Janice's Sloppy Jose

It's easy to swap out turkey for ground beef in many recipes. The great thing is to ramp up the seasoning because turkey is a much milder flavor.

The chili powder gives this recipe a nice Tex-Mex flair!

The nutrition facts for this delicious twist on sloppy joes can be found at Calorie Count!

Sloppy Jose

Ingredients:

1 T  olive oil

½ c  carrots, grated

1 small  onion, chopped

4 t  garlic, chopped

¼ t  pepper

1/8 t  salt

3 T  tomato paste

1 pound  ground turkey (93% lean)

1 1/3 T  chili powder

15 oz  tomatoes, crushed

2 ½ T  brown sugar

1 T  cider vinegar

2 t  Worcestershire sauce

10  100% whole grain wheat buns

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pot, saute carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, add garlic and saute 3 more minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute.

Add ground turkey and chili powders. Stir til the turkey is cooked through.

Add 1 can crushed tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer about 15 minutes.

Serve on the buns (calories are included in the nutrition facts).

Options:

Add cheese, but you will have to add the calories.

If not spicy enough, add some Tabasco. Once my kids were able to handle the heat, I just started adding Tabasco to the simmer stage. Yum!

Instead of buns, serve on tortillas and adjust the calories.

Crazypotato98's Sloppy Joe

Crazypotato98 said "the first time I made it, my husband came into the kitchen when I was not there and ate some. Then he found me and said, “What was that wonderful guisado you made?” A guisado is basically the word for stew, but not eaten like soup but instead spooned onto bread or tostada shells or rolled up in tortillas."

Now it's a favorite at their house. This version is so simple to make, your family will love it too. The nutrition facts for this great recipe can be found at Calorie Count!

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

24 oz  90% Lean Ground Beef

4 oz  Fresh Chopped Onions

1/3 cup, chopped  Green Pepper

10.75 oz  Tomato Soup

3 tsp  Worcestershire Sauce

3 tsp Yellow Mustard

Directions:

Cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper and drain off fat when meat is browned. 

Stir in the soup, Worcestershire Sauce, and mustard. 

Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Siimmer, covered, for 5 minutes. 

Serve on toasted buns with whatever condiments you desire (pickles, etc.)

Suggestions:

Excellent served with a side of oven-baked fries or oven-baked sweet potato fries with a dash of nutmeg and seasoned salt. 

I’ve also found that some nice baked acorn squash tastes good as a side with the sloppy Joes.

Crazypotato98's Crock Pot Fajitas

What an excellent idea for use of a crock pot! The nutrition facts can be found on Calorie Count!

Crock Pot Fajitas

Ingredients:

453 grams Salsa (for those that need ounces, use the link to the Calorie Converter to the right!)

2 clove Garlic

0.5 tsp Cumin

2 cubes Beef Bouillon

2 cups Water (or instead of bouillon and water, use 2 cups stock)

1 small Onion, sliced

1 medium Sweet Red Pepper, sliced

1 medium Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced

1 can (12 oz) sweet corn, drained

11 oz Tomatoes Diced

3 T chopped Cilantro

554 grams Flank Steak, sliced

Directions:

Chop all vegetables and place in bottom of crock pot. Pour water over the top and add spices and beef bouillon. Place meat on the top of the veggies and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve in warm tortillas or as a tostada topping, with or without light sour cream and/or shredded cheese.

Kathygator's Biscuits

One of the nice things about these incredible biscuits (aside from their deliciousness) is that you know exactly how many calories are in each one. The nutrition facts are waiting for you at Calorie Count.

Biscuits

Pre heat oven to 425 F

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup of shortening
1 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
2-3 tbs of melted butter

Directions:

Sift together the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl add the shortening and use your fingertips to lightly mix it into the flour by pinching until it’s well-incorporated (the same way you’d mix pie dough) and the flour has a meal-like consistency.

Make a well in the center and pour in the milk.  Stir just until mixed.

The dough will be kind of wet and sticky – scrape it out onto a floured surface, and sprinkle the top with flour, so it’s fairly well coated. Do not knead. Pat it out to about an inch and half thick circle – 2 inch thick would probably make them extra tall.

I make a biscuit cutter by taking a pair of scissors and cutting a coke can in half. Be careful to trim the edge nice and even. I did this because I wanted the sharpest, thinnest tool possible for the cut (it helps them to raise evenly).

