Carol's Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Apple

This was one of those recipes that came about because Larry bought a small, half-cabbage at the market with no thought of what we might do with it. So I came up with this:

Nutrition facts for 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 apple, unpeeled, chopped (see Note)

1/2 small or medium cabbage, shredded

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Salt to taste (optional)

Elsa’s Chicken and Veggie Soup

Nutrition facts for 10 servings

Ingredients:

8 chicken legs (approximately 2 lbs. of chicken)

8 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

8 celery stalks, sliced

4 ears of corn, cut into chunks

4 green and yellow zucchini

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Original seasoning blend, Salt-Free All natural

Stephen’s Smothered Pork Chops

Simply lift the lid and let the incredible aroma of tender chops and veggies call everyone to the table.

Stephen’s Smothered Pork Chops

Nutrition facts for 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 (1 inch thick) bone-in pork chops

Salt and pepper to taste

2 T vegetable or your favorite high heat oil

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 yellow (or orange) bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 large sweet onion, thickly sliced

1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, rinsed, dried, and thickly sliced

2 T soy sauce, low sodium

1/4 cup unsalted vegetable stock or white wine

1/8 t ground black pepper

1/4 t ground rosemary

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Leela’s Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

The recipe is so simple and satisfyingly filling with a rotisserie chicken, canned cream corn, and frozen mixed vegetables.

Based on a recipe by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor It was delicious and light,

Leela’s Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Nutrition facts for 8 servings

1 T corn starch

3 cups cooked chicken (Leela used leftover meat from a rotisserie chicken), meat removed and cut into small pieces

4 cups chicken stock, low sodium

1 (15 oz can) creamed corn

1 (10 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables

Pinch salt

1/4 t ground white pepper

2 egg whites, beaten with a fork

Michael’s Poached Zucchini Salad

This salad is delightful as a lunch main dish or side dish at your next grill out. The nutrition facts were designed by Calorie Count! Michael says he will send a pic of the complete dish soon!

Poached Zucchini Salad

Ingredients:

1 med. to large zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

6 - 8 med. fresh button mushrooms (caps and stems), cut into chunks

1/2 cup of sweet onion, very coarsely chopped

1 medium red tomato, cut into 6 or 8 wedges

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. chicken or beef bouillon

1/2 cup hot water

1 Tbsp. dried oregano leaf

3 or 4 dashes of salt-free, all-purpose herb seasoning

1 small bay leaf

1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette dressing

fresh ground black pepper to taste

grated Parmesan/Romano cheese for garnish

Directions:

Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water.  Pour into a medium sized skillet or wok, and add onions, garlic powder, bay leaf and oil.  Bring the liquid just to a boil.  Add the zucchini chunks and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.  Raise the heat to keep a low boil going. 

Add the mushrooms, oregano, black pepper and herb seasoning, stirring to coat the mushrooms with liquid.  Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are reducing and the zucchini chunks are tender.

Pour the entire mixture into a colander to drain the liquid.  Remove the bay leaf and quickly transfer the vegetables to a serving dish.  Add the fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and toss.  Top with generous sprinkles of the grated cheese, and serve immediately.  Serves two generously

Serves 2 generously.

Vendetta555's Roasted Summer Day Veggies

Vendetta555 loves to create quick and easy recipes. Use her helpful hint about how to keep your dishes to a minimum and enjoy this delicious recipe! The nutrition facts were created at Calorie Count!

Roasted Summer Day Veggies

ready for roasting

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

8 oz mushrooms, button, sliced

1/2 onion, cut into large chunks

1 T olive oil

2 t garlic powder

1 t dry onion powder

1 t paprika

1/2 t turmeric

1 t cumin

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t oregano

Pinch sea salt

1/8 t cayenne pepper

Optional Ingredients:

sweet red pepper, shallots, purple onion, carrots, or Japanese eggplant

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Slice the veggies into equal sized pieces, rounds or lengths. If you are using baby squashes, leave them whole or slice in half. Small or medium pieces are fine - the size is up to you. Larger pieces will need a few more minutes to roast.

Place all the ingredients in a zip lock bag and shake it all about until the veggies are well coated.

Dump the veggies onto an ungreased non-stick cookie sheet (or a baking pan) and spread evenly.  Roast for approximately 12-15 minutes (depends on the size of your veggies) - or until a fork slides into the yellow squash easily. 

Enjoy as two side dishes or one main dish. Delicious served over quinoa.

Crazypotato98’s Teppanyaki

A variation using green beans instead of zucchini

Crazypotato98’s Teppanyaki is a Japanese-style mixture of  meat and veggies, best served with brown rice. Use the veggies and meat you have and create your very own Teppanyaki!

The nutrition facts for 4 servings were analyzed by Calorie Count!

Teppanyaki

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp ginger, ground

1/2 pound skirt steak

8 oz carrot, sliced into long flat strips

8 oz {chayote or other squash, sliced into long flat strips}

8 oz zucchini, sliced into long flat strips

1 tbsp salt

4  sprays cooking spray

Directions:

Mix the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic powder, and ginger together in a small bowl. Set aside.

On a grill, a comal or a frying pan, add steak and sprinkle with salt. Cook until no longer pink and set aside.

In a large frying pan or a wok (or a grill if desired, with foil so that the veggies don't fall through), coat with cooking spray and add carrot and chayote squash. Sprinkle with salt and saute with cooking spray for about six minutes, turning halfway through. I sprayed cooking spray on top of the veggies before I turned them.

Add zucchini, sprinkle with salt and saute for about another six minutes, turning halfway through.

You may drizzle some of the sauce into the pan with the veggies when they are nearly cooked, or you may reserve it simply as a dipping sauce.

In a large bowl, you may combine crisp-tender veggies with steak strips and drizzle some of the sauce on top, tossing so that the coating is even. Or you may simply serve steak and veggies separately and dip in the sauce.

Best served over brown rice.

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

The nutrition facts for this delicious Japanese curry were made at Calorie Count!

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

Ingredients:

The Tonkatsu:

8 thin-cut pork chops, boneless

Panko bread crumbs

All-purpose flour

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp shichimi togarash (seven-flavor pepper powder) (you can sub cayenne pepper for this, but reduce to 1/2 tsp)

2 eggs diluted with milk or water

The Veggies:

8 red-skin potatoes or new potatoes (waxy potatoes work best), diced into large-ish cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small sweet onion, sliced

2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias

3 green onions, chopped finely

1 red hot chili pepper, sliced very thinly (optional if you like heat)

Splash of soy sauce (in the boiling water)

The Sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin, just regular olive oil)

1 tbsp butter

All-purpose flour (to thicken, amount used varies based on desired thickness)

3 tbsp good-quality yellow curry powder (get this from an Indian grocer if you can, the quality difference is HUGE)

1 tbsp shichimi togarash

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

Water to your desired consistency

Directions to make the curry:

First, you want to get the veggies boiled off. Cut up the potatoes and carrots, since they need to be boiled first. Put them in a pot and boil them with a splash of soy sauce. While this is going on, you can start breading and frying your pork chops.

Set up a breading station with a dish of flour (seasoned with garlic powder, pepper, salt and shichimi togarash), a bowl with the egg and milk mixture and a dish with plain panko breadcrumbs. Bread the pork chops normally and fry off in vegetable oil until crisp and golden brown. Store these in the oven, wrapped in foil, to keep them warm.

By this time your veg should be done; remove from heat and strain off. Start making the sauce. In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and melt it down. Add the onion and bell pepper (and chili peppers if you want it spicy) and cook them until the onions are translucent. Add curry powder, shichimi togarash,  garlic, ginger and (if necessary) more butter. Add the flour and cook it off to make a roux. Add cold water and whisk vigorously, cooking until thickened. Add boiled potatoes and carrots to the sauce; reduce heat to low and cook slowly for another five minutes.

Remove from heat and add finely chopped green onions.

To plate:

Slice two breaded pork chops into long, thin strips and arrange on a mound of white or brown rice in a shallow bowl. Ladle a few spoons of sauce over the top; garnish with pickled ginger and a sprinkling of shichimi togarash.  Serve immediately. Feeds four-six rather hungry individuals.

