Creamed Onions

Growing up I always hated the creamed onions! However I actually grew to like them. And surprisingly are fairly healthy, like all onions are healthy for you (when not deep fried and breaded haha).

Ingredients:

2 or 3  pkgs frozen onions or 2 bottles onions

6 T butter

6 T flour

½ tsp salt

3 cups milk

First:

Pan Fry the onions to get them slightly browned.  Remove from stove-top and place on the side.

Then make the sauce:

Melt butter in saucepan on low heat. Add flour and salt and stir until mixed thoroughly. Stir in milk all at once. Cook quickly and continue stirring until sauce thickens.  (Sauce should be medium thickness)  Add onions, mix together and place in greased oven proof pan.  Sprinkle nutmeg on top and bake at 350 until slightly browned about half hour.   Serve HOT. (I tried it cold… I would not recommend it!!)

Brussel Sprouts

Yes I know, everyone hates brussel sprouts… However I actually like them! Well provided they are cooked right ;) Here’s one simple, quick, and healthy way to cook them, and make them delicious! ^_^

Ingredients:

2 pkgs fresh Brussel sprouts

Olive Oil

1 lb bag of small Carrots

Grape Tomatoes (optional)

Coat a 9 x 12 inch baking dish with olive oil.  Clean the brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise.  Place the brussel sprouts in pan and stir to coat them with oil.  If needed add a bit more oil.  Slice carrots lengthwise into small strips and add them into the dish.  Add grape tomatoes sliced in half if used (This gives the dish a sweeter taste, but I usually make it without it, however my vegan friends love them put in the dish).  Then bake it in oven on 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the oven).  Make sure to stir occasionally.  Remove when the sprouts are soft and edible. Enjoy! :)

Chicken Caesar Salad

One of my favorite dishes to fix in a pinch is a chicken Caesar salad. It’s easy to fix, healthy, and refreshing. You can add ingredients to your liking, and if more people show up it’s not hard to add more servings.

1 package of lettuce

1 Handful of Croutons

1 Handful of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Jar of Caesar Dressing

1 Can of White Chicken Meat (Or fresh roasted/Grilled chicken breasts)

 First prepare the chicken, by either draining the water out of the can or slicing the fresh chicken breasts.  Once the chicken is ready, the rest is simple. All you have to do is mix the lettuce, the croutons, and the chicken in a bowl.  After this, pour the Caesar dressing as much as desired, the less you use the healthier it will be. Finally sprinkle the cheese over the salad.  Mix and enjoy.

However, if desired, you may turn this into a wrap for on-the-go needs.  All you do is place the salad in a wrap of your choice; I recommend either a whole grain or a spinach wrap. Then fold the wrap in your desired style, whether that’s burrito, lunch wrap, or whatever. 

Rigatoni in a light tomato-parmesan sauce (Vegetarian Friendly)

 This week my friend had come over and was hungry; however she is a vegetarian, so I decided to finally try one of the recipes my other friend had given me that she had created from a pre-made dish and wanted to figure out its recipe.  It’s originally a Bowtie and vegetables in a tomato-parmesan sauce. However I was out of bowtie and forced to use rigatoni, and since she is allergic to mushrooms I withheld them on this round. 

Ingredients:  (feel free to substitute or add any of the ingredients, A/N= as needed)

1 Box     Noodles (Rigatoni or Bowtie work best)
1/2         Red Pepper (Chopped)
1/2         Yellow Pepper (Chopped)
1 Cup     Fresh Spinach
1 Can     Mushrooms (optional)
1 Can     Tomato Paste (Small can)
1 Jar       Parmesan Sauce
1 Tbsp   Butter
A/N        Tarragon
A/N        Basil
A/N        Salt

 Procedure:

First, start by boiling the water for the noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles, and cook until tender.

Start on the sauce by heating up the pan and melting the butter in it, and then add in the tomato paste and the Parmesan sauce, if it is not creamy enough for your liking, add some milk.

Chop the peppers, and put the peppers, spinach, and mushrooms and sauté in  the sauce pan and mix in, then add the noodles.  Cook until spinach is fully cooked.

Finally, add tarragon, basil, and salt.  Rosemary also works, but I would substitute it not compliment it with it.  Use as needed, and season to taste.

And there is a quick vegetarian-friendly dish.  Don't forget that the key to every recipe is to make it your own with a little something extra. :)