This is a great, hearty dish for a cool, fall evening.



Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 T soy sauce
1 1/2 cup water
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup elbow macaroni or rotini noodles (uncooked)

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet; drain. In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic until tender, and mix in the ground beef. Add in the tomatoes, corn, soy sauce, water, and spices (including bay leaf). Stir until combined, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add in the noodles and simmer for 15 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf and allow the goulash to sit for about 15 minutes more before serving.










After a busy week of computer trainings most days after school, I enjoyed having some to catch up on rest this weekend. I spent most of my morning today cooking for the rest of the week since I still have several computer workshops to teach. I always feel good when I can get my cooking for the week done on Sunday morning before heading to church. It's amazing what you can accomplish in two hours. I made two types of soup (Jalapeno Popper Chicken and Chicken and Potato Florentine), made the chicken tetrazzini and Swedish meatballs for the week, and grilled the chicken for the Mexican Chicken recipe. No too shabby for a Sunday morning. :) Several of my recipes are new this week, and since I cooked ahead, I haven't taken photos yet. I will add them as we go.

Here's this week's menu. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries

Monday - Chicken Tetrazzini (new - made ahead), Green Beans, Salad

Tuesday - Mexican Chicken (new) with Salsa Rice, Broccoli, Salad

Wednesday - Swedish Meatballs and mashed potatoes, Green Beans, Salad

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - eat out

Saturday - Adirondacker Burgers, Oven Baked Fries, Salad






For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.  
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Yields about 2 3/4 tablespoons.
To use: Use about 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning for every 1 pound of meat. Use more or less depending on your preference. Brown meat and drain the fat. Add your taco seasoning along with about 1/2 cup of water. Simmer and stir until water is absorbed. If you want more of a sauce throw in about 2 tablespoons of flour with the water.


Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning; grill or sauté (I grill it). Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a greased 8x8" baking dish. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and bake at 350º for 10-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Scatter the green onions over the top. Serve over salsa rice (I add the rest of the can of enchilada sauce and about a cup of salsa to cooked rice and heat through).

 Recipe adapted from Linda's Low Carb
This is a yummy spicy soup!



Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can water
1 1/2 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 7 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 pound center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled for serving
shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Directions:

In a large stock pot sprayed with olive oil, add the cubed chicken and sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

Add the tomatoes, water, chicken broth, green chilies, beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes. Add an additional teaspoon of chili powder and cumin if desired.

Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Serve soup topped with cheese and bacon if desired.

 Recipe modified from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
This is a copy cat recipe from Olive Garden's version of this soup. My version is very tasty and makes a HUGE pot of soup. Sometimes I leave out the cream cheese and mozzarella for a more traditional broth instead of a creamy one, which is also lower in calories. Either way you make it, it's yummy!



Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
32 oz. fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 t black pepper
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1 t garlic powder
1 T minced onion
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 28 oz. cans water
2 15 oz. cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz. shredded carrots
6 medium sliced Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 t black pepper
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1 T minced onion
1 t paprika
5 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
8 oz. part skim mozzarella, grated

Directions:

In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth, 1 t black pepper, 1 t oregano, 1 t basil, 1 t garlic powder, 1 T minced onion, and the whole chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked through.

Remove the chicken breasts and set aside to cool for a couple of minutes. Strain the solids from the broth, and then put the broth back in the stock pot.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back into the pot.

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, drained beans, carrots, potato slices, pepper, oregano, basil, minced onion and paprika to the pot. Simmer for 60 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add the fresh, chopped spinach and stir until spinach is wilted.

Add the cream cheese and mozzarella to the pot and stir frequently until melted to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (You can leave the cheeses out of the soup and still tastes fantastic.)

Recipe modified from Food.com
This makes a large casserole. I use it for busy nights and make it ahead of time since it takes a long time to cook. We just heat it up in the microwave on the night we plan to eat it.



Ingredients:
1 whole rotisserie chicken
16 oz vermicelli pasta (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste Thin Spaghetti), cooked and drained
32 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove meat from the chicken (of course, getting rid of the skin) and chop.

Whisk together soups, chicken broth, and garlic powder. 

Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.  Layer 1/2 noodles, 1/2 chicken, and 1/2 of soup mixture. Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese on the pasta.  Repeat layers and top with remaining parmesan cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.