Category Archives: Dinner

Skinny Crock Pot Lasagna

Posted on January 22, 2015 by four sweetie pies

Good evening foodie friends,

Just gonna quick post this yummy new crock pot recipe, so easy and so delicious! Perfect for a chilly winter night. Complete and total comfort food, made guilt-free!

Skinny Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients

Lasagna noodles-any type, uncooked

1 bag skim mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

1 16 ou container low-fat cottage cheese

1 egg

1 package frozen chopped spinach, squeeze excess water out

1 box sliced mushrooms

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

few cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

2 jars of your favorite marinara, i used one that was a Spinach Marinara and one that was a Four Cheese type

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup grated parmesan

few tablespoons chopped parsley

fresh basil

Directions

I used my large, oval-shaped crock pot because the noodles fit nicely.

First, brown the ground turkey, mushrooms, onion, garlic in my crock pot insert (it’s for the stove too) and added the salt. Remove the mixture and simply wipe clean.

Mix the paste and sauces together in one bowl,

In another bowl, mix the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, spinach and parsley.

Begin by putting a thick later of sauce down in the bottom, cover with one layer of noodles, break some to have it fit evenly. The, a layer of cheese mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella, then the meat mixture. Repeat the layering process. I ended up with three layers of noodles. I finished with mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle some fresh basil on each layer.

Cook on low setting 5-7 hours, I had to hurry up the process and did a few hours on high and ended with a couple on low, this worked fine too :)

Bon appétit!

Recipe inspired by http://www.betterrecipes.com

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Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner and tagged Crock Pot Cooking, ground turkey, Italian, Lasagna. Bookmark the permalink.

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Posted on May 19, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Good morning fellow foodies!

Here’s a quick and light dinner option. There are a lot of yummy, crisp veggies and the dish came together so fast! Isn’t that what we all need on busy weeknights!?!? Everyone at my house loved it and it will definitely be making a comeback to the Barhorst Menu soon :)

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

1 heaping tsp cumin

1 heaping tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 TBL soy sauce

1 TBL peanut butter

drizzle of bottled teriyaki, I like to keep a bottle of “Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki” on hand in the fridge for summer grilling

Boston lettuce for the wraps, washed and leave leaves whole

1-2 TBL chopped fresh ginger

1-2 TBL chopped garlic

1-2 cups bok choy (chopped)

1-2 cups shredded carrots

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup ramps (wild leeks or any other onion you have)

1-2 cups red pepper, chopped

small can of water chestnuts, chopped (fyi water chestnuts are not a tree nut)

Sprigs of cilantro for serving

Optional: chopped peanuts for serving

Directions

Brown the ground turkey with the garlic, ginger, onions and mushrooms. Drain if necessary, but with the low-fat ground turkey there is usually not much to drain.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Add the soy sauce, peanut butter and teriyaki sauce and mix to combine. Add all the veggies, notice that the measurements are a little vague, but it’s really personal preference. I like a lot of veggies and less meat, but it’s purely your choice.

Cook until veggies are slightly tender and heated through. If you feel you like your wraps a little saucier, add a couple more splashes of soy and/or teriyaki.

Serve meat and veggie mixture with the lettuce leaves. Top with reserved cilantro and/or chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

Happy Monday all :)

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Posted in Dinner, healthy eating, kids, Veggies and tagged ground turkey, lettuce wraps, Thai. Bookmark the permalink.

Mexican-Inspired Chicken Chili (crock pot)

Posted on January 6, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Good afternoon friends!

Happy New year! I hope everyone is staying warm on this frigid winter day. My kids feel as if they’ve hit the jackpot with winter break being extended by 2 days due to extreme cold! I’ve been making soup non-stop lately and one of my favorites is this mexican chili that I’ve more or less made up by experimentation. I slow cook it all day in the crock pot, super simple and delicious! It’s rather healthy too. I will add some pictures once I get my new Mac up and running!

