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Crock pot Olive Garden pasta soup

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, shredded
1 c. celery, chopped
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz.) can white kidney beans, drained
4 cups beef stock
3 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. pepper
5 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. tabasco sauce
1 (20 oz.) jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
8 oz. pasta (I like using ditali pasta)
 
Instructions

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain fat. Add beef and all ingredients except the pasta into a large crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup.

Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Pasta Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 - 3/4 lb cooked fettuccine
2 TBS olive oil
1 lb peeled, deveined raw large shrimp
1 TBS plus 2 tsp Essence seasoning (recipe below - I think you can buy this, too.)
1 1/2 smoked turkey sausages, sliced and quartered (I use Butterball)
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Essence Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions
Heat 1 TBS of olive oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the Essence. Place the shrimp in the pan and saute until almost done. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Place the remaining TBS of olive oil in the saute pan and onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook another minute.

Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds.

Add the thyme, 1 TBS of Essence and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. 

Return the shrimp to the pan and pasta to the pan. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan.

California Tortilla Pizzas Recipe

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 (6 inch) flour tortillas (or whole wheat tortillas)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.
Place tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Top with onion mixture, oregano, garlic powder, tomato, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut each pizza into four wedges.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews
Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.

CUCUMBER CUPS STUFFED WITH SPICY CRAB Recipe

INGREDIENTS
3 long cucumbers
1/4 cup sour cream (use reduced fat for lower-cal version)
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use reduced fat for lower-cal version)
3/4 cup crab meat, excess water removed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or tapito)
1 tsp brown mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs minced green onion
Garnish with chili powder or paprika if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the peel from the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler. Cut the cucumber into 2 inch slices. Using a small melon baller, scoop out most of the inside. You want to leave the walls and a thick portion of the bottom intact.
In a bowl, combine the sour cream and the cream cheese with a fork until well combined. add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Fill each of the cucumber cups with the crab dip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve within 2 hours of making.
Experiment with different dips in the cucumber cups like hummus or a Greek yogurt spread. Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 pound Trader Joe's Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can Trader Joe's Traditional Style Fat Free Refried Beans
4 9-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Chunky Salsa, or your favorite salsa
2 cups Trader Joe's Lite 3 Cheese Blend
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Extra Large Black Pitted Olives, sliced


Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
3.Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray. Place one tortilla in each pie plate and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
4.Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve.

Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups Recipe

 Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice
1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Place cooked rice in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to eight well-greased muffin cups and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are lightly browned and edges are starting to get crispy.

FRIED MOZZARELLA PEPPERONI EGG ROLLS

Ingredients
12 pieces of string cheese
12 egg roll wrappers
36 slices of pepperoni
Oil for deep-frying
Marinara or pizza sauce

On top of an egg roll wrapper, place three pieces of pepperoni as shown in the picture. Place a piece of string cheese on top. Fold corners over cheese. Fold bottom corner over cheese and pepperoni and keep rolling until cheese is tightly sealed. Moisten corners with water to seal. Repeat with the rest of wrappers, cheese and pepperoni.

In a skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry sticks, a few at a time, for 30-60 seconds on each side until completely brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce.

COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

Ingredients
1/2 cup Bisquick
3/4 cup sugar...
4 eggs
2 cup milk
1 can (3 1/2 oz.) coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS. butter, softened

Directions
Combine all ingredients and pour into 9 inch buttered pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until custard sets. Like magic it layers into crust, custard, coconut topping. Cool

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary

CRISPY JALAPEÑO MOZZARELLA STICKS

Ingredients:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 sticks of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half
8 small jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise, stems and seeds removed
16 wonton wrappers
bowl of water
1 egg, beaten
oil for frying

Step 1 - Combine the panko, salt and garlic powder together in a bowl.
Step 2 - Place one piece of mozzarella, in one half of a jalapeno, place both in a wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and run along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper around the mozzarella so that it is completely closed. Dip into the egg. Dredge in the panko mixture to coat completely.

Step 3 - Repeat #2 with remaining ingredients.

Step 4 - In a large pot heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees. Fry mozzarella sticks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients
Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing* or other dressing of choice
Directions
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Toss with desired dressing.
*Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Ingredients
4 sliced bread
butter...
4 mozzarella, sliced
pepperoni (cut in half or mini)
Italian seasoning or basil
Parmesan cheese (opt)
pizza sauce (for dipping)

Cooking Directions
Warm a medium/large skillet over medium heat. Butter each piece of bread on one side. When skillet is hot place a piece of bread butter side down on the skillet then add one slice of cheese and small shake of Italian seasoning or basil (add a small shake of Parmesan cheese here too if desired). Top with a desired amount of pepperonis (I used about 8 -10 whole regular pepperonis per sandwich) If any other toppings are desired, add now. Add another slice of mozzarella and top with slice bread butter side up.
Repeat with second sandwich. When bottom slice is golden brown then flip over carefully. Once both sides are brown remove from pan cut and serve with pizza sauce if desired

Rotel Cups

Ingredients
1 can rotel tomatoes, drained (almost all the way)
1 bag bacon pieces
1 cup shredded swiss
1 cup mayo
3 pkg. phyllo pastry cups – thawed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first 4 ingredients and scoop evenly into the cups. Place on baking sheet and cook at 350 for 15 minutes.

can add cooked cut up shrimp, scallops or pepperoni, hot ham, chicken, sausage
makes: 45 cups

Cheeseburger Paradise Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
a dash or worcester sauce
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used 3/4 cheddar and 1/4 mozzarella)
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Original Bisquick mix
2 eggs

Directions

1 Heat oven to 400°F.
2 Spray a 9 inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray
3 Cook beef and chopped onion in a skillet over medium about 10 minutes or until beef is brown. Drain excess fat.
4 Stir in salt, garlic powder and worcester sauce and then spread in pie plate
5 Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the beef
6 In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and Bisquick. Make sure you try to get as many lumps out as you can. Pour over meat mixture.
7 Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Dorito chicken bake

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (divided)
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (drained)
½ packet taco seasoning
1 large bag Doritos
Shredded lettuce (optional)
diced tomato (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, Ro-tel tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Mix well.

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish, and add a layer of crushed Doritos across the bottom. Top with a layer of the chicken mixture. Add another layer of crushed Doritos, and then add another layer of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese. You can add more crushed Doritos on top as well if you wish.

Cover and place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30-25 minutes until bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and top with lettuce and tomato if you choose.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Shrimp Avocado Salad Recipe

Shrimp Avocado Salad makes a wonderful lunch or light supper during the summer. Add this Shrimp Avocado Salad to a sandwich, pasta, or atop greens, too!

Ingredients

2 pounds boiled or steamed shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons diced red onion
For the Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add shrimp, avocado, and onion to a large bowl.
In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together ingredients for the dressing. Whisk until well-combined.
Add dressing to shrimp avocado salad until it has the amount you desire. Serve additional dressing on the side

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili - Hearty and Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. can black beans, drained
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
10 oz. package (1 1/4 cups) frozen corn kernels
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional toppings: Additional cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped scallions, red onion, sour cream, etc.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients 1 through 14 in a slow cooker*. Stir until combined. Place uncooked chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Thirty minutes before serving, pull chicken breasts apart with two forks. Stir and continue cooking. Top with fresh cilantro or any other desired toppings.

Serve with Honey Jalapeño Cornbread, if desired.

Enjoy!

* Tip: If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also use an oven safe, 5 1/2 quart or larger pot. Simmer at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.

Zucchini Boats By Metabolic Cooking Book

Ingredients: