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!

Healthy Kettle Corn

There was a crazy lightning storm here last night, so I wanted to do something fun for the kids {and me!}.  I decided to dust off the 'ol air popper and try my hand at some guilt-free kettle corn.  I wasn't sure how it would go over with my guinea pigs kids, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I had to make three batches of this stuff!

Ingredients:

     1/2 cup popcorn kernels   

     cooking spray {I used canola}

     1 packet Truvia

     salt

Directions:

Pop popcorn with air popper.  Spray popcorn with cooking spray and sprinkle with Truvia and salt.  Mix.

"C" is for Cookie Dough

{144 calories, 2g fat, 15g carbs, 6g fiber, 15g protein}

It seems as though I'm still on a quest to find the perfect cookie dough snack.  I found this recipe here at Fitcupcaker.  Doesn't it look delicious?  That's what I thought!  I mixed up my little cookie dough treat and put it in the fridge....saving it for my post-workout/afternoon snack.  I thought about it all during my workout.  Is that bad?

It was pretty good, but I have to be honest and say that I was a little disappointed. It just looks so much like real cookie dough!  I thought it would taste a little more like it.  Oh, well.  It was good and sweet with a touch of cookie dough flare....just not quite the home run I was looking for.

Ingredients:

     2 Tbsp coconut flour

     1-2 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

     2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

     pinch salt

     1/8 tsp baking powder

     1 packet Truvia

     1/2 tsp vanilla extract

     1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

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. 

Healthy {Protein} Cookie Dough

Again with the strange cookie dough concoction, I know.  The first step is admitting I have a problem.... "Hi, my name is Megan and I'm a cookie dough-aholic!"  I seriously get huge cravings for cookie dough and know if I whip up a batch, I might just eat it all and hide the evidence.  Hence my search for a healthier alternative. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I never indulge.  Trust me, I do.  Some days, I just don't want all the binge-induced guilt.

I found this recipe here at Stuft Mama and it was yummy!  Even the kids liked it!  I couldn't quite persuade my husband to try it, but I'm sure he would have liked it too.  =)

I can't wait to experiment a little with this recipe and try it in chocolate!

Ingredients:

     1/4 cup oats

     1/3 cup brown rice cereal {I only had rice krispies}

     2 Tbsp PB2

     1 scoop vanilla protein powder

     1 Tbsp peanut butter {I used almond butter}

     2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate and save for later or enjoy now.  

Parmesan Flax Crusted Zucchini {Low Carb & Gluten Free}

I love zucchini and could probably eat it everyday.  My family, um, not so much.  In an effort to disguise what some in my house might consider an "over-used veggie," I came up with a healthier version of fried zucchini sticks.

First I cut the zucchini into strips {trying to keep them uniform in size}....

Then I dipped them into egg whites....

And dredged them in a mixture of golden flax meal, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt....

Next, I put them on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and baked them at 425 for 15 minutes....

They were so good served with a side of marinara sauce....

Low-carb and gluten free....

Good and good for you.  In the words of Rachel Ray....YUM-O!!!

Ingredients:

     1 large zucchini

     1/2 cup golden flax meal

     3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

     1/2 tsp garlic powder

     1/4 tsp salt

     2 egg whites {I used the kind in the carton}

     Marinara sauce

Directions:

Mix together flax meal, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt.  Slice zucchini into strips of uniform size.  Dip in egg whites.  Dredge in flax mixture.  Place on greased baking pan and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with a side of marinara for dipping.

PB2 Protein Rice Cake

Have I told you how much I'm in L.O.V.E. with PB2?!?!  I've told just about everyone I know about it {and how they can buy it locally at Kroger} and now....they're always SOLD OUT!  I like to think it's because I've been spreading the word about this miracle product.  ;-)  It's starting to get a little frustrating, though.  I guess I'll go back to buying it off Amazon.  

Anyway, here's a little something I whipped up for breakfast today....

{165 calories, 4g fat, 25g carbs, 8g fiber, 16g protein}

This would also make a great afternoon snack.  Who says rice cakes have to be boring???

Ingredients:

     1 low sodium rice cake

     1 small container lowfat Live Active cottage cheese

     1 packet Truvia {or 12 drops liquid stevia}

     2 Tbsp PB2

     1 Tbsp sugar-free jelly

Directions:

Mix PB2 and sweetener of choice into cottage cheese.  Spread on top of rice cake and top with sugar-free jelly.

Cookie Dough Dip {With Chickpeas!}

It sounds strange, I know....but just wait 'til you try it.  

Why is it that cookie dough is almost always better than the actual cookies? When I make cookies, I usually end up consuming about five cookies worth of dough before I even try one {or two, or three} hot from the oven.  I have a serious problem when it comes to cookies, so I try not to make them very often.

Recently, however, I've been running into recipes for chickpea cookie dough dip all over the internet.  I attempted one of these recipes about a month ago.  I made a few tweaks and changes to the recipe and it turned out less than mediocre.  I was having a major cookie dough craving tonight, though, so I decided to give it one more shot....this time I followed a recipe exactly and it turned out AMAZING!  Can chickpeas really taste like cookie dough???  The answer is YES!

I found the recipe here at Natural Noshing.  I don't have a food processor, so I just used my Magic Bullet and it worked good enough for me.

I was watching three of my friend's kids, so I thought I'd try it out on them and see what happened.

This is what happened....

They downed all the apples {with a little help from me, of course} and we had to open a bag of pretzels.  It passed the "picky eater" test and was approved by six kids ages 4-10!  Go ahead and try it....you might just LOVE it!  =)

Ingredients:

     1 1/2 cups chickpeas {1 can} rinsed, drained and patted dry with paper towels

     1/3 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

     2 tsp vanilla extract

     1/8 tsp salt {if using unsalted nut butter}

     2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

     3-4 Tbsp agave {or honey}

     2 Tbsp flaxseed meal

     1/3 cup chocolate chips

     *Optional - 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Directions:

In a food processor {or blender} add chickpeas and process until finely chopped.  Add peanut butter, vanilla, salt and almond milk.

Add agave, flax meal and protein powder.  Process until well blended.  You may need to add a little extra almond milk.

Stir in chocolate chips.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours.  

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.

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!

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.