Stuffed Loaf

Every now and then I make a meal that my 5 year old daughter deems "delicious" - this is one of those meals! You can stuff your loaf with a variety of things - pizza toppings, grilled chicken and vegetables, smoked ham and cheddar, tender chicken breast with alfredo sauce, even taco meat. Just make sure that your fillings are already cooked and your loaf will come out perfect every time. These are even pretty enough to serve company!

 
For the Dough:
(shortcut: use a tube of refrigerated pizza dough)

3c Thrive Flour (white, whole wheat, or a combination of both)
1/2t Salt
1T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1-1/2c Warm Water
1T Honey or Sugar
1 Packet Instant Yeast

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and whole egg powder. Dissolve yeast in warm water with honey and add to flour mixture. Stir until dough begins to come together, then knead by hand for 5 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

For the Filling:

1c Thrive Ground Beef
1/4c Thrive Mixed Bell Peppers
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
1T Thrive Celery
1/2t Thrive Beef Bouillon
1-1/2c Water

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

To assemble loaf, roll dough out to 9x13 rectangle. Pour the sauce down the middle of dough, leaving 1" of dough at bottom and top. Fold the sides of the loaf over the filling, then pinch around the edges to seal. Bake, seam side down, for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cheeseburger Pasta

This dinner is a real kid pleaser! Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you - it all gets thrown together in one pot and simmers while you relax after a long day. Hand out any leftovers for lunch the next day.

8oz Pasta (any shape)
2c Thrive Ground Beef or Beef TVP
2T Thrive Onions
2T Thrive Celery
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers
1T Thrive White or Brown Sugar
1/2c Thrive Shredded Cheese (any flavor)
1/2c Thrive Cheese Blend
1t Ground Mustard
1/2t Garlic Powder
1/2t Salt
1/4t Black Pepper
1 1/2c Hot Water

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed and the sauce is creamy. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of hot pasta water to thin it out. Serve cheeseburger sauce over pasta.

Meatloaf with Tomato Glaze

This low fat meatloaf comes together quickly and is loaded with veggies. Replace the traditional ketchup topping with a homemade tomato glaze for a four star weeknight meal!

1lb Lean Ground Beef
1lb Ground Chicken, Pork or Turkey
2T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Carrot Dices
2T Thrive Freeze Dried Celery
2T Thrive Red & Green Peppers
1/4t Garlic Powder
1/4t Salt
1/3c Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil (non stick foil works best). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour meat mixture onto baking sheet and shape into a loaf. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

While the meatloaf is baking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine:

1/2c Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Grated Parmesan
3t Brown Sugar
2t Worchestershire
1t Garlic Powder
1t Onion Powder
1t Ground Mustard

Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Cover and keep warm.

After the meatloaf has baked for the first 30 minutes, turn the oven to 400 degrees and continue baking, brushing the top and sides with the glaze every 10 minutes until a nice crust forms and the meatloaf is cooked through - usually an additional 30 minutes depending on how thick your loaf is. Slice and serve the meatloaf, drizzled with additional glaze if desired.

Two Bean Crock Pot Chili

Old chili: wash and chop onions (cry). Brown ground beef with onions, drain off fat. Pour ground beef and onions in crock pot. Open cans, try not to cut yourself on all the lids. Rinse all the beans - who wants all that icky salt - and pour them in with the beef. Don't forget the tomatoes - sorry the juice splattered on that white button down shirt you were going to wear to work. Throw splattered shirt in the laundry. Seed and chop some peppers, and throw several cans in the trash. Wash pan, cutting board, knife and spatula. 

