Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Greetings, all! Long time no see!

I haven't had a lot of time to make any new recipes or even to experiment with any gems found on the internet, so unfortunately, my recipes are spreading further and further apart. That being said, last weekend, I had a craving for the ultimate in comfort food - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sweet peas. Growing up, the only time we ever ate sweet peas was with meatloaf and mashed potatoes and I really can't eat them any other way. They just don't seem to go with any meal as well as with that power combination.

I tried a recipe that I found on the Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe site called Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Now, you all know about my obsession with all things cream cheese so I figured I would give these a try. They came out really well and I felt all domesticated peeling potatoes and finally getting to use my potato masher.  There's nothing quite like smashing things by hand. It's quite therapeutic actually. (LOL)  Well, this recipe resulted in a delicious blend of cream cheesy goodness that just gave my mashed potatoes that extra oomph. I loved it and will definitely be adding this to the regular rotation.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS
2-3 lbs baking potatoes - peeled and coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic - minced
8 oz cream cheese - softened
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sea salt


DIRECTIONS

1. After peeling, chopping, and washing potatoes, boil with garlic in large saucepan for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Drain well and return to pot.
3. Cut cream cheese block into squares and add to potatoes.
4. Mash ingredients together well.
5. Stir in butter and salt until well blended and enjoy!

This was a shot of my hubby's plate for the full meal. Just click on the link for my Southern Meatloaf recipe.

What are y'all having for Sunday dinner?

Try this recipe and let me know if you like it as much as we did!

~Peace and blessings!~

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Hey mon! Tonight was my first time cooking from the beautiful island of Jamaica and let me tell you, the food was wonderful!

So, we decided to have the fam over for dinner.  I spent half of last week sick with a horrible sinus infection and while at home bored out of my mind, I spent a lot of time on YouTube.

So that's where the idea of having a Jamaican night came from, YouTube! LOL
When our guests arrived, they were greeted by the soothing music of Bob Marley playing in the background and the tantalizing aroma of good food cooking from the kitchen.

I made Jamaican Brown Stewed Chicken, Rice and Peas, and Steamed Cabbage.
Today's recipe will detail the Jamaican Rice & Peas that was inspired by a couple of different videos.  The two main ones can be found here at at ReelStreetTV and here at Irie Kitchen.  I used the ease of the cans of kidney beans found at the ReelStreetTV channel with the seasoning from Irie Kitchen.  Apparently, in Jamaica rice and peas is really made with kidney beans! There are no actual peas in the recipe, so just accept that that's the way it is down there and that's the name of the dish.
LOL!

The dish was really good with the Brown Stew Chicken and gravy over it. The whole fam loved it and I hope you do too!

 INGREDIENTS
2 cups white rice - rinsed
2 cans kidney beans - rinsed and drained
6 oz. block of coconut cream
small onion - chopped (OR 3 scallions (green onions) - chopped)
2-3 cloves of garlic - minced
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper - whole (optional)


DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse the kidney beans well and place in large stock pot.
2. Cover beans with 4 cups of water.  Bring to boil.
3. When water is boiling, add the block of coconut cream.  Stir occasionally to melt the block.
4. When block has melted, water should appear cloudy.  Add the remaining ingredients (rice, onions, garlic, thyme, salt, black pepper, and Scotch Bonnet.

[*NOTE:  Be sure to leave the Scotch Bonnet pepper whole! Do not cut or crush!]

    5.  Cook according to your rice package directions, adding more water if necessary.

* I added another 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot before topping with a lid and allowing to steam on low heat...

    6.  After the rice has finished cooking, remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
    7.  Remove thyme stems and Scotch Bonnet pepper from pot, stir well, and enjoy!

I'm gonna get to see this beach one day...

Sauteed Summer Squash

One of the biggest draws to our new home was that the owner had a small garden out front.  In this garden, she planted tomatoes, collard greens, green beans, squash, and strawberries.  Since we didn't move in until the middle of June, we got a big surprise when we got the keys the day before move in. Apparently, the lawn man that the real estate agent hired to maintain the yard COMPLETELY mowed down the garden I was looking forward to harvesting. I was so ridiculously disappointed.  I even called my mama to tell her that the stupid yard man mowed down my veggies! I mean, who does that? (shaking my head)

We've had quite a few rainy days around here recently, so I wasn't surprised to find that the strawberries bounced back.  They really are quite resilient if you think about it.  We also saw what we thought were weeds growing in the garden now that the vegetable plants were destroyed.  Imagine our surprise when hubby came home from work the other day to say, "Uhh, babe, I think we've got some squash out front."
Huh???  Really???  Let me see!!!

