Hungarian Goulash

I absolutely love Hungarian Goulash.  Although, I'm not fond of the word goulash.  It conjures up memories of a concoction I had as a kid (my mother would like y'all to know it wasn't her that made it either. Lol. It was a babysitter I had as a child). With just ground meat, tomatoes and macaroni noodles or something.  It wasn't all that great.  This is definitely not that recipe!  While it's not the prettiest of meals, it is packed full of flavor and is hearty and satisfying.  This is actually a really healthy version, and if I didn't tell you that it was healthy you'd never guess it.  I served mine over 1/2c. of short grain brown rice, or you could use regular brown rice or white rice or even yoke-less egg noodles. This recipe is a bit time consuming so probably more of a Sunday type dinner for most.  It probably takes about 2 hours start to finish.  I promise if you have the time and try it, you'll love it.  It is kid and husband approved. Lol.  Here's to happy, healthy, tasty eating y'all!!

Hungarian Goulash:
serves 6

2 1/2TB hot Hungarian paprika
1 onion, diced
2 large green bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1lb extra lean beef stew meat
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 (8oz) can no-salt added tomato sauce
2TB gluten free flour (such as King Arthur's All Purpose Gluten Free)
3TB fat free Greek yogurt
3/4tsp Himalayan sea salt
1/2tsp fresh ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 1/2c low sodium beef stock
1 tsp coconut oil

In a large nonstick skillet toast the paprika over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant, stirring often.  Remove from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.  Melt the coconut oil in the skillet and add the beef.  Saute the beef for about 3-4 minutes until it is browned, stirring occasionally.  Add in your mushrooms, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring often for 6 minutes.  Add in your paprika, salt, tomato sauce, 1/2c of beef stock , reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 6 minutes. Stirring often.  Combine the flour with the remaining beef stock, mixing well.  Pour into the skillet and mix with the beef mixture.  Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to med-low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.  During that time make sure to stir occasionally and to scrape the bottom so nothing sticks.  After the hour and a half the mixture should have thickened some and the beef should be tender.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt. Serve on top of brown rice or noodles.

Turkey "Potsticker" Meatballs

So who here doesn't like Potstickers???  Okay, that was a rhetorical question. They are so good!!  But, they aren't exactly figure friendly though. What can you do? Well, remove the wrapper, swap turkey for the pork, and bake them instead of pan frying them in oil. These are so awesome!! They taste just like Potstickers, and using the 93/7 lean ground turkey they still stay moist. You can probably use the 99% lean turkey breast, I'm just not sure if they would stay moist or if they'd be too dry. There is a dipping sauce as well or you could just eat them plain.  I like to serve these with brown rice flavored with cilantro and lime, steamed broccoli and crispy kale. Y'all enjoy!!

Turkey "Potsticker" Meatballs
serves 4

(Meatballs)
1 1/4lb 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/4c dry oatmeal
1T ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4c cilantro, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1T Bragg's liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

(Sauce)
4TB Bragg's liquid aminos
2TB lime juice (fresh)
2TB water
1 scallion, sliced on a bias
1tsp toasted sesame oil

Mix all the meatball ingredients together and roll into balls a little smaller than 1/4c should make about 12.  Bake at 500° for 15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 170°.  While the meatballs are baking mix up the sauce.  Serve each person 3 meatballs with 1TB sauce.

Greek Lamb over Roasted Eggplant

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!  I made a simple yet flavorful, healthy dinner for us tonight. It was delicious!!  If you're looking for something a little different to eat, give this one a try.  I adapted it from the Weight Watchers 2007 Annual Recipes for Success.  I hope y'all enjoy it!

Greek Lamb over Roasted Eggplant
Serves 6


2 (1lb) eggplants
1lb lean ground lamb
2 (14oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2tsp salt
1/4tsp allspice
2TB fresh mint, chopped
1/2c feta cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut 18 1/2" slices out of the eggplants and place on a large sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Spray the top of the eggplant with non-stick spray. Cut the remaining eggplant into 1/2" dices.  Bake the eggplant slices for 33 minutes or until lightly browned (turning once half way  through).  While the slices are baking. Saute the eggplant cubes in a large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray over medium high heat, until they are golden brown. (about 7 minutes).  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Spray skillet again, if needed and add the onion, garlic and lamb. Cook until the lamb is brown and onion is soft, stirring often.  (about 8 minutes) Stir in the cinnamon, salt, pepper, allspice and stir for one minute. Add in the eggplant and tomatoes, mix well. Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add in the chopped mint, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  Place three slices of eggplant on a plate and top with 1c of the meat mixture and if using feta cheese sprinkle each serving with 4tsp of feta and serve.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Okay, so it's a new year and we all know what that means...... Weight loss time!!!  Yep, I'm taking a new course and making some changes to my cooking to live a healthier lifestyle.  So, after much deliberation I decided that I will go ahead and blog my healthier recipes as I come up with them.  What's one of the types of food that is so yummy yet usually not healthy?? Mexican, more correctly Tex-Mex!  Oh, this Texas girl loves her some spicy food!!!  I decided that I would do my own take on a healthy Tex-Mex meal.  Tons of flavor without the fat. Sound good? Good, because it was yummy!

