Sautéed Zucchini

I've been trying to be more creative with side dishes and use potatoes and rice a little less. I've been on a lower card diet for about 10 weeks now so I've had to get creative so we aren't eating the same things over and over. Today I made Sautéed Zucchini and it was a big hit, even with the one kid that says he doesn't like veggies much but just tolerates them! LOL!

Anyway, here it is, I hope you like it!

Two zucchini squash, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter (you can use olive oil if you like)
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
Salt & pepper to taste


Coarsely chop zucchini, toss with salt, pepper and parsley then set aside. In a nonstick skillet, heat butter on medium/high heat. Add zucchini mixture and cook until about half done...this will be to your taste, some like it a little tender-crisp and some like it a little more soft. When you have about a minute of cook time left, add your garlic. If you're handy with flipping it with just the skillet, you can do that , otherwise, toss using a spatula. :)

Serve immediately.

Sorry the picture is a little blurry...I was trying to hold the pan and take the picture without fogging up the camera! :) 

Have a great day!

Homemade Coleslaw Dressing

I've been looking for a recipe for a coleslaw dressing that we liked. My mom just mixes mayonnaise and vinegar but we didn't like that flavor much so I've been experimenting and we've finally decided on a winner.

I just make it up as needed, there no reason to make up too much at a time. I'd say we have coleslaw about once per week and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up so it's fresh!

Using a pint size jar, add three tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and three tablespoons of vinegar.
Shake or stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 3/4 cup of "salad dressing" (some people call all of the white sandwich spreads mayonnaise but if you look closely, there is actually two different products...we prefer the salad dressing version). After you've added your mayo or "salad dressing" put the lid on tight and shake it up. Right before serving, pour dressing over your shredded cabbage and carrots, then toss to coat.

We used to buy the Kraft Coleslaw dressing but now we use this instead. It works out to be about 35c per mix and the Kraft is about $1.50 per bottle.

Hope you enjoy!

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Tonight time sort of got away from me and before I knew it, it was dinner time and there was nothing to eat. The natives were restless and hungry! So I threw together my version of chicken cacciatore. It's super easy because I used pre-cooked, de-boned chicken. This works especially well since I don't really like the skin left on it and a lot of the recipes I've seen call for leaving the skin on. So...here's my version (photo coming soon!)

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

1-2 pounds cooked, skinless, de-boned chicken (any parts you like)
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Put your chicken in a large skillet and brown it a little on medium heat. Add the peppers, onions and garlic...toss to mix. Pour diced tomatoes with liquid over the top and mix together. Add seasoning...simmer 10 minutes until heated through and veggies are tender. Serve over prepared pasta or rice.

This is a yummy quick meal and I make it even easier because I use pre-cooked chicken that I have ready in the freezer. I also use peppers and onions that are already diced and in the freezer. When I do that, I can make dinner from start to finish in about 15 minutes!

What meal do you have that can be made in 15 minutes that fills your hungry bunch? Leave us a comment and let us know.