Chicken with Quick Chile Verde

I had high hopes for this meal because I love tomatillos. Don't get me wrong, it was good and filling but it was just so dang spicy that I couldn't enjoy it fully. Maybe if you add a very small dollop of sour cream it would tone down the spice and bring out some good flavor. Husband and I both gave this a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 ounces tomatillos coarsely chopped (about 3)
• 1 large jalapeño pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Grapefruit Walnut, and Feta Salad
• Herbed Corn Muffins
• Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Potatoes
• Snap Pea and Radish Sauté

Directions

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. While chicken cooks, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, onion, and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño); cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Place tomatillo mixture in a blender; add lime juice. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Pulse 10 times or until a chunky salsa forms. Spoon tomatillo mixture over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 258
Fat: 8.4g
Cholesterol: 109mg
Sodium: 494mg
Fiber: 1.7g
Protein: 37g

Pork Carnitas (Take 2)

We found this recipe in Cooking Light and decided to give it a try. We have a Pork Carnitas that we love from Skinny Taste but wanted to see if it could improve. We decided... no. The other one is better. If we had never tasted the other one this one would be a 5 but since we were comparing this one gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Similar flavors just not quite as all around good. Husband said he could really taste the citrus which I could not taste at all. Oh well. It was really good and now we have 2 ways to make it!

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed
• 10 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce drained and chopped
• 20 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas, warmed,
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup bottled salsa
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 10 lime wedges

Directions

1. Make 1/2-inch-deep slits on outside of roast; stuff with garlic. Combine cumin and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl. Place roast in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker. Sprinkle pork on all sides with spice mixture.
2. Combine juices and chipotle chiles. Pour juice mixture over pork. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until pork is tender.
3. Remove pork from slow cooker; shred with 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Combine shredded pork and 1/2 cup cooking liquid; toss well.
4. Spoon 1 1/2 ounces pork mixture onto each tortilla; top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons salsa, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 334
Fat: 12.6g
Cholesterol: 87mg
Sodium: 424mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 29.4g

Playgroup Granola Bars

Since Husband is a full time student and I work to support the family we don't have a lot of extra funds for sweet treats and snacks and are forced to make them. I searched the web for a healthy granola bar recipe since that is a snack we will all eat and I found this one. I've always had this negative opinion on homemade granola bars for some reason but not any more. These literally taste like Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!! Hooray! I didn't have wheat germ so I called my sneaky chef sister in law and she had some milled flax seed she said I could use. It seemed to work great especially since I have never used either and wouldn't know the difference anyway. Thing 2 devoured it and thing one humored me with a bite. When I said it tasted like a cookie he fought me on it saying cookies don't have raisins they have chocolate chips. Someone needs a cookie education class. I'm definitely interested in what Husband will think of these... Anyway, these are great and made a bunch which I put in snack baggies to store for easy snacking. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min
Total Time: 50 Min

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup raisins optional
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 161
Fat: 5.5g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Sodium: 79mg
Sugar: 15.7g
Carbohydrate: 26.6g
Fiber: 1.4g
Protein: 2.4g

Chinese Beef & Broccoli

This is one of our recent freezer meals that we got from Once a Month Mom. It is also one of the few we do that is not for the crock pot. My mom used to make Beef and Broccoli all the time and I really loved it. I think I've tried to make it before but it was never as good as Mom made. I'm not sure if it has just been too long since my mom cooked this for me but I actually thought this was good. The broccoli was the perfect amount of doneness and the flavors were really good! We used green onions instead of scallions and probably more garlic than the recipe called for. All in all Husband and I both scored this a 4 out of 5.

Source: recipes.sparkpeople.com

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 5 Min
Total Time: 15 Min

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 3/4 pound boneless sirloin steak trimmed of fat and cut into 2x 1/4 inch strips
• 3 cups fresh broccoli thawed or frozen broccoli
• 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp fresh OJ
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cold water

Directions

Freezing directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.
2. Label and freeze. To serve, thaw in refrigerator, then place contents of bag into skillet over medium-high heat, cooking until veggies and meat have reached desired doneness.

