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Crockpot Bean Soup

16 Jul

I am a southern girl (which you probably know by now if you follow this blog) and I love bean soup. So does my 15 yr old, and he requested it this week, so, who am I to say no!! I’ve tried many times to make it in the crock pot, because it seems like a great fit… but for whatever reason, it never really worked… until last night! Below is a pretty delicious, filling, and low calorie classic southern white bean soup. It takes a little more prep time than I normally put into a crockpot meal, but honestly, I did everything the night before, except add the beans. I stored the rest of the soup mixture in the fridge overnight, and cleaned and sorted the beans, and set them aside on the counter. Then in the morning, I mixed the dried beans in and started the crockpot. It was yummy! For an extra 170 calories, I served it with one prepared jiffy corn bread muffin. mmm…… that deserves another one…. say it with me…. “mmmmmmm……” Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 country ham hock (8 oz)
  • 26 oz of chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 3 Cups water
  • 1 lb dry great northern beans

 

Directions:

1. On the stove top, heat oil in a medium sized skillet. Add some non-stick spray if you need more than just the 1/2 tbsp of oil.

2. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pan. Heat them in the oil, stirring regularly, until the veggies begin to soften a big. Onions may turn semi-translucent.

3. Transfer veggie mixture to the empty crock pot. Add everything else on the list to the crock pot, except the beans. Don’t add the beans yet.

4. Use a strainer to rinse your beans thoroughly. Sort through the beans while cleaning them, and discard any beans that are discolored, shriveled, or broken. Be sure to rinse them well. Occassionaly you might find a pebble in there. Remove that too 🙂 they’re hard to digest.

5. See all those steps up there ^^ I did all those the night before, and then stored my beans on the counter, and the remaining soup mixture in the fridge, over night. Don’t soak your beans…. just rinse them, drain the water, and set them aside. If you’re doing this all in the same day, then you can go ahead and add your beans at this point. If you prep the night before like me, then just stir the beans in when you’re ready to start cooking!

6. Stir the beans into the mixture, and heat on low for about 8 hours, upto 10.

7. 30 min before serving, remove the ham hock, and the bay leaves. Mix the soup around, and if you like (i do) you can take a rigid spoon and smoosh some of the beans against the edge of the crock pot. This creates a thicker soup, which I like. You don’t have to do the smooshy part…it’s up to you. BUT… do leave the lid off and let it cook for another 20-30 min or so. \

Editors Note: I also remove about 1/4 cup of the country ham from the hamhock, chop it up, and add it back into the soup. Again, up to you. Southern girls don’t pass up country ham when they have the chance to eat it.

 

Makes 9 Cups.

1 Cup of soup= 172 Calories per cup

Approximately 4 weight watchers points plus per cup

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Zucchini Noodles with Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes

9 Jul

This easy side item was delicious! I really liked the last minute addition of sun dried tomatoes. I hope you like it. Can’t wait to serve it with a nice grilled chicken or fish!  If you want the Calorie Content, recipe, etc for Just the Pesto, click here.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp slivered almonds
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 1 clove fresh, chopped)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp shredded parmesan (the shreds, not the powder)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 4 Medium/Large Zucchini
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil (separate from the olive oil listed above)
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

 

Directions:

1. Place everything but the Olive oil into the food processor. You’ll want to use a small food processor, and you may need to scrape the sides down periodically to continue blending. Due to the small portion size, the pesto may collect around the edges of the food processor.

2. Once all other ingredients are well blended, add Olive oil and pulse until all ingredients are smooth. Your Pesto is done!

3. Use a Mandolin or other julienne tool (I used a Vegetti) to slice your zucchini into strands (resembling noodles).

4. Heat the 1 Tbsp Olive oil in a skillet. Add Zucchini and sautee 3-5 minutes.

5. Season Zucchini with sea salt, and mix in Pesto and Tomatoes.

 

Makes 4 Servings= 198 Calories per Serving

Approximately 5 weight watchers points plus per serving

 

 

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Homemade Pesto

9 Jul

So, I grew a couple things in my yard, for the first time this year! Basil, and Cilantro 🙂 Tragically, the Cilantro did not make it. But the Basil did GREAT, and led to this lovely Pesto, which I served with Zucchini noodles 🙂 YUM. A couple of notes: Pesto is very caloric, so I made a small batch full of rich flavor, to use in combination with a very low-calorie alternative to pasta. It was delicious. Because a little goes a long way, I recommend this pesto as a compliment to grilled chicken, or a lovely side dish. One last thing. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts. but I chose almonds because they are lower in calories, and lend the same nutty flavor to the dish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp slivered almonds
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 1 clove fresh, chopped)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp shredded parmesan (the shreds, not the powder)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Place everything but the Olive oil into the food processor. You’ll want to use a small food processor, and you may need to scrape the sides down periodically to continue blending. Due to the small portion size, the pesto may collect around the edges of the food processor.

2. Once all other ingredients are well blended, add Olive oil and pulse until all ingredients are smooth.

 

Makes about 3 tablespoons=144 Calories per tablespoon

Approximately 3 weight watchers points plus per serving.

