Lasagna Ravioli

This recipe should be a Timsaver Tuesday but I made it on a Thursday. I took my basic lasagna ingredients and stuffed them into wonton wrappers for a quick and delicious meal. Feel free to add your favorite lasagna ingredients such as chopped mushrooms and ricotta cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 4

32 Wonton wrappers
1 pound italian sausage, ground beef or a combination of both (if using only ground beef, lightly salt)
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar pasta sauce

On medium high heat, cook and chop meat, stirring occasionally. Drain and let cool. Stir in cheese. Place a wonton wrapper flat in your hand and lighly brush with water. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture into the center. Bring the top and bottom corner together and press firmly to form a triangle. Press between your palms to squeaze out any air. Lay on a tray and repeat until all ravioli is filled. You may have filling left over, feel free to make extra. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently drop the ravioli in batches of 8 into the water. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to tray. Do not stack them, as they will stick. Top with hot pasta sauce and serve.

White Chicken Chili

The flurries are falling and this meal is perfect to welcome the snowy season. Enjoy!

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced green pepper
3/4 cup diced red onion
2 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced (optional)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
dash salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cans great northen beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. can diced green chilies
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream

Mash half of the beans and set aside. In a large pot, heat oil on medium high. Add green pepper, onion and jalapeno (if desired). Saute 3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and spice and saute for 1 minute. Whisk flour into vegetable mixture until dissolved. Cook for 1 more minute. Add broth, mashed beans, whole beans, green chilies and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Spoon out 1/2 cup cooking liquid into a bowl. Whisk sour cream until smooth. Add back into soup, stirring frequently. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Timesave Tuesday - Meat me now and later

Preparation is one of the main keys to having successful meals at home. I began cooking some of my meat ahead of time to cut back on my food prep, as well as, provide a healthy meal for my family even when life gets hectic. Being a family of 3, most meats I buy are portioned too large for us to eat. A beef roast often feeds more than 5. Last night I made a large roast with potatoes and twice the needed carrots. Tonight, I will take the remaining roast and carrots and use it towards tonights meal of beef and noodles. Cooked meat also freezes real well. Portioning it ahead of time makes it even easier. Check out my recipe for beef roast, followed by my beef and noodles recipe with the leftovers. It is similar to beef stroganoff but without the mushrooms.



Beef Roast

Serves 4

2 pounds beef roast (1 pound for tonight, 1 pound for future meal)
4 meduim potatoes, quartered
4 large carrots, diced (8 large carrots if cooking for a later meal)
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix (Original or Beef)
Pepper to taste
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 295. Coat large roasting pan with cooking spray. Place meet and vegetables in pan and sprinkle with soup mix and pepper. Pour 1 cup of water over the top. Cover and roast for 3 to 4 hours. Baste halfway through. Serve the potatoes and half of the meat and carrots for tonights meal. Freeze the remaining meat or use it for dinner tomorrow. See next recipe for suggestion.


Beef and Noodles

Serves 4

3/4 pounds cooked beef roast, shredded and fat removed.
1 1/2 cans cream of celery soup
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
Pepper to taste
4 servings cooked egg noodles

In a sauce pan on medium heat, combine beef, soup, broth, sour cream and pepper. For a thinner sauce, add more broth. Heat until hot, stirring frequently. Serve over hot egg noodles with a side of roasted carrots or vegetable of choice. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Tenders

This recipe is simple, lowfat and delicious! By baking the chicken tenders, you are cutting most of the fat. Enjoy!

Serves 4

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 cups Kellogg Cornflake Crumbs or 4 cups cornflake cereal, crushed.
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a gallon size plastic bag, shake together flour, seasoned salt and chicken tenders until evenly coated. In a seperate bag, combine cornflake crumbs, garlic powder and pepper and set aside. In bowl, beat eggs and water. Dip each chicken tender in egg mixture and put in bag with cornflake crumbs. Once all of the chicken is coated with the egg, shake together with cornflake mixture until evenly coated. Place chicken in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and juices are clear.