Cooking directions:

1. Spray a large nonstick wok or high-sided skillet with nonstick spray and set over high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger and orange zest; stir-fry until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the beef strips and stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and orange juice; bring to a simmer and cook 20 seconds.
3. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the wok and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 146.2
Fat: 3.6 g
Cholesterol: 48.5 mg
Fiber: 2.2 g
Protein: 22.1 g

 

Copy Cat Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Ok, I totally took the wrong picture for this making it super difficult to blog. The good news: using the search bar you can find either of the recipes included in this post so it doesn't really matter. Husband is a HUGE Chipotle fan so he was on board for making it ourselves. I kept looking forward to this recipe and man did it deliver. Husband says they rival the burrito bowls of Chipotle but majorly prefers our pork carnitas to any of their meat choices. Take that Chipotle. We made the Pork Carnitas the day before on our regular crock pot day and since it always makes enough to feed a small army we planned these with the left overs. We used the rice cooker to make the rice since we are lazy and made the beans while it cooked. then we just layered, added some queso fresco and ate it with a few chips. Yum. Most definitely 5 out of 5 stars!!

Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
• 1/2 lime, juice of
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 3 tsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 4 • Size: 3/4 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 201.0 • Fat: 3.4 • Carbs: 37.4 • Fiber: 0 • Protein: 4.0 g

Quick and Delicioso Cuban Style Black Beans

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 scallions
• 2 tbsp red bell pepper
• 3 tbsp cilantro
• 15 oz can black bean, do not drain
• 1/2 cup water or more if needed
• 1 bay leaf
• few pinches cumin to taste
• pinch oregano
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Chop onion, garlic, scallions, red pepper, and cilantro in a mini chopper of food processor.
2. Add oil to a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Add vegetables to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally (adjust water as needed). Taste for salt and serve.

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 4 • Size: 1/2 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts

Calories: 113.9 • Fat: 2.9 g • Protein: 6.8 g • Carb: 19.9 g • Fiber: 6.0 g

Crock Pot "Baked" Potatoes

Never making baked potatoes the old fashioned way again! Cooked perfectly!!! We did 8 small potatoes and it worked great. Nothing more to say. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• aluminum foil
• Toppings (extra pts): light sour cream, fresh chives, bacon bits, broccoli, cheese

Directions

1. Wash and scrub potatoes until clean. Dry thoroughly. When dry, prick potatoes with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 potato • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 4 (large is 5 points+)

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Husband loves pulled pork and I usually can't stand it but this I loved! The great thing about it is you can use it any way you want. We made the tacos you see here the first night and then I used some of it for a taco salad for a pot luck at work and it went pretty fast. We will most definitely be making this again! 5 out of 5 stars.

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 4 oz (1/2 cup) • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed I used Smithfield
• 6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
• cumin
• dry adobo seasoning I used Goya
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauces to taste
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.
3. Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 176 • Fat: 7.7g • Protein: 25.8 g • Carb: 1.3 g • Fiber: 0.1 g

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

We are suckers for some good Thai food so we are always looking for new pad thai recipes. I don't care what you call it, this is pretty much pad thai. I really wanted to like this. Unfortunately this was far too spicy to even taste. The chicken had really good flavor which says a lot coming from me since I am not a fan of chicken. I think we will make this again but try to tame down the spice. Suggestions welcome. 3.5 out of 5 stars as is but we may re-rate if we can get it tamed at all.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 14.5 ozs fat free chicken broth vegetarians use vegetable broth
• 5 tbsps better'n peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsps honey
• 2 tbsps soy sauce use Tamari for gluten free
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ozs chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce more or less to taste
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce use Tamari for gluten free
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 8 ozs rice noodles
• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
• 1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw
• 1 cup bean bean sprouts
• 2 tbsps chopped peanuts
• 1 lime, sliced
• cilantro for garnish optional

