From Karen's Kitchen Featuring Jim's Meatloaf

November 3, 2013
Sunday family dinners are a lot of fun but are even more fun when I get the night off from cooking.  Who's cooking tonight?  My brother Jim.  He's visiting me for a short while and I am taking full advantage whenever he offers to whip up a good meal.  He makes great pasta dinners, salads and baked goods. However, my most favorite dish he makes is his meatloaf.  It's juicy, tender and just delicious. So today I am honoring him by sharing his meatloaf recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
ground beef
eggs
Italian style breadcrumbs
garlic
onion
salt and pepper
McCormicks meatloaf packet
milk
bacon

Directions
In a large bowl combine
3.19 lbs of ground beef
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup of breadcrumbs Italian style
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 large onion (diced)
salt
pepper
McCormick's Meatloaf packet mixed with 1/2 cup milk
arrange in a loaf pan and top with strips of uncooked bacon (my suggestion)

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour

From Karen's Kitchen- Crock Pot Tortellini Soup

September 5, 2013

After taking the summer off from blogging. I decided to kick off Fall with a recipe I found on Facebook.  I love fall because it's when I break out the crock pot and create easy, affordable dinners.

Crock pot Tortellini soup
Ingredients: 1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 box or 4 cups or vegetable broth ( I used unsalted )
1 block of cream cheese (low fat)
1/2 cup of sour cream ( low fat)
put all ingredients in crock pot, cutting up the cream cheese into bite size chunks. 

Cook on low for 5-6 hrs

I put the pasta in about  an hour before serving just so it won't over cook.

From Karen's Kitchen- Beef Kabob's! Happy Father's Day!!

June 16, 2013
Beef Kabob's! Happy Father's Day!!

I thought something grilled would be a nice way to celebrate a special day with  a special dinner.
My husband likes veggies on the grill and steak on the grill so why not do Kabob's?
Super simple and delicious.
I took a pound of Sirloin and marinated it overnight in a Ziplock bag with a cup of Balsamic vinaigrette and steak seasoning.  Then I cut the sirloin into bite size pieces.
To assemble, I cut up a red pepper, green pepper and a Vidalia onion. I alternated between steak, peppers and onions.  Then placed the kabobs on a grill pan in my grill. I turned them every so often until the steak was cooked medium.

For a dipping sauce, I pureed in my food processor, a small jar of roasted red peppers, a 1/2 cup of low fat sour cream, a clove of garlic, a dash of steak seasoning, and 8 basil leaves.

From Karen's Kitchen- Gluten Free Honey Lime Taco Shells

June 14, 2013
Gluten Free Honey Lime Taco Shells

Ingredients
Chicken tenders, roasted and shredded
Mild cheddar cheese shredded ( You can use Monterrey Jack or a Sharp Cheddar if you prefer)
Gluten Free Enchilada sauce
Corn Tortillas
Honey
Lime
Chili powder

I found this great tip on Pinterest.  Take a muffin pan and turn it over. Take a tortilla, warm it and place it in between the Muffin sections.  Put pan in oven on 375 for 15 minutes until tortilla's are crisp.  Let cool slightly, turn it over and you have a Taco shell.

I make the honey lime sauce in a bowl and let it sit for a bit.  1/4 cup of Honey, the juice of a lime, 1 heaping Tbsp of Chili powder.  Stir and let rest for 10 minutes.  Then add the shredded chicken into the marinade and let it rest for a half and hour.

I place a heaping Tbsp of the chicken mixture into the shell, top with cheese, drizzle Enchilada sauce over the cheese.  I repeat this process until I've made the amount of shells I want to serve.  Then place into a 375 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Top with sour cream and cilantro.

From Karen's Kitchen- Italian Chicken Sandwich

May 20, 2013
Italian Chicken Sandwich

It's very warm out tonight in Connecticut.  A perfect night to eat outside and enjoy the weather.  I decided to make sandwiches for dinner with a side of pasta salad.
Ingredients
Ciabetta Bread
Pesto
Part skim mozzarella
Roasted red peppers
Grilled chicken sliced

Slice Ciabetta bread, spread pesto, next layer cheese, roasted red pepper and chicken.
Place under broiler until cheese melts.

From Karen's Kitchen- Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada's

May 5, 2013
CINCO DE MAYO!
The decision to stay home and celebrate was a great one. This dinner was delicioso!

