Recipe box

Last night I temporarily reorganized my recipes and emptied out my recipe box. The picture above only represents the recipes that I have in paper format. My online recipes probably double my collection. I think I have a problem!

The challenge:
Purge all of my recipes by trying a new recipe a day.

The plan:
The daily recipe will be reviewed and critiqued by Matt and myself. All "non-worthy" will get thrown in the recycling bin! Those that are delicious will make it to a savored spot in the recipe box!

The recipe box currently contains 5 recipes that I know are tried and true that Matt & I love:

Turkey (or Chicken) with Sweet Potato Dumplings courtesy of Whole Foods

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon (T) extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chopped vegetables (raw, cooked or frozen)
1.5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups (~18 oz) shredded cooked turkey or chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (~0.75 pound potato mashed)
2 teaspoons (t) baking soda
1.5 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, salt & pepper and cook stirring until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until softened and hot throughout. Sprinkle 0.25 cups flour over vegetables, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened about 2-3 minutes. Stir in turkey, salt & pepper. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl gently combine 1.25 cups flour, sweet potatoes, baking soda, buttermilk, 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper to make a thick batter. Don't over mix. Drop batter in large spoonfuls over turkey mixture to form 8 dumplings. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition: 280 calories, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 640mg sodium, 34g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 7g sugar, 21g protein

Ciao to Chopping Meatloaf courtesy of Women's Health (but they don't have the recipe on their website and I altered it a bit to my liking)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound (lb.) extra-lean ground turkey
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
1/2 c. whole wheat panko bread crumbs (or any plain bread crumbs)
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. grated zucchini (I typically put 1 whole zucchini in the food processor and use it all)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. dried sweet basil
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray nonstick loaf pan with olive oil spray. Mix all ingredients. Press into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until there is no pink.

*We eat this as meatloaf the first night and then make meatloaf sandwiches the next night. I sometimes freeze this (only up to a week) and then reheat to make the sandwiches if we don't want meatloaf two nights in a row.

Maple-Balsamic Glazed Pork Medallions courtesy of Cooking Light

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/4 c. maple syrup
3 T. balsamic vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 t EVOO
salt & pepper to taste

Combine syrup and vinegar in sauce pan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each piece between plastic wrap and pound to 1/4" thickness. Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt & pepper. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Add vinegar mixture cook for 1 minute or until desired doneness. Drizzle sauce over plated pork and serve.

*This recipe is so flavorful and fast. One on my go-to meals!

Roasted Pork with Apples and Onions courtesy of my mother-in-law

This is a summary of what to do with a pork tenderloin for an easy and delicious dinner.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix dijon mustard with EVOO then rub onto the tenderloin. Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt & pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat sear the tenderloin on all sides. Then add to the pan 2-3 chopped apples, 1 chopped onion and 1 cup water. Cook until pork reaches 160F (using a meat thermometer to check doneness).

Buffalo Chicken Dip courtesy of my friend Betsy

Makes 1 large casserole dish of dip

Ingredients:
3-4 cooked boneless chicken breasts (I poached mine)
2 8oz. packages of light cream cheese, softened
1 - 1.5 c. Franks Hot Sauce
1 c. Marie's light blue cheese salad dressing
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350F until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.


So there you have it. All of the recipes that are currently in my empty recipe box. Lots and lots more recipes to come along with my personal review of each meal. It's going to be a busy year! Let me know if you want to stop by for a meal! There will be plenty to share.