Gnocchi with Onion Cream Sauce

I got a bottle of Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette as a gift yesterday. I didn't want it to just be used on salad, so I though it just might make a great pasta sauce. When I first typed Onion Cream Sauce I deleted it and tried to think of a better name because it sounds nasty. But that's what it is! And it's not nasty it's delicious. So I'm going to leave it at that and not worry about how it sounds. The gnocchi could easily stand alone as an entree but I served it as a side dish to a pan fried steak and roasted parmesan broccoli. So good! Enjoy!

Onion Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
4 Tbsp Onion Vinaigrette (or other thick dressing)

Mix ingredients to combine and refrigerate unless using immediately. Boil gnocchi and serve with heated sauce. I heated the sauce in the same pan used to cook the steaks. It gives the sauce a deeper, and in my case buttery flavor. Top the gnocchi with parmesan cheese. Eat it on it's own or make it a side dish, enjoy!

My Momma's Sausage Dip

Sadly I don't have a picture of this, as soon as I get one I'll put it up. My mom has made this for as long as I can remember. And it's a family favorite. Sounds strange at first sausge-dip. And yesterday when I served it at our housewarming party most people assumed it was chili. While it's not chili it's equally delicious. Once you try it you'll be hooked! This stuff is killer! Extremely simple and not many ingredients. It's a go to for any get together and can be made in giant batches to feed an army of guests. Serve with tortilla chips or dish out a heaping serving like my brother does and eat it with a spoon!

Ingredients:
1 package of good sausage (I like Jimmy Dean)
2 packages of cream cheese
1-2 cans of Rotel (most grocery stores carry this, it's diced tomatoes and green chile)

Directions:
Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Once sausage is cooked through add cream cheese on lower heat and melt. Once the cream cheese melts add a can of Rotel, if it's too thick add another can of rotel. Incorporate and keep on low heat or transfer to a crock pot to keep warm. YUM!

Paula Deen's Lady and Sons

Savannah is one of my favorite cities, and since we live less than three hours away, my husband and I travel there quite often. That also means that whenever we have company we take them down there. This week my family—mom, dad, and grandma—is visiting Georgia for Thanksgiving, so a drive down to Savannah was definitely in order.

Not only is Savannah absolutely gorgeous, but there is great history around every corner. And the food...oh, the food. It's so lip-smacking delicious that you almost wish your stomach never got full. Fresh fish, an open container policy where you can drink on the streets of Savannah, and yummy desserts await your taste buds.

When I asked my family if they wanted to visit Savannah  I could practically hear them jump up and down as they shouted, "YES!" over the phone. Then, the second thing they asked was if we could dine at Paula Deen's famous restaurant, Lady and Sons.

This summer I ate at Lady and Sons with my best friend, but we kind of cheated the system. The "rules" for eating there consist of this: There are no reservations. Instead, you have to stand in a line with other food lovers at 9:30 am and get your name on a list with a time to come back later in the day. But here's an insider's tip: If there are just a couple of you, skip the line and head over to the hostess' station in the afternoon for a late lunch or an early dinner and ask to sit at the bar. Sometimes they have openings at the bar and will let you waltz right on up there. This trick doesn't work every time, but if it does, you'll be feasting your teeth on fried and buttered food in no time.

Anyway, back to our trip this weekend. My husband and I showed up around 8:30 am (an hour before they start taking reservations) and were 20th in line. Not too shabby for it being the "off season." We put our name on the list for 1:30 pm and were told to show up just a tad before then to check in. We had just enough time to take a wonderful trolley tour of Savannah. I highly recommend taking this tour if your a first-timer to the city.

When we came back for our allotted lunch time, they wouldn't seat us until the whole party was present (my husband and I were parking the car...), but once we were all there we had an incredibly friendly waitress who explained that we could either order off the menu or opt for the buffet. Four of us had the buffet and my grandma ordered the "Poet's Lunch," a sandwich and cup of soup.

Before we even had drinks on our table, we were presented with a hoe cake—very similar to a pancake, but made with cornmeal—and a cheesy, garlicky roll—think Red Lobster style, only 10 times better. The majority of our group ordered the Southern favorite, sweet tea, that came with a sprig of mint.

