Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Let me set the scene....  

Once again, 5pm rolls around and I have no dinner plan.  It's Friday night {the night I usually like to go out to eat} but my oldest son now has b-ball practice and my husband coaches....there goes date night! To top it off, I haven't done a "real" grocery trip this week, but I did manage to pick up 4 cans of pumpkin puree while at Target the other day. I've been craving EVERYTHING PUMPKIN and can't seem to shake the chill that comes along with the damp Fall weather around here. Sounds like a recipe for pumpkin soup, doesn't it?

I had no game plan....just started throwing things together with cheese toast as my backup plan - then realized we were out of bread.  Figures.  When all else fails, cold cereal makes a good backup plan for the backup plan.  

Fortunately, my soup turned out pretty darn tasty.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 15 oz. can chicken broth

1 15 oz. can lite coconut milk

1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree {not pie filling}

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

pepper 

fat free plain greek yogurt

*Measurements are an estimate - adjust as necessary.

Directions:

Saute onion in olive oil until tender.  Add other ingredients and heat through. Adjust seasonings as desired and top with a dollop of greek yogurt.

My "side" of broccoli may have ended up in my soup.  What can I say...I like to mix my foods!  =)

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!

Vegetable Soup

I'm back!  I've been out of town having a fun-filled week with my husband's family for our annual reunion.  There are 10 adults and 14 kids when we all get together, so it's crazy and a lot of fun!

Today was a scorcher!  I took the kids to the pool and could barely stand not being in the water....so what compelled me to make soup for dinner???  I have no idea. Nevertheless, I came up with a pretty tasty recipe if I don't say so myself.  

It all started with carrots, celery, onions and garlic....a good base for most soups, in my opinion.

I sauteed them in a little olive oil and then added some bell peppers, chicken broth, zucchini, beans and seasonings.

Then I dished myself up a bowl and topped it with some fresh tomatoes and a little reduced-fat feta.

It tasted surprisingly good on a hot summer day.  Scott even went back for seconds!

Ingredients:

     1 cup chopped carrots

     1 cup chopped celery

     1/2 sweet onion, chopped

     2 cloves garlic, minced

     1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

     1 bell pepper, chopped

     1 zucchini, chopped

     4 cups chicken {or vegetable} broth

     1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

     1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

     1/2 tsp salt

     1/2 tsp oregano

     1/2 tsp basil

     fresh cracked pepper to taste

     fresh tomatoes and reduced-fat feta for topping

Directions:

Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil until crisp-tender and add the salt and pepper.  Add peppers and saute a few minutes longer.  Add broth, basil, oregano and zucchini.  Simmer until zucchini is tender.  Add beans and heat through.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.  Top with tomatoes and feta. 

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!  =)

Veggie Curry In A Hurry

I'm so bad at planning meals ahead of time....it just makes me feel so boxed in!  I always start with good intentions, but inevitably, by the time spaghetti night or stir-fry night roll around, I'm not in the mood for the dinner du jour.  I have issues with structure, I know.  Yesterday around 4:00 p.m. I was trying to decide what to have for dinner {per the norm} when I remembered I had a block of tofu in the garage fridge.  I try to get sneaky with tofu every now and then and "surprise" my family at dinner time.  Sometimes it goes over well, other times....not so much.  This time, I had a brilliant idea {I hoped!}....

I decided to marinate it and use it in place of chicken in my chicken curry in a hurry recipe.  I used 2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar.  After rinsing and pressing the water out of the tofu {place on a plate with paper towels and put a heavy skillet on top for about 20-30 minutes} I chopped it into small pieces and put it in the marinade.  I let it sit for about 10-15 minutes {stirring occasionally} and then popped it into a hot skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  It got a little crispy on the outside and it really soaked up the flavor of the marinade.  It was GOOOOOD!  I couldn't stop myself from snacking on it!  That's what led me to my next ingredient....chickpeas.

I followed my chicken curry in a hurry recipe and simply added the tofu and 1 can of chickpeas {rinsed & drained} when I would normally add the chicken.  So Simple!  My family had theirs over jasmine rice, but I decided to try something a little different and have mine over lettuce {a little trick I learned from my sis-in-law}.

I will definitely be making this again....and the tofu is so great by itself, I might make it more often just for snacking!  The family seemed pleasantly surprised by the great-tasting tofu....well, most of them.  =)

Veggie Taco Salad

Let me just say HOORAY for finally breaking out my old camera again!  I've been trying to use a little point and shoot for a while and it just hasn't been cuttin' it. Live and learn, I guess.  

I was in the mood for a meatless dinner tonight, so I made refried bean tostadas for my family {forgot to take a pic...sorry!} and whipped up some veggies for me.

I just dug around in the fridge and used whatever I had....

First, saute the onions and peppers in a little olive oil spray {since they have a longer cooking time}.  

Then add the zucchini and mushrooms, saute them them for a couple minutes and add about 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp taco seasoning.

Let it simmer a little {just like you would if you were using ground beef} and then serve however you like.  I made a salad using romaine lettuce, my sauteed mexican veggies, a little salsa, some cilantro and about half of a diced avocado.  Just look at all that goodness!

Ingredients:

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

1/4 sweet onion, sliced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp salsa

1/2 avocado, diced

Cilantro 

Directions:

Saute onions and peppers in small amount of olive oil or cooking spray.  Add zucchini and mushrooms.  Saute a couple minutes then add taco seasoning and water.  Simmer.  Serve over lettuce and top with salsa, avocado and cilantro.

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.

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.  

When The Husband Cooks....

Scott isn't much of a chef, but every once-in-a-while he'll surprise me and say he wants to make dinner. He's got a few staples {You know....those things he made for me when we were dating so I would think he could cook.}  I guess I can overlook the fact that he doesn't cook since he's way better at doing dishes than I am.  

He lived in Puerto Rico for two years {serving a mission for our church} and has often talked about how they served rice and beans with almost every meal.  By the end of his mission, he was pretty tired of this side dish, but now he really enjoys it and the memories it brings back.   

He made this for dinner last night and it was really good.  The kids were a little skeptical at first, but once they tried it, they were sold!  This might just become a new family favorite.  I should start making it with every meal and see if Scott notices. 

**You can find the recipe he used here.

Cinco de Mayo!

I was so excited about dinner tonight. I love Mexican food!  Not that I ever need an excuse to whip up a batch of guacamole, but if I did, Cinco de Mayo would be it.

My GUACAMOLE recipe is simple....avocados, fresh lime juice, garlic salt & cilantro. I don't measure anything - just mix all the ingredients to taste.

Next on the menu....BLACK BEAN, CORN & EDAMAME SALSA.  

Ingredients:

     1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

     1/2 bag frozen corn, thawed

     1/2 bag frozen edamame, steamed and cooled 

     1/4 red onion, minced

     1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

     Juice of 1-1 1/2 limes

     1 tsp kosher salt

     pepper

Mix all ingredients together.  You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Scott was great and sauteed some sweet onions and peppers while I got the shrimp ready for the oven.  I seasoned them with Adobo seasoning and paprika and baked them at 425 for 6 minutes.

What do you get when you combine all of this awesomeness together....SHRIMP FAJITA SALAD!

Ingredients:

     romaine lettuce

     black bean, corn & edamame salsa

     sauteed onions and peppers

     baked shrimp

     fresh guacamole

I hope you all enjoyed Cinco de Mayo as much as we did!  Scott even made a side of rice and beans {more Puerto Rican than Mexican, but I was happy to have help in the kitchen and it was delish....I'll post that recipe later.}

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.