Southwestern Style Pork Chops

This meal is easy as a wink to prepare, warm and filling, oh and did I mention delicious?!  One chop was a little tough (I can’t figure out why) but the rest just pulled apart with our forks. 

Southwestern Style Pork Chops

• 6 pork chops, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 15-ounce can chili beans
• 1-1/4 cups salsa (I’d recommend a fresher salsa for this recipe  since the sauce will only be as good as the salsa you pick)
• 1 cup whole kernel corn

Place chops in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add chili beans and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. During the last hour of cooking time stir in corn. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

Kim’s note:  This is a lactose-free meal, cheese and sour cream are only an add-on for those who want it.

Swiss Pork Chops (slow cooker)

Here's some comfort food at its best:

I recommend to lessen the number of potatoes in the pot and make mashed potatoes on the side.  We eat the fresh mashed potatoes with dinner, then send the roasted ones with Hubby to work as leftovers.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

• 1.5 lbs pork chops, trimmed of fat
• pepper
• 2 medium red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces (or more if not doing mashed potatoes)
• 1.5 c. baby carrots
• 1 med onion, cut into wedges
• 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
• 2 packets pork gravy mix
• 1 c. cold water
• mashed potatoes, if desired

Layer potatoes, onion and pork in your slow cooker. Sprinkle chops with pepper.  Add tomatoes.  Mix up one packet of gravy with 1 cup cold water and pour into crock pot.  Top everything with the baby carrots.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until pork and vegetables are tender. I did 5 hours on low, then one more hour on high with great results.

Kim’s notes:  If you want to serve this meal with mashed potatoes, then make them near the end of your cooking time.  Use the second packet of gravy for serving, or add liquid from the slow cooker to the package gravy and and then thicken it.

Never thickened your own gravy? It’s easy as can be – add 1/4 c. of flour to 1 c. of water, shake until combined, or if you don’t have a shaker of some sort you can use a wire whisk to get the clumps out.  Add just a little of the flour mixture at a time to your gravy so that you don’t over thicken it.  Be sure to taste the gravy along the way so that you don’t over flour it or so that you can add spices/pepper if desired.

French Dips (Slow Cooker)

French Dips have always been one of my Hubby's favorite sandwiches, so when I saw this recipe that was so easy & delicious looking I just had to give it a go.

I even made fresh rolls with my French Bread recipe and the results were INCREDIBLE!  As I prepared things I tasted the meat & thought "Uh oh, bland." Then I tried the sauce and thought, "Uh oh, is that right?" Then we put them all together and it sang.

We ate it so fast we didn't even get a picture. : )


French Dips (Slow Cooker) - from blogchef.net

• 1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
• ½ cup soy sauce (I used light, low sodium)
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 onion, quartered, 2 handfuls baby carrots, 3 stalks celery
• Bread for serving - I used this recipe to make 8 buns

Cooking Instructions:

Remove any visible fat from the roast and discard the fat. Place the roast into a slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, beef bouillon cube, bay leaf, black peppers corns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the roast. Add enough water to almost over the roast. Add any vegetables if you desire. Cover and cook in the slow cooker for 10 hours* on low heat until the roast is very tender. (*Know your cooker! Mine was done in 8 hours, maybe less.)

Remove the roast from the broth (reserving the broth). Shred the roast with two forks.  Set aside.

Remove broth from slow cooker and strain - the finer mesh the better! I strained mine right into a sauce pan and let it simmer on low until time to serve. Discard veggies, or eat them as sides - I chopped my onion and put it back in with the meat to serve.  Put meat with a few ladles of liquid back in the slow cooker and keep it on warm until time to serve.  Stuff your bread with meat and serve with broth for dipping.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

This is a dish that I tried way back when my son was new and made cooking difficult. The prep can be done the night before, and the few ingredients come together fast for a busy family chef, but the flavor makes the dish seem like lots of work. It is on our line-up of regular dishes, as well as a fun one to share at pot lucks.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken*

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed of gristle
• 1 package (reduced sodium) taco seasoning
• 1 c. fresh salsa
• 1 can (reduced fat) cream of mushroom soup

After trimming chicken, place the breast pieces in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning (you don’t need to use the whole package, about half will dust the chicken well enough and you can save the rest for something else). Add the salsa and cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 6 hours. Before serving, mix all of the ingredients well and shred chicken pieces with a spoon and fork. Serve over rice.