 Then it was on to the buffet.

This is my second helping of food—hey, you only eat at Paula Deen's restaurant once, right? (Or twice in my case, but let's pretend it was just this once.) I should also mention that I did eat a plate of salad, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Their ranch dressing was pretty tasty, and their homemade croutons were crunchy and perfectly seasoned.

The fried chicken was moist, crunchy, not as greasy as I thought it'd be, and the baked chicken was less salty and more flavorful than I imagined, too. I heard someone at the next table over claim the fried chicken was, "the best fried chicken I've ever, ever had." I personally don't eat that much fried chicken, so it was good, but I don't know if I can claim that it was the best. It definitely tasted better than a fast-food fried chicken, though.

Next up was macaroni and cheese. This was just okay for me, but I've never been a huge mac and cheese fan. My favorite at Lady and Sons, though, is her collard greens. Oh my, they are phenomenal. I'm sure they're made with a pound of butter and enough salt to kill a man, but I don't really care. I would've had an entire plate full of them. YUM! Eating her collard greens has actually inspired me to attempt making my own.

Next on the plate above was rice, but I actually ended up scooting the rice away and replacing it with lima beans. Yes, lima beans that were also out of this world (and made with more butter and salt). I love how this place makes food that normally isn't a favorite vegetable into something I want to eat all the time.

Speaking of, there were BBQ short ribs on the buffet as well. I know this may sound crazy, but I'm not a huge fan of BBQ. However, this sauce was so tasty that we bought a jar of it in the store next door. I'm really excited use it.

After all this food you'd think I'd be unbuttoning my pants just so I could breathe a little better, but we still weren't finished. Up next was dessert. If you order the buffet, you have your choice of three desserts: Ooey, Gooey Butter Cake, Peach Cobbler, or Banana Puddin'. We, of coure, tried them all:

First up, the Gooey Butter Cake is definitely for chocolate lovers. Don't even attempt to eat this if you don't like chocolate. I did and regretted it, because it was so rich. The Peach Cobbler was very "eh" for me, but that could be because I like my husband's version a whole lot more. My favorite from the trip was the Banana Puddin'; it was just a perfect way to top off the meal, because it wasn't too sweet and actually felt a little lighter compared to everything else.

Paula Deen's definitely isn't for everyone. The food is fried, saturated in butter, and sometimes too heavily seasoned with salt, but you're really not going there for a five-star meal; if you're going to eat there you're going because you want to say that you've eaten there. If you do make your way to Savannah and dine with Paula, just remember one thing: leave enough time after your meal for a nap, because you're definitely going to fall into a food coma after devouring all of that food!

Mango Avocado Salsa

I made this recipe for the first time two weeks after I got married. I wanted tilapia for dinner (it's healthy) and my husband wanted something that didn't taste like tilapia, so he found this recipe and asked if I'd make it. Up until that point I had never tasted a "salsa" that included fruit as its main ingredient. Tomatoes, yes; mangos and avocados, heck no.

But let me tell you, it was love at first bite and we've made this countless times since. This salsa is creamy, crunch, spicy, sweet, and just a tad bit addicting—fair warning. Cook your tilpia with just a touch of seasoning (we like a dusting of lemon/garlic seasoning) and then pile the salsa on top. And if you have any salsa left over, just go ahead and eat it with a spoon! 

 Mango Avocado Salsa

Ingredients: 
1 cup avocado, cut in small chunks 
1 cup mango, cut in small chunks 
4 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 roma tomato
5 "deli" jalapenos diced (omit/tweak to taste)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of Paprika
Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Cover and leave in fridge for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors can all mingle together.

Fennel Pork Loin with Apple Cider Gravy

I always pick up a pork loin when I find it on sale and stash it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. I was really excited to find one hiding in the freezer when I came across a recipe for a roasted pork loin with fennel. And roasted vegetables are a perfect pairing for a cold fall night!

Ingredients:
3/4 pound carrots- I used baby carrots already peeled
3 cups broccoli florets
4 small red potatoes- cut like fries
1 medium red onion- cut in wedges
4 cloves of garlic
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
Olive Oil- to coat pan and baking sheet
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
Pork Tenderloin- 1 1/4 pound
2 Tbsp crushed fennel seeds
3/4 cup apple cider
2 tsp honey
Splash of dry white wine
1/4 cup of water
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large baking sheet toss carrots, broccoli, potatoes, onion, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp rosemary. Peel 4 cloves of garlic and toss in with veggies. Place in oven to roast while you prepare the pork.

