Grape Salad

I am not a big fan of salad.  Sure, I'll scarf down that tiny little pile of lettuce slathered in Ranch dressing that they give you at the restaurant to placate you while they cook your steak, but traditional salad is not one of those things I could ever get excited about.  However, I do love the "salads" that have nothing in common with a Caesar or Cobb -- you know, the ones that are more like dessert!

This salad makes a half-hearted effort to be healthier by using light sour cream and low-fat cream cheese, but I definitely wouldn't call it health food by any means, but it is definitely good food, and super quick and easy!

Grape Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Serves 8

1 ½ lbs green seedless grapes
1 ½ lbs red seedless grapes
8 oz light sour cream
8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans

Remove stems from grapes and rinse. Beat sour cream, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla with mixer. Stir grapes into the mixture and place in a serving dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over top right before serving.

338 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

One of the most popular posts on this blog is my Cheesy Sausage Pot, which is an amazing Crock-Pot dish chock full of cheesy, sausage-y deliciousness. It's great when you need dinner to be ready as soon as you get home. But what if you forget to fill the Crock-Pot in the morning? Yeah, been there, done that. No worries, you can still have that amazing flavor in less that 30 minutes and with only one pot to wash! This recipe uses pasta instead of potatoes so it cooks up super quick and requires practically no prep time at all.  I got off work at 5 and was putting away the leftovers by 6!

Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 20 min
Serves 5

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.

601 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Microwave Acorn Squash

I was in the checkout line at WallyWorld last week and the cashier seemed totally blown away that I was buying acorn squash. "What is that?" she said.  "How do you cook it?"

"Uh, acorn squash," I replied, flabbergasted, "and you just microwave it."

It amazes me how many people are completely clueless when it comes to food prep. They miss out on so many great foods just because they don't know how to prepare them or aren't willing to try! As much as I love new and creative recipes, cooking does NOT need to be complicated. Most foods taste better without a whole lot of other stuff mucking them up anyway. This squash recipe is so simple and so delicious, yet how many people regularly serve acorn squash? Not a lot, I'm sure.  It's just as yummy as sweet potatoes and looks so beautiful on the plate. You could also bake these, but it takes a whole lot longer and doesn't taste that much different. Since it's still 90 degrees here in NC, I definitely prefer 15 minutes in the microwave over 75 minutes in the oven!

Microwave Acorn Squash

Cook time: 15 min
Serves 4

2 medium acorn squash
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbs honey

Place whole squash on a microwave-safe plate, microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Cut in half; remove seeds and strings. Cut a thin slice from bottom of squash with a sharp knife to allow it to sit flat. Wrap each squash half with plastic wrap.  Place squash, cut side down on, in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Turn squash over, unwrap and brush insides with butter mixture. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until squash is tender.  Drizzle with honey.

297 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Happy early Labor Day everybody! It has been FOREVER since my last blog post, but since I'm already 3 days into my 4 day weekend, I finally feel like I have some spare time to post a new recipe.  Actually, I was totally convinced that I had already posted this recipe like, eons ago because I've been making it for my family for years, but I searched through my whole backlist and couldn't find it, so I decided it was definitely time for me to share it.

This is a great summer recipe that was just perfect for the last true weekend of summer because it's fresh and fruity and tastes just like summer, plus it cooks on the grill which is totally obligatory on Labor Day weekend.

The prep for this meal is super simple and it cooks up really quick, but it does call for some marinating, so you have to plan ahead if you want to have this easy dinner.

If you prefer your meat between a bun, this also makes a great sandwich, but the extra carbs are definitely not necessary.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Prep time: 5 min (+ 8hrs marinating)
Cook time: 15 min
Serves 4

1 can (20 oz) sliced pineapple
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices provolone cheese

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; refrigerate pineapple. In a small bowl, combine teriyaki sauce and reserved pineapple juice. Pour 3/4 cup into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for basting.

Drain and discard the chicken marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, basting frequently with some of the reserved sauce.

Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, basting with remaining marinade. Top each piece of chicken with cheese and pineapple slices. Grill, covered, for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

322 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!