The Real Deal

So when you go shopping, you find a pair of tennis shoes, you try them on and they're the best shoes you've ever tried on in your life. You buy them and after a couple days you just say to yourself, man, I wish I would have found these shoes a long time ago, my feet have never been more comfortable in their life! Well, that just happened with dinner tonight!! Why have I ever in my life, made lasagna with pasta? One will never know!!



Cheese Noodle Lasagna 
(Serves 4)

Noodles:
2 large Eggs
4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder


Filling
1 lb Ground Beef, 85% lean
1 1/2 cups Rao Marinara Sauce
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Basil
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

Noodles:
1) Preheat the oven to 375F and line a 9"x13" (or larger) baking dish with parchment paper. Using a mixer, blend together the eggs and cream cheese until nice and smooth. Add the Parmesan and spices and blend until combined. Add the mozzarella to the mixture and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula, don't use the mixer.
2) Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before cutting in half.

Filling & Assembly:
1) In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add spices and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2) Put 1/3 of the beef mixture in the bottom of an 8"x8" baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the noodle sheet. Layer another third of the sauce on the noodle. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan over sauce. Top with second 1/2 of the noodle. Use the remaining meat sauce to cover the noodle and sprinkle remaining mozzarella on the meat sauce. Sprinkle with parsley for added color if desired.
3) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes until bubbly and hot.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Calories: 540
Fat: 38g
Carb: 5  Net Carb: 4
Protein: 39

This lasagna is seriously the best lasagna you will ever eat! The texture is amazing, the flavors are spot on and the cheese noodles stand up to the test! Italian eating is no longer off the menu, in fact, it'll definitely be on there more often!

Let's Call This Dreamy Shrimp

There are things in this world that belong together and should never be separated, especially in the kitchen! Cream, garlic and butter should come on the shelf at the grocery store right next to each other, in a little package, all nestled next to each other, ready for your next creation! It would make your grocery list shorter because you would just put "Dreamy Kit" at the top!

Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp
(Serves 8)

2 lbs Shrimp, raw, large
4 tbsp Butter
3 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Sundried Tomatoes
1/4 cup Dry White Wine
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
4 oz Cream Cheese
4 cups Baby Spinach Leaves
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Note: Leave the tail on or remove depending on how you want the dish presented.

1) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and garlic and saute quickly until all shrimp are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes. They should be a nice bright pink and white! Remove from skillet and set aside.

2) Add sundried tomatoes, white wine, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste, simmer for about 1 minute. Add cream cheese and stir until fully melted and incorporated.  Add heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened for about 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

3) Add spinach to skillet, placing it on top of the sauce. Not necessary to stir, just place the lid of the skillet on for a minute and the spinach will steam enough to wilt slightly. Remove lid and stir spinach into the sauce.  Add the shrimp back to the skillet and heat through for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to over cook the shrimp. Remove from heat.

4) Serve over steamed rice for children and guests, all by itself for you so you get more of the creamy goodness!! I eat mine with a spoon!

Calories: 227
Fat: 16g
Carb: 2g
Protein: 30g
Carb: 2g  Net Carb: 2g

Sometimes it's fun to be in the kitchen all day, melding flavors, prepping ingredients, skillfully slicing and dicing and basically hiding from the chaos of the world! Other times, like when you have a new grandbaby wanting your snuggles, it's nice to quickly, masterfully prepare something everybody thinks you slaved over! This is a quick, 20 minute masterful dish!  

Enjoy! 

Creamy Garlic Goodness

The title alone is enough to have me all warm and comfy inside! Comfort food is different for everybody and when you find a new way of eating finding new comfort food is oh so important! I have now found mine and couldn't be more satisfied!


Creamy Garlic Chicken & CauliMash
Serves 4

4 Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless
8 oz Mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
6 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
3 cups Cauliflower, chopped

1) Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chopped cauliflower to the boiling water and cook until soft. You can't overcook like potatoes so don't worry about them too much!

2) While cauliflower is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook thighs until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Slice mushrooms and mince garlic while chicken is cooking! Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

2) Lower heat to medium and add garlic to same skillet. Stir for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add the mushrooms to the skillet and saute until they have wilted nicely, about 5 minutes.

3) Add the chicken broth to the skillet and scrape up all the little bits and pieces that didn't come up from the mushroom moisture. Add 2 oz. of the cream cheese and stir until it's all melted. Add the heavy cream and stir until all mixed and creamy.  Turn the heat to low and let simmer gently until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

4) While sauce is simmering, strain cauliflower, shaking out as much water as possible.  Place in a food processor with 4 oz of cream cheese and process until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Add Parmesan cheese to skillet and stir until completely melted. Add chicken thighs back to the skillet and spoon some gravy over them. Let simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Serve chicken and gravy over CauliMash, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

Calories: 318
Fat: 26g
Carbs: 9g  Net: 6g
Protein: 12g

This will be my Go To Comfort Food meal, my Quick Company is Coming meal, my Family Dinner Night meal and my Oh My Gosh Look At The Time meal! It's also pretty versatile with pork chops, chicken breasts and cube steaks (beef broth instead of chicken broth) so experiment and find your comfort pleasure!

Old Favorites

I've finally gotten to a solid vintage house for Christmas and I know it's because of the feeling I get from old favorites. The comfort of old favorites is always the best feeling, whether it's music, friends, memories or food!

This old favorite is no different whether I'm dining out or dining in!

Keto Cashew Chicken (Serves 4)

4 Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless

1 tbsp Baking Soda

1 tbsp Corn Starch

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1/2 cup Cashews, raw

1 tbsp butter

1 medium Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 cup Celery, sliced 

2 tbsp White Onion, diced

1 tbsp Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce

1 tsp Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Green Onions

1) Dice chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and place in a medium bowl. 

