Red Bean Stew

Ingredients:
2 tsp Canola Oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can veggie broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp snipped fresh oregano, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1 15-16 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked brown rice


1. In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion in tender. Add veggie broth, tomato paste, dried oregano (if using), and adobo sauce. Stir in kidney beans. Mash mixture slightly with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and fresh oregano (if using).

2. Serve stew with rice. If desired, serve with lime wedges.

Makes four servings
Prep to finish: 25 minutes

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 246
Fat: 4g (0 sat. fat)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Protein: 11g
Carb: 48g
Fiber: 9g
Sodium: 641mg

Note: This was a great, filling soup! I was actually full the entire evening! My girls don't like things too spicy, so I left out the adobo sauce. I also used beef broth instead of Veggie broth. I only added fresh oregano. It was lacking spice for sure. It reminded me a lot of chili, I think chili seasoning would be delish in this! Overall, this was a great low calorie dinner, packed with fiber and protein! We will definitely be making it again in our house!

Chicken Penne Alfredo

Ingredients:
6 ounces whole wheat Penne pasta
2 cups packaged peeled baby carrots
3 cups broccoli florets
1 9 ounce package frozen grilled chicken breast strips, thawed
1/2 to 1 cup fat free milk
1/2 of an 8 ounce tub light cream cheese spread
1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1. In a 4 qt. dutch oven cook pasta and carrots according to pasta package directions; add broccoli for the last 6 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and vegetables; return to dutch oven.

2. Stir chicken strips, cream cheese spread, 1/2 cup milk, and pepper into pasta mixture. Cook and stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. If necessary, stir in enough of the remaining 1/2 cup milk to make sauce desired consistency. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with additional pepper. Makes 4 (2 cup) servings.

Nutrition info:
Calories - 354
Fat - 8g (4g sat fat)
Cholesterol - 59
Protein - 30g
Carb - 43g
Fiber - 7g
Sodium - 627 mg

Note - I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a smashing success, even with the girls! (all but the cooked carrots, but they did eat one!) I didn't need the extra milk. I will definitely be making again! The cream cheese added a great saucy flavor, where has this idea been hiding? Fabulous!

Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

Another wonderful meal from Nancy S. Hughes and her great 1,500 Calories-a-Day-Menu Cookbook!

I invited friends over and made this for lunch, and it was super fun. It was also fast and easy to make and I think everyone liked it, even the munchkins. The book suggest serving it with Scallioned Soup, Sesame Seed Rice Crackers (wha??) and Dried Apricots. I served it with Mandarin Oranges. I put everything on the table and let everyone assemble their own. I omitted the pepper flakes because of the kids and after my first flake free wrap decided to put them on my own wraps, which really made the wraps a lot more complete and ever so tasty. My first impression was that they were bland, but the flakes added a great deal. I also omitted the red peppers, and I'm sure that would have added a ton of additional flavor. I also forgot to toast the almonds, so I'm sure that would have been even better!! The more I ate the more I really enjoyed and later found myself smacking my lips and thinking it was a quite wonderful little meal! Fun too! And food should be fun!! Especially when you're trying to eat healthy! Ugh!


*Hoisin Sauce is a sweet dark thick sauce that comes in a small jelly like jar in the Asian food section, by the Soy Sauce.

** Slivered Almonds should be used as opposed to any other cut.


Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

3 tbs Hoisin Sauce
1/2 tsp Grated Orange Rind
1/3 c Orange Juice
1/8 tsp Dried Pepper Flakes
3 c Shredded Coleslaw Mix w/ Carrots (by the lettuce)
1 med Red Bell Pepper, Chopped (1c)
1 c Cooked Diced Chicken Breast (5oz, I used Rotisserie)
3/4 c Slivered Almonds, toasted (3oz)
12 Boston or Bibb green-leaf Lettuce Leaves (1 head)

Mix together Hoisin, orange rind, juice and pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine everything else and drizzle sauce over the top and stir to combine.
Divide chicken mixture onto the 12 lettuce leaves.

Cals 240
Fat 12g
Protein 17g
Carbs 18g

***Scallioned Soup: 3c red-sodium Chicken Broth heated and mixed with 4 med green onions, chopped (1/2c) and 1tsp light soy sauce.

Super Simple Beef Stew

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 9 hours (low) or 4 to 41/2 hours high;plus 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Pds boneless beef chuck roast
12 Oz tiny new potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup lower sodium beef broth
1 tsp dried marjoram or died thyme, crushed
2 cups loose pack frozen green beans (9 oz)

1. Trim the fat from beef; cut beef into 1 inch cubes. Coat an unheated large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef cubes. Cood and stir until browned; remove from skillet. Add remaining beef cubes; cook and stir until browned. Drain fat off of beef.

2. Place beef in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and marjoram. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in green beans. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or just until green beans are tender. Makes about 6 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Nutrition facts:
Calories - 317
Fat - 9g
Cholesterol - 92 mg
Protein - 35g
Carb. - 22g
fiber - 4g
Sodium - 396 mg

Note: I didn't have any beef broth and used 1 Cup of water instead. It was much more "watery" than I liked at the end of cooking, so when I added the green beans for the last half an hour, I also added a 2nd can of cream of mushroom soup. It made it a lot creamier. Also, I'm sure added a lot more calories! But 1 can of soup, spread out over 6 servings, isn't that bad. Anyway, next time I will be sure to have beef broth on hand! The entire family loved this!!!

Fruit Crumble

Who doesn't like pie for breakfast??  This is pretty darn close to eating pie.  I stole the Crumble Topping recipe from EatingWell.com.  It's the same one I use on the Blueberry Crumble I love to make!  I made this one with Apples, but a Pear, or better yet an Asia Pear would be awesome too!

Serves 2

1 Huge HoneyCrisp Apple, chopped
1 tbs Honey
2 tbs WW Flour
2 ts Butter
1 tbs chopped Almonds
2 tbs Raisins (or Craisins)
1/4c Cider or Apple Juice (or a glob of concentrate)
Apple Pie Spice
1/2 c Crumble Topping

Throw it in a sauce pan (minus the crumble) and cook it for a bit till the apples are fork tender.  Then sprinkle the crumble topping on top and bake at 350 till the top is golden.

Cals 366, Fat 16g, Protein 4g, Carbs 58g

I served this with Vanilla Yogurt for breakfast.  This would also go great with ice cream, or as a dessert.  Nothing in this recipe is exact, I just threw it together and loved the results.  Play with it and make it your own.  This works great with berries too.

Homemade Pita Chips

I love making pita chips! They taste so much better than the store bought ones and it makes me feel like I am still eating chips! I like using Greek Style Pita's. They're thicker and so they have more calories, but they are just so darn good. I use whole wheat ones for the healthiest version. The pita you choose will be the determining factor for calorie intake since they vary so widely.

Greek 100% Whole Wheat Pita

Spray Oil (or Cooking Spray)

Coarse Kosher Salt

Herbs & Spices

Spray one side of the pita with oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle, very sparsely, the kosher salt all over the pita. Then sprinkle the pita with your desired herb or spice. Turn it over and repeat (if you want, I like the taste better when its on both sides). Cut the pita into "chips" or use a cookie cutter for fun shapes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-7 minutes on each side (depending on how crispy you want them). Keep an eye on them the second half as they can burn fast.

I have also butterflied the pita. Cutting the pita thickness in half. These make very light, fragile chips. Keep the pita whole for heartier dipping chips. If you butterfly the pita you don't need to cook them as long.

I like flavor combo's like Salt and Garlic Powder, Salt, Salt and Dill, Cinnamon and Sugar, Cajun, Salt and Lime (instead of cooking spread, rub with a lime wedge and then sprinkle with salt or cumin), Pizza (salt, garlic, Italian seasoning). I'd love to hear your flavor combo's. I heard about dry ranch mix too!

Baked Chicken Fingers

** Since my girls would normally whine about "weird foods" as a breading on thier nugs, I first crushed the almonds and the oats. That made them blend in well with the bread crumbs.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Spray (or your choice)
1 1/2 pds chicken breast (I used 2 breasts for my girls)
1/2 C Skim milk
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4C Sliced Almonds
1/4 C Rolled Oats
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.Trim any fat from chicken and cut into strips (approx. 6-8 per breast).

Stir milk and mustard together in a bowl. In a separate container mix together almonds, oats, bread crumbs, parsley, and black pepper. One at a time, dip chicken into milk mixture then dredge them in oatmeal mixture, making sure each piece is evenly coated.

Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is cooked through and coating is golden brown. Nutritional Information: Calories: 250, Fat: 8 g., Carbs: 7 g., Protein: 37 g.