• 1 medium cucumber-diced
• 1/2 medium onion-diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic-minced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Mix chopped onions, cucumbers and garlic in a bowl

2. Add dressing and salt and mix well

3. Let sit at room temperature for one hour

• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (such as Progresso)
• 1/3 cup instant potato flakes (such as Hungry Jack)
• 1/3 cup egg beaters
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Seasonings as desired

1. Mix the dry ingredients together on a plate

2. Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl

3. Lightly season the chicken breasts

4. Dip the chicken breast in the egg mixture

5. Dredge the wet chicken in the dry mixture

6. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray

7. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees

Serve

Variations:

Chicken Parmesan

Add 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp of Italian cheese and 1 tsp of garlic powder to the  dry mix

Friday

9:30pm–

Dry rub 7.5 lb pork butt and place in refrigerator

I used a rub made from garlic powder, brown sugar, tarragon, cumin, salt, cinnamon, paprika

Saturday
5:15am-

OMG it’s early

Plug in the smoker to heat up

Put apple wood chips in to soak

5:35am–

Make foil packets of wet wood chips, place in smoker

Fill water basin in smoker with water with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar added

5:55am–

Place pork in the smoker

7:30am–

No smoke coming from smoker

Make new packets of wood chips (bigger this time)

7:40am–

Replace wood chip packets in smoker (unplug smoker, remove lid, remove pork into a bowl, lift off center section of smoker very carefully as not to spill the water, using grill tongs removed the foil packets of wood ashes, replace with new packets of wet wood chips, replace center section, replace pork, put the lid back on)

9:45am–

No smoke

Make new packets of wood chips (bigger this time)

9:50am– (4 hour mark)

Replace wood chip packets in smoker

Take Pork temp (138 F)

Mop pork butt with vinegar sauce (recipe at end)

11:50am–

Replace wood chip packets in smoker

Take Pork temp (167.5 F)

Mop pork butt with vinegar sauce (recipe at end)

2:00pm (8 hour mark)

Replace wood chip packets in smoker

Take Pork temp (186F)

Mop pork butt with vinegar sauce (recipe at end)

4:00pm (10 hour mark)

Take pork temp 192

Remove from pork from smoker

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour

5:00pm

Pull pork and place in warming drawer of oven

7:00pm

EAT!

North Carolina Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp garlic juice

Boil all ingredients together for 10-15 minutes

This recipe scales very well.  The photos you see here are from a double batch.  It is wonderful served with hot, fresh bread and freezes very well.  I make mine in a dutch oven but I’m sure it would do well in a slow cooker too.

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite site pieces
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms-chopped
1 bag frozen of Italian style mixed vegetables (squash, zucchini, asparagus,carrots)
1 can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
½ large can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine
¼ cup barley
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Saute garlic, mushrooms and onions in oil in dutch oven.

Add all other ingredients

and bake, covered at 250 for 90 minutes (minimum, can go longer, up to 4 hours)  increase heat to 400 and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 links Garden Vegetable, Mushroom and Asiago Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms
• 3/4 cup chopped balsamic glazed grilled sweet onions (Trader Joe’s find)
• 1 cup Roasted Garlic Marinara sauce
• 1 package Garlic Basil Linguine (Trader Joe’s)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup shaved Romano & Asiago Cheese (Trader Joe’s)
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Squeeze sausages out of their casings in to a pan

2. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until sausage is cooked through

3. Add marinara sauce and salt and bring to a simmer

4. Cook pasta according to package directions

5. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, incorporate the spinach into the sauce.  It took me about 3 batches to get it all in, stirring each batch until it wilted down before adding the next batch

6. Drain pasta and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking

7. Spoon sauce over pasta and top with cheese

Ingredients

• One and a quarter to one and a half pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced thin)
• 2 tsp Lysaders chicken rub (or other spice of your choice)
• 1 cup portabello mushrooms-chopped
• 1/3 cup onion-chopped
• 1/3 cup red or orange bell pepper-chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp sliced green olives
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic marinara sauce

Directions

1. Lay the chicken out in a baking dish and sprinkle with the chicken rub

2. Saute mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrots, peppers and olives in pan with olive oil

3. Spread the mixture over the chicken

4. Spread on the marinara sauce

5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees

Ingredients

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• Durkee tomato garlic pesto marinade
• provolone cheese slices
• sliced onions
• creamy horseradish
• mayonnaise
• garlic powder
• barbecue sauce
• buns
• red wine vinegar
• vegetable oil
• chopped, cooked bacon
• tomato slices (optional)

Directions

1. Lay your chicken breasts out on a cutting board, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet (flat side) pound until they are a uniform thickness all the way across

2. Next, tenderize the chicken (I like to use a blade tenderizer but if you don’t have one then the other side of the meat mallet works too)

3.  Next, take your packet of Durkee Tomato Garlic Pesto Marinade and take out 1/8 of a tsp of the mix and set it aside (look, it made a heart!)