Season the pork with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp rosemary, and coat with fennel seeds. In a large skillet heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium to high heat. Sear the pork turning to brown all sides 6-8 minutes. Transfer the pork onto the baking sheet with the vegetables. At this point if the veggies are about done take them off the baking sheet and put them aside. Roast the pork until cooked through and veggies are tender about 20 minutes (I like my potatoes crispy so I cook them a little longer). If you have a meat thermometer the pork is done when at 160 degree's. Always put the needle in the thickest part of the meat.

While the pork is roasting add cider, honey, wine, and water to skillet over medium heat and whisk to combine. Boil to reduce. If you want a more gravy like sauce add 1-2 Tbsp of flour. Once reduced by 1/2 turn heat to low and add 1 Tbsp butter to finish it off. When the pork is done let it rest outside of the oven for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the pork and veggies!!

Hearty Lasagna

If you're a fan of pasta, meat, tomatoes, lots of cheese, and a perfect blending of flavors, then you need to make this lasagna asap. True to its name, it's extremely filling and so flavorful you'll want to have seconds. I suggest making it in advance—in the morning/afternoon if you want it for dinner—because it only tastes better over time. But don't worry, if you eat it just after the 10-minute cooling mark, it will still taste great.

Hearty Lasagna

 (adapted) from Cooking Light

makes 12 servings (~6 WW points)

Ingredients

• 12  lasagna noodles
• 3/4  pound  ground round
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 chopped onion
• 5  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 ounces fresh mushroom, chopped or sliced
• 1/4  cup chopped fresh parsley (or basil), divided
• 1  (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, and chopped
• 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1  (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1  (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon  dried basil
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 2  cups  nonfat cottage cheese
• 1/2  cup  (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1  (15-ounce) container nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1  egg white, lightly beaten
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Italian provolone cheese
• Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

 

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cook lasagna noodles for half the amount of time called for. Meanwhile, cook meat and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a large saucepan over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble; drain; set aside. Wipe pan with paper towel. Coat pan with cooking spray; add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Return meat to pan. Add 2 tablespoons parsley (or basil) and next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Uncover; simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons parsley (or basil), cottage cheese, and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir well; set aside.

Spread 3/4 cup tomato mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over tomato mixture; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, 2 1/4 cups tomato mixture, and 2/3 cup provolone. Repeat layers, ending with noodles; spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles.

Cover; bake at 350° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining provolone; bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano, if desired.

Turkey & Bean Chili

It is down right cold here in Albuquerque (at least for today) and that means it's time for cold weather food! When I woke up this morning and saw the overcast sky and couldn't feel my toes I had to make Chili!! We eat alot of turkey here in the Torres household and I've been really wanting to make chili with ground turkey vs. beef. YUM!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil- to coat pan
1/2 onion- diced small
4 cloves of garlic- minced
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Parsley
2 Tbsp Oregano
2 tsp chili powder
3 dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Chicken Broth (or water)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 small cans of diced tomatoes (or 1 large can)
1 can kidney beans
1 can navy beans
1 Tbsp corn meal (or flour)
Salt and Pepper- to taste
Low Fat Sour Cream- garnish
Reduced fat cheddar- garnish

Directions:
This can either be made in a stock pot or in a slow cooker. I had alot of time on my hands today so I used the crock pot. Turn the heat on high and coat the pot with olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onions start to carmelize. Add ground turkey. I used taco seasoned turkey, it has alot of the flavors that I want in chili already in the meat! If you can't find seasoned meat you might want to add extra chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Add cumin, oregano, parsley, chili powder, salt and pepper. Once the meat is browned add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, and chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil. Once at a good boil add rinsed beans. At this point if the chili is too thin add corn meal to thicken. Lower the heat and let sit to thicken. I really like it after about 1/2 an hour. This is a fairly low cal dish, and to keep it that way top with low fat sour cream and cheese- ENJOY!!