Flint Michigan Coney Island Dogs

So I am originally from Michigan but I have spent most of my life in Kansas.  We are planning a trip in July to visit family and to celebrate our trip I invited my truly Michganer parents over for some Coney Island dogs, which actually came from Michigan.  I choose to make the Flint sauce as opposed to the Detroit version, which is much soupier than Flint's.  I got this recipe from Recipezaar, Chef Larz in Pennsborro, WV. Every one seemed to like it, especially my husband who scarfed down 2 dogs before I was half way done with my one.  This recipe should be used with Koegel hotdogs, which you can't get around here.  I used Finestil Das Coney dogs made in Emporia Kansas which I found at Dillons.  They are not exactly Koegel, but they are in the casing, which made them better than most.  

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon margarine

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

2 medium onions, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (6 ounce) can water (I used more than this based on how thick I wanted it)

12 ounces skinless hot dogs

salt and pepper

Do not brown ground beef before using.  Combine all ingredients except hot dogs and simmer until thick.  Grind the hot dogs very fine (or chop fine in food processor) stir in to beef mixture and cook 15 minutes longer.  Serve over good casing hot dogs with chopped onion and mustard.  

Tuna Burritos

I like tuna, and I like burritos. But tuna burritos? Sounds interesting. Got this recipe from school mates Mini Gourmet recipe book.

2 - 6oz cans tuna drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 can french-fried onions
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 medium flour tortillas
1 cup milk
salt pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix tuna, peas, half of the french-fried onions, 1 cup cheese, sour cream, and 1 can soup. Place tuna mixture in tortillas. Roll tortillas and place seam-side down in greased 9x13 pan. Mix 1 can soup, milk, and salt and pepper; pour over tortillas. Cover with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle remaining onions on top and bake 10 minutes more.

Lower fat version I made: I substituted light sour cream, 98% fat free soup, skim milk, and low carb tortillas in my version.

Review: I actually liked this a lot. If you like tuna salad and want a twist this is great for that. I didn't notice any difference with using low fat ingredients. Although, I would definetly use regular flour tortillas, as the low carb ones, which are really actually good for wraps and fajitas, did not work with this. They got really tough when baked. Should have figured, but I wanted to try!

TurkeyBurger Cake

So this recipe came from a Betty Crocker Contest Winner recipe book from 1992. No name was given for who originally made this creation, but it sounded yummy. I was in the mood for meatloaf but wanted to make it a bit different and this was what I found.

1 lb ground turkey (originally called for ground beef)
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (4 oz) green chilies, drained
2 cups baking mix
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 egg
8 oz sliced American or Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sesame seed

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Grease springform pan. Cook turkey and onion until turkey is brown and onion tender. Drain. Mix turkey, onion, and remaining ingredients except cheese and sesame seed. Spread half of the mixture in pan. Top with cheese. Spread remaining turkey mixture over cheese. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 35-40 minutes until edges are brown and pull away from the side of the pan. Let stand 10 minutes. Loosen from edge of pan and take away side of pan.


Review: After making this, I would definitely make some changes. It needs to cook a bit longer. Also, there was way too much cheese. I used American, but it might be better with cheddar and about half of what it calls for. It was a very strong taste, so maybe a little less ketchup or mustard. Probably like 1/3 cup ketchup and 1 tablespoon mustard. Might make it again, but with the changes.

BBQ Beef

So, I LOVE slow cooker recipes. I take this to a ton of different events, so I thought I should put it on here. It is a favorite.

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 lb)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/8 tsp black pepper

Pour sauce over beef and cook on low heat in a crock pot for 8-9 hours. I usually double the sauce only because I like to have mine a little juicier. I usually make the sauce the night before and then all I have to do is dump everything in the pot. Don't use the bigger crock pots though. I have found they don't cook the same way and the meat is never as tender, so use the normal size. Enjoy!

Baked Rotini

I got this recipe off of the website momswhothink.com. I have gotten some new ideas from that site. This is Johnny Marzetti's Casserole. I changed it up a little bit, but the majority of it is from that site. I am trying to do low carb, low fat cooking as much as I can, which I know sounds like an impossible feat. Ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I have really been trying to change up traditional recipes to make them more what I need them to be. This was a hit with my husband and 2 year old.

12 ounces rotini pasta (about 4½ cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp garlic salt
pepper and salt to taste
1 pound ground turkey
½ pound bulk sausage
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. Cook pasta according to package and drain. Meanwhile, saute garlic, celery, onion, and pepper until tender (5-10 minutes). Stir in oregano, basil, dried parsley, pepper, and garlic salt. Add turkey and sausage and cook (breaking up large pieces) until all brown. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Layer pasta, 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend, meat mixture, and top with remaining cheese. Cover dish with heavy aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes; until the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the top is slightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*I used Dreamfields pasta for this dish. We really like this, and it only has 5 grams of digestible carbs. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

I made this the other day on a whim. Not sure how it was going to turn out, but I have to admit is was pretty good. And if you have a fondness of the slow cooker like me, you will really like it, because it is really easy.

6 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Rotel
1/2 jar salsa
1 package taco seasoning
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
Garnishes: cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix corn, black beans, Rotel, salsa, and taco seasoning together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Mix in cream cheese until melted. Shred chicken and replace in slow cooker. Serve on tortillas with garnishes.

Note: I do have to say this has kind of a weird texture and not easy to eat with your hands, so make sure you have a fork ready. But the taste is pretty good.

If at first you don't succeed.....

So, I have been gone for a while. Started this blog at Christmas and then this semester kicked my butt. My diet has been up and down. In December I was diagnosed with diabetes, so what I eat has been all over the place. But I have lost 40 lbs this semester, so that is something. And now the kids are gone and the last day for me is tomorrow!!!! I will be able to keep up with this much better now.