Buggy’s Spicy Bison Meatloaf

If you are not familiar with bison meat, it is not only delicious but very low fat! The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count! Buggy's recipes are a fantastic opportunity to learn to use the Converter tool from calorie count (link to the right hand side of this blog) - just plug in the amount in grams and ask it to translate it to a term you know - like ounces!

Buggy’s Spicy Bison Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

(Makes 16 servings)

875 grams Bison, Ground

1225 grams 85% Lean Ground Round

100 grams Panko

225 grams Onions

25 grams Dried Mushroom Medley

50 grams Garlic

1 tbsp Spicy Pepper Medley Seasoning

300 grams Spicy Red Pepper

150 grams Ketchup

1 serving Adobo Sauce Chipotle Peppers

Directions:

Chop onions and garlic.

Place dried mushroom in a blender & pulverize.

Place all ingredients, except the ketchup, pasta sauce and chipotle pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Mix by hand until blended.

Shape in to two loaves and flatten to two inches thick on a broiler pan.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Gently flip the loaves over.

Bake for another 30 minutes.

Mix together the sauce, ketchup and minced chipotle pepper.

Spread mixture over the loaves.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Buggy’s Buffalo Beef Meatloaf

A beautiful savory meatloaf with buffalo, extra lean ground beef and mushrooms. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Buggy’s Buffalo Beef Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

(Makes 12 servings)

15 grams mushrooms, dried

50 grams garlic, minced

200 grams salsa

100 grams eggs, 2 large

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper, black, ground

50 grams oats

1130 grams beef, extra lean, ground

870 grams buffalo, ground

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Grind dried mushrooms in blender.

Put all ingredients in to a large bowl. Mix by hand.

Form 2 loaves and place on to broiler pan.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until done.

Claire’s Curried Lentil Soup

Absolutely delicious – and this low calorie soup gets an A on Calorie Count’s nutrition analysis!

Claire’s Curried Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

(Makes 3 servings)

1/2 cup dry lentils

1 carrot, grated

3 cups cauliflower

1 red bell pepper

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp black mustard seeds, toasted

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp asafetida

1 dried chile pepper

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

5 cups water

Directions:

Grate the carrot. Chop up the cauliflower, onion, pepper. Mince the garlic.

Put everything but the garam masala and salt into a pot and simmer until tender.

Remove the hot chile pepper and puree everything with an immersion blender.

Stir in garam masala and salt to taste and serve.

Michael’s Green Chili Meat Loaf

Wonderful flavors of New Mexico in this delicious loaf!

Hatch Chilis make the BEST enchilada sauce!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Michael’s Green Chili Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1 cup)

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme  (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)

1 lb. ground beef, lean

1 lb. ground turkey, lean

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup Ritz crackers, crushed

1/3 cup old fashioned oat meal

1 cup mild or medium green enchilada sauce (I recommend Hatch)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Spray a 6 X 10 inch baking dish with Pam cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and bay leaf until the onions are tender, about 3 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and cook until the pepper is tender. Stir in the parsley and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and let the onion mixture cool. Discard the bay leaf.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey and beef, eggs, crackers, oats, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and the cooled vegetables. Use your hands to mix everything together.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and form into a loaf on the baking sheet. Coat the meat loaf with the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.

Bake for 1 - 1-1/2 hours, until the meat loaf is firm. Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing. I suppose you could also try this with red bell pepper and red sauce.

Crazypotato98's Mild and Easy Crock Pot Chili

Mild and delicious. Adding mushrooms means you don't need to use as much ground beef. It also lowers the calories significantly. When making a recipe from Crazypotato98, you may need to use the unit conversion tool on the right hand side of this blog. Just change the amount of the beef from kg to ounces. Enjoy. 

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Mild and Easy Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients 

(Makes 8 servings)

2 cups dried pinto beans

6 cups water

4 Knorr tomato bouillon cubes

1 poblano pepper, diced

2  green bell peppers, diced

2 cups diced raw mushrooms

7/20 kg beef, ground, 90% lean meat

14 oz canned diced tomatoes

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Directions:

Just throw it all in the Crock Pot and simmer for 6-8 hours on low. That's it!

Janice's Vegetarian Beans and Rice

A delicious and colorful celebration of vegetables in a one dish meal.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Vegetarian Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice

Veggie stock

2 t olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup corn, canned, frozen or fresh

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 t cumin

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup salsa (your favorite brand and heat level)

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Optional for Non-Vegans:

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Optional for Bean Lovers: 

Add two cans of beans and increase the salsa and seasonings.

