Organic Chicken Piccata & Heirloom Tomatoes

Years ago, when Jon and I lived in Atlanta, a friend introduced me to the chicken piccata at the Cheesecake Factory.  I've been hooked every since!  Seriously, I don't think I've ever had anything else there.  For some reason I never really tried to make it until the other night.  I picked up this recipe at Whole Foods at the same time I picked up the Tarragon Chicken one.  I didn't do the tomato portion of it only because I didn't have any but I will certainly do it next time.  Again, it called for flour so this time I used Coconut Flour.  What a great flavor!!!!

Chicken Piccata & Heirloom Tomatoes
Serves 4

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup flour (I used Let's Do...Organic Coconut flour)
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 TBSP butter or butter substitute, divided
6 TBSP olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1 cup heirloom tomatoes seeded and diced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Slice the chicken breast, into 1/4 inch thick medallions. Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

Heat pan over medium-high heat, pour in 3 TBSP oil and 2 TBSP butter.  When butter has melted and stops foaming place medallions into pan and saute for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Pour lemon juice, stock, and capers into pan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in remaining butter. (I didn't use all the butter it called for.)

Return chicken to the pan to coat the chicken with sauce.

Arrange chicken on a platter.  Put tomatoes into sauce, gently stir and pour over chicken.  Garnish with parsley.

Sauteed Organic Tarragon Chicken

The only way to get Taylor to come to Whole Foods with me without complaining is the knowing that there will be samples everywhere....especially on the weekends!  That's my only saving grace!!!  This past weekend was no different.  While there we stumbled upon a lady serving some sort of chicken.  Taylor devoured it and begged for me to cook it that night.  Thankfully you'll always find recipes at these little stands!

There were a couple of things in the recipe like flour and butter that I can't have so I had to improvise with my foods.  Did you know that there are tons of different flours you can have other than "all-purpose"???  A ton!!!  (Bob's Red Mill is amazing!!!)  Donna, my health counselor, has introduced me to so much.  If it wasn't for her I would be so timid as to how to cook with all these new things like these different flours. 

Sauteed Organic Tarragon Chicken

2 pounds organic boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill White Rice flour)
1/4 vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes (Earth Balance is a great dairy free, soy free alternative)
1 TBSP fresh tarragon (I didn't have this ingredient so I used Bragg's seasoning.  Delish!!!)

Slice chicken breast, crosswise, into 1/4 inch thick medallions. (I took the easy way out and bought the chicken already cut up at Whole Foods!)  Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

Heat saute pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil and allow to heat up for 1 minute.  Put medallions into pan and saute for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Pour chicken stock into pan and stir to remove fond from bottom of pan.  Add butter one piece at a time.  Blending in after each piece.  Stir in seasoning.

Arrange medallions on a platter and pour sauce over it.

Serves 4

Chicken Taco Rice

This was a recipe I tried this summer that was handed down by a friend.  Super good and easy and my picky eater loved it!  (Yes, Taylor is still picky!)

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into strips
1 1/2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small strips
1 1/2 cups original minute rice, uncooked
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook and stir chicken in hot oil until lightly browned.
2. Add water, tomato sauce and seasoning mix.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Add corn and red bell pepper.  Bring to a boil.
4. Stir in rice.  Cover; remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
5. Fluff rice with a fork.
6. Sprinkle top with cheese.
7. Serve with tortilla chips or hot floured tortillas, if desired.

Italian Chicken

When I went to the grocery the other day I hit the jackpot.  Y'all know how much I love my crockpot.  Well, Taste of Home has a wonderful magazine out with tons of slow cooker meals.  Now I have a question....

Do you say crockpot or slow cooker???

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (I bought the "no salt added" but think I'll buy regular next time or just add extra salt to the meal.)
3/4 cup plus 3 TBSP water, divided (I used chicken broth.  I always replace chicken or beef broth when a recipe calls for water.)
2 TBSP dried minced onion
2 tsps chicken bouillon granules
2 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 TBSPS cornstarch
Hot cooked rice

1. Place chicken in your crockpot.  Combine the tomatoes, 3/4 cup water, onion, bouillon and seasonings; pour over chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
3. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  Pour cooking juices into a small saucepan.  Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into cooking juices.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve with chicken and rice.

Servings: 6

Lemon Chicken Marinade

Jon and I have been grilling a lot lately on the weekends.  When we lived in GA and TX that's all we ate year round.  We love the grill!  Needless to say, since it has been gorgeous here now we are using the pit a ton!

1  tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Chicken breasts

Put chicken and ingredients in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate 2-8 hours.  I turn mine over at least once while marinading.  Discard marinade and grill.  Don't even ask me how long to grill for.....that's my hubby's job! :-)

Chicken Fajitas

Last night we had a little Mother's Day celebration and a belated Cinco de Mayo celebration with our neighbors.  Chicken Fajitas and Margaritas it was for us!  I got the marinade for the chicken out of my Weight Watchers cookbook.  It called for the chicken to be cooked in a skillet but we grilled ours.  I love grilled veggies!

I didn't get a pic of our fajitas but I did get a great pic of my dear friend, Chris, and I enjoying our margaritas (recipe below)!  Thanks to my friend Amy for her mom's wonderful margarita recipe!

Chicken Fajitas

2 TBSP fresh lime juice

1 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp chili powder

Pinch crushed red pepper

10 oz skinless boneless cihcken breasts, cut into thin strips

4 tsps vegetable oil

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 (6 in) fat free flour tortillas

1/2 cup salsa, for garnish

1/4 cup fat free sour cream, for garnish

fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. To prepare the marinade, in a zip-loc bag, combine the lime juice, soy sauce, chili powder, and red pepper; add the chicken.  Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; turn to coat chicken.  Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or overnight.  Drain and discard marinade.
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tsps of the oil.  Saute the bell peppers and onion until softened, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. In the skillet, heat remaining 2 tsps oil.  Saute the chicken until cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
4. To assemble fajitas, soften tortillas according to package directions.  Divide chicken and sauteed vegetables among tortillas; garnish with salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

Margaritas

The recipe is for a frozen margarita but Chris and I just put it over ice instead.  It is delicious any way you like it!  I'll give it to you like Amy gave it to my friends and I.

12 oz Minute Maid Limeade Frozen Concentrate

Empty into the blender and then use the container for the rest of the measurements.

Fill 1/2 container with tequila and pour in.

Fill 1/4 container with Triple Sec and pour in.

Squeeze in whole lime.  Add ice then blend!!!  (or pour margarita over ice.)

Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice

43 days left until we leave for Disney World which means lots of Weight Watcher meals! 

This one was really good.  I was a little hesitant at first because it calls for quite a bit of rosemary and rosemary and I haven't really agreed in the past.  When I was pregnant with Taylor, Jon made a chicken meal with tons of rosemary and well....lets just say it didn't sit well with me.  Since then I've stayed away from the rosemary until now. :-)

1 cup wild rice (I used a whole box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice)

1 TBSP olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed

2 carrots, diced

2 TBSP finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 TBSP dried

1/4 cup & 2 TBSP orange marmalade

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the wild rice according to the package directions.
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and carrots and saute, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the rosemary; cook until chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes longer.
3. Stir in the marmalade, mustard, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Add the rice; toss to combine.

per serving: (1 generous cup): 304 calories, 6 g fat, WW points: 6

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Here's another Holly Clegg recipe that is pretty darn tasty.  This one is also freezable and she says that there is no need to bake before freezing.  How easy is that!

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup thinkly sliced green onions, divided
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
3 cups cooked chicken breasts chunks
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated skimmed milk
1/2 cup canned fat free chicken broth
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
6 (6 in) flour tortillas, quartered
1 cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In a skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute onion and garlic until tender.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup green onions, green chilies, and chicken, stirring until mixed.  In a saucepan, place flour and gradually add milk.  Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Add broth, chili powder, and cumin.  In a 2 1/2 quart round dish, spread 1/2 cup sauce.  Layer tortillas, chicken mixture, sauce, and cheeses.  Repeat layers twice.  Bake for 40 minutes or until heated thoroughly.  Sprinkle with remaining green onions before serving.

Chicken Pomodoro

I found this recipe years ago on the Body for Life website.  Its really good and healthy for you.  I love the crust the seasonings make on the chicken.  Jon and I also did fish this way and it was very tasty and satisfying!

8 oz angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat pasta.)
2 egg whites
4 tsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb chicken breasts
2 TBSP olive oil
3 tomatoes, diced (or one 15 oz can)
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3/4 tsp Italian herb seasoning
4 Tbsp red wine or chicken broth

1. Prepare angel hair pasta according to its package directions.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg whites.  In a pie plate, combine the Mrs. Dash seasoning and Parmesan cheese. (I actually put my seasoning into a gallon sized zip lock bag, threw the chicken in after dipping in the egg whites and smooshed together to coat.  Easier and less of a mess!)
3. Dip chicken into egg whites then into the seasoned Parmesan, coating both sides.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place chicken breasts in skillet; cover and cook for approx 6 minutes; turn and cook for 6 more minutes until no longer pink in the center.  Then reduce heat to low.
5. Lightly coat another large skillet with cooking spray; saute tomatoes and bell peppers over medium heat until the peppers begin to soften, approx 3 minutes. (It took me a lot longer than 3 minutes!)   Stir in Italian seasoning and red wine, continue to cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add pasta to the skillet with sauteed tomatoes and peppers; mix gently.
7. Remove chicken from skillet, let cool slightly, then slice. (I cut my chicken in slices before I put in the egg whites and seasoning and cooked them in the strips.)
8. Put over the pasta and Enjoy!!!!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Here's a pretty easy recipe I found on Allrecipes.com.  Pretty good and quick!  I served it with sour cream and chips.  In my opinion, anything Mexican and cheesy is good.  Just wait until you see the Tortilla Pie recipe my friend Monica gave me.  :-)

4 teaspoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (I used the 4 oz as called for in the recipe but then put another cup on top as a topping.  Delicious!)
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I used Medium but may use the Mild next time to give it a bit more flavor.)
2 cups cooked white rice (I used brown.)
8 ounces boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced (I shredded mine.)
 

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil and saute the mushrooms.
2. Combine mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, salsa, rice and chicken.  Place in greased casserole dish. (Put the extra cheese on top now if you like.)
3. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes.

Granny's Chili, Chicken Spaghetti.....What Could Be Better!

One of my BFF's from high school, Blair, gave me some fabulous recipes that are favorites in her house. 

Lets start with Granny's Chili.  This is her husband's grandmother's recipe....you seriously couldn't get easier.  There are very few ingredients in this chili and you just throw it together and let it simmer on the stove for an hour or more.  I seriously kept looking at the recipe thinking, "There isn't much to this but if Blair says it's good it must be good."  Sure enough....it's wonderful!!!

2 lbs ground meat (I used turkey)
1 lg. onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper chopped
1 can tomatoes (Rotel if you like some spice)
1 can tomato paste
1 can beef broth (I used chicken broth since I used ground turkey.)
3 T chili powder
2 T oregano
1 T cumin
1 T salt
2 cans pinto beans

Brown meet. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, saute and drain off fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer 1 hour. (Of course, the longer you simmer, the better it tastes, but in a pinch, 1 hour works great)


Now onto the chicken spaghetti.  This was really, really good.  She told me about this spaghetti she had at her supper club but said she can't seem to duplicate it and that something was missing.  On the other hand, her friend Anne has also remade the same recipe and still really liked it.  I think we figured out that it's b/c of the types of tomatoes and sauce that we used.  You see, it calls for the big can of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Both of us used the generic cans, whereas Anne bought the name brand, and you know how some things you just can't buy the "off brand"....well, this is that case.  When I opened my can of crushed tomatoes, it was sauce.  Seriously, nothing crushed about it.  The next day it was even better.  Jon actually added a little Italian seasoning to it and shredded the chicken (he's the king of adding ingredients to things that aren't supposed to be there and it drives me insane!) and it was even yummier.

Chicken Marinera
saute together:

1 cup olive oil (you can only use 1/2 cup and it'll be fine)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups diced onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley (fresh)
1/4 cup sweet basil (fresh)
2 tbs oregano (dried)

Add:
1 lb 12 oz can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 lb 12 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
bag of raw chicken strips (I used 8 chicken breasts cut into strips. Next time I'll probably shred too.)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup sugar

Simmer for 1 or more hours.