Directions

1. For the peanut sauce: Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
4. Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add 2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and/or bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Drain noodles and toss with peanut sauce and additional chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce. When chicken is cooked, toss with noodles.
7. Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don't push them aside!) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 337.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 51.4 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Protein: 21.1 g

Mediterranean Chuck Roast

The picture doesn't look great but how can you go wrong with 30 cloves of garlic and kalamata olives!? We had problems with the fact that this took 10 hours and ended up not getting to eat it until the next day for lunch. Loved it. We simplified the recipe by changing the Olive Persadille to just kalamata olives and I didn't miss it. I've include the olive persadille recipe below in case you want to give it a go. All in all I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Mediterranean Chuck Roast

Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 2 lb Beef Chuck Roast
• 30 cloves Garlic Peeled
• ¼ Cup snipped dried tomatoes Not oil packed
• ½ cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoon(s)s balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning crushed
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 recipe Olive Persadille

Directions

1. 1. Trim fat from roast. Place garlic cloves and dried tomoatoes in a 3 1/2 pr 4 quart slow cooker. Top with roast. Pour broth over all in cooker. Sprinkle roast with vinegar, italian seasoning and pepper.
2. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 hours. Remove roast from cooker. Using forks, shred roast or slice the meat. Sprinkle with Olive Persadille.
3. See recipe for Olive Persadille

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 240

Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 67mg

Sodium: 262mg

Sugar: 2g

Carbohydrate: 8g

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 35g

Olive Persadille

Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker

Course: Condiments

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ¼ cup snipped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir together all ingredients.
2. Serve with Mediterranean Chuck Roast

Balsamic Beef Roast with Polenta

This is a two part recipe that needs to be done as one post so forgive my format issues. With Husband back to school and late church we are now looking at three possible slow cooker nights a week. I had no choice but to buy the magazine I saw called "Skinny Slow Cooker". This was our first recipe from the magazine and I have to say I am now so excited to try the others! The beef was perfect once you poured the juice over it and the polenta was a good "mashed potato" type side. The beef definitely out shined the polenta big time though. I was nervous about this recipe for some reason but it was a yummy, easy dinner with lots of leftovers. Thing 1, my one year old, devoured it and couldn't stop using the sign for "more" which we have been trying to teach him forever. I give the beef 4 stars and the polenta 3 stars out of 5.

Source: Skinny Slow Cooker

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 2 to 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck pot roast
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen small whole onions
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup lower sodium beef broth
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning crushed
• 1 recipe Soft Polenta
• fresh italian flat leaf parsley snipped
• Parmesan cheese shaved

Directions

1. 1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Place frozen onions in cooker. Place meat on top of onions. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the broth, vinegar, tomato paste, tapioca, garlic, and italian seasoning. Pour mixture over meat.
2. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. 3.Transfer meat to a serving platter. Skim off fat from cooking liquid. Serve meat with soft polenta and cooking liquid. Sprinkle with parsley. If desired, garnish with cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 399

Fat: 18g

Cholesterol: 75mg

Sodium: 498mg

Carbohydrate: 31g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 26g

Soft Polenta

Source: Skinny Slow Cooker

Course: Main Course

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 ³⁄₄ cups water divided
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan bring 2 3/4 cups water to boiling. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add cornmeal mixture to boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture returns to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is very thick and tender, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a slow boil.
2. To be served with Balsamic Beef Roast with Polenta

Real Bagels

We had some good friends over for breakfast this morning so we decided to give these a whirl last night. We didn't have enough bread flour so we used all purpose. We also didn't have the barley malt syrup so we left it out. We were very nervous at first, ok I'll be honest, we were nervous the whole way through, but they actually turned out pretty good. The boiling is weird but gives them that outer crust. A few tips. Don't use the wax paper. It sticks to the bottom. And we had to broil them for a minute or so to get them slightly golden. All in all they tasted like bagels which in my mind is a success. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 28 ¹⁄₂ ounces bread flour divided (about 6 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup (omit if you cannot find)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 12 cups water
• ³⁄₄ cup sugar