Directions:

Cook the rice per package directions but use veggie stock instead of water.

When the rice is done and resting with the lid on, place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in the olive oil until softened.

Add garlic and saute two minutes. Add the corn, jalapeno, and other seasonings and simmer five minutes.

Add the salsa, then the beans and vinegar and stir.

Stir in the rice and heat together. Add more salsa if it seems too dry. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Like it hot? Add more chopped jalapenos or hot red pepper flakes.

Michael's Kitchen Sink Red Chile Chicken Stew

A nice spicy dish! If you are not fond of hot spices, cut back on the cayenne, use mild or medium enchilada sauce, and use a mild version of chile powder. If you are not afraid of the heat, use the hot stuff!

The nutrition facts (set to the high end of all ranges) can be found at Calorie Count!

Kitchen Sink Red Chile Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 - 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 or 3 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and cubed but not peeled

1 medium large onion, chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 or 3 large yellow squash, coarsely diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup leftover corn bread

(1) 14-oz. cans of sweet corn, drained

(1) 16 oz. cans red enchilada sauce (strongly rec: Hatch medium hot)

(2) 16 oz. cans water

1  small can tomato paste

2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon powder

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried celery seed

1/4 tsp. oregano powder

1/4 cup dried parsley leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. onion salt

1 Tbsp. dried cilantro

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. NM red chile powder (you choose how hot)

Directions:

In a large stew pot, sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is just transparent.  Add the chile sauce and water.  Heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken and potatoes and bring back to a boil.

Add all the other ingredients except the yellow squash.  Cover and simmer for a half hour or so, or until the potatoes are just slightly undercooked, stirring the mix frequently to keep it from sticking.

A few minutes before serving or refrigerating, turn the heat down to low and add the diced squash.  Let the stew simmer on low for 10 or 15 more minutes to permit the squash to cook in the “leftover” heat.  Serve with warm tortillas!

Michael's Spaghetti or Lasagna Sauce

Michael says he won his bride with this awesome recipe. This recipe makes 16 – 20 large servings, so start with a large pot. The sauce freezes very well and makes an excellent quick dinner for working folk.  The first time you prepare a meal with the sauce, count the number of ladles you use and put an equal amount into freezer containers.  After the first meal, there are usually about 8 containers of three servings each for later use. Serve with whole grain pasta.

The surprisingly awesome nutrition facts are at Calorie Count.

Michael's Spaghetti/Lasagna Sauce

Ingredients: 

                       

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/4 stick of butter or margarine     

4 – 5 large garlic cloves, minced  

1 large onion (or 2 med.) chopped

4 small cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained

2  28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes 

5  6-oz. cans unsalted tomato sauce

2 12-oz cans tomato paste

1  6-oz. can water (use a tomato sauce can)

3/4 cup of good burgundy wine (never use “cooking” wine)

1/2 cup dried parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. granulated beef bouillon

1/4 cup dried oregano leaves                               

1 packed Tbsp. of brown sugar

3 Tbsp. dried basil                                                               

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese            

1/2 tsp. garlic salt                                                    

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground celery seed

3 lbs. lean ground beef

1/2 tsp. each EXTRA pepper and garlic powder used when browning the beef

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and margarine or butter in the pot, and sweat the onion and garlic until transparent.  Add all tomato ingredients, water, mushrooms, and wine.  Stir until blended.  Add all the dry ingredients, including parmesan cheese, and blend.  Cover and set aside on low heat, gradually bringing to a slow boil.

In a separate pot, brown the ground beef with a bit of oil.  As it cooks, sprinkle in an EXTRA 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and an EXTRA 1/2 tsp. of black pepper.  Once the meat is brown, DRAIN IT THOROUGHLY or the sauce will be oily.  Then add the drained meat to the sauce.

Cover the meat/sauce mixture and simmer for at least three hours, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Notes:

Here are several things I do that are optional, but which I believe add to the flavor:

Before adding the mushrooms, take the time to mince one of the cans of stems and pieces.  This gives a uniform mushroom flavor to the sauce.

Sliced fresh mushrooms can improve the appearance of the sauce.  If you elect to use them, lightly sauté about 1/2 to 3/4 of a lb. with the onion and garlic, rather than adding them later on.

Just after draining the ground beef, return it briefly to the browning pot, add a generous splash of burgundy and mix for an additional minute or so before adding the beef to the sauce mixture.)

Crazypotato98's Three Picadillos

I had never had potatoes in a taco until I came to northern Mexico, and neither had my husband (his part of Mexico doesn't use potatoes in tacos, either). It's delicious and can be modified many different ways -- with nopales (cactus), made with steak, ground beef, even polish sausage...the point is, you can't have picadillo without potatoes!

The nutrition facts are linked with each of the three recipes below. For those of you that live in place where meat is measured in ounces instead of kilograms, this is the perfect opportunity to check out Calorie Count’s Conversion tool (link on the right hand side of this blog).

Crock Pot Steak Picadillo

Nutrition facts

Ingredients:

0.58 kg lean beef stew meat

2 large potatoes

3 cups beef broth

1/4 cup salsa

Directions:

In a Crock Pot, put stew meat, beef broth, salsa and potatoes. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is extremely tender and potatoes are soft.

Add stew meat to a skillet, and then add cooked potatoes. Add beef broth. Cook and stir until mixture becomes a soft paste.

Spoon into tortilla of your choice or use as a tostada topping.

Polish Sausage Picadillo

Nutrition facts

Ingredients:

243 g polish sausage, chopped

467 g potatoes, boiled

250 g mixed vegetables

1 cup water

1  cube beef bouillon

Directions:

Boil potatoes until soft. Drain; set aside.

Chop polish sausage. Saute in skillet with cooking spray; set aside.

Add water and beef bouillon to skillet. When bouillon is dissolved, add potatoes and cook until the consistency is like a paste. Add sausage and mixed veggies.

You may boil the mixed veggies beforehand in a little chicken broth if desired.

Serve as a tostada topping or as a taco filling.

Ground Beef Picadillos

Nutrition facts

Ingredients:

0.38 kg 90% lean ground beef

3 large potatoes

1 cup beef broth

1 1/2 cup nopales

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Boil nopales in water, adding some onion and garlic if desired, until tender. Salt may also be added during boiling. When nopales are tender, add a small pinch of baking soda (not until the very end, or it will boil over!).

In a frying pan, cook ground beef until brown. Drain fat. Add cooked potatoes (boil or put in Crock Pot for 4 hours until tender). Add beef broth and nopales. Cook until mixture becomes a soft paste. 

Spoon into tortilla of your choice, or top tostada shells or other foods with this mixture.

Carolyn’s Twice Baked Potato

Twice baked potatoes are so easy and versatile. You can make them high or low fat, they can be filled to the brim with ingredients or just lightly seasoned. Carolyn’s potato is a basic version that can become as gussied up as you like or left simply perfect.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count.

Twice Baked Potato 

Ingredients:

1 baking potato

1 T butter

1/8 cup milk (approximate)

1 clove garlic pressed

1 t chives, minced

Dash of paprika

Directions:

First bake: scrub thoroughly and bake the potato in a 350 oven until soft. Do not wrap in foil as this makes the skin too soft for twice baking.

Allow to cool a bit to make handling easier

Cut the potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides leaving the shell intact. ]

Place the insides in a small bowl, thoroughly whip together with the butter, garlic, and enough milk to make it fluffy but whipped - not flogged to an over-liquidy death. This can be done with a fork, a by hand potato masher, or a mixer as is your choice.

Place the insides back inside the shells and put a dash of paprika on each half.

Return to the 350 oven to bake the second bake - until the potato is hot throughout and lightly browned.

Optional add-ins:

More butter

Plain Yogurt in place of butter

Your favorite chicken or veggie stock in place of butter or milk

peas

bits of cooked chopped broccoli

bits of cooked chopped asparagus

Cheese – mix it in to the potato insides and sprinkle some on top before it is baked the second time.

White sauce or chicken gravy can be added both within and on the top

Black Beans

Bits of chopped tomato

Bacon bits

bits of cooked chicken

Cooked barbecue

Pepper

Thyme

Your favorite spices, veggies, or meats

First Bake Option:

You can nuke the potato for the first bake (some people do not like the taste of a nuked potato, others don't mind, so do what you like) - rinse, prick, and place between waxed paper  and nuke until softened. Cool a bit and then proceed with the mashing of ingredients.