Chicken Parm Pasta Casserole

This is an extremely easy recipe and very kid friendly.  Something that I'm sure will become a regular at our house for when Jon is away.  It calls for canned chicken.  Never in my life have I eaten canned chicken.  Honestly....it wasn't too bad.  I'll probably try cut up chicken breasts next time b/c I'm sure it'll be that much better.  Thanks Amy E for the recommendation! (even though its been years since you told us about it. LOL)

8 oz pasta (I used No Yolks)
2 cups (10 oz) diced chicken breasts (I shredded it before putting it in)
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzeralla
6 TBSPS grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Coat a 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain and toss with chicken and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce.  Stir 1 cup Mozzarella and 4 tbsp parmesan cheese.  Transfer to dish.
4. Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce over casserole.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzeralla and parmesan cheese.  Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

SW Slow Cooker Chicken & Potato Soup

This is a yummy and easy soup recipe!  It's actually a Weight Watcher recipe that a friend, Jenn Davis, discovered and passed along to me.  Instead of white potatoes you actually use sweet potatoes.  Very different but very good!

3/4 lb uncooked boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
29 oz canned diced tomatoes, salsa style with chilies (I forgot to get the one with green chilies so I used regular diced tomatoes and a can of 7 oz green chilies.  Jen also substitutes 3 cans of Rotel for the 29 oz can.)
14 1/2 oz fat free chicken broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, not thawed

1. Mix chicken, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, broth & seasonings in a 4 quart or larger slow cooker, cover & cook on low heat setting for at least 6 hours.
2. Stir in corn, cover and cook on high heat setting until chicken is no longer pink in center & veggies are tender....about 30 minutes.

Grandmamma's Brunswick Stew

I got this recipe from my Body for God cookbook.  A delicious meal on a cold night!!!!

Grandmamma's Brunswick Stew

6-8 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can (16oz) white shoe peg corn
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen small butterbeans
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup ketchup
2-3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 -1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1/4 tsp marjoram

Place chicken in a Dutch oven and add enough water to cover well.  Add onion, celery, and pepper.  Boil until chicken is tender but cooked through (about 20 minutes).  Remove chicken to cool.  If time permits, chill broth and remove any fat from the top.  Heat broth and add corn, butterbeans, tomatoes, potatoes, ketchup, and vinegar.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces (I shredded it) and add to the vegetables.  Add Worcestershire, Tabasco and marjoram.  (For thinner soup, add more water or a can of low sodium, no msg, fat free chicken broth).  Serves 6-8

There isn't a time of how long to cook so we cooked it for about 30 minutes then let it sit for a little while.  It was so good and made enough to put in the freezer!

Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti

Last week I must have been in the mood for spaghetti.  In my mind I was trying to think of good freezable foods so I made my list of two recipes and headed to the grocery.  Came back home only to realize it was for two spaghettis!  One is one that I make quite frequently and is my Mom's favorite.  It's a tomato base spaghetti out of Paula Deen's "Paula Deen & Friends" cookbook.  It is very easy, very good, and makes a ton.  Perfect for freezing! 

The other spaghetti is a chicken spaghetti casserole that I found on My Recipes.  This is turning into one of my new favorite websites.  The one thing that caught my eye is this recipe is prepared to make two casseroles in 8 in casserole dishes.  Perfect for me....Tay and I can eat one and I can throw the other in the freezer.  Turned out that Jon was home for dinner this one particular night so I threw it all into an 11x13 dish.  My one suggestion for this dish is to cut the veggies up finely.  I don't know if it's cause I put it in a bigger dish than what it called for but the veggies were a little crunchy.  It was still delicious though!



Chichen Spagetti

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used a rotessirie chicken from the grocery)
2 cups uncooked spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces (about 7 ounces)
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine broth, salt, pepper, and soup in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add soup mixture to chicken mixture; toss. Divide mixture evenly between 2 (8-inch) square or (2-quart) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over each casserole. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Alice Jo's Spaghetti Sauce
 
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
 
 Brown the beef in a large, heavy bottomed pot, then drain off the fat.  Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic, and saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 cup water, and seasonings.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Let cool.  The sauce will keep for several days, covered, in the fridge.

