Easter presents the perfect opportunity for families to come together and to celebrate new beginnings; at the Boreyko house, we especially value this holiday because of our beliefs in our Lord and savior.
As a mom and wife, I believe that there is no better way to spend time with your family than sharing great meals. I was searching Foodnetwork.com the other day and I found great recipes that we could all try and serve to our families and I’d like to share them with you.
Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms from The Barefoot Contessa
This simple recipe calls for large white mushrooms, stuffing composed of Italian sausage, Marsala wine, and mascarpone cheese as well as a topping of panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Spinach Salad with Sweet Roasted Pecans and Gorgonzola with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
This may sound like a mouthful but this light salad is as simple as mixing together spinach, pecans halves, and some gorgonzola cheese for the salad and combining olive oil, vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper for the dressing.
Alton Brown’s simple recipe requires eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and freshly ground peppercorn for a fantastic batch of deviled eggs.
This refreshing salad only requires bitter spring greens, crispy bacon, orange segments, dried fruit, blue cheese, and nuts; a perfectly hearty Easter appetizer.
Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, minced dill, horseradish, kosher salt, ground black peppers, and sliced smoked salmon for a versatile dip that suits veggies, chips, and toasted pieces of bread.
Have fun cooking for your family this Easter and may God bless you all.
XO
Tara
Super Bowl is coming up again and what better way to spend it than gathering your friends and family around your living room and enjoying the game with good food. But then again, who has time to slave over the hot stove when you have company to entertain, right? Don’t worry ladies because I have compiled easy and skinny crock pot recipes from Fabfitfun.com that you and your guests will surely enjoy!
Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
1 package frozen hash brown potatoes
9 ounces lean turkey or chicken breakfast sausage, browned and diced
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 bell pepper, diced
1 8-ounce package of mushrooms, diced
14 egg whites
1 cup fat free milk
6 scallions, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Directions:
1. Spray inside of Crock-Pot with non-fat cooking spray.
2. Layer potatoes, bell pepper, onions, mushrooms and sausage and ½ cup of the shredded cheese in the crock pot, in two or three layers. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard. Pour over the entire potato and vegetables layers.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until eggs are cooked through.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 hours
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 celery stalk
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
16 ounces fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce
For the wraps:
6 large lettuce leaves, bibb or iceberg
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 large celery stalks, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
Directions:
1. In a Crock-Pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic, and broth, enough to cover chicken. (Pour in extra water if the can of broth isn’t enough.) Cover and cook on high 4 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.
3. To prepare lettuce cups, place 1/2 cup buffalo chicken in each leaf, top with 1/4 cup shredded carrots, celery and dressing of your choice. Wrap up and start eating!
Nutritional information:
Servings: 6; calories: 147.7; fat: 0.1g; carbs: 5.2g; fiber: 1.6g; protein: 24.9g; sugars: 1.7g; sodium: 879mg
Crock Pot Baked Apples
Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine or butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine or butter, and cinnamon. If you don’t want to use walnuts, you could use pecans or go nut-free by substituting with 1/4 cup chopped raisins, prunes, or granola! Another great substitution is 1/4 cup of rolled quick oats moistened with a tablespoon of water before stuffing the apples.
2. Use a grapefruit spoon that has the sharp edges (or a melon baller or small paring knife) and core most of the way through, I leave about 1/2 inch apple left at the bottom. You could remove the skin but I find that it helps to hold the apple together as it bakes — it also adds extra fiber which is always a plus.
3. Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the Crock-Pot.
4. Pour the apple juice or cider (and the liquor, if using) into the Crock-Pot, around the apples. If you don’t have apple juice or cider, you can use apple lime juice or apple vinegar (diluted with water and a little sugar).
5. Set the Crock-Pot on high heat and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.
6. If you don’t have a Crock-Pot, you can use a 7 x 11-inch casserole dish or stock pot. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and cover the pan with aluminum foil. They’ll take about 45 minutes to one hour. A glass baking dish is also an option, just be sure to lower the heat by 5-10 degrees since glass can cause food to burn.
7. If you’re making this recipe for a large crowd, you could do these in the oven in a large disposable roasting pan and just double the recipe. They also taste delish with a scoop of low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt.
8. You can refrigerate these for up to 3 days, but store them in an airtight container so they don’t pick up odors from the fridge.
Nutritional Information:
Serving size: 1 apple; 214 calories, Protein: 1g, carbs: 34g, fat: 7g; saturated fat: 1g; cholesterol 0mg; fiber 2g; sodium: 50mg
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder meat
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup vinegar
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste
Directions:
1. Add ingredients to slow cooker cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours. Stir every 30-45 minutes.
2. Remove pork when tender and drain fat from the bottom of the pot.
3. Use forks to pull apart the pork and return it to the slow cooker to keep warm.
4. Serve with seeded hamburger buns.
Slow Cooker Classic Fudge
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut milk, (canned, not in a carton; can be found in Asian grocery stores)
1/4 cup raw mild honey
Dash of sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Add chocolate chips, coconut milk, honey and salt, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 2 hours without stirring. Keep lid on during these 2 hours.
