Mediterranean Chicken, Bean & Pasta Soup

4 1/2 stars

submitted by Chris

2 tsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into thin half-circles
2 large celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes, finely chopped, including juices
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I used leftover turkey)
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup ditalini (small, short pasta tubes) (I used leftover wild rice)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1-2 Tablespoons dehydrated)
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (or 1/2-1 teaspoon dried)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add shallot, carrots, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes with juices, chicken broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Uncover the soup, remove the bay leaves, add cooked chicken, beans, and pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, add 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and 8 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

I'll start eating and cooking healthier foods when the holidays have passed, I promise!

submitted by Chris
5 stars


Crust:
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
Combine all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly.  Press into ungreased 13 x 9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin:
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Combine; mix well.  Pour over crust that has been baked 15 minutes and bake for another 20 minutes at 350.

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tblsp. butter
Combine; sprinkle over pumpkin filling which has been cooked for 20 minutes.  Cook for another 15-20 at 350 until filling is set.  Cool in pan.  Serve plain or with whip cream or ice cream.

Creamy White Chili

I forgot to get a picture until after we started eating--sorry for the sloppy bowl shot.

This may look a little unexciting, but it is sooo good!

Use low fat sour cream for a healthier version.

5 stars
submitted by Chris

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.
recipe from melskitchencafe

Spanakopita

Submitted by Kelsey 

Makes 25 triangles

5 Stars

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ lbs. spinach

1 tsp dill, dried or fresh

¼ cup parsley, dried or fresh

3 scallions

1 ½ cup feta

2 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter

Olive oil cooking spray

1 package phyllo dough.

Saute onion and olive oil until onion is translucent in a large pot.  Add spinach to pot and cook until spinach has wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and place mixture on 8 sheets of paper towels and let cool.  Once the mixture has cooled, squeeze out as much liquid as you can.  (see picture)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place in mixing bowl and add dill, parsley, scallions, feta, egg whites, salt, and pepper. 

Separate one sheet of phyllo from the stack and spray evenly with cooking spray.  Place another sheet of phyllo over the first sheet and press the two sheets together.  Repeat with cooking spray and one more sheet of phyllo (total of 3 layers of phyllo).  Cut the layered phyllo dough into 5 even strips.  Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling 1 inch from the end closest to you.  Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to the edge to form a triangle.  Fold the triangle up, bringing the point at the bottom left to the rest along the left.  Turn the lower left corner over to touch the right edge.  Continue turning the triangle over until you reach the end of the phyllo. 

Place filled phyllo dough triangles on a large baking sheet and brush with melted butter.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Spinach and Gouda Souffle

Serving Size - Serves 8, in 6 oz ramekins

4.5 Stars

Submitted by Kelsey

1/2 stick unsalted butter

Melted 1/4 pound Gouda, grated, plus more for dusting the ramekins

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

4 large eggs, separated

6 ounces fresh spinach, washed, steamed, squeezed dry, and finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Baking Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a baking sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven.

Brush the insides of six 6-ounce ramekins with a little of the melted butter followed by a dusting of Gouda.
Put the remaining melted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, reduce the heat and gradually add the flour, stirring until there is no trace of flour left in the mixture, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk in a thin stream and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a heavy cream. Turn off the heat and whisk in the egg yolks until incorporated. Stir in the spinach and 1/4 pound Gouda and season with the nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric mixer until stiff but not dry. Stir one-quarter of the egg whites into the spinach mixture to lighten it. Fold the remaining egg whites into the spinach mixture.
Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins, filling them to just below the rim. Run your finger around the inside rim of the each ramekin to make a groove in the mixture.

Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

Note – I purchased my ramekins at Cost Plus, see link below.
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4052930

Also, as this recipe makes a lot of souffles, I generally make them, cover them with s and put them with saran wrap, and put them in the freezer.  When you want to have one for breakfast, put it in the oven frozen as the oven is heating up.  When the oven is at the correct temperature, set the timer to bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Goat Cheese Gnocchi

Goat Cheese and Chive Gnocchi

serves 2-4

Submitted by Kelsey
4 Stars

4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
White pepper
Thyme
1/2 - 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter

In a small mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, Parmesan, egg, 1/4 cup chives and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add flour a spoonful at a time until dough comes together but is still a little wet.

Lightly flour a work surface and line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. On the floured surface, knead dough for about a minute. If it's still a little sticky, add some flour as needed, a spoonful at a time.

Divide dough in half. Flour hands and roll into each piece back and forth until it becomes a rope about 1-inch thick. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll each piece against the back of a fork to add texture. Place gnocchi on wax paper-lined pan and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the gnocchi.  When water is boiling, salt generously. Add gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Drain and set aside.
In a large sauce pan, heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown. Cook for 1 minute. Add black pepper to taste. Toss with pesto sauce (recipe below), steamed asparagus, and diced chicken.

Pesto (slightly less calorie version)

5 Stars

Combine the following in a blender or food processor.

4 bunches of fresh basil, stems removed (about 2+ cups packed leaves)

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup Parmesan

1 - 2 tbsp water

1 1/2 tbsp garlic

Raspberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

 

 

4 stars

submitted by Chris

 

8 oz frozen raspberries, thawed and crushed
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 beaten eggs
1/2 can (6 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Mix fruit, sugar, sour cream and vanilla together. Add well-beaten eggs, milk and cream.
Follow the procedure for your individual ice cream maker.

-this recipe is from Marjie Stott

Chicken Taco with Black Bean Salsa

This was really good, and really fast since everything can be done in advance.

submitted by Chris

5 stars



hard tacos shells
avocado
sour cream
make ahead chicken (see next recipe)

Salsa:
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
4 radishes, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
Combine; store in fridge for up to a week.

Shredded Chicken

This is a recipe for make ahead chicken.  You cook up a large batch, divide into family size portions, and freeze in individual containers.  I usually double this recipe and end up with 7 two cup baggies for the freezer.
5 stars
submitted by Chris

3 lbs chicken breasts, frozen

1 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 Tbsp crushed or minced garlic
1-2 Tbsp lemon pepper, or crushed red pepper, or seasoned salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp of your favorite barbecue sauce



Place chicken in the crock pot. Cover with salad dressing, garlic, and lemon pepper. Cook on low for about 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through, and shreds easily.



Shred chicken, and place back in the crock pot. Add lemon juice and bbq sauce. Cook for about 30 minutes. Freeze in portion sizes handy for your family.  Use for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, sandwiches, or other chicken dishes.
Notes:
This needs to cook for around an hour longer when doubled.  If using thawed chicken, cook for less time.

Super Lime Ice Cream

submitted by chris

5 stars

adapted from David Lebovitz’s super lemon ice cream

2 large limes
½ cup + 2 tablespoons caster (super fine) sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 large limes)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

Zest the limes directly into a food processor or blender. Add the sugar and lime juice and blend until the sugar is dissolved. Blend in the milk and heavy cream.
Chill for 1 hour, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Pecan Streusel

It's hard to characterize this recipe--it's almost like a dessert rather than a side dish, but if you like sweet potatoes, you will love it!  I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is not very pretty, fairly time consuming, and it's probably not lo-cal : (    Next time I make it, I'd cut the amount of topping at least in half. 
submitted by chris
4 stars
Sweet Potatoes:
6 medium red-skinned sweet potatoes or yams
1 tbsp canola oil
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Chipotle Pecans:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups pecans
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Streusel:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 cup chipotle pecans, chopped

Sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set one rack in the lowest position and the other in the middle of the oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack.

Rub sweet potatoes with canola oil. With a fork, pierce each potato 5 to 6 times in different places around the potato. Place the potatoes directly on the upper rack and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of potato. Place 8 of the potato shells on a large baking sheet and discard the remaining shells. Place the sweet potato flesh in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Using a whisk, mash and vigorously stir the sweet potato until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Evenly divide the sweet potato mixture between the shells.

Chipotle Pecans:
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add pecans, chipotle chile powder, and sugar to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the pecans are coated with the sauce, 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure the pecans do not burn. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, and cool.

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, butter, and salt. Using your fingers, mix the ingredients together until combined.

Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake until the streusel mixture is melted together and beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Serves 8.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

 This is the salad I made for Megan's Twirp dance 11/06/10

submitted by Chris
4 stars

2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bit-size pieces (or one 10-12 oz bag)
4 cups sliced strawberries
sliced almonds, if desired

dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use Canola oil)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup regular sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Crepes!

Basic Crepes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs, gently beaten

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and nutmeg.  In a small bowl, combine th emilk and eggs.  Slowly whisk the milk mixture into flour mixture until smooth.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Coat a skillit with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat until hot.  Stir batter and pour 1/4 cup into the skillet, then quickly (before the batter cooks) tilt the pan until to cover the bottom of the skillet in a thin layer.  Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Turn crepe over and cook for 30 seconds.  Transfer to a plate and reheat.

This recipe makes 8 crepes when using a large skillet.  Note that this recipe works well for a dessert and a breakfast, depending on what you put inside.

Some stuffing options:
Nutella
Fresh fruit
Ham, bacon, spinach, and goat cheese
Tomato, fresh mozzarella, and bacon topped with romesco sauce (my favorite!  See below).

Quick Romesco Sauce

1 cup roasted red peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
pinch of salt and red pepper flakes

Blend in food processor until sauce-like.  Store in small containers and freeze.  Use as needed as a sauce on vegetables, salmon, chicken, shrimp, hamburgers, and basically anything.

oatmeal pancakes

submitted by Ashley
5 stars
3 1/2 cups dry oats (I use quaker oats)
3 cups wheat flour
2 cups white flour
3 tablespoon sugar
3 talespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
mix all ingredients until crumbly. Store in an air tight container. When ready to make a batch of pancakes mix 1 1/2 of mix, 1 egg, and 1 cup of buttermilk.(If I don't have butermilk, I take 1 tablespoon of lemon juice put it in bottom of a cup and pour 1 cup of milk on top of it and let set for 5 min, stir and add add to mix.
1 1/2 cup of mix will serve 3-4

Salmon and Polenta

Submitted by Kelsey

4 stars

Polenta

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for grilling or sautéing if desired

* 3/4 cup finely chopped onion

* 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

* 4 cups chicken stock or broth

* 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

* 3 tablespoons butter

* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* ¼ cup Parmesan, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute olive oil, onion, garlic, and salt over medium heat until onion is translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, pour everything into a 2 inch deep square baking dish. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Once they are incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan, stirring with whisk.

Serve as is, or put container in fridge until solid. Cut into triangles and freeze. You can pull out a chunk of polenta and put in the microwave to thaw out, then saute until browned with olive oil or butter.

Salmon Marinade

4 stars

Marinade 4 pieces of salmon in 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper for at least half an hour.  (You can marinade this for up to 24 hours but it needs a minimum of half an hour.)  Sear salmon in a pan on the stove top, then turn temperature down to cook to your liking.  Top with roasted tomatoes, sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, basil, and oregano.  Note - I have used this simple recipe on chicken, shrimp, and salmon.  It seems to be very versatile and keeps the meat very moist. 

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Vinegerette Dressing

submitted by Chris

4 stars
This recipe is adapted from Judy Cannon
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 can mandarin oranges
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup almond slivers
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces swiss cheese, grated
1/3 cup salad dressing (recipe below)Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTe
This dressing recipe is from Judy Cannon's blog
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Creamy Chicken Soup

submitted by Chris
4 stars
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
1 cup milk (1% is my milk of choice)
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.