Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

I'm back!

I hope you'll excuse me for taking a little hiatus at the end of the summer....I just needed some chill time with the kiddos.  The boys started school last week, and tomorrow is the little lady's first day of preschool.  I can't believe how quickly the summer flew by!  Next year, my baby will be in kindergarten....where does the time go?!?!

In true "first week of school" fashion, we've been hit between the eyes with homework, piano lessons, music class, soccer and cross country practices, meets and games.  The relaxing days of summer seem only a distant memory now, so here we go again....FULL STEAM AHEAD!

When cooking for a family with a busy schedule, slow cooker meals are a must. Here's what was on our table tonight....

Ingredients:

3 frozen chicken breasts

3 cans of beans, rinsed and drained 

{any kind will do - I used great northern and black beans}

1/2 pkg. frozen corn

1 can petite diced tomatoes, with juice

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1-2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Put all ingredients except broth in a slow cooker {chicken on the bottom}.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Remove chicken and shred.  Place back in slow cooker and add chicken broth to desired consistency.  Heat through.  Top with, green onions, cilantro {the one thing I forgot at the store - I was so bummed!}, olives, tomatoes, avocados, etc. and enjoy!

Easy Jambalaya

I got this idea from a friend....who got it from a friend....who got it from who-knows-where.  Gotta love those kind of recipes!

Since we're now up to our eyeballs in basketball practices and games {six nights a week!} I've found that the dinners I make are hardly ever complex {not that they really were before}.  I'm always turning to something quick and easy and this recipe is no exception.

Ingredients:

     1 box jambalaya rice mix

     1 bell pepper, chopped

     1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

     1 lb. kielbasa, sliced {I used chicken smoked sausage}

Directions:

Cook rice according to directions on box.  In the meantime, saute bell peppers and kielbasa or other sausage of choice.  When rice is done, stir into sausage and peppers.  Add black beans and heat through.   

**On a side note....  

Not wanting to wait for my Amazon shipment, I went to Walmart at 10pm last night in search of PB2 {see previous post}.  And guess what???  They were completely sold out too!  I don't know who's buying up all of my favorite peanut butter, but I would really appreciate it if they'd leave just one little jar behind.  Is that too much to ask?  Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now....just don't come between a hungry girl and her favorite snack!  =)

Grilled Sesame Ginger Chicken & Roasted Veggies

Not wanting to make yet ANOTHER trip to the grocery store, I decided yesterday that I would make tonight's dinner using only things I already had.  I knew I had some frozen chicken, but when I went to make the marinade, I realized I was missing one of the key ingredients.  Plan B....search the fridge.  I found a bottle of this....

and thought, "Hey, that could work!"  I marinated the chicken in the dressing overnight and added a sprinkle of this....

Then my husband grilled it to perfection....

I was a little nervous and crossed my fingers that it would taste okay.  {That's the problem with making things up on the fly - it might be great, but it could be gross!} Fortunately, the whole family loved it - even our pickiest eater.  oh, how I love successful culinary experiments! 

Now for the oven-roasted veggies....

I peeled and chopped the sweet potatoes into small pieces, sprayed them with a little olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  Then I chopped the zucchini and removed the tough stems from the asparagus.  I sprayed them with olive oil as well and seasoned them with garlic salt and pepper.  Both pans went in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Yum!  A quick, easy and healthy Sunday dinner.

Food Court Lunch

My husband was off work yesterday, so we took our 4-year-old and went to the mall to exchange a couple things.  At lunch time, we decided to head over to the food court....not my first choice, but the hubs had his heart set on bourbon chicken from Cajun Cafe {the real stuff!}.  It was incredibly hard for me to turn down those juicy, delicious chunks of melt in your mouth chicken, but I was really excited to discover that you can now order a salad there.  The base of the salad is simple....lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and red onions.  Then you choose what meat you want on top. I resisted the bourbon chicken {which I'm sure has plenty of sugar in the sauce} and went for a more basic blackened chicken.  It wasn't greasy or saucy - just delicious and full of flavor.  I also ordered my dressing on the side and ended up using barely any of it.

How great does that look?!  I don't know what the calorie count was, but I'm pretty sure it was better for me than the bourbon chicken with two sides of grease-laden veggies.  The food court is looking better and better these days!

Light-er Chicken Pillows

I'm sad to say that we're back from vacation.  We went as a family down to Texas where my dad spoiled us rotten....I could really get used to that.  =)  We had a caterer for most of the weekend {the food was A-MAZING!} and got to see Taylor Swift in concert.  It was so fun and relaxing - it's really hard to step back into "real life."

Anyway....when Scott and I were first married, I had a few staples I turned to for dinner - things I had learned to make as a teenager, and the majority of them were not healthy.  Here's a lighter {and easier} twist on one of them.