Marg’s Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

You read that right. Breadsticks.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Marg’s Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, grated 

2 whole eggs, plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten (I just use whole eggs)

1 cup light havarti cheese, grated

Dried basil,oregano and parsley

1 teaspoon olive oil (I just spray with Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a large bowl until evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use olive oil to grease the parchment paper.

Spread and flatten the cauliflower mixture on the parchment paper evenly—about 1 inch thick. Square off the edges so it looks like a rectangle or square.

Bake for 40 minutes until slightly dried out, browning, and firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and using a spatula carefully peel away from parchment paper. Flip over and return to oven for 10 more minutes. (I also broil it for a few minutes to help brown it in the middle more.)

Cool and cut into "sticks".

Serve with dipping sauce (e.g., marinara sauce) on the side, or top with bruschetta sauce.

Carolyn's Cauliflower Cheddar Dill Coriander Soup

Easy enough to prepare after a day of work. The nutrition facts were prepared at Calorie Count!

Cauliflower Cheddar Dill Coriander Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp dry sherry (or white wine but that's not as tasty)
1 med head of cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups veg or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp coriander
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

Garnishes (not included in the nutrition facts):

chopped chives, dill, parsley, shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Melt butter over med-high heat. Cook onion until soft but not brown (5 min.).

Add sherry and cauliflower. Cook 1 minute, add salt and pepper (to taste), and coriander.

Bring to rolling boil, then simmer until cauliflower is very tender (about 15 min.)

While still hot place all in blender with the cheddar and half the milk and puree until very smooth.  Or use an immersion blender.

Transfer back to pot to reheat and thin as needed with milk.

Pour into bowls and garnish with the chopped herbs and cheese.

Crazypotato98’s Bean and Veggie Chili

Easy, delicious, and very nutritious!

Nutrition facts for eight large servings were designed at Calorie Count!

Crazypotato98’s Bean and Veggie Chili

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon pure olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped

2 chili peppers, chopped - your choice of variety, hot or mild

1 cup zucchini, shredded

½ cup carrot, shredded

8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped – your choice of type

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef, lean

2 T chili powder blend – your favorite brand

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup cilantro or parsley (or both), rinsed and chopped

3 (15 oz) cans of your favorite beans, rinsed and drained – good choices: pinto, cannellini, great northern, and black beans – but any type will be just fine.

3 cups vegetable stock, low salt

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in large saucepan and add onion, red pepper, chilis and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded carrot and zucchini, sauté for another three minutes,

Add turkey, cumin and chili powder, cook, stirring til incorporated over med-high heat til turkey is browned.

Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and have given up their liquid. If you used a type that holds a great deal of liquid, just reduce the stock a bit later. Don’t drain that lovely vitamin rich mushroom juice!

Stir in the flour and then the tomato paste.

Add cilantro, beans, and enough stock to get the consistency you prefer. 

Simmer 20 minutes or so, taste, and adjust the seasonings. 

Notes:

Like it hotter? Add Tabasco or use hot chilis.

Like it mild? Reduce the chili powder to 1 tablespoon and add more if needed when you adjust the seasonings.

Other seasonings you may like in this: basil, smoky paprika, black pepper, and white pepper

Used to salt? Wait til it's cooked and decide how much to add, better still - get used to food without the salt! After a while you will not miss it.

Love beans? Add more! 

Quick and Easy Home Roasted Peppers

I used the tool at Calorie Count to set the nutrition facts for one pepper and a scant amount of oil as most will be removed with the skin.

Deliciousness!

Quick and Easy Home Roasted Peppers

Ingredients:

As many peppers as you would like to roast

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450

quartered and oiled

Directions:

Rinse and quarter the peppers. Slice the top, remove the core, de-seed, and remove the ribs.

Either brush with olive oil or put oil in a bowl and dip the pepper quarters to coat.

roasted!

Roast in a pan with a side (to catch some of the spitting oil) for about 15-20 minutes or until the skins blacken and blister.

Remove the peppers from the oven. Use tongs and place the peppers in a brown paper bag, roll to seal the steamy goodness within, and allow the peppers to cool for 10 minutes.

resting in a bag

Now that they are cool enough to handle and the sealed container has assisted in a final steam making the peppers easy to peel - peel off the skins and excess black bits with your fingers!

