Easy Peasy Chicken Pot Pie

A few of my friends get together once a month or so and trade freezer meals. This is really nice, because if 5 people do it, then you end up with 6 (counting the one you make) homemade freezer meals to use on those hectic nights.

The last two that we have done, I have made chicken pot pies. For one, they freeze really well, and for two, they are super easy to make.

I have had a few people ask me for my recipe, so here goes, try not to get lost in the uber complicated directions... ;)

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Chicken Breasts (Boneless)
1 Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies
Self Rising Flour
Chicken Broth
Refrigerated Pie Crust
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large pot, fill halfway with chicken broth and salt & pepper to taste. Then place the chicken breasts in the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and boil until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. remove the chicken and add the mixed veggies. Cook on a low boil until veggies get tender. While they are cooking, take a fork and shred the chicken into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the pot with the veggies.

Now, in a small cup, add 2 tbsp of flour and add water and mix to make a slurry (looks like milk) and then add to the pot. Let it boil for a bit to thicken. Repeat the process until the sauce is as thick as you’d like it. Take a nine inch pie pan and place one of the pie crusts on the bottom and trim the excess off the edges. After the chicken mixture has cooled a little, begin spooning it into the crust. Don’t overfill it. Then add the other pie crust to the top and seal the edges and trim excess. Place in the oven and bake until crust browns. Enjoy! (you may have enough mixture to make 2 pies, just freeze the extra one)

See? Easy peasy lemon squeezey (as moose would say)!

to the moon and back,

Pasta-less Lasagna Recipe (sort of...)

Ok, I know I'm not the only one who loves Italian food but doesn't want the carbs from pasta. Soooo, I threw together a recipe using no pasta. I use the term "recipe" loosely because as anyone who knows me knows I never follow a recipe to the T and if I'm winging it, I don't write it down. It drives my husband crazy, because we never get the exact same meal twice.

Here's how I feel, though, food is a feeling, you just have to go with it. I find that I improvise a lot depending on 1. my mood and 2. what's in my pantry/fridge/freezer....

Anyway, I came home from work and I knew that if I didn't use the eggplant that I got the other day, then I'd be throwing it away. Jon has been asking for pizza lately, so I thought lasagna was a good compromise. This could also easily be a vegetarian meal if you omit the ground turkey.

So here it my best attempt at a recipe (this makes 4 generous servings could be 6 if served with a salad or something):

Pasta-less Lasagna

Sauce Mixture (throw it all in a skillet minus the sauce and cook until meat is cooked thoroughly, you may need to add a splash of olive oil for a little fat. Once the mixture is cooked, add the sauce and heat through.)
1/2 lb Ground Turkey
1/2 Medium Onion Chopped
4 oz (or 1/2 package) Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Chopped Frozen Spinach (or 1 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Spinach)
1/2 Chopped Broccoli Florets
1 Jar Classico Tomato Sauce
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cheese Mixture (while the above is cooking, mix all of the following ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
1 Cup Low-Fat Shredded Mozzarella (set aside about a 1/4 cup or so for the top of the lasagna)
1/2 Cup Part Skim Ricotta
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/2 Tbsp Basil (I used the stuff in the squeeze tube found in the produce section)
Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Blend, Oregano, Salt & Pepper to taste

Pasta Replacement
1 Medium Eggplant Peeled and Sliced into Faux Lasagna Noodles (not too thick)

Preheat oven to 375. Take a baking dish (I used 9x9) and add a layer of the sauce mixture, then a layer of raw eggplant "noodles", then smear a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the eggplant then another layer of sauce. Repeat until you have either filled your pan or run out of ingredients. Top with a final layer of sauce and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is nice and brown!

Ok, here's a secret, you don't want the eggplant sliced to thin because they will over-cook and be to mushy, but you downy want it sliced too thick because it won't get done. There's a fine line, but you do still want it to have a little bite so it mimics al dente pasta. It's also nice because this lasagna recipe doesn't get watery which is sometimes a problem with lasagna.

Enjoy and feel free to improvise! Live a little!!

to the moon and back,

Soy Butter Basil Baked Chicken Wings

Several years ago, I organized special events for a living. One of the events that I did was a chicken wing cooking competition. At one of those competitions, a local restaurant served up some mighty tasty wings, that I have not been able to find since (the restaurant didn't serve those on their menu).

I've never been one to cook wings, because 1. I try to refrain from fried food and 2. I do not like frying food. However, back in February, while we were on vacation, I looked up a recipe for baked wings and they turned out amazing.

Anyway, for the last week the hubby has been asking for wings, so I finally made it by the store today to get wings. When I got home, I suddenly thought "Those wings, I need to make those wings!" What kind of wings you ask? Uh... didn't you read the title of this blog? Soy butter basil baked chicken wings. Here's the recipe I came up with off the top of my head, combining the baked wings recipe with what I am guessing is the recipe for those SBB (for short) wings... Now, this is a very precise recipe, so be sure to follow it to a tee (Pshh, whatever, I say make it your own!)

SBB Wings

20 wings (give or take)
1 Stick of Melted Butter (or the equivalent in margarine)
3 Cloves of minced Garlic
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Basil (or the equivalent in the squeeze basil that you get in the produce section)
Soy sauce to taste
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large pot, fill half way with water and salt to taste. Add the wings and bring them to a boil. Boil them until they are almost done. While those are cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients together (minus the salt). Keep tasting until you get the soy to mixture ratio to your liking. When the wings are almost done, but still a little pink, pull them out of the water and add them to the marinade. Mix it up until all the wings are coated. let sit for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the wings on a baking sheet and brush with extra marinade. Bake until the wings brown and the skin crisps. Turn halfway through.

I think you'll agree that you will never go back to take out wings! Plus these are much healthier because the boiling removes a good deal of fat plus there is no frying! If you want to save more calories, remove the skin, just be careful not to over cook them in the oven, they will dry out quickly.

to the moon and back,

Breakfast Muffins

So, I have been MIA lately. I know, get off my back...

But now I'm back, from outer space, I just walked in to find you here, with that sad look upon your face... Oh wait, that's not right.

Anyway, I'm back baby! We have had quite a lot going on what with moving, holidays, ER visits, renovations, working, and so on, and so on...

It's now a new year and I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. Hubby, Moose and I are back to healthy. I am training for a 5K in February and hubby has been biking and running and we have all been eating better.

I am always looking for healthy meal ideas and can across an interesting on one Pinterest. I am horrible about breakfast and when I saw a recipe for a sort of breakfast muffin, I thought, "I can do that!" So... here is my creation. It is mighty tasting and less than 200 calories!

Breakfast Muffins
1 Can Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
8 Egg Whites
8 Precooked Turkey Sausage Patties
1 Cup Diced Onions
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
3oz 50% Reduced Fat Cabot Cheese (Finely Shredded) Save a little to top each muffin
Black Pepper
Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin pan (not a cupcake pan) with one crescent roll per muffin hole. In a bowl, scramble the egg whites, milk, onions, peppers, and cheese. Once it is mixed well, pour equal amounts of the mixture in each muffin hole. Dice the turkey sausage patties and top each muffin with equal portions. Finish off by topping each muffin with the reserved shredded cheddar and then bake until the cheese on the top begins to brown.

Feel free to add more veggies (spinach, mushrooms, green peppers, broccoli, etc...)

They are great reheated for a quick breakfast or good for a brunch get together! Enjoy!

To the moon and back,