Asian Glazed Chicken

I tried a new recipe the other night and it was good.  (I love it when that happens) I had to go out and buy a bottle of hoisin sauce but other than that the ingredients were all things at had at home.

Asian Glazed Chicken:
(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Preheat your grill or skillet to medium-high heat.

Combine the ginger, hoisin sauce, olive oil, and soy sauce in a medium bowl and stir well to combine. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and let the chicken marinate for at least 5 minutes.

Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove from the grill and serve.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

I made these for our New Year's Eve celebration.  I found them on Pinterest and have been wanting to try them for a while.  These were easy to make and really delicious.  The flavors were really good and I was able to throw them in a freezer bag for good eats later on.

My plan for these is to incorporate them into Mexican nights and freeze batches for easy weekend meals.  I also think these would be great to make if you're bringing a meal to someone.

I served these with guacamole and salsa for dipping. 

Southwestern Egg Rolls:
(Emily Bites)

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 scallions, chopped
1 (4 oz) can of green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
24 egg roll wrappers (1 package)


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist two baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the egg roll wrappers and stir to thoroughly combine.

Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and put ¼ cup of the mixture from the bowl on the center of the wrapper. Spread the mixture in a horizontal line from the left corner to the right corner of the wonton wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled egg roll over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped egg roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

When all of the egg rolls are wrapped and on the baking sheets, lightly mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 14-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. Serve with salsa for dipping.

Turkey Veggie Pasta

I've been trying to eat more brussels sprouts.  I "didn't like them" as a child but to be honest, I'm not really sure that I ever had one. I found this recipe that called for brussels sprouts in pasta and my mind was blown.  I don't think I've ever seen something like that before so I decided to give it a shot!

This pasta is delicious and full of veggies.  I really believe that kids would love it.  The turkey and sausage give it a meaty texture without all of the fat that comes with beef a lot of times.

Turkey Veggie Pasta:

(adapted from Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:

1 sweet or hot pork sausage link, casing removed, crumbled

3/4 lb 93% lean ground turkey

4 tsp olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz brussels sprouts, weight after outer leaves and stems removed

1 small onion, diced small

1 carrot, peeled and diced small

2 celery stalks, diced small

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
pinch crushed red pepper
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 lb high fiber, low carb or whole wheat pasta (brown rice pasta for gluten free)

In a large skillet heated over medium-high heat add the sausage and turkey. When the meat is completely cooked through and crumbled into small pieces set aside in a bowl.

Cut the brussels sprouts into thin shreds.  A food processor is awesome at this, but a sharp knife works just as well.

To the skillet, add 2 teaspoons of oil and turn the heat down to medium heat. When hot, add the shredded brussels sprouts, garlic, salt and pepper.  Sauté until everything is tender and starting to crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Set aside in another bowl.

In the same skillet add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables turn golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure you stir everything occasionally.

After the veggies are night and brown add the can of crushed tomatoes, sausage and turkey, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 - 30 minutes, or until the sauce is nice and thick.

While sauce is simmering prepare the pasta according to the package directions. 

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.  Toss everything together with the cooked brussel sprouts and enjoy!

Bourbon Baked Ham

We don't usually make a ham for holiday meals but this Thanksgiving we ended up having more people than turkey so I decided a ham would be the easiest way to fix the problem.

I already had a bottle of bourbon opened from the Derby Pie I made and thought I should find some more ways to use it.  Bourbon Ham was the answer!  This recipe is adapted from my late grandma's ham recipe.  She covered the ham in mustard and brown sugar and let it cook until everything melted together.  I added some bourbon and juice to the mustard and ham mixture and was really happy about how it turned out.

Bourbon Baked Ham:
(adapted from my Grandma's recipe box)

1 ham- precooked, whole or spiral cut
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
4 + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
Whole cloves- depending on how many scores you make in your ham

Preheat the oven to 350.

Take your ham and slice a diamond pattern on the top and put a whole clove at the point of each diamond.  If you have a spiral sliced ham you don't have to do anything here!!






















Spread the yellow mustard all over the ham.  If your ham is larger then use more mustard.  This is not exact science.  Spread 4 tablespoons (more or less) of the brown sugar on top of the mustard ham.

In a bowl mix together the rest of the brown sugar, bourbon, orange juice, and salt and pepper together.  Pour a quarter of the mixture over the ham and place in the oven.  Continue to pour the mixture over the ham and cook until everything is warmed through.

Another option is to take the remaining 3/4 orange bourbon mixture and reduce over medium-low heat until nice and thick.  This can be poured over the sliced ham as needed.

Asian Peanut Noodles

I've been bored with my dinner options recently.  I've also been on a bit of an Asian food kick so I've been trying to find some new dishes that incorporate my needs.

