Seasoned Baked Fries

Love, love, love french fries.  Hate, hate, hate what fried french fries do to my hips and butt.  So, when I'm really craving them, I bake them.  They taste just like just as good as the 'real deal'.

Seasoned Baked Fries
2 Servings

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 tbsp evoo
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 500°.  In a large bowl, toss everything together except salt.  Place fries in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Place pan on the bottom rack.

2.  Bake the fries for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and turn them.  Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Veggie Gyros

To go along with Jason's chicken gyros, I made a veggie version for myself.  Went great with my homemade tzatziki sauce too!

Veggie Gyros
1 serving

Ingredients:
1 portabello mushroom, sliced
1/4 cup green bell pepper sliced
1/4 cup red onion sliced
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp evoo
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt & Pepper
Whole wheat pita
Thinly sliced onion
Tzatziki Sauce

Directions:
1.  Combine lemon juice, evoo, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper.  Place mushroom, peppers and 1/4 cup sliced onion in a zip-top bag or container with a tight fitting lid.  Pour marinade over the veggies and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

2.  Sauté marinated veggies over medium high heat until the mushrooms until browned.  place veggies in a warm pita, top with sliced onion and tzatziki sauce.

                      

Chicken Gyros

I wanted to try something different for dinner tonight so I decided to go with Gyros.  I made chicken for Jason and veggie for me.  I even whipped up some homemade Tzatziki to go with them!

Chicken Gyros
4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts (about 4) cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp evoo
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & Pepper
4 whole wheat pitas
Thinly sliced onion
Tzatziki Sauce

Directions:
1.  Combine lemon juice, evoo, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper.  Place chicken in a zip-top bag or container with a tight fitting lid.  Pour marinade over the chicken and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

2.  Sauté chicken over medium high heat until browned and cooked through.  Divide chicken between four pitas and top each with sliced onion and tzatziki sauce.
                       

Spicy Black Bean Dip

This is something I just threw together one day with ingredients I had on hand.  It's now one of my husband's favorites.

Spicy Black Bean Dip

Ingredients:
2 cans refried black beans with roasted red jalapenos*
1/4 cup sour cream
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 small handful cilantro, chopped finely
3/4 cup shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a medium sized bowl.  Once combined, transfer to small baking dish** and top with shredded cheese. 
2.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.  Serve with tortilla chips.

*If you're unable to find these, just get plain refried black beans and add 1 chopped jalapeno.

**This can also be put into a small crock pot.  Cook on low for 2-4 hours, until warm and cheese is melted.

Big ol' Party Meatballs

Who doesn't love meatballs?  Well, actually, I don't, but I don't mind making them for my husband or friends.  I prefer to bake mine on top of a metal cooling rack so they don't bake in all of the fat drippings.  Also, once baked, they can easily be frozen for use at a later date.

Big ol' Party Meatballs
Makes 2 1/2 dozen meatballs

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lb sausage (I prefer Bob Evans Original)
1 egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 medium onion, minced or grated
Couple dashes of chipotle pepper powder
Couple dashes of garlic powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix well (best way is with your hands), but don't overmix.

2.  Take approximately 1/4 cup of the meat and roll it between your hands to form a ball.  Continue doing this until all of the meatballs have been formed.  Place meatballs on a cookie sheet.

3.  Bake meatballs for 20-25 minutes, until nicely brown and no longer pink in the center.  Serve alone or with desired sauce....like my barbecue sauce!

Kicked Up Honey Mustard

It really doesn't get any easier than this.  The ground mustard adds an additional punch of mustard flavor and a kick of heat.

Kicked Up Honey Mustard:
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/8 tsp ground mustard

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients well.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Smokey BBQ Sauce

Never buy the bottled stuff again!  This is double the "normal" recipe.  I made a large batch to go with my Big ol' Party Meatballs and Crispy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Fingers for our White Elephant Party ☺

Sara's Smokey BBQ Sauce
24 Servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:
1.  Heat a medium sized pot over medium-low heat.  Combine all ingredients and warm over heat until all ingredients are incorporated and sugar and salt are dissolved, stirring occasionally.  Let cool to room temperature, seal and store in refrigerator for up to one week.