Mexican Chicken Stew

I have had this recipe sitting in my "to try" pile for quite a while. I seem to fix a lot of Mexican style dishes so I've been holding off on this one for a bit. Well I finally decided it was a good time to give it a try.

Mexican Chicken Stew (3 points per 1 1/2 cups serving)

Ingredients:

3 breast uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium poblano chile
1 1/4 oz reduced-sodium taco seasoning
14 1/2 oz fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
14 1/2 oz Diced Tomatoes with Italian herbs
14 1/2 oz canned tomato sauce
14 1/2 oz Red Kidney Beans
14 1/2 oz Pinto Beans
16 oz salsa

Instructions:

Saute onions, garlic and peppers in fat free cooking spray until tender (onions are just turning color). Cut chicken breasts into small bite sized cubes and saute in same pan as the onions until just cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients to a 3 quart pot or slow cooker, and add in the chicken mixture. For soup pot, cook until boiling and turn to low for 30 minutes. For slow cooker, cook on high for two hours and then turn to low and let simmer for a few hours.

This soup smelled so wonderful while I was cooking it. The husband even commented about how good it smelled. So after drooling over the smell, we were finally able to taste it. It was surprisingly thick which was nice, and it tasted great. I was a little afraid that it might taste too much like taco seasoning, but I really didn't get that.

I chose not to add the poblano chile to the dish out of preference, and yet it still had a pleasant kick to it. You could definitely make this dish as spicy or as mild you want, and I thought it had just the right amount of kick to it for the husband and I.

Apple Spice Cake

The husband found this recipe and asked me if I would make it. I was more than happy to oblige. I love apple spice cakes and haven't had one in a really long time. Of course I made a lot of changes to the original recipe to lighten it up a bit. Here is my version.

Apple Spice Cake (8 servings at 3 points a piece)

Ingredients:

2-3 apples
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup Egg Beaters
1 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups Splenda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and cut the apples into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss the pieces in a bowl with the cinnamon.

Mix the Egg Beaters and Splenda in a mixer with the whisk attachment until fluffy. While the mixer is running, add in the applesauce and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cloves, and allspice. Add the dry mixture into the batter and continue mixing until combined.

Stir in the apples, distributing evenly.

Spoon batter evenly into bundt pan. Bake about 35-40 minutes, until the center is dry and springs back to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack in the pan before turning out. You can dust the cake with confectioner's sugar before serving if you would like.

The original directions said to make this into 6 small bundt molds, which would be 4 points a piece.

The cake was great! It actually had a ton of apples in it, so depending on how you like your cake to apple ratio, you may want to use only 2 apples. The husband was very happy with this cake and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Bacon Melts

I love it when you can make something that is very point friendly, but looks absolutely horrible for you :) When Hungry Girl posted their version of a bacon melt recently, I was drooling instantaneously.

Bacon Melt (1 serving for 3 points)

Ingredients

2 slices light bread
2 slices Kraft Free Singles (or another light cheese)
2 strips extra lean turkey bacon
Cooking Spray or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray

Directions:

In a skillet sprayed with no-calorie cooking spray, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy and fully cooked. Evenly spritz butter spray or no-calorie cooking spray on 1 side of each slice of bread. Top the unsprayed side of 1 slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Place cooked bacon strips on top of the cheese, and cover with second slice of cheese. Next, top with the other bread slice (with the buttered side facing up). Place sandwich in a skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and cook over low to medium heat until bread is brown and toasty and cheese is nice and melty (about 1-2 minutes per side). Use a spatula to press down on sandwich while it cooks. Slice sandwich down the middle, diagonally, or just bite right into it (like I did, see picture!).

When I made these sandwiches, I used three slices of the pre-cooked bacon for 1.5 points. I also used only one slice of cheese instead of two, and I used the no-calorie cooking spray instead of the butter spray.