Honey Lime Chicken  Enchilada's
Fresh Guacamole
Fresh Salsa
Baked Tortilla chips

Ingredients for the enchilada's

4 chicken breasts-shredded

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6-8 flour tortillas

Shredded mild cheddar

1 can  enchilada sauce

Mix together the chicken, lime juice, honey, chili powder, and minced garlic. Add shredded chicken and marinate for 1 hour.  I did 5 hours. 

 Layer a small amount of your enchilada sauce on the bottom of your 9x13 pan. On your tortillas put about 1/4 a cup of your chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Place seam side down. Once all rolled up, pour the enchilada sauce on your enchiladas. Then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  

                                                     Shredded cooked chicken breast

                                      Honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic marinade

  Rolled up and ready for the oven

Hot out of the oven

Recipe adapted from one I found on Food TV Network

From Karen's Kitchen- Southwestern Egg Bake

March 31, 2013
Southwestern Egg Bake

If you are looking for a delicious breakfast casserole, look no more.  This dish is great for holiday mornings, brunch, potluck, ect...
Yesterday morning,  I decided to make this Southwestern Egg Bake.  I usually make an egg bake for holiday breakfasts with frozen hash browns but the biscuits, peppers and onions looked delicious so I decided to give it a try.
What surprised me was how fluffy and light it was.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Ingredients
1 package  pork sausage

1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
10 eggs
1/4 cup of half and half
2 cups of mild cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp of Red Pepper flakes
1 can of refrigerated biscuits

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, cook sausage, onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat, drain.  
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and half and half.
3. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, the pepper flakes and sausage mixture. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces.  
4. Spray Cooking spray in a 13x9 casserole dish.  Place biscuits in dish . Pour sausage mixture over biscuits. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. 
5.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes  

This recipe was given to me from a family member 10 yrs ago.

From Karen's Kitchen- Chicken Enchiladas

March 26, 2013
Chicken Enchiladas

Today the weather was mild.  The sun was shining and signs of Spring were popping up all over.  Robins in the front yard, Daffodils just ready to burst open, Crocuses waking up after a long winters nap.
I thought about what to make for dinner.  Spring weather means one thing to me, summer is right around the corner.  When I am at a loss as to what to make for dinner, I think about what is my favorite summer meal.  Our family loves Mexican dishes.  I texted my son to ask if Chicken Enchilada's sounded good and my response was "YES!"  That was easy.

Ingredients

3 -4 chicken breasts
15 white corn tortillas (fajita size) or 15 flour tortillas (fajita size)
3 (10 ounce) cans mild enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
3 -4 cups grated Monterrey jack pepper cheese

Boil chicken until it falls apart, then shred.
Mix 1/2 can of sauce and a little cheese with chicken.
Put other 1/2 can on bottom of 11x9 baking dish.
Microwave tortillas until soft.
Roll chicken mixture into tortillas.
Put in pan semi-tightly.
Cover with remaining 2 cans sauce.
Cover top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is fully melted (usually about 20-25 min).

Courtesy of Food TV Network

From Karen's Kitchen- Chicken with Lemon Sauce

March 23, 2013
Chicken with Lemon Sauce

It's been a while since I've posted another recipe.  Life gets busy and my energy was needed elsewhere.  Last night we were all home and it was nice to cook my family.  One of their favorite dinners is Chicken with Lemon Sauce.  I notice that I describe most of my dinners as easy and delicious. This one is defintely in that category.  I simply breaded and fried (in canola oil) chicken breast, made a serving of whole grain fettuccine, and the lemon sauce to go with it.

Ingredients for the Chicken
Chicken Breasts
whole grain bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
Directions:
Dip chicken breast into egg mixture, coat with breadcrumbs and fry until cooked through

Ingredients for the Lemon Sauce
 1/2 cup butter
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1 cup milk
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the onion and saute until soft, then add the other ingredients.  Stir until thickened and pour over the chicken.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

Courtesy of Food TV Network

From Karen's Kitchen- Veggies with Goat Cheese over Quinoa

March 12, 2013
Veggies with Goat Cheese over Quinoa

This recipe was passed on to me and sounded delicious so I decided to give it a try.  It was filling and satisfying.  I recommend making this as a meal by itself or it could make a great side dish!