Tex-Mex Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

Serves 4


4 large poblano peppers, halved and seeded
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 14oz can Mexican style diced tomatoes (or Rotel)
1TB chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
1c water
1/2c cilantro, chopped
Nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 375°.  Place the halved poblano peppers on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  In a large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, heat over medium heat.  Add onion and ground beef, breaking up into small pieces and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft.  Add in the garlic and stir for one minute.  Add in all your dry seasonings and stir for one more minute.  Pour the water and tomatoes in the pan, and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer over med-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (There will be liquid left in the pan. It's okay.)  Stir in most of the chopped cilantro.  Carefully fill the pepper halves with the meat mixture and liquid.  Top with nutritional yeast, or cheese if you aren't watching your weight. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the peppers are soft (when pierced with a fork).  Top with the extra cilantro, and some salsa.  Great served with brown rice with some salsa mixed in at the end.

Penne Alla Vodka

Who doesn't love Penne Alla Vodka?  It's the best of both worlds.  It's like a tomato based and cream based sauce got married and then had a wild honeymoon with some vodka.  I mean, hello?!?!  So yummy!!  I like to add red pepper flakes to mine, being a spicy Texan and all, but you could most certainly leave those out if you'd like.  It's a pretty straight forward recipe, super easy and pretty fast.  On this one I again used a brown rice penne, for a gluten free meal, but a regular pasta would be great as well.

Penne Alla Vodka:
4-6 servings


1lb penne pasta
1/4c. extra virgin olive oil
2/3c. vodka
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 med., onion, chopped fine
1/4-1tsp red pepper flakes
1c. heavy whipping cream
1c. tomato sauce
3/4c. parmigiano reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and liberally salt for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and reserve 1/2c of the pasta water when done. Meanwhile while the pasta is cooking,  heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the onion and garlic and cook until tender, stirring often for about 5 minutes.  Add in the vodka (stand back and don't breathe in and don't ask how I know that. Lol.) Stir and cook down for about 4 minutes to cook some of the alcohol out.  Stir in your tomato sauce, cream and red pepper flakes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until the pasta is cooked.   You are free to leave it as is or if you prefer a smoother sauce you could use an immersion blender to puree.  I just leave it as is. When the pasta is done cooking add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, add in your parmigiano reggiano cheese and toss again.  Add in a little of the reserved pasta water if pasta is too dry.  Serve in bowls with extra cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Orange

I got this recipe from the May edition of Bon Appétit.  It sounds like a weird combo doesn't it? Prosciutto and Orange with pasta??  I thought so too!  But I like weird, or as I like to say different.  So I gave it a try back in May and absolutely loved it, and have been making it at least once a month since then!  So I figured I would share it with y'all so you could try it as well.  It is super fast and easy to make.  I will post the recipe the way I did it.  I changed it up a bit.  It calls for fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine, so that could make it really fast if you can find that.  I however chose to use brown rice fettuccine (14oz.) for a gluten free meal.  I also pretty much doubled the rest of the ingredients.  So here is my version.  If you'd like to see the original just go to Epicurious and search tagliatelle with prosciutto and orange.  I hope will give this a try!!

Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Orange:
4 good size portions


12-14oz fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta (fresh if you can find it)
4T butter
3.5oz-4oz prosciutto, cut into bite size pieces
2 oranges, zested and juiced
1c. heavy whipping cream
1/2c. parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste(optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with salt.  Add in your pasta and cook according to the package directions.  Stop cooking one minute before al dente.  Drain and reserve 1/2c. of the pasta water.

While your pasta cooks, heat a skillet & melt your butter over medium heat and add in your prosciutto.  Stir until the prosciutto is crisp and brown about 3-5 minutes.

Add in the orange juice, cream, half the zest and reserved pasta water.  Bring to a slight boil and then add in your pasta.  Stirring to incorporate and coat the fettuccine just for a minute or so.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.  Stir in the cheese and remaining zest and serve.

Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

Well it's December and it has been cloudy and cold.  Shocking, I know.  So what is better on a cold, cloudy day than a bowl of hot, steamy soup?  Yeah, nothing.... Lol.  This is a soup I adapted from a recipe I found online and have been making for a few years now and it is very hearty and actually pretty healthy. You can make it even healthier by substituting chicken or turkey sausage for the Italian sausage.


Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup:
6 Very Large Servings or 8 Normal Ones

1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1lb Italian Sausage, casings removed and cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 bunches of kale, rinsed, stemmed and torn or cut into bite size pieces
1T paprika
1tsp dried basil
1tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
8c Chicken stock
2 bay leaves
6c potatoes, peeled and cubed ( more or less depending on how chunky you like your soup)
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven, add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 8-9 minutes.  Add in your garlic and stir for another minute.  Put the red bell pepper and the sausage in and cook, stirring often until the sausage starts to brown, about another 5 minutes.  To the mixture add in the paprika, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary, stirring for one minute. Add in the chicken stock and potatoes.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add in the chopped kale, stirring until it is wilted down.  Bring the pot back to a boil and then reduce to simmer again for 10 minutes just until the kale is tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.