I have to say these sandwiches were fantastic! It's great to chomp right into something that you think would be absolutely horrible for you, but really is very point friendly. When I told the husband what I was making, I don't think he could believe his ears. He of course enjoyed these very much as well.

Home-made Tortilla Chips

Sometimes I just get in the mood for something salty. I like pretzels and some chips, but I don't always keep those on hand. Something really quick and easy to make are home-made tortilla chips.

Tortilla Chips (a serving size is one tortilla and points depends on your tortillas)

Ingredients:

1 tortilla
cooking spray
salt to taste

Directions:

Cut tortilla into several triangles, I usually cut about 8. Keep the triangles as close together as possible and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt to taste. Place in a toaster oven or conventional oven set to about 450 degrees F. Let bake until the chips are crispy and golden brown.

These are great to make on a whim. I like to use the Santa Fe Tortilla Company's Whole Wheat Tortillas; they are only 1 point a piece. One tortilla makes 8 large chips, and you don't get a lot of broken chips like you do from a bag. Also, these pair well with a delicious homemade salsa or guacamole, so keep them in mind whenever you need a good chip.

Southwestern Chicken Stir Fry

A couple of weeks ago while "gettin' my hair did", I was glancing through Fitness Magazine and found several recipes that I immediately wrote down. This particular recipe had all of the ingredients that the husband and I just love. And with the variety of ways you can serve it, it is a very versatile dish. You could serve it over rice, in tortillas, or even with tortilla chips. I like a recipe that you can really change up.

Southwestern Chicken Stir Fry (4 servings at 4 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 fajita seasoning envelope
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon oil
12 oz chicken, cut in 1-inch pieces
Cooking Spray
1 small yellow pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced on the bias
1/2 small onion, cut into wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat co-jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken to marinade, and stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add peppers, zucchini, and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender. Set aside.

3. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to pan. Cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Return vegetables to pan. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn and beans. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Serve in tortillas with cheese if you'd like.

This recipe was everything I was hoping it would be. The husband of course was drooling over it before he even had a chance to taste it. I really liked that added touch of chili powder; it really added an excellent flavor to the dish. I served this with homemade tortilla chips and it was delicious. Oh, and the point value above does not include the cheese.

Sunshine Rice

I served this as a side to the Citrus Dijon Salmon. I found this recipe on Spark, and thought it would go nicely with Salmon since both dishes were accented with orange juice.

Sunshine Rice (4 servings at 3 points a piece)

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
1 1/4 cups finely chopped celery
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
dash hot sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Heat cooking spray in medium saucepan. Add celery and onion, and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add water, juices, and hot sauce, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and bring back to a boil. Let stand covered until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

3. Stir in almonds.

Of course I omitted the almonds when making the dish, but the point value listed above was calculated with the almonds included.

This rice was very tasty, and I really liked the citrus flavor. I thought it went very well with my salmon; and in fact, I think it would go just fine with most fish dishes.

Citrus-Dijon Salmon

I found this salmon recipe on Spark. It said to cook in the microwave, but I'm wary about fish cooked that way. So instead, I broiled it. The salmon had a nice browned crust on top and a very pretty color. I expected the orange and Dijon sauce to be more flavorful, but it had a nice subtlety to it. Spark suggests that you serve this over fresh spinach leaves, but you know me and dark greens, so I chose to forgo them ;)

Citrus-Dijon Salmon (4 servings at 6 points a piece)

Ingredients:

4 small salmon fillets
1/2 cup light orange juice
1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together orange juice and Dijon mustard to create a glaze. Place the salmon on a broiling pan and spoon glaze over fish. Broil fish until cooked through and flakes easily.

Mama Mia! Mia Pizza Crust with Sauce

The husband and I made a trip to Sam's Club this weekend to pick up a few bulk essentials. We always like to glance around the store for any new finds because you never know what they might have. We were in the bakery area when the husband noticed a three pack of Mia Pizza Crusts with sauce.

