Enchiladas...Es bueno!

Sticking to my more veggies theme, tonight I went meatless! But no worries, I got my protein from beans and veggie crumbles! I really liked it - es bueno!

Saucy Enchiladas

3/4 cup fat-free refried black beans

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

4 (8 in.) flour tortillas

1 cup frozen burger style vegetable crumbles (I used Morning Star)

3/4 cup enchilada sauce

1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

low-fat sour cream (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the beans with taco seasoning. Spread each tortilla with 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture. Sprinkle veggie crumbles down the center of each tortilla and roll up tortilla. Arrange, seam sides down , in an 8" square backing dish. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. or until bubbly.

Source: Cooking Light

On the side I served a salad of baby spinach, orange sections, chopped cashews, and raspberry vinaigrette. Yum!

Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Trader Joe's? If not, well...I do. A few weeks ago while shopping at TJ's, I bought a pack of fresh Asian Stir Fry veggies in the produce department. Unfortunately, my week got crazy and I didn't get to use them right away. I tossed them in a freezer bag and into the freezer they went... until tonight! I pulled them out and rinsed them off and they were good as new. I also found a frozen chicken breast, frozen beef filet, and frozen fried rice. My freezer is a magical place! I thawed and sliced the beef and chicken and stir fried them first, separately.





Quick and Easy Stir Fry


Trader Joe's Asian Stir Fry Vegetables
Beef or Chicken (about 12 oz. total)
Salt & Pepper
Soy Sauce
Oil


Stir fry meat in a small amount of oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok until done. (Season with salt and pepper to taste.) Remove meat from skillet. Next stir fry veggies until crisp tender and add soy sauce while cooking. Serve with rice if desired.

Keep your baking soda handy!!!

So tonight I was preparing these yummy Chicken-Pepper Tostadas for dinner. Everything was going just swimmingly. Veggies and chicken were sauteed and I was toasting the corn tortillas under the broiler as directed... and then bam! The tostadas caught on fire...guess my broiler was set a little to high! Luckily I have baking soda handy, and after tossing a handful at the flames, my tortillas were extinguished. However, they were not salvageable. So I tossed a few more in the toaster, and voila! Crunchy little tortillas, flame-free!

Chicken-Pepper Tostadas

4 6 in. corn tortillas
cooking spray
12 oz. frozen pepper stir-fry
12 oz. chicken breast tenders, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat broiler. Place tortillas on baking sheet; lightly coat each tortilla with cooking spray. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp (or in my case, until your oven catches fire).

Place pepper stir-fry in a colander and rinse under cold water until thawed. Drain and pat dry.
Coat a large skilled with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat. Add peppers and saute for 4 min. Add chicken and seasonings and saute until done.

Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup of chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts. (or microwave for a few seconds if your oven is now covered in baking soda.)

Source: Cooking Light

Back in the day...

Back in the day of wonderful college years... I spent a summer waitressing at a wonderful little Mexican restaurant called Tortilla Flat. Unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer there, but the delicious food lives on! My favorite dish on the menu was Chipotle Chicken with Spinach in Cream Sauce served over rice. While this recipe isn't exactly how it was made at the restaurant, it tastes almost identical! It is also much faster to make this way, and is a quick and healthy dinner.

1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
10 ounces baby spinach, rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt to taste

Combine chopped chile peppers with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Mix together and spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste, cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Place marinated chicken in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish and broil for about 5 minutes (rack should be about 6 inches from the top.) Pour 1 cup sour cream around edges of chicken and turn over chicken breasts. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Sour cream should be lightly brown on the edges. Move breasts into a separate dish and cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Pour leftover broiled sour cream into a medium saucepan over high heat. Add spinach, broth and salt to taste. Boil for about 1 minute until all melted and mixed together. Pour mixture over chicken breasts and serve.

Serve over Spanish rice if desired.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I couldn't pass up a chance to make a Irish themed dinner! I love Ruben Sandwiches, so I had already put that on this week's menu, and thought why not make my own corned beef the day before. I found this very highly rated recipe and loved that it used a crock pot.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound baby carrots
3 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over the vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Source: allrecipes.com

Opa! Indeed!

I love Greek food, and when I saw this simple recipe for Chicken Gyros, I knew I had to try it. I love regular lamb gyros, but I'm short on lamb and a spit for the yard, so I figured a chicken breast substitution would be a little easier to prepare.

Chicken Gyros

1 lbs chicken breast

4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper

sliced tomatoes

sliced red onions

4 (pocketless) pitas

feta cheese

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the grill pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
Meanwhile, warm your pitas. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki (see recipe below), tomatoes, onions, and feta.

Tzatziki Sauce

16 oz. Fage Yogurt (or other plain yogurt)

1 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt & pepper

squeeze of fresh lemon juice
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Combine and allow to refridgerate for at least 30 min. before serving.

Source: Adapted from Ellysaysopa.com

Super Easy, Quick & Cheesy!

I was first introduced to this easy recipe by my friend Ali, back in the olden days of our downtown apartment living. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal!

Quick & Easy Quesadillas

6 Flour Tortillas
1 can diced tomatoes w/ chilies
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
1 lb cooked and diced chicken

Place cooked chicken in a large skillet and add can of tomatoes. Cook over medium high heat until the liquid has evaporated. Place tortilla in an oiled griddle over medium high heat and top with a thin layer of cheese, then cover half with a layer of the chicken & tomato mixture. Fold in half and cook on both sides for a minute or so until tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Mexican Addiction

My co-worker Beth and I are Mexican food addicts. We could probably be happy eating lunch at the little nearby Mexican restaurant everyday and be happy. My favorite lunch special there is the Acapulco Chicken. This isn't quite the same, but it is pretty good!

Chicken Acapulco Tortillas

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon chili powder, divided
salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large tomato, cut into chunks
10 drops hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup cream

Season chicken with 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute seasoned chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In same skillet, stir fry bell pepper and onion until soft. Add tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, hot pepper sauce and cream. Cook, stirring, for an additional 3 to 5 minutes; add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes more.


Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.

Source: Adapted from Women's Health

Happy Halloween!

This week I've been keeping up the Halloween spirit with some festive recipes. Any little ghoul or goblin is sure to gobble these recipes right up!

Crescent Mummy Dogs

1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
2 1/2 slices American cheese slices, quartered 10 large hot dogs
Cooking spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Crescent Rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Recipe Creations: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half). Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on 'face.'

Source: Allrecipes.com

Chicken Enchilada Mummies

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
3 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (12 oz)
2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce
12 flour tortillas (8 inch)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) and 8x8-inch (2-quart) baking dishes with cooking spray.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in cumin, garlic salt and oregano. Cook 1 minute longer; drain if necessary. Pour chicken mixture into large bowl.
Reserve 2 tablespoons sour cream in small bowl; refrigerate. Into bowl of chicken mixture, stir remaining sour cream, roasted peppers, chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese blend.
Spread heaping 3/4 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; arrange 8 seam-side down in 13x9-inch baking dish and 4 seam-side down in 8x8-inch baking dish.
Top each baking dish evenly with enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Spray 2 sheets of foil with cooking spray; cover each baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake about 50 minutes or until enchiladas are hot. Place reserved 2 tablespoons sour cream in Ziploc bag; cut off 1 corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe eyes and mouth on each mummy.

Source: Pillsbury Halloween Recipe Book

Easy & Cheesy

Here is another easy fast and flavorful recipe using similar ingredients as the one below. It is a great way to work veggies into your meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus a few whole leaves for garnish

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 dashes cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup julienned green bell pepper

2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 medium plum tomato, cored and diced (about 1/4 cup)

4 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together the oil, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt, garlic, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.

Transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet and arrange the green pepper, onion, and tomato over each. Roast until the largest piece is just cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from oven and immediately top with the cheese and serve as the cheese melts. Transfer the chicken to a platter or among plates and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Source: Adapted from Foodtv.com

Make yourself a Quesadilla!

This week I went searching for recipes that use similar ingredients, to minimize the groceries and likely hood of throwing out left over food. So here is one of the dishes I made and they were very tasty. Stay tuned for more recipes using similar items!

Fajita Quesadillas

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, julienned
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and garlic, and add to the hot oil. Next add the peppers and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add quesadillas and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until toasty and the cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and scallions, and serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Mucho Yummy!

I've been trying to cut back on the carbs lately, but sometimes that makes for a pretty boring diet. Not anymore! This is probably the most creative low carb dish I've ever made, and it was awesome. I didn't miss carbs at all! Even if you are eating carbs, you should try this dish anyway, it was delicious!

Low Carb Taco Bake

Crust

4 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping

1 lb ground beef
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For the crust, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream and seasoning. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the cheese over the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible.

Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.

For the topping, brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chilies. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with the toppings of your choice (add additional carbs).

Source: Recipezaar.com

Easy Asian Chicken

This is another Dinner Diva's recipe. It was selected from Cooking Light, and I've loved everything I've tried from CL, so I knew this would be great. The recipe suggests serving it over noodles, but I opted for rice because that is what I had on hand.

Orange Mandarin Chicken

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained
1/2 cup chopped green onions 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.While chicken cooks, drain oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Add oranges, 2 tablespoons liquid, onions, jalapeño, and garlic to pan. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Combine broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 6 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information CALORIES 212(16% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 27mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.2g; SODIUM 562mg; PROTEIN 27.2g; FIBER 0.7g

Back in the day...

In college, a bazillion years ago, I waitresses at a little Mexican place called Tortilla Flat. We had the best salsa! (don't ever get fresh salsa in your eye by the way) Most of the food was grilled and or vegan, so as Mexican restaurants go, this one was on the healthier side. One of my favorite dishes were the grilled chicken quesadillas. So tonight I replicated them the best I could, and they turned out great!

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

4 large flour tortillas
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 chicken breast, grilled & diced
2 cups shredded montery jack
sour cream
salsa

Grill chicken (I used a mesquite marinade) and dice. Place 2 tortillas on a cookie sheet (for easy transportation) Top each tortilla with half of the chicken, onion, tomato, and cheese and then top with the other tortillas. Grill the tortillas over medium high heat for about 3 minutes on both sides or until cheese is nice and gooey. Slice and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Goonies Never Say Die!

