Creamy Enchilada Soup with Black Beans

My heart goes out to the victims and families in Boston.  I hope that they find peace and healing during such a difficult time. 

It's finally starting to warm up out there!  The sun is starting to come out and I'm sure we can all relate when I say that it feels like Prozac from the sky!  Oh how I love the sun.  But, it's still not too warm for another rich and creamy soup to keep us company during the cooler evening.  I made this after discovering a random block of cream cheese in my fridge.  I'm sure at some point I had a reason for purchasing it, but it had long escaped me, never to return.  However, I'm glad I did, because otherwise this soup never would have made it's grand entrance into our home.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I love salsa verde.  I love ANYTHING that calls for it, so I knew that I would love this soup before ever trying it.  It's got such a smooth texture, but a nice tangy flavor, making for a very satisfying meal.  The rice and beans really bulk it up too.  The only change I would make for next time is only adding a half a block of cream cheese instead of the entire thing.  It would be enough to make it creamy, but not quite as thick.

Creamy Enchilada Soup with Black Beans
Adapted from Scattered Thoughts of a Craft Mom

Ingredients

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans of green enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe's salsa verde.  It packs a punch, but I liked it.)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup corn, canned, fresh or frozen
 24 oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded, or chopped
1 can black or white beans, drained and rinsed
1 block cream cheese (I used reduced fat), cut into cubes
3/4 cup dry rice
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
cilantro
tortilla chips
cheddar cheese
avocado
green onions

Directions

In a large pan, combine broth, enchilada sauce, water, cumin, chile powder, onion powder,  and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil.  Add rice and lower heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 30 minutes, until rice is cooked through and soft.  Add corn (no need to thaw if frozen), beans, and chicken.  Cook for about five minutes.  Add cream cheese, stir until melted and combined.  Remove from heat, and serve.  Garnish as desired.

Five Spice Chicken with Jade Rice

 

It's been a very good week for our family.  After the disappointment of not getting accepted in a surgical residency last year, Glenn got in for this year!  We're heading to Loma Linda California this summer!  It's quite the move, going from New Jersey to California, but we're so relieved and excited about the adventure. 

But now we talk about food, which today is this wonderful Five Spice Chicken that I found on Rebecca's blog a few months ago.  I adore dinners like this, rich in flavor, nutritious, but also quick and easy to make, perfect for the weeknights.  I think the five spice powder is completely underused, it's such a gorgeous aromatic spice, which is perfect for chicken.   


Five Spice Chicken with Jade Rice
From Chow and Chatter

Ingredients

Chicken

1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger/garlic paste

one tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoon soy sauce 

dash of sesame oil 

6 bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks

Rice
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup spinach
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 eggs whisked a little with a pinch of salt and pepper
dash of soy sauce
1/4 an onion chopped

Directions 

Combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade and marinate the chicken in it for 2-3 hours.

Roast in oven, covered, at 350 for 20 minutes and then another 15- 20 minutes uncovered.

For the Jade fried rice, saute the garlic and onion until soft. Add the spinach until cooked down.   Add rice, cook to combine, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and stir until egg is completely cooked.

Southwestern Red Beans and Rice

I've had a tougher time re-adjusting to real life than I expected.  For two weeks life came to a complete standstill.  No school, no church, no real routine, just surviving.  To be completely honest it was kind of nice.  We read a lot of books, caught up on our favorite shows and enjoyed some much needed quiet time that wasn't filled with darkness.

But now school has started, life has commenced, and I'm having a hard time remembering what exactly I was doing before Sandy hit.  I'm ashamed to admit that it made me a bit lazy.  Most of our dinners were something I could quickly throw into the oven or the microwave.  No real preparation.

But now that life is back at full force, I'm grateful for recipes like this.  Warm, homemade bowls full of flavorful food, that won't weigh you down, or wear you out.  Rice and beans doesn't sound like the most exciting dinner, but believe me when I say that we all scarfed this down as if it was our last meal.  Add beef or chicken if you need a bit more protein, but I doubt you'll miss it if you don't.