Mexican-Inspired Chicken Chili

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless breasts

1 can great northern or cannellini beans

1 can of white corn or white hominy

6 cups of chicken broth

1 can, the larger one, of chopped green chilies

1 jar of tomatillo salsa (green) or red salsa

Chopped poblano peppers, if available ( I use them if I’ve frozen them from my summer veggie share)

1 cup chopped onions

1-2 heaping tablespoons of fajita seasoning (I use “Family Style Fajita Seasoning” from my new favorite, local spice shop in Libertyville, IL-www.savoryspiceshop.com , but any will do)

Toppings

sour cream or Greek yogurt

tortilla chips

shredded cheese

cilantro

Directions

Add chicken to crock pot, even frozen is perfectly fine! Add all remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. At the end, I remove the chicken breasts and shred with a fork and return to the pot. Stir and serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt is a great alternative, and tortilla chips. I often crumble a few Crunchmaster White Cheddar Crackers on mine as another healthy alternative.

I love soup all winter long and I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Keep warm :)

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Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner, Soups and Stews and tagged chicken chili, crock pot, mexican. Bookmark the permalink.

Thai Turkey Chili

Posted on October 22, 2013 by four sweetie pies

English: Fresh Cilantro (Coriander) Deutsch: Verkaufsübliches Bund frischer Koriander (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good afternoon friends,

I made an amazing chili recipe last night that I’d like to share with you. It has so many complex favors coming together, definitely a different spin on the traditional chili. It went over well with almost everyone here! There is a little heat to it, but that could be toned down if you desire. Another great feature is that I whipped it up early in the morning and poured it in the crock pot and let it slow cook all day. It seems like the days are getting shorter and shorter and we are squeezing in more and more activities, so these crock pot recipes are a huge help to me and hopefully you too.

Hope you enjoy :)

Thai Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1-2 TBL fresh ginger, peeled and minced or 1 TBL ground ginger

1 TBL cumin

1 TBL chili powder or chipotle powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped onions or leeks (frozen chopped onions, a great time-saver)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 red pepper, cut into chunks

2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped or 1-2 small cans of chopped green chillis

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 cups hot & spicy V8 juice

1 28 ox can of chopped tomatoes in their juice

1 15 ounce can of black beans

3 TBL peanut butter (I used our favorite Skippy Natural, but you could use anything, even crunchy would be good)

2 cups of cilantro, rinsed and chopped (for me this ingredient is non-negotiable and really makes a huge difference in taste :)

plain, fat-free greek yogurt

Directions

In a large pot, brown the ground chicken with the garlic and ginger. Drain if necessary.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Next, add the remaining ingredients, except the the peanut butter, cilantro and yogurt) Mix and bring to a boil.

Pour into your crock pot and cook on low for a few hours. When ready to serve, stir the peanut butter and cilantro.

Spoon in to bowls and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and a couple of sprigs on cilantro.

Enjoy :)

Recipe adapted from The Today Show http://www.today.com/

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Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner and tagged chili, crock pot. Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Crock Pot Turkey Breast

Posted on July 17, 2013 by four sweetie pies

The hazy, lazy days of summer are here! Okay, so not very lazy but at least a bit more laid back and relaxed. I have been pulling out the crock pot this week because due to swim lessons, camps and all the flurry of activity all of a sudden its 6 o’clock and everyone is starving. So I’ve been slow cooking some meats so that they are ready to go when everyone is clamoring for something to eat.

Today, I am doing a turkey breast in the crock pot, a small 7 pound boneless breast. I simply tossed some carrots in the bottom along with some sliced shallots (from the weekly CSA share) and rubbed the meat with a dried mushroom and onion soup mix, added a bit of water or white wine in the pot and set on low for 8 hours.

Looking forward to some turkey tonight and sandwiches tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy your summer day :)

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Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner and tagged Crock Pot Cooking, Crock-Pot, dinner, Fruit and Vegetable, Meat, Slow cooker, Soups and Stews. Bookmark the permalink.

Jumpin’ Jambalaya!

Posted on February 13, 2013 by four sweetie pies

Hello foodie friends and Happy Fat Tuesday!

We’ve had our fill of Paczki‘s (pronounced poonchkis)! What is a Paczki’s you ask?!?! A delicious Polish inspired donut-type treat that is either jelly or cream filled, they are extremely popular tradition in the Chicagoland area. My kids have really come to look forward to this tradition and came home from school searching for the Paczki’s!