Kim’s Notes:
*This is another recipe that I would absolutely recommend a fresh and flavorful salsa for. The stuff in jars and the fresh salsas that just taste like tomatoes just don’t deliver. It doesn’t have to be spicy, just flavorful.
* This recipe lends well to add-in’s. I will often add a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) with about a half a cup of corn during the last half hour of cooking, and it blends right in with no alterations to the original recipe.
* Even though the recipe says to serve it over rice, Jay and I have found that it also makes an awesome taco salad. Put over a bed of lettuce, rice, chips, beans, and top with cheese, tomatoes, or whatever you like – it’s incredible.

Wonder Bars

Wonder Bars, a classic treat from my childhood.  They are a wonder, because they are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – homemade style.  They are wonderfully tasty, but also wonderfully fattening, so proceed with caution.

Wonder Bars

• 3/4 c. margarine or butter
• 1 3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed (11 crackers)
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 16oz. milk chocolate chips

Melt margarine, add peanut butter and mix. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar to butter mixture then blend well. Pad “dough” into a 13×9 in pan. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Spread on top of PB mixture. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the chocolate set.

Kim’s tips:  Doing half of this recipe in an 8×8 square pan is great for smaller families.  Also, if you choose to chill your wonder bars to help the chocolate set faster, let them come back up to room temp before cutting them so that the chocolate doesn’t crack.

Ultimate Bean Burritos

This next recipe really surprised me and Jay. It was super easy, super tasty, and super filling. This one is definitely going to stick in our house!

Ultimate Bean Burritos (from Blogchef.net)

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 c. cooked rice
• 1 c. salsa (for this a flavorful but saucier salsa is best)
• shredded cheddar cheese (I used about a cup, but use as much as you like, or none at all for a lactose-free version)
• 8-10 flour tortillas (depending on size and how full you stuff them)

Toppings: sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion, whatever you like in Mexican food

In a large bowl combine refried beans, salsa, and rice. Mix well. Put a line of cheddar cheese along the center of each tortilla, top cheese with about 1/3 c. of bean mixture, then fold so that all tortilla edges tuck under. Place folded burrito in a lightly greased (spray worked perfectly to prevent sticking) casserole dish. Once all burritos are finished and placed, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until warmed through. Top burritos with favorite Mexican toppings.

Orange Peanut Sauce

Great served over steamed or stir fried veggies with rice. Use edamame for protien or try with a meat.

Orange Peanut Sauce (adapted from Whole Foods)

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons raw cashew butter or almond butter
1 teaspoon liquid aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 clove garlic

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.

Orange BBQ Pulled Chicken

This recipe can be served over rice or in a bun.  It's not a favorite of mine, but it does add some variety from normal BBQ dishes.

Orange BBQ Pulled Chicken (adapted from Sparkrecipes)

• 5 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of gristle and fat
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 c. Orange Marmalade
• 1 c. favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/4 c. + 1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce

Put chicken breasts in a bag or tupperware with the powdered ginger and shake until coated.  Put the chicken into your slow cooker.  Mix the remaining ingredients, then pour over chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked.  Remove chicken from pot, use a fine strainer to clean sauce if desired. Shred chicken and return to slow cooker, mix with sauce.  Keep on warm setting until ready to serve.

Serve over rice or on buns.