Ingredients:

     1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough {reduced fat}

     1 block reduced fat cream cheese

     1 large can chicken, drained {white meat}

     2-3 green onions, sliced

     1/4 cup bread crumbs

     Non-fat spray butter

     seasonings to taste {I like garlic salt & seasoned salt}

Instructions:

Leave cream cheese on counter to soften.  Mixed softened cream cheese with chicken, green onions and seasonings.  Separate crescent roll dough and flatten out slightly.  Put a spoonful of chicken mixture on each piece of dough.  Roll up and seal the ends.  Spray with non-fat butter and roll in bread crumbs.  Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes.

This definitely isn't one of my healthiest recipes, but it is a bit lighter than the original and is super easy. Perfect for one of those "Oh, no - what are we having for dinner tonight?" nights....plus, it's a kid pleaser.  You've always got to have a few of those stashed in your back pocket.

*Nutritional comparison: {per serving}

     Original recipe - 308 calories, 23g fat, 15g carbs, 11g protein, <1g fiber

     Lighter recipe - 228 calories, 11g fat, 16g carbs, 11g protein, <1g fiber

Bourbon Chicken {Hold the Bourbon}

One quick post before I head out of town again....

Is it just me, or is this time of year crazy?!  School is wrapping up and the kids have a million projects, SOL testing, end of year picnics, etc.  It'll be nice to slip away with the fam for a nice long weekend, but once again....the STRESS!!!  I've always found it amusing that whenever we go anywhere I end up packing 5 people {the kiddos + me} and Scott only has to pack himself.  It's not that he wouldn't do it {he's actually offered} I'm just a little too Type A for that.  Oh, well.

Anyway.... the other night, my oldest son requested bourbon chicken.  You know, the kind you get at the mall food court.  It really is delicious, so I set out to find an easy recipe a while back and ended up with a pretty good one.

Ingredients:

2 lbsboneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 tsp ginger

3/4 tspcrushed red pepper flakes {I used 1/8 tsp}

1/4 cup apple juice

1/3 cuplight brown sugar {I used Splenda brown sugar blend and followed                directions on package}

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cupwater

1/3 cup soy sauce {I used reduced sodium}

1 tbsp cornstarch {for a thicker sauce} Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.

2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.

3. Remove chicken.

4. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.

5. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

7. Serve over hot rice.

This is also great over cauliflower rice.  I've tried it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well.  Those places at the food court use thigh meat, so the first couple times I made it, I did too - keeping it more authentic.  This last time, I used chicken breast and it was just as tasty {and more healthy!}.

You can find the original recipe here.  

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

I found this Martha Stewart recipe on Pinterest the other day and thought it looked like an easy meal for one of our busy weeknights.

I started with the dressing....

It called for 2 cups of cilantro, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and coarse salt & pepper.  I was excited to use the new Magic Bullet blender I bought today at Costco....

I didn't measure and just eyeballed the ingredients, like I tend to do. Unfortunately, I think I overdid it on the lime juice!  In an attempt to tone down the limey-ness, I added a couple handfuls of spinach. When that didn't do the trick, I added a small container of fat-free plain greek yogurt.  It was still quite limey, but it had a really nice creamy consistency.  If I make this again, I think I'll skip the oil and just add the yogurt {making the dressing fat free and high in protein}.

The salad was simple....romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, red peppers, green onions, rotisserie chicken and cashews.

I added some wasabi peas as well.  {Cashews & wasabi peas...one of my favorite combos!}

The dressing tasted much better combined with all the yummy ingredients in the salad.  It was light and refreshing, but substantial enough for dinner.  I also served wonton strips with it for the kids.

Ingredients:

     Dressing

     2 cups cilantro

     1/4 cup fresh lime juice

     1/4 cup olive oil {or greek yogurt}

     coarse salt & pepper to taste

     Salad

     1 large head romaine lettuce

     shredded purple cabbage {a couple handfuls}

     1 red pepper, sliced

     2 green onions, chopped

     rotisserie chicken, shredded

     1/2 cup cashews

     wasabi peas & wonton strips {optional}

Instructions:

Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender.  Mix salad ingredients and serve with dressing.

Thai Chicken Satay

I love Thai food, and one of my very favorite appetizers is chicken satay.  I had some chicken tenders in the fridge and crossed my fingers that I'd be able to find a good recipe I already had the ingredients for.  Lucky for me, I came across this recipe from Tyler Florence.  

I did a couple things differently, but it still turned out really good.  I used plain greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and cooked mine under the broiler instead of on the grill.  {I'm slightly afraid of the grill and have made it a goal to learn how to use it this summer.}  

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp minced or crushed garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp curry powder

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced {or chicken tenderloins}

Mix yogurt, garlic, ginger and curry powder in a shallow bowl.  Add chicken, cover and let marinate up to 2 hours in fridge.  Thread chicken onto skewers that have been soaking in water for 20-30 minutes {you don't want them to catch fire while under the broiler}.  Spray broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray and place chicken on top.  Broil on high about 6 minutes on each side.  Serve with peanut sauce.  You can make Tyler's or use store bought.  I used a mix from A Taste of Thai and mixed it with lite coconut milk.