New chili: open Thrive product. Measure out product and put it in your crock pot. Add water, cover, turn on to low. Put product back in pantry. Rinse tablespoon and measuring cup. Done! Hard to argue with a two minute dinner :)

1c Thrive Freeze Dried Ground Beef or Beef TVP
1/2c Thrive Instant Black Beans
1/2c Thrive Instant Pinto Beans
1/4c Thrive Red and Green Bell Peppers
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
1 can Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos (optional)
1 Envelope Chili Seasonings (or 1/2t garlic powder, 1/2t chili powder, 1/2t salt and 1t cumin)
4c Water

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low all day. Serve with crackers, diced onions, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Mexican Rice Bowls

1c Thrive Instant Pinto Beans
1c Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Chicken or Chicken TVP
1/2c Thrive Freeze Dried Corn
3T Thrive Tomato Powder
3T Thrive Red and Green Bell Peppers
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
2T Taco Seasonings (Recipe Below)
3c Water
2c Thrive White or Brown Rice, Prepared

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Homemade Taco Seasonings

4T chili powder
2T ground cumin
1T paprika
1T crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper
1T dried oregano
1T onion powder
1T garlic powder
1T salt (optional)
½T black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Store in an air tight container.

Spaghetti Pie

1/2c Thrive Tomato Powder
1T Thrive Freeze Dried Onions
1T Thrive Carrot Dices
1T Thrive Freeze Dried Celery
1T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers
1/2t Garlic Powder
1T Italian Seasonings
1/2t Thrive White Sugar
2c Hot Water
1/2lb Spaghetti
1c Thrive Freeze Dried Ground Beef, rehydrated
1 Recipe Homemade Ricotta
1 1/2c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/2c Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomato powder, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, garlic, Italian seasonings, sugar and water. Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

 Sauce Ingredients

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, rehydrated ground beef, ricotta cheese, 3/4c mozzarella and 1/4c parmesan. Pour into greased pie plate. Top with marinara sauce, remaining 3/4c mozzarella and 1/4c parmesan. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with crusty garlic bread.

Lasagna Cupcakes with Homemade Ricotta Cheese

These lasagna "cupcakes" are so pretty and simple to put together!

Lasagna Cupcakes

12 Small Wonton Wrappers
1c Thrive Ground Beef, rehydrated (Thrive Sausage Crumbles would also be good here)
1c Pasta Sauce
1 Recipe Homemade Thrive Ricotta Cheese (recipe below)
1T Italian Seasonings
1c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 12 cup muffin tin. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese with Italian seasonings. Set aside. Put one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup. Press the wrapper into the bottom of the cup, allowing the edges to come up and out of the top of the cups.

To each cup, and in the following order, add about half a tablespoon of sauce, ricotta and ground beef. Press a second wrapper over the fillings and repeat the layers. Use your judgement here and add more or less of any of the ingredients depending on your family's preferences. Sprinkle the top of each cup with 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella and a little parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Allow the cupcakes to rest and cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tins - this will allow the ingredients to firm up and hold their shape.


Why would you make ricotta from scratch when you can just buy it at the store? Because it tastes so good. It is rich and creamy and fat free. And made from Thrive!

Homemade Ricotta
Thanks to Misty for figuring this out!

8c Water
1 1/2c Thrive Instant Milk
3T Vinegar
1/2t Salt

Combine water, milk and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent the milk from scalding. As soon as the milk begins to boil, turn the stove off and stir in the vinegar. Stir for one minute, cover and set aside. Your ricotta will be ready in as little as 30 minutes, but it will be tastier if you can give it a full 2 hours. After it rests, strain it through a fine mesh strainer (lined with cheesecloth if you have it). If you prefer a dry ricotta, leave it to drain for up to thirty minutes.
 Store your fresh ricotta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

You can expect to see more recipes along this line - I'm thinking taco cups, nacho cups, pizza cups... there are a lot of possibilities here!

What Do You Do With Tomato Powder?

Welcome to installment three of "What the Heck Wednesday." Today we're going to take a look at Thrive Tomato Powder.

I have to say - this is hands down one of my all time favorite products. It is super versatile, very nutritious, and easy to use. The first thing you will notice when you open your can of Tomato Powder is its beautiful, deep red color and delicious smell. Just in case you've missed the health report, tomatoes are some of the most nutritionally beneficial foods you can eat. They are absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals in concentrations not available from other sources. A diet rich in tomatoes, particularly cooked tomatoes, has been shown to reduce high blood pressure and cancer risk, improve vision, clear acne prone skin, and improve your immune system. Plus they taste great!

