Ham and Cheese Pockets

These ham and cheese calzones get a healthy makeover with whole-wheat crust, broccoli, and reduced fat cheese.  Don’t be scared away by the homemade crust recipe, it’s very easy to work with and takes little time to prepare.  Alternatively, you can choose to use refrigerated pizza crust for the dough recipe.  Just unroll the dough, cut into 6 pieces, and make the calzones as directed below (Note: the pizza crust yields 6 calzones rather than 4)

Photo Courtesy of Yummly.com

Ingredients (for 4 calzones)

¾ cup all purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup warm water

¾ tsp yeast

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

2 cups cooked ham, cut into small pieces

4 slices American cheese

1 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup frozen broccoli florets

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.  Add yeast to the warm water with a pinch of sugar.  Let sit for 10 minutes until the yeast is bubbly.  Combine the flours, water and yeast, salt, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.  Knead 5-6 minutes, or until elastic.  Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes. 

Divide dough into 4 portions and roll each portion into a small rectangle, using a small amount of flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.  Top each rectangle with ½ cup cooked ham, 1 slice American cheese, ¼ cup cheddar cheese, and ¼ cup of the broccoli.  Fold over the dough and pinch the edges to seal.  Brush with beaten egg.  Place calzones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. 

    

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Econo Foods (1/27/13-2/2/13)
Cheddar Cheese	Kraft Shredded Cheese (7-8 oz.) on sale 2 for $3.00 with coupon
Pizza Crust	Pillsbury Pizza Crust on sale 2 for $4.00
American Cheese	Kraft American Singles (10-12 oz.) on sale 2 for $4.00 with coupon
Broccoli	Green Giant Steamers (11.8 oz.) on sale 2 for $4.00

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Cub Foods (1/27/13-2/2/13)
Cheddar Cheese	Kraft Shredded Cheese on sale 2 for $4.00
Ham	Frick’s Natural Juice Boneless Quarter Sliced Hams on sale for $4.99/lb.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

This recipe is like heaven on a plate!  Shrimp are drenched in a warm, flavorful tomato sauce studded with chunks of melted cheese.  This recipe is delicious over rice, couscous, or polenta.

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Simply Recipes 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thaw if frozen

Pinch of salt, more to taste

Pinch black pepper, more to taste

3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.   Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.  Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes (if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, just let the skillet simmer on the stove for 10-12 minutes with a lid on).  Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Econo Foods (1/20/13-1/26/13)
Shrimp	Seafood Sensations Raw EZ Peel Shrimp (16 oz.) for $6.99
Onion	Sweet Yellow Onions on sale for $0.89/lb.

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Cub Foods (1/20/13-1/26/13)
Tomatoes	Red Gold Tomatoes (28 oz.) on sale for $1
Shrimp	Arctic Shores Medium Shrimp (16 oz.) on sale for $7.29 Arctic Shores Extra Large Shrimp (16 oz.) on sale for $9.99

Chickpea and Cauliflower Tagine

A tagine is a traditional moroccan stew prepared with cumin, cinnamon, tomatoes, and lots of vegetables.  It’s one of my favorite dishes!  Tagines are best served over a bed of rice, couscous, polenta, or quinoa. 

 

Photo Courtesy of Cooks Hideout

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, diced

1.5 cups chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped (optional)

½ head of cauliflower, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cups chicken broth (Can use a 14.5 oz. can)

1 (14.5 oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Add the broth, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.   Add drained chickpeas.  Serve over a bed of rice, couscous, quinoa, or polenta. 

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Econo Foods (1/20/13-1/26/13)
Olive Oil	Bertolli Olive Oil (17 oz.) on sale for $5.99
Chickpeas	Bush’s Best Beans (15-16 oz.) on sale 10 for $9 Our Family Beans (15 oz.) on sale 3 for $2
Green Beans	Birdseye Frozen Vegetables (10-16 oz.) on sale 4 for $5
Potatoes	Locally Sourced Red or Russet Potatoes (5 lb. bag) on sale for $1.69
Onions	Sweet Yellow Onions on sale for $0.89/lb.

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Cub Foods (1/20/13-1/26/13)
Tomatoes	Red Gold Tomatoes (28 oz.) on sale for $1

Potato and Red Pepper Frittata

Photo Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, stem, ribs, and seeds removed, then thinly sliced in strips

2-3 russet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thin slices

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 large eggs

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2.       Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet. Add potatoes; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, tossing often, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer potatoes to bowl with onion mixture; toss to combine. Return mixture to skillet; flatten with a metal spatula.

3.       In a large bowl, beat eggs with rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour over potato mixture; tilt pan to distribute evenly. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve.  Serve the frittata as is, with salsa, or wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Econo Foods (1/13/13-1/19/13)
Potatoes	Red potatoes (3 lb. bag) on sale for $1.69
Onions	Yellow Onions (3 lb. bag) on sale for $1.99

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Cub Foods (1/13/13-1/19/13)
Onions	Sweet yellow onions on sale for $0.99/lb.
Peppers	Sweet mini peppers (1 lb. bag) on sale for $2.88

Root Vegetable Gratin

Welcome Back from the Holidays!  Here's to a new year filled with lot of delicious and healthy recipes!

Photo Courtesy of Life's Ambrosia

Ingredients

3 pounds assorted root vegetables (turnip, rutabaga, celery root, potato, sweet potato, parsnip, carrot)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced onion

1 1/3 cups low-fat milk, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup finely shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

1 cup cooked ham, diced (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Peel root vegetables and cut into 1/8-inch slices using a mandolin slicer (if you don’t have a mandolin slicer, a knife works just as well).  If using parsnips, quarter lengthwise and remove the woody core before cutting into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cook vegetables in a large pot of boiling water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup milk and bring to a simmer. Combine flour and the remaining 1/3 cup milk in a small bowl to make a smooth paste; stir into the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper.  Layer the vegetable slices and ham in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and top with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.  Bake the gratin until it is bubbling and the top is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Econo Foods (1/6/13-1/12/13)
Potatoes	Tasteful Selections 2-Bite Potatoes (28 oz.) on sale for $2.99
Carrots	Baby peeled carrots (1 lb. bag) on sale for $1.29

Grocery Item	Weekly Sale at Cub Foods (1/6/13-1/12/13)
Cheese	Essential Everyday Cheese (8 oz.) on sale 2 for $5.00
Potatoes	Farm Stand Russet Potatoes (5 lb. bag) on sale 2 for $4.00
Ham	Cub Spiral Natural Juice Half Ham on sale for $2.29/lb. Frick’s Natural Juice Boneless Quarter Sliced Ham on sale for $4.49/lb Signature Ham Steaks or Slices (12 oz. package) on sale for $2.99