I found this recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  I love this recipe.  I always have these ingredients on hand and I was able to whip it up really quickly.  I think that this could serve as a main meal or as a side dish, depending on what you're looking for.

The recipe doesn't call for the vegetable to be cooked at all which is fine, but since I did serve this warm I think next time I'll try to blanch the veggies a little bit.

Asian Peanut Noodles:
(adapted from Cooking Light)

6 ounces whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti
1 teaspoon sirarcha
1 tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
3 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup matchstick-cut green onions

Cook the noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain them well.

Combine the sirarcha, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine well. Add the noodles, carrots, and green onions; toss and serve immediately.

Asian Tuna Nuggets

I went crazy at the grocery store this week and got some tuna nuggets instead of the usual tilapia.  (I know... pick yourself up off the floor)

I've been experimenting with Asian flavors recently and decided to try them out with this tuna.  It was a delicious and it was nice to have something a little different. This recipe uses some ingredients that I've bought for other recipes and haven't used all the much.

Mr. T really enjoyed this so I'm hoping that you will too!

Asian Tuna Nuggets:

1 pound tuna nuggets
1 scallion, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sirarcha
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon honey
Juice of half a lime
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
sesame seeds for garnish

In a small bowl mix together the scallion, garlic clove, rice vinegar, Sirarcha, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice, and ground ginger.  Add the tuna and let marinate for at least half an hour.

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat.  Spray the pan with some nonstick spray and cook the tuna for about a minute on each side.

Spinach Turkey Pasta Bake

Baked pasta dishes are a real comfort meal for me.  I love how versatile they can be and how easy it is to throw some veggies in there and pretend it's healthy.

















This pasta bake is something I made the other night using stuff that I almost always have in the house.  It made a huge casserole dish full and now I have lunches for tomorrow and frozen sections for dinner later.

Spinach Turkey Pasta Bake:

1 box ziti, baked al dente
1 package ground turkey
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 container reduced fat ricotta cheese
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 - 3/4 jar pasta sauce (or homemade)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt (if you like saltier things add more salt, I tend to under salt)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and heat a skillet over medium high heat.

Heat the olive oil in the skillet and add the ground turkey, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Brown the turkey and add the diced onion and garlic.  Once the onion starts to get soft add the spinach.

In a medium bowl add the cooked pasta, browned turkey mixture, pasta sauce, ricotta cheese, and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Pour the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is nice and melted.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I love jalapeno poppers.  There is just something about the pepper and the cheese that is amazing.  This recipe came from Skinnytaste, which is an amazing source for healthier recipes.

I made some changes to this recipe like not rolling the chicken up.  It's hard and I can never get my filling to stay inside... so I gave up.

Also, forgive my pictures.  I need a new camera like no one's business. (Santa, are you paying attention?!)

Jalapeno Popper Chicken:
(adapted from Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 jalapeños, seeds removed and chopped
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack
8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, and bacon.

Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet.  Place the breadcrumbs in one bowl and the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture and then in breadcrumbs.  Cover both sides of the chicken with the bread crumbs and bake 22-25 minutes.

Fried Catfish

We had old school Southern Night last Sunday night.  I made a basic fried catfish and it was delicious!!

Cornmeal is the only thing to use when making fried catfish.  There are a million different seasonings that you can use with your fish but since I always have Old Bay on hand I just used it.  I love to eat this with lima beans and cheese grits. 

Fried Catfish:

2 catfish fillets
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (I use Old Bay)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
Canola oil, enough to pan fry your fish in

Heat your oil in a pan to about 375.

Set up a breading station: flour in one pan, eggs in one pan, and cornmeal in one pan.

Season the catfish fillets with the Cajun seasoning and garlic powder.  Dip the fish in the flour and knock off the extra.  Dip the fish in the beaten eggs and then press the fish into the cornmeal, shaking off any extra.

Fry the fish in the oil for about 3 minutes per side.  The fish should be flaky when it's finished.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Quiche

I love quiche.  It's delicious and is a great holding vessel for all types of wonderful things. I love quiche for breakfast and lunch.  It makes me feel fancy.

Since I love bacon and had an onion laying around I decided to make a quiche with those.  I cooked the onions low and slow until they were nice and caramelized to add a nice sweet flavor to the quiche.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Quiche:

1 pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon corn starch
3 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup swiss cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 large tablespoon greek yogurt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt the butter.  Add the onion and let slowly cook until it is translucent and a caramel color.  It'll take a decent amount of time, I think mine cooked about 15 minutes... but I should have let them go for 20.

Fry the bacon and hold the cooked bacon off to the side until the onions are finished and the custard it finished.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place your pie crust in a pie pan.

In a bowl beat the eggs.  Stir the corn starch into the half and half, making sure it is incorporated well, and add that to the eggs along with the greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix well and add the cheese, bacon, and onions.