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

1/4 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add broccoli and garlic and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Stir in roasted bell peppers, olives, parsley, green onion, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper. Heat through. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Quinoa

2 Cups of water

1 Cup of Quinoa

1/4 tsp salt

Bring water  to a boil, add salt and Quinoa

Simmer for 15 minutes until done.

Recipe courtesy of a dear friend who went meatless for a month. :)

From Karen's Kitchen- Vegetable Lasagna

March 7, 2013
Vegetable Lasagna

Today is day two of being a Pescatarian.  A Pescatarian is a type of vegetarian that avoid animal meat  but will eat fish.  My inspiration for doing this?  My mom.  My mother is healthy, vibrant, beautiful and is excellent health.  She has been meatless (with the exception of fish) for 4 years. She enjoys all her holidays, brings her veggie burgers to family picnics and doesn't seem phased at all going without meat.  I am trying to eat this way to improve my health, eat cleaner, increase my fruits and vegetables. I have no idea how long I will be able to do this, but I'm giving it a try.  It's something I've wanted to do for a long time.

Ingredients:
1 Box of oven ready lasagna sheets
1 jar of Marinara
1 16 oz container of part skim Ricotta
2 cups of shredded Mozzarella
1 bag of frozen chopped Spinach (you can use any vegetable you want. I had Spinach.)
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
Preheat your oven to 350

To make the ricotta filling:  I put one container of Ricotta cheese in a bowl, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  To that, I add a few shakes of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

 First I layer the bottom of the casserole dish with sauce

 Next I add 3 sheets of lasagna, and spoon ricotta mixture on top

 Then I place 3 more sheets of lasagna sheets

 Then I add more sauce

 Finally, I add a layer of ricotta, topped with spinach and shredded cheese

 Then I repeat each step until I am 3/4 of the way up the casserole.

Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil. 
Take foil off for the next 15 minutes
Let stand for 5 minutes.

Cheesy deliciousness!  Very satisfying too.
Recipe courtesy of my Mom!

From Karen's Kitchen- Peppers, Onions and Chicken Quesadilla's

March 5, 2013
Peppers, Onions and Chicken Quesadilla's

I've been getting into eating more and more vegetables lately.  I especially love peppers and onions when they cook down and become very sweet.  Today the weather was slightly mild so it inspired me to make a summer meal.  I usually keep my Quesadilla's simple but tonight I was ready to pack them with fresh veggies.  When I unloaded my groceries, the produce looked so pretty that I staged them and took a picture.  As you can tell, I love taking pictures of food. I don't know, it makes me happy.

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts sliced and sauteed
1 large red pepper
1/2 medium sweet onion
Mild Cheddar Cheese
2 Avocados
1 lime
1 bunch of Cilantro
1 Jar of salsa
sour cream (I use low fat)

To make Quesadilla's:
First saute peppers and onions until soft. Then saute and cook chicken.  Put these aside.
Preheat a grill pan. Place one tortilla on the pan, then add salsa,  peppers, onions, chicken, cheese and top with second tortilla.  Grill on medium heat until cheese is melted.

Quick Guacamole:
2 avocado's mashed in a bowl
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
Juice of half of a lime
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
I cut the Quesadilla with a pizza cutter, add  sour cream, guacamole and salsa either on the side or on top of the Quesadilla.

This is my own recipe!

From Karen's Kitchen- Patty Melts

March 2, 2013
Patty Melts, Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Marinated Tomatoes

This morning I was watching The Pioneer Woman on Food TV Network. She inspired me to try her menu but I make my patty melt a little different.
My husband and son love this sandwich from this little deli in Norwalk, CT. It's called a Tanner Burger.   I decided to change it up a bit and use caramelized onions instead of coleslaw like the real Tanner burger has.   I made this for my guys tonight.  They absolutely loved this dinner.  This recipe made enough for 4 servings. We are a family of 3 so there is one left over.  My son already has dibs on it.

Ingredients
Patty's
1/2 pound of lean ground beef
1 sweet onion
sliced american cheese
sliced Italian bread
"Lite" Thousand Island dressing

Marinated tomato salad
1 Pint of grape tomatoes
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
Italian seasoning
Iceberg lettuce

Smashed potatoes
6 small Yukon Gold potatoes

To make the patty melts, turn on grill pan and grill hamburger patties.  Place them on a plate. In another pan, slice sweet onion and saute until carmelized.
To assemble the patties, take a slice of Italian bread and spread a small amount of butter on one side and place it face down on the grill pan. put a slice of cheese on the bread, a hamburger patty, onions,  a small amount of lite Thousand Island dressing, one more slice of cheese and then second slice of bread.  Butter the outside of the slice.  Grill until cheese starts to melt, then flip to the other side.