3. After 2 hours, turn the slow cooker off, uncover, add vanilla and stir to combine ingredients. Allow to cool in uncovered slow cooker, until fudge has reached room temperature, approximately 4 hours.
3. Using a large spoon, stir vigorously for 5-10 minutes until it loses some the gloss.
4. Lightly spray a 1 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour fudge into dish, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut into 30 pieces.
Beefy Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
6 red or yellow bell peppers
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 can (11-ounce) Mexican-style corn
1 can (7-ounce) sliced ripe olives
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup converted rice
1 packet (10-ounce) taco seasoning
1 can (10 3⁄4-ounces) condensed tomato soup
1 can (10-ounce) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Directions:
1. Cut tops off peppers. Remove stems, seeds, and cores from peppers. Dice pepper tops.
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, corn, olives, 1 cup cheese, the rice, taco seasoning, and diced pepper tops. Stuff peppers with equal portions of meat mixture. Place stuffed bell peppers in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.
3. In another bowl, combine soup and tomatoes. Pour over stuffed peppers in slow cooker. Top peppers with 1⁄4 cup shredded cheese. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours.
Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
Ingredients:
3 whole ancho chiles
3 whole pasilla chiles
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
3 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks
Freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
Assorted taco toppings, for garnish
Directions:
1. Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until soft and pliable (2 to 3 minutes.)Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.
2. Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.
3. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)
4. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.
Nutritional information:
Per serving (does not include tortillas or garnishes): Calories: 399; fat: 1g; saturated fat: 4g; protein: 51g; carbs: 14g; sugar: 5g; fiber: 3g; cholesterol: 147mg; sodium: 212mg
Skinny Margarita (Courtesy of www.sheknows.com)
Ingredients:
2 ounces silver tequila
1 1/2 ounces lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1 ounce agave nectar or sugar-free sweetener
Directions:
Mix together all the ingredients and serve cold.
Raspberry Spritzer (Courtesy of www.eatingwell.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups seltzer
2/3 cups frozen raspberries
2 sprigs fresh mint
3 ounces raspberry-flavored syrup or Chambord
Ice cubes
Directions:
Combine seltzer, raspberries, mint and raspberry-flavored syrup (or Chambord) in a small pitcher. Pour over ice.
Love Lots,
Ingredients:
I just love planning meals for my family. Every week, I prepare a list of the meals that I would like to serve at the dinner table. I make sure that everything is healthy and also yummy for my family.
I make up a list of the menu for the week to come on Sunday night and then after the Monday morning drop off, I hit the grocery store early to get all the ingredients that I will need for the week. It helps to stay on top of my busy schedule creating menus and to do list.
Now, whenever I prepare a protein dish for my kids, be it fish, chicken, meat loaf or steak, I always make sure to add a seasonal vegetable to it. I also add a really yummy salad loaded with lots of colors and good fats like avocado. I also like homemade dressings without all of the preservatives and sugar. I love to store it in my fridge so that whenever we’re having salad, we have something yummy to dress it with. What’s more, I don’t have to worry about what goes in the dressing since I already know that it is all natural.
Here are two easy yet delicious recipes you can add into your weekly menu that your family will surely LOVE!
Amazing Pot Roast
Ingredients:
5-6 pound tri- tip roast
Baby Carrots ½ cup
Celery ½ cup
Small red potatoes 1 ½ cups
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (I like to use the garlic cream of mushroom)
1 packet of Onion soup mix (I only use ½ the packet)
1 Tb of Worcestershire sauce
½ cup red wine (Not a must. But to add flavor, I always put it in)
Directions:
Chop all the vegetables up. Dump the vegetables along with the cans of soup, wine, onion soup mix, and Worcestershire in a crock pot or slow cooker. Make sure to season the meat with garlic salt. Then lightly flour on all sides— this will help brown it and it will help thicken your gravy that will be created in the pan. Place pan on medium heat. Add butter and brown the tri-tip on all sides.
Once browned, place meat in the slow cooker and set time to 4 hours on high and then an additional 2 hours on low. The meat will be so delicious and tender that it will fall apart. This is really wonderful served with risotto and Spinach salad. You may also enjoy it with a glass of Merlot or Cabernet.
Homemade Chicken Soup (Photo courtesy of http://soups.me.uk)
Ingredients:
1/2 (3 pound) whole chicken
2 carrots, halved
2 stalks celery, halved
1/2 large onion, halved
Water to cover
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (optional)
Directions:
Put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often).
Take everything out of the pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon (optional) to taste. Return the chicken, carrots, celery, and onion to the pot, stir together, and serve.
Enjoy!
Tara
Summer always seems to put everybody in a festive mood. With the days getting longer, warmer and brighter, there’s no denying that summer is the perfect time for spending time with family and friends outdoors. As e verybody tucks away their heavy boots and coats for next year and brings out sun dresses, shorts, tank tops and light tee shirts, it’s that time of the year again when entertaining means taking out the grill and serving icy cold drinks that’ll beat the heat on those balmy nights perfect for staying up late and staring at the stars.
Throwing the perfect summer barbecue allows you to be extra creative with how you will entertain your guests. Make the drinks you’re going to serve the star of your bash by serving delicious cocktails that would keep your guests coming back for more. Think juicy summer fruits that would amp your cocktails not only in taste but also in color, special iced teas, and don’t forget the classic daiquiris, margaritas, and punches.
But just because you’re going to serve extra tasty beverages doesn’t mean they have to have the extra calories as well. You can keep your drinks at the low end of the calorie scale too without it being bland as plain ice cold water.
Plus, you can make your drinks even better by making them look special. After all, we eat, and in this case, drink with our eyes first. You can prettify your drinks to make them look even more appetizing for your guests. Play up bright and happy summer colors and incorporate them in your drinks. Shades of red in your drink will make them stand out—think cosmopolitans, sangria punches, and champagne cocktails infused with red fruits. Yellows and blues in your drinks will also add that extra touch of fun. Blueberry cocktails and special mint infused lemonades would be very refreshing on a warm evening get together.
Forget red solo cups. While it might be tempting to get a stack of these cups for your summer barbecue, they’re a bit on the boring side and they’re not special enough for your pumped up summer barbecue. Serve your drinks on special cocktail glasses, flutes, and other pretty cups that will show off just how tempting your cocktails are. You can use clear glasses or even frosted glass cups. If you prefer to make your drinks in big batches, bring out pretty glass pitchers.
No cocktail drink is complete without garnishes. Making your drinks look pretty relies on how you present them and garnishes serve this purpose. Rim your cocktail glasses with sugar by dipping the lip in some lemon or lime juice and then dipping it in some granulated sugar. You can also do this with salt if your drinks are tequila based.
You can also use citrus slices. Cut up an orange, a lemon, or a lime and let a slice hang by the lip of your cocktail glass. You can also put citrus slices and even wedges in pitchers of your drinks. This will also work with other fruits especially if your cocktails are fruit juice-based. Put in chunks or slices of the fruit you used for contrast in texture. Plus that burst of fruity goodness adds to the flavor of your drinks.
Herbs like mint can add more oomph to your cocktail drinks. Don’t just settle for infusing your drinks with these. Put in a few leaves in your pitchers and cups for that extra dose of minty freshness.
Ice is a staple for summer barbecues because let’s face it, the days and even the nights during this season can get a tad too warm. Ice will keep your drinks cool and refreshing. But don’t just stick to plain and boring ice cubes. Infuse your ice with mint and other herbs as well as with fruits. You can also add a few chunks of fruit in your ice before freezing it to make it prettier. You can also freeze fruit juices and even your cocktails so that your drinks will not taste watered-down when the ice melts.
Olives in cocktail sticks are a classic garnish for cocktails but you can also use sticks of hard fruit and even vegetables if your drinks are vegetable juice-based. Don’t forget those cute umbrellas too!
The ultimate test for cocktail drinks, however, is its taste. You can make your drinks look pretty but if they don’t taste good, it absolutely defeats its purpose. Since refreshments are the star of summer barbecues, making your drinks taste delicious is a must.
Cocktail lovers would argue that drinks are not complete without alcohol. The buzz from having a cocktail send tingles down anybody’s spine and makes a barbecue bash a lot more fun. But alcoholic cocktails sometimes have tons of calories because of all the sugar in it that make the drinker guilty for drinking them.
However, there are cocktails that are low on calories that’ll reduce that guilt. Here are some recipes for low calorie alcohol-based drinks that will get your guests hooked:
Sangria Sparkler
This Spanish drink is best served with friends. The blood oranges make it more vibrant and delicious tasting as well.
750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
1 cup light orange juice
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
1/4 cup orange liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
2 medium oranges, sliced
2 cups club soda, chilled
Crushed ice and/or orange peel curls (optional)
In a large pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, brandy, orange liqueur, sugar, and orange slices. Chill at least 2 hours. Add club soda before serving. Serve over crushed ice and/or with orange peel curls if desired.
Calories: 100
Sugar Free Margarita
This is another one of those sugar laden drinks that spell trouble. There are 16 grams of sugar in an average margarita but this sugar-free version is different:
1 jigger (1.5 oz) tequila
2 Tablespoons (1 oz) lime juice – bottled more convenient, fresh tastes a lot better
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) water
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 Tablespoon’s worth artificial sweetener (I like to use liquid, carb-free types)
Ice – small handful
Margarita salt or kosher salt
Wet the rim of the glass and dip into a small plate of salt.
