Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Holy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies Batman!

Threw together a yummy batch of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies over the weekend, and thought I'd share the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt (dough should be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool and devour.

Bon Appetite!

Turkey Meatloaf

Tasty Turkey Meatloaf

I know, so there are probably as many meatloaf recipes as there are moms who make them, right?

Well here’s my take on this good old-fashioned comfort food classic and also hubbies favorite meal of all time. He takes it with a heaping pile of smashed red potatoes and green beans.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey meat
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup dried whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground sage
¼ cup ketchup bbq sauce combo

Directions

Thoroughly combine all ingredients (except ¼ cup ketchup bbq sauce combo) in a large bowl. Pat mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 350° for 1¼ hours. Spoon off excess fat and top with ketchup bbq sauce combo.

Bon Appetite!

Broiled Salmon Cakes

Broiled Salmon Cakes

Take a little stroll with me down memory lane with this recipe. It gives me warm fuzzies and makes me think of my momma. Although she'd fry them up in a skillet, I prefer to broil them.

I'm not a big fan of fishy grease splattering everywhere and the house reeking of salmon for days, as frying them in a skillet tends to permeate the house more IMO. Just sayin'

Ingredients

1 can (14-15 ounce) Salmon, (drain, skin & de-bone)
1 lightly beaten egg
¼ cup dried whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ cup low-fat or light mayonnaise
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (cause I’m a Maryland girl and all y‘all)

Directions

Flake salmon in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and shape into 6 patties. I line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with Crisco’s Olive Oil cooking spray. Broil 7-8 minutes per side in a preheated oven until golden brown.

I like to serve with mashers and California Medley (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) or for breakfast/brunch with grits (again, I’m from Maryland).
 
Bon Appetite!

Herb Roasted Red Potato Wedges

Herb Roasted Red Potato Wedges

I love the easy elegance and versatility of this simple side dish. I've served them with everything from Sloppy Joes to scrambled eggs. Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

4-5 medium red potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
basil
oregano
parsley
thyme
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Rinse and cut potatoes in half length wise and then cut into wedges about the width of your thumb. In a casserole dish toss potatoes with olive oil and seasonings. After tossing, I usually place them skin side down (like a see-saw) in a single layer so that I don't have to turn them. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Bon Appetite!

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

No Fuss Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey meat (season with salt and pepper)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green or red bell pepper

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown and drain ground turkey meat, onions and peppers. Reduce heat to low and add barbecue sauce. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes.

Use an ice cream scoop to serve over whole-wheat hamburger buns and enjoy!

We usually have a side of herb roasted red potato wedges or carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese and ranch dressing.

Green Smoothie Recipes

With the hubs bringing home 3 bags of Spinach this week, plus already having an open bag in the fridge, I figured this would be a good time to try my hand at making one of those Green Smoothies that seem to be all the rage these days.
 
Although I've been bumping into Green Smoothie recipes all week long, I couldn't for the life of me remember the who and where of it all. So I decided to throw a little something together using what little I had on hand, which happened to be...

1 handful of Spinach
1/2 cup V8 Splash Mango Peach
1 peach cup with the juice (you know the ones)

... and ladies, I've gotta say that I loved it! Looking forward to trying many other recipes and variations.

Cheers!

Got a Green Smoothie recipe you'd like to share?

Uses For Ground Meat

So I was supposed to have the whole weekend all to myself. No Mr. Rooster Chick, no Baby Chick, and most of all... NO COOKING! Well that went out the window around 2 this afternoon when I got a call from Mr. Rooster Chick saying... "See ya in 20 minutes hon!"

Uhhh, ok.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as happy as a clam to see my gang - errr um a whole day early and all - but Momma Chick wasn’t expecting to be on kitchen duty tonight.

So I leap over the cat and scramble to the freezer to grab some ground turkey meat to toss into the microwave on defrost - easy enough right?

While the turkey meat and microwave are doing their dance, I do a little brainstorming - while catching my breath - and decide to go with Spaghetti. Super creative, I know - but it’s always a pleaser and I had everything on hand, no Sunday afternoon trip to the market or harassing thy neighbors for basil. Good deal.

I also came up with some additional scrumptious meal ideas that you can create using ground meat, and thought I’d share them with you here. I’m sure this list will grow with time, so check back now and then. Bon appetit!

Burgers
Burritos
Cabbage Rolls/Casserole
Calzones
Cheesy Mac
Chili
Dirty Rice
Enchiladas
Jambalaya
Lasagna
Manicotti
Meatballs (Bbq, Sweet & Sour, Swedish)
Meatloaf
Mexican Lasagna
Pizza
Quesadillas
Salad
Salisbury Steaks
Shepard’s Pie
Sloppy Joes
Soups & Stews
Spaghetti
Spanish Rice
Stroganoff
Stromboli
Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Peppers
Tacos
Tamale Bake/Casserole
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Ziti

What are some of your favorite recipes that call for ground meat?