Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Chicken Sausage Soup

Chicken Sausage Soup
From the kitchen of Katie Springley

64 oz chicken broth
8 chicken sausages
1 large onion
1 bunch broccoli rabe
2 cans cannellini 

Sautée small pieces of sausage then remove from pan and rest on ppr towel. Add chopped onion and chopped br to pan for 3 mins. Pour in broth, bring to boil. Add beans and sausage and simmer for a few mins. Takes no time at all and fills the belly.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Beer Bread

Beer Bread
From the kitchen of Heather Thomas

3 cups flour 
3 TBS sugar 
2 TBS baking powder 
1 can beer


Melt a little butter in the bottom of the loaf pan and pour a little melted butter over the top. 
Bake at 350 for 45 min. 
We put honey on it after it's sliced:)

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Asian Flank Steak Skewers


 Asian Flank Steak Skewers

From the kitchen of Erika Simmons

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com 

Makes: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced thin
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium soy sauce (Use Tamari for Gluten Free)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 lime, juice of

Directions:

Soak wooden skewers in water about 30 minutes to prevent burning. Marinate the steak in all the ingredients for about 1 hour or more. 
Discard marinade and thread the sliced steak onto the skewers.
Heat your grill or grill pan to high heat; when hot grill a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked though.
Makes about 24 skewers.

Nutritional Info:

Serving Size: 4 skewers (1/6th) Old Points: 4 Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 150 Fat: 7.1 g Carb: 2.0 g Fiber: 0.1 g Protein: 17.9 g Sugar: 0.0 g
Sodium: about 400 mg (since most of the marinade is discard, it may be less)


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Pulled Pork


Pulled Pork
From the kitchen of Beth Vincent

1can of beer
(Alternative: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup beef broth)
Pork tenderloin
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Serves 7-9

Place liquid of choice and pork loin in crock pot by 10am and ready to serve by dinner :) About an hour prior to serving shred meat and add BBQ sauce. Serves great on it's own or as sandwiches.

Chicken Tacos


Chicken Tacos:
From the kitchen of Beth Vincent

Items may be put in frozen or fresh :)
4 chicken breast
Corn
Peppers
Onion
Black Beans
Can of salsa


Place all items in the crock pot
Cook for 4-6 hours
About 30 minutes before serving shred the chicken w/ two forks (the chicken will be so tender!) Stir to let all the flavors mix. This taste so good on soft and hard shells. Add favorite topping!
Serves 5-7

Eye of the Round Roast


Eye of the Round Roast - simple easy recipe
From the kitchen of Mary Hyatt

Put roast in crock pot, add 2 cans of white potatoes or any potatoes that you have.
Add carrots if you want also, shake one packet of Onion Soup Mix on top of roast
and potatoes, add around 1/2 cup of water to the bottom for some moisture.

Turn on either low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Comes out perfect every time!
Makes it's own juice to pour over meat and potatoes when serving.

Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches


From the kitchen of Stephanie

Pork Tenderloin
1 cup of chicken stock/broth
BBQ Sauce

1. Place Tenderloin in crockpot with chicken stock/broth. Cook on High for 6-8 hours
2. Shred Tenderloin and drain the broth that is left in the crockpot
3. Combine Shredded Tenderloin and BBQ sauce (I usually use 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottle and then save some to add to the sandwiches).

**You can also do step three over the stove in a sauce pan if you want to crisp up the ends of the meat a little bit**

**I have also done this with left over tenderloin that has been roasted in the oven...follow all of the same steps, but cook 4-6 hours on LOW instead).**

**This also works with chicken as well**

Friday, April 19, 2013

Healthier Chicken Enchiladas


Healthier Chicken Enchiladas
From the Kitchen of Stephanie



Ingredients:
For the chicken:
2 lg chicken breasts (I used one of the Organic Chicken pckg's from Costco)
1 TBSP Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor (I used organic, reduced sodium)
salt, pepper, cumin (to taste)
2 cups of hot water

For the Sauce:
1 Jar (12 oz) of Salsa Verde (I used the Trader Joe's one)
1 cup of Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 tsp of Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor (again, I used organic, reduced sodium)

