Lettuce Wraps

These Asian lettuce wraps with chicken were inspired from, of course, skinnytaste. But that recipe required a lot of random ingredients. I wanted to keep it simple and cheap. (on a budget & time crunch) So I limited the ingredients needed. They were fun to make, fun to eat, and of course, DELICIOUS! I served with the Tomato Soup/Spaghetti Squash, it was a FANTASTIC meal!


Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 4 oz chicken breasts, grounded

• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp diced green onions

• 2 tbsp soy sauce 

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 tbsp white wine

• 1⁄2 tsp sugar

• freshly ground white pepper, to taste

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• head of lettuce, or as many leaves as you need

Directions:


If your chicken isn't already ground you can place it in a food processor (or even a blender will do) and ground it up. It's actually kind cool that it works that way. Or you can buy ground chicken (8 to 12 oz) at the store.
Place the ground chicken in a bowl.
Meanwhile mix soy sauce, olive oil, wine, sugar, & pepper. 
Mix water chestnuts, garlic & onions in with the ground chicken.
Then pour soy sauce mixture over chicken.
Let it marinate for a few minutes.
Make sure it is well mixed (feel free to use your hands if needed)
Add more soy sauce, wine, or oil, if needed.
Transfer to a medium sized frying pan (or wok)
Cook until brown, 5 to 10 minutes, and feel free to add more oil if desired.
Break up and stir meat as you go.
Place in each lettuce wrap and serve with a dipping sauce, if desired. (I eat mine with Ranch!)


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Buffalo Chicken Chili

Friends of ours make an awesome Buffalo Chicken Pasta dish and an equally delicious Buffalo Chicken Dip. I stumbled upon this Buffalo Chicken Chili dish from Rachael Ray via another blogger. It's in her top 10 list. So I was excited to try another Buffalo Chicken-Themed dish. My husband loves Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and I love to make chili so this was the perfect meeting of the two. It turned out great. It was very hot, so you might want to use less hot sauce. Makes about 4 to 6 servings. 

Nutritional Information (Based on 6 Servings w/ about 5 to 6 chips)

Calories: 275    Fat: 7.7   WW Points: 5.5     Points +: 6.5

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs butter
1.5 lb chicken breast, cooked & shredded
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
5 tsp garlic, minced (or 5 cloves)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp bay leaves
salt & pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup hot sauce (you might want to use less...)
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fat free mayo
20 to 30 tortilla chips
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup blue cheese
ranch dressing


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat olive oil and the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat,
Once the butter is melted add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, and bay leaves. 
Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in the chicken and cook until lightly brown. 
Add the chicken broth, hot sauce, tomato sauce, mayo, and crushed tomatoes, then bring to a boil.
Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until liquid has evaporated and chili has thickened. 
Meanwhile, place a lot of tortilla chips on several greased cookie sheets, top with blue cheese and cook in oven for 4 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Top with chopped parsley.
Then place in each serving of chili when it is finished cooking. 
Serve with ranch dressing and additional tortilla chips. 

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Chicken Taquitos

I've always had a strong liking for taquitos from the freezer isle. I don't know what it is, but they are addicting. I found a neat recipe so that I could make my own taquitos. It's very simple and they are easy to make ahead and freeze. 

Ingredients:
3/4 pounds of cooked, shredded chicken (I boil it, then use two forks to shred it)
10 small tortillas
3 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese mexican blend
1/2 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup cilantro paste (or fresh cilantro)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili seasoning
1 tbsp lime juice
Olive oil cooking spray.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl mix cream cheese, onions, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, & seasonings.
Add shredded chicken & shredded cheese.
Mix well.
Place about 2 spoonfuls of mixture on the side of tortilla.
Roll up tortilla tightly and place on greased cookie sheet.

Be careful to place it in such a way so that it can't unravel.
Continue with rest of tortillas and mixture.
Spray all over with olive oil cooking spray.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes. 

Watch carefully that they don't burn.
Serve with ranch dressing, guacamole, sour cream, or another yummy dip.


You can make these ahead of time and freeze them. After wrapping the chicken/cheese mixture inside of the tortillas place in gallon-sized freezer bag. When you are ready to eat them you don't have to defrost or thaw. Just place directly in preheated oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Watch carefully. 

