Southwest Chicken & Beans

This is a favorite slow cooker meal among a lot of my mom-friends. It's so easy to throw together in the morning and then have a healthy, hearty meal to eat for dinner. I like to serve this over rice, and with cheese on top if I have the calories to allow for it. However, it's also good on its own.

Southwest Chicken & Beans

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (no need to thaw first!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 cup of salsa

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for about 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir to combine all ingredients. Serve over rice and topped with cheese. (Nutrition info is without rice or cheese)

Gobby's Noodle Cream Cheese Casserole

Gobby is an affectionate name given to my maternal grandmother, who passed away in 1999. After she died, my aunt made a cookbook out of Gobby's recipes and passed the books out to the women in the family. I love the book--some of the recipes are more modern, and some are very old. This recipe is my favorite! The cream cheese and sour cream mixed together is a great combo.

Gobby's Noodle Cream Cheese Casserole

8 oz (dry) Smart Taste elbow or rotini pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 cup fat-free sour cream
8 oz. 90/10 ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 cup 2% milk cheddar cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Cook the onions and beef in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray until beef is browned. Drain, and add the tomato sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. To assemble casserole:  first layer half of the pasta, then half of the cream cheese mixture, then half of the beef mixture. Repeat layers. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.

Chick Pea Curry

This is a recipe I found on Sparkpeople. I only made a couple of changes to it. The original recipe can be found on Sparkpeople here.

Chick Pea Curry
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cumin
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tsp. of curry powder
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 cup of water

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until soft. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and stir for a minute. Add water, tomatoes, chick peas, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover pan and simmer 5-10 minutes. If you want it thicker, then remove the lid while simmering. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Green Monster (original)

I got this recipe from Angela at Green Monster Movement. There are many, many variations, but my heart lies with the original. Sometimes I add blueberries, too.  Trust me when I say that this tastes NOTHING like the way it looks! I was completely skeptical, but pleasantly surprised when I first tried it.

Green Monster

1 Tbsp. flax seed meal
1 cup (packed) spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 banana, peeled (duh)
6 ice cubes

Put the ingredients (except for the ice) into a blender in the following order: flax seed, spinach, banana, almond milk. Let it rip on high until it's blended well, then add the ice and blend until smooth. I promise you that this tastes just like a banana shake, without a trace of spinach!  Serves 1.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

This tastes like Fall! I love to make this when the air is crisp and the leaves start to turn.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

28 g. oats (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup skim milk (or whatever milk you'd like)
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
10 g. raisins
dash of salt
dash of maple extract
a whole lotta cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp)
dash of pumpkin pie spice (about 1/8 tsp)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin

Combine all (except pumpkin) in a small pot on the stove and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while stirring for a couple of minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heat through. This is delicious topped with walnuts, too.
Calories: 215  Fat: 2 g. Fiber: 7 g. Carbs: 46 g. Protein: 9 g.

Chili Dog Pizza

Holy smokes, was this ever good! I don't know why I never thought to do this sooner.

Chili Dog Pizza

1 pizza crust (homemade, store bought, pre-cooked, whatever!)
1 can hot dog chili (found with the canned chili, it's usually in a smaller can--14 oz?)
4-6 hot dogs (I used 8 skinny fat free dogs, but it seemed like a little too much, so I'd go with 5 maybe)
cheddar cheese
onions, chopped fine
mustard

I'm not being specific with the amounts of everything used, or the nutrition content (because it completely depends on the products you use). Just pre-bake your crust a little, top with the chili sauce, cheese, and hot dogs. Bake until the cheese is melted and dogs are starting to brown. Then top with raw onions and mustard. Beware--it's very messy! ;)

Kielbasa & Corn Hash

I found this unusual recipe on allrecipes.com and gave it a try. It's fantastic!! This is a great way to use up veggies.

Kielbasa & Corn Hash

20 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced
14 oz. package smoked turkey sausage (about 90 calories/serving)
1 cup of pepper and onion stir-fry blend (frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
4 eggs, cooked over-easy, to top the hash with

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook potatoes and kielbasa until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 minutes (add a little water if they start to stick).  Add the frozen pepper mix and corn. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes more. Portion out hash and top with an egg.

Chili

This is my original, plain ol', simple chili recipe. Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics, no?

Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium pot sprayed with cooking spray, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for about 1 hour, adding beans after 45 minutes.

Meatball Stroganoff

This is super fast and easy to make if you use frozen meatballs. I like to buy the Aldi Fit & Active turkey meatballs.

