Mini Meat Loaves

Mini Meat Loaves
-Heather W.

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup purchased pasta sauce
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped if large
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)
1 12-oz. pkg. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boiling. In large bowl combine egg, 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add beef and 1/2 cup of the cheese; mix well. Divide beef mixture in four equal portions. Shape each portion in a 5-1/2x2-inch oval. Place on 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spoon on remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, cook green beans in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain; toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and red pepper. Serve with meat loaves. Sprinkle all with remaining basil leaves. Serves 4.

Change for green beans:

Season pot of water with celery salt, pepper, garlic powder. Bring to boil. Turn off heat (but leave pot) and add green beans. Let sit until almost ready to eat. Drain and re-season with celery salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add 2 squirts of honey. Stir and serve!

I also made double the meat loaves and froze 5. (Mine must have been mini-er)

Roasted Vegetables with Linguine

Roasted Vegetable Linguine
-Heidi P.

I made this last night, a take off from another recipe, and loved it.  So good!

2 cups peppers, sliced into strips (I used yellow and red.)
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen asparagus, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, sliced into strips
1 small onion, sliced into strips
1 cup carrot, sliced into strips
3 Tbs. olive oil
Garlic powder, to taste
1/2 13.25-oz. pkg. whole-wheat linguine
Rosemary, Basil, and Oregano, to taste
1 cup Mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place oil in a large roasting pan and add vegetables. Add garlic powder to the top. Roast 20 minutes, or until  onions begin to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.

3. In bowls, place the noodles and add vegetables on top.  Season with rosemary, basil, and oregano, adding a 1 - 2 tsp of oil as well.  Add cheese to the top.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Serve.

Calzones

Calzones
-Heidi P.

This recipe is a favorite in our house because it's versatile and easy.  You can mix it up and use whatever ingredients you have on hand and whatever flavor combination you want  Plus, if John is in the mood for ham and cheese and I'm in the mood for feta and spinach, we can each have what we want!

1 can (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
16 slices  Deli Honey Ham
1 cup Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

Other great combinations taste-tested include:
Pepperoni and Cheese
Spinach and Feta
Bacon and Onion

Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pizza dough on lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to form 16x12-inch rectangle. Cut into quarters.

Top dough with ham to within 1/2 inch of sides. Mix cheese and dressing; spread on ham. Top with tomatoes. Fold each rectangle in half; seal edges with fork. Put on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 16 to 18 min. or until golden brown.

Serve with a side salad and some pasta/pizza sauce for dipping.  Delicious!

Zucchini Grinders/Subs

Zucchini Grinders/Subs - Or a Twist on Zucchini Parmesan

1 tablespoon butter or a spoonful of olive oil
3 medium zucchini, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes - or just throw a ton in there like I do.
1 cup marinara/pasta sauce
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 (6 inch) sub rolls, split

The sub rolls are optional.  If you want a quicker meal without all the bread, just skip placing the mixture in the sub rolls and simply put into bowls and enjoy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent and tender. Fry the zucchini in butter/oil until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the marinara/pasta sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.

Spoon a generous amount of the zucchini/onion mixture into each sandwich roll. Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella.  Wrap each roll individually in aluminum foil.  I usually tape them shut mostly because I'm not good at eyeballing the amount of foil necessary even after years of making these.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted.

Vegetable Enchiladas

Vegetable Enchiladas
-Heidi P.

This recipe is great because you can change it up to suit whatever you have on hand, like garlic, corn, diced tomatoes, even mushrooms.  And if you like hot sauce (I can't live without it), throw some of that in the mix as well!

1 large zucchini
1 medium - large red pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 large tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (I use store bought but you could make your own as well.)
2 - 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat the oven to 400.

Chop all of the vegetables and mix together in a bowl. Add in about 1 cup of cheese and stir, making sure that everything is mixed together well.

Lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon the vegetables into the tortilla. Add additional cheese if you prefer your enchiladas incredibly cheesy. Roll and place in a baking dish. I typically use a 9x13 dish and coat it in cooking spray first. It manages to fit the 4 large enchiladas with a little creativity.

Repeat the above steps with each additional tortilla.

Pour enchilada sauce on the tortillas and sprinkle cheese on the top. (I add cumin and a few dashes of hot sauce on top as well. Yum!)

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with any remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes.

It's delicious and filling.  John and I usually fight over who gets to take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup
-Rebecca E.

Quick and delicious!

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
dash hot pepper sauce
2 tsp lime juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green onions
Combine the first 5 ingredients and heat through. Dish out into 4 bowls. Drizzle with lime juice. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. This can be done in the microwave or on the stove. I added chopped chicken and added tortilla chips as a topping, too.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
-Heidi P.

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (You can also use plain yogurt or skip this if you're disgusted by mayo like myself.)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise (or yogurt) and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, and onion powder. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.
 
I usually serve this with green beans that have been simmered in a little Italian dressing.  Yum!