Strawberry Banana "Ice Cream"

I am thinking this is going to be my new favorite treat. Strawberry Banana "Ice Cream" !! Frozen banana. Frozen strawberry. Food processor (or blender). Dish. Spoon. Eat. Good!

Caramelilzed Onions in the Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions. Yup! Boom. These little gems are a wonderful topping for SOO many things. Steak, burgers, homemade grilled pizza. Use your imagination. Make a boatload and freeze small batches for later to add to soup, stew, whatever you like! And super easy so there is no excuse not to give this a try :)

Aioli

There was an interesting discussion on FB this morning about mayonnaise. Which prompted me to get off my butt and post an aioli recipe! Now, aioli is still a very fat- and calorie-laden condiment. However! It is a handful of simple, basic ingredients that pretty much everyone has in their kitchen. So that means there is NO excuse to buy that nasty-ass stuff at the store any more. Aioli can be made in the food processor, the blender or with a stick blender. You should have at least ONE of those tools in your kitchen arsenal. This is the recipe I use most often. Click HERE! It's smooth and delish and can be dressed up in a number of ways. You can leave out the garlic if you like. You an add a little Sriracha to spice it up. A little basil pesto makes for a very decadent spread for burgers. No matter what you do with it, you really don't need to use a lot, as it is SO much more flavorful than store-bought mayonnaise. Enjoy!

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

I was on the Harley pretty much all weekend so tonight I am catching up on my lunch prepping for the week. Thinking about what I have in the fridge that needed to be used up and what was in the cupboards/freezer that could go with what needed to be used up, I came up with...

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps! One pound or so of lean 93% ground beef. Add chopped onion while meat cooks if you like. Drain any fat from the meat when it is cooked through. Now! Normally I use my own spice mixes and marinades but I love to try new stuff, too. I found Guy Fieri's Korean BBQ Wing Sauce at Wally World the other day. Reading the label, it is pretty reasonable as far as ingredients, salt and sugar content, etc. So let's give this a try, shall we? I stirred in about 1/3 of the jar and added a little extra chopped fresh ginger. Simmer until the meat and sauce are warmed through. Serve on a whole lettuce leaf with shredded carrots and cabbage. For a final little bit of zing, drizzle on just a little bit of Annie Chung's Korean Sweet and Spicy. Be careful with this, though, as the salt and sugar can add up quickly using both the Guy Fieri sauce AND the Annie Chung sauce. Be sure to load up with the cabbage and carrots to help counteract the salt and sugar. Super simple! By all means, make your own cooking sauce if you have the time and inclination.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Dinner was just leftovers tonight. But still pretty good! We had stuffed bell peppers. So easy to make! And they freeze well so you can have a good supper when you don't want to cook. Start with three bell peppers. I like yellow, orange and red but you can certainly use green if you like. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Set aside. Brown about a pound of 93% lean ground beef. Add a small chopped onion to the meat while it cooks. Drain any fat after the meat is cooked. Add two tablespoons or so of homemade taco seasoning. You can use a package from the store if you like. I prefer to make my own spice mixes so I can control the salt. Add one can of black beans with jalapenos (drained) or a can of low-salt black beans (drained), which ever you prefer. Cook up one package of Success microwave brown rice, drain and add to the meat and beans. Add a teaspoon or so of Tabasco to the meat mixture. We like the smoky Tabasco. Stir all the ingredients to combine. Place the bell pepper halves on a baking sheet and scoop the filling into the peppers. Bake at 350 F until cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with just a little shredded sharp Cheddar, if desired. You could top with a small spoonful of plain low-fat Greek yogurt instead of cheese if you prefer. Pretty good stuff! One pepper half and a nice side salad makes a killer dinner.

Baked Chili Chicken

I really wanted some chicken for dinner so this is what I came up with!

A pound or so of chicken thighs. Pull the skin off and trim off any excess fat
One large or two small white onions, chopped
One red potato cubed (because I had one potato that needed to be used up)
Two or three garlic cloves, pressed (or a spoonful of jarred chopped garlic)
Some good quality chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste (I used Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning)

Spritz a little spray oil into a casserole dish. Add chopped onion, garlic and potato. Stir. Place chicken pieces on top of onions. Spoon chili powder on top of chicken and rub in. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Place lid on baking dish and place in 350 F oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then dig in!