I glanced at the nutritional information and was pleasantly surprised that the sauce and crust together were only 3 points per serving (the crust itself is only 2 points). Also, these crusts were dairy free. So we purchased a pack and tried one out that evening. We used some light mozzarella cheese and a few turkey pepperonis to top the pizza, and it only took 8 minutes to cook. Talk about a fast and tasty meal. The crust was a nice golden brown color, and it was crunchy in all of the right places.

These crusts come in a pack of three, but are each are individually wrapped. And you can freeze them too if you don't plan on eating them really soon.

Update (2/13/07)

For some reason or the other I forgot to post the picture for yesterday's Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches. It's up now in case you want to take a look.

Also, I will not be making any posts for the rest of the week. Tech week has started for the ballet I'm performing in, and I'll be gone every evening until late. So there won't be time to make dinner in the evenings, just time enough to grab a quick bite. I hope everyone has a great week and I'll see you all next Monday :)

Quick Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

With several rehearsals for my upcoming ballet keeping me busy, I've been trying to keep dinners as easy as possible. Yesterday the husband and I made these bbq sandwiches that I found in Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices cookbook. Along with a bag of steamed veggies that I threw in the microwave, we had a complete meal in a about 5 minutes.

Quick Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches (6 servings at 4 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 cup barbecue sauce
3 packages (2.5 ounces each) sliced smocked chicken, cut into 1-inch strips (3 cups)
6 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

Mix barbecue sauce and chicken in 2-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until hot. Fill buns with chicken mixture.

These sandwiches were great. It's funny how this dish can be so simple, and yet it's something I probably would never have thought to do. A nice addition to the dish, if you don't mind the extra points, would be to melt some cheddar cheese on top. It would really be a nice touch, and compliment the smoky barbecue flavor well.

If you need dinner STAT, I would definitely recommend these sandwiches. They are quick and delicious, and can't be beat :)

Pineapple Corn Muffins

I came across this recipe on the WeightWatchers boards and couldn't pass it up. Cornmeal and pineapple is a very interesting combination, and not one I would have ever thought to put together.

Pineapple Corn Muffins (12 regular muffins at 2 points a piece or 24 mini-muffins at 1 point a piece)

Ingredients

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 15 oz can crushed pineapple

Directions:

Mix the cornbread mix and crushed pineapple, juice and all, together in a medium bowl. Pour batter into a sprayed muffin tin, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

I'll be honest, I was a little skeptical of these. I really wasn't sure how they would turn out. When the husband and I tried them we were shocked. They were so good! The husband and I both like a sweeter cornbread, and these muffins are definitely sweet. We have been eating these with meals, for snacks, and even at breakfast.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I have been on a quest for a lightened version of a no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookie for some time. I came across this recipe the other day and immediately tried it out, twice :)

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (20 servings at 1 point a piece)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp light butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

Instructions:

Microwave the butter or margarine in a microwave-safe bowl for 15-30 seconds, until the butter is melted. Add the cocoa and blend until dissolved into the butter.

Add the sugar, milk, and salt. Blend well.

Microwave the mixture on high for 1 minute to bring to a full bowl. (Should you need to microwave the mixture more, do so in 10 second increments.) You want a full boil, but because it will continue to cook awhile once it's removed from the microwave, heating it too long can cause the mixture to scorch.

Add the vanilla, peanut butter, and oatmeal. Stir well. Drop by tablespoon-full on waxed paper and allow to cool.

These are a great one point cookie. I made these several days ago, but accidentally used old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking ones. Even with the wrong oats they were still delicious, just a little on the chewy side. The husband had to run an errand to the grocery store, and returned with quick cooking oats and a request for more cookies. Of course I couldn't object to more cookie, so I made a second batch :)

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

I found this dish in the Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It originally called for ground beef and beef broth, which I changed to ground turkey and chicken broth. It also called for one cup of green peppers. I added two medium sized green peppers to it instead. I wanted a good green pepper to soup ratio. I also cooked this on the stove top instead of in the slow cooker.

