Category: dinner

Grandma’s Swiss Cream Steak

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Top sirloin was on sale at Stater Brothers last week for $2.99 a pound! That is a smokin’ deal! Now, what I’m about to say has nothing to do with this particular recipe, but is important to reiterate; make friends with your butcher! When top sirloin is on sale for $2.99 a pound, you buy a ton of it, have your butcher grind it (twice), and divide the ground sirloin into 1 pound portions! BOOM! Ground sirloin for $2.99/lb (then you take it home and freeze it in the 1 pound portions). You can’t even buy ground chuck for that price! Okay, my rant is over…now, onto my grandma’s recipe. So, I bought pounds and pounds of top sirloin; I had the butcher grind some of it up, then I cut some into steaks and froze it, and lastly, made this recipe. It all began when my father-in-law invited us over for dinner a few weeks ago and made Beef Stroganoff. I haven’t had Beef Stroganoff in a loooong time. It was soooo good! I wanted more! So, I was looking through my late grandma’s old recipe catalog and found this priceless baby. I want to share it with you all because it reminds me of Beef Stroganoff.  I called my daddy and told him I had found the recipe. I gave some leftovers to him and of course, he totally enjoyed it! It’s not the healthiest of recipes, but I tried to re-vamp it to make it a tad more healthy. In a way, I think of this as a gift to you all! I hope you make it and enjoy it!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, cheat meal

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This is my grandma’s actual recipe…doesn’t it look like a grandma’s hand-writin’? priceless!

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Grilled Greek Chicken & Cucumber Noodle Salad

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I’ve been wanting to post a greek-marinated chicken recipe and while exploring for inspiration, found another tasty alternative to traditional green leaves and zucchini noodles…cucumber noodles! And how perfect is that with a greek-inspired dish right!? This recipe is so flavorful, yet so light and summery. The light saltiness of the Kalamata olives and feta cheese really compliment the bright herby and lemony flavors of the chicken and dressing. Being a huge cucumber fan (He just snacks on it whole, like a giant carrot), my husband said he prefers this over any other type of salad!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy, low fat, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly, low carb

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Asian Chicken Drumsticks with Green Beans

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It’s so funny where dinner might take you! I was inspired by Clinton Kelly’s Korean BBQ Chicken Drumsticks! I decided to create my own Asian-style green beans to go with it! Then, of course, my daughter asked for rice…and so…dinner was created. I cannot say it’s the most “kidney-friendly” (because of the amount of sodium), but it can be diabetes-friendly (minus the rice). 🙂 So cheers to all who decide to make this meal. It’s fricken delicious!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, diabetes-friendly

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Rosemary Lemon Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Mel and Tammy4 Comments

This recipe was inspired by a delicious grilled scallops and red pepper recipe I always loved by Paula Deen. But instead of roasting and wrapping red pepper around the scallops, I wanted to create a luscious, yet light and bright sauce. I saw a similar shrimp with red pepper aioli recipe that used egg yolks but wanted to cut down on the fat so I used non-fat green yogurt instead and replaced the shrimp with scallops. Scallops are not only luxurious, but actually have less cholesterol than shrimp, promote a healthy heart and are high in omega 3s! Plus, I can’t get enough of rosemary and lemon, so this recipe just sung to me. If you want to present an elegant, yet very easy and quick dish, this is the one!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy, low carb, low fat, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly

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Rachael Ray’s Greek Farro Bowls

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As usual, I was watching  the Rachael Ray show and she made the most delicious Mediterranean dish-Farro Bowls!  Farro is an “ancient grain” that kind of reminds me of barley. It’s mild in flavor and has a nice bite/chew to it. Farro is a healthy carbohydrate source for people-even if you have kidney disease or diabetes. I buy my farro at Trader Joes. If you love the flavors of Mediterranean dishes, you’ll love this! It has kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, lemon, and garlic just to name a few! Thank you Rachael Ray for this super fabulous dish!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney friendly, diabetes friendly

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Burger

Mel and Tammy1 Comment

I was watching  the Rachael Ray show the other day. Every month she creates a “Burger of the Month” recipe for her magazine. Rachael asked a friend of hers what her favorite meal was growing up. Her friend told her that she liked when her mom made pepper steak. So Rachael created a pepper steak burger. You can check out that recipe here. But this made me think; what was one of my favorites growing up? I loved when my mom made chicken Cordon Bleu in the slow cooker. And so, the inspiration was created!  Thank you mom for your delicious take on Chicken Cordon Bleu! And I’ve turned it into a burger! I even give you a choice of two different condiments to add: a creamy, garlicky mustard sauce, or a creamy honey mustard (inspired by Rachael Ray). Now everyone else can enjoy it too!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney friendly, diabetes friendly*, kid-friendly

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Kenan Family’s Italian Chicken & Spinach Pasta Salad

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My good friend Stacey had the girls over the other week to catch up and enjoy dinner together. She whipped us up a light, delicious salad that her mom always makes her. I fell in love with it and asked her if I could share it with you fine folks. This is super quick to make and is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Salads don’t typically fill me up enough but this one is wholesome and very satisfying!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy; low carb, diabetes friendly and anti-inflammatory (if pasta removed or wheat used); low fat

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BBQ Cauliflower Pizza

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A few years back, I tried making “cauliflower pizza” that ended up falling apart in my hands (but it was delicious). Recently, a friend of mine started making cauliflower pizza, so I wanted to give it another go. I’ve been researching different methods to try and come up with one that I think will work. Since it’s summer and we love to have BBQ pizza parties at our house, I decided to try it on the grill! And here it is! I am proud of this one; it’s cooked outside, it’s extremely satisfying, and suuuuuper yummy!  Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips:   diabetes friendly, kid-friendly

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Orange BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Fried Rice

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Enjoy the flavors of Chinese takeout orange chicken with American BBQ in this mouth-watering dish! I was inspired by the Neely’s Honey Orange BBQ Chicken for this recipe. The glaze is so good you’ll want to drink it haha. The chicken is most flavorful marinated overnight so remember to plan ahead. I also created a healthy take on fried rice using wholesome quinoa. You will not miss the rice! Grill this up for your family and friends this summer!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, low carbRead More »

Garlic Lime Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado

Mel and TammyLeave a comment

My hubby and I love shrimp tacos but sometimes we want a low-carb option. I created this recipe so that we can enjoy the rich, fresh flavors of shrimp tacos without the tortilla. They are so yummy! They are also a great recipe for the spring and summer seasons, light yet very tasty, especially with the creamy avocado scooped up with each bite!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, low carb, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendlyRead More »