Tag Archives: main dish

Classic Meat Loaf and Lasagna Recipes

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Allrecipes.com is my favorite place to find recipes online. Since the recipes are open to review, you can read about real-world experience with the recipes, and see the rating that others have given the recipe. I’ve never gone wrong with a five-star recipe with at least ten reviews at this website, and I use it a lot. The two following recipes are included in the AllRecipes cookbook, which I love. The meatloaf recipe is a five-star recipe that has been reviewed about 375 times. The lasagna is also a five-star recipe with over 1,000 reviews. That’s a lot of test … Continue reading →

Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

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This is a standby meal that I make frequently for my family and for guests. It’s inexpensive, vegetarian, and everyone seems to like it. I love the roasted vegetables, especially the eggplant. I don’t have many good eggplant recipes, so when I see them in season at the grocery store, I’m eager to make this dish. If you don’t have the exact vegetables called for, substitute away. I’ve probably never made this quite the same way twice! I’ve included a recipe for homemade tomato sauce, but I frequently use canned sauce. The Trader Joe’s brand marinara is especially good. Ziti … Continue reading →

Low-fat Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

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I used to live next door to a dietitian whose hobby was to take people’s favorite dishes and make them low-fat and healthy. Lucky me, I got to be the lab rat for tasting. This was one of my favorites that she transformed. I don’t even care what the original recipe was, because this one is so delicious, I wouldn’t make it the old way anyhow. Black Bean Tortilla Casserole 2 cups onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups green pepper, chopped 3/4 cup salsa or picante sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained … Continue reading →

Salmon with Pineapple Orange Salsa

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This is an outstanding salmon dish introduced to me by an outstanding cook – my sister. She shared this recipe with me when I was first dating my now-husband. I think it’s one of the reasons he married me. This and my chocolate chip cookies with toffee bits, but that’s another blog. The salmon has a light, caramelized coating and the fruity/spicy salsa gives it some extra sweetness and zip. The salsa is so tasty, you’ll want to heap it on the fish, almost like a small side dish. It’s also very easy to prepare. So if you’re trying to … Continue reading →

Chicken Chalupas

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I recently edited a cookbook for our church congregation and got lots of great recipes with very little overlap. But three different people submitted this recipe. These are people I trust, so I tried the recipe and it is delicious, and my family loved it. So, here is the triple- (quadruple, including me) recommended recipe. Chicken Chalupas 1 dozen flour tortillas 4 large chicken breasts (cooked and diced) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 pint sour cream 1/2 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese 4 green onions, sliced 1 can sliced black olives 1 small can green chili peppers 1/2 … Continue reading →

Crock pot Beef Stew

The first day of Spring, and most of the country is still cold and drizzly. I’m in a spot where it’s usually warm this time of year and I’m ready for a barbecue, but when it’s cold and cloudy, like today, my tastes turn toward a hearty stew cooked all day in a slow cooker. This is comfort food, for sure. This is a recipe that my sister and I have used for years and it always turns out delicious, and it goes together quickly. Both of us use it as a staple “fall back” meal when we want something … Continue reading →

Spring Vegetable Pasta

With Spring just around the corner (supposedly!), I’m anticipating my favorite time of year for vegetables. Fresh vegetables like asparagus, carrots, snow peas and zucchini are at their best in Spring, so take advantage of the good taste and health benefits of these treats. Here is a great pasta recipe that incorporates several early vegetables and lets their flavor shine through. Spring Vegetable Pasta 12 ounces bow tie pasta 1/2 cup young snow peas 1 cup julienne carrots 3 Tbls. olive oil 1 garlic clove, chopped 4 green onions, sliced 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 3 – 4 baby … Continue reading →

Four-Star Green Salads

I was never much of a salad girl, but these two salads actually make me crave my greens. Oh, and that’s not all. My kids like these salads. Yup. My salad-hating green-vitamin deficient children ask for seconds. Both have a sweet/spicy flavor to them because of the combination of fruit and dressing with a kick. One is my friend’s recipe which I begged mercilessly for, and the other is my sister’s recipe that she gave me just recently. I can’t believe she kept it a secret so long. Both women are excellent cooks, so I should have known they’d do … Continue reading →

Superbowl Sunday Chili

This chili recipe is great for your superbowl Sunday, because you can make it early in the day and let it simmer in the crock pot. Then, it’s ready whenever your superbowl crowd gets hungry for meal, or it’s there whenever for snacking. My kids weren’t huge chili fans until I tweaked a recipe to get this one. Now they ask for it all the time. Touchdown! You can eat it straight out of a bowl, or you can use any of these ideas for a little variety. 1. Make a taco salad a la Wendy’s. Fresh iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, … Continue reading →