Philly Steak Stroganoff

Well, it's been a while.  It's been summer, what can I say?  Between trying to soak up as much time at the pool, and still managing all of our summer activities, it's been quite a flurry of crazy in our house. It's hard for me to believe that we've already completed our first week of school for the new year, and we are embarking on our second.  My kids are real troopers, though, and are working hard to get done each day early enough to still hit the pool and make it to our evening activities.

I'm trying to recommit to my Trim Healthy Mama ways.  It's a great plan, but I've been a BAAAD BAAAD girl all summer, and my waistline has shown me just how bad.  I weighed myself this morning and I was horrified!

Well...they say to begin with "S" days, or "Satisfying" Days.  Well, let me just tell you, my dinner was definitely SATISFYING!

Philly Steak Stroganoff
1 1/2 - 2 lbs THIN sliced sirloin beef (I used the steak slices in our meat section NOT STEAKUMM!), cut into thin strips
10 oz Cremini Mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
Small Onion, diced
Small Green Pepper, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
2 Tsp Herb-Ox Beef Granules (not an on plan ingredient!  You can use beef broth, but changes consistency)
1/2 Cup dry red wine (not a sweet wine, I used a Shiraz/Malbec blend)
2 Cups Heavy Cream
Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

In a large wok heat about a tbs of olive oil on medium heat, sauté onions and peppers, after 3 minutes, add the mushrooms.  Continue to cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have cooked down.  Add beef granules and red wine.  Cook until the wine is reduced down by at least half.  Place veggie mixture in a bowl, return pan to medium heat.

Once pan has reheated, add another tablespoon of olive oil.  Add beef and sautè until no longer pink.  Add garlic.  Cook until the beef is cooked through and any liquid that formed has cooked off.

Add veggies (and the juice from sitting!) back into the pan with the beef and garlic.  Add heavy cream.  Stir around the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes at a good simmer.

I served this over Zoodles (well, spiralized Zucchini noodles that I lightly sautéd in a hot pan with a scant tsp of olive oil).  Only cook them for a very short amount of time, you want them to be a bit soft but still have texture.

I'm very satisfied over here!

Cappello's Gluten Free Pasta - A Review

I know, I know, where have I been, why haven't I been cooking?  I have been, just not much new, etc. Been doing a lot of Trim Healthy Mama recipes that are not my own.  Occasionally, I break from my diet and do something uncharacteristically decadent and naughty!  (For my THM friends, these should ONLY be used in an E setting, not an S setting at all!  LOL :) )

A while back, I read in a magazine about a new product line that specialized in fresh pasta.  Capello's.  There is Lasagna Sheets, Gnocchi and Fettuccini. Luckily, I live near a Wegman's and was able to purchase them fairly easily and not have to order them online.  They were very pricey, in store they were $8.99 - which to my amazement is cheaper than they are online!  And definitely not something I'm going to use on a daily basis, or even a weekly basis, maybe even not on a monthly basis.  An occasional treat, yep, sure will.

I made a lasagna for my husband and son, two of the pasta lovers in my house.  I believe my son eats some sort of pasta every day. I did the normal meat sauce/ricotta/mozzarella layering with the sheets and baked.  They were delicious, not gummy and wonderful.  I was able to make two regular lasagnas in bread pans.  I also had enough to make a vegetable lasagna in a bread pan.  This leads me to conclude that you'd be able to do a 9 X 13 pan fairly easily.  I also had a few small segments of sheets left that I used to make a few cannolini's out of with some left over vegetable filling.

All, very, very delicious.  I definitely recommend highly!

Black Bean Chili (THM E)

The weather in PA has been confusing to say the least.  Of course, this is rather normal around here.  One day it's hot, the next freezing.  And potholes are totally in bloom OUCH!  Our schedules are actually busier than normal and it's getting crazy.  Usually by Spring I'm ready to put away the crockpot and move on with fun spring menus.  This year, not so much.  Continuing to rely on the crockpot as I'm often out of the house during normal "dinner prep" hours...running kids to their evening activities.

Yesterday, I combined my recipe for black beans with some extra seasonings and some chicken and it turned out to be a very delicious black bean chili.  Will comment, I added ONE CUP of frozen organic non-gmo sweet corn.  I do corn is SERIOUS moderation, as in, 1 meal every couple of months as it's not purely on THM plan.  For the non-THMer, feel free to add more if you see fit.  Also, I love Tastefully Simple products, Onion Onion, Garlic Garlic and Seasoned Salt are my go-to products.  Worth every penny.  I'm listing in the recipe just as dried minced onion/garlic and seasoned salt, but do yourselves a favor and check into Tastefully Simple, you won't regret it!


Black Bean Chili (THM E)
1 1/2 lbs ground chicken breast*
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed*
2 cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Cup frozen corn
1 Tbs dried minced onion
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 - 2 Tbs Ground Cumin (to your preference)
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (or to your heat preference)
Salt to taste

*you can use all ground chicken (increase to 2 lbs) or use 2 lbs of cubed boneless skinless chicken breast

Layer all ingredients into a 5 to 6 quart crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours - adjust seasonings to your preference.

I liked served with 0% greek yogurt and a tiny sprinkling of 2% Cheese (small enough that you remain in an E setting).

ENJOY!!!

Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (THM E)

Where've I been?  Here.  Buried under mountains of laundry, loads of dust and piles of paperwork.  Life has been a little crazy.  Three homeschooling kids, with lots of activities, I barely have time to breathe, let alone cook.

Newfound desire to cook more often, and Trim Healthy Mama are inspiring me.  Tonight, we're having stuffed peppers.  Usually, you use beef, and rice, and all sorts of things that just are not, well, healthy.  Definitely warm and comforting, but...not good for a waistline you're trying to decrease.

Hubby & I sketched out a menu for the week this week, based on our schedule, and the kids' schedules.  Tonight's meal must be a crock-pot meal, or it will not be done at all.  One kid at classes, taking two others on a field trip, then rushing home to take MIL to a doctors appointment means that I have to have it in the crockpot before I leave for the field trip.

We decided on Stuffed Peppers.  I'm making it THM-friendly so I don't have to be off-plan for dinner! :)  Patting self on back.

Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

4 medium-sized Peppers (I used a combination of Green, Orange & Red), cut in half and seeded
1 1/2 lbs. of Ground Chicken Breast
1 1/2 Cups COOKED Tri-Color Quinoa (I like Ancient Grains Brand)
2 Tbs. Dried Minced Onion, divided
2 tsp. Dried Minced Garlic, divided
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt, divided
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (make sure there's no sugar in there!!!)

In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken breast, cooked quinoa, 1 Tbs minced onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp season salt and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning.  Mix well to combine ingredients.

Place a scoop of the chicken mixture into each of the halves of pepper - I like to overstuff a little bit - I know, I know, I shouldn't....but I mound it in there and create a dome on top!

Pour about 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes in the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart crockpot.  Place as many peppers in one layer as you can, cover each tomato with a little sauce, add the rest of the peppers.  Pour the remaining tomato sauce over all of it.  Sprinkle in the remaining 1 Tbs minced onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp season salt and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning.

Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Enjoy!!!!

*sorry no picture - my family DEVOURED it too quickly!!!