2 small pita bread rounds, cut in wedges and toasted
Step 1
Trim fat from meat. Place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 12 to 15 minutes or to desired doneness, turning meat once.
Step 2
Meanwhile, for the dressing, in a screw-top jar combine the lemon peel, lemon juice, oil, water oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Set aside.
Step 3
Divide spinach and/or romaine leaves among 4 plates. Cut the broiled meat across the grain into thin, bite-size strips. Arrange warm sliced meat, cucumber, red onion, olives, and feta cheese on top of greens. Drizzle dressing over salads. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges. Makes 4 servings
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
269 calories, 11 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 504 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 21 g protein
Source: Better Homes and Garden New Dieter's Cookbook
1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 to 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard or Dijon-style mustard
Step 1
In a saucepan cook tortellini according to package directions, except stir in frozen peas and carrots along with tortellini. Drain.
Step 2
In a mixing bowl comobine mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing, milk, and mustard. Add cooked tortellini and vegetables, stirring to coat.
Step 3
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
To tote for lunch, place 1 serving in an airtight container. Place in an insulated lunch box with a frozen ice pack.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
259 calories, 5 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 714 mg sodium, 43 carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 12 g protein
The Lowdown
Just coming back from church, this dish was so quick and easy to make. Take some packaged noodles, frozen vegetables, and you have a delicious lunch that's good for you.
For the kids, they clearly loved the noodles. As a parent, I'm just looking to find new foods that will keep their tiny little palates confused.
The next time I make this dish, I would definitely cook it the night before and store it in the refrigerator for the following day. While the meal I served was cold, it would have been even better had I stored it overnight.
I hope you enjoy!
Source: Better Homes and Garden New Dieter's Cookbook
It was long overdue. Blame it on the job, family, or just the growing list of obligations, whatever the reason, getting together last night was important for many of us.
The idea for a NUPES night out event came from a conversation I had with my fraternity brother, Kevin Richards. As the Membership Services chairman, he always keeps his eye on the tone of the chapter. What are the brothers talking about? What do they need? How can WE provide it?
Over a hot cup of coffee, Kevin explained to me that we needed to do something for the brothers. It had been a while since we last spent some real one-on-one time together as a chapter. Sure, a few members went to the Durham Alumni Super Bowl Party and others attended various Founder's Day celebrations around the Triangle. Unfortunately, we needed something of our own. NUPES Night Out was born.
On the Friday, February 8, 2013, members of the Smithfield Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. gathered together at the Champps Americana restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. For many of us, we arrived immediately after work. Although, I noticed some were a little extra fresh and clean, which leads me to believe that they went home first and changed clothes. Leave it to the pretty boys.
For the first hour or so, the guys gathered around the bar and entered into conversations about the recent Duke and NC State basketball game. Others talked about video games, the Super Bowl power outage, and upcoming vacations.
Once the table was ready, all ten members in attendance migrated over to the group seating. We later found out that this particular table was perfect for watching local singers test their skills on the Karaoke microphone. This seemed to be a popular attraction as multitudes of people soon entered the establishment. It was packed!
Over the next two hours, the brothers enjoyed a good meal, tons of laughter, and a healthy reminder that in order to work hard, we have to also play hard. As the Middle Eastern Province Polemarch Carlos Watson would say, "We need to remember and promote BROTHERHOOD whenever possible." I concur.
In the final moments, everyone in attendance agreed that NUPES Night Out was a success. The question on everyone's mind was this...what's next?
According to many, a family oriented event would be in order. Therefore, the next event will take place in March and we'll call it "NUPES On Wheels." No, not motorcycles, bicycles, but roller skates. Next month, Smithfield Alumni will organize a family friendly event where wives, kids, and friends can come out to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon around the skating rink. Details on the event will be announced soon.
I personally would like to give a shout out to all the brothers that attended the event and look forward to our next get together. Yo Yo!
Until next time...
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2 large green sweet peppers
8 ounces lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup long grain rice
1 4.5-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Step 1
Halve sweet peppers lengthwise, removing stem ends seeds, and membranes. Immerse sweet peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes. Invert on paper towels to drain well.
Step 2
In a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, water, uncooked rice, chili peppers, chili powder, garlic salt, and cumin. Bring to boiling. Stir in corn. Return to boiling; or until rice and corn is tender.
Step 3
Place pepper halves in a 2-quart square baking dish. Spoon meat mixture into peppers. Spoon any remaining meat mixture into the dish around the peppers. Bake peppers, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 2 minutes more. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
238 calories, 7 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 406 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 15 g protein
The Lowdown
Tonight's dish was a real treat, at least for me it was. As a kid, my mother used to cook a similar dish and I wasn't a fan of the green pepper. It seems my kids took that trait from my childhood. Today, I enjoyed the green pepper and all the goodness it offered.
Quick note, I made a few modifications from the list above. For some reason, I forgot to buy two cans of tomatoes, green chilies, and cumin. No worries, I found a few jars of salsa in the refrigerator and kept it moving. Perfect!
Even before I put the meat mixture in the green pepper bowls, I knew it was going to be good. The aroma had a distinct southwestern twang, which I enjoyed. The green from the sweet pepper contrasted nicely with the red tone tomato-based rice. Together, it made for an interesting, and quite hearty, dish.
For the kids, they thought the meal was a bit spicy. They managed to make a nice dent in the rice, but left the green pepper to die alone. For the adults, it was a pleasant meal that quickly fills you up. I wouldn't need a second serving.
Should I make this meal again, which I would thoroughly enjoy, it would be exactly as I prepared it, salsa and all. The kids, like yesterday, would prefer I pile the rice with cheddar cheese. I disagree.
Overall, an enjoyable meal that pleases the eyes as well as the palate. Enjoy!
Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook
6 ounces boneless beef top round steak
4 7- or 8-inch flour tortillas
Nonstick spray coating
1 cup frozen corn
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
1 8-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups shredded lettuce
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
Thinly sliced green onion (optional)
Step 1
Trim fat from beef. Partially freeze beef (about 30 minutes). Cut into thin bite-size strips.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown; set aside to cool.
Step 3
Spray an unheated large skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium heat. Add corn and garlic. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Push to side. Add beef. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is of desired doneness. Stir in salsa and kidney beans Heat through. Divide lettuce among 4 places or large bowls. Spoon meat mixture atop lettuce. Place several tortilla wedges to side of each salad. Top salads with sour cream and, if desired, sprinkle with green onion. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
279 calories, 8 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 29 mg cholesterol, 495 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein.
The Lowdown
Surprising, this meal was simple to make and used very few spices. For some reason, I kept thinking I needed to add chili seasoning, but it never called for it.
There are two things I would have changed about my execution of this recipe. The first thing I would have done differently was actually SHRED the lettuce. Thinking it would be far to challenging to shred lettuce, I decided to CUT it. While the taste was the same, I felt shredded lettuce would have provided a more pleasant dining experience. We're talking fewer chunks if I had.
The second thing I would have changed would have been pulling the tortillas out of the oven sooner. While the taste really didn't suffer, the "chips" were a little too crunchy. For me, I left them in for about 10 minutes but could have taken them out around 7 or 8 minutes.
When I asked the family what they would do differently, they responded with, "CHEESE!" For them, cheddar cheese was the one missing ingredient that would have made this dish superb!
Finally, similar to the lasagna of last night, I could have benefited from doubling the meat sauce. It's not necessary, but I like my meat.
If you try this dish, please let me know how it tastes for you.
Enjoy!
Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook
