Cooking With Friends: Recipes to Feed and Inspire

Four times a year, I get together with friends in my church kitchen and we cook, sharing healthy recipes. We laugh a little, do a lot of chopping and just enjoy being foodies. I always include several simple proteins and lots of veggies. Try something new. It's a lifestyle--it's gotta taste good!

Prepping the Artichokes for Mini Lasagna Cups

Here are the most recent recipes.

Turkey Meatballs                                 

2 lbs ground turkey

½ red onion finely chopped

5 green onions, finely chopped

1 egg

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp powdered ginger or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Black pepper

Red pepper flakes

2 tbs dried or fresh chopped cilantro

2 tbs soy sauce

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Shape into patties or use an ice cream scoop to form meatballs. Place in baking dish coated with cooking spray.

 Bake 350 until brown, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove meatballs from pan, leaving drippings behind.

Egg Casserole with Sweet Potatoes

Cooking spray

Olive oil

1 large sweet potato or yam, diced

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1½ pound lean turkey sausage

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cups chopped spinach,

or thawed and squeezed frozen spinach

10 eggs, whisked

½ teaspoon salt, pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×12 baking dish. Or spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

Toss diced sweet potatoes in 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Place sweet potatoes on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until soft. Or bake in microwave, 5 minutes each.

While sweet potatoes are cooking, place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add breakfast sausage and yellow onion. Cook until no pink remains in meat. (drain off fat)

Place meat mixture in baking dish or muffin tins or a 9 x 11 inch pan,  add sweet potatoes and spinach then add eggs along with salt and garlic powder and mix until well combined.

Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until eggs are set in the middle.

Egg Casserole Cups

Roasted Veggies:

Brush sliced cauliflower (or any veggie sliced in a uniform size) with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake 400 degrees until tender crisp.

--Sprinkle with parmesan cheese or toss with balsamic vinegar and real bacon bits

 

Roasted Veggies

Spinach Artichoke Mini Lasagnas

16 oz Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained

1 can water packed artichoke hearts

1 16 oz container fat free ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella

½ cup parmesan

1 large egg

3 tbs herb paste

1 jar low sugar pasta sauce 72 refrigerated wontons

Stir together spinach, artichoke hearts, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, egg, herb paste. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Press one wonton wrapper into each cup. Spoon 2 tbs cheese mix into each. Top with sauce, wrapper, cheese, wrapper, sauce—etc.

 Crimp top wrapper like a pie. Spread 1 tbs sauce over each and top with 1 cup mozzarella.  Wrap pan with foil.

Bake 10-12 min.  Adapted from Vegetarian Times Magazine /Nov 2014 

Veggie Lasagna Cups

Asian Salad

4 cups shredded napa cabbage or any greens

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup grated carrots

1 red bell pepper sliced thin

½ cup chopped mint

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup chopped peanuts

¼ cup lime juice

2 tsp Sriracha sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tbs Stevia

3 tbs fish sauce or low sodium soy sauce

1 tbs olive oil.

Combine all veggies in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in another bowl and whisk.  Just before serving, toss dressing into salad and top with peanuts. Serve with cooked shredded chicken for a complete meal. 

Citrus Salmon

Salmon, divided into 4 oz portions

½ cup orange juice

Juice of one lemon

One lemon, sliced thin

Spice rub or chili powder, cumin, salt , pepper and red pepper

Olive oil

Allow salmon to soak in orange juice for 20 mins

Remove from juice and place in oven safe dish. Brush with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with spices. Put  a single layer of lemons on top of fish.

Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 min. 

 

Salmon Tostadas

Spaghetti Squash Boats

2 spaghetti squash

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb chicken breasts

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp oregano

2 cups marinara sauce

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Poke squash with a fork and microwave it for 5 min. Remove. Repeat with the other squash. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes. Cut them open and scoop out seeds. Loosen strands with fork.

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat pan with a little olive oil. Put chicken in pan, add garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook chicken until pink color is gone.

Place chicken on squash halves.

Top with sauce, mozzarella  and parmesan. Bake at 350 for about 12-20 minutes. 

Prepping the Squash Boats