Grease a square or round pan. The size of the coke can and the thickness of the dough usually yeild about 7 or 8 biscuits. Reform the dough to make the last cut, but do it gently – the trick is to keep these suckers as moist as possible and not overwork the flour. The last one is usually the ‘ugly’ cause it’s made up of remnants.

If you want crusty sides use a pan big enough so that they don’t touch, if you want softer fluffier (the way God intended-LOL), set them as above, allowed to touch. Then I poke each one on the top with my thumb to make a little depression. Helps them to stay flat on top.

Bake for about 8 minutes, then brush with melted butter and bake for about 6-8 more minutes more until the desired brown-ness. When you pull them out of the oven, brush them with butter again and leave them in the pan to cool.

Susan's Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

• Susan makes this deliciously easy dish a lot! She lists the brands she prefers in her directions. 

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

•  
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• 1 jar Prego extra chunky spaghetti sauce
• 1 pound of Jenni-O ground turkey (pre-seasoned Italian) or 1 pound any ground turkey mixed w/ Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• part-skim ricotta (about 3/4 of a cup)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
•  
• Directions

1. Poke squash with sharp knife several times and microwave for 25-30 minutes. Remove from microwave and let it cool a bit.  Slice lengthwise (will slice very easily) while still fairly warm. Remove seeds and less desirable material right around seeds. Fork out the "spaghetti strands" into a bowl and mix with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add 2 table spoons olive oil to non stick pan and over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Using the same pan, brown the ground turkey. Drain excess liquid and then return to the heat and add the jar of Prego (or sauce of your choice). Add the onion and garlic mixture. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes for a richness of taste to develop. 
4. In an oven proof dish (lasagna pan, loaf pan etc.) layer with a spoonful of the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until pan is full, or until all of the ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven  for 40 minutes (covered) in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes for cheese to get bubbly.

Notes: 

1) Freezes well, prior to cooking and refrigerates well once cooked. Seems to just get better with age! 2) I also sometimes add spinach to the layers and often add chopped or shredded zucchini to the onion/garlic saute. You could add a wide variety of vegetables to this successfully.

Janice's Fast Hoppin' John

This is the New Years Day luck providing meal of choice for many people in the southern United States. There are a lot of variations on the theme and I'd be interested in hearing what you do that's different. The following is a basic low country meatless version done on the quick with canned black-eyed peas. It is easily jazzed up to be a more substantial dish. Also, to increase the lucky factor exponentially, add a side of "greens" such as collards or cabbage.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Fast Hoppin' John

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped - include the leaves
2 T pure olive oil
2 t fresh crushed garlic

2 jalapenos or 1 serrano, deseeded and minced
2 15 oz cans Black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 chopped tomatoes (about 1/2 - 1 cup the amount is to taste)
1 T Paul Prudhomme's Magic seasoning*

*I like either the pork or the "meat" seasoning for this. He also makes a great salt free generic seasoning that is very good indeed and is my choice when sodium is a concern. Personally, I like Prudhomme's seasoning better than Tony Chacheres - which I find way too salty. But if you like that better, use it. Watch how much you use though as his seasonings have way more salt.

Directions:

In a medium sized pot, heat the oil and then saute the chopped celery and onion until both are softened - about 5 minutes or more as you prefer. Add the garlic and pepper; saute another minute or two. Stir in the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas, chopped tomatoes, and seasoning. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice...since this is Fast Hoppin' John, use quick cook brown rice.

Optional Things:

Use dried black-eyed peas (soak overnight, drain, cook, and add the rest).
Cut well rinsed Collard Greens into long strips - add with the tomatoes.
Use more tomatoes - or a can or two of diced tomatoes or Rotelle tomatoes with chilis.
Add cooked sausage - either fresh that is cooked and browned or smoked
Add Smokey Chipotle Tabasco - or more peppers.
Turn it into a black-eyed pea and rice soup with some stock and greens and more seasonings.

Crazypotato98's Veggie-Cheese Stuffed Pizza

The nutrition facts for this great pizza idea are at Calorie Count!

Veggie-Cheese Stuffed Pizza

Ingredients:

2 ¼ to 3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 pkg active dry yeast

1 ½ c water

2 tbsp oil

1 c whole wheat flour

12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Frozen spinach – you decide on the amount (I used one package)

Green bell pepper, chopped (again, you decide on one or two)

5 oz ham, chopped

Italian seasoning to taste

8-oz can spaghetti or pizza sauce

Directions:

In large bowl, combine 1 ½ c all purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Heat 1 ½ cups water and oil until very warm (120 to 130 F); add to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in whole wheat flour and an additional ½ to 1 cup flour to form a stiff dough.