For the past few years I’ve been making Jambalaya for dinner on Fat Tuesday in honor of the Mardi Gras festivities. Tonight I hit the jackpot with a recipe we all really enjoyed! Even Allison, who eats little meat, was able to pick around the sausage and enjoyed the dinner. I was able to make the recipe a little healthier with a few modifications. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Jumpin’ Jambalaya (low fat)

Ingredients

24 shrimp (i bought already cooked from the seafood counter, took off the tails and cut in half)

1 rotisserie chicken ( I saved time here too and bought one at the deli-simply cut the breast meat only into bite-size pieces)

2 cups of turkey sausage or kielbasa (like an Eckerich brand), sliced

3/4-1 TBL Creole seasoning ( I used Cajun’s Choice)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/3 cup chopped celery

1 cup okra, chopped (I used frozen)

2 TBL chopped garlic

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3 bay leaves

1 cup brown rice (raw)

3 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce (I used Franks Hot Sauce)

Directions

In a bowl, toss the shrimp and chicken with the creole seasoning. In a large saute pan, sprayed with olive oil spray, saute the peppers, celery,and onions. Saute about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, drained tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Stir in raw rice and slowly add the chicken broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook with a lid until the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes. Add the meat (chicken, shrimp, and sausage) and stir. Cook until the meat is cooked through (if you have used meats that are already cooked as I did, this wont take long) If desired, season with addition creole seasoning depending on your “heat” tolerance.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from www.foodnetwork.com

Fat Tuesday (Photo credit: bitzcelt)

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Posted in Dinner, Mardi Gras and tagged Bay leaf, Broth, Cook, Jambalaya, Mardi Gras, Pączki, Sausage, Worcestershire sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Sharing…Recipes for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 12, 2012 by four sweetie pies

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good morning! I’ve been scouring cookbooks and cooking magazines and websites over the last couple weeks in anticipation of the “big” meal next week. Of course, we have our tried and true favorite’s at the Barhorst household, but each year I like to throw in something new, something different to put a fresh spin on the meal. This year I’ve been looking how to cut some butter out of the meal, hopefully without compromising taste and so that no one notices! Another idea I have is to use my new favorite bread, The Sprouted Bakehouse’s Seven-Grain Bread, in my stuffing. Everyone seems to love my stuffing, and this bread which is so yummy (I use it everyday for toast) and so low in fat and high in protein I think it will work very nicely. It has lots of texture and will hold up well in stuffing. (I will post that recipe soon as well as my much requested “Crock Pot Oatmeal” which is a necessity for Thanksgiving morning. An easy meal that everyone can serve to themselves and add their toppings of choice and best yet, it’s already made when you wake up that morning :)

So, I’d love to hear what you’re making and what your specialities and tips are for this fast approaching Thanksgiving Holiday. Or, if you need any tips or inspiration, just ask me, I’d love to help! Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite meals to prepare. I love making everyone’s favorites dishes and hearing how they look forward to them each year. This past week I’ve been polling my kids as to what food is absolutely necessary for them. It’s fun to hear what they look forward to :)

Happy Monday and t-minus 9 days until turkey day! Let’s get cooking!

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Posted in Dinner, Thanksgiving and tagged Holiday, Thanksgiving. Bookmark the permalink.

Mexican Inspired Chicken

Posted on September 27, 2012 by four sweetie pies

I just made a really yummy (if I do say so myself) impromptu dinner. I went to volunteer at my kids school’s Farm To Table Lunch Program. A very cool program in which the kids enjoy a healthy lunch made by a group of volunteer moms (headed by a professional chef), that includes some ingredients actually grown by the students. Today I was inspired by a chicken marinade we created. I took my own spin on some of the ingredients and added some sides that came together really nicely. This was a really good way to use up extra cilantro, parsley, basil from my CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture) that did not have many more good days left in my fridge.

Here’s what I did-

Ingredients-

boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 TBL olive oil

2 TBL balsamic vinegar

parsley, cilantro, basil, chives (can really use any mixture of fresh herbs)

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 TBL parmesan cheese

vegetable broth- enough to thin marinade

salt (to taste)

I put the garlic and the roughly chopped herbs in the blender, pulsed with balsamic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and added veggie broth to thin a bit. Put chicken in a ziplock bag with marinade and refrigerate a few hours. I then baked mine at 375 until cooked through and browned, but I think grilling would also work nicely. A word of warning the marinade is very green, like a pesto, but its super yummy!

I served it with a homemade guacamole, black beans, brown rice and fresh salsa. The sides really seemed to be a good combination and good even be served with some warm tortillas.

Bon appetit!

;

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Posted in Dinner and tagged Chicken. Bookmark the permalink.