Thrive Tomato Powder is meant to replace a variety of tomato products: diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, pasta sauce, tomato soup and pizza sauce. You can use it to make the sauce for your favorite lasagna, give your taco meat a boost, thicken up your favorite chili recipe and make your minestrone soup unforgettable.

Each #10 can hold the equivalent of just over 110 (yes, one hundred and ten) cups of tomato sauce. That's about 63 15oz cans. How much space would 63 large cans of tomato sauce take up in your pantry? A #10 can costs $31, which coverts to about $0.50 per large can of tomato sauce. I don't know about you, but I usually pay $0.65 per can for the generic tomato sauce at our local grocery store, double that if I want the quality stuff. In addition to space and money savings, Tomato Powder reduces waste - both in packaging and food thrown in the trash. I frequently cook dishes that only need one or two tablespoons of tomato paste, and that often means that the rest of the can ends up in the garbage can. With Thrive Tomato Powder, I measure out just what I need and know that the rest of my opened container will last for a whole year on my pantry shelf.

So the next time you are adding stuff to your Q shipment, or placing a hostess benefit order to get your free food, add a #10 of Tomato Powder. I'm sure you'll be as happy with it as I am! Oh wait, you don't get free food from Thrive? Contact me and I'll get you hooked up!

Pizza Night

We love pizza night at our house! My daughter thinks that anything with red sauce on it is completely inedible, so she likes hers without sauce. My husband wants his loaded with meat and onions, and I prefer mine with fresh veggies and lots of cheese. So let's see... three pizzas, one with lots of toppings, one with fresh veggies, one with nothing but cheese, plus tax and delivery is... more than I want to spend. Or I could just make it at home without having to run out to the store to buy all the ingredients!

Tonight I made a whole wheat crust from scratch, and so can you. Trust me - it isn't hard at all and your kids will love the freedom to make their pie exactly the way they want to.

1 1/2c Warm Water
1 Package Instant Yeast
1T Honey (or sugar or agave nectar)
1/8t Salt
1/2t Garlic Powder (optional)
1T Olive Oil
2 to 4 cups Thrive Whole Wheat Flour

Combine warm water, yeast and honey and let rest for 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, garlic powder if desired and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture. Continue adding flour, 1/4c at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball, put it into a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 1 hour. This crust recipe will make one really big pizza, or can be divided to make up to 4 personal sized crusts. Tonight I divided this ball of dough into three equal pieces.

If the thought of making your own pizza dough makes you want to run away screaming, skip this step and just use store bought crust or dough! No big deal.

While the dough is rising, make your sauce.

1T Olive Oil
1 1/2c Water
1/2c Thrive Tomato Powder
1/2t Garlic Powder
1t Sugar
1/2t Italian Seasonings
1/8t Salt

In a small bowl, combine Tomato Powder, garlic powder, sugar, Italian seasonings and salt. In a saucepan over medium high heat, bring water and olive oil to a boil. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the Tomato Powder mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want your sauce to be a little thicker, continue to simmer until the desired consistency is reached.

If you haven't already, now is a good time to consider toppings. Here are a few ideas from your Thrive pantry:

• Veggie: FD Red & Green Bell Peppers, FD Mushrooms, FD Chopped Spinach, FD Chopped Onions
• Meaty: FD Chopped Chicken, Sausage Crumbles, Ham TVP
• Hawaiian: FD Pineapple Chunks and Ham TVP
• Taco: Replace pizza sauce with Instant Pinto Beans (mashed to make a spreadable sauce) and top with Taco TVP, FD Chopped Onions, fresh chives, salsa and cheddar instead of mozzarella

Rehydrate your toppings as per Thrive directions. Roll out your pizza dough to desired shape and thickness*. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the dough, then top with shredded cheese and toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-23 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

*If you want a deep dish pizza, pre-bake your dough for 8-10 minutes before adding sauce and toppings.

 Left: Bacon, Thrive Ham TVP and Thrive Chopped Onions; Right: Cheese, no sauce;

Bottom: Thrive Ham TVP and Cheese.