Mexican Spaghetti Sauce

Mexican Spaghetti Sau

March 2010

Don't remember anything about it, but I must have made it.

BBQ ribs

8 Easy Crockpot Recipes: BBQ ribs
from www.mommysfabulousfinds.com

Crock-Pot BBQ Spareribs

 

Ingredients

• 2lbs of pork ribs
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1½ Tbsp seasoned salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white vinegar

Instructions

1. Place pork ribs in gallon sized ziplock. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl and pour over ribs. Seal bag and place in freezer. Thaw over night in fridge. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

***

Made this for dinner. It was super easy. I added a squirt of mustard to my sauce. I trimmed the fat before cooking but I still ended up with a lot of grease which diluted the BBQ sauce. One of my favorite meals my mom makes is BBQ ribs. She does it in the oven by cooking the ribs, then adding the sauce and heating through. I think next time I'd rather go that route b/c I can pour the grease out before adding the sauce.

Jared liked them but Aaron did not.

Beef, Eggplant & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Beef, eggplant & quinoa stuffed peppers
from http://cleananddelicious.com

Beef, Eggplant, & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

YIELD: 10 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 40 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

Ingredients:

• 5 bell peppers
• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1-3 tsp Red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 1/3-cup fresh chopped parsley
• 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350

Halve and seed the bell peppers.  Lay the peppers in single file on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for twenty minutes.

In the meantime, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan and add in ground beef along with some salt and pepper.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat and cook for about five minutes or until the meat as browned.  Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the remainder of the olive oil into the pan along with the onions, and garlic.  Cook for about three minutes before stirring in the eggplant, red pepper flakes, and another kiss of salt and pepper.  Cook until the all of the veggies are soft and tender (this will take about ten or fifteen minutes).  If the pan seems dry add a splash of water.

Add the tomato paste and water to the veggies and stir until all the veggies have been coated with the tomatoes.  Add the beef back to the pan along with the quinoa and adjust the seasonings.  Shut off the heat and stir in the parsley.

Stuff each pepper with about a half-cup of beef and quinoa filling (or as much as it takes to fill the pepper).  Pop the peppers back into the oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.  Remove from the oven and top each pepper with one tablespoon of cheese and then finish them in the oven for another five minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional Analysis

Nutrients per 1/2 pepper: Calories: 205; Total Fat: 10.7g; Saturated Fat: 3.3g; Cholesterol: 36mg; Carbohydrate: 15.7g; Dietary Fiber: 3.5g; Sugars: 2.7g; Protein: 13.9g

*****

Discovered this recipe after Jared googled eggplant for me. We've had quite the stash of them from the CSA and though I've decided I really like their taste, I didn't know what to do with them. We found Dani Spies' video Eggplant 101 and then went to her website and found this recipe. We also got a bunch of bell peppers so it was killing two birds with one stone. Maybe it was b/c the boys were really hungry, but everyone really liked it! I only used three peppers since it was just the three of us (and the last time I made stuffed peppers there were a lot of leftovers I had to eat) and froze the remaining stuffing for future use. 

Easy Hamburger Soup & Herb Quick Bread update

It has been so cold here the last few days I wanted soup for dinner. For some reason a barley soup was calling me. I remembered I had a recipe on the blog so that is what I went with: Easy Hamburger Soup. Man it is so good! Last time I had made it with turkey because that was what I had but wished I'd had beef. This time I had the beef. Even Aaron said he liked the meat (which is saying quite a lot). He probably would have finished the entire thing if we weren't pressed for time. I didn't have celery but it didn't need it. I added a kale leaf too. I probably should have added more though. So delicious!!

This is a great soup for a bread. I went with my Herb Quick Bread but wanted something cheesy too so I just added a cup of cheese to the dry mix. Since I have been more calorie conscious I used 1 3/4 c whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 c all purpose flour instead of 3 c. all purpose flour. And like last time, I subbed Italian seasoning and basil for the caraway seeds.

Today I had them for lunch - even better the next day. I decided I actually prefer crackers to the bread in my soup, but the bread is really good with cream cheese on it! (Thanks to Aaron for discovering that tidbit!)

Burrito Pita Pockets

Burrito Pita Pockets
published in Light & Tasty June/July 2006, p53

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 envelope burrito seasoning
1 cup water
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 pita breads (6 inches), halved
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in burrito seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in olives.
Fill pita bread halves with beef mixture, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 filled pita half equals 375 calories, 15 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 1,108 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 32 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch.

****
Made May 3rd. Well, pita pockets certainly are a different version of burritos. I think they made it a lot easier on the boys because the filling wasn't falling out the whole time they were trying to eat. I couldn't find burrito seasoning packets, so I just used taco seasoning. I also substituted the beef for ground turkey because that was what was defrosted.

Easy Hamburger Soup

Easy Hamburger Soup
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p28

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 cup water
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
10 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water. Add celery and carrots.

Place peppercorns on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to beef mixture. Stir in thyme and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Return to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes. Discard spice bag. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 227 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 762 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

***
Made May 2nd along with Herb Quick Bread. We had a cold front blow through so I took the opportunity to make one of the soups on my list. I used ground turkey instead of the beef because I found it on sale and needed to use it or get it in the freezer. It is so much easier to use it when I don't have to defrost it! The soup was good, but I think I would have preferred to have the flavor of real beef in this instance.

The recipe calls for quick cook barley but I have the regular barley in my pantry. So, the hour and a half cook time was slashed to just an hour. Instead of cooking the vegetables and then adding the barley, I simply added the barley along with the vegetables and voila! It was ready a lot sooner making this quick and easy in my book!

Matthew really liked this soup because it reminded him of a soup his mom would make growing up.

Maple Orange Roast

Maple Orange Roast
published in Light & Tasty October/November 2006, p26

Ingredients

1 beef rump roast or bottom round roast (3 pounds)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar-free maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into large chunks
5 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown roast on all sides; drain. Place in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray.

In the same skillet, combine the orange juice, syrup, wine or broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, orange peel, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently; pour over meat.

Place the potatoes, carrots, celery and onions around roast. Cover and bake at 325° for 3 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat and vegetables; keep warm. Pour pan juices into a measuring cup. Discard bay leaf and skim fat. Pour into a small saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with pot roast and vegetables. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3 ounces cooked beef with 3/4 cup vegetables and 2 tablespoons gravy equals 335 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 102 mg cholesterol, 264 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 36 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 starch.
*******
Made April 3rd: It is pretty traditional for my mom to cook a roast on Sunday - especially if she has company. I used this to my advantage to try this recipe out. She provided the roast while I prepared the entree.

The roast was so tender and sweet from the orange juice. The vegetables had a sweet flavor to them as well. It was really delicious and a nice change to the usual plain roast with ketchup. Although, ketchup wasn't bad with this one either :)

Orange Beef Stir-Fry

Orange Beef Stir-Fry 5 pts/6 servings (3/4 c. serving)
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p38

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
4 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 egg white
1 beef flank steak (1 pound), cut into thin slices
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups hot cooked long grain rice

Directions

In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce until smooth. Add egg white and beat until blended. Add beef and toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine remaining cornstarch with water until smooth. Add the orange juice concentrate, ketchup, orange peel, hoisin sauce and remaining sugar and soy sauce; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry beef mixture in hot oil for 2-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir orange juice mixture and stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup beef mixture with 1/2 cup rice equals 390 calories, 13 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 48 mg cholesterol, 725 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 fat.

*************
Made March 8, 2011. I didn't use the grated orange peel, so I'm not sure if the orange flavor would be stronger if I had. The dish was pretty good, but not spectacular. I'm not sure I cut the steak in the correct direction. I took the easy way and cut it long-ways because it was nice and folded, but maybe I should have cut it along the width of the stead instead. The meat was a little bit tough.

The 5 points I calculated do not include the rice.

Ground Beef Potpie

Ground Beef Potpie
published in Light & Tasty February/March 2006, p43

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 medium onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups finely chopped carrots
2 cups mashed potatoes (without added milk and butter)
1/4 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onions and carrots over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Stir in the potatoes, broth and seasonings. Spoon into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate.