4 servings of Fit & Active turkey meatballs (24 meatballs total)
1 onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup fat-free sour cream
4 servings (8 oz.) Smart Taste pasta (egg noodles)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Put the meatballs in the microwave for a couple of minutes to thaw. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and broth and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs, and simmer for a few minutes. Combine the cornstarch with a splash of cold water, and add it to the pot. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sour cream and warm through. Serve over pasta. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Stew

I like this when I'm looking for some comfort food. It's hot and creamy and filling.

Chicken Stew

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 medium carrots, chopped or sliced
16 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Using cooking spray, saute the onion and carrots. Add the chicken and cook until chicken is browned. Add the potatoes and broth, and simmer until the potatoes are soft (I cover the pan for this part). Add the peas, corn, and green beans, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of water, and add it to the pot. Stir until thickened.

Pork Chops & Rice

Ever since Jerry and I started dating in 1999, this has been his favorite meal. I make it a little different than his mom makes it, but it's still his favorite. I actually have a funny story to go along with this recipe: One time, we were going to eat dinner at my mom's house, and I told him I was going to make Pork Chops & Rice over there, which he was excited about. He was at work, and my mom volunteered to make the dinner instead. We agreed to let Jerry think that I made it. When Jerry tasted it, it said, "Wow, this is really good--even better than when you usually make it!!"  My mom and I laughed and told him that it was actually her that made it. Now, I always joke with Jerry, "Are you sure you don't want my MOM to cook this for you?" ;)

Pork Chops & Rice

12 oz. raw boneless pork chops, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup rice (I've used white and brown--white cooks much faster, but either will do)
2 cups water
1 can 98% fat free cream of celery soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish and cover. Bake at 350 degrees until the rice is done, stirring about every 30 minutes to check. When I use white rice, it takes about 1 hour. Brown rice takes about 1 hr and 20 minutes.

Noah's Spaghetti Pie

I call this Noah's Spaghetti Pie because when my eldest son, Noah, started kindergarten, we let him choose what to have for dinner on his first day of school--and he chose Spaghetti Pie. Now, whenever I make this, I think of him!

Noah's Spaghetti Pie

6 oz. Smart Taste pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fennel
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup mozzarella
8 oz. lean ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions (I like to break it in half first).  Combine the egg and parmesan in a small bowl and stir well. Add the egg mixture to the cooked spaghetti and stir well to coat the pasta. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray, and form a "pie crust" with the spaghetti mixture. Cook the ground turkey, onion, garlic, and green pepper until the turkey is browned. Add the tomato sauce, oregano, and fennel. Spread the ricotta on spaghetti "crust", and top with the meat sauce. Top the whole thing with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup

My aunt gave me this recipe, and it called for Italian sausage. I made it more figure friendly by making my own Italian sausage with lean ground turkey. Now, you can find the turkey Italian sausage at the grocery store and use it instead, but I like to make my own.

For the SAUSAGE:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. fennel seed, ground
3/4 Tbsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

For the SOUP:
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can white beans
1 can tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups tortellini
parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)

Combine all ingredients for Italian sausage. Brown sausage with onion and garlic in a soup pot. Add the tomatoes, broth, and basil and bring to a boil. Add the beans and tortellini, and cook until tortellini is cooked through.

2-Ingredient Guacamole

This is SO simple and SO easy--and it tastes SO good! Serve with tortilla chips.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1 cup Garden Fresh salsa (found in refrigerator section)

Mash the avocado until smooth, and stir in the salsa. It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes fantastic. Serve right away, because the avocado will start to brown.

Coconut Butter (a pictorial)

I adore coconut butter! I've never seen it in the store before, so I've always just made my own. It's very simple to make. All you need is a food processor.

2 bags of UNSWEETENED coconut (to fill a 12-oz jar of coconut butter)

Put it into the food processor

Let it rip on high for a few minutes, then scrape down the sides

This is after about 10 minutes

15-20 minutes and it's done!

At this point, I jarred some as-is, and then added cocoa powder to the rest

Ta-da! Coconut butter and chocolate coconut butter!

The nutritional info on this is the same as the package of coconut you use. Since there are no added ingredients, just use the info from the package. Keep in mind that the measurement may change (one tablespoon of shredded coconut does not equal one tablespoon of coconut butter); but the GRAMS will stay the same (15 grams of shredded coconut=15 grams of coconut butter).

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

My mom taught me to make this years ago, and I thought it sounded so strange when I read the ingredients. But they all work so well together! This is a delicious lunch--I love to stuff this into a pita bread.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

1-2 Tbsp. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing (I like Hidden Valley)
1 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup finely chopped cauliflower
20 grams of raisins (about 1-2 Tbsp)

Combine all in a bowl and stir together. Stuff into a pita pocket or just eat it straight out of the bowl.