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup (8 1-cup servings at 4 points a serving)

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey
3 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cups low sodium vegetable juice
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup instant rice

Directions:

Slow Cook directions:

Spray a large slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray.In the slow cooker mix together the meat, broth, vegetable juice, tomatoes, green peppers, and onion.Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Before serving stir in the rice. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Stove top directions:

Brown meat on medium heat. Once the meat is cooked, add onions and green peppers. Cook for several minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook covered for approximately 30 minutes.

This soup was so wonderful! The husband and I liked it very much. There was a good mixture of all of the ingredients, and I'm glad I decided to add more green pepper. It's a green pepper soup after all, it needs green peppers. I served this along with corn muffins, which were great to dip in the soup.

Parmesan Chicken and Peppers

I found this recipe at Kraft's Southbeach diet website. I thought it sounded like a tasty dish that would be quick to throw together.

Parmesan Chicken and Peppers (4 servings at 4 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fat free Italian Dressing
1 bag (1 lb) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, well drained
1/4 cup fat free grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Add vegetables; cook and stir 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Sprinkle with cheese.

I served this over 1/2 cup of rice to give the dish a little more substance. I loved the flavors of all the different peppers. The little bonus of the Parmesan cheese was a nice touch as well. This is a great dish if you are in a hurry to fix dinner, and all of the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.

Chicken Buffalo Dip

I made this dip for a Super Bowl party that the husband and I attended last night. I figured it would be a good party dip :)

Chicken Buffalo Dip (16 servings at 3 points a piece)

Ingredients:

2 12 oz cans of chicken breast meat
2 8oz boxes of fat free cream cheese
1 cup of fat free ranch dressing
3/4 cup of fat free cheddar cheese
Frank's Hot Sauce (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cube the cream cheese and spread out in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. In a medium bowl mix chicken, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, and hot sauce. Pour the chicken mixture over the cream cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling.

I didn't add too much hot sauce to the dip. I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy this dish, so I didn't want it to be super spicy. The hot sauce did add I nice flavor though, and it really did taste like chicken wings. I served it with slices of pitas which worked out great.

Spaghetti

The husband and I are pasta fiends, there is no doubt about it. So when I put spaghetti on the menu, we both couldn't wait until it was spaghetti day. This recipe is one that my mom has made for as long as I can remember. Sometimes the jars of spaghetti sauce are very convenient, but nothing compares to this.

It's not a super runny sauce, but it's full of flavor and tomato-y goodness. You can make it on the stove or in a crock pot, and you can use home-canned tomatoes or store-bought ones. Either way it will be DELICIOUS!

Spaghetti Sauce (Serves 8 at 3 points a piece, excluding pasta noodles)

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) diced or stewed tomatoes
1 can (6 0z) tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of red pepper chips, to taste

Directions:

Brown meat on medium-high heat, and then add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Next, stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook sauce on low to medium heat for about an hour. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

I have to admit that the husband made the sauce last night and, despite it being his first time doing so, he did an excellent job. The next time you're in the mood for spaghetti, I recommend skipping the jar sauce and giving this recipe a try.

Menu (2/1/07)

Menu (2/1/07)

Sun: Super Bowl Party
Mon: Parmesan Chicken & Peppers
Tues: Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup with Pineapple Corn Muffins
Wed: Leftovers
Thursday: Turkey Fajita Pitas
Friday: fend for selves
Sat: fend for selves

For the week of 2/11/07, the menu is very sparse. That is performance week for Momotaro (the contemporary ballet I'm in). There will probably be a limited amount of posts that week as well.

Sun: Quick Chicken BBQ sandwiches
Mon: leftover frozen Lasagna
Tues: fend for selves (rehearsal)
Wed: Valentines Day (rehearsal)
Thurs: fend for selves (rehearsal)
Fri: Performance
Sat: Performance