Spicy Meatloaf

Here's another Weight Watchers recipe.  I'm trying to get back on track so decided to start doing my points again.  The meatloaf was ok....honestly, I thought it was a little bland but it could be b/c I didn't add the hot sauce it calls for.  It also fell apart alot easier than a normal meatloaf.  You are probably wondering why I'm blogging about it if I'm so negative about it.  It really was pretty good.  I added a little ketchup to it and made it alot better.  The main reason I'm blogging is b/c I found it really kid friendly.  It calls for veggies to be finely chopped in there so you can't even taste them.  I'm not one to like to hide veggies in order to have Taylor eat them but if that's what the recipe calls for then that's what it calls for. :-)

Spicy Meatloaf

2 tsp canola oil
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 large egg
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage, or pinch dried
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp hot red pepper sauce
1/4 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350; spray a 9 inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil.  Saute the mushrooms, onion. carrot, and celery until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables, beef, oats, egg, tomato paste, worcestershire, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, and pepper sauce.  Shape into a loaf.  Bake 30 minutes.  Top with the tomato puree (diluted with a little water, if needed) and bake 30-45 minutes longer.  Cut into 8 slices.

Per Serving (2 slices): 275 Cal, 10 g Fat
Point value: 6

Chicken Taco Soup

Tomorrow I'll be making one of my favorite soups that one of my favorite people introduced me to. She's one of the Soup Exchange Diva's and always has great recipes. Jon loves this soup because it's so hearty....I love it because it's a crocpot recipe. :-) Enjoy!!!

Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 can chili beans (to cut back on heat, use pinto beans)
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can or bottle beer (it's for the recipe guys....not to drink!)
2 cans Rotel, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning or use homemade seasoning (recipe at the bottom)
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1. Place the onion, chili (or pinto) beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and Rotel in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Taco Seasoning

1 TBSP chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Here is another recipe from Holly Clegg. I always like new ways to cook chicken since that seems to be all we eat here. Seriously....I'm growing feathers. This recipe was extremely easy and so good for leftovers. For some reason leftover chicken just doesn't sit well with me but this was actually good. Holly Clegg suggests eating the leftovers wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and I can see why! We ate it over brown rice and it was yummy, yummy, yummy.

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 (16 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the black beans, tomatoes with juice, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. In a 2 quart oblong ovenproof pan, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Pour the black bean sauce over the chicken. Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Calories 187; Fat 2

Chicken Mediterranean Pasta

This recipe makes a ton! It says the serving size is 6 so they must mean 6 Jonathan's!!! Taylor had soccer yesterday so I made it around 3 so it'll be ready when we got back. I think the pasta soaked up all the juices but it was still really good. Anything with capers in it is yummy to me!

Chicken Mediterranean Pasta
Holly Clegg

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 (10 oz) can diced green chilies and tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (3 1/2 oz) bottle capers, drained
1 (2 1/4 oz) can chopped black olives, drained (I omitted these; I love them but Jon doesn't)
1 (16 oz) package linguine pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely minced parsley

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until transparent, about 4 minutes. Add the basil, thyme, chilies and tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken. Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the capers and olives. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions, omitting any oil and salt. Drain and toss with the Parmesan cheese. Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve immediately.

Makes 6 BIG servings

Calories 503 Fat 10.4

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

This dish was surprisingly very good. The breading is made with cornflakes so I was a little skeptical but it goes to show you that you need to try different things and you'll be surprised with what you get. The whole time I was cooking it Jon kept teasing me saying that he can't believe we were about to eat cereal covered chicken. If you know him then you can just hear the things he was telling me. I was very pleased when he ate 4 pieces! (they were small)

I adjusted the recipe just a little. It calls for "chicken parts" so I used "boneless skinless thighs" and I added more breading mix b/c I didn't feel like what they called for was enough. Of course the nutritional value was a bit different but not by much.

Here's the recipe from the cookbook....

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

1/2 cup fat free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tbsps all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 lbs chicken parts, skinned
4 tsps canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400. spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pour the buttermilk into a large shallow bowl. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely. Place the chicken on the baking sheet; drizzle with the oil. Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked trough, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving (about 2 pieces): 229 cal, 10 g fat, 11 g carb, 0 g fiber

Points: 5