For the Enchiladas
1 Can of Organic Corn...rinsed and drained (I used Trader Joe's)
1 Can of Organic Black Beans...rinsed and drained (I used Trader Joe's)
The cooked and shredded chicken from above
10 flour tortillas (I used the organic Trader Joe's ones....they are about 10 inches in diameter)
1 cup of Cheese (I used the Lite Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend from Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup of chopped scallions

Directions:
For the chicken:
In the morning, I placed the chicken in the crock pot and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin. I then dissolved 1 TBSP of Better than Bouillon in 2cups of hot water. Once dissolved I poured into the crock pot. I cooked the chicken on high for 4.5 hours, but you could cook it on low for longer if needed. Once the chicken is done, use forks to shred the chicken and place in a large bowl with the corn and black beans. Mix together until well combined. Set aside.

For the Sauce:
On the stop top, mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on low for about 5-8 minutes...until well combined. If it's too spicy for you add some extra yogurt.

For the Enchilada Assembly:
Pre-heat the oven to 375
Spray a 9x13 pan
To assemble these enchiladas, I took a heaping spoonful of the chicken, corn, and bean mixture and spread it in the middle of a tortilla. Then I rolled it and placed in the pan. Repeat until all 10 tortillas are rolled and in the pan. In my pan I fit 9 across and had one at the bottom. You could also do this in two 9x9 pans if you wanted as well (just put 5 in each).
Once all of the tortillas are in the pan, then I poured the sauce over all of the enchiladas. Next, I sprinkled about a cup of cheese over the top and finished them by sprinkling 1/4 cup of chopped scallions on top of the cheese.

You can either put this straight in the oven or you can cover with foil and place in the fridge (I had mine in the fridge for about two hours before I actually baked it).

Bake Covered at 375 for 25 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, take the foil off and let the cheese get good and melted.

Nutrition Facts (based off of the items I used...you could lower the calories and fat by using different tortillas...my tortillas had 140 cal and 3 grams of fat per tortilla, so you can see that is where a majority of the calories and fat for this dish comes from).

286 Calories
4.8 grams of fat
41 grams of carbs
17 grams of protein
4 grams of fiber
4 grams of sugar

Hope you enjoy these :)

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs
From the kitchen of Stephanie

10-12 Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled and separated
mayo
mustard (yellow)
dill relish
dill
salt
pepper

I combine the yolks along with the other ingredients until I get a texture and consistency that I like. I usually start with about a tablespoon of mayo, a tsp of mustard and relish and a pinch of each seasoning and then go from there.

Once you get a consistency and flavor, spoon back into egg halves.

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie

2-3  Cooked Chicken Breasts, chopped or shredded
1 cup of Dried Cranberries
1 Apple of choice (I prefer Gala or Fuji) diced
1-2 cups of Chopped Celery
Mayo (just enough to bind together)
Dill (fresh or dried) to taste
Salt
Pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill


***I also like to used Trader Joe's Crescent Rolls to make this a bit fancier. You can either use each crescent triangle and stuff with salad prior to baking or you can roll out crescent sheet and cut into 24 small squares and use a mini muffin pan. You place each square in the hole of the pan and then scoop a spoonful of salad into each cup. Cook according to directions on can. ***

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies


From: 100DaysofRealFood.com
Modified by Allison Whalen (click the title for the original recipe link)

Original Recipe:

Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened but not melted
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet.
  2. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer beat the applesauce, maple syrup, butter, egg, and vanilla.
  4. While beating the mixture on a low speed add the dry ingredients until well blended.
  5. Fold in the nuts with a spatula.
  6. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet with a spoon. Bake for 8 – 9 minutes or until they start to brown.
Here are Allison's modifications:

i added one ripe banana,
increased oats to one cup,
added 1/4 cup of flaxseed,
added about 1/2 cup of raisins,
sprinkled about 2 tbsp of coarse sugar on the top before baking,
and spread into a square pan, baked for 20-25 minutes, then cut out hearts.
you could also use a slightly larger pan - mine came out pretty thick from the 8x8 square pan. you would just need to reduce the cooking time. but any way you cook them they will be great! i hope you enjoy them!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Chicken Pot Pie Soup, 100% organic and GMO free



Chicken Pot Pie Soup
From the kitchen of Stephanie, adapted from this recipe from skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