    Sprinkle with baking soda and corn starch then mix until evenly coated. 

    Add soy sauce and mix again until all chicken pieces are coated.  

    Set aside while preparing cashews and vegetables.

2) Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat.

    Add cashews and cook until fragrant and turning brown, flipping or stirring frequently.

    Set aside.

3) Rough chop green bell pepper in similar but not identical bit sized pieces. 

    Rough slice celery in similar but not identical slices. 

    Dice onion in small pieces. 

    Mince garlic.

4) Add coconut oil to skillet and heat on medium to medium high heat. 

    While skillet is heating, rinse chicken thighs under cold water in a colander.

    Rinse until all traces of marinade have been removed. 

    Shake well to drain as much water as possible.

5) Place chicken thighs in hot skillet and cook until all pieces are done (3-5 min).

6) Add prepared vegetables and cook until desired doneness (around 2 min).

7) Add ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil and stir until combined.

    When liquid liquid starts to evaporate (1 min or so) add cashews and stir to combine.

8) Plate servings in a fancy plate or bowl or paper plate or cup!

    Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds if desired and enjoy!

Per Serving:

Calories: 454  

Fat: 35g  

Carbs: 8g

Fiber: 2g   

Sugar: 2g   

Protein: 23g 

This is a fast and easy dinner, especially if you pre-chop and dice all the veggies. You can come home from the daily grind and have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!

And just as an FYI, I have found that eating this dish with chopsticks is necessary or as usual, I'll make myself sick on it!! 

New Year - New Lifestyle

It's almost a new year and for once I'm going into it already well on my way to good health! The week of Thanksgiving, hubby and I decided to take the leap and begin a Ketogenic lifestyle and we've been going strong ever since! Both of us now have more energy, less medical problems and are losing weight on a nice and steady pace.

Now it's time to return to the blog and try to keep track of some of the amazing dishes we are enjoying! 

So far, our favorite dinner has been White Chicken Chili! The flavor is amazing and since it's packed with chicken and cheese the lack of beans isn't even noticed. 

White Chicken Chili
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
2 cups chicken broth
4 tbsp butter, salted
4.5 oz can green chiles, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1) In a Dutch oven (or large pot), season the chicken with cumin, oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.  Sear both sides of the chicken over medium heat until golden on each side.

2) Add the chicken broth to the pot, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the chicken to ensure it is fully cooked.

3) While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the chiles, diced jalapeno and onion to the skillet and saute until the veggies softened a bit. Add the minced garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds and set aside.

4) Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred with a fork and return back to the pot. Add the sauteed veggies to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

5) In a medium bowl, soften the cream cheese in the microwave until you can stir it easily. Add the heavy whipping cream to the cream cheese and stir to combine.

6) Quickly whisk the heavy cream mixture into the pot with the chicken and veggies. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

7) Top each serving with the remaining cheese and an avocado slice if you have some on hand!

It's a quick and easy dinner that will fill you up and keep you that way for quite some time! Although only hubby and I are enjoying the Ketogenic lifestyle, this is a crowd pleaser in our family! 

Weekly Menu Change

Ever made something so good you want to have it at least once a week?  Something so warm and flavorful you know there's no way you could get tired of it?

If you answered no, then you haven't tried this recipe and I encourage you to head to the grocery store, or your freezer and pantry, and make this for dinner tonight!  I think I will!

Brazilian Shrimp Stew (Serves 6)
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, with chilis
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 cups white rice, cooked

Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan.  Once oil is hot, saute onions until translucent; add garlic and peppers and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro and simmer until shrimp turns opaque.  Add coconut milk and hot sauce and cook until heated through, do not boil.  Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with 1/2 cup of prepared white rice on the side and garnish with fresh cilantro.  

The rich sweet and spicy flavor came as quite a surprise!  Each and every bite of this stew brings more flavor and discovery.  We like to add a spoonful of rice every couple of bites to absorb even more flavor and bring a new texture.  If not rice then I highly recommend bread sticks, you'll definitely want something to sop up any leftover broth in your bowl!

Here's the great part!  It's only 7 Weight Watcher points+ per serving (9 with rice) and it's also Paleo friendly!  How can something this good be THAT good?!

Enjoy!

Winter Warmth

There's nothing better on a cold winter night than a nice hot bowl of soup to take away the chill.  When that bowl of soup is Zuppa Toscana and it's Weight Watcher friendly you get warm all the way to your toes!

Don't let that whole "Weight Watcher" thing fool you!  This soup is loaded with flavor and is probably the best I've ever tasted.  Now granted, I haven't been to Italy yet, but it is definitely the best I've ever tasted in an American Italian restaurant!  Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Zuppa Toscana

16 oz. Isernio's Chicken Italian Sausage

1/2 large onion, diced

6 slices bacon, diced

3 gloves garlic, minced

4 medium potatoes, diced

2 cups kale, chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

6 cups chicken broth, fat free

2 cups water

~  In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink.  Set aside.

~  In the same skillet, over medium heat, cook onion and bacon until onions are clear.  Add minced garlic and cook until onions and garlic are soft and bacon has slightly crisped.

~  In a large soup pot or dutch oven, combine chicken broth, water, potatoes and onion mixture.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are slightly softened.

~  Add kale, sausage and heavy cream to pot.  Continue simmering until kale has wilted and potatoes are soft.

Not only is this soup is so warm and delicious, it's very fast and easy.  Of course you can add salt and pepper and maybe even some red chili flakes to the sausage while it's cooking but none of that is really necessary.  It's got great flavor from the sausage and your still able to taste the subtle flavor of the kale.

This pot will serve 8 and each serving is 1 1/2 cups.  The best part is that it's only 7 pts - amazing!  Add a bread stick for 3 points and you'll be completely satisfied!