Moroccan Triple Pepper Chicken - Crockpot!

Very little makes me as a happy as being half way through a hard day and thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner once I get home and then remembering with a big smile on my face that I have dinner already cooking in the crock pot! Woo Hoo! Of course, the same old same old can get kind of boring after a while. So here is a new flavorful dish I hope you will enjoy! It was really good and had lots of terrific flavor!

I know this seems like a ton of ingredients, but it was all stuff I had on hand. The entire mixture came together in my crock pot this morning before work in about 7 minutes. No joke!

INGREDIENTS

4 - 6 frozen chicken breasts

2 packages of sliced peppers and onions (or you can be really domestic and slice in strips 1 red, yellow and green bell peppers and 1 onion)

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 Serrano peppers sliced thin

1 can diced tomatoes

2 1/2 tsp. curry

2 1/2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. thyme

2 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 1/2 TBSP. honey

1 small piece of dark chocolate

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Layer one bag of peppers and onions in the bottom of your crock pot. Lay frozen chicken on top of the peppers and onions.

I love these bags of chicken. ~ I like the way the bag at chicken looks like it is floating above the counter!

Top with the other bag of peppers and onions.

Take the Serrano peppers and slice them thinly.

Add dried cranberries. Sprinkle spices and minced garlic on top.

Place chocolate piece in the middle of the entire mixture.

Pour chicken broth over the mixture. Top with can of tomatoes.

I think these fire-roasted diced tomatoes give it an awesome flavor.

Cook on low for 9 - 10 hours. If you are going to cook the food for about 7 hours, use thawed chicken breasts.
Once the chicken is cooked the entire way through, take the chicken breasts out of the crock pot and shred the chicken.

Add the chicken back to the crock pot and stir in the honey.

I served ours with Almond Couscous.

Loved this yummy dinner!

Jambalaya Beans and Rice

I've been visiting several different cooking blogs and have realized that most include pictures. So here is my first attempt at that. I didn't take pictures of all the steps. I'll try to get better about that. I'd love some input on it all!

With this dish I've taken a traditional Jambalaya type recipe and increased the fiber by adding beans and serving with brown rice. Also using low-fat turkey sausage and other low-fat meats like chicken breasts and shrimp give lots of protein without upping the fat content. I cook the brown rice with 1/2 water and 1/2 fat-free chicken broth and omit the butter. Great flavor, no added fat!

This recipe was made in about 15 minutes with 30 minutes simmer time. If you start the rice first, it should all be done just about the same time.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. Turkey Smoked Sausage

2 cans favorite beans (I found a new type that had black, red and pinto beans all together)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 pepper sliced

1/2 onion sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground red pepper

2 bay leaves

4 - 5 dashes of hot sauce (add more if you like it hot!)

DIRECTIONS

Slice turkey sausage on the diagonal. (of course my pieces didn't all get cut that way...I was in a hurry!)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Cut peppers, onions and mince garlic. I was lazy and didn't want to take the time to chop them all up. These are some of my favorite time savers.

Add peppers, onions and garlic to the skillet and cook until onions are translucent and the peppers are slightly browned on the edges. Add sausage to the skillet and cook until the pieces are slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and cook for about 30 minutes. You can also add cut up chicken or peeled shrimp if you like. I had some leftover chicken and added it. Serve on top of some brown rice. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries or raisins - chopped (optional)
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, Splenda brown sugar, baking powder, spices, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (in other words, all dry ingredients except for the dried cranberries, raisins or nuts). In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg, applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients). Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped dried cranberries or raisins and/or nuts into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together, and mix to distribute them. Spoon batter into a large loaf pan (about 9" X 5") sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the loaf is firm to the touch. (Bread may be moist inside. This doesn't mean it's undercooked.) Allow to cool, and then cut into 8 slices. Or evenly distribute the batter among 8 cups of a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Cook 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Crock Pot

A soup my family loves and is a great way to have dinner ready to go after a long day at work.

INGREDIENTS
1 bag frozen onions and tri-colored peppers
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 small bag frozen whole kernel corn
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning - low sodium
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place bag of frozen onions and peppers, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes 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 7 hours (If you will be cooking for longer than 7 hours, make sure chicken breasts are frozen when you put them in the crock pot so they won't over cook).

Once chicken is cooked remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, . Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Butternut/Acorn Squash Soup

This is one of my all-time favorite soups.

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1 quart chicken broth
1 TBSP. Splenda Brown Sugar
1/2 cup fat-free half and half
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, half and half, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with a bit of sour cream or roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

Creamy Pea Soup

I know what you're thinking - Pea Soup???? I thought the same thing, until my friend Mandy prepared it for us for dinner one night. Very yummy and loaded with protein and other good stuff.

INGREDIENTS
1 large frozen bag of baby sweet peas
1 1/2 - 2 cans low sodium chicken broth - just enough broth to cover
1 1/2tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground Thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
3 TBSP. Low-fat sour cream

Cook peas with curry powder and salt and pepper in chicken broth until fairly tender. Using a stick blender, blend in pot until smooth. (can transer to a regular blender if you don't have a stick blender and blend to smooth). Once smooth, stir in sour cream and serve. Can be topped with bacon crumbles, favorite shredded cheese, or a small dollop of sour cream.

Beef Barley Soup - Crock Pot

With the weather turning cooler, I like to have at least one meal a week as a "soup" meal. Easy on the budget and a great way to get in some extra veggies. Look for several new soup recipes.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean stew beef, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 packages favorite frozen soup veggies (peas, carrots, onions, peppers, etc.)
3/4 cup barley
1 bay leaf
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can V-8
6 cups beef broth - low sodium
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine (optional - but yummy)

In crock pot, combine stew beef with frozen veggies, barley, bay leaf, spices and beef broth and wine. Cook beef and barley soup on LOW in crock pot for 6 to 8 hours.

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Milk

I love the Pioneer Woman's Website. Great recipes. Most I can't even begin to cook and stay on program as they are really fattening, but this one is a good alternative to regular chocolate milk. This one has no added sugar and when mixed with skim or 1% milk is a tasty treat to help curb that chocolate craving and get in some of that all important dairy.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
4 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Heat cream over medium-high heat until slightly boiling. Add chocolate pieces and turn off heat. Whisk slowly until chocolate is melted and mixture is very smooth. Stir in vanilla. (Another tasty add-in would be 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon). Pour into a container and keep in the fridge up to two weeks. Mix with cold or warm milk, depending on how frightful the weather outside is.

Note: Mixture, after refrigerated, will be quite thick. Just stir well in cold milk and you’ll be fine.

Sweet Potato Mash

Yummy side dish - loaded with beta carotene and lots of vitamins and tastes really good too!

INGREDIENTS
5 Sweet potatoes
3 TBSP transfat free margarine
2 TBSP Splenda Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 - 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Bake sweet potatoes in a 375 degree oven until tender. Remove potato meat from the potato jackets and put in a large bowl. Mash with potato masher and stir in remaining ingredients. Great served with a pork loin or as a terrific side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without all the fat and calories of the sweet potato souffles.

Layered Salad

This is for my friends' Tina and Vernon! Hope your family likes it.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound cooked and crumbled bacon or 2 small packages of cooked, crumbled bacon found near the regular bacon
1 large head iceberg lettuce (can use other lettuces, but iceberg holds up better) - rinsed, dried, and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
10 ounces shredded 2% Sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped cauliflower
2 cups chopped broccoli
4 stalks celery finely chopped
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 - 3 tablespoons Splenda
1 - 3 tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Other vegetables can also be added: Thawed frozen peas, peeled and seeded chopped cucumber, bell peppers, etc.

DIRECTIONS
Make sure all vegetables are chopped with a small, fine chop. It makes it easier to eat and the ingredients combine together better. In a large flat bowl (a glass bowl is best, because the layers look pretty), layer the ingredients in the following order: lettuce, broccoli, celery, onion, cauliflower, bacon, 1/2 of the dressing. Top with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers and cover with the remaining dressing.

DRESSING: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Splenda and vinegar. Taste. May need to adjust Splenda or vinegar until it tastes good to you. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover salad and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Better if it can be refrigerated for 8 - 12 hours. Right before serving top with shredded cheddar cheese.

This salad makes a lot, but leftovers are good the next day.

Zucchini Fries

Yummy Dish! We like these with the horseradish dip that is listed below. But you can also eat them plain or with your favorite Ranch dressing.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup seasoned dry whole wheat bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3-inch sticks or in 1/2 inch rounds

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Combine bread crumbs, pepper and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini into the egg whites, then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy. Serves 4.


Horseradish Dip

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tablespoons minced chives (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, chives, mayonnaise, dill, horseradish, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

This dip is also good on other favorite veggies as well as roast beef and pork roast.

Peach Jalapeno Chicken

Looking for a new way to cook chicken, this dish turned out pretty tasty!

INGREDIENTS
4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

Sauce
1/2 of one sweet onion finely diced
1/2 of one bell pepper finely diced
1 jalapeno (membranes and seeds removed and finely diced)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 of a jar of sugar-free or no-sugar added peach preserves
juice of 1/2 of lime
1/4 cup orange juice
1 small can diced peaches (packed in its own juice - not packed in syrup)
Salt and Pepper

Optional ~ splash of white wine, brandy, peach snapps or mango rum

Cook chicken breasts in the oven (350 degrees for 45 -60 minutes) or in a skillet in a little olive oil. Lightly coat with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with garlic pepper. Cook until no longer pink and cooked through.

Sauce - Saute' onions, bell peppers, garlic and jalapenos in a little olive oil (just enough to keep them from sticking) in a small sauepan. Once softened, add peach preserves and orange and lime juice, salt and pepper. Add in splash of liquor if using. Cook on low for 30 minutes or until reduced by 1/3. Add in peaches and heat through.

To serve, slice each chicken breast into thin strips and spoon some of the peach sauce on top. If you would like the sauce to be a bit spicier, leave some of the jalapeno membranes and seeds in when dicing.