Slice them now and use in your favorite recipe or place in a clean preserve jar packed well with oil and store in the fridge where they will keep for about two weeks.

Sewchick676’s Butternut Squash Soup

The nutrition facts for this nourishing, very low calorie, and absolutely delicious soup were created at Calorie Count!

Sewchick676’s Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

4-6 cups water

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 purple onion, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups yellow squash or zucchini or combination, sliced

2-3 ears fresh corn kernels cut off the cob

½ t salt

½ t black pepper

Optional ingredients in 1 cup quantities:

Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, or garbanzo beans

Optional Ingredient Hint:

Make the optional ingredients easy and purchase what you need at a salad bar!

Directions:

Wash the outer skin of the butternut squash and remove any stickers. Pierce 2 or 3 times with a fork and place in crockpot on low for 4 - 6 hrs. Remove lid to allow squash to finish cooking.

Remove carefully and cut open to remove seeds and discard the seeds. Scoop the pulp from skin and place in blender with 4-6 cups of water. Pulse to purée, adding more liquid until the broth has the consistency of thin batter. (you can also peel squash and boil on stovetop til tender then purée with blender stick in pot. Be careful for splatters!)

Once broth is ready, add red bell pepper, purple onion, shredded carrots, squashes, corn kernels, and your choice of the optional ingredients (it all depends on how full your pot is getting!). Season the soup with salt and black pepper (use more or less salt and pepper to suit your taste).

Simmer on the stovetop for approximately 30 minutes - you don't want to overcook veggies to mush. Adjust seasonings and serve with fresh bread for a yummy meatless dinner! Experiment with the veggies you use...or have on hand.

Freezes beautifully! 

Pinot Grigio Braised Leeks

The nutrition facts for this delicious side dish were created at Calorie Count! The servings are extra large because that is the way we eat it. Nutrition facts do not take into consideration that the alcohol evaporates and thus the C- nutrition grade. But, we know better. Enjoy.

Pinot Grigio Braised Leeks

nutrition facts

Ingredients:

4 large leeks

3 T unsalted butter or olive oil

3 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ - 1/2 t white pepper

1 t sugar

1 bay leaf

1 cup Pinot Grigio or other non-sweet white wine (or vegetable stock with 1 T cider vinegar)

2 T parsley, chopped

Directions:

Rinse the leeks to remove external dirt. Slice off the roots. There is about two inches or so of light green above the white bulb and that is fine to eat. Do not eat the dark green stalk. Cut off the dark part of the stalk and remove it hence to the compost bin.

Slice lengthwise and discard outer layer. Slice each half leek lengthwise in the middle (you have just quartered each leek lengthwise). Cut into half inch chunks (see below pic). Add to a bowl of cool water and swish about. Drain in a fine mesh colander and repeat until the dirt is removed. Drain thoroughly and pat with a paper towel to dry.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add butter. When it is melting and bubbly, add the leeks. Stir to coat the chunks with butter. Reduce the heat to medium. Sauté for about five minutes, stir every now and then. After three minutes, add the garlic and stir to release the beautiful aroma.

Sprinkle with thyme, white pepper, sugar, and add the bay leaf. Stir.

Add wine (or stock with cider vinegar) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and braise, covered, for 10-12 minutes or until the leeks are tender and the sauce has reduced.

Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust with more pepper and if you use it salt. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. If you are using stock and cider vinegar you may want to add another splash of vinegar to finish the flavors. If there is too much liquid, raise the heat to achieve a vigorous simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes to reduce the sauce. Stir frequently. You don't need all the liquid to evaporate, just a goodly bit of it. The leeks should still be quite juicy.

Stewartp's Helpful Hint for Mashed Potatoes

This simple hint from Stewartp will ramp up the nutrition facts for your mashed potatoes - and give you creamier potatoes with a bit of lovely fall color.

Helpful Hint for Mashed Potatoes

When  cooking mashed potatoes, add a bit of butternut squash or sweet potato to the pot at the same time you add the potatoes.

Mash it all together!

Some of the best hints are so very simple. If you have a helpful hint to share, post your hint in the  comments below!