Place pastry over filling; crimp edges to seal. Cut slits in top. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 piece equals 358 calories, 15 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 539 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 18 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat, 2 fat, 1 vegetable.

********
Made March 1st: I have been wanting to make this recipe for weeks now, and I finally made it the day I went to Wicked, so I didn't get to eat it fresh from the oven. Matthew's first comment was about how good the crust was. He was disappointed to learn that it's just the store brand refrigerated pie crust. His second comment was asking if there was sage in it. He thought that flavor was a little overwhelming at first. I finally got some last night for leftovers. It is a delicious crust! I really liked this dish and plan on making it again.

I ended up using ground turkey instead of beef and potato pearls instead of real mashed potatoes.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie, 7 points/8 servings
Spaghetti Pie published in Light & Tasty February/March 2006, p31

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup canned Hunt’s® Original Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, garlic powder, sugar and pepper; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti, butter, egg whites and Parmesan cheese. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Top with cottage cheese and beef mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 piece equals 348 calories, 10 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 690 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 29 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

***********
Made Feb 25, 2011. This was a pretty quick and easy dish to put together. Everyone really enjoyed it - even Aaron. Matthew said he wasn't too sure about it when he came home and smelled it (probably the bell peppers), but really liked it in the end.

I substituted ground turkey for the beef, put only a TB of bell peppers, and added basil to the seasoning mix. I didn't put the cottage cheese or meat all the way to the end of the "crust", so the exposed spaghetti was hard. I didn't mind it, but someone who would care should make sure to spread the topping over all the spaghetti instead of leaving it like a pizza crust.

This ia a hefty meal at 7 points for 8 pie slices.

Slow Cooked Sirloin (crockpot)

Slow Cooked Sirloin
Ingredients

1 beef top sirloin steak (1-1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Progresso ® Beef Broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown beef on both sides. Place onion and green pepper in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with beef. Combine the broth, Worcestershire sauce, dill, thyme, pepper and pepper flakes; pour over beef. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Remove beef and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook about 30 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Return beef to the slow cooker; heat through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 199 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 305 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

*******
October 18, 2010 - The picture does not do this justice. I took it as an afer-thought.

I was really impressed with this dish. The meat was so tender and the flavor was great. Matthew didn't even complain about the bell peppers! I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans. I don't make gravy very often, so I thought the juice would go well with the potatoes. It did. A-1 sauce was a really great addition to the meat too.

I did substitute the sirloin with striploin because that was what I had in my freezer.

Breaded Ravioli

Breaded Ravioli

Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) frozen beef ravioli
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt-free Italian herb seasoning
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

ITALIAN SALSA:
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 medium green pepper, quartered
1/2 small red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and let stand for 10 minutes. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasoning. In another shallow bowl, pour dressing. Dip ravioli into dressing, then coat with crumb mixture.

Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat ravioli with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the salsa ingredients. Pulse for 15-20 seconds. Serve ravioli with salsa. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 5 ravioli with 1/3 cup salsa equals 262 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 924 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Sept 21, 2010 - I think I was the only one who really liked these. The salsa that goes with it tasted similar to a marinara sauce. We had a lot of the sauce leftover, and I think I used it to make pizza at some point.

In the cookbook, the ravioli are darker and much more crispy looking. With the way our oven works mine didn't quite make that status, so the picture shows them lighter than ideal.

Family Pleasing Sloppy Joes

Family Pleasing Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 sandwich buns, split

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender.

Stir in the sugar, flour and pepper. Add the ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve on buns. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 sandwich equals 388 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 969 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3-1/2 starch, 2 lean meat.

Made on Sept 15, 2010. I used venison instead of turkey because that is what I had in my freezer. I really enjoyed these. Sloppy joes are one of those meals that everyone makes differently. I LOVE my mom's and it is always a treat to have them. So, I wasn't sure how these would fare, but I found myself craving them every day since then. We'd ate them on bread with cheese on top. YUM!

Berry Barbecued Pork Roast

Berry Barbecued Pork Roast 6 pts for 3 oz and 1/4 c. sauce

Ingredients
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Place with fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 10-12 minutes or until cranberries pop and sauce is thickened.