Check it out! In the midst of the weeds growing in what was once a beautiful little garden, we had a squash plant to survive the mower too!  We had 1 medium-sized squash and 1 granddaddy squash out front!  I was so excited, we picked them immediately and I got ready to saute those bad boys up right away.  I'm not sure why I was so excited since I'm not really a squash eater, but hubby is and I will look for ANY REASON to find a new recipe online.  So, off to Google I went to find an easy recipe that I could whip up in a jiffy. :-)
The original recipe that I found can be found here, but you know I didn't follow it exactly, right? It just wouldn't be "Kesha's Kreations" if I did...

So anyway, here is my version with just a few modifications to it. Let me know if you try it and what you think.  Being a non-squash eater, I thought it came out really good (much better than the 1st time I tried to make yellow squash) and the recipe was easy.  You can't beat that with a stick!

INGREDIENTS
2-3 medium sized yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onions
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp sugar (optional - to taste)
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
1.  Wash and chop yellow squash.
2.  In medium-sized skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
3.  Add chopped onions & squash to skillet.
4.  Add sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well.
5.  Add water to skillet. Cover with lid and let steam for approximately 3 minutes.
6.  Remove lid and stir. Allow water to cook off, stirring often.
7.  When water has cooked off, squash should be tender.
8.  Enjoy!

Hubby's Plate...

Baked chicken tenders, northern beans and cornbread and sauteed yellow squash...

(He gave it 2 thumbs up!)

Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Potato Latkes

So, while lying in bed being a bum on this wonderful day 3 of my 3-day weekend (thanks, Dr. King!), I had the ridiculous craving for some eggs and potato latkes from Honey's, one of our go-to place for breakfast here in Philly.  Then, I thought, man, I need to wash my hair, finish the laundry, etc etc. and I just didn't feel like starting my day at that exact moment and time. So, you know what I did, right? I hopped on google and started looking for a recipe.  Actually, I looked on Pinterest first (feel free to follow me at KeshaB623 - I know, shameless plug, right?) So anyway, I found a couple of recipes to try.  This is the one I really wanted to try for Oven-Fried Potato Latkes, but I was already hungry and didn't feel like waiting for anything to bake in the oven. I'll probably try that method next time...

Y'all know me, I look for any kind of shortcut that I can find.  Instead of actually rinsing, peeling, and grating 3 large russet potatoes, I looked in the freezer, saw that I had some shredded hash browns, defrosted those puppies, and we were ready to rock and roll.  I didn't take pictures of the actual steps (again, did I mention how hungry I was???) so you'll have to make due with the after pictures.  I'll do better next time.
Hubby just informed me that latkes are a Jewish holiday dish, so hey, I made my first Jewish dish motivated by sheer laziness.  They came out good, so how they started doesn't really bother me all that much as long as they taste great.  Here's the recipe, let me know if you try it and what you think!

INGREDIENTS
Approx 1/2 bag of shredded hash browns - thawed
1 cup onions - chopped
2 large eggs - lightly beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp black pepper (optional)
cooking oil (approx 1 cup)

DIRECTIONS
1.  If needed, defrost frozen hash browns in microwave until thawed.
2.  Add onions and eggs to hash browns, stir well to incorporate.
3.  Add flour, salt, and pepper.  Stir again.
4.  In large skillet, heat cooking oil until it is about 360 degrees.
5.  Measure out 1/4 cup of potato mixture and place carefully in skillet.  Flatten with back of spoon.
6.  Repeat until there are 4-5 patties in the pan being sure to not crowd the skillet.

7.  Fry the patties for about 4-5 minutes on each side until they are nicely browned.
8.  Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain.
9.  Serve and enjoy!

We like ours with sour cream and ketchup but a lot of people eat their potato latkes with apple sauce. 

Either way, enjoy!

 

Breakfast is served! Yumm...

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

So Thursday nights are my late nights at work.  I don't get off until 7pm.  I sent my hubby a text around 5:30 or so asking him if he felt up to making my latest Kitchen Kreation for me or did he want to go get some take out.

He never replied back, so I just thought, oh well, he'll figure it out.

LOL!

So anyway, I came up with this new one and calculated the recipe out on sparkpeople. For 8 small servings, the calorie count came out to 197! For 6 larger servings, the calorie count was 263!  Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE figuring out a low calorie meal???  It turned out to be really good, very nutritious and full of vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups cooked spaghetti squash (1 small-medium sized squash)
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 jar Ragu sauce (I used the Ragu Sauteed Onion & Garlic, but feel free to use your favorite)
2 Tbsp ketchup (optional - more or less to taste)
1 cup onions - chopped
1 cup bell peppers - chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey (93%)
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Stab squash several times and put it in the ;microwave on high for 12-15 minutes.
2. While squash is cooking, brown ground turkey.
3. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic. Saute until tender.
4. Drain any excess grease or liquid when done and set aside.
5. When squash is tender, slice the squash open, and scoop out and discard the seeds.
3. Take a fork and start scraping at the "meat" of the squash.
4. Over medium-low heat, place squash and meat in medium sized pot. Add spaghetti sauce to pot. Stir well to combine.
5. Add ketchup, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper to pot. Stir well.
6. (Optional) Top with 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Hubby said this was his kind of recipe. It was easy and delicious! This is actually only the 2nd time we have tried the spaghetti squash but I believe it's a keeper.

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Crockpot Zuppa Toscana Soup

So this weekend I was in the mood for my favorite soup from the Olive Garden, the wonderful Zuppa Toscana soup.  The only problem was that this was one of our few lazy weekends and neither the hubby nor I felt like actually leaving the house. I had gone to the grocery store on Friday so I already had everything that I needed to make this copycat version of the soup. I combined a couple of recipes, the original clone from CopyKat recipes and a healthier version found on my favorite SparkPeople site. I added a few more seasonings than could be found at either site and made my own version. This is a really good soup, hearty and healthy weighing in at an awesome 154 calories/serving! Not bad for a version that has more potatoes and more veggies.  Hope you try it and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound turkey sausage - browned & drained
3 medium-sized russet potatoes - washed and chopped
1 bunch fresh kale - (approx. 2 cups) - washed and chopped
2 cups fat free low sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups water
1 cup fat free half and half
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup onion - chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS

1.  Thoroughly wash your potatoes.

2.  Cut potatoes in half and then slice thinly.

 

3.  Meanwhile, in medium sized skillet, brown turkey sausage. 

If you have to use the turkey sausage links, remove the casings first, then brown.

4.  Add potatoes and onions to crock pot.

5.  Rinse 1 bunch of fresh kale.

6.  Chop thinly and add kale to crock pot.

7.  After sausage has browned, remove from heat and set aside. Drain if necessary.

8.  Add browned turkey sausage to crock pot.

 9.  Add minced garlic to crock pot.

10.  Add 2 cups of  low fat/low sodium chicken broth.

11.  Add 4 cups of water.

12.  Add 1/2 cup of fat free half and half.

13. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika to crock pot. Stir well.

14.  Cook on high temperature for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender or cook on low for 8 hours.

Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

Good evening, blogger family! Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend. 

For tonight's menu, I decided to try my first German recipe.  The dental director on my job brought some red cabbage for lunch last week and she let me try it.  Oh my goodness, it was sooo good.  She didn't know everything that her husband had put in it except that it had some balsamic vinegar, onions, and sugar.  I went online and found a couple of recipes that looked promising.  I finally decided to try the German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage recipe from SparkPeople combined with a more traditional one from SimplyRecipes.com. This is my first time trying to cook any kind of German food, but all things considered, I think I did pretty well.  The cabbage came out really tender and flavorful.  I actually can't wait to see how it tastes tomorrow after it has marinated overnight.

I'm going to try something new with my blog posting in an attempt to show you step by step how I made this delicious side dish.  Let me know if you guys like the new format, ok?

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red cabbage - washed & sliced thinly
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - light
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 apple - cored, peeled, and sliced thinly (I used a Honeycrisp apple
dash salt - optional
dash black pepper - optional
2 Tbsp Splenda - brown sugar blend (equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1.  In large skillet and over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute onions until tender. 

(Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the 1st step.)

2.  Add chopped apple slices.

  

3.  Add I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, salt, & pepper. Stir well to combine.

4.  Add washed and chopped red cabbage to mix.

5.  Cover and allow to start wilting. 

6.  In separate container or measuring cup, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

7.  When cabbage is tender, add vinegar and sugar mixture to pot.  Stir well and cover. Allow to steam for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8.  Reduce heat and allow to cook for approximately 15 more minutes.