I paired the taquitos with this yummy taco salad with spicy ranch dressing. (see below).

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

BEST SALAD EVER!

I often run out of ideas on what to pack for lunch every day when I'm working. I refuse to eat the cafeteria food (I'm sure it's great, but I'm not in middle school anymore!) and I want something healthy, but easy. So it limits my options. Like I've said before, I used to be the frozen food lean cuisine queen. But I've gotten tired of that. So I'm on a new salad kick. 


I'll buy sliced cucumbers, chick peas, hard boiled eggs (no yoke) & baby corn usually just from the salad bar at Weis or some other grocery store. I like to mix in craisins and fresh avocado. For some more protein I heat up baked breaded chicken breast and cut into pieces. It's the perfect meal and it's super filling!  It's also really pretty to look at. 


Dressing? Depends what I'm in the mood for...sometimes I splurge on low fat ranch or honey mustard. But good ol' italian or balsamic vinaigrette is  staple for me too. I'm always looking for good salad options. So if you have any ideas...send them my way!

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Mexican Pot Pie

We had friends over putting in our new patio this past spring. (Thanks, guys!) They did an awesome job and we promised them a full meal for their help. So while they were working outside I was working in the kitchen to make this Mexican Pot Pie. It is from the Best of Pillsbury Bake-Off book. Yum! I wound up doubling the recipe and making two whole pies. (I had a lot of hungry men at my house). 


Instead of buying raw chicken and cooking it, I decided to take a short cut (no pun intended) and use the Purdue chicken breast Short Cuts - Southwestern Style. It seemed just too perfect (they were on sale) for me to pass up. 

Ingredients:

1 container of pie crusts (2 crusts per box)

1 package refrigerated southwestern-seasoned chicken breast strips, thawed

1/2 cup uncooked instant rice

1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can kernel corn with red & green peppers, drained

1 can of whole black olives, drained & sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup fat free sour cream

1 cup chunky-style medium salsa

2 cups shredded cheese, mexican-style

1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare pie crust as directed in pie plate.
In a large bowl mix chicken, rice (uncooked), beans, corn, olives, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, sour cream, & salsa.
Pour into each crust-lined pie plate.
Top with second crust. 
Seal edges and attempt to make the edges fancy. (I didn't bother).
Cut slits in several places.
Brush top with beaten egg and top with parsley.
Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Then cover edges of crust with foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. (this prevents the edges from burning too much).
Let stand for a few minutes, then serve. 

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Healthified Chicken Tortilla Casserole

http://www.bettycrocker.com/ has some awesome recipes, check them out and enjoy exploring. In the meantime here is a great, HEALTHY recipe. Can't go wrong with Mexican!

Ingredients:
1  can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup

1  can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1  container (8 oz) fat-free sour cream

1/2  cup skim milk

2  tsp chili powder

1/2  tsp ground cumin

2 1/2  cups shredded cooked chicken breast

8  yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces

1  medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1  large tomato, chopped (1 cup)

1 1/2  cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 13x9 glass baking casserole dish.
In a large bowl mix soup, chiles, sour cream, and milk. Blend well.
Stir in chicken, tortillas, and bell pepper.
Stir in tomato and 1 cup of cheese.
Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish.
Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is bubbly.
Let stand for a few minutes before eating.


What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Mini Chicken Parmesan

I was in the mood to make something Italian for my small group. I know that I enjoy making Chicken Parm, but I needed something that would be easier to make for 14 people. So I wanted something "smaller" or really just simpler. I started doing some research online. I found some really creative ideas out there (google: mini chicken parm) but then finally settled on making Miniature Chicken Parmesans with already cooked chicken nuggets. It was listed as a Fun For Kids recipe but I decided it would be perfect for a group of adults too. It was delicious! Chicken nuggets were on sale @ Darrenkamps so I bought two big bags. Just make sure you have plenty of cheese & sauce and you are good to go. My small group always pitches in and brings stuff to share. We served with a side of multi-colored rotini, plenty of sauces to choose from, garlic bread, & a delicious salad with avocado slices. Then ended the night with an Oreo Torte! YUM!



Here is a recipe that will serve about 8 people.



