Fried Saimin (Fried Noodles)

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Hello again everyone!  This is one of my favorite, easy go-to meals when I'm blanking on what to make for dinner.  For all of us from Hawaii, we call this fried saimin, but for everyone else going 'what the heck is saimin?' it is basically fried noodles.  Simple yet delicious!  Plus anyone that has read this blog before knows that I love showing the many versatile ways of being able to use ramen noddles.  :)
The hardest part of making this meal is the prep, and I'm being facetious when I say it's the 'hard' part.  This is really a no nonsense meal.
For me, it's easiest to get everything chopped up and cooked first.  I usually like to make this when I have some form of meat leftover from another meal and don't know what else do with it.  The meat in this meal, for example, was a teriyaki chicken we had from a few days prior.
So first thing's first, I diced the chicken, as well as some onions and green onions (I love both types of onions in my fried saimin, it just adds that extra crunch to the meal that I love).  Then I scrambled some eggs, seasoning it only with salt and pepper (you can certainly add your own seasoning, but I find the season packets in the ramen noddles are salty enough as it is to where there really isn't much need to add too much seasoning to the eggs).   I set those aside and then boiled the noodles according to the package and drained the water once I was done.
The frying part is the most fun for me, I have no idea why haha!  I usually spray a saute pan with cooking spray and throw all of the goodies in first (chicken, eggs, onions), and let that cook for 1-3 minutes, depending on your preference for how crunchy you want the onions.  Then I add the noodles, sprinkle one sauce packet on top, along with some pepper and soy sauce, and stir it up to let it cook for about another 1-2 minutes.  If there's more of you that you're cooking for, as there are for me, then once the noodles have cooked for a minute or two is when I add the additional sauce packets, pepper and soy sauce.  I usually eyeball the pepper and soy sauce, but I would say it's not more than 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon added each time.
Then voila!  Dinner is served!
This meal was a little higher in calories due to using the ramen noodles.  Normally I like to use the frozen brand, however, the CVS I usually buy them from had their coolers malfunction and they weren't available!  The dried ramen noodles work in a pinch, they're just a bit more calorie-wise.
This meal was 547 calories/serving and only $1.08/serving!  Seriously, this is why I will always love using ramen noodles :)
Here's the recipe!

Package ramen noodles (however many you need per family member)
White onions (diced and however much you prefer, I use about 1/4-1/3 cup)
Green onions (diced, also about 1/4-1/3 cup)
Scrambled eggs (I usually do 1 per family member)
Meat of your choice

Happy cooking everyone!!

Chili Casserole

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WOW, HELLOOOOOOOOO cooking world!  It has been forEVER since I was last on here, and I apologize to the few people that actually read this blog!  :)  Life happened, as it always does, but I'm insistent that I will start this back up again!  Count on it!
So today's meal that I made was really very easy had I actually READ the recipe (I had a minor issue, read on for more details!).  I originally found this recipe on All Recipes, but had to change a few things based on the family preferences.  Those of you that read this know that this family LOVES its ground turkey!
So, first thing's first: So the first thing I did was chop the onions (1/2 cup), as I had, WRONGLY, assumed that would've been all of the prep involved.  I measured out the macaroni (1/2 pound) and put it into a mixing bowl along with 1 15 ounce can of chili with beans and 1 15 ounce can of sweet corn, which I drained.
At this point I realized I wasn't going to be able to just DUMP the ground turkey (1/2 pound) into the bowl, so I browned it in a skillet.  It was also at this point that I realized my macaroni was supposed to be COOKED prior to mixing.  Oh yeah, so an additional 15 minutes of my cooking time was spent digging through all of the chili/corn mixture nonsense to fish out the dry macaroni to be able to cook it.  Clearly I'm rusty at this from being gone for so long, so bare with me!  :)
Once the ground turkey and macaroni was cooked (and drained!), I added that to the bowl, along with 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (I used red hot, but use your preference), the onions, 1 tablespoon of chili seasoning mix and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese!  Due to my son's dairy allergy, however, we used Veggie Shreds instead of actual mozzarella cheese, which really tastes exactly the same, to me anyway.
Once that was mixed well, I put it into a 9x13 inch baking dish and put it into my oven at  300 degrees for 20 minutes.  After that, voila!  Dinner was served!!!  It was filling and perfectly warm during these cold months!  Also, as my husband said, he loves pasta and beans mixed together and this was really delicious mixed together.
Even with the higher priced Veggie Shreds, it still broke down to only $2.18/serving!  WHAT?!?  I know!  With 6 servings per meal, that's pretty amazing.
Since I'm trying to start this back up, I only took a final picture, but I promise the more I do, the more time I will designate and take more photos!  :)
For some odd reason, using ground turkey and Veggie Shreds instead of the listed items actually raised the caloric value to 360 instead of the 324 calories listed on the recipe.  Obviously, if you choose to change things up that will change your caloric value, as well.

I hope everyone enjoyed my first recipe back, I know the fam did!  Here's the recipe!

1/2 pound macaroni, cooked
1 (15 ounce) can chili with beans
1 (15 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
1/2 pound ground beef (or turkey!), browned and drained
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili seasoning mix
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Happy cooking everyone!!!

Healthier Chili Cheese Dog

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Well hello everyone!  I made this meal tonight and I thoroughly enjoyed making it!  The hubs and I have been wanting to have chili dogs for a really long time, but the calories for them are horrific.  So we searched for a healthier alternative and found a recipe even our boys enjoyed!

Originally I got the recipe from Sparkspeople and changed a few things here and there!

So, first thing's first: I seeded and diced 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 2 cups of tomatoes, and added the two to a mixing bowl with 1 cup of frozen corn.

Also, because the chili cheese dogs were so low in calories, I decided to bake some homemade chips to have on the side with some salsa.  I took a moment to cut some flour tortillas into 8 pieces, sprayed them with cooking spray and allowed them to cook in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

While the chips were cooking, I also rinsed and drained 1 can of black beans and added 1 cup of the can to the corn/tomato mixture, as well as 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 teaspoon of chili powder.

Then I added 1 lime (juiced), as well as 4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and mixed it  well!  The recipe originally called for the mixture to be put on top cold, but I didn't think the kids would fall for that one, so I started to warm it a bit on the stove.

While that was warming and the chips had finished, I set the oven up to 400 degrees, laid some turkey dogs out a baking sheet, and let it cook for 15 minutes.  I also put the whole wheat hot dog buns on a baking sheet and let those cook for about 5-7 minutes to warm and crisp them.

Once those were cooked, I topped each hot dog bun and turkey dog with 1/4 cup of the black bean salsa mixture and 1 tablespoon of some reduced fat 4 cheese Mexican blend, gave everyone some chips with salsa and voila!  Dinner was served!!

The chili cheese dogs were only 194.7 calories/chili cheese dog (I know!  This recipe made 8 chili dogs also!) and the whole meal, including the chips and salsa, was only $1.11/serving!  No, I'm totally serious!  The hot dogs were so light and fresh tasting, yet still managed to taste like a chili dog, even our boys loved it!

Here's the recipe!

Black Bean Salsa:

1 cup frozen corn

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 lime, juiced

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

8 turkey hot dogs

8 whole wheat hot dog buns

1/2 cup shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend

Happy cooking everyone!!!

Grilled Cheese-Stuffed Ground Pork Burgers

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Hello my friends!!!!  This meal I'm about to tell you ALL about was DEE-LICIOUS!  I have been craving a burger for a long time, but, as my constant readers know, I don't use ground beef, so I seem to always shy away from making a burger.  Not this day my friends!  These burgers were filling and just the right amount of spice that I absolutely LURVVVVVE!
So, first thing's first: ! mixed 1 pound of ground pork with 1/2 of a jalapeno (that was seeded), 1 cup of cubed mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup of salsa.  YUM!

The original recipe I actually got from Betty Crocker, however, it called for 3 times as much and I don't have that many people in my family!  :)  Plus it also was ground turkey and Monterey Jack cheese, but I decided to change it up a bit!
Then I shaped the mixture into 4 patties and set aside while I preheat my grill pan!  The recipe called to use a charcoal gas grill, however, as I've said before, I'm not as comfortable with those grills and my grill pan works just as well!

While those cooked (I let them cook for about 15 minutes), I toasted the hamburger buns I had in the toaster, adding some tomato slices and extra salsa to one side of each.  Then, once they were cooked, voila!  Dinner was served!

As I've already mentioned, this meal was so delicious, and, due to the low calories of 290/burger (the recipe I did made 4 burgers), I was able to add a side of sweet potato tater tots!  YUM!  The meal was also only $1.05/serving...this I am not joking about!  This is why I LURVVVVVE WinCo and will advertise the crap out of them until the ends of the earth!
Here's the recipe!

1 pound ground pork
1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup salsa
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
4 slices tomato
Additional salsa

Happy cooking everyone!!!

Easy and Delicious Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Hi everyone!  Well let me tell you, with the weather cooling, as I mentioned in another blog that it has been, not only do I love warm soups, but I also love hearty casseroles.  This meal delivered exactly what it states: an easy and delicious casserole!
So first thing's first: I preheat my oven to 350 degrees and then I cooked 1 cup of white rice in my rice cooker and continued with my prep while that was cooking.  I rinsed 4 chicken breasts and pat them dry and, once the rice was cooked, set them on top of it in the bottom of a 9x13 basking dish.

Then, in a separate bowl, I mixed 1 can (10.75 ounces) of cream of chicken soup with 1 7/8 cups of water, and then poured that over the chicken, topping it with 1 package of dry onion soup mix.

Then I covered the baking dish with foil and put it into the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Once it was cooked I served it and, since the meal was fairly low in calories, I was also able to add a side of corn to it, as well!  So voila, dinner was served!

This meal was hearty and had so much flavor for such a small amount of ingredients!  It was only 314 calories for the chicken and rice, and only $3.57/serving!  Whoa!
Here's the recipe!

1 cup uncooked white rice
1 (10.75 ounces) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 7/8 cups water
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Happy cooking everyone!!!

Salsa Chicken Soup

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Hello my fine-feathered friends!  This last week's weather here has been amazing!  Rain, thunderstorms, and no more than 80-90 degrees all day; it was really beautiful.  So since it cooled down a bit in this desert heat, I decided to make a delicious soup!  It was so easy, hearty and low in calories!
First thing's first: I cubed 1/2 pound of chicken breasts and set that aside while I went to start the soup base.  Then, in my large saucepan, I added 1-14.5 ounce can of chicken broth, 1 3/4 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of chili powder and the cooked chicken and set it to boil.

Once that boiled, I reduced the heat, covered it and simmered for about 5 minutes.  After that I added 1 cup of frozen corn and then I boiled it again, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.  Finally, I added 1 cup of salsa and heat it through.

Then I served them in soup bowls, topped it with some shredded Monterey Jack cheese and voila!  Dinner was served!

The meal was so low in calories (only 84 calories/serving!) that I was able to serve the soup with a side of chips and salsa, which was delicious!  The meal was also only $2.14/serving.  This was such a quick and easy meal, and so yummy, as well!
Here's the recipe!

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 3/4 cups water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Happy cooking everyone!!!

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

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All right friends, MAJOR apologies for my lack in doing this blog.  I looked back today and realized it has been over a month...what?!?!  Things have been hectic, both good and bad, and I intend not to let it stop me from blogging again.

So for this meal I made the other day, it was easily a family favorite because, of course, it was buffalo chicken.  Anything to do with buffalo chicken in this house seems to be the request at any time!  It sounded really interesting so I decided to try it!

I originally got this recipe from Betty Crocker.  So first thing's first: I cooked 1/2 cup of rice in my rice cooker with 1 cup of water.  Since that usually takes about 19 minutes or so, I started prepping the other items.  I took 1 pound of chicken breasts and cut them into thin strips, as well as sliced 1 cup of celery. I added 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a preheated skillet and added the chicken and celery, allowing it to cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Once the chicken was no longer pink, I removed the mixture from the heat and added 1 can of stewed tomatoes, as well as 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot but, let's be honest, is there really any other brand worth using? ;)).  I also had sprayed a baking dish with cooking spray and added the rice to it.  Once I had the chicken mixture mixed well, I topped the rice with it and put it into the preheated oven, cooking it for about 30 minutes.

When it was cooked all the way through, I drizzled 1/4 cup of blue cheese dressing to the top of the meal and voila!  Dinner was served!

Everyone really loved it and myself and my husband were actually surprised because we normally don't like blue cheese.  With such a small amount mixed in with everything else, it ended up tasting like ranch dressing and we enjoyed it very much.  It was a very good, filling, hearty meal for only 380 calories for a 1 1/2 cup serving!  It was also only $2.03/serving!  Yum!

Here's the recipe!

1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 cup thinly sliced celery stalks

1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

Happy cooking everyone!!!