Directions

1. Combine 2 cups warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. Weigh or lightly spoon 28.13 ounces flour (about 6 1/4 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, syrup, and salt to yeast mixture. Mix dough at low speed 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic; add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 12 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), shape each portion into a ball. Make a hole in the center of each ball using your index finger. Using fingers of both hands, gently pull dough away from center to make a 1 1/2-inch hole. Place bagels on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat bagels with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 10 minutes (bagels will rise only slightly).
3. Preheat oven to 450°.
4. Combine 12 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar in a Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Gently lower 3 bagels into pan. Cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the bagels to a wire rack lightly coated with cooking spray. Repeat the procedure with remaining bagels, working in batches of 3. Divide the bagels between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Rotate pans, and bake for 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
5. Note: Omit barley malt syrup if you can't find it.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 255

Fat: 1.1g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 322mg

Fiber: 1.7g

Protein: 8.3g

Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Ginger Soy Sauce

Husband actually found this in my magazine and got really excited about it. I think that's why he only gave this a 4 when I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars. This is one of the first times I've really liked the taste of ginger. I do agree with Husband that with the word "wasabi" in the title you would expect more of a bite to it so next time we may even double the wasabi as the ginger did over power it. We are wasabi people though so make it normal and see how you like it before you up the kicker. This recipe does not sound kid-friendly but Thing 1 actually ate some of Husband's and enjoyed it so that makes me like it even more. It was great with a little rice and even good today for lunch! Don't tell Husband but I am giving it a 5 out of 5 stars no matter what he says.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ²⁄₃ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 large egg white lightly beaten
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• Cooking spray
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• ¹⁄₃ cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
• ¹⁄₃ cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions

1. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 215

Fat: 6.8g

Cholesterol: 65mg

Sodium: 454mg

Fiber: 0.9g

Protein: 24.5g

 

Tacos Al Pastor with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Caution: Do not cut the jalapeno and then put your hands anywhere near your nose. Mine is still on fire. And no, I'm not admitting to picking anything. Besides the burning in my nostril this meal is top notch. My absolute favorite thing is the pineapple salsa which I taste tested with a tortilla chip and could have polished off the same way. The meat was a solid 4 in my book but together with the salsa it was a major 5. We did all of our grilling for this meal on a grill pan which made our house pretty smoky but worked just as well as a grill would've. Husband loved this and also gave the whole thing a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin trimmed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh pineapple
• ¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₂ jalapeño thinly sliced
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 8 lime wedges

Directions

1. To prepare pork, preheat the grill to high heat.
2. Mince chipotle chile. Combine chipotle and oil in a small bowl; rub evenly over pork. Combine oregano and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper). Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork, and let stand for 30 minutes. Place the pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 145°. Remove pork from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Coarsely chop pork; keep warm.
3. To prepare salsa, place pineapple on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 5 minutes on each side. Coarsely chop pineapple, and place in a medium bowl. Add cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through jalapeño); toss to combine.
4. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates, and divide pork evenly among tortillas. Top each taco with about 3 tablespoons salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 305

Fat: 7.1g

Cholesterol: 74mg

Sodium: 513mg

Fiber: 4.7g

Protein: 26.6g

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Beef and Spinach

We made this so long ago that I'm not sure if I really remember much about it. I do remember I liked it but I think the noodles were a little over done and wet. We used stir fry meat because it was cheaper and easier and it worked great. We also used black sesame seeds since that is what we had on hand and we didn't toast them. We think this was a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked wide rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• ²⁄₃ pound top sirloin steak cut into thin strips
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 (6-ounce) bag washed baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds toasted

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. 2. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onions and steak; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add spinach; stir-fry 1 minute or until greens wilt. 3. Combine rice vinegar and the next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to steak mixture; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles, sesame oil, and salt; cook for 1 minute or until noodles are thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 408

Fat: 13.2g

Cholesterol: 37mg

Sodium: 616mg

Carbohydrate: 56.1g

Fiber: 5g

Protein: 16.7g

*Note: this can be made Gluten free by using tamari soy sauce but make sure the rice noodles you are using are actually rice noodles.

Buffalo Chicken Thighs and Buttermilk-Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes

Ok, tonight you get a 2 for 1. We'll start with the chicken and work our way down.

Chicken

This is a good recipe but I think the serving size is WAY off. After one I was stuffed and didn't end up eating the other. We've tried various buffalo chicken recipes and out of all the healthy ones this has been the best. Husband was have trouble with the chicken and various nasty things like veins and stuff so he wants to try boneless next time. Works for me. Thing 1 was refusing to try it but once we bribed him into taking 1 bite he ate the rest and liked it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4 (but not really...)

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs skinned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake to blend. Add half of chicken to bag; seal. Shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking to remove excess flour mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour-coated chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer browned chicken to a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with the remaining uncooked chicken, flour mixture, and oil. Discard remaining flour mixture. Bake chicken at 375° for 8 minutes or until done.
3. Combine hot sauce and butter in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until butter melts, stirring to blend. Place chicken in a shallow dish; drizzle with butter sauce. Toss to coat.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 318

Fat: 17.8g

Cholesterol: 106mg

Sodium: 474mg

Fiber: 0.4g

Protein: 28.4g

Potatoes

Confession time... I undercooked the potatoes. I didn't even check them before dumping the water. Oh well, the flavor was still really good and even thought they could have been better they were good. Husband doesn't typically like blue cheese but he says that it's not too overpowering and it actually adds good flavor. 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound small red potatoes
• ¹⁄₃ cup buttermilk
• ¹⁄₄ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return potatoes to pan. Add buttermilk, blue cheese, salt, and pepper to pan; mash with potato masher to desired consistency.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 117

Fat: 2.9g

Sodium: 277mg

*Note: the labels on this recipe are for both so pay close attention. If it says dairy free it could be just one. Let me know if there are any questions on the specific recipe.

Beef & Bean Chile Verde

If you like spicy you will probably love this. I struggled through it and ate a few too many tortilla chips to compensate for the heat. We added a small tablespoon of sour cream and a dash of tapatio (which added even MORE spice.) The green salsa was a great base flavor and if you can get past the flames on your tongue it actually tastes pretty good. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Source: Eating Well

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound 93%-lean ground beef
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 large onion chopped
• 6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 1 16-ounce jar green salsa green enchilada sauce or taco sauce
• ¹⁄₄ cup water
• 1 15-ounce can pinto or kidney beans rinsed

Directions

1. Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in salsa (or sauce) and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 307

Fat: 8 g

Cholesterol: 64 mg

Sodium: 516 mg

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 27 g

Quick Snack Mixes

My Cooking Light magazine came yesterday and this was the first thing I saw. They had pictures of 5 kid-friendly (and adult-friendly) snack mixes and each had the ingredients and the calorie count and everything. When I went online to find them I found 5 more that were not pictured. I let Thing 1 choose from the pictures and he, of course, chose the sweet tooth mix which he says is a 5 (looks like he may be starting to understand the rating system.) I chose the Crunch-Crunch-Crunch Mix and I also give it 5 stars. It's a nice light snack when you measure out a 1/2 cup and is actually quite filling. I think we will try making all of these. Let me know what you and your kids think if you try them.

Source: Cooking Light

 

Sweet-Tooth Mix:
2 cups pretzel sticks, 2 cups Multigrain Cheerios, 1 cup mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup milk chocolate M&M's, 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mix = 106 calories, 1.1g fiber

Crunch-Crunch-Crunch Mix:
1/2 cup dried cherries, 2 cups whole-grain Rice Chex, 1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios, 3 cups Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
1/2 cup mix = 119 calories, 3.3g fiber

Cheese-Freak Mix:
2 cups whole-grain cheddar goldfish, 2 1/2 cups cheddar-flavored mini pretzel twists, 1 cup dried apple rings, 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup mix = 120 calories, 2g fiber

Wild-Animal Mix:
2 cups animal crackers, 3/4 cup dried blueberries, 3/4 cup roasted pecan halves, 2 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn
1/2 cup mix = 104 calories, 2.4g fiber

Young Gourmand Mix:
 2 cups whole grain cheddar Goldfish, 2 cups dried apple chips, 1/2 cup roasted walnut halves, 1 1/2 cups Quaker oatmeal cereal squares.
1/2 cup mix = 119 calories, 1.9 g fiber

S’more Please Mix:
 3 cups air-popped popcorn, 1 cup Golden Grahams, 1 cup mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup milk chocolate M&M’s, 1/2 cup raisins.
1/2 cup mix = 95 calories, 1.1 g fiber

Nuts & Bolts Mix:
1/2 cup mixed nuts, 2 cups pretzel sticks, 2 1/2 cups Multigrain Cheerios, 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, 1/2 cup raisins.
 1/2 cup mix = 109 calories, 1.8 g fiber

Nut-Free and Sweet Mix:
2 cups pretzel sticks, 3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios, 1/2 cup milk chocolate M&M’s, 1/2 cup craisins.
1/2 cup mix = 103 calories, 1.2 g fiber

Sweet Wheats:
2 cups Triscuit whole wheat thin crisps, 2 cups Golden Grahams, 1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows, 1/4 cup milk chocolate M&M’s, 1/2 cup raisins.
1/2 cup mix = 109 calories, 1.3 g fiber

Salty-Sweet Mix:

1 1/2 cups Post Honey Nut Shredded Wheat, 1 cup dried mangoes, 3 cups Triscuit whole-wheat thin crisps, 1/2 cup roasted almonds.

1/2 cup mix = 125 calories, 2.2g fiber

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

"The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better."

We did it!!! This is the LAST of the very healthy caterpillar recipes and we saved a good one for last! This is a recipe we had while staying with one of the best cooks ever in California! We begged her for the recipe and had to make it ourselves. There are some slight alterations I would make. First of all I would use butter lettuce since I'm not a huge fan of iceberg. I think next time I will either leave out the orange zest or at the very least cut back A LOT! I also used just plain old mushrooms rather than shitake, added a lot of water chestnuts since they are fantastic and ate it with the home made peanut sauce from this recipe. You really can't screw this up though. It's good and it's healthy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com (discovered by Nancy Costa of Santa Rosa, CA)

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups shitake mushrooms fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ¹⁄₃ to 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons light colored oil such as vegetable oil or peanut oil
• Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 inch ginger root finely chopped or grated, optional
• 1 orange zested
• ¹⁄₂ red bell pepper diced small
• 1 small sliced water chestnuts 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 scallions chopped
• 3 tablespoons hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market
• ¹⁄₂ large head iceberg lettuce core removed, head quartered
• Wedges of navel orange -- platter garnish

Directions

1. Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces.
2. Preheat a large skillet or wok to high.
3. Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 182

Fat: 8

Carbohydrate: 10

Protein: 13

Watermelon-Jalapeno Ice Pops

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache."

If this combination sounds weird to you then don't make it. If it sounds good you might like it. Husband took about 3 bites (forced by me) and didn't want any more while I finished the popsicle and still wasn't sure how I felt about it. It wasn't spicy but you could definitely taste the jalapeno. I would probably give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh red or yellow watermelon cubes chilled
• ¹⁄₂ cup sugar
• ¹⁄₄ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon liquid pectin
• 1 large jalapeño pepper halved and seeded
• 2 teaspoons grated lime rind

Directions

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender, and process until pureed. Stir in lime rind. Pour into 8 (3-ounce) ice pop molds. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 76

Fat: 0.1g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 3mg

Carbohydrate: 19.7g

Fiber: 0.4g

Protein: 0.4g