Tag Archives: cheese

Cold Pasta Salad

I don’t eat pasta too often, but this is well worth the calories!
Boil 12oz of your favorite pasta, as directed. Put pasta in refrigerator to cool down. Once cold, pull it out of refrigerator, and add all ingredients. Easy!!
Here’s what I put this time….
1 can of small olives
A hand full of salami (chopped)
1/2-3/4 cup of your favorite Italian (oil based) dressing
1 bag of shredded Swiss cheese
2 firm avocado’s diced
A couple of small home-grown bell peppers
1/3 cup diced cucumber
A small handful of cherry tomatoes (from my garden)
1 small red onion-diced

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Open Face (no meat) Sandwich

What you will need to make a single sandwich:

Whole grain slice of bread-mine was quite long, about 7″
Balsamic vinegar
4 Tablespoons (more or less depending on the size of your bread) bean paste-Take a can of any white bean, drain, smash with fork. Can use at room temp, cold or warmed. Save the rest for more sandwiches.
Fresh, crisp, cucumber-peeled, sliced thinly. I cut my cucumber the length of my bread.
1 slice of provolone cheese
Small clump of alfalfa sprouts
1/2 half of a firm avocado
salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar on your bread. Next, spread the bean paste to your liking (light or heavy). Lay down the cheese, thinly sliced cucumber, and sprouts. Now scoop out small bits of avocado and place on top of sprouts. Dust with salt and pepper to taste.

This is a nice serving of protein, veggie and grain! If my calculations are near accurate, I counted just about 425 calories for this meal. My bread and cheese were each 100 calories, half an avo is 140. Beans-about 60 calories, cucumber and sprouts about 25 calories together.

There you have it! Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Pizza-Audrey Briggs

What you will need
1 can of crescent dough
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 tiny can of sliced olives (just about 1/4 cup)
5 large basil basil leafs, minced
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Other toppings you can add; crushed garlic, sliced tomatoes, peppers, onions, zucchini, pretty much anything that you like to eat.

Heat oven to 400 Fahrenheit

Spray pizza pan with oil spray.
Pop open canned dough, lay on pan and use a rolling pin make the dough larger.
Spread cheese over entire dough
One at a time, spread remaining toppings.
Place in the middle of your oven. Check after 10 minutes for doneness. The pizza is done once the dough is a nice soft brown. Slice immediately. Serves about 4 adults, or 1 hungry teen-aged boy! Hahaha!

Oven-Fried Chicken Chimichangas

Yum, yum, yum! That’s all I can say 🙂 If you are a vegetarian, omit the chicken and replace with tofu, see below.

Ingredients
2⁄3 cup picante sauce or your favorite salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄2 tsp. dried oregano, leaves crushed
1 1⁄2 cup cooked chicken, chopped *(or see non-meat option below)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onion, chopped with some tops (about 1/4 cup)
8 in flour tortilla
2 tbsp. margarine, melted
1 cheddar cheese, shredded, for serving
1 cheddar cheese, shredded, for serving

*For Tofu option: 1 1/2 cups of extra firm tofu. Slice length wise, and wick moisture out with cloth or paper towels. Chop into medium size pieces. Fry in 2 tbsp. olive oil, stir in 1 tsp. minced garlic, until tofu is crispy and light brown.

Directions
1.Mix chicken, picante sauce or salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions.
2.Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.
3.Fold opposite sides over filling.
4.Roll up from bottom and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
5.Brush with melted margarine.
6.Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until golden.
7.Garnish with additional cheese and green onion and serve salsa on the side.

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

I don’t eat pasta a lot, but when I do, I want a winner…..this recipe is a winner! This is a great dish to serve when you have your three best friends over for lunch 🙂

Adapted from Jillian Michaels’ “The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook”

Serves 4
8 ounces whole wheat linguine (or your pasta of choice)
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium (8-ounce) zucchini, cut into thin strips (3 inches long and 3/4 inch wide, like a big stick of gum)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook about 9 minutes, or according to the package directions. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and set it aside. Drain the pasta. Set aside.

2.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

3.In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook just until wilted, flipping them over occasionally with a spatula. (The zucchini will be soft and somewhat see-through.)

4.Use a spoon or spatula to push the zucchini aside so a space on the bottom of the pan is clear. Add the garlic, and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until golden but not really brown.

5.Mix the garlic into the zucchini.

6.Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

7.Transfer the zucchini mixture to the yogurt mixture, and stir to combine. Add the drained linguine, and toss gently to combine. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Divide among four bowls and serve.

For more information visit the link below
http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/13338

Stuff Mini Peppers

Quick, easy and delicious! Please make sure you wash your hands after touching the peppers, you don’t want to accidentally touch your eye’s.

Stuff mini peppers with string cheese. Broil for 10 minutes for a quick appetizer/side dish.

Grilled Cheddar, Tomato and Bacon Sandwiches

This is “comfort” food at its finest! Easy and delicious!
Life is good, eat cheese
Audrey~

Ingredients
•8 thick-cut bacon slices
•8 slices country-style sourdough bread (cut on deep diagonal into 5x3x1/2-inch slices)
•2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
•8 tomato slices, seeds removed, slices drained on paper towels
•4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preparation

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Wash and dry skillet.

Place 4 bread slices on work surface. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese onto each slice. Top each with 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle with pepper. Place 2 bacon slices atop each, breaking into pieces if necessary to fit. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese over bacon on each. Top sandwiches with remaining bread slices, then spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise over top of each sandwich. Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches, mayonnaise side down, to each skillet. Place plate atop both sandwiches to weigh down. Cook sandwiches until bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Spread top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise. Turn sandwiches over, mayonnaise side down. Top with plates and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to work surface. Cut sandwiches crosswise in half and serve

Cheesy Avocado Potato Salad

http://dinnerofherbsblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/cheesy-avocado-potato-salad-packed-lunch-edition/
This recipe is from a blogger that I follow. This is the perfect lunch! You have a bit of carbs, good oil from the avo, some tangy cheese and some flavorful cilantro!

Ingredients

2 cups potato, diced

1/2 avocado

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

garlic powder

cilantro

salt

Romano cheese, shredded

Servings: 2-3 servings

Place the diced potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes. In another bowl, mash the avocado and stir in the lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Stir the potatoes into the avocado mixture. Top with romano cheese and serve immediately. Or pack for lunch for the next day. Enjoy!

Life is good, eat well
Audrey~

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder -Oh Baby!

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 cups uncooked broccoli

MMmmm……Fromage!

http://bcommebon.canalblog.com/archives/2012/05/28/24362911.html

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