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Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

8 Oct

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
– 1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
– 1 Can black beans
– 1 can chicken broth
– 1 can Red Enchilada sauce
– 1 Cup frozen Corn
– 1 can of diced green chiles
– 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
– 1/2 tbsp. salt
– 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
2. remove chicken, shred, and return to pot.
3. Serve with garnish of: Greek yogurt (or sour cream), Shredded cheese, tortilla strips, jalapenos, black olives, green onion, etc.

Makes 8 (1 cup) servings: 211 Calories per Cup
with 2 tbsp. greek yogurt, 2 tbsp. 2% shredded cheddar, and 2 tbsp. tortilla strips: 315 Calories

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Skinny French Toast

1 Sep

People who know me in real life know that I love France, and all things “French.” I’m not sure how French toast got it’s name. I don’t think it’s origins can actually be traced to France, but I love it all the same. Here’s a skinny version just for you.

Ingredients:
6 slices Sara Lee Whole Wheat 45 calorie bread
4 egg whites
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
nonstick spray
spray butter (0 calorie)

Directions:

1. Mix egg whites, milk, cinnamon and vanilla well in a bowl or shallow dish.
2. Heat a skillet to med-high (7 on my stove).
3. dip 3 slices of bread into the egg mixture, covering, but not saturating, each side.
4. Spray nonstick spray into skillet, and add each of the first 3 slices.
5. Flip slices when a nice brown crust begins to form on one side.
6. After each side is done, I spray with spray butter and allow it to sit on the skillet just long enough for the butter to form a bit of extra crust on each side of the bread.
7. Remove the first 3 slices, and make the next 3.
8. Serve with spray butter and sugar free syrup! Or top with some sugar free fruit topping!

2 Servings= 189 Calories per serving*

*calories do not include syrup or fruit topping. Only French toast itself.

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Blackened Mahi Mahi

4 Aug

So… clearly I’ve been experimenting with my blackening seasoning lately (see previous post for Cajun chicken pasta.) Truth be told, my Cajun recipe kick may have begun with Cajun pasta, but the thought process all began sitting in a BRIO restaurant in Denver Colorado. I went with the daily special, which happened to be blackened mahi mahi….and it was SO GOOD it prompted me to buy blackening spices and do this at home. The results were delicious.

Ingredients:

– 16 oz Mahi Mahi filets (I used frozen filets from Kroger, and thawed before making)
– 1 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1/2 cup all purpose flour
– 1 tbsp. blackening spices (I used more for my own piece, because I like things HOT)

That’s it. Simple, quick. Delicious.

Directions:
1. Mix flour and seasoning well.

2. Rinse and pat dry fish filets.

3. Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat (5-6 on the stovetop)

4. Coat fish liberally with flour mixture.

5. Place filets in hot skillet and allow to cook long enough to get a good crust on the first side.

6. Flip fish over and repeat until 2nd side is crusted.

7. Continue periodically flipping fish until middle is flakey and cooked through. About 11 min I think is what it took.

3 Servings= 195 Calories per serving

appx 5 weight watchers points plus per serving

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Cherry Cobbler- Under 200 Calories

21 Jul

Ingredients
-1 Jar of “no sugar added” Cherry Pie Filling

Crust
– 1/2 cup flower
– 2/3 cup oatmeal
– 1 egg
– 1 tbsp. honey
– 1/2 cup splenda
– 1 tbsp. “no fat” butter spray (like I cant believe it’s not butter spray)

-1 container of Oikos Vanilla greek yogurt for topping, optional (adds 25 cal per serving).

Directions:

1. pour cherry pie filling into a casserole dish (9×9 is too large, I used an oval 8×11).

2. in a separate bowl, mix all the crust ingredients together.

3. spread crust ingredients over top of filling.

4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. Top with vanilla greek yogurt. I split one single serve container 4 ways, adding 25 calories per serving.

4 Servings= 194 Calories per serving (without yogurt)

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Low Calorie Spaghetti with Meat sauce

28 Jun

I’m not sure that I can even call this a “recipe” since it’s really just a list of pre-packaged ingredients thrown together to make a “much more calorie friendly version” of something we all already know how to make. This is more just a “calories figured for you” documentation of what you can use to lighten up this comfort food!