9.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe was pretty easy and came out great.  According to my sparkpeople recipe calculator, for 6 servings, this side dish weighs in at 123 calories per serving.  If you leave out the olive oil and use cooking spray, the calories drop down to about 103 calories per serving.  I'll probably do that next time.

So anyway, folks, here was my dinner for tonight.  For my first foray into German cooking, I have to say I'm pretty pleased.  In his horrible German accent, hubby said, "Dat vas good, ja!" LOL

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Crustless Spinach & Bacon Quiche

Bonjour, mes amis! I know, I know, I've been gone for a minute. Don't think that I haven't still been cooking my version of healthier foods.  No, I've just been lazy lately about posting my creations on here.

Last weekend I decided to dive into the art of french cooking.  Well, as close as I can get anyway...
I  love love love quiche, but I don't love all the calories that come from the homemade pie crust, the cheese, the butter, the cream, etc etc...
I decided to jump on google to see if there was a recipe online for a crustless quiche. Low and behold I found a couple but I couldn't find any heart healthy versions. So you know what I did, I made my own. With that being said, I realized this morning that this blog is SUPPOSED to be celebrating recipes from around the world. It seems that hubby and I apparently spend a lot of time in Mexico and Italy, however, so it is now time to branch out to the wonderful country of France.

And yes, I do realize that my version is not an actual authentic French recipe, but this is my creation and it turned out good. Let me know if you decide to try it. I think you'll enjoy it!  I'm going to make another one this weekend with turkey sausage and more veggies. I'll let you know how it comes out.

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Kraft fat free shredded cheddar
1 BabyBel Light Cheese round - shredded
1/2 cup onions-chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
6 slices of turkey bacon - chopped
10 oz. bag of frozen spinach - thawed & drained
salt & pepper - to taste
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Microwave spinach according to package directions, drain excess liquid and set aside.
2. Chop onions & turkey bacon, set aside.
3. In medium-sized bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, and skim milk. Whisk until well mixed.
4. Add salt, pepper, onions, garlic, turkey bacon and cheese to mixture. Stir well until combined.
5. Add drained spinach. Stir well.
6. Spray pie plate with cooking spray and gently pour egg mixture into pan.
7. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until center of quiche is firm.
8. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
9. Cut and enjoy.

Our quiche made 6 servings.
According to SparkPeople, that came out to be 121.4 calories/serving!
An excellent source of protein and a quick and easy breakfast for the rest of the week. I just placed the extra servings in a container in the refrigerator. On my protein days (Mon, Wed, Fri), I took one out and microwaved it to have a healthy and quick breakfast with a side of fruit.  Can't get any better (or easier) than that.

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Okra & Sausage Stew

As promised from yesterday's post, today's recipe is a healthier version of a Southern Classic. I decided to experiment with okra tonight by making an okra & turkey sausage "stew". I actually combined a couple of recipes found on YouTube. The first came from Ateyaa titled, Okra, Shrimp, Sausage, Fresh & Dried Shrimp, & Crab. Click on the link to watch her video. She had a LOT of stuff going on in her version and since the hubby doesn't like seafood, I decided to omit all of that. The other recipe came from a southern cooks cookbook with a similar recipe which didn't have the meat but suggested to add the corn and stewed tomatoes. What resulted was a delicious blend that I made a little healthier by adding smoked turkey sausage instead of smoked pork sausage. I also used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light" and cooking spray instead of the butter and oil. As stated in the previous blog, I am not a fan of okra or tomatoes, but I am finding myself experimenting more and more with new recipes and new vegetables. Even I liked this one. Try it out and let me know what you think.

A friend of mine from grade school saw the picture and thought that it looked kind of like a thick gumbo to him. That got me thinking again... I bet this would be really good over some rice and made a little spicier with some cayenne pepper. Sounds like a plan for the leftovers. Hubby and I just ate it straight like this in a bowl and man was it good. Hope you like it!


INGREDIENTS

2 packages frozen cut okra (12 oz)
1 package frozen kernal corn
1 medium onion - chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
8 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light
1 Tbsp flour (optional)
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 package Smoked Turkey Sausage
cooking spray


DIRECTIONS

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of light butter in large skillet.
2. Add okra, onions, and vinegar to skillet. Cover and saute over medium heat for approximately 20-30 minutes stirring frequently until okra is no longer slimy.
3. Add corn and tomatoes to mixture. Stir well.
4. Add salt, pepper, and flour. Stir well to blend seasonings. The flour will thicken the sauce.
5. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Spray another skillet with cooking spray.
7. Chop smoked turkey sausage and saute until browned lightly.
8. Add turkey sausage to okra mixture and mix well.
9. Can eat plain or over rice.

KITCHEN KREATION: Fresh Tomato Pie

Ok blog family, I know I have been missing in action lately, but I am truly blaming it on the fact that things have been really busy and hectic around here. I narrowly missed not one but two tornadoes this past week, I got to fly to Philadelphia to visit some family, and then had to come back and put my car in the shop. Wooo! It has been a crazy week...

So anyway, I decided to make it up to my dear hubby who has been so supportive and patient with the craziness around here. Tonight I decided to make my BBQ Chicken pizza which he loves and I decided to experiment with a new drink (the Watermelon Lemonade Spritzer). Thanks, Monique, it was AMAZING!!! I also tried another one of her recipes the Fresh Tomato Pie. Now keep in mind that I am NOT a fresh tomato eater at all and even I had to say, dang, this is good! Tomorrow, I will be experimenting again with an Okra and Sausage Stew (and no I don't eat okra either). Of course all recipes have my spins on them based on what we like to eat over here, so be sure to stay tuned!

The tomato pie recipe actually came from the YesDivasCanCook blog email, but she said that she will put up the video in a few weeks. Here is my slightly adapted version of her recipe. If you like tomatoes or even if you like Italian food, you have GOT to taste this! It tasted like everything that should go in spaghetti without the actual pasta. Hubby gave this recipe two thumbs up and as the self-proclaimed tomato hater of the family, I even had to admit it turned out really delicious. Hope you like it.


INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust
5 tomatoes, seeded & diced
1/2 small red or yellow onion – sautéed
1 clove garlic - minced
3 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup Light Mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
fresh basil, chopped (optional)
cooking spray


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Press pie dough into 9-inch pie dish plate and poke holes in crust to prevent crust from rising.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.
4. Sauté onions in skillet using cooking spray until tender.
5. Add minced garlic to onions and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Stir well.
6. Season diced tomatoes and onions with Italian seasoning, oregano, salt & pepper. Stir well to coat the seasonings. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
7. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and spread evenly.
8. Mix mayonnaise and cheeses in small bowl.
9. Spread mixture evenly over the onion and tomato mixture.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.
11. Top with fresh, chopped basil (optional)
12. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.
13. Serve warm or cold.

NEW NOTE: Hubby just had his 2nd piece and said, "Babe, you just made a pie out of tomatoes and it's the freakin' bomb!" LOL

I just entered all the data for this recipe into the SparkPeople recipe calculator and 1 serving (1/8 of pie) is only 221 calories! It would probably be even less if I used fat free mayo (may have to try that next time).

KITCHEN KREATION: (Healthier version) Southern-Smothered Cabbage

I have been having the most insane craving for smothered cabbage lately. So a couple of nights ago, I decided to try a healthier version. The hubby and I are on this new eating plan where I am strictly limiting our carbs, sugar and salt intake and amping up our water, protein, fruits, & vegetables. So far so good. Hubby just told me this morning that he thinks he can get used to this new way of eating. I'm sure he can since he's been losing like crazy. I think the current tally is hubby: negative 7 pounds, me: negative 4. Dang it! (Readers, y'all will quickly learn that I am one of the most competitive people I know. I blame it on the type A personality that I have in abundance! LOL)

For me, since I am such a carbaholic, limiting the amount of carbs per day to just once per day has been the hardest thing for me. I am really liking how we are eating more fruits and veggies though so of course that is always a good thing. I am also discovering my insane love of fresh mango. Who knew mangoes were so doggoned delicious??? I'm sitting here salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs just thinking about them. Yumm!!!

So anyway, back to the cabbage. LOL!
I switched my standard pork polish sausage for turkey polish sausage, severely reduced the salt amount & added some Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning. I also switched out the butter for "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" and in a much smaller amount considering the amount of cabbage that was in my skillet. All in all, I have to say it turned out pretty good. It wasn't as insanely fattening as my normal cabbage, nor was it as seasoned as I'm used to, but like hubby said, I think I can get used to it. So anyway, here is the new recipe. Hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
3-4 lb. cabbage
1 package Louis Rich Turkey Polish Sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion (more or less based on your preference)
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Light
1/2 tsp Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoning (more or less to taste, based on your preference)
2-3 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning - Garlic & Herb (again, according to your taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Butter flavored cooking spray
1/2 cup water


DIRECTIONS

1. Chop cabbage into smaller strips, rinse, & drain.
2. Chop turkey polish sausage into bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
4. Spray skillet with cooking spray.
5. When heated, saute onion until tender.
6. Add garlic, saute until fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic.
7. Add turkey polish sausage to mixture. May want to add more cooking spray since it will not produce any oil like the regular polish sausage.
8. When turkey polish sausage has cooked, add cabbage to skillet. Stir well to mix.
9. Add water to skillet.
10. Cover skillet with lid and turn heat down to low.
11. Allow to "smother" for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure you are not scorching the bottom pieces and so the top pieces are touched by the yummy garlic, onion, and meat mixture.
12. When cabbage is tender, add "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter", Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoning, Mrs. Dash seasoning, black and red pepper. Stir well.
13. Return lid to skillet and allow to steam for 5-10 more minutes. Cabbage should be tender. Be sure to keep checking. You want your cabbage tender, not mushy. Adjust time according to your preference.
14. Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Low Carb Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, but tonight I had the insane craving for some spaghetti. The hubby and I have been watching what we're eating lately and I thought that since we were on such a great trend, I would find a recipe on a way to make this a healthier alternative.
Enter the wonders of spaghetti squash...
(Ahhhhh)
Now, I did not grow up eating any kind of squash, so tonight is most definitely an experiment for me. On the menu will be spaghetti squash smothered with homemade spaghetti sauce. We will be having sauteed chicken as well made in a chicken parmesan style. I wasn't in the mood to go to the grocery store so we will have to make due with whatever ingredients are already in the pantry and the refrigerator.
For the spaghetti squash recipe and cooking directions, I remembered seeing a video from Monique at DivasCanCook for a "Vegetable Garden Spaghetti Made With Spaghetti Squash". She always makes everything look so incredibly delicious, so I thought, hey, it looks healthy and it looks good. We'll give it a try.
For the actual spaghetti sauce recipe, I scoured different Youtube videos in search of some direction. I watched a video by Giada from her Everyday Italian show simply titled, "Simple Tomato Sauce". I watched Chef Umberto from Everyone's Italian with his video titled, "Classic Marinara Sauce". I also watched Nicko's video for "Easy Spaghetti Sauce" and Jack's video for "How to Make Spaghetti Sauce" but both of them make their spaghetti sauce with red wine and meat in it. Since I want my sauce to go with other things and not just be a ready-made sauce for spaghetti, I decided to leave the meat out and add lots of good veggies to it. I also don't particularly like red wine, so I definitely didn't want to add it to my spaghetti sauce. As a result, the recipe I came up with is an insane combination with additions and deletions from all four videos to make my own very special "Kitchen Kreation". I'll let you know at the end of the post how it came out...


28 oz. canned Tomato Puree
28 oz. canned Crushed Tomatoes
6 oz. can Tomato Paste
6.5 oz. can Mushrooms (can use fresh if you like)
1 package McCormick Italian Spaghetti seasoning
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chopped onions
1 chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup water
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Heat pot on medium heat. When pot is warmed, add olive oil to pot.
2. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers to pot. Saute until tender.
3. Add minced garlic to pot, saute until tender and fragrant (approx 1-2 minutes).
4. Add carrots and mushrooms to pot. Stir well.
5. Add tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste to pot.
6. Add water and all seasonings (Italian Spaghetti seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, & bay leaf).
7. Stir well until well incorporated. Heat to boiling.
8. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

The spaghetti squash itself was pretty easy to make. Like I said, I followed Monique's video since I had no idea how to make a spaghetti squash. I wasn't sure if we were going to like it or not, so I did not buy a big squash. Here are the preparation steps.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Take a big knife and cut the squash in half lengthwise.
3. Take a spoon and remove the seeds and stringy stuff in the middle of the squash until it is completely cleaned out.
4. Then, place both halves of the squash in a casserole dish with approximately 3/4 cup water poured around the squash in the dish.
5. Place the dish in the oven and allow to bake for 1 hour.
6. After done, remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool.
7. Take a fork and "rake" the squash into a clean dish to form the spaghetti strands.
8. Pour spaghetti sauce over squash and enjoy.

Ok, taste test is complete. This turned out to be a really good meal. We also had salad, garlic bread (made with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on sandwich thins), and sauteed chicken to go with it. Who knew eating healthy could be this good? This low-carb alternative to pasta will definitely be on the menu again. Try it, I think you'll like it. Now, I will say that it doesn't taste like pasta, but it looks like pasta and is an awesome alternative to pasta. It also tastes really great with tomato sauce. I think it has it's own taste. So, if you don't go into the meal thinking that it is going to taste just like pasta, I think you will be very pleasantly surprised.
Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATIONS: New Year's Feast

First and foremost, I would like to wish every one reading this message a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and Happy New Year! For me and our family, 2010 was full of a lot of health problems, stress, and downright craziness. On the flip side of that, with all the hardships and heartaches, there was life and love, peace and resolution. There was joy with the pain and a renewed sense of being on the right path God has set for me. 2010 has probably single-handedly made me realize that not only am I doing what it is God wants for me to do, but I know first hand what it means to say that you are blessed and highly favored. It humbles me. Lord knows that I am not worthy of such grace, but I am so thankful and awed. I am here for a reason and I know that I have work to do...

So, to celebrate being blessed to see another year, I decided to fix the hubby a New Years feast!
On the menu for tonight was a baked hen with cornbread dressing, collard greens, black-eyed peas (recipe courtesy of Pat & Gina Neely), homemade cranberry sauce (thanks LadyRosie!), and sherbert punch (recipe courtesy of my girl Paula Deen). I was so pleased that everything turned out deliciously. I'm glad that I started yesterday so that I wouldn't be too tired to enjoy my meal today. Hubby gave tonight's feast two thumbs and two big toes up! LOL!!!

Here are a few recipes from tonight's menu:

Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon

Recipe courtesy of The Neelys

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas (fresh or canned black-eyed peas can be substituted)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 strips thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 3 bay leaves
• Hot-pepper vinegar, as desired

Directions

If using dried black-eyed peas, put them in a large pot and cover with about 4 inches of water. Soak the peas overnight, then drain the water and rinse. Alternatively, you can "quick-soak" the peas by bringing them and the water to a boil for 2 minutes. After this, remove them from the heat, cover the pot and soak the peas for 1 hour. Then, drain and rinse the peas.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion and garlic are lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. Cook until the entire mixture is coated with the spices, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and water and drop in the bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

When the pork begins to fall apart, add the prepared peas to the pot and simmer until the peas are very soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The next wonderful recipe comes courtesy of Paula Deen. It was delicious!

Lime Sherbet Punch

From Paula's Home Cooking

Ingredients

2 quarts lime sherbet (we used Rainbow Sherbet)
2 liters ginger ale
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
Lemon slices
Lime slices
Maraschino cherries

Directions

In a punch bowl, add 2 quarts of lime sherbet. Then add ginger ale and pineapple juice. Decorate with lemon and lime slices and some maraschino cherries.

The last recipe comes from my girl LadyRosie's blog. Let me tell you, she has helped to make my hubby a cranberry convert! No more canned cranberry sauce for our house. LOL!!!
Here is Rosie's delicious cranberry sauce recipe:

Rosie's Homemade Cranberry Sauce RECIPE

16 oz of frozen cranberries
12 oz can of DOLE'S Pineapple Orange Concentrate
1 cup of white sugar, OR splenda!
1/2 of water

Pineapple Orange Concentrate

1. Put your Dole's Orange Pineapple Concentrate in a medium size pot. Turn your stove on medium high. Wait for the concentrate to completely melt.

2. Add your cranberries.
3. Add your sugar or splenda.
4. Turn your heat to high. When it starts to bubble, Turn it down to MEDIUM. Make sure you constantly stir to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
5. Cook until your cranberries fall apart or POP... Once they do, turn your heat to low, and let cook for 5 minutes
6. Remove your sauce and place it into a glass bowl, make sure you cover it with plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving!

Well, I know that this was a long one. I hope that you can take one (if not all) of these recipes and give them a try. They were amazing and made my New Year's dinner a true triumph.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful year ahead.