I love the Indianapolis Museum of Art. They have a lot of fun things to do that don't involve walking around looking at old paintings. One of which occurs every Friday night in the summer, weather permitting. The Summer-Nights Film Series always has a little something for everyone. This week's movie was Goonies. If you are a child who grew up in the 80's, as did most of my friends, I'm sure you've seen this movie. My friends Sara and Megan and I have been planning the outing to see Goonies since they announced it on the schedule. We thought we'd do a pirate theme, in honor of One-Eye'd Willy, and then also some Italian in honor of the Fratelli's. Unfortunately, due to storms late last night, the film itself was rained out, but we did get to go enjoy a lovely picnic on the museum grounds and watch some pre-movie entertainment. I was in charge of sandwich and drink, so here's what I took...

Fratelli Grinders

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup black olives, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 (1 pound) loaf round, crusty Italian bread
1/2 pound sliced deli turkey meat
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/4 pound sliced salami
1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
6 leaves lettuce
1 tomato, sliced

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic. Season with parsley, oregano and pepper. stir in olives and mushrooms. Set aside.
Cut the off top half of the bread. Scoop out the inside, and leave a 1/2 inch outside wall. Spoon 2/3 of the olive mixture into the bottom. Layer with turkey, ham, salami, mozzarella, lettuce and tomato. Pour remaining olive mixture on top, and replace the top half of bread. Wrap securely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Pirate Rum Punch

2 cups Malibu Tropical Banana flavored rum
1 dash grenadine syrup
2 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 large can (around 20 oz) crushed pineapple
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced into rounds

In a large punch bowl, prepare the orange juice according to package directions. Add the can of crushed pineapple. Stir in the rum, banana liqueur and Grenadine. Float slices of orange, lime and lemon on top.

Take a Chance on These...

Tonight a large group of friends & I are going to Conner Prairie for a picnic and to attend the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Symphony on the Prairie. Tonight's performance is an ABBA tribute, complete with a Swedish ABBA cover band. We are cheating in packing our picnic dinner with carry out from Dagwood's. I thought I should at least take something Swedish to celebrate, so I found this cookie recipe. They are great!

Chocolate Swedish Angel Crisps

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the shortening, sugars, and butter until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir into the sugar mixture.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Roll the balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Fresh Flavors

Tonight I decided to finally use up the can of pizza dough that has been lingering in the fridge. I thought I'd top it with some fresh summer flavors, and it came out great!



Crista's Pizza Mahgarita

Sauce:

14 oz. crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Saute onions until tender, add garlic and saute for a minute. Add in sauce and other seasonings.

Pizza:

Pre-made pizza dough
sauce (see recipe above)
8oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

Roll out dough on an oiled cookie sheet. Pre-bake crust at 425 for 8 minutes.

Spread sauce thinly over pizza. Add cheese and sprinkle with basil. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Double Take

As promised, I've re-vamped last nights leftovers into a tasty and healthy dinner! I need to try and do this more often, as it only took me 15 min to have dinner ready! Perhaps I'll have to try some of Robin Miller's menu plans in the near future, as she is always coming up with good ideas.




Fast Fajitas

Left over grilled chicken, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
tortillas
sour cream
salsa

Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Add onion, peppers, and seasonings and saute until veggies are tender. Add chicken and allow to heat through. Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.

Sauteed Corn & Green Beans

1 cup left over green beans
1 cup left over corn on the cob, taken off the cob :)
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, saute garlic for a minute or so. Add veggies and heat through.

Break out your Lederhosen!

To celebrate my German heritage, and also because Kroger was having a sale, I made a really tasty German style casserole. I was inspired by the Kroger Sales ad the other day. They were having one of their "dollar" sales, and I saw that both Polish sausage and sauerkraut were on sale for $1 each. Throw in a few cheap red potatoes and a few other pantry staples and you've got this entire dish for under $3!

Polish Sausage Bake

5 small potatoes, scrubbed and cubed with skin
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 pound polish sausage, sliced 3/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place potatoes into a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Once tender, drain potatoes, and mash with 2 tablespoons butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the drained sauerkraut into a casserole dish and top with sliced kielbasa. Spread with mashed potatoes and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Bake in preheated oven until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

It's All Greek to Me!

I love salad, but get kinda tired of your run of the mill lettuce based salad. This recipe had gotten rave reviews, had a ton of vegetables, and no lettuce what so ever. It was so good, I could eat it every day!

Greek Salad

3 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 European seedless cucumber, cut into bite-size chunks
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chunked
1 cup Kalamata black olives
Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, about 1/2 cup
1/4 pound light Greek feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and black pepper

Combine vegetables, olives, parsley, and feta in a large bowl. Combine oil, vinegar, and oregano in a small plastic container with a lid. Shake vigorously to combine oil and vinegar and pour over salad and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and let the salad marinate until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from Rachel Ray