Butoni Riserva Meal for Two

You've probably noticed that I haven't put up a new recipe in a couple of weeks. You could say I've been busy. Between family, travel, holidays and planning a blog conference my days are over-full. Cooking, which really is a stress reliever for me, just hasn't been happening as much as I would like. And when it does I fall back on tried and true favorites, slow cooker meals and making Doug grill.

Last night was the end of one of those days when I was exhausted, I hadn't planned dinner and it was raining. Luckily I had a Butoni Riserva meal in the freezer. A few weeks ago Foodbuzz sent me a coupon to try a new Buitoni frozen meal for two. Ahhh... rescued!

I had chosen the Braised Beef and Sausage Ravioli because it just sounded really good.

The instructions were easy to follow and dinner was ready in under 20 minutes (yes, my stove top takes forever to boil water). Though the package says it is a complete meal for two it easily fed my family of four when paired with a salad and slice of garlic bread.

The ravioli are very large and stuffed with meat and cheese. As we were eating I said to Doug,"This pasta is better than I've had at some Italian restaurants." He agreed.

Just look at the inside of the pasta. Yum! The sauce was a wonderfully tasty mix between a basic red sauce and a cream base. It was smooth and rich.





I was impressed with this quick meal from the freezer. If you serve it with a nice red wine- and without children- it would be a nice meal for a romantic evening for two.











Disclosure: I was sent a coupon to sample this Butoni meal. I paid for the salad and the bread. I was not compensated for this post; all thoughts are my own.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

Summer always makes life hectic and all the rain we've been experiencing brings its own set of problems. And when I'm stressed or short on sleep - or both- I crave comfort food.

Lasagna is one of those foods that just makes you feel warm and full and happy. This recipe- another one from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook- takes the greatness of lasagna and makes it lower in fat and calories by adding spinach.

My girls ate this with nary a complaint. And I loved that it reheated well for lunch the next day and "leftover night" a few days later.

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef (or lighten it up further with ground turkey)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 jars (26 ounces each) meatless spaghetti sauce
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
* 9 no-cook lasagna noodles (or cook wheat noodles; it works just as well)

Directions

*If you opt to cook your noodles, begin with that and let them cool while you follow the rest of the steps.
* In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until combined.
* Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
* Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (prepared with lean ground beef) equals 281 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 50 mg cholesterol, 702 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase this cookbook using the links in this post I may earn a small (very small) amount of money.

Apricot Beef Stir Fry

I'm making an effort to have my family eat better and add more vegetables to our diet. Since Chinese food is always a big hit in our house I thought this recipe would be a hit- and it was! Because it uses frozen stir-fry vegetables it's quick, too! I've made this a couple of times now and it gets a big thumbs up from my girls. The leftovers also reheat really nicely for lunch the next day.

Recipe from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

Ingredients

1 t cornstarch
1/4 c cold water
1/2 c apricot preserves
2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 t minced garlic (though I used more as we like garlic!)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced thin
1 T canola oil
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen asparagus stir fry vegetable blend

Directions

In a small bowl whisk cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic, salt & red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan stir fry vegetables according to package directions. Return beef to pan. Stir apricot mixture and add to beef mixture. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Serve over rice.

1 c of beef mixture is 309 calories (not including rice)


Disclosure: I am an Amazon.com affiliate so if 10 of you click on the link and buy the book I may make enough money to buy another bag of frozen stir fry vegetables!

Lime Chicken Tacos

I've been trying to eat healthier. Really, I have. But sometimes you really just want "comfort food"- good, filling food that doesn't scream "DIET!" I've been trying recipes from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook for a while now and this is one of my favorites.

Not only is it great for tacos, but it makes a nice chicken taco salad and chicken nachos. It reheats nicely for lunch the next day and, because it's cooked in the slow cooker I classify it as quick and easy. The entire family loves this recipe!

Makes 12 Servings Time: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 5-1/2 hours (or 2 1/2- 3 if cooked on high)

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup chunky salsa
* 12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
* Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Directions

* Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or 2 1/2-3 hours on high) or until chicken is tender.
* Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Stir in corn and salsa.
* Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired. Yield: 12 tacos.


Nutrition Facts: 1 taco (prepared with fat-free tortillas; calculated without sour cream and cheese) equals 148 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1 starch.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If 10 of you happen to buy this cookbook using the link to the left I may make enough money to buy some sour cream for my tacos.

A Tiny Bite of "Me Time"

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

I love to expose my girls to new flavors and cuisines. And, thankfully, they try new foods without protest. Because this dish was served with rice the girls thought it was Chinese- a favorite in our house. Trying to explain that it is an Indian influenced meal.... Well, I'll save that for another day.

The only change I have made in this recipe is to cut the curry paste in half- 2T was just a bit spicy for the girls.

Recipe from Good Housekeeping. Serves 4.

Ingredients
* 1 cup(s) basmati rice
* 1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
* 1 medium (6 to 8 ounces) onion, chopped (I use dried onion flakes)
* 2 teaspoon(s) grated, peeled fresh ginger
* 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
* 2 tablespoon(s) Indian curry paste (this makes the dish quite hot- I cut it in half when I am serving this to the girls)
* 1 1/4 pound(s) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup(s) (from 15-ounce can) crushed tomato
* 1/2 cup(s) half-and-half or light cream
* 1/4 cup(s) loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional for garnish

1. Prepare rice as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook 3 minutes longer.
3. Add chicken, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and cook 2 minutes or until no longer pink on the outside, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until chicken just loses its pink color throughout.
4. Uncover and stir in half-and-half and cilantro. Spoon rice into 4 shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro.


Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 430
Total Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 93mg
Sodium 685mg
Total Carbohydrate 42g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugars --
Protein 39g
Calcium --

Irish Brown Bread

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner I've been trying out new recipes for my annual Irish feast. I found a new Irish Brown Bread recipe in an issue of Woman's Day magazine last year and recently tried it. Oh so good! It's the best I've made yet!

This recipe requires no pans as the loaves are "free form" rounds. It's delicious with a bit of honey or butter but I prefer it served with Irish Stew or Steak & Guinness Pie.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
* 3/4 cup quick oats
* 1/2 cup wheat germ
* 2 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
* 2 T tbsp honey

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix flours, oats, wheat germ, baking soda and salt.
2. Whisk together buttermilk and honey. Add to flour mixture; stir to combine until soft dough forms.
3. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf. Place loaves 3 in. apart onto prepared baking sheet; bake 10 minutes.
4. Reduce temperature to 400°F. Continue baking 10 minutes longer or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool 15 minutes.