Pour the egg mixture in the pie shell and make sure the bacon and onions are spread around evenly.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the quiche starts to turn golden brown.

Lightened Up Arroz Con Pollo

I'm going outside of our typical spanish/mexican meal routine today. I have a bad relationship with Southern style chicken and rice.  We at a lot of it as a child and I have trouble eating it now.  I do love chicken and yellow rice though.

I saw this recipe pop up on Skinnytaste the other day and decided that it was time to try a new spin on chicken and rice.  It was an easy one pot meal and the leftovers were even better.  Mr. T even went back for seconds.

I was surprised with how many vegetables went into the dish and even though this is a very flavorful dish it's not spicy so I think it would be a favorite with kids at the dinner table.

Lightened Up Arroz Con Pollo:
(adapted from Skinnytaste- 8ppt+)

Ingredients:

8 skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoon sazon
1/2 teaspoon chipotle in adobo
1/2 garlic powder
3 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cloves garlic
5 scallions
1/2 a bell pepper
1 tomato, diced
2 1/2 cups enriched long grain rice
4 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt to taste

Directions:

Season chicken with vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sazon, adobo and garlic powder and let it sit 10 minutes. Heat a large deep heavy skillet on medium, add 2 teaspoon oil when hot. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Place onion, cilantro, garlic, scallions and pepper in mini food processor. Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and sauté onion mixture on medium-low until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato, cook another minute. Add rice, mix well and cook another minute. Add water, bouillon (be sure it dissolves well) and remaining sazon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Taste for salt, should taste salty enough to suit your taste, add more as needed.

Add chicken and nestle into rice, bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low until most of the water evaporates and you see the liquid bubbling at the top of the rice line, then reduce heat to low heat and cover. Make sure the lid has a good seal, no steam should escape (You could place a piece of tin foil or paper towel in between the lid and the pot if steam escapes).

Cook 20 minutes without opening the lid. Shut heat off and let it sit with the lid on an additional 10 minutes (don't peak!!!) Fluff with a fork and eat!

 

Broiled Tilapia

We eat a lot of tilapia.  It's delicious and it goes on sale a lot.  That being said I tend to make tilapia the same 3 ways every time we have it for supper.

This recipe came off of the Weight Watchers website and it super easy and tasty.  These ingredients are things everyone has around the house.  If you don't have garlic herb seasoning just use garlic and onion powder (but I suggest getting some Mrs. Dash, I use it all the time).

Broiled Tilapia:
(Weight Watchers- 3 pp+)


4 tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning

Preheat broiler and spray a roasting pan with non stick spray.

Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.  Place the fish in the pan, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with the garlic and herb seasoning.

Broil until the fish is fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

Chipotle Avocado Black Bean Burgers

I think that I might be mastering the veggie burger..... finally.

I've been exploring the world of the black bean recently and the black bean burger has been been leading me astray.  These patties have made up for all my heartache.  (That sounds like a bad country song)

The chipotle sauce and the avocado make this burger delicious.  The best thing about these burgers is that you can make up a bunch of them and throw them in the freezer for future enjoyment, or for food gift giving. 

Chipotle Avocado Black Bean Burgers:
(Adapted from Skinny Taste- 9ppt+)

6 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice

16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick oats
1 small avocado

Directions:

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and chipotle peppers, set aside.  Slice your avocado, place it in a bowl and sprinkle with a little lemon juice to keep it from browning.

Make sure the black bean are really dry and mash them up with a fork.

In a food processor, chop the bell pepper, cilantro, onion, and garlic, then add oats, then the egg and spices. Combine with the mashed black beans.

Divide the bean mixture into patties (I got 5), put them on a sheet pan, and freeze overnight.  When you're ready to cook them up, pull them out of the freezer, and cook on a sprayed skillet for about 7 minutes on each side.

Top the burgers with some of the chipotle mayonnasie and avocado slices.

Mr. T's favorite Spicy Two-Bean Chili

Mr. T loves chili.  He could probably eat it every day.  This is the recipe I use when I'm making a pot of chili just for him.  He likes things much spicier than I do.

I'm lucky to have a farmer close by that makes a spicy ground sausage.  It's delicious and really adds a lot to the chili pot.

Everyone makes chili differently but this method works well for me. 

Mr. T's favorite Spicy Two-Bean Chili:

1 pound spicy ground sausage
1 large can chili beans
1 large can black beans
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 large white onion, diced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the diced onion and cook until soft.  Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

While the onions are cooking add the cans of black beans, pinto beans, and canned tomatoes to a crock pot.  Add the cooked onions and garlic to the crock pot and add the ground sausage to the hot skillet.  Stir and cook until brown. 

