BBQ Beef Lo Mein

This dish was originally meant to have a Chinese-esque flair to it... but this Midwest girl didn't exactly have all the unique ingredients that go into an Asian dish... shocker right? ;)
So it turned into a dish that is having a real identity problem...
"Am I Asian? Or from the country? Do I consider myself BBQ or Teriyaki?"

Let's just go with DELICIOUS!

...So, like any girl would do - I threw stuff in here, little bit there, substituted 'til the cows came home, and thankfully it turned out pretty darn tasty!

This dish has more of a smoky/BBQ flavor... if it was going to be any sort of Asian dish it would definitely be the closest relative of teriyaki if anything...

But no matter what family tree, or country of origin this recipe may or may not fit into - one thing is for certain... IT'S DELICIOUS!
And easy, very very easy to throw together in no time at all!

What you're gonna need~

4oz pasta
6 oz steak (cooked and sliced)
2 cups frozen veggies (California Blend is delish)
1 tbsp each:
-Soy sauce
-BBQ sauce
-Worsheier
-Chicken stock
-Brown sugar
pinch of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (if you like spice!)
1 tsp. oil of choice (for sautéing garlic and onions)
Garlic (depending on how much you enjoy, my family doesn't really enjoy garlic too much so I used about 1 tsp. minced)
Onions chopped (again, to your liking)
Sesame seeds (opt.)

The drill~
1. Bring a pot of water to boil - add pasta and cook until nearly done, while that is going-mix up your "sauce" aka-the soy, BBQ, chicken stock, brown sugar, salt and pepper (and red pepper if using)

~After pasta is nearly done, drain almost all the pasta water

2. Saute your garlic and onions in a small sauce pan

3. Add sliced steak as well as veggies and cook for a minute or two

4. Add veggies after thawing in microwave if need be
5. Stir fry those all up for another minute or so

6. Add the sauce, pasta and remaining pasta water (I found it easier to add meat/veggies to pasta instead just because I was worried about it all fitting in my baby sized sauce pan!)

7. Let cook a few minutes (about 4 or 5)
8. When everything is hot and mixed together well, and the sauce has thickened and soaked into noodles you're all set!

9. Serve piping hot, and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if you're feeling all sorts of fancy!)

Broccoli Raisin Salad

As I was beginning to write this recipe post, I kind of felt bad... I don't really understand why this salad has always been called 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' ..what? Did the other ingredients get the short straws and not get the recipe named after them? (I am aware this is extremely neurotic-but still!) I mean, the cashews are probably my favorite part, and the cauliflower is awesome too! So I think they should get a part in the name, but alas...since most people know it by this name I will keep it!

Alright, on to the actual recipe-I am a HUUUUGE fan of this amazing salad... but I pulled up the first recipe I found when I googled 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' and the nutritional stats were jaw-dropping! 1 serving had 447 calories and 33 grams of fat!!! :O I couldn't believe it, I mean I know salads aren't always the figure friendly food some people assume them to be but really... calling something a salad and then having over 400 calories in it?! That should be a felony somewhere!

So I set off to create something a bit more "Blissful" on the nutritional front-and not to brag, but Boy Oh Boy did I succeed! This salad really does have it all: crunch, sweetness, creamy, and just a hint of salty flavor... and the best part- not even 100 calories per serving (and believe me, it's a BIG serving!)

If that wasn't enough to get you to make this, it also has over 130% of you recommended intake of vitamin C, some fiber and a healthy dose of protein!

What are you waiting for?! Go make this delicious side dish!

and there ya have it! Simple, delicious and healthy... what more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

Dressing:

-1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

-1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

-1 TBSP. vinegar

-1 TBSP. Ranch dressing mix

Salad:

-6 cups broccoli/cauliflower (chopped)

-1/4 cup cashews

-1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl

2. Chop broccoli, cauliflower and cashews

3. Add chopped veggies, cashews and raisins to your bowl with dressing and stir to coat

4. Let refrigerate at least 2 hours for dressing's flavors to mature

~Makes 6 (GOOD sized) servings

Nutritional Info (about 1 cup)

Broccoli and Cheese Crepe (with ham!)

I am a HUGE fan (and I mean obsessively huge) of anything broccoli and cheese! I can't believe I ever hated that beautiful vegetable!

Broccoli is full of vitamins A, C, folic acid, calcium and fiber (just to name a few!). Research shows it can help control high blood pressure, prevent colon cancer, cataracts, heart disease... what am I doing? You all probably know all this and more-so I'll just get straight to the recipe!

This dish makes a great light dinner (or even a fancy brunch item!). It is full of protein to ward off hunger pangs for at least a few hours, and contains a wide varieties of colors (which is a clue to its wide variety of nutrients!)

Ingredients (serves 2) :
-1 batch of crepes
-4 ounces chopped (fully cooked) ham
-1 cup broccoli
-2 ounces Velveeta cheese (for a lower calorie and fat version make sure to use the Velveeta that is made with 2% milk)





Directions:
1. Chop and steam broccoli until it is tender-crisp
2. Chop ham into bite sized pieces
3. Drain broccoli and add your cheese
4. Melt in microwave, add ham
5. Make crepes according to recipe
6. Warm your cheese, broccoli and ham mixture again

7. Assemble crepe! You should have 4 crepes (if you followed my recipe for crepes), fill each crepe with 1/4 of mixture and fold over.

Optional: Reserve some of the cheese sauce to pour over crepes for a fancy touch :)

Nutritional Info: (1/2 of recipe)

Easy Peasey Cheesy Veggie Soup

Eat your veggies! I'm sure all parents have told this to their children more than once, and chances are the children did not listen. In fact, I'm sure many adults could benefit from a few more vegetables too. Why don't people eat enough vegetables? Well there is a simple answer, they don't taste good! But I have a simple solution for that! This recipe is full of vegetables, but they are so good that you don't even feel like you're eating 'healthy'

This soup is a hot meal that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and keep even the strictest diet on tract!

It is full of vitamins (especially vitamin C), protein, low in fat and carbs!

Makes 6 Servings~

Ingredients:
-3 cups vegetables (What I find the easiest is to use the frozen, pre-cut 'California Blend' - it has broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
-2 cans Cream of Cheddar Soup (Look for the 'heart healthy' kind, it has lower fat & sodium)
-1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
-3 ounces ham (chopped)

Directions:

1. Thaw (or steam, if fresh) your vegetables
2. Mix soup and milk in large microwavable bowl
3. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes
4. Add vegetables and ham
5. Microwave an additional 2-3 minutes
6. Serve and ENJOY! :)

Above: The soup served in a whole wheat bread bowl, the perfect way to round out this healthy meal! Another great addition would be to eat these with my Homemade Pita Chips! Delicious!

Nutritional Info: