Easy asian dumpling soup

Found this recipe in a magazine and knew instantly I had to try it! It was quick and easy but I actually liked it better as leftovers than when it was first made!

1. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, and 8 oz of sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until tender.

2. Add 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 2 cups of water, and 1 bay leaf; bring to a boil.

3. Add a bag of gyoza (you can get a bag at Trader Joes's or Ling Lings at any grocery store); simmer 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

4. Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I really love this dish. This time it was more unusual than I normally make it. This time it was made with Elk, which is an extremely lean meat. I usually use ground turkey meat, and it is what I still prefer but when someone gave us Elk meat to try I thought I'd use it on this dish. If you like a comfort meal that will give you some leftovers for the week, make this dish.

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers (I prefer red or yellow)
• 1 lb ground turkey (but you can use a pound of any ground meat you prefer)
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
• 3/4 shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper. Remove seeds and membranes, rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover about 5 minutes, drain.
2. Cook turkey and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until turkey is brown, drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce, cook until hot.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Stuff peppers with mixture. Stand upright in ungreased baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.
5. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Enjoy!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Brian and I have made it a tradition to make a special dinner together on saturdays. We put the babes down to bed, open a bottle of wine, put on some tunes and cook together. It is special time together to reconnect after another hectic week. It is so nice to cook in the kitchen together too. Usually he has been bbq'ing but a real rainy saturday ruled that out this week.

This is just a idea on a method you can do with whatever you want to stuff your mushroom with. I love the earthy, meatiness of a portobello. For this dish I made some sauce and then mixed in a half pound of my favorite spicy italian chicken sausage from whole foods. So the filling should be more on the meaty side versus saucy side, you don't want it to be too runny. If you don't make your own sauce, use your favorite jarred one.

1. We took out the gills of the portobellos first.

2. Drizzled the portobellos with some olive oil.

3. Broil for 5-6 minutes.

4. Stuff with your filling.

5. Put some cheese on top (I did mozzarella slices).

6. Put back under the broiler until cheese melts and is bubbly!

Hawaiian Chicken with Citrus Cilantro Rice

This is a great recipe for you ladies to have your men to put together. My husband was on vacation this week so I had him marinade the chicken while I was at work. When it came to dinner time I had him man the chicken while I took care of the rice. This chicken was very delicious and flavorful. I find ginger can be overpowering at times but it was just the right amount that added subtle flavor. I can't wait to make this chicken for a summer bbq!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked rice (I use brown rice) but use whatever you prefer
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 lime

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade, placing remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag, seal. Chill 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan or bbq over medium high heat. Coat pan or grill with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add chicken to grill pan or bbq, baste with 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.
3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro and juice from 1/2 lime.

Penne with Shrimp

We made this dish for New Years, and it was the perfect dish to celebrate the New Year. This dish was easy to make and so good. We couldn't stop giggling while we were eating it because it was just that yummy! You may see whipping cream and think this is a heavy sauce, but don't be fooled it is light and so flavorful!

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Chicken in a basket

I saw this recipe this summer and knew I wanted to try it. Well this morning I finally did. This dish was wonderful and would be perfect to make for house guests because it looks gourmet but is soo easy.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups of shredded hashbrowns
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter melted
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone

Directions

1. Special equipment: Jumbo sized muffin tin
2. Mix defrosted potatoes with melted butter and salt/pepper.
3. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Press the potatoes evenly into the bottom and sides of the muffin tin, making sure it covers the whole inside of the muffin tin.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until hash browns are crispy.
5. Meanwhile mix proscuitto with maple syrup in a bowl and lay on a cookie sheet, set aside.
6. Remove potatoes from oven and crack an egg into each cup. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until egg whites set and yolks remain runny.
7. Remove from oven and put oven to broil. Sprinkle cheese on top of egg. Put both cookie sheets under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and proscuitto is crispy, about 1 minute.
8. Top eggs with crispy proscuitto and serve immediately.

High on Yum, low on calories: Cheddar Chicken Chowder

This recipe is one of my favorites and a special recipe to me. I know it sounds weird that a recipe can be special, but it is probably one of the first recipes to inspire me to cook. You see, my first year out of college I worked at a brokerage firm with all men, weirdly enough, all of these men LOVED to cook. My boss would actually bring me his old Cooking Light magazines and this was a recipe that I saw and knew I had to try. Ever since then I have loved the magazine and cooking. I have made this recipe numerous times throughout the year and is perfect for a cold fall or winter day. It was also great to find a chowder recipe that was healthy since we all know that the were chowder usually equates to unhealthly. I hope you try this recipe this fall and enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• Cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast cubbed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (or whatever color you prefer)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth (the 32 oz boxes only have 4 cups so I usually use 1/2 cup water)
• 1 3/4 cups diced red potatoes
• 2 1/4 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk ( I use 1% even though it asks for 2 %)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a dutch oven coated with cooking spray until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to bacon fat in pan, saute 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn, stir well.
2. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a wisk until blended, add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

(306 calories for a 1 1/2 cup serving)