Combine all ingredients. You can either serve it over ice (in Mexico I’ve usually been served it this way, but I can’t say I’ve had extensive experience), or strained into the glass, or blended in a blender.
Calories: 128
Bloody Mary Cocktail
Bloody Maries are perfect low calorie cocktails because its carbohydrate content is reduced:
1 jigger (1.5 oz or 3 tablespoons) vodka (nutritional analysis uses 80 proof)
6 oz tomato juice (or see note)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh preferred)
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 to 3 drops hot sauce such as Tabasco
2 to 3 drops Worcestershire sauce
Dash pepper (fresh ground preferred)
Dash horseradish (optional)
Possible garnishes: lemon wedge, celery stalk
In a tallish glass, mix vodka, tomato juice, and lemon juice. Mix in the flavorings, adjusting to taste. Add ice cubes, and garnish with a celery stalk and/or lemon wedge (additional half a gram of carb each).
Calories: 129
But in any party, there are those who don’t drink alcoholic beverages. After all, there might be kids present and you don’t want them running around with a buzz, do you? Here are some non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that are also low in calories:
Berry Lemonade
Add a sweet twist to the classic lemonade with berries to make it more colorful and refreshing:
8 cups cold water
2 cups sugar
3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 strip lemon peel
1 cupraspberries
1 cup blackberries
Ice cubes
Seltzer or club soda
Prepare sugar syrup: In 4-quart saucepan, heat 4 cups water with sugar and lemon peel to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover saucepan and boil 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
Meanwhile, in food processor, pulse berries until pureed. Pour into medium-mesh sieve set over large bowl and press berry mixture with back of spoon to remove seeds; discard seeds.
Remove peel from syrup; stir syrup into berry puree with lemon juice and remaining 4 cups water. Pour into large pitcher with tight-fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. Serve over ice. Add seltzer to taste; garnish with berries and lemon slices.
Calories: 150
Lemon-Orange Fiz
This pretty and very refreshing drink will surprise you with the number of calories it has:
2 cup(s) orange seltzer
2 tablespoon(s) frozen lemonade
1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
Lemon wedge, for garnish
Ice cubes
Combine seltzer, lemonade, lemon juice and vodka, if using. Rub rim of 2 glasses with lemon wedge and dip in sugar. Fill glasses with ice and top with the seltzer mixture.
Calories: 2
Sparkling Cran Razzy
This is another pretty drink that packs flavor but not calories. Freeze whole raspberries and cranberries for added flavor and texture:
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries for garnish
2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
2 cup seltzer
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus 4 wedges for garnish
If using fresh raspberries, freeze them in a single layer for about 1 hour (or overnight) before proceeding with Step 2.
Combine cranberry-raspberry juice, seltzer, and lime juice in a pitcher. Divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with frozen raspberries and lime wedges.
Calories: 65
With the health craze going on, you might want to serve healthy and delicious drinks instead. Perhaps the healthiest of all drinks is tea but you don’t have to settle for ordinary iced teas. You can also serve healthy fruit smoothies. These drinks are definitely low in calories and are just as refreshing as regular cocktails. Here are some recipes:
Honey Lemon Tea
This Chinese recipe will not only refresh your guests but will also keep them healthy:
1/4 cup dried chrysanthemums
3 lemon slices
4 cups boiling water
Honey to taste
Place chrysanthemums and lemon in a glass or ceramic pot. Add boiling water. Cover with a lid and let steep for 5 minutes. Stir in honey. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 1/2 hours. (It’s not necessary to strain the tea.)
Calories: 21
Mint Tisane
Nothing beats mint for its refreshing qualities. Enjoy mint tea with this recipe:
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch fresh lemon verbena (optional)
3 cups (up to 6 cups) boiling water
Sugar (optional), to taste
Place 1 bunch mint and 1 bunch lemon verbena (including stems) in teapot. Pour in boiling water and allow to steep for about 5 minutes. Add sugar, if desired. Serve in small Moroccan or other clear tea glasses.
Calories: 5.7
Hawaiian Smoothie
This fruit smoothie has all the fiber you need to get you going. Plus it’s refreshing and is low on calories as well:
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped peeled papaya
1/4 cup guava nectar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
1/2 cup(s) ice
Place ingredients in the order listed in a blender. Pulse three times to chop the fruit, and then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Calories: 81
Summer barbecues are a great way to celebrate occasions or to just spend time with your family and friends. Have fun entertaining your guests, be creative with your food and decorations and serve the best summer cocktails that not only look but also taste amazing without worrying about calories. Happy summer!