To make the smashed potatoes, boil potatoes until soft. Assemble all the potatoes onto a baking sheet. Take a potato masher and press down on the potato.  Next drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes until crisp.

To make the marinated tomatoes, rinse a pint of tomatoes and slice in half place in a zip lock bag, add a 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and  shake in a little Italian seasonings.  Squeeze out all the air from the bag and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.  To serve, chop up lettuce into medium pieces, pour tomatoes over the lettuce.


Recipe based on an old classic I learned from Friendly's 

From Karen's Kitchen- Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

February 26, 2013
Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I was browsing the meat counter at my local grocer and noticed these beautiful tenderloins.  I haven't made pork tenderloin in a long time.  I  meandered into the produce department and picked up a few Granny Smith apples and sweet potatoes to go with it.  This is a fairly easy recipe that is delicious and healthy.

Ingredients
1.5 lb pork tenderloin
4 medium size sweet potatoes
3 Granny Smith apples
Apple cider vinegar
Maple syrup
Dijon mustard
Brown sugar
Dried cranberries


The first thing I did was wash, peel and dice the sweet potatoes and apples. I placed them in a large baking dish, drizzled olive oil, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of Maple syrup.  Then with my hands, tossed all the ingredients together to coat evenly. I put the baking dish into a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While they were roasting away, I seasoned the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper then seared them on a grill pan until each side was browned.  After each side was done, I removed them off the heat and in a little sauce pan made the maple mustard glaze.
This is a simple glaze.  I combined 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of course ground Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of brown sugar.  Once that came to a simmer, I brushed the glaze over the tenderloin.

When the 20 minutes were up, I took out the dish and placed the tenderloins on top of the sweet potatoes and apples.  I sprinkled dried cranberries on top and placed the dish back in the oven for another 25 minutes.  Once it is done, take out the dish and cover in foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.  When you slice the pork, it's ok if it's a little pink. Serve with sweet potatoes and apples.

My own recipe

From Karen's Kitchen- Turkey Chili (I think it's the best I've made to date)

February 23, 2013
Turkey Chili


It's been a damp, chilly day here in Connecticut and it's days like these that I want comfort food.  Several meals come to mind.  Shepards Pie, Beef Stew, Chicken Tetrazzini and more. The one that I know will get cheers from "the guys" in my life, (husband and 15 yr old son) is when I announce we are having Chili with Corn muffins.  It's as if I'm an instant rock star.  We love Chili, plain and simple.  I have been trying to eat healthier so one of the ingredients that I swapped was ground beef for ground turkey.  Now, here's the thing, my husband is fine with this swap but I was not about to tell my son just yet.  I wanted to wait until he was done to tell him. I was curious if he could tell or not.
After we ate tonight, I asked him as he was loading the dishwasher if he noticed anything different about the Chili.  He said that he thought and I quote "it's the best Chili you've made in a while".   I figured it was safe to tell him and so I did.   His reaction was a good one.  He actually wants me to make it with turkey from now on.  After he was finished, He grabbed his bowl that was left on the counter and made himself a second bowl.  I guess he does like it!

Ingredients
1 lb of fresh ground turkey
1 packet of reduced sodium chili seasoning
1 large can of Hunts all natural crushed tomatoes
1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of light red kidney beans( rinsed and drained)
1 small jar of mild salsa
1 large red pepper diced
1/2 cup of sweet onion diced
1 Tbsp of Cumin
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
a sprinkle of salt
a good sprinkle of black pepper
grated Monterrey Jack cheese to garnish

*I found this cool trick somewhere on the internet.  A  way to cook ground meat and keep it crumbly is to stir the meat with a wire whisk while it's browning.  I have always used a wooden spoon in the past.  I found it took time to chop up the meat while it cooked.  This made it much easier.
To make:
I cooked the ground turkey and added the packet of seasoning into a large pot. Then I added the rest of the ingredients.  I let it simmer for a half an hour, stirring every so often.

