Green Chili Stew

With the weather turning colder tomorrow and Thursday, I am getting out my crock pot and fixing one of my cold weather favorites.  This is SUPER easy and healthy.  I haven't had it since last winter and I can't wait to eat it tomorrow. 

Step 1: In a crock-pot add:

4 Chicken Breast
4 carrots pealed and cut in thirds
4 celery cut in thirds
1/2 small yellow onion
4 bay leaves
Enough water to cover everything

Cook on low all day

Step 2: About 30 minutes before dinner
*Shred chicken
*remove carrots, onion, celery, and bay leaves and discard  (I save the carrots for Brynlee)
*skim the fat off the top

add:
shredded chicken
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped fresh onion (I just use the other 1/2 that didn't go in the crock-pot in step 1)
5 cups chicken broth (reserve 1/2 cup and stir in 1/2 C of flour, mix well and add to crock-pot)
4 small cans of mild fire roasted green chillies
1 small can of hot fire roasted green chilies
*Be sure to buy the fire roasted*
salt and pepper to taste

Adding the one can of hot chilies doesn't make it super hot just a little spicy.  I have sometimes added an extra can of the hot because it wasn't spicy enough.  The spicy varies with different brands.  I start out conservative...it's easier to make it more spicy. 

Serve in a bowl with fresh avacado and warm cornbread.

Enjoy!

Kim

Fruit Smoothie

Trying to get kids to eat healthy is so hard.  Brynlee isn't a big eater anyway so it seems to be double hard for me.  Erin shared this smoothie recipe with me 6 months ago and it has become a staple in my house.  I did change it up just a little.  Brynlee loves these and I'm sure your kids will too.  :)

In a blender: 1 Serving
Frozen Blueberries (a handful)
4 frozen strawberries
4 or 5 pieces of frozen mango or pinapple
1/2 frozen banana

When your banans get to the point when they are over ripe and you have to throw them out...Don't!  Freeze them for smoothies!  Thanks for this tip Erin!

Splash of Strawberry Banana lowfat probiotic Kefir (in the dairy section next to the milk)
Milk
Swirl of Agave Necter

Directions:
Add fruit, Kefir, milk, and agave.  I add 4 parts Kefir to 1 part milk.  Start out with a small amount.  It is easier to add more liquid if it is too thick.  Once you have made it a few times, you will know about how much to add.  Blend and enjoy!

Protein powder can also be added. 

 

Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella

I got this recipe from www.skinneytaste.com.  We had it on Tuesday night and we really liked it.  This picture is from the blog. 
 

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (1 medium) zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Romano cheese (or parmesan)
• 3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray

*I used fresh grated romano cheese AND I used a little extra. 

Directions:

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

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add oil when hot then saute garlic a minute, or until golden. Add zucchini, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, salt and pepper and saute about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. When cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.

Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 3 tbsp of zucchini-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

Combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.

Dip chicken in lemon-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spraywith oil spray.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Serving size is listed as one, but if you are having this as a low carb meal with a salad, I suggest you have two

Meatloaf Cups

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of hamburger meat


• 1 egg


• 1/2 c. of bread crumbs (I like to use Italian seasoned bread crumbs) You can also use crushed crackers or even oats


• 1/2 of a small can tomato sauce (I actually used tomato soup concentrate last time and it worked fine)


• 1 cup milk


• 1 T Worcestershire sauce


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1/2 t. ground mustard


• 1/4 t. pepper


• 1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed


• 1 small onion (1/4 c.), if I don't have this, I used dehydrated chopped onions you can buy in the spice aisle, (omit if you use Lipton onion soup mix unless you like lots of onions)


• Lipton onion soup mix

Mix all items in large bowl (I like to use my hands, it's easier), then scoop the meat with a large scoop into a muffin pan, just dividing the mixture evenly between the 12 cups. Brush the tops of the cups with the remaining tomato sauce or just ketchup. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. You can also put this into a regular sized loaf pan and cook for 1 hour, or just form a loaf shape onto a regular pan with sides and cook for an hour.

This is a mixture of 2 different meatloaf recipes so sometimes I just use what I have or just toss in a little of this and a little of that. I dont usually measure on this recipe because it's not going to make a big difference. Just put lots of flavor into it and don't skip the bread crumbs or milk and it will be great!

Cinnamelts

Cinnamelts
1 roll of Grands Flaky Layer Biscuits (10 piece)
2/3 C sugar
5 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C melted butter

Icing:
powdered sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a loaf pan. Cut each biscuit in quarters. Stir cinnamon and sugar together in medium bowl. Dip biscuit in butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Then place biscuits in the loaf pan. If you are a butter fan, pour remaining butter over the top of the biscuits before putting the pan in the oven. Cook for 20-30 min depending on what kind of pan you used. I cooked it for 30 in my stoneware pan, but it may be less for a metal pan.
To make icing, mix sugar, butter and milk together until you reach a glaze consistency.
I poured the icing on everyone's portion of cinnamelt once it was on their plate. It was much easier to keep the leftovers that way. :)

Sweet Salad from the party...

Rinse, dry, and chop one bunch of red leaf lettuce or whatever lettuce you prefer....I don't think iceberg would be very good though...
Add some Craisins and Walnuts...however many you want...
Chop one apple cut into small pieces...I use gala or fiji.
Toss with Raspberry Vinagerrette. I used Kraft brand Light at the party.

Super easy!

THE Chicken Dish

Yes, that is what we call it.  We adapted a recipe we found to make this dish our own.  I fixed this tonight and thought I needed to share it with everyone.  We love this dish and it makes great leftovers.  

3 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
EVOO
2 bunches of green onion , diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can of low sodium chicken broth, separate 3T
6T teriyaki sauce, we use the brand san-j
3T szechuan sauce, we use the brand san-j
4 tsp corn starch
1 large heaping spoon full of crunchy peanut butter
small handful of cilantro, chopped
Smart Taste Extra Wide Egg Noodles


Put a large pot of water and salt on for the noodles.  

Combine chicken broth (save 3T in a smaller dish), szechuan, and teriyaki.  In the smaller dish combine corn starch and 3T of chicken broth.  Set aside. 

Place large saute' pan over very high heat, add oil.  Wait until oil is very hot and smoking.  Cook 1/2 the chicken until it is lightly brown and done.  About 4 minutes if you pieces are small enough.  Remove from pan.  Add 2nd batch of chicken.  Remove from pan.  Add green onion, red pepper, and garlic.  Saute' until tender. 

Add noddles to boiling water.  Bring back to a rapid boil and boil 8 minutes. 

Stir 3T and corn starch to make sure it is mixed well with no lumps.  Add it to the chicken broth and sauces.  Stir.  Add to all the sauce to saute' pan. 

Bring mixture to a boil.  Let it thicken and reduce for about 10 minutes.  Add peanut butter.  Stir well.  Add chicken and noodles.  Heat through.  Add cilantro a few minutes before serving. 

We like to add a little of that red hot sauce with the green cap to our own bowl.  It gives it more heat and great flavor.