Editors note: Make this a “real” recipe by using my homemade marinara!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
-1 (12 oz)box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti (the purple box)
-1 jar of Prego SmartLight* spaghetti sauce
-1 package of Butterball turkey italian sausage (5 links)

Mushrooms, Onions, Green pepper, fresh garlic- all optional

Directions:

1. remove sausages from casing, and fry meat on medium heat, crumbling into peices as you go. Now’s a good time to add those optional ingredients like mushrooms or onions as well.
2. Drain excess grease from meat mixture.
3. Add spaghetti sauce, and any additional spices you like (I add about 1 tbsp oregano and some garlic powder)
4. Cook sauce on low in a covered pan, stirring occassionally.
5. Break pasta into manageable pieces and add to boiling water (with 1 tbsp salt if you like).
6. Cook pasta until it reaches your preferred texture.
7. Serve with sauce over drained pasta, in 4 equal parts.

4 Servings= 525 Calories per serving

*Note: Prego SmartLight is the key here. this suace has about 1/2 the calories of any other pasta sauce i’ve found out there, and it tastes good too.

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Red Beans and Rice- Crockpot

22 Jun

Ingredients:
Red Beans- 2 cans
-1 can kidney beans
-1/2 package turkey smoked sausage, sliced
-1 onion, diced
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-5 bay leaves
-salt, pepper,
-1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. minced garlic

3 cups cooked white rice (I like to use jasmine rice)

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients except rice to crockpot, and cook on low 8 hours.
2. If beans are not “thick” remove from crockpot and cook in a pan on medium-high on the stove (no lid) until they thicken.
3. Cook rice separately, according to directions on package.
4. Serve Beans over rice.

4 Servings= 488 Calories

*** By 1/2 package of turkey sausage I mean this: They come in either 1 long, u shaped link, or 2 separate straighter links…. use 1 straight link, or cut the U shaped link in half.

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Peanut Butter Pie

3 Jun

Ingredients

– 1 chocolate graham cracker crust
– 1 8 oz block of fat free cream cheese, softened
– 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
– 2/4 cup “better ‘n peanut butter” spread
– 1/2 container of cool-whip lite or free

Directions:

1. mix cream cheese and peanut butter.
2. add confectioners sugar
3. gently fold in cool whip.
4. pour mixture into pie crust
5. freeze for 2 hours.
6. serve frozen or thaw in refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving.

Optional: Serve with remaining cool whip for garnish.

serves 8: 305 calories per slice (not counting cool whip as garnish)

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Roasted Garlic and Lemon Cauliflower

14 May

Wait! I know what you’re going to say… “cauliflower!? yuck!”. You’re wrong on this one. Trust me. THIS IS DELICIOUS and I have never met a cauliflower I liked. I also make this with a mix of fresh carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Ingredients:

– 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2-1/4 pounds), trimmed and cut into florets
– 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or 3 tbsp. minced garlic)
– 2 tbsp. olive oil
– 2 tablespoons lemon juice
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
– 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine cauliflower and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3. Transfer, in a single layer, to a large rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast at 450 degrees F for about 25 minutes, stirring once.
5. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately

4 servings= 125 Calories per serving  

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French’s Fried Onion baked Chicken

12 May

I can’t take credit for creating this recipe, but I will take credit for sharing it with you 🙂  It’s delicious. One of my family’s favorites.  My daughter dips hers in honey.

Ingredients:

– 2 1/2 cups French’s Fried Onions (regular or cheddar)

– 1 egg

– 2 tablespoons flour

– 4 (4 oz) boneless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Clean and dry chicken breasts.

2 Put fried onions into food processer, and grind until they’re well chopped.

3.  Mix onions and flour.

4. beat egg in a shallow bowl.

5. Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere.

6. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 min.

4 servings= 365 Calories per serving

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Mixed Berry Cobbler

10 May

So, there are two ways you can make this.  You can make it pretty healthy, and use a regular yellow cake mix, or, you can make it very low calorie by using a sugar free cake mix, which is my preference.  However, my husband thinks it tastes a little “diet-y”.  I disagree.  I think this cobbler is great, particularly for a “diet” dessert.  Try it out, and you be the judge!

Ingredients:

– 1 box of yellow cake mix (sugar free or regular)

– 1 can of diet soda (i used mello yello zero.  diet sprite, sierra mist, sprite zero would all work)

– 4-5 cups of frozen fruit of your choice (i used cherries and blueberries)

Directions:

1. Spread Fruit on bottomo of a 9X13 baking dish.

2. Pour cake mix evenly over top.

3. Pour soda over the top of cake mix.  DO NOT MIX.

4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Variations:  Spice cake and frozen apples or peaches.  White Cake instead of Yellow.

Serves: 12= 179 calories per serving*

*my calorie count was based on sugar free cake mix, and a mix of cherries and blueberries.

cobbler

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