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Grilled corn on the cob

30 Apr

Ingredients:
– cobs of corn, as many as you like
– cold water
– spray butter (fat free)
– sea salt
– fresh cracked pepper (opt)

Directions:

1. Pull husks down to base of cob, exposing silks, without removing husks completely.

2. Remove silks and throw them away.

3. Pull husks back up onto corn, as tight as you can get it.

4. Fill a large bowl, or clean sink with cold water. Place corn cobs in water. Submerge and soak 20 minutes.

5. Heat grill to medium heat. Place cobs, in husks, on the grill. The husks might smoke, or even catch fire. That’s ok.

6. Allow corn to cook about 20 min, turning every 5 min or so. Until kernels feel tender and are easily punctured with a fork.

7. If corn does not have the char marks to your satisfaction, remove husks and place directly on grill to char.

8. Spray cobs with butter, and top with sea salt and pepper.

1 ear= 130 calories

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Oven Roasted Potatoes

22 Mar

This recipe requires about 45 minutes, which is a luxury I don’t often have with our busy schedule. If you have all the time in the world…continue on. I prefer the results of the “slow cook” method. However, If you’re interested in speeding this up, you can use a ziplock steamer bag, and cook your potatoes 1/2 of the time listed on the bag. Then toss in olive oil and bake for only about 15-20 min.

Ingredients:

– 3 medium size (4 inches) Red potatoes
– 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
– 1 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp pepper
– 1/4 tsp garlic powder
– 1/4 tsp paprika (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut potatoes into cubes, no more than 1 inch wide.

2. Place potatoes, and olive oil in a large ziplock bag. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and shake until all potatoes are lightly oiled.

3. Spray a flat baking sheet liberally with nonstick spray, and spread potatoes in a single layer on pan.

4. Cover pan with aluminum foil, making sure all corners are tucked under to create a seal.

5. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes. Uncover, turn potatoes, and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Makes 3 (1 cup) servings= 205 Calories per serving

90 Calorie “Fried” Apples

2 Nov

I love Fried Apples, as any good southern girl should. I remember, growing up my grandmother taught me to save my fried apples at dinner and eat them on a biscuit for dessert…just like apple pie. Here’s a great “not really fried” apple recipe that my family enjoys. It’s a pretty decent substitute for the real thing when you’re calorie conscious.

Ingredients:
– 4 medium to large apples (I used gala)
– 1 tablespoon splenda
– 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
– 1/2 tablespoon 0 calorie butter spray
– 1 tbsp.- 1/4 cup water

Directions:
1. Wash, core, and slice (but don’t you dare peel!) all apples.
2. Mix with cinnamon and splenda.
3. spray 0 calorie butter spray into a small-med size frying pan, and add apple mixture.
4. heat on medium heat, stirring regularly for about 3 min.
5. When/If apples start to stick, or you’re afraid they’ll burn, add 1 tbsp. water at a time to the skillet.
6. Cook apples down, stirring often (adding water as often as needed) until they reach the texture you prefer.

Enjoy these as a lovely side, or throw some fat free coolwhip on top for dessert.

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Grilled Pineapple skewers

19 Jul

This is a Delicious Side on a hot summer evening. Goes great with teriyaki chicken, or grilled fish. Serve with vanilla greek yogurt or froyo for a great low cal dessert too! I bet this would be great with some low-fat coconut ice cream…

Ingredients:

– 1 fresh pineapple, sliced into chunks, about 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch
– 2 tablespoons of honey
– 1 tsp Olive Oil
– 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 4 metal or wooden “skewers”

Directions:

1. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 10 min or so before putting kabobs together. This keeps the ends of the sticks from catching fire during grilling.

2. Preheat grill and set it to medium temp.

3. Mix last 5 ingredients together in a small bowl. mix well to break up cinnamon.

4. String pineapple chunks evenly onto skewers.

5. Brush marinade mixture onto pineapple skewers evenly. If you have some left over, you can re-apply halfway through grilling.

6. Apply non-stick spray or oil to grill surface to avoid sticking (please be careful and don’t spray aerosol spray directly into open flame of your grill. Use a paper towel to appy oil, or remove grill grates to spray with non-stick)

7. Place the skewers onto the grill. Cook over medium for about 5 minutes, turning pretty regularly to avoid burning.

8. After 5-7 minutes, turn heat up to med-high and allow marinade to caramelize under higher temp. Your pineapple should be turning a beautiful shade of caramel brown on all sides. turn frequently to avoid burning.

9. Once you’ve reached the color you’re happy with, remove from the grill, and serve warm.

Hunry Girl Onion Rings

27 May

First and Foremost, I cannot take credit for coming up with this recipe. It came from the genius, hungry girl. Visit her website at www.hungry-girl.com

Ingredients:

– 1 large onion, sliced into rings
– 1 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
– 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
– 1/8 tsp. onion powder, or more to taste
– 1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
– Black pepper, to taste
– 2 egg whites, mixed with 2 tbsp. water

Directions:

1. Using a blender or food processor, grind cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Season crumbs with the spices and transfer to a plate or bowl. Set aside.

2. Fill a small bowl with egg substitute. Prepare a baking sheet (or two) by spraying with nonstick spray. Set aside.

3. Use tongs or a fork to dip the rings into the egg whites and cereal crumbs

4. One at a time, dunk each ring in egg, give it a shake to remove any excess, and then coat it in the seasoned crumbs. Evenly place rings on the baking sheet(s).

5. Bake in the oven at 375 until outsides are crispy and insides are soft, 20 – 25 minutes, carefully flipping rings over about halfway through.

MAKES 3 SERVINGS

1 serving= 83 Calories!!

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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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