And here is the past Sunday's episode...Healthy stuffed peppers, BLT salad with homemade ranch, jalapeno corn and no-bake coconut bars!

BLT SALAD WITH HOMEMADE RANCH

CORN WITH JALAPENOS

HEALTHY-STUFFED PEPPERS

NO-BAKE COCONUT BARS

 

BLT SALAD WITH HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING

1 bag Romaine lettuce

1 large tomato chopped

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

DRESSING:

1 cup mayo

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon dried chives

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dill weed

½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Place lettuce, tomato and bacon in a large bowl.  Wisk remaining ingredients together and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serves 6 to 8

CORN WITH JALAPENOS

4 ears fresh corn, cut from the cob

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped

½ cup chopped onion

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained well

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, melt the butter and add the corn and onions.  Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 10 minutes.

 

HEALTHLY-STUFFED PEPPERS

4 medium bell peppers (I like to get different colors)

16-ounce pack ground chicken or turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup parsley, washed and chopped

1 (10-ounce) bag fresh pre-washed cauliflower, chopped fine  (this is your rice substitute)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning  (taste and add more seasonings if you like)

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

Topping:

1 small can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons organic coconut sugar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Mix well and spoon evenly over peppers.

Cut the tops of the peppers off and pull all seeds and insides out of the peppers.  Wash and dry.  Place peppers upside down on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the ground chicken.  This will only take 5 to 7 minutes.  Spoon the cooked, ground chicken into a bowl and set aside.  In the same skillet, add the olive oil and butter and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and parsley and sauté for 7 or 8 minutes or until onions are softened.  Add the finely chopped cauliflower and sauté another 5 minutes.   Add the remaining ingredients in the order they are listed.  Stir well and simmer on low for 15 minutes.   Spoon a generous amount of the ground chicken mixture evenly into each pepper.  Place the peppers into an 8x8 baking dish and spoon the topping evenly over the stuffed peppers.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  These are delicious and guilt-free!  Enjoy J

 

 NO-BAKE COCONUT BARS

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup agave syrup

4 tablespoons organic coconut oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl and blend with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.  Spoon into an 11x7 dish.  Place in the fridge for at least an hour.  Cut into squares before serving, and be sure to store leftovers in the fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the second episode of this season..this seared salmon is amazing! :)

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

Seared Salmon Filets

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Butternut Squash

Lemon-Roasted Asparagus

 

SIMPLE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 lb. pork sausage ( I use Jimmy Dean)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

3 (8-ounce) cartons whole mushrooms, stems removed and scraped out

Paprika

Chives, chopped

Place room temperature cream cheese in a medium-size bowl and set aside.  Cook sausage in a skillet.  Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and place in bowl with cream cheese.  Stir vigorously until cream cheese is melted and mix well with sausage.  Using a teaspoon or baby spoon, stuff each mushroom.  Place them in a 13x9x2 oven-proof dish.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Broil for 2 to 3 minutes (watching carefully) then remove them from the oven.  Transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle chives over the tops.  So delicious and so easy! Enjoy J

 

SEARED SALMON FILETS

4 (1-inch thick) boneless salmon filets with skin on

2 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil

Salt and pepper

Small amount of cumin

Heat oven to 425.  Season the salmon with cumin, salt and pepper.  Heat a non-stick skillet with a metal handle over medium- high heat for 2 to 3 minutes then pour oil into the pan and heat it for 1 minute.   Place the salmon, skin side up in the skillet, and sear it for 2 to 3 minutes or until you see a crust start to form around the edges.  Don’t flip the salmon.  Carefully transfer the skillet into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Carefully remove from the oven using heavy-duty pot holders and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES & BUTTERNUT SQUASH

2 uncooked medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Butternut squash peeled, seeds removed and cubed

½ cup olive oil

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. maple syrup

1 t. each of salt and cayenne pepper

1 t. black pepper

2 t. white sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Toss all ingredients very well in a large mixing bowl, adding a little more olive oil if needed.  Pour out onto a non-stick foil-lined jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Make sure potatoes and squash are in a single layer and not too crowded.   Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until tender.  These are delicious and sweet but have a great kick with the cayenne pepper.  Enjoy!

LEMON-ROASTED ASPARAGUS

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed

Juice of half of a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Place the asparagus on a cookie sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle salt, pepper and lemon juice evenly over asparagus and bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New season of Dream Home Cooking! This was the first show of this season..

TURKEY ITALIAN SAUSAGE & MARINA SAUCE WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH

ANTIPASTO KABOBS

 HOMEMADE ITALIAN VINEGARETTE

FRESH BERRIES WITH SWEETENED MARSCAPONE CHEESE

 

Turkey Italian Sausage and Marinara Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

1 tablespoon olive oil          

2 lbs. lean ground turkey Italian sausage

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup fresh carrots, peeled and diced

½ cup celery, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ tablespoons brown coconut sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup water

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, dried basil, and dried oregano (add more if you like)

2 large cans crushed tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and cook the turkey sausage, onions, celery and carrots until turkey is browned.   Add the garlic and remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer on low for at least 1 hour.  The longer it simmers, the better it is!  Serve over spaghetti squash for a very low-carb, low-cal meal.

 

2 medium-sized spaghetti squash

Salt, pepper and olive oil

To cook spaghetti squash, carefully cut squash down the middle and scrape out as many of the seeds as you can.  Drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.   Let it cool then take a fork and scrape all the goodness out of the squash J  Scrape it into a colander and let it drain for about 15 minutes.  Place drained squash into another serving bowl and heat it in the microwave for about a minute and a half just before serving the marinara over it.    Delicious and healthy!

Antipasto Kabobs

1 small container cherry tomatoes

¼ lb. pepperoni from the deli, sliced thin

Fresh basil cut into thin strips

1 container of fresh mozzarella balls cut in half if desired

Small wooden skewers

Balsamic or Homemade Vinaigrette

On each small skewer, thread a cherry tomato, piece of basil, pepperoni, and mozzarella

Drizzle vinaigrette onto a small platter, place kabobs on top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

Italian Vinaigrette

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¾ cup extra light olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 packet of Stevia

1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

In a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, shake vigorously and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.  This makes enough dressing for 4 to 6 salads.

Fresh Berries with sweetened Mascarpone cheese

1 cup each of fresh blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, washed and patted dry

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

8-ounces mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons whipping cream

In a bowl, toss the coconut sugar over the fresh berries.  Mix the last 4 ingredients well.  Place berries in a pretty glass and top each with a dollop of the mascarpone cheese mixture.  Makes 4 servings.