Marie’s Grilled Butternut Squash

Marie decided to experiment with her grill the other day and the result was pure deliciousness. Her family loved it and so will yours! The nutrition facts were designed at Calorie Count.

Marie’s Grilled Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash
2 T Vegetable Oil
1/8 Salt, or to taste

¼ t black Pepper, or to taste
1 t Chili Powder, or to taste

1 t Garlic Powder, to taste
1 tsp local honey, or to taste and totally optional

Directions:

Rinse and slice a bit off the large end of the squash. Remove seeds with a spoon. Peeling is optional – the skin grills up tender and tasty. Slice the squash into ½ inch thick rings (or halves if you like) and put in baggie with everything except the honey - shake until well coated, adjust the liquid if there is not enough to coat all the squash.

Grill on hot grill for approx. 10 minutes. Brush with honey while cooking.

Broccoli with Parmesan

Simple and fresh is the way to go with side dishes. Buy the most beautiful head of broccoli you can find - nice tight  buds and no yellowing sections. Don't pitch that delicious stem. It's wonderful and tender if you simply take a minute to peel off the outer darker layer. Enjoy. The nutrition facts below were designed at Calorie Count - a fantastic place to log calories!

Broccoli with Parmesan
nutrition facts

Ingredients:

1 large head broccoli
pepper to taste (salt if you must)
1/4 t oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, wedged

Directions:

Wash broccoli, peel the stems and trim off the tough ends. Cut into bite sized pieces.

Place the broccoli in a steamer basket and position inside a pot with a little water - an inch or two. Not so much that the broccoli stands in the water. That is where vitamins will leach out. Steaming is the healthiest way to cook broccoli.

Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam until the broccoli is easily pierced with a fork. Some of you like your broccoli crisp tender. If you like that start testing after five minutes. Broccoli is at this point when it turns a vibrant bright green. If you like your broccoli very tender, start testing after seven minutes. Do not cook to the point where the whole thing turns to mush and turns a not too attractive grey so I do not recommend going beyond 10 minutes.

Remove the strainer from the pot and remove the broccoli to a serving platter or bowl. Sprinkle with the seasonings, drizzle with olive oil, top with cheese, and serve with lemon wedges.

Crazypotato98’s Herbed Red Potato and Green Beans, Microwaved

Use the wonderful Calorie Count Conversion Tool to translate those tasty grams into ounces. It’s easy! The nutrition facts were also designed at Calorie Count - the smart place to log your calories.

Herbed Red Potato and Green Beans, Microwaved

Ingredients:

312 g red potatoes

250 g green beans, frozen

1 tbsp butter

1 cup water

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Butter the microwaveable dish with the 1 tbsp butter.

Quarter potatoes and toss them in the dish until coated with butter.

Add green beans.

Microwave five minutes.

Add water and bouillon and the rest of the ingredients.

Stir and microwave for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Serve hot.

Vegetable Curry

Short on time? This Vegetable Curry can be made in a jiffy with fresh or thawed from frozen vegetables. If you are a curry newbie, start with one tablespoon of curry, taste, and add more until it is just right. Adore curry already? Head straight to four tablespoons!

Vegetable Curry

nutrition facts

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, deseed and chop

4 cups fresh spinach

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

15 ounce tomatoes, diced

30 ounce chickpeas, either freshly cooked or drained and rinsed from cans

1-4 tbs curry powder (to taste)

Directions:

Chop and saute all the raw vegetables in olive oil until soft.

Add the spinach, tomatoes, drained chickpeas, and curry powder.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Brandy's Grilled Sweet Corn

Brandy's wonderful hint for grilling corn will work well with whatever seasonings you enjoy.

The nutrition facts for one ear of non-buttered corn was designed at Calorie Count.

Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

1 ear corn
seasoning of your choice: salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic, etc

Directions:

Rinse cobs well. Pull back, but do not remove the husks. Remove the silks.

Season with your favorite seasonings.

Recover the corn with the husk and grill for 15 minutes or so over medium coals turning every now and then. It's fine if the husk burns a bit, just don't cook so long the kernels burn. You can check one just to make sure.

Peel back the husks and enjoy!