On floured surface, knead in ¼ to ½ cup all purpose flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 F) until light and doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease a 12 inch pizza pan. Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. On lightly floured surface, roll 2/3 of dough into a 14 inch circle; place in prepared pan.

In skillet, sauté green pepper and spinach with Italian seasoning until soft.

Spoon tomato sauce over dough. Add green pepper and spinach mixture and top with cheese. Roll remaining dough into a 14-inch circle; place on top of filling. Fold edge of crust over bottom; flute to seal. Make 5 slits with tip of knife for steam to escape. Bake at 375 F for 25 to 35 minutes.

Crazypotato98's Curried Carrot Spread

The nutrition facts for Crazypotato98's delicious spread for crackers, chips, and vegetables can be found at Calorie Count!

Curried Carrot Spread

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic
1 t curry powder
1/4 t ground cumin
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup Great Northern Beans
1/8 t salt
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Boil carrots until tender. Drain. Cook onion, garlic, curry powder and cumin in oil until onion is tender. Add carrots, onion mixture, beans, water and salt to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve over crackers or chips.

Crazypotato98's Carrot Cocktail

A wonderfully healthy alternative to alcohol. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Carrot Cocktail

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1/8 t thyme
1/4 t lemon peel
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 lemon slice

Directions:

Cook sliced carrots in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. Chill and enjoy.

Janice's Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salsa

Quick to make and delicious. Control the heat through the number (if any) of jalapenos you use. This recipe is delicious without the jalapenos too.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t sugar
2 ripe peeled, seeded, and diced avocadoes
1 large diced tomato
1 cup thawed from frozen corn kernals or fresh corn sliced from your just picked ear of garden corn!

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Mix

Now, that wasn't hard at all was it?


Extra stuff:

excellent as a topping for chicken, on lettuce, in pitas, etc.

Janice's Garlic Spinach Dip

Very delicious and simple to make.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Garlic Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

10 oz spinach, cooked and drained (usually one box)
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
8 oz Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Tabasco to taste
Toasted pita wedges

Directions:

Put it all (except the Monterrey Jack) in a bowl and blend. Add 1/2 of the Jack cheese and nuke til heated throughout. Sprinkle the rest of the Monterrey Jack on the top and serve!

Lulubee76's Low Cal Cauliflower Cheese

Lulubee76 discovered a great low(er) calorie version of cauliflower cheese where the sauce is made from half fat creme fraiche and cheddar! Check out the nutrition facts (set for a side dish) at Calorie Count!

Low Cal Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower cut into florets
100ml half-fat crème fraîche
85g cheddar , grated
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Directions:

Cook the cauliflower in boiling water for 5 mins until tender. Drain and tip into a bowl with the mustard, crème fraîche and two-thirds of the cheese and give it all a good mix. Sprinkle with a little more cheddar and then stick it under a hot grill for 5 mins until bubbling and golden.

I eat as a main dish! Dijon mustard works well if you don't have a whole grain mustard.

Crazypotato98's Greek Layer Dip

Wonderful way to take a very high calorie party dip and rock the calories and nutrition with yogurt and hummus! The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count - Crazypotato98's even included the calories in the pita bread for you!

Greek Layer Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup unpeeled and shredded cucumber
1 T red onion
1 t mint, chopped
8 oz hummus
1 tomato (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz Feta Cheese
3 whole wheat pita breads.

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, red onion, and mint. Set aside.

Spread hummus in the bottom of a pie plate.

Spread yogurt mixture over the hummus.

sprinkle with the chopped tomato and feta crumbles.

Split each pita bread round in half; cut each round into 8 wedges. Serve the pita wedges with the dip!

Easy as can be. Enjoy.

Claire's Hot Bean Dip

There is nothing simpler to prepare than Claire's Hot Bean Dip. The ingredients are common pantry and fridge items. What a fantastic treat to mix up for even surprise guests!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Hot Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked pinto beans (drain and rinse from a can)
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 T minced green pepper (or jalapeno)
2 T minced red onion
1/4 t hot sauce
3 T cheese (such as cheddar or Monterrey Jack)


Directions:

Mash the pinto beans with the tines of a fork. Stir in the pepper, onion, salsa and hot sauce. Spread the cheese on top. Microwave for one minute. Serve with tortillas or raw vegetables.