Split Pea Soup

Despite how gross it looks, I LOVE split pea soup. My husband does too, and this recipe is our favorite.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

1 (1 lb) bag of dried split peas
1/2 cup pearl barley
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
10 oz. of potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (8 oz) package of diced ham
8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for about 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours) until thick. Makes 8 servings, approximately 1-1/2 cups each.

Pasta e Fagioli

This soup is amazing! It takes on the flavor of the smoked sausage, and it's very hearty. My husband is crazy for this soup.

Pasta e Fagioli

1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package Healthy Ones smoked sausage, chopped into small pieces (there are a lot of smoked turkey sausages available now, so any brand will do--the package will have roughly 90 calories per serving, 7 servings per package).
4 cups beef broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
4 oz. uncooked pasta (ditalini is our favorite)
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, cook onion, carrots, and garlic with cooking spray until vegetables are soft. Add the sausage and cook until it starts to get a little golden brown crust. Add the broth and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and beans, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.  Makes 4 (generous) servings.

 If you rinse the beans well, the sodium won't be as high as it shows.

Lasagna Soup

This soup is pretty simple, but for some reason, it tastes so complicated and GOOD. I love to serve this with warm garlic bread on a cold day.

 Lasagna Soup

1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
4 cups beef broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 oz. uncooked pasta (I usually use rotini)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic (using cooking spray) for a few minutes. Add the beef, and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft. Drain, and add parsley, broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is done, about 12 minutes. Serve with 1 Tbsp. parmesan per bowl.

PB2 Recipes and Ideas

This is a copy and paste from my Runs for Cookies blog.

I bought PB2... Now what?!

Yes, I really do order this much at once!

On my last entry, Anne (not sure who you are, but thanks for reading!) left me a note suggesting that I write about my uses for PB2. I have no idea why I didn't think to do this before, because it is definitely a frequently asked question! Ever since I discovered PB2 (I believe in 2007), I've been hooked on it. I talk about it all the time and use it frequently. Let me also say that I am in no way affiliated with Bell Plantation, nor did they even send me any for free to review or pay me in any way. I just ordered some after reading about it on a message board, loved it, and now I always rave about it.  I order it from Bell Plantation directly, but I've heard of some people finding it in stores. I've never seen it in a store before though.

However, when it finally arrives on your doorstep, it can be intimidating. What the hell do you do with it?! Here are some of my favorite uses.
Feel free to leave a note with your own uses for PB2, because I'm always looking for more ideas.

• Mash a banana and stir in 2 Tbsp. of PB2 for a pudding-like snack.


• Combine 2 Tbsp. of PB2 + 2 tsp. honey + enough water to make a paste-like consistency, and then spread it on crackers, graham crackers, fruit, English muffin, etc. Or add oats and roll into "dough" balls.


• Combine 2 Tbsp. of PB2 + 1 Tbsp. Lite Hershey's Syrup + enough water to make the consistency you like. Use it as an ice cream topping. I like to top a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich with this concoction and microwave for about 10 seconds for a really gooey chocolate-peanut-buttery dessert.


• For a decadent oatmeal, cook your oats the way you normally would, then add 2 Tbsp. PB2 + 1 Tbsp. of brownie mix (just the powder... I like the No Pudge! Brownie mix). You could use 1 Tbsp. of chocolate chips instead of the brownie mix.


• Stir together 1 chocolate pudding cup + 2 Tbsp. of PB2 for a chocolate-pb pudding. To make it more voluminous and mousse-like, add 1/4 cup of fat free Cool Whip.


• Cook a serving of oats and add a mashed banana and 2 Tbsp. of PB2.


• Combine 2 Tbsp. of No Pudge! Brownie mix + 1 Tbsp. PB2 + 1 Tbsp. applesauce + enough water to make a brownie batter consistency. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds, enough to make a gooey brownie.


• Combine 2 Tbsp. PB2 + 1/3 cup Cool Whip until smooth. Slice a chocolate Vitatop muffin in half and spread the PB2 mixture on one half. Then top with the other half for an "ice cream" sandwich. Or just pile the fluffy stuff on top and skip the sandwiching.


• Peel a banana and put it in the freezer. When it's completely frozen, put it in a small food processor with 1 Tbsp. PB2 and process until it's completely smooth--it'll be like banana/pb soft serve ice cream.


• Make a single serve no-bake cookie! Combine 1 Tbsp. PB2 + 1 Tbsp. No Pudge! Brownie mix + scant 1 Tbsp. milk + 2 Tbsp. quick-cooking oats. Form into a cookie shape and put on wax paper. Refrigerate. (Or just eat the goopy mess right away!)


