Grilled Green Beans

Today I have a quick veggie side through throw on the grill anytime you're already grilling.  These foil packets are truly awesome for lots of different things.  We probably do them the most with green beans and brussel sprouts but this could work for lots of other things too.

Let's Get Crafty!

1lb fresh green beans (prepared by having the ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 pieces)

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pam spray liberally over the green beans (maybe 3-4 seconds) 

Salt and Pepper

Then use your hands to mix it up.  Wrap in foil- I generally do two sheets to make sure the one sheet doesn't break open from being flipped on the grill.  

Grill these on medium (around 400) for at least 20 minutes- flipping occasionally.  Sometimes the grill gets going and the veggies go on before the meat.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by!

Elk Tenderloin wrapped in Green Chile and Bacon

So simple and so tasty.  This might be my new favorite meal.  Not just for the night of... but eating it cold the next day for lunch.  And if the green chile just gets hotter?  Amazing!!

Let's Get Crafty!
1lb tenderloin, cut into large chunks

We've used elk and deer tenderloin with this recipe and both were very good.  I'm sure any beef tenderloin would be great too.  Depending on the size on the tenderloin... I like the ratio when the red meat is about 2 inches by 3 inches.

Marinade:

1 tablespoon garlic (we love garlic so I use a lot... use a teaspoon if you don't love it)

3 tablespoons fresh pressed lemon juice 

3 tablespoons soy sauce reduced sodium

3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons EVOO

I like to put marinades right in a gallon ziplock bag and squish around the bag the mix the ingredients.  (Dish saver!!) and then toss the meat right into the bag.  We've marinated the meat over night for the next evening and we've done 30 minutes in a pinch.  Both were good... overnight did have more of the marinade flavor coming through.

Wrap up those marinated bad boys:
Bacon (depends on how many you are making- we do 1/2 slice each one)
Green chiles (we usually do half with and half without)
Toothpicks to hold them together

Grill for 11-12 minutes on medium heat (400 temp) turning often to avoid flare-ups from the bacon.

Going On!

Coming Off the Grill!

Eating for breakfast at my desk on a Monday morning...

Happy Sunday Funday Friends!  Thank you for stopping by.

Crab Salad

This is a creamy, healthy cold salad for a hot summer day.  It's delicious on toasted bread or crackers. I haven't ever used it as a veggie dip... but I bet that would be delicious too!

Let's Get Crafty!
Crab with diced veggies: 
1lb immitation crab, diced into small pieces
1/2 cup celery, diced (be sure to include the hearts... a lot of flavor hides in there)
1/2 cup colored peppers, diced (we had some orange and red)
1 medium tomato, seeded and small diced

Mix well in a small dish before adding to the crab and veggies:
1 T snipped chives (wish I could say it's from my herb garden... not yet.  But they're doing good.)
1 T lemon, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil mayo
Salt and pepper to taste

Wishing everyone a safe and happy memorial weekend spent with family and friends.
Thank you for stopping by!

Cheeseburger Muffins

My Mom gave me a fun muffin pan cookbook for my birthday called Super-Quick Muffin Tin Meals written by Melanie LaDue.  This was the first recipe we tried and I followed the recipe pretty true... well as close to true as I can do. :)

It was a huge hit!  Let's just say there weren't a lot of leftovers for lunch the next day.

I put ketchup and mustard on the top of mine but got to thinking... mixing ketchup, mustard and some dill relish together for a dipping sauce might be amazing!  Maybe a little light mayo if you're looking to splurge.  ;)

Let's Get Crafty!
Cook together on medium heat until the meat is browned

1lb hamburger, cooked and drained
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Add to the meat mixture until heated through:
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Whisk together:
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
4 eggs

This made 18 muffins for us.  Prepare the muffin tins with nonstick spray

Layer like this:
1 Tablespoon bisquick mixture
1/8 cup meat and cheese mixture
1 Tablespoon bisquick mixture

Bake for 20 minutes... then check.  Might need a few more minutes.  Ours took 25 minutes.

Here's the blank canvas to top however your heart desires...

Happy Friday's Eve friends.  Thank you for stopping by.

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

I don't often cook with poblano peppers, but I've had them stuffed a few time and really liked them.  This recipe came from having chorizo on-hand that I wanted to use along with a couple peppers.  To be completely honest... my first idea was to make a chorizo dip with extra cheese and diced up poblano in it! In an effort to create a healthier option and limit my tortilla chip intake... we are stuffing the poblanos.  In this recipe there is only 4 oz of reduced fat cream cheese.

Let's Get Crafty!
Preheat oven to 375

Mix together and split between two large poblanos (tops cut off and seeded):
3/4 pound chorizo, browned and drained
1/2 cup mexicorn, lightly drained
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz cream cheese

Bake 15-20 minutes

Happy Mother's Day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

It's true... I love brussel sprouts.  It's also completely true that not another single person living in my house likes them... not even the tiniest bit.  So!  I made a recipe that I thought looked delicious that I knew I would love at a time when only what I loved would count.  :)

If you think you don't like brussel sprouts... I truly encourage you to try them roasted.  It changes their flavor to me.  Grilled is also delicious but roasted is the best.

Let's Get Crafty!
Preheat oven to 425

1 lb brussel sprouts, bottoms cut off, trimmed and cut in 1/2 or 1/4 (depending on the size)

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
Whisk together and pour over the raw brussel sprouts

Roast for 20 mins on a foil lined baking sheet- stir - roast another 15-20 minutes

Have a great day!  Thank you for stopping by.

One-Pot Turkey Sausage Pasta

This... My Friends is a quick dinner of deliciousness. The pasta has tons of flavor from cooking in the broth and I LOVE that it can all be done in one pot!  This is truly a perfect weeknight meal.  

Let's Get Crafty!
Saute together until sausage starts to brown and onions are soft:
1 lb sausage of your choice, cut up into bite size pieces (I've made it with turkey sausage and it was really good too.  Today I made it with a chicken sausage we get at Costco with mozzzarella, artichokes and garlic in it.  Delish!)
1 onion, diced
1 T butter

Add to the party:
1/2 box pasta of your choice
1 can rotel
1 1/2 cans beef broth, low sodium
Bring this to a simmer and cover... stirring occasionally.  How long this part is will depend on the pasta you used.  I generally have to add more broth during this process but don't want to start with too much to make sure it isn't soupy.  I like to toss in a diced pepper in the last few minutes to incorporate a veggie into the dish.  I'm a big fan of textural difference- adding it later in the cooking process helps it to stay a little crunchy.  It can totally be added at the beginning of the simmering process.

Keep on Adding to the Party (once the pasta is cooked):
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat free half and half
This last part gives it the creamy deliciousness that pulls the dish together.  All you need to do is gently stir it together until the cheese has melted and the half and half is well distributed.

This recipe makes so much.  We all ate it up the night of making it and there were plenty of leftovers for lunches.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a great day.