Mexican Filling

Awhile back I found a recipe for an enchilada casserole – you know the kind; layers of filling, layers of corn tortillas.  The only thing is, I really dislike corn tortillas. I dunno, it’s something to do with their texture that gives me the heebie jeebies.

But, I wanted to eat the filling… oh it sounded delightful, decadent, delicious…

So I made it, the filling only, and made tacos instead.  They were a hit!  This recipe is a perfect blend of flavors that can lend itself to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads – the possibilities are nearly endless!
The moral of the story: Don’t ever be afraid to take recipes apart and make them your own – you may find a real gem!

Mexican Filling

• ½ pound lean ground beef or turkey
• about ¾ c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers
• ½ c. water
• 2 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro, if desired

Sauté beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned, drain.  Add all other ingredients to fry pan and cook together until most of the water has evaporated.

Serve as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads, or however you wish.

Lasagna Mix Up (or Beef Mozzarella Bake)

This recipe is a major crowd pleaser that I’ve taken from my mom. I bring it to gatherings, pot lucks, and people that need dinners and it always gets great reviews. This one is a staple around our house and is great for Italian flavor without breaking the bank on special ingredients.

Lasagna Mix Up

• 1 lb. lean hamburger
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
• 2 c. shredded moz. cheese
• 2c. uncooked pasta (I usually use penne, bow ties, elbow, corkscrew, or a combination)

Cook pasta according to package instructions to an al dente firmness. Meanwhile, brown hamburger meat and drain excess fat. In a 13×9 in baking dish combine the spaghetti sauce and cream of mushroom soup until well blended together. Add hamburger and 1 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until evenly dispersed. Drain pasta and add to the sauce/meat mixture a little at a time until the dish is full and everything is well coated in sauce. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until edges are bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice

To go with Cafe Rio Pork, enjoy!

Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice

• 2 cup rice, either long grain or basmati
• 4 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 Tbs lime juice
• 1 Tbs butter/margarine
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a pot & add all seasonings & cilantro. Add rice & cook over medium heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add stock & lime juice return to simmer, turn to heat to low. Cover & cook about 30 minutes.

Kim's note - these instructions came with the original recipe, but I just threw everything in my rice cooker (using only 2.5 cups of broth as per my cooker) and it came out great.

Green Chile Coconut Curry

Green Chile Chicken Curry

• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 1 (4 oz) can green chiles
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 c onion thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 2 Tbs chopped cilantro
• 2-3 c cooked rice

Trim chicken and cut into pieces (whatever size you want). Saute chicken and onion together until chicken is no longer pink.  While that’s cooking whisk together coconut milk, green chiles, curry, cumin, water, and corn starch in a bowl. Add this mixture to the chicken and let boil uncovered until sauce reaches desired thickness. Serve over rice with chopped cilantro as garnish.

Kim's notes: Vegetables such as carrots and red potatoes add into this recipe really easily and are delicious!  If you decided to add them in, I suggest pre-steaming the veggies in the microwave so that they are soft enough without having to simmer for a long time.

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

In my house, if I suggest that we have fruit as a side dish I usually get met with dull, bored stares.  But when I threw this little treat together I had both of my guys scraping the bowl for every last drop.  The thinner Oreo crackers really soak in the moisture from the cool whip and become a smooth chocolate – delicious!

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

• 3-4 c. fresh fruit cut to bite size pieces
• Light Cool Whip
• 1 – 100 calorie package Oreo snacks (these are the Oreos that are more like crackers)

Put all fruit in large mixing bowl.  Add cool whip until everything is just coated.  Crush Oreo crackers into crumbs of all sizes and mix in to salad.  Chill until time to serve.

*Kim’s notes:  For my salad I used 1 apple, 2 bananas, and 1 mango, but you could use any fruit based on your family’s preferences.  Can be served as a dessert or side.  Also, if you aren’t trying to be calorie conscious, another fun way to make this salad is replacing the Oreo crackers with chopped Snicker’s bar.
Happy Cooking!

Easy Curry

I’ve had two roommates in my life that have been missionaries to Japan.  Though they didn’t serve in the same place, they both came home with one unifying passion: Curry!  Sporadically throughout the school year we would host curry parties at our apt.  We’d break out the HUGE rice cooker, the biggest stew pot that we could find, and dish this up for anyone who wanted some with the specially set aside “Curry Spoon” (it used to be white, but with all the curry scooping the ladle part changed to a lovely shade of yellow, thus dictating its status as the Curry Spoon so that no other utensils would have to go through its same fate).

Anyway this meal is filling, delicious, a step away from ordinary, and EASY!  It’s so easy that I’m having Jay make it for us this week while I’m laid up.  The ticket for success, the key ingredient, is this stuff:

It can be found in any grocery store in the Asian food section, usually on or near the top shelf.  I always recommend getting the medium-hot.  Jay has no tolerance for spice, but he eats this with no problems.  We tried the mild once, but it had no flavor.  As my Grandpa would say, “It was like sticking your tongue out the window.” Trust me on this, medium-hot, the green label.

Easy Curry

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (can use steak or seafood also, check box for recommendations and amounts)
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 4 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes (don’t peel)
• 2 c. baby carrots, chunked
• water
• Golden Curry sauce mix, med-hot

Cut up potatoes and carrots first.  Put them in a microwave safe bowl with about ¼ c. water, cover loosely with saran wrap, then microwave them until just starting to soften – about 10  minutes, then test them and add more time as needed.  By softening the veggies first you cut down your simmering time by a TON! It’s really worth it.

While the veggies are steaming, sauté the onion and chicken in a little cooking spray in the bottom of a large stew pot.  Once the onions have softened and the chicken is cooked through, add the potatoes and carrots.  Now fill the stew pot with water until everything is just about covered.  Chunk up the curry block and add to water.  Bring to a boil and stir, helping the curry to dissolve.  Reduce heat, but continue to boil the curry until it reaches the consistency that you want and the veggies are as soft as you want.  Serve over rice.

Happy Cooking!

Crust-Less Dinner Quiche

This is one dinner that I made just to get outside the norm, but with low expectations for the final result.  Boy was I wrong!  This was delicious, easy, and a healthier alternative to buttery quiche.  I’m already plotting to make it again, but to do a few switch-a-roos to make it Mexican or a Cheddar Broccoli version.


Crust-less Dinner Quiche

• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Herb blend
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
• 1/2 cup heart-healthy reduced-fat biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

Brown meat and onion in a frying pan.  When the meat is about half done use a cheese grater to shred the zucchini into the frying pan, stirring until mixed together.  Once meat and veggies have cooked through, drain excess fat and liquid.  Mix Italian herbs and pepper into the meat and veggie mixture.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Dump meat and veggie mixture into the pie plate, then top with cheeses.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, eggs, and biscuit mix.  Pour batter into pie plate trying to disperse it evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serving size = 1/6 of pie.  Calories per serving: 239  Fat per serving: 11 grams.
Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Lasagna

This is a super easy way to get real lasagna without the heat from an oven, or big pots of boiling water.

Crock Pot Lasagna

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
• 2 c. cottage cheese
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 6 regular lasagna noodles – UNCOOKED
• 1/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended. Line crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine). Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Kim’s Special Note: If you noticed the plastic lining in the pictures, that is a Reynold’s crock pot liner. You cook your meal in it just like normal, but then after serving the bag removes for virtually no clean up. If you want to try them, they are at the grocery store near the foils. I’m addicted to these things!

Crock Pot Stroganoff

This is a super easy crock-pot meal that really shocked me. I never liked stroganoff growing up, but with very few ingredients this recipe packs an amazing flavor that we love.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

• 1-2 lbs. Lean beef stew meat
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups egg noodles

Salt and pepper stew meat and place in crock pot. Cover w/ chopped onion. Mix Worcestershire, mushroom soup, and water and pour over meat. Cook on low setting of crock pot for 6-8 hours.

For the last 15 to 20 minutes add cream cheese. Meanwhile, boil egg noodles. Stir finished stroganoff until sauce is well blended and serve over top of the egg noodles.

Happy Cooking!

Cake Batter Cookies

My hometown BFF introduced me to these gems while I was on bed rest for my first pregnancy. Take any flavor of cake mix, add a few simple ingredients, use some imagination for flair and BOOM, you’ve got delicious, super soft, homemade cookies.

I’ve done these cookies as triple chocolate, chocolate peanut butter chip, chocolate mint chip, cinnamon sugar, and even pumpkin chocolate chip! I think my favorite though would have to be lemon cookies with a powdered sugar dusting.


Cake Batter Cookies

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil, natural applesauce, or a combination of the two

Mix all ingredients together, add whatever your heart desires, then bake at 350 until done (about 11 minutes in my oven).

*Some tips – when not using oil, you should lightly grease your cookie sheet or use parchment paper to avoid sticking. I  make sure I have a very hard, thin plastic spatula and I remove the cookies promptly.  I’m usually not a stickler for brands, but they do turn out best with Super Moist cake mix and not the generics.

An example of possible variations: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip [Cake Batter] Cookies

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, they are typically sold side by side)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. canola oil, applesauce, or a combo of both (I’ll fill my measuring cup most of the way up with natural applesauce, then just top it off with the oil – you can cut the oil completely, but I find that it adds a little extra weight and moisture to the cookies.)
• 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a big bowl – I find that a hand mixer works well for this, but by hand gets the job done too.  Once blended and lumps are out of batter, fold in chocolate chips.  If not using oil, spray your cookie sheets before scooping dough to prevent sticking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.
Happy Cooking!

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Years ago, Hubby, my oldest brother and I crashed a wedding.  It’s not that we wanted to be rude, it’s just that my other brother was going to be in the same state as us for this wedding with his girlfriend (who is now my sister in law), and we desperately wanted to see him.  When that family heard that we were on our way, they cleared out some extra table room at the reception and even let us stay with them over night.  The next day before leaving town the mom of the family offered me some of this Broccoli Slaw salad and I instantly fell in love.

It was so sublime, I thought for sure that she must have spent ages working on it, but when I asked for the recipe she laughed and told me it was just 4 ready-to-use ingredients from the store.

Since then I’ve healthified it a touch and made it for lots of potlucks and parties, always with great reviews.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

• 1 bag broccoli slaw (can be found in your grocer’s produce section near the bagged salad mixes)
• dried cranberries
• sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. poppy seed dressing
• 1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese

The amounts of the ingredients really depends on your tastes.  I usually use about a 1/4 c. almonds and 1/3 c. cranberries (well broken apart since they tend to stick together), but as with all salads you can use as much or as little as you like.  Combine the dressing and cottage cheese in a small bowl until evenly mixed, then pour over salad ingredients until coated.  Refrigerate until time to serve, but use promptly.

*Kim’s note:  I’m not one to usually get wrapped up in brands, but the very best poppy seed dressing I have found is Briannas.  It is however very, very fattening which is why I dilute it with the cottage cheese.  The flavor is strong enough to carry through, but the fat and calories are greatly reduced.

Black Bean Chili (with a hidden veggie)

Black Bean Chili – can you spot the hidden veggie? 

I shredded carrots into the mix! : )  The overall flavor is a sweet tang, but if you want to bring up the heat you can add hot sauce.

My personal fav is to serve chili over baked potatoes, mmm!

Black Bean Chili

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup fresh salsa (I recommend the kinds found in the produce section)
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 10 baby carrots, shredded to tiny pieces

Cook meat with onion and carrots in a large pot, drain fat. Add all other ingredients, stirring until combined.  Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

*Add hot sauce for more kick if that’s what you go for in chili.