When I was growing up, Easter usually meant a ham dinner. Of course, I love the memories of my mother’s cooking and being with my family. I must admit most of the time when I was older and cooked Easter dinner for family, I bought a spiral sliced ham. If you are having ham on Easter or any other occasion, don’t just throw away the bone from your ham. It’s great for soup and ham broth. It’s also wonderful to add to a pot of collard greens or cabbage. You can keep the ham bone in the fridge for 5 days or freeze it for at least a few months.
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Clean Eating, recipes, healthy diet, Eating more fresh, local produce, organic vs non-organic food, GMOs
Hummus Vegetable Pizza
This is a unique take on the classic pizza without a red sauce. Today I’m suggesting you make a homemade pizza with a hummus as base. You can use any flavor hummus you like from black bean hummus to spicy hummus like roasted red pepper hummus. I like to use the refrigerated pizza dough from the supermarket. You could also make your own pizza dough or use pita or naan bread. You can adapt this simple recipe to meet your needs so easily. Use the vegetables you already have or replace broccoli with your family’s favorite. It’s great with mushrooms, baby spinach, zucchini, or yellow squash. Alternate with what’s in season. This is a fun meatless meal. For vegans, replace cheese with plant based cheese alternative.
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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
I love easy slow cooker recipes. Today’s recipe is BBQ chicken in the crock pot. I’m using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but it would work well with boneless, skinless thighs or chicken parts with bones. It takes minutes to put it on to cook. Return home from work and it’s waiting for you. It’s great on rolls and buns for a shredded chicken sandwich, but I like to experiment.
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Spicy Pasta & Sausage With Broccoli
This quick and easy recipe is well- balanced with protein, fresh tomatoes, and broccoli. For ease I used a store-bought marinara sauce, any flavor you like. Then I added Italian chicken sausage, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, fresh crushed garlic, basil and broccoli. Italian sausage with broccoli in a spicy tomato sauce is perfect on spaghetti pasta but you can use your favorite shape.
This is a flexible recipe and you can use very ripe tomatoes or other vegetables that you need to use up, such as bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, kale, or arugula. If sauce thickens too much, add 1/2 cup of red wine or chicken stock.
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Mexican Casserole, One Dish Meal
Today’s recipe is another easy and tasty one dish meal but with a Mexican flavor. I’m using lean ground beef, 93% fat free, but you could also use ground turkey. Start with a bed of crushed tortilla chips and then add sauteed ground beef with salsa, taco seasoning, and chili beans. Spread low-fat sour cream over the beef and bean layer. Sprinkle the fresh tomatoes, green onions, and black olives over the sour cream and top with grated Cheddar cheese. Bake until it’s hot and bubbly for a great dinner. I’d serve it with a green salad. I always look for lower fat sour cream and cheese as it’s better for you but still gives you great flavor. Regular sour cream is fairly high in fat and calories. Reduced fat sour cream has a similar nutrient profile and a pleasant taste but with fewer calories and about 38% less fat. I don’t recommend fat free sour cream as they add fillers to give it a creamy texture.
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Spinach Mushroom Quiche For A Meatless Meal
Lent will be observed from February 22 to April 8 this year. It is a period of religious observance in many Christian churches marking the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert, enduring temptation by Satan. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later with the celebration of Easter. Fasting before Easter can be traced back as far as the 2nd century.
Whether you are trying to eat less meat for your health or you are looking for meatless meals for Lent, a vegetable quiche is a great meal to add to the menu. Quiches may be served hot, warm or cold. I shared an asparagus & tomato quiche several years ago with fresh spring asparagus. Then that summer I offered summer squash quiche. Today I’m sharing spinach quiche which can be made year round with frozen spinach. If using fresh baby spinach, sauté it with the onion and garlic. Frozen spinach works well. Defrost it, and then squeeze all the water out with your hands. Then press it between paper towels. If you leave any water in the spinach, your quiche can be soggy. You can also add and delete ingredients in the filling to meet your family’s needs or what’s in the pantry. I am using feta cheese and cheddar. This quiche is easy to make and is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
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A Fast Meal of Linguine With Red Clam Sauce
Need a meal in a hurry? Today’s recipe is an Italian pasta classic, Linguine with Red Clam Sauce. Delicious clams in a savory tomato sauce make an easy meal that is on the table in 30 minutes. I’m using canned clams which can be a staple pantry item for a quick meal. Drain the clams and reserve the clam juice. You’ll use juice from 2 cans in this recipe and add more if the sauce is too thick. You can use the rest in other recipes. The classic dish calls for linguine but if you don’t have it, spaghetti works well too. Start with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Add a few flavorful ingredients like capers and anchovy paste and cook with a quality white wine. If you try it with a cheap not so good wine, you can tell the difference in flavor.
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Crock Pot Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew
I love lentils: They’re packed with protein, very filling and a good source of iron. Woodsy herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme are natural partners to the lentil’s earthy flavor, so any of them (or any combination of them) can go into the pot. Adding mushrooms adds more earthy flavors and in conjunction with barley makes a satisfying comfort food. You can serve with garlic bread alone or over mash potatoes. There is an optional garnish of fresh parsley or vegan grated cheese.
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