• Add PB2 to smoothies and protein shakes. I like a chocolate protein shake with a frozen banana and PB2.


• Add it to any baked goods--brownies, cookies, etc. You might have to add some liquid to balance it out. I'm a terrible baker, so I can't help with that! ;)


• Add just a touch of PB2 to hot chocolate (maybe 1 tsp). Don't add too much because the texture gets weird.


• Reconstitute the PB2 with jam, and use it as a spread for bread, crackers, pretzels, etc.


• You could try this recipe for an Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cupcake by Carrie at Moves 'N Munchies. I made it once, but it was REALLY salty and I couldn't eat it. PB2 is already salted, so I wouldn't add any salt to the recipe at all.

PB2 + Hershey's lite syrup spread on an Oat Frittata

PB2 + honey spread on an Oat Frittata

PB2, flaxseed, and walnuts in my oatmeal. Obviously you stir it in before eating!

Single Serve No-Bake Cookie (see recipe above)

 
Some tips to consider when using PB2:

• Don't be afraid to experiment!! Use your imagination.


• Think of all the liquids you have in your kitchen, and try reconstituting the PB2 with any of those. 


• If you're not crazy about the texture of PB2, try mixing it with regular peanut butter for a while until you get used to it.


• Keep in mind that the PB2 has salt in it, so you might want to take it easy on the salt of other ingredients.

Sweet Potato Wheels

I had a sweet potato sitting on my counter for a while, so I decided to turn that into my lunch yesterday. It was SO GOOD that I just have to share--it's not much of a "recipe", more of a "method". But either way, you've got to try it!

Sweet Potato Wheels (because "Wheels" sound so much more fun than "fries" or "rounds")

1 large sweet potato (mine was 12 oz)
cooking spray
salt & pepper to taste

Set the oven to 'broil' (mine has high and low, so I chose high). Peel the sweet potato and slice into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Spray a baking sheet with the cooking spray, and then lay all the sweet potato pieces out on the sheet.

Lie the wheels on a sprayed baking sheet

Spray the tops with a little cooking spray and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put the sheet under the broiler until the tops are starting to burn darken in spots, like this:

When they look like this, flip them over

I think it took about 10 minutes for mine. Flip each piece over, and put the sheet back under the broiler. When you can smell the sweet potato goodness, and they look like this, they're done:

Pile them all on a plate and devour them. Share them with someone, because this is probably at least two servings. I ate the whole batch for about 280 calories, which was totally worth it. These taste just like sweet potato fries, but they are so much easier to make--they cook more evenly, they don't stick to the baking sheet, and they take less time overall.

A very well-spent 280 calories!

Fajita Seasoning Mix

There is no reason to buy fajita seasoning mix in a packet when you can make some of your own in your kitchen. It tastes delicious!

Fajita Seasoning Mix  

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 Tbsp. salt 
1 Tbsp. paprika 
1 Tbsp. sugar 
2 1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon 
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
1/2 tsp. cumin 

Mix it all up in a baggie. To season meat and/or veggies, add 2/3 of a cup of water + 3 Tbsp. of seasoning mix (per pound of meat).  This makes 10 tablespoons of seasoning, and each serving is 3/4 Tbsp. 

The peppers and onions were so colorful while they were cooking, and smelled delicious!

4 peppers, one each of red, yellow, orange, and green; plus 2 onions

After adding seasoning, piled on top of quinoa... yummy!

Cookie Dough Hummus

I made this awesome recipe on Sunday, and again today. I'm SHOCKED at how good it is!!  It's hummus that really does taste (and look) like cookie dough. I ate it with pretzels, which was awesome, and then for dessert today I had it with a chocolate Vitatop. Heavenly!

I made it as follows:
1 can of chick peas, drained AND peeled (takes a little time, but worth it!)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
6 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor until very smooth. Then fold in the chocolate chips.  (Makes 8 servings. Per serving:  139 calories, 5 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 20 grams carbs, 4 grams protein)

Breakfast Pizza

This is a very hearty breakfast pizza. I imagine it would be good with different meats and veggies. Ham and spinach would be good!

Breakfast Pizza
1/2 recipe of whole wheat pizza crust (see that recipe here)
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup of 2% cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. chopped green bell pepper
6 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled (I used the Hormel Black Label bacon that is 70 cals for 4 slices)
onion powder, salt, and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)

Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and sprinkle a little flour around the bottom. Spread the dough out along the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pie plate (adding flour if necessary to keep it from sticking). Spread the broccoli out on the crust, and top that with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the bacon and peppers on top of that. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the whole thing, and then top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until eggs are just set (it took 35 minutes for me). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving for Breakfast Pizza:

Breakfast Pizza nutrition