Macaroni and Cheese

I found this recipe on Rachel Ray's website. It is a great alternative to the processed version in the grocery store!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it
Directions
Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the cheddar cheese on top.

Black Bean and Pepper Quesadillas

  From The Pioneer Woman.com - excellent website with many delicious recipes.

     1 can (19 Oz) Black Beans, Rinsed

      1 whole Chopped Bell Pepper (red, Orange, Yellow- Or A Combination)

      1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

      ½ cups Salsa

      ½ teaspoons Chili Powder

      ½ teaspoons Cumin

      ½ teaspoons Garlic Or Onion Powder

      ¼ teaspoons Salt

      6 whole Large Whole Wheat Tortillas

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, mash up the black beans. Stir in peppers, cheese, salsa and spices until fully combined. Spread onto one half of a tortilla, then fold in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas until all the filling has been used. Cook the quesadillas on a large non-stick skillet or electric frying pan on medium heat until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Cut tortillas into quarters with a pair of kitchen scissors. Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.

Serves 6

Beef Stew

2 lbs stew meat
3 cups organic beef broth
3 Tbs Montreal Seasoning (Costco)
1 cup dried lentil soup mix (Safeway bulk food section)
15 mini carrots
7 new potatoes
4 celery stalks
1 zucchini
5 fresh basil leafs

Cut the stew meat into small pieces, add to a  hot skillet and brown outsides. Add Montreal Seasoning, beef broth, and dried lentil soup to meat and stir. Once meat is cooked thoroughly add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Yum!

You may need to play with the amounts of the ingredients as I made it up as I went along. All the kids asked for seconds!

Sexy Joes

This is a recipe I found in the Biggest Loser cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-lean ground chicken or turkey
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
11/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
4 whole-grain or whole-wheat hamburger buns

Mist a medium nonstick skillet with olive oil spray and set it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken or turkey. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking into large chunks, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire, honey, and hot-pepper sauce. Whisk to blend. Set aside.

Drain off any liquid that has accumulated in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, chili sauce, chili powder, and the reserved vinegar mixture to the pan. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat so mixture simmers.

Cook for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened.
Spoon the mixture equally onto the opened buns.
Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 331 calories, 31 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat (less
than 1g saturated), 66 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 876 mg sodium