Ingredients:
1 large bag of frozen chicken nuggets.
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups of pasta sauce (may need additional for pasta)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
pasta, any kind
salt & pepper, if desired


Directions:
Preheat oven and cook nuggets according to directions. (remember to flip halfway through)
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Stir in onion & garlic and cook until tender. 
Stir in pasta sauce, parsley, and seasonings.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to box directions.
Mix parmesan & mozzarella together in a medium bowl.
Top each nugget with a spoonful of pasta sauce.
Spring with cheese mixture.
Return to oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. 
Serve with cooked pasta. Use excess sauce on pasta.

Evelyn is still too young to enjoy mini chicken parm, but some day she will enjoy the food that her Auntie Jilly cooks her  (ok, so i'm not really her Aunt)

Broccoli Chicken Stuffing Casserole

I'm excited to be part of a ministry at church that provides meals for the We Care Food Pantry. Families that are able to get food from the food pantry twice a month also receive a homemade frozen casserole to bring home. We also provide casseroles for the pastors to take with them when they go into a home to visit a family in grief. 

It's really fun. We get together once a month and mass produce casseroles. The first month I wasn't able to attend but we used my recipe for shepherds pie.


This past month we did a broccoli chicken stuffing casserole. Once the chicken was cooked it was easy to do the rest. We did sort of an assembly line system so we could make the 50+ casseroles. I got to take one home with me to sample. It was delicious.


If you are interested in supporting this worthy cause you can make checks out to The Worship Center and designate the money for The Casserole Ministry. You can also donate online. 


Ingredients:
3/4 pound cubed chicken, cooked in oven
3 cups of frozen broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 6 oz. package of stuffing (any kind)
1/2 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of chicken broth (or any combination of soup, mayo, & broth--enough that the stuffing is moist)


Directions:
Mix soup, mayo, & broth in a medium sized bowl.
Pour stuffing into 13 x 9 casserole dish.
Top with liquid mixture and mix together so it is completely moistened.
Top with chicken, broccoli, and cheese.
Stir well.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.


What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)

Cauliflower & Chicken Sausage Casserole

This is an easy & healthy recipe. I would highly recommend it if you are in the mood for something different but don't want to work too hard. I received this recipe from my mother via another blog. It was elected BEST HEALTHY CASSEROLE by The Kitchn. It's a great blog because they have everything from home decor, do-it-yourself projects, and product reviews. The pictures are beautiful and the ideas are creative. But I will say I like my cake pops better than theirs ;-) (is that wrong to say?). 


Back to what's important. The secret to the healthy in this casserole is to use chicken sausage instead of regular sausage. I however, chose spicy italian sausage and skipped out on the olive oil to save calories/fat that way. I found a new love for italian sausage after making my two-crust pizza casserole and it was on sale so I went with it. Because of this choice the casserole is still pretty high in fat. So if you are concerned I would stick with the chicken sausage or find an alternative meat/protein for this dish.


I'm sure any type of sausage would make this dish delicious. It's a great way to sneak in vegetables; tomatoes, onions, & lots of cauliflower. You only use a little bit of parmesan cheese so that helps keep the calories down as well. And even though it's healthy...Schmuffin still wanted a bite. :-) I've included nutritional information on the bottom of this post.





Ingredients:
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 lb of chicken sausage or italian sausage, cut and removed from casings (optional)
3/4 cup of diced onion
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tsp of thyme
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring 3 quarts of water and salt to a boil.
Meanwhile, chop up cauliflower into smaller bite-size florets, removing leaves & stems. I'm no expert at cutting up cauliflower (just kind of making it up as I go) but I would recommend using a video from google for something like this or any other specific cooking tips. But that's only if you don't know what you are doing. (which is usually how I operate)
When water starts boiling add cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour into colander in sink.
Rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, cook sausage for about 8 minutes until crispy and brown over medium heat.
You can choose to drain the grease. The original recipe says to leave 1 or 2 tbsp. I didn't have much so I didn't drain it.
Add onions, garlic, and thyme and stir in.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
Then add whole tomatoes from the can with liquid. 
Smash and break up the whole tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat.
Let cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Add meat/sauce to original pot with the cauliflower.
Pour into greased 13 x 9 casserole dish.
Sprinkle bread crumbs & parmesan over dish.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

Servings: 6      Calories: 370      Fat: 23.7      Points: 8.5      Points Plus: 10

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)