September 09, 2013

roasted beets and oranges salad

what a unique blend of delicious flavors!  i don't even think it needs a dressing, but if you want one, i think a balsamic vinaigrette would work nicely.  i served it with some thin-cut pork chops with a little thyme and oregano sprinkled on top at the suggestion of real simple online.

ingredients

1/2 lb beets, peeled and cut into wedges
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
arugula

directions

toss the beets with the olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 13-15 min @ 450.  add oranges and roast 2-3 min more.  add beets and oranges to arugula and enjoy!


lentil and kielbasa stew

recently both my husband and i have been wanting more lentils in our lives.  they're so good for us, yet can feel sort of foreign if they're not something you grew up eating or preparing.  we both really liked this.  our kids?  not so much....

found the recipe here.

ingredients

1 pound low fat, low sodium turkey kielbasa, cut into ½ inch thick rounds
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
½ cup water
1 (14 ½ ounce) can low sodium stewed tomatoes
1 ¼ cups cooked lentils

directions

Combine the kielbasa and enough water to cover by 2 inches in a large saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat. Drain the kielbasa in a colander and rinse until cool with cold water. Drain well. Set aside.  Grease a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the water, heat to boiling, cover, and steam until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Uncover the skillet and add the tomatoes and their juices, the kielbasa, and lentils.  Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and simmer to blend the flavors, about 10 minutes.

chimichangas

every so often when i'm pregnant, nothing else will do but a sizable portion of some luscious meat.  i was really pleased with this recipe.  i mostly followed the recipe found here, but did tweak it slightly...

ingredients

2 lbs roast
1/4 C water
1 1/2 C beef broth
3 T red wine vinegar
1 t cumin
chili powder to taste (if you're in to that sort of thing)
jack cheese
uncooked tortillas
vegetable oil
desired toppings--i used shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and guac

directions

Place beef in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour in water. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove cover, and cook until liquid has evaporated, and beef is well browned, about 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine beef broth, red wine vinegar, chili powder and cumin. Pour over beef. Cover, and cook until meat is very tender, and pulls apart easily, about 2 hours. Allow to cool, then shred and mix with pan juices.

preheat oven to 500.  brush a cookie sheet with oil.  put desired amount of meat and cheese in tortillas and fold.  brush with oil.  bake 6 min on each side.  voila!  i used 3 1/2 lbs meat and we had enough dinner for two nights for our family of six (one only really counts as half, though).