple flavored coconut water 
• 1/2 c. fresh pineapple, cored and cubed
• 2 kiwi, peeled and cubed
• 1 and 1/2 bananas, peeled and sliced 
• 2 handfuls spinach 
• 1 handful of romaine lettuce 

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until reaches liquid form.  Makes about 2 10 oz Green Monster smoothies.... refrigerate to cool or bottle and freeze for whenever!  Yum!!

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 16 baked tortilla chips scoops, crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. In a Dutch oven, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion and jalapeno pepper until tender. Add garlic and saute; cook 1 minute longer.
2. Stir in the broth, corn, beans, lime juice, salt, hot pepper sauce, pepper, and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in cilantro. Top each serving with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese. Yield: 8 serving (2 quarts).

Courtesy: Taste of Home

Danielle's Granola

This is the recipe that I have been working on perfecting... its getting close. It is certainly a base granola recipe; one could add coconut, dried fruit, or whatever. It yields a ton of granola for cheap, which I think is awesome.

Ingredients:

1 bag honey roasted sliced almonds (found in the salad dressing isle of Target... I think that they are called Almond Pazazz)

6 c. old fashioned oats (bought in bulk for cheap!!)

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. and a bit more of honey

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, vegetable oil, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (or until boiling). Stir in vanilla. Add oats and almonds; tossing to coat.

3. Spread oat mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir with a spatula. Reduce oven temperature to 325-340 degrees (sorry for the temperature range, it varies depending upon how golden the mixture appears) and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool; stirring occasionally to break it up.

Potato, Mushroom, and Leek Croquettes, with greens and shallot vinaigrette

Serves 4, 2 patties each

Ingredients:

• 8 oz coursely chopped Yukon gold potato
• 4 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
• 4 oz sliced button mushrooms
• 1/2 c. chopped leek
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• cooking spray
• 1/2 c. (2 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 c. (1 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 c. panko
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Place potato in a pan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Press potato through a ricer or food mill (we used a blender and it worked just fine).

2. Place mushrooms, leek, and thyme in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushroom mixture; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to potato (stirring well if used a blender for the potato). Add Gruyere, 2 tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, egg yolk; stir until blended. Shape mixture into 8 (2-inch) round patties.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine egg white and 2 tsp. water in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Combine remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Heat a large non-stick skillet overt medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 4 min. on each side or until golden.

Greens and Shallot Vinaigrette

Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1/8 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Add 6 c. of salad green and 1 sliced shallot to bowl; toss gently.

My vegetarian ways pulled me to this recipe and it did not disappoint. Even Pat, without vegetarian ways, loved these little patties! Enjoy!

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Hands-on time: 39 minutes

Total time: 59 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces uncooked ziti or mostaccioli
• 12 ounces ground turkey breast
• 8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 5 cups marinara sauce (I used Prego)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I used 1/4 cup dried basil)
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (I used shredded)
• 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp small basil leaves or torn basil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain, and set aside.
3. Place turkey and sausage in a medium bowl, and mix well with hands to combine. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan.
4. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and pepper, saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add wine, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, and cook for 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in pasta, turkey mixture, marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup basil. Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese melts and begins to brown. Remove from oven; spring with basil leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves: 8 (1 1/2 cup per serving)

Courtesy Cooking Light, March 2012

Fettuccine with Spinach, Butter, and Cream

The combination of spinach and cream is old-fashioned but great. This sauce is also good with a grating of nutmeg added to it.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed, washed. and dried
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Chop the spinach coarsely. Over medium heat melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet that can later be covered. Add the spinach, along with some salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cream, and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is tender but firm. When it is just about done, put the remaining butter in a large, warm bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the butter and half the Parmesan. Add the spinach sauce and serve, passing the remaining Parmesan at the table.

Side Notes:

• Cooked chicken or shrimp is a great addition to the sauce. I usually add it after the spinach is done cooking and before I add the cream.
• Makes about 4 servings. Reheats really well for leftovers.

Courtesy of How to Cook Everything

Cream of Chile-Chicken Soup

This recipe is a staple in my house during the winter. I always double it because the leftovers are great! Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream for a great soup to warm a cold night.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. ground chicken or turkey
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can corn with sweet peppers
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 can diced green chile peppers
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:

1. Cook chicken/turkey, onion, and garlic.
2. Stir in milk, soup, corn, tomato, chile peppers, parsley, red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
3. Add cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Serves: 4