Tag Archives: cheese

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

Yes, I made a dish with ham. Before you fall over, true to form, I used turkey ham. I was at my local Whole Foods one day, spotted it and ended up bringing it home with me for some unknown reason. I make dishes using ground turkey, turkey bacon and turkey sausage but turkey ham? I don’t crave ham or really miss eating it but I ate it often as a kid. My mom would make ham and usually serve it with peas and either macaroni and cheese or some kind of cheesy noodle. I admit that when I was younger, ham was one of my favorite dinners. In fact, at Thanksgiving, we had both turkey and ham and I never ate the turkey. My how things have changed.

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham seemed like a perfect way to use up the turkey ham. The ham is mixed with pasta, chopped broccoli and a creamy cheese sauce made tangy by the addition of dijon mustard. Use any cheese you might have lingering in your refrigerator if you don’t want to use Velveeta. With simple seasonings of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, this is a flavorful, jazzed up version mac-and-cheese that packs up well for workday lunches.

The ingredients:

Cook pasta according to package directions and add the broccoli when 5 minutes are left. Drain.

While the pasta cooks, spoon flour into a medium saucepan and gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder and pepper.

Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham and serve.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Whole-wheat rotini
Reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Soft Black Bean Tostadas

May 3, 2012
Shannon
3 comments
avocado, beans, cheese, chicken, food, tomatoes

With this Saturday being Cinco de Mayo, it’s got me craving a little Mexican food. I love Mexican food but try not to eat it too often because of all of the fat that comes with it. Making Mexican food at home can be a great solution because you are in control of the ingredients and can make it as healthy or decadent as you want. These Soft Black Bean Tostadas are easy to make and are a great way to start the Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Black beans are blended with spices and lime juice, and then smothered over a soft tortilla and topped with chicken and cheese. After a quick trip under the broiler, the tostadas are topped with a homemade salsa, scallions, lettuce, and sour cream (I used Greek yogurt). The salsa, made with avocado, tomato, scallions and lime, provides a fresh accent and the sour cream (or yogurt) brings that creamy coolness that tastes so good with Mexican food. To keep calories down, consider using lowfat cheese, whole wheat tortilla, and either lowfat sour cream or fat-free plain yogurt. Just make sure to keep some napkins nearby because these tostadas can be messy. But they are so good, you won’t mind using your fingers to scoop up stray lettuce and salsa. Have this with a fruity margarita or your favorite Mexican beer and celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

The ingredients:

Combine avocado, tomato, scallions, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine 2 tablespoons water, lime juice, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, and black beans in a blender and process until smooth.

Spread about 1/4 cup black bean mixture evenly over each tortilla. Top each evenly with 1/4 cup chicken and 3 tablespoons cheese.

Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts and tortilla edges are just beginning to brown.

Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup salsa, and 2 tablespoons sour cream. Cut each tortilla into 4 wedges.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Whole-wheat tortillas
Greek yogurt

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Turkey Sausage, Mushroom, and Potato Gratin

We’ve been so lucky in the Philadelphia area lately because the weather has been nice and warm, averaging in the 70s. But this past weekend, the temperate dropped to the 50s, the skies turned gray and down came the rain. Despite the fact that it brought a rainbow on Saturday afternoon and blue skies had returned by Sunday afternoon, it sent me right back into hybernation mode and all I wanted was comfort food. I initially thought that this recipe for Turkey Sausage, Mushroom, and Potato Gratin would be good for Easter but in my comfort food rage, I couldn’t stop myself from making it a little bit early.

I have to tell you that I looooooove turkey sausage. Pretty much any recipe I’ve made for this blog with turkey sausage has gotten my highest rating. I loved sausage as a kid, especially when smothered in maple syrup, and I regularly snacked on veggie sausage links when I was a vegetarian (and still do!). So, it shouldn’t surprise you when I tell you – I. Love. This. Dish! In fact, this is probably one of my favorite dishes I’ve made recently. Filled with creamy potatoes, spicy sausage, earthy mushrooms and topped with Swiss cheese and fresh thyme, this is a comforting dish that would be great for either brunch or dinner. I hunkered down with a bowl of this on Sunday afternoon while I watched The Shining for the 600th time. Comforting indeed!

The ingredients:

Heat sausage in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, breaking up the sausage into crumbles. Remove the sausage from pan and wipe the pan with paper towels.

Melt the butter in the pan and add onion, sautéing for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 6 minutes. Add the potatoes and salt and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned.