New recipes will be posted this week- stay tuned! Sorry about the small vacation from blogging :)

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light. Not only is it delicious, but it's a lot healthier than some of the alternatives out there! It can be eaten as a side dish, as well.

6 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Guacamole

I could eat this with a spoon. Or, I HAVE eaten this with a spoon....!

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

(Note: To prevent it from browning, refrigerate with the pits and with a small amount of lime juice squeezed on top.)

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

You'll either love this or hate it. It's a version of Greek Avgolemono soup, and a lot of people mistake the strong lemon taste for salt. It's a favorite of mine for sore throat season!

8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons chicken soup base
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat
16 slices lemon
8 egg yolks

In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, carrots, onions, celery, soup base, and white pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend the butter and the flour together. Then gradually add it to the soup mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light in color. Gradually add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the egg mixture to the soup pot and heat through. Add the rice and chicken. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with lemon slices.

Monkey Bread

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a bundt pan.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes ( very important), then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

(Note: You could easily double the recipe for the caramelized sauce- maybe not the healthiest thing, but it makes for some gooey goodness!)

Garlic Chicken with Orzo

This is one of our favorites! I usually use a lot more red pepper and garlic, because we are gluttons for punishment over here. You can easily use more spinach without killing the recipe, as well.

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Juice of one FRESH lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear.

Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Squeeze lemon into pan. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Vegetable Fried Rice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh or bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh or bottled minced ginger
3 cups mixed cut-up fresh vegetables (such as sweet peppers, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, or thin carrots
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped bok choy
3 cups cold cooked white or brown rice
¼ reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir for one minute. Add mixed vegetables and bok choy; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Add rice and soy sauce; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion.

(Note: You can also add chicken or shrimp with rice and soy sauce for a main dish.)