Brush some of the sauce over roast. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°, brushing often with sauce. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 3 ounces cooked pork with 1/4 cup sauce equals 262 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1/2 fruit.

****
Made May 9th. Because Matthew does not care for pork, I substituted beef eye of round roast for the porkloin. I also cooked it in the crockpot. If you follow the link to the recipe, the picture is nothing like what mine turned out to look like, but it was still pretty delicious!!

For cooking in the crockpot: I trimmed the fat, set the roast in the crockpot, and sprinkled the salt and pepper as directed. Then in a separate container I mixed the OJ, BBQ and sugar; poured it over the meat into the crockpot and topped the roast with the cranberries. I cooked it on low for 8 hours. The roast was really tender and by the time I remembered I needed to take a picture and moved it to the loaf pan, it was falling apart.

I would like to try to make it again following the actual directions to see what difference it makes.

I served this with mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and california blend vegetables with cheese sauce. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Curry

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Curry 5 pts for 2/3 c. mix plus points for rice

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked rice, optional
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

Increase heat to high. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring once.

Serve over rice if desired. Sprinkle with raisins and coconut. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup curry mixture with 1-1/2 teaspoons each raisins and coconut, calculated without rice) equals 235 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 341 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 25 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fruit.

****
Made May 5th. I enjoyed this recipe though there was a bit of bite to it. We couldn't pinpoint what exactly was causing the spice. I used a mix of pork loin and venison stew meat, so it could have been the way the venison was cured.

Mexican Spaghetti Sauce

Mexican Spaghetti Sauce 4 pts 10 servings (3/4 c. sauce)

Made April 27th. I was afraid this sauce would end up being too spicey for the children, but they actually liked it and there wasn't too much of a bite. I did hold back on the salsa and only put like 1/4 c. in (I ran out). I think that some grated cheddar cheese on top would make a really great addition to the flavor and help tone down the spice if one thought it had too much bite.

Other variation from the recipe - I didn't rinse the meat with the hot water. I have never even heard of doing that before, plus there was so little grease that I didn't even need to drain it (I happened to use venison).

While putting the sauce together, I was a little concerned about how far the sauce would stretch. The recipe says it would yield 10 servings (which is why I made it), but I wasn't convinced. Once I added the meat though I was glad I reused the big pot I cooked the noodles in. There is no doubt it would serve a large group.

I am curious how the flavors will set over night and look forward to the leftovers!

Three Step Taco Salad

Three Step Taco Salad 4 pts for 1 1/2 c.

Made April 19th

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs LT02, 116, 9 pts (plus rice)

Ingredients

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 egg
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 teaspoons canola oil
2 large green peppers
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice (discarding remaining juice or save for another use). Set the juice and pineapple aside. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 40 meatballs.

In a nonstick skillet, brown meatballs in oil; drain. Cut green peppers into chunks. Add broth, peppers and reserved pineapple to meatballs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the vinegar, soy sauce and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Add to meatball mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rice. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3/4 cup meatball mixture with 3/4 cup rice) equals 456 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 58 mg cholesterol, 755 mg sodium, 66 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 23 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 vegetable, 1 fat.

*******
Made March 19th. This is a high point meal! As written, the recipe is worth 10 points. However, as I made it, it is worth 9 points for 8 servings. I used the Great Value brand meatballs instead of making my own and did not include the rice in point calculation because I only actually ate 1/2 c. of rice.

Because I used frozen pre-cooked meatballs, I just picked up the directions from "in a nonstick skillet..." and skipped cooking the meatballs. I just started adding the ingredients together. I left the peppers out because Matthew really doesn't care for them and I used red ones just the other day for the Asparagus Cashew Stir Fry. I thought I'd be nice and give him a break! lol

Once again Aaron wouldn't eat the meal, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I served it with california blend vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix) with mozz cheese and the Asian Peanut Salad.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup LT04, 40, 4 pts

Made on Feb 11th. I happened to have exactly the 4 cups of V8 sitting in my fridge which is one of the reasons I chose this recipe. This tasted similar to a crockpot taco soup I like, but it was so much quicker. I added a can of kidney beans and a can of corn to give it so more umph. Matthew said it made it seem more like a chili though. We all really liked it. Definitely a keeper!