Homemade Meat Sauce

Homemade Meat Sauce
From the kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, diced
1 bulb of garlic, minced (yes all of it)
Fresh Parsley (to taste)...dried will work if you don't have fresh
1 tbsp butter (the real stuff)
1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb Ground Beef (Organic-Grass-fed is preferred)
3 cans tomato sauce (15 oz each)
1 can diced tomatoes

Seasonings (all to taste):

Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano


Directions:

1. Add onion, garlic, parsley (I use about a tsp if fresh, if dried, a little more), EVOO, and butter to a large sauce pan.....saute for about 3-5 minutes
2. Add ground beef...I like to spread out the ground beef while it's raw and sprinkle about a tsp of each seasoning on top of the beef. Brown the meat in pan over medium heat.
3. Once meat is browned, add the canned tomatoes and turn heat down to medium/low. Add a pinch more salt. Stir for a few minutes.
4. Next, add the cans of tomato sauce and another tsp of each seasoning. Turn heat down to low and cover with a lid.
5. Now, you can cook this for another 5 minutes and use it or if you have time, let it simmer on low, covered (unless you want a mess to clean up) for up to 2-3 hours. The flavor only gets better.

***This quantity usually is enough for us to feed our family of four, make a left over bowl for my husband to take to work and then there is enough to freeze for another meal later in the month. If you are going to freeze the leftover portion of the sauce, make sure to cool completely.

Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette

Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Juice of 1 Myer Lemon
2-3 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Thyme
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Diced Shallot
EVOO, to taste (I like my dressing a little more acidic)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients together except for the EVOO. Then Slowly add EVOO until it reaches the taste and consistency you like. I like to make my dressing about an hour before I'm going to dress my salad, so that the flavors can really blend.

I like to add this to Mixed greens, avocado, feta, cooked bacon, bell pepper, candied pecans, and diced green onion. :) It's one of my favorite salads :)

Healthier Egg Salad

Healthier Egg Salad
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

12 Large Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled
4-5 medium sized Dill Pickles, diced
3/4-1 cup non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt (just depends on the texture you prefer)
2-4 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1-2 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper
*optional...a dash of hot sauce

Directions:

I simply threw all of these ingredients into my kitchen aid mixer  (although I did cut each egg in half first). I mixed until combined.

You can also use a potato masher or a fork and mash the eggs by hand and then combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken, Cheese, Rice and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken, Cheese, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole
From the kitchen of Amy Meek (adapted from Jenna Grubb)



2cups cooked/ shredded chicken
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (my preference is just cream of chicken, I think the original recipe calls for one chicken and one celery- I use the Pacific brand cr of chicken- it tastes 10 bajillion times better than Campbell's and you recognize all the ingredients)
2 cups cooked rice (I usually cook a cup and just dump in however much that makes)
1 cup chicken broth
Broccoli, chopped small (cooked) - about a cup/ cup and a half
Cheese (to your taste)

Then top with cheese and crumbled crackers, stick in oven for around 35 minutes on 400 or until hot and bubbly

Chicken Sausage Soup

Chicken Sausage Soup
From the kitchen of Katie Springley

64 oz chicken broth
8 chicken sausages
1 large onion
1 bunch broccoli rabe
2 cans cannellini 

Sautée small pieces of sausage then remove from pan and rest on ppr towel. Add chopped onion and chopped br to pan for 3 mins. Pour in broth, bring to boil. Add beans and sausage and simmer for a few mins. Takes no time at all and fills the belly.

Beer Bread

Beer Bread
From the kitchen of Heather Thomas

3 cups flour 
3 TBS sugar 
2 TBS baking powder 
1 can beer


Melt a little butter in the bottom of the loaf pan and pour a little melted butter over the top. 
Bake at 350 for 45 min. 
We put honey on it after it's sliced:)

Asian Flank Steak Skewers

 Asian Flank Steak Skewers

From the kitchen of Erika Simmons

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com 

Makes: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium soy sauce (Use Tamari for Gluten Free)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 lime, juice of

Directions:

Soak wooden skewers in water about 30 minutes to prevent burning. Marinate the steak in all the ingredients for about 1 hour or more. 

Discard marinade and thread the sliced steak onto the skewers.

Heat your grill or grill pan to high heat; when hot grill a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked though.

Makes about 24 skewers.

Nutritional Info:

Serving Size: 4 skewers (1/6th) Old Points: 4 Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 150 Fat: 7.1 g Carb: 2.0 g Fiber: 0.1 g Protein: 17.9 g Sugar: 0.0 g
Sodium: about 400 mg (since most of the marinade is discard, it may be less)

Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/07/asian-flank-steak-skewers-4-ww-pts.html

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

From the kitchen of Beth Vincent

1can of beer

(Alternative: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup beef broth)

Pork tenderloin

Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

Serves 7-9

Place liquid of choice and pork loin in crock pot by 10am and ready to serve by dinner :) About an hour prior to serving shred meat and add BBQ sauce. Serves great on it's own or as sandwiches.

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos:

From the kitchen of Beth Vincent

Items may be put in frozen or fresh :)

4 chicken breast

Corn

Peppers

Onion

Black Beans

Can of salsa

Place all items in the crock pot

Cook for 4-6 hours

About 30 minutes before serving shred the chicken w/ two forks (the chicken will be so tender!) Stir to let all the flavors mix. This taste so good on soft and hard shells. Add favorite topping!

Serves 5-7

Eye of the Round Roast

Eye of the Round Roast - simple easy recipe

From the kitchen of Mary Hyatt

Put roast in crock pot, add 2 cans of white potatoes or any potatoes that you have.

Add carrots if you want also, shake one packet of Onion Soup Mix on top of roast

and potatoes, add around 1/2 cup of water to the bottom for some moisture.

Turn on either low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Comes out perfect every time!

Makes it's own juice to pour over meat and potatoes when serving.

Enjoy!