When my oldest son came downstairs for dinner, he said our house smelled like a restaurant.  ALMOST everyone loved it....I couldn't quite get our pickiest eater to try it.  He preferred eating grapes off of his skewer.  

If you can't tell, he's a total goofball.  He's definitely the "life of the party" at our house.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry & Cauliflower Rice

My mouth is watering just writing this post!  I found this recipe in a magazine once and forgot about it until it showed up in our church cookbook.  I love just about anything curry and this is no exception.  It might even be one of my favorite curry recipes.  Here's what you'll need {plus chicken}....

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 tsp curry powder

1 can unsweetened coconut milk {I used lite}

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained {I used the whole can}

2 tbsp tomato paste {1/2 small can}

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded

3 cups fresh spinach

salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and lightly salt.  Cook until soft. Add curry powder and cook 1 minute more.  Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and stir until heated through {3-4 min}.  

Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.  It'll look like a lot, but you'll be surprised at how much it wilts down....

Salt to taste and serve over rice {or cauliflower rice!}.

*****

Now for the CAULIFLOWER "RICE" portion of this post....

If you're watching calories and/or carbs, you're gonna want to try this!  I was so excited when I discovered this little trick.

Just finely chop cauliflower with a knife or one of these handy-dandy hand choppers {you could probably use a food processor, but I've never tried that}....

Put chopped cauliflower in a microwave-safe glass bowl with a lid or one of these Pampered Chef Micro Cookers....

Do not add water!  Just microwave for 5-7 minutes and use in place of rice.  Here it is again for you to see....

Go ahead and try it!  It might just transform some of your favorite dishes into something a little more healthy!

Way Too Easy Mexican Chicken

I feel like I've been making a lot of Mexican food posts lately.  Well, here's another one!  Tonight was one of those nights again....the kids had to be a million different places and we needed something FAST for dinner.  This one is unbelievably easy and really tasty!

Ingredients:

2 large cans chicken breast, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 paket taco seasoning 

1/2 cup water

Heat chicken and black beans in a skillet.  Add water and taco seasoning.  Simmer.

The kids like theirs in tortillas or on top of chips with melted cheese.  I made mine into a salad.  It doesn't get easier than this!

This is another meal I always have ingredients for.  If you have an issue with canned chicken, get over it and try this!  You won't be disappointed.  :) 

Easy Fried Rice

Do you ever have those evenings when you look at the clock, realize it's after 5pm and you haven't even thought about what to make for dinner?  Yeah, me either.  ;)

Seriously though....there are some meals I always have ingredients for, and this is one of them.  This meal has saved me at the last minute more than once!  It's also a great way to use up leftover rice, meat and veggies.

Ingredients:

Rice {I like to use brown}

1/2 onion, chopped

2 eggs, scrambled

1 lg. can chicken {or any meat of choice...leftovers work great}

1 bag frozen veggies {any kind}

4-5 Tbsp. soy sauce

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Saute the onions and veggies in oil over medium/high heat....

I just throw the veggies in frozen {I usually use the peas-corn-carrots-green beans mix, but this is all I had}.  On another burner, scramble the eggs....

When the veggies are cooked, add the rice {I microwave it first, but you don't have to} chicken and eggs.  Add soy sauce {I don't usually measure - just add to taste} and heat through.  Salt and pepper to taste....

**If you like your rice a little richer, add a couple Tbsp of butter, let it melt into the rice and stir it around.  You know, like they do at those Japanese hibachi places.  Yum!**

Throw together a quick side salad, and you're good to go.

Not the prettiest salad I've ever made, but I used what I had.  That's the beauty of this meal....there are no rules.  Just do what you want and use what you have!

Light Lunch

Lunch is probably my LEAST favorite meal of the day.  I'm not a big fan of leftovers or sandwiches, but I don't want a hassle either.  I just want something quick and easy.  I know it's bad, but I usually don't even sit down for lunch {or breakfast for that matter}.  As a mom of young kids, there's always something to do or someone to help....sitting is overrated anyway, right?  This is what I had for lunch today {two of them}....

Ingredients:

Lettuce leaf 

3 slices oven-roasted chicken lunch meat

3 slices cucumber {halved}

1 cherry tomato {quartered}

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Fresh ground pepper 

{2 wraps: 80 calories, 1g fat, 6g carbs, 1g fiber, 10g protein}

There you have it....fast, easy, healthy AND can be eaten standing up.  Perfect!

*Note: For a more substantial meal, add a slice of cheese and a piece of fruit.