Cheesy Black Bean Nachos (meatless)

This dish is fun, quick, and delish!! It's a great way to use up your pantry's beans and canned tomatoes.
(serves 4)

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, and rinsed well
1 can (14&1/2 oz.) fire-roasted* diced tomatoes, well drained
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced, or pickled* jalapeno slices
4 cups multigrain tortilla chips
1 cup shredded cheddar, 4 shredded Mexican*,  or pepper Jack* cheese
Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced black olives, and sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix beans, tomatoes, and jalapenos in a large bowl. Arrange chips in an even layer on a rimmed* 15x10x1" baking sheet. Top with the bean mixture and the cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-12 min. Serve immediately with toppings as desired.

"In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold onto in this world is each other."

Love,

MM

Apple-Swiss Turkey Sammies

"Honey mustard adds a sweet tang to this hearty concoction. Apple slices, Swiss cheese, cucumber, and turkey are layered between slices of nutritious multigrain bread."
(makes 4 sandwiches)

2 med. Honeycrisp* or Granny Smith* apples, thinly sliced and brushed with lemon juice*
8 slices multigrain bread, toasted
3 T. honey mustard
8 oz. thinly sliced mesquite* smoked*, or black pepper* turkey with no nitrites* or nitraits*
1/2 cup thinly sliced Persian* cucumber
8 sliced baby* or aged* Swiss cheese

Lightly spread one side of the toasted bread slices with the mustard. Layer half of the toasts with turkey, cucumber, cheese, and apples; top with remaining toasts. I would serve Lay's Potato Chips*, and baby carrots* with these.

"If you have zest and enthusiasm, you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in hand." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Love,

MM

Pizza Meat Loaf Cups (fast fix/freeze it)

You can easily fix and freeze these moist little meat loaves packed with pizza flavor. They're great to reheat for an after-school snack or quick dinner on soccer night. Serve extra pizza sauce for drizzling on top.
(makes 6 servings)

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1&1/2 lbs. ground beef
1&1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Additional pizza sauce and torn* basil leaves, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix 1st 4 ingredients. Add ground beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Divide into 12 portions; press each onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup. Add cheese to centers. Bake until meat is cooked through, 15-18 min. If desired, top with additional sauce and basil leaves before serving.

"When we believe that God is good, we can learn to open our hands to others."

Love,

MM

Ground Chicken Bolognese on Zoodles

I saw this one in the paper this morning. Here is the quote: "This simple, saucy dish is among celebrity fitness trainer Bob Harper's favorite go-to's. Adapted from his new book, The Super Carb Diet, it uses one of the fav. kitchen tools - a spiralizer - to make zucchini noodles as a healthy sub for pasta". Again, if you see an asterisk*, it denotes changes or suggestions I have made.
(serves 4)

1 T. EVOO, plus 2 t., divided
2 t. minced garlic
1 med. organic* carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 sweet* onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground chicken
1&1/2 cups crushed San Marzano* tomatoes
2 t. minced fresh basil, plus some hand torn pieces for garnish
1 t. minced fresh oregano
Kosher* salt
Freshly* ground black pepper
2 lb. spiralized zucchini

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med.-high. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and onion. Saute 5 min. or until tender. Add the chicken; cook 4 min. or until chicken is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomatoes, minced basil, and oregano; simmer 3 min. Season to taste with S&P. Scrape chicken mixture in a bowl; cover to keep warm. Wipe out pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over med.-high. Add the zoodles; sauté 1 min. or until heated through. Season to taste with S&P. Divide zoodles among 4 plates or bowls. Top evenly with chicken mixture. Garnish with torn basil.

"Don't try to force-fit today into yesterday's mold. Instead, ask Jesus to open your eyes so you can find all that He has prepared for you in this precious day of Life."

Love,

MM

Sausage and Spinach Calzones (Fast Fix)

These calzones are perfect for quick meals - or even midnight snacking!
(serves 4)

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
3 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed*
Flour for work surface
A couple of sprinkles of crystallized* lemon*
1 tube (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Italian* seasoning*, to taste
1/4 t. freshly* ground black pepper
Warm pizza sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, cook and crumble the sausage over med. heat until no longer pink, 4-6 min.; drain. Add baby spinach; cook and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. On a lightly floured surface, unroll and pat the dough into a 15x11" rectangle. Cut into four rectangles. Sprinkle mozzarella on one half of each rectangle to within 1" of edges. Stir ricotta and pepper into sausage mixture; spoon over mozzarella; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold dough over filling; seal edges with a fork. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake calzones until light golden brown, 10-15 min. Serve with warm pizza sauce, if desired.

"Immediate action guards against compromise."

Have FUN today!!!!

Love,

Chef Machete Milletti
                                 

Salmon Salad with Celery and Walnuts on Rustic Whole-Grain Toast (Cholesterol Friendly)

Pull off an omega-3 hat trick in one meal: The nuts add a type of the fatty acid that helps reduce levels of bad cholesterol, while salmon raises the good kind with 2 other versions of the fat.
(serves 4)

3/4 cup red onion, sliced, divided
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus 2 T., divided
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 T. golden raisins, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup small curd* cottage cheese
5 oz. wild-caught* cooked salmon, flaked (2 cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices rusting whole-grain toast
Mixed greens
Drizzle of EVOO

Stir together 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/2 t. kosher salt. Let stand for 30 min. In a separate bowl, toss together raisins, celery and walnuts with the cottage cheese and 2 T. lemon juice. Fold in the salmon; season to taste with S&P. Serve on toast topped with mixed greens, more onion, and a drizzle of olive oil.

"Let us be bold as we witness for God."

Happy Friday, Friends!!

Love,

MM

Sausage, Greens, and Beans Pasta = YUM

The genius of this dish is in the contrast of the textures and flavors. If spicy isn't your thing, sub in any fresh sausage you like.
(serves 4)

1/3 cup EVOO
2 sprigs rosemary
8 oz. spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained rinsed well*, drained, and patted dry
1/4 cup dry white wine
12 oz. paccheri, rigatoni, or other large tubular pasta
Pasta cooking liquid
Kosher salt
8 cups lightly packed torn escarole, kale, or Swiss chard leaves
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 T. unsalted butter

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over med.-high heat. Fry rosemary, turning, until crisp, about 2 min. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add sausage to same pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8-10 min. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add chickpeas to pot and cook, tossing occasionally and mashing some chickpeas with spoon, until brown in spots, about 5 min. Transfer about half of the chickpeas to the plate with the sausage. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 min. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 min. less than package directions. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer past to pot with chickpeas and add chosen greens and 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Cook tossing often, until greens are wilted, pasta is al dente, and sauce is thickened, about 4 min. Add another 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add 1/2 cup cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Thin with more pasta cooking liquid if needed. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed. Add butter and toss to combine, then mix in reserved sausage and chickpeas. Divide pasta among bowls. Crumble rosemary over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Add a splash of cider vinegar* or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice*, if desired. I would serve this with a wedge of iceberg lettuce*, and some warm garlic bread*.

"God will show us how to serve Him wherever we are."

Love,

MM