4. Take the rest of the mix and put it in a large zip top bag and mix it according to packet direction then add about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

5. Place the chicken in the bad, squeeze out most of the air, squish it around to coat the chicken well then set it in the refridgerator for at least half hour (an hour is better)

6. Next, made the spread by combining 3 tablespoons mayonaise, 1 tsp barbecue sauce, 1 tsp creamy horserasdish, 1/8 tsp marinade powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this is enough for 3 sandwiches, increase if you are making more)

7.  Now slice up some onions (how many depends on how many sandwiches you are making) and fry them in a pan with a bit of oil until very brown

8.  Go heat up the grill, its time to put the chicken on.  Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side or until done

9. While the chicken is grilling, toast your buns under the oven broiler, then leave the broiler on, we are going to use it again in a minute

10. Once the chicken is done place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped, cooked bacon

11. Pile on the cooked onions

12. Top each with a slice of Provolone cheese

13. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese

14.  Put the spread on the buns

15.  Top with a slice of ripe tomato (optional) and enjoy

Ingredients

• 4 8″ tortillas (low carb if you want)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup pizza or marinara sauce
• sauteed vegetables (green peppers, onions, mushroom)
• Italian seasoning
• turkey pepperoni
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese
• non-stick spray

Directions

1. Spray tortillas and toast them under the broiler until browned.

2. Chop and saute vegetables

3. Spread sauce on tortillas (as much or as little as you want)

4. Add vegetables and pepperoni (I like to use the mini kind since these are small pizzas)

5.  Sprinkle on the cheese then shake on some Italian seasoning

6.  Place back under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups medium pearled barley
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
• 12 ounces thinly sliced cooked beef*
• 1/2 cup onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper-chopped
• 1 & 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cilantro
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing**
  

Directions

1. Bring beef broth to boil, add barley, reduce to a simmer, cook 35 minutes
2. Pour barley into a bowl (its okay if it still has a little bit of liquid on it)

3. Add onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, parsley, mustard, salt & pepper

4. Stir in cheese

5. Stir in beef strips
6. Make dressing by mixing the red wine vinegar with the balsamic vinaigrette.

7. Pour the dressing on and stir to combine
8. Refrigerate overnight if you can then reheat when ready to serve otherwise, serve promptly

*I like to use John Soules Angus Beef Fajita Strips, they are precooked and come in a bag.  I usually get them at Wal-Mart

**My favorite brand is Maple Groves Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, it works great on salads, as a marinade and in all kinds of sauces

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey breast (I use turkey breast because its lower in calorie and we are trying to lose weight, but feel free to use ground beef, pork or chicken or any combination of meats)
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper chopped
• 1 can black beans (black beans are essential to this recipe, they have a wonderful texture and flavor)
• 1 can pinto beans (can also use kidney beans or white beans)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 packet chili seasoning mix ( My favorite is Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit but I also like  Brooks or Williams brands)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup medium picante sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cook the meat until about half done

2. Add peppers and onions

3. Cook until peppers and onions start to become soft

4. Add one can of the diced tomatoes (with  juice)

5. Simmer for about 5 minutes

6. Place mixture in crock pot (or large pot) and add remaining ingredients

7. Stir well

8. Cook for 2-3 hours if using a crock pot or 1 hour if cooking on the stove top (you can cook this all day on low in a crock pot to have a nice dinner when you get home from work or sledding)

Serve straight up or with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sliced green onion or sour cream.

Nutritional Information (based on the ingredients and brands I use)

Servings: 8 (breakdown is per serving)

Calories: 213

Fat: 3 grams

Cholesterol: 26.5 mg

Sodium: 972 mg

Carbs: 24.5 grams

Sugars: 6 grams

Fiber: 8.75 grams

Protein: 19 grams