For a little sweetness to go with the Chili, I made a simple box of "Jiffy" corn bread which my husband adores. We had a great meal that was lower in fat and calories but big on taste.

A few post back I posted my "famous" chili.  Well, after tonight, I think it has met it's match!

Recipe based on a recipe my brother told me about.

From Karen's Kitchen- Pizza Night!

February 22, 2013
Pizza Night!

It's a tradition in our family to have pizza on Fridays.  It's something I look forward to as I truly love cheesy delicious pizza.  It started out with my family going to our local pizza parlor, A large pizza was expensive and had to be blotted with a napkin to remove most of the grease.  Then I started buying frozen pizza. However, frozen pizza  doesn't satisfy me and  I know they contain preservatives and unknown ingredients. So I decided to start making my pizza's at home.  I can choose fresh veggies, organic meats,  cheeses and know what I'm eating.
 Tonight, my pizza was delicious. 

Ingredients
1 package of Sweet Italian sausage  (There was 6 links in the package, I cooked 2)
Tomato and basil sauce
Spinach
Part Skim Mozzarella
Caramelized onions
1 piece of  Naan bread


Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
Cook sausage and chop into bite size pieces
Slice and saute a half an onion until caramelized
Cook Spinach and drain thoroughly.

First I spread a little sauce on the bread, then in this order, I add the spinach, sausage, onion and top the bread with a 1/4 cup of part skim mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 8 minutes and ENJOY!

My own recipe.

From Karen's Kitchen- Thai Chicken,Vegetables and Noodles

February 21, 2013
Thai Style Chicken, Vegetables and Noodles

I'm always in the mood for Thai food!  I have a favorite restaurant near my home that makes the most delicious Thai dishes.  I decided that tonight I'd give it a try.  Turns out, it was fast and very easy to make this recipe.

Ingredients
2 Large Chicken breasts
1/2 lb of snow peas
2 carrots peeled and sliced
1/2 lb of Dreamfields Angel Hair pasta (low glycemic pasta which I absolutely love)
1 bottle of spicy Thai Peanut Satay sauce
sesame seeds to garnish

An hour before you are ready to start cooking, slice the  chicken breasts into strips and marinate them in a bag with a 1/3 cup of Thai Peanut Satay sauce.  After an hour, grill them on BBQ grill or stove top grill pan.

In a large saute pan, add the snow peas, carrots and a 1/4 cup of Thai Peanut Sauce and saute for 8 minutes.  Then  take the  cooked chicken and cut it  into bite size pieces and add it to the saute pan.  Finally, very carefully fold the pasta into the pan with the chicken and vegetables.  If the sauce is a little thick, add a bit of water to thin it out a bit.  Once everything is combined, sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
I hope you give this a try and enjoy!

Recipe based on a million take out dinners I've had.. ok, maybe not a million but a LOT.

From Karen's Kitchen-My take on the "Napa Valley Turkey sandwich"

February 20, 2013
Napa Valley Turkey Sandwich

This past weekend, my family and I went on a mini vacation to Boston.  We ate many delicious meals but the one that stood out in my mind was a sandwich we had at this little soup and sandwich cafe.  On the menu the words Napa Valley Turkey Sandwich stood out along with a gorgeous photo of this delicious looking sandwich.  It was indeed delicious.
This afternoon, I thought about what we were going to have for dinner tonight.  I decided to try to recreate that sandwich.
I exchanged a couple of the ingredients for more healthier options.

Ingredients
Ciabatta bread
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream (instead of mayo)
1/2 a lemon
green onion
Roasted turkey
low sodium bacon (instead of regular)
1 Avacado
Ripe tomato

To make my version of lemon sauce, I used a 1/2 cup of Low fat sour cream, the juice of a half a lemon, and 2 Tablespoons of green onion.


                                 I found a loaf of fresh Ciabatta bread at my local grocery store.

                                          The aroma of freshly baked bread is my weakness.

 

I spread the bread with lemon sauce

 

                                             Next I place 4 slices of turkey on the sauce

                                                           I divided up a slice of bacon

                                       I chopped up some avocado and placed it on the bacon

                                                               Next comes the tomato

                                                              The finished sandwich. 

 This was a nice surprise for the guys.  They devoured the sandwiches and commented how much they tasted like the ones they had in Boston.  Score!!


Recipe based on a sandwich we had in Boston at Souper Sandwiches.