go-to recipes

When I ventured out to make all of my christmas presents for '08, I instantly had an idea of compiling a recipe book for my sister-in-law. She always asks what I make since I cook so often, and I wanted to share with her my go-to recipes. I love to cook healthy, but I want to cook things that are so good they 'fool' my boyfriend, you know? So, for my own reference, as well as something I can direct others to, I wanted to compile all the links in one place (for some reason papers don't stay in my recipe file for too long, haha!)

Barbecue Pork-and-Coleslaw Hoagies (8 points each)
The coleslaw used in this recipe is my go-to, even when I'm not making the Hoagies. It's delicious! I use fat free sour cream instead of light.
Chicken Cordon Bleu (7 points each)
I serve this with mashed potatoes (try mixing half potatoes and half steamed califlower - it works well!), and green beans. In the recipe, I use brummel & brown instead of real butter, which I'm sure brings the nutritionals down a bit.
Chicken-fried Steak (7 points each)
I also serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans, and the gravy that goes with it is THE BEST cream gravy ever!!
Cream Gravy (1 point per 1/3 cup)
Soooo delicious, and I use fat free instead of low-fat milk.
Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce (7 points per serving)
I half the pasta and use the same amount of sauce, which alters the nutritionals, but it's worth it!
Herbed Chicken and Dumplings (6 points per 2 cups)
I always double this (the recipe is for 2 servings) because it never lasts long between me and my boyfriend.. it's one of our favorite soups. I also use almond milk* instead of low-fat in the dumplings.
Mini Meat Loaves (6 points per loaf)
The best part - it's pre-portioned so there's no temptation! They cook fast, and are delicious. I don't splurge for the sirloin as called for in the recipe. I just use 90/10 ground beef. Another meat dish that goes great with mashed potatoes and green beans =)

*Almond Milk is incredible. We rarely have milk in our house because this is so much better! I use the Blue Diamond brand, unsweetened vanilla. It's only 40 calories per cup! That's less than half of fat free milk. I use it in cereal and in recipes! Plus it's easy to always have on hand because you can keep it in the cupboard like soy milk until you open it!

As you can see, I make a lot of mashed potatoes. When cooking for 2 people, there's always leftovers. Whenever I have left over mashed potatoes, I always re-create KFC's 'famous chicken bowl' at home. I bake up some frozen breaded chicken tenders (2 for me, 3-4 for my bf), and microwave some frozen kernel corn. I also make up a batch of cream gravy (see link above). In a shallow bowl, layer a spoonful of mashed potatoes, topped with corn, then cooked chicken tenders. Pour a bit of gravy over top and sprinkle with a little reduced-fat shredded cheese. SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! =)

Hope this is helpful!