Add the sausage and all of the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Fun Fact:

Peppers are all over the Farmer's Market right now and I stocked up on these 'Chocolate Jalapenos'.  They're much smaller than the traditional green peppers but are just as spicy.  I'd recommend trying them out if peppers are your thing.

Chicken enchiladas with Chili-Yogurt Sauce

It's Mexican night!  It's our favorite night of the week.  This is another Pinterest recipe find.  (I'm so glad that website was invented)

I made some changes to the original recipe to cut a couple of calories and use what I had at home.  The Greek yogurt worked really well in this.  I really didn't feel like I was missing out  

Chicken enchiladas with Chili-Yogurt Sauce:

(inspired from Joyful Momma's Kitchen)

10 soft taco shells (I used whole wheat)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 small onion, diced (or 1/2 a large onion)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup greek yogurt
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika


To make the shredded chicken:


Place a package of chicken breasts in a crock pot.  Add 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, chili powder, and garlic power.  Cover with water and cook on low for 8+ hours.  Remove chicken from water and shred with a fork or tongs.


To make enchilidas:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray.  Mix the shredded chicken, corn, diced jalapeno, onion, hot sauce, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Fill and roll up in tortillas and place in pan, seam side down.

(I had some extra chicken/corn mixture so I just plopped it on top)

















In a sauce pan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook about 1 minute, until a light golden brown color.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring occasionally. 

Add the Greek yogurt, chilies, and spices.  Keep stirring until everything has come together and is warm.  Do not let the mixture come to a boil, it will cause the dairy to curdle. 

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Lighter Eggplant Parmesan

Happy Meatless Monday!!

This is the recipe that led me to pick up some eggplant at the farmer's market.  I figured that if I was going to try eggplant I should dump a bunch of cheese on it.  How bad can that be?  It was pretty dang good.

The one thing I was missing in this recipe was some different texture.  I think in a traditional Eggplant Parmesan the fried eggplant adds some crispiness to the dish.  Since I don't need to eat fried eggplant covered in cheese I'll stick with this lighter version.

Lighter Eggplant Parmesan:
(adapted from Skinnytaste- 8 WW pts)

1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
1 tbsp olive oil
12 oz fat free ricotta
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium egg
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
3 cups tomato sauce
1 yellow tomato, seeded and roughly chopped or a hand full of small tomatoes
1 small white onion, diced
salt

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Lay on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.























Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add 1/3 of the chopped tomatoes and onions.  Repeat the process twice with more eggplant, vegetables, and cheese.  Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I love chicken and my husband loves buffalo anything.  I found this recipe on the skinny taste blog and thought that it might be a great change from the tacos I make all the time.  Better yet they are only 3 points per serving, without the ranch dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
(Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:

24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
16 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
6 large lettuce leaves, Bibb or Iceberg
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 teaspoon ranch or blue cheese dressing per wrap
 
Directions:

Season the chicken breast with the onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.  Combine the chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth in a crock pot.  If there isn't enough broth to cover the chicken add some water.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low for 8-ish.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker with the broth and hot sauce.  Set on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

To prepare lettuce cups, place 1/2 cup buffalo chicken in each leaf, top with carrots and dressing of your choice.

Stuffed Mushroom Marinara

I made stuffed mushrooms a couple of weeks ago for Meatless Monday.  While we were eating them Mr. T said that he'd love to try them with some red sauce.  We talked it out and this is what we came up with.

These were delicious!  The stuffing would also make a great stuffing for pasta (I'm thinking stuffed shells might be in my future).  Here's my advice on how much marinara sauce to actually use.  You don't want the spinach mixture to be floating around in sauce but everything still needs to be moist.  Start out with half a cup or so of sauce, mix it all together and add more if you need to.

If you're looking for a vegan option leave the cheese off.  It's still good.

Stuffed Mushroom Marinara:

4 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some to drizzle
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
1 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper
4 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When the oil is hot add the onion.  Once the onion starts to brown add the garlic and carrots.  Let everything cook for about a minute and add the spinach.  Let the spinach mixture cook for an additional minute or so (I let them cook while I took the gills out of the mushrooms) and add the marinara sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.  Stir to combine.


Brush each mushroom cap with a little olive oil and begin to stuff them.

Once each mushroom is as full as you'd like it to be place them on a baking sheet and place one slice of provolone cheese on top of each mushroom cap.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Lighter Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

I have a soft spot for pasta with alfredo sauce on it.  It's so good.  Pasta dishes are great ways to get vegetable into people too.

This is a lighter pasta dish but it was delicious.  The broccoli was tasty and the alfredo sauce got soaked up in all of the little nooks of it and the pasta.  This also makes a great lunch the next day.

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo:

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

2 cups roasted broccoli florets

8 ounces whole wheat pasta, I used rotini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to sauce mixture, followed by the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.