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

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+)

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Yeah! Another crock pot meal that is super yummy! This had a little kick so I didn't give it to the kids but it wasn't too spicy for me and I'm a wimp. It was similar to a lot of the other taco soup type things we've made in the crock pot but it had a lot more flavor. Husband was a genius and used the fire roasted diced tomatoes which always make a meal better. We ate this with a few tortilla chips and it was great. 5 out of 5 stars and no complaints here!

Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/crock-pot-chicken-enchilada-soup.html

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce or more to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts 16 oz total
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream optional

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.
2. To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
3. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts

Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)

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

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

So, the picture is not so great but the soup is actually really good. It helped that I was sick and soup just hit the spot. I loved all the fresh veggies. Yum. We didn't have parmesean rind so we left it out and we didn't have fresh spinach so we used arugula instead. It worked just as well. I am now in love with the website we got this from and you will be seeing it more and more!! I say make this and enjoy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Minestrone soup is a classic hearty Italian soup with tomatoes, white beans, pasta and vegetables. You can use Swiss chard or kale instead of spinach if you wish and you don't have to puree the beans, it's just my preference. I modified this for the crock pot but I prefer to make this soup on the stove and let it simmer for about 45 minutes before adding the zucchini and pasta. The crock pot however is so convenient when you are working all day and want to come home to a cooked meal. I highly recommend adding the Parmesan cheese rind. This is also great with mini turkey meatballs, or even some sauteed crumbled turkey sausage."- www.skinnytaste.com


Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

 

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed cannellini or navy
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarians
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows al dente
• extra parmesan cheese to top extra pts

Directions

1. Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.
2. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 0.7 g • Protein: 8.7 g • Carb: 42.0 g • Fiber: 6.7 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

Beef Stroganoff

Husband grew up eating stroganoff and I don't remember EVER having it before we made it. When I saw a healthy version in one of my slow cooker magazines I thought I would give him a little blast from the past and try it. It was better than I expected but Husband said it lacked in "creaminess". That is probably what made it healthy. When husband made this he didn't know we had dry sherry in our pantry so he used the extra broth instead which I think made it lack in flavor. We will probably make it again but using the sherry and a little less broth than it calls for as it ended up slightly watery. All 4 members of the family ate it which gave it extra points. We both give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂ lbs Beef stew meat
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried oregano crushed
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried thyme crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (14.5 ounce) cans lower sodium beef broth
• ¹⁄₃ cup dry sherry or lower sodium beef broth
• 1 8 ounce carton light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups hot cooked noodles
• Snipped Fresh Parsley optional

Directions

1. 1. Trim fat from beef. Cut beef into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet cook beef, half at a time, in hot oil over medium heat until browned. Drain off fat.
2. 2. In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker place mushrooms, onion, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and bay leaf. Add beef. Pour broth and sherry over all.
3. 3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaf.
4. 4. If using low heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. In a medium bowl combine sour cream and cornstarch. Gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid into the sour cream mixture. Stir sour cream mixture into cooker. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or until thickened. Serve over hot cooked noodles. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 342

Fat: 12g

Cholesterol: 89mg

Sodium: 441g

Sugar: 4g

Carbohydrate: 22g

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 32g

 

Chicken Tostadas

Husband has always been a big fan of tostadas (don't ask me why since they should taste just like a taco...) so when I saw this in one of my new slow cooker magazines I knew it was a must make! We had a family dinner yesterday after church so it was nice to have a meal that was cooking while we were gone. Pardon the plate made by Super Sweet Super Picky Niece but it is always my favorite to use when I am over at their house. This meal was SUPER good. The limes we bought earlier in the week were not looking so usable when we went to start it and since it was Sunday we had a very "make it work" crisis moment. Not to fear. We had a lemon for some other recipe on the schedule so we used that and it still turned out scrumptious. We will definitely be making this again and now I can say I told you so to Husband when he gives me crap about my addiction to cooking magazines. 5 out of 5 stars, although when I was just eating it for lunch I accidentally said 10 stars so I guess it should be a 10 out of 5 stars.

Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeño pepper seeded, finely chopped (See tip below)
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons Chili powder
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1 medium onion sliced and separated into rings
• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 10 tostada shells
• ³⁄₄ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 cups lettuce shredded
• ³⁄₄ cup bottled salsa
• ³⁄₄ cup light sour cream
• ¹⁄₂ cup sliced ripe olives

Directions

1. 1. In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker combine jalapeno peppers, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce. Add onion and chicken to cooker.
2. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. 3. Remove chicken and onion from cooker, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Using two forks, shred chicken. In a medium bowl combine chicken, onion and the 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
4. 4. Spread refried beans on tostada shells. Top with chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Serve with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and olives. If desired serve with lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 285

Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 86mg

Sodium: 606mg

Sugar: 2g

Carbohydrate: 22g

Fiber: 5g

Protein: 25g

A tip from me to you:

Jalapenos can be nasty little buggers when you cut them and then touch ANYTHING. Usually my fingers burn for hours after cutting those stupid little bandits. Here is my super classy solution:

Ziplocs. Yes. Those are ziplocs.

