Creamy Chicken Chili - A skinny variation

CREAMY CHICKEN CHILI

1 lb chicken breast, diced (Even faster used canned chicken)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oil
2 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth
1 4oz can green chiles (I use two because we like things spicy. :))
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk (the recipe calls for whipping cream but who needs the extra calories?)

In pan saute' chicken, onion & garlic in oil. Add beans, broth, chiles & spices. Bring to boil & simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add sour cream and milk. Serve with jack cheese and green onion for garnish. Adam likes it with chips.

Fusilli Salad with Salami, Provolone & Sun Dried Tomato Viniagrette

6 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1- 8oz jar oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 T minced fresh basil or parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb fusilli pasta

8 oz. thickly sliced salami, cut into matchsticks

1 1/2 oz baby spinach (2 cups)

8 oz. thickly sliced provolone, cut into matchsticks

1/2 C pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

salt and pepper

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.

Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, sundried tomatoes, vinegar, basil, garlic 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper together in bowl large enough to hold entire pasta salad.

Add fusilli and 1 T salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often until tender. Drain water.

Add hot, drained fusilli and salami to bowl w/ dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, about 15 mins.

Just before serving, stir in spinach, provolone, and olives and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

4-5 C peanut or vegetable oil

1 lb frozen breaded chicken strips

4 T unsalted butter

1/2 C Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce

2 T Tabasco Sauce

1 T dark brown sugar

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 large head of romaine or iceberg lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into sticks

2 carrots, cut into sticks

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Measure 1/2 in oil into Dutch oven, bring to 350 degrees over med-high heat (check temp with candy thermometer). Fry half of chicken strips until golden brown on both sides, 3-5 mins, flipping halfway through. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Repeat w/ remaining half of chicken.

Make buffalo sauce: Combine butter, hot sauces, brown sugar & vinegar in large microwave safe bowl & microwave on high until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved (about 2 mins).

Assemble your salad: Toss lettuce with 3/4 C of dressing and divide on individual plates. Toss fried chicken w/ buffalo sauce and arrange over salads. Garnish salads with celery & carrots and pass remaining dressing separately.

* Another variation is to add blue cheese crumbles to your salad & toss with ranch dressing instead.

**For you over achievers, you can bread your own chicken strips and make your own dressing. I'm sure y'all know how to do that, but if not, call me!

HAM AND POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE (I make this for dinner on my lazy nights)

Recipe from Cooks.com

1 (6 oz.) pkg. hash brown potatoes (I dice and cook my own potatoes instead)
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. milk
1/2 c. sliced green onions (with tops)
1 tsp. salt and pepper
5 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 c. chopped fully cooked smoked ham
1 tsp. dry mustard
Paprika

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except paprika, in large bowl. Pour in ungreased 12 x 7 1/2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake until inserted knife comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Yield - 6 servings.

Chili Con Queso Dip

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and Our Best Bites

Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 10 minutes
Makes about 2 2/3 cups

1/2 finely chopped onion
1 Tbs butter
1 1/3 C chopped, seeded tomatoes (about 2 medium)
1 4-ounce can green chiles
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 ounces pepperjack cheese, shredded (about 1/2 C)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
Tortilla chips for dipping

In a medium saucepan cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chile peppers, and cumin. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncoered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Toss shredded cheese with cornstarch. Gradually add cheese mixture to saucepan, stirring until cheese is melted. Gradually add the cream cheese, stirring until cheese is melted adn smooth. heat through. Serve with chips.

mini chipotle spiced turkey meat loves

For Meat Loaves:
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsley chopped
1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped
2 chipotle peppers (optional)
1 20 oz package ground turkey
1/2 cup quick cooking oats (for you gluten freers, sub in corn meal or ground corn chex)
2 egg whites
For Topping
1/4 c ketchkup
1 T. chipotle pepper sauce (optional)
1 T. brown sugar

Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 30. In a blender or food processor, combine onion, carrots and clery. Pulse until finely chopped. And chipotle peppers if using and pulse until just combined. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with the pepper and vegetable mixture. Add egg whites and oats (corn meal/ chex/ whatever you're using); gently mix until combined. Place about 1/3 cup of the prepared meat loaf mixture into 9 wells of a standard muffin size pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all of the toppingingredients ina small bowl; set aside. Remove meat loves from the oven and spoon teh topping over each meat loaf. Return meat loaf to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until meat loaf is firm and the internal temp is about 170. Let meatloaves stand for about minutes before serving.

Black Bean Turkey Chili

1 20 oz package of ground turkey
1 cup coarsly chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, mionced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
1 Tbsp.chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes
8 oz tomaro sauce
1 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cilantro
4 tbsp. low fat cheddar cheese

In a large stockpot, combine turkey, onion, red pepper, garlic, jalapeno peppers, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Cook mixture over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in beans and cilantro. Continue cooking for an addional minutes. Serve topped with cheese. Makes about 10 cups.

Heath Bar Apple Dip

1 8oz block cream cheese, softened
shopping list
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla shopping list
1/2 bag Heathbar Bits (or Skor)
apple wedges (granny smith, or roma)

Cream together cream chesse, sugars, and vanilla
Stir heathbar bits in with spoon
Serve with granny smith or roma apple wedges
(Cut apples into pineapple juice to keep from turning brown)

WARNING: THIS IS ADDICTIVE AND WILL WRECK YOUR DIET

Pasta Carbonara - A skinny version of the Cheesecake Factory's iteration

1 lb. spaghetti
3 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes (We used 3/4 tsp and still sprinkled more on our plates)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz diced pancetta or thick-cut bacon (we used turkey bacon)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed (I used about 1/2 cup)
1/2 freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot, cook spaghetti according to package directions, about 8 to 11 minutes. Drain noodles reserving 1 cup pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, parsley, pepper flakes, and salt
3. Add oil to a large deep skilet and cook bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and black pepper and cook 1 minute more, then reduce heat to medium low.
4. Add pasta, egg mixture, and peas, plus half of the pasta water, to skillet with pancetta. Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if necessary, until sauce has a creamy consistency. Mix in grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Aloha Chicken with Pineapple Dip

1 20 oz can chunk pineapple, pureed or 3 8 oz cans crushed pineapple (I used an immersion blender to puree them) DO NOT DRAIN
4 1/2 tsp honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used about double this because I like the taste of soy sauce with pineapple)
1 to 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1. Whisk pineapple puree with it's juice and honey and soy sauce in a bowl until combined.
2. Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper and place in a plastic bag covered with 2/3 of the pineapple mixture from step one.
3. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Place chicken on baking pan lined with foil and broil on the middle rack for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
5. While chicken is broiling, put the remaining pineapple mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until thickened. (I added some corn starch to help it thicken into a more glazy sauce)

Serve chicken with sauce on the side to be used for dipping. Serve with coconut rice and fresh raw vegetables like red peppers, green bell peppers, or broccoli.

Nutty Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

5 Servings Prep: 20 min. Cook: 15 min.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 package (16 ounces) frozen stir-fry vegetable blend (or carrots, pea pods, onions, peppers chopped)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
5 to 6 drops hot pepper sauce
3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw
3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped
Hot cooked rice

Directions
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in oil for 2 minutes. Add vegetables; cook 4 minutes longer. Add garlic; stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger; stir in the broth, soy sauce, peanut butter and pepper sauce until blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cabbage; cook 2 minutes longer or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with rice. Yield: 5 servings.