1/3 cup organic all-purpose flour (for a gluten free option, see original recipe)
2 cups water
4 cups organic 1% milk
1 large organic celery stalk, chopped
1/2 medium organic onion, chopped
8 oz (1 container) sliced organic button mushrooms
3 tsp organic chicken Better Than Bouillon
fresh ground pepper
big pinch of thyme
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup frozen organic peas
1 cup frozen organic sweet corn
12oz organic baby carrots, chopped
2 organic medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed small
12 oz cooked organic chicken breast, shredded or in small cubes (I will give instructions for how I cooked mine)
salt

Directions for Chicken:

So that the soup didn't take that long to make, I made my chicken earlier in the day, while Hudson was napping. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. I sliced each chicken breast in half (so that it was thinner), then I place it in a glass 9x9 dish....no spray, no oil, no butter. Just place it directly on the glass. Then I seasoned the top with garlic powder, pepper, and salt. I baked it, covered with foil, for 55 minutes. (I have found that Organic Chicken Breasts take a little bit longer to cook, which is why the time seems a little longer). Another option you could do is use the chicken from a rotisserie chicken, but just know that would stop the soup from being 100% organic and GMO free.

Directions for the soup:

Mix 1/2 cup of cold water and flour in a small bowl and set aside for later.

Pour water and milk into a stock pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, so that you don't get a film on the top. Once the liquid has come to a slow boil (takes about 5-10 minutes), add all of the veggies, spices and Better Than Bouillon and stir. Let this cook over low heat, partially covered with a lid for about 20-30 minutes. The length of time will depend on how small you diced your carrots and potatoes. Remove the lid and add your chicken. Once incorporated, add your flour and water mixture. Make sure to stir as you add the mixture. Let cook for another 5 minutes, taste and adjust your seasonings if needed.

Enjoy!!!

Total Calories per cup of soup:

195 calories
1 gram of fat
27 grams of carbs
17 grams of protein

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Healthy Taco Salad

Healthy Taco Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie


Ingredients:

1 cup Kale (deribbed and chopped)
1 heart of Romain (chopped)
4 oz of extra lean ground turkey
Taco Seasoning (I prefer Trader Joe's...no additives and great flavor)
1/2 Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
1/4 cup of Light Mexican Cheese Blend (I also use Trade Joe's...no GMO's)
1/4 of an Avocado
Tortilla Chips (I used the Reduced Guilt Trader Joe's Tortilla Chips...great flavor)
1/2 cup Tri-color Bell Peppers (chopped)
1 lime
2 TBSP Salsa (I prefer the Homestyle Salsa Especial from Trader Joe's)


1. Cook the ground turkey with about 1-2 tsps of the taco seasoning (depends how spicy you'd like it to be) along with the onions. Literally all I did to cook this meat was use a non-stick pan, dumped the meat in with the onions, sprinkle the taco seasoning on top and I added a couple tablespoons of water...no oil, no butter, no sprays.
2.While the meat is cooking, chop all of the veggies
3. When the meat is done, combine all ingredients together (this makes one BIG serving or two smaller servings).

Nutrition:
(for the whole thing)
383 Calories, 8 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbs, 49 grams of protein



***The only thing I think I'd do different next time is add some pinto beans to the taco meat once it's mostly done cooking.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Oatmeal Walnut Banana Pancakes


Oatmeal Walnut Banana Pancakes
From the Kitchen of Amy Day

OK, so I pinned a banana pancake recipe on Pinterest the other day.  It was just 1 ripe banana, 2 eggs, mix them together and cook like a pancake.  They were fantastic!
Since the kids loved them so much I decided to monkey with them a little bit over the past few days, and this morning I had one for my own breakfast, and it was delicious.  Here's what I did (this made 6 large pancakes):
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
tsp vanilla extract
tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
3/4 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats (uncooked - I am sure you can use instant, but probably not steel cut unless you've cooked them first)
tbsp of bisquik (can leave out, but I like the texture better)
Mix it all together and cook as you would a pancake (I used butter for the kids, nonstick spray for myself).  Depending on what portion you eat you can figure out your nutrition info, but for one very filling pancake this morning, mine came out to just 210 calories, with 11 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 350mg of potassium!  They don't need anything on them.  And it was both filling and delicious - and for my pancake fanatic children, who I will of course not give flour-based pancakes to on a daily basis, this makes all of us very happy :)  I'm going to continue experimenting with other nutritious additions I can sneak in there!