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

Tortellini Tuscan Stew

Another school night crock pot recipe. Sadly Husband didn't get to try it before he left so you only get one opinion on this one. I came home to a fantastic smell which made me super excited to eat! The veggies were great (my favorite was the green beans) and the tortellini was even better. I think this makes more like 7 or 8 servings because it was SO much food and all 5 of my tupperwares were full to the brim. I was stuffed. Other than the enormous serving which may appeal to some I thought it was a really good meal. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Serves: 6 (more like 7 or 8)

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large zucchini cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 large yellow summer squash cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 large red bell pepper cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 4 ounce(s) thin green beans trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
• 1 can(s) (28-ounce ) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano chopped
• 1.5 teaspoon(s) chopped garlic
• 0.75 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 package(s) (9-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 bag(s) (5-ounce) baby spinach
• 3 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours.
2. Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover: continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender.
3. Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 254

Fat: 5g

Carbohydrate: 48g

Protein: 12g

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Another slow cooker masterpiece. I had no idea you could do so many different things with a crock pot. This was one of those "we have a lot of the ingredients and not a lot of money recipes" so I wasn't sure how it would taste. We were pleasantly surprised! We used green enchilada sauce because that is what we had and Husband and I both agreed that we think that actually made it better. Next time we plan to double everything but the cornbread part because the cornbread was pretty overpowering. We would have to play around with the serving size though. I also don't think it needs the sour cream and the cilantro on top. The sour cream distracts from the other flavors (Husband disagrees) and there is already cilantro in the dish so the flavor becomes a little too strong if it is also on top. With these minor adjustments it would be a 5 but for now it gets a 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons diced green chiles divided
• ¹⁄₂ cup salsa
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped green onions
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 (11-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• ¹⁄₂ cup egg substitute
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
• 2 tablespoons chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons thinly sliced fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place 2 tablespoons green chiles and next 6 ingredients (through enchilada sauce) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 hours.
2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon green chiles, egg substitute, muffin mix, and roasted bell peppers in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over bean mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour or until corn bread is done.
3. Sprinkle cheese over corn bread. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top each serving with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 385

Fat: 13g

Cholesterol: 23mg

Sodium: 1129mg

Fiber: 5.1g

Protein: 16.6g

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

 

Don't be fooled by the picture, I promise this is really good. I have a major soft spot for lasagna as is evident by how many lasagna recipes are on this blog already. What could make lasagna better? How about pesto, mushrooms, spinach, left overs AND the fact that you can do it in the crock pot. The ease of this recipe makes it by far my favorite lasagna so far. I have literally been eating it all week for lunch thanks to the fact that it makes 8 servings. We used just regular plain old mushrooms and they were fine as well as store bought pesto. I am pretty sure you could do any lasagna using the crock pot technique but I would just go ahead and make this one because it's a 5 out of 5 stars!

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups torn spinach
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• ¹⁄₂ cup commercial pesto
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese divided
• 1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Directions

1. Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.
2. Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside. Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 398

Fat: 18.2g

Cholesterol: 56mg

Sodium: 1036mg

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 22.2g

Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili

Since Husband has class one night a week we have to try to come up with meals that are quick when I get home from work. We've decided to revisit our crock pot with this meal and we were not disappointed!! There were so many good flavors in this dish that you do not even notice the lack of meat. I would say the strongest flavor is the adobo but this dish is very mild and full of great flavor. The best part... Lots of left overs! 5 out of 5 stars!

Source: Eating Well

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans (2 1/2 cups), rinsed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¹⁄₄ cup mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
• 2 medium onions coarsely chopped
• 1 pound mushrooms sliced
• 8 ounces tomatillos (see Ingredient Note), husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• ¹⁄₄ cup water
• 5 ¹⁄₂ cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1-2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 ¹⁄₄ cups grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup reduced-fat sour cream
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.
2. Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles; mix well.
3. Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.
4. Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Stovetop Variation: Total: 4 1/2 hours In Step 2, increase broth to 81/2 cups. Omit Step 3. Add the beans to the Dutch oven; cover and simmer the chili gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy to bite, about 3 hours.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 306

Fat: 10 g

Cholesterol: 20 mg

Sodium: 415 mg

Carbohydrate: 40 g

Fiber: 13 g

Protein: 18 g