Southwestern Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast

Ingredients

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup brown or white rice, prepared according to directions
1 16 oz can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chiles (Rotel)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
4 flour tortillas, or tortilla chips
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

1.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms to pan; cook 6 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Stir in rice and next 4 ingredients.  Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

2.  While rice mixutre cooks, warm tortillas accordingly to package directions.  Sprinkle rice mixture iwth cheese and cilantro.  Serve immediately with tortillas.

Serves 4

Risotto with Pesto and Peas

 How can you not love risotto?  It's like giving your tummy a big warm hug.  The creamy, rich, goodness is enough to make anyone feel loved and well cared for.  Which is why I mourn the fact that NO ONE IN MY FAMILY likes it!

 Never mind them.  Usually I try to be accommodating, selecting only dishes that I know will be enjoyed by all (or at least by most).  However, as the designated cook of the family, every once and a while, I'm making what I want.  And if they really can't get behind it, well, that's why God invented PB&J.

I think this has been my favorite risotto so far.  I love just about anything that is blanketed in pesto.  Add cheese, wine, ham and peas, and you have heaven in a bowl.  And I'm happy to add that my family did eat this one, my Risotto Reluctant Husband even said he wouldn't mind if I made it again.

Risotto With Pesto and Peas
Food Network Magazine April 2012

Ingredients

3 leeks (white and green parts only) thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup diced ham
3/4 cup pesto
1 cup small fresh mozzarella balls or diced fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.  Make the broth:  Bring 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the leeks and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.  Adjust the heat to keep the broth at a gentle simmer.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, about 1 more minute.

3.  Add 2 cups of the hot leek broth to the rice; cook, stirring occasionally, until almost absorbed, about 6 minutes (adjust the heat to keep risotto at a simmer).  Add 1 more cup broth and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed, about 5 more minutes.  Add the leeks, peas, and 1 more cup broth and cook, stirring until almost absorbed, about 5 more minutes.  Taste the rice: if it is not fully cooked, add a little more broth and continue to cook, stirring, until al dente.

4.  Stir in ham and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Remove from the heat; stir in 2/3 cups pesto, the mozzarella and Parmesan.  Season with salt.  Divide among bowls, and top with the remaining pesto.

Turkey Fried Rice

I survived the day of indulgence, well, attacked is probably a better word. I definitely let myself have the day off and it was glorious. It's amazing the things you realize that you miss, like dark meat, and sour cream, and good old SUGAR. Needless to say, we had a very delicious day, but I'm happy to be back on the Livefit wagon.

This is a recipe that's come in handy quite a few times. One of the most important parts of our meals is that we're getting in the right balance of protein, complex carbs and veggies. This dish covers it all in one big skillet, and it's so delicious and filling. Brown rice with egg whites and ground turkey. It might not sound as appetizing as the real thing, but it's flavored so well that I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference. The kids loved it and it's very filling. Go ahead and use chopped up leftover turkey if you still have some in your fridge.





Turkey Fried Rice
Adapted from The Best of Clean Eating from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive or safflower oil, divided
1 lb lean ground turkey
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (1 cup)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
sea salt, to taste
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 cups cooked brown rice
4 egg whites (or two regular eggs)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
fresh cilantro for garnish
chile sauce for garnish

Directions

In a very large nonstick skillet or wok, heat one teaspoon oil over medium high heat. Add turkey and break up to form a single layer in pan, season with pepper. Brown meat, stirring occasionally until cooked through, three to five minutes. Stir in two teaspoons soy sauce. Remove turkey and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add onion, red pepper, carrot, broccoli and ginger and season with salt and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are slightly soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes.

Stir in peas and rice, and cook until completely heated through, about five minutes.

Push rice mixture over to one side of pan and add eggs to now empty side. Allow eggs to fully cook, stirring occasionally, three to five minutes, and then stir eggs into rice mixture.

Add turkey and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in fish sauce, remaining two tablespoons soy sauce and green onions. Garnish with cilantro and chile sauce if desired.

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

I think one of the best things about our summer at home were the family dinners. Every night my mom and I would decide what we were making, and my siblings came over just about every time to eat with us. It was so much fun and made all the preparation so worth it.

One of my mom's trademark side dishes is this quinoa pilaf, a recipe that she got from Ellie Krieger's cookbook. Now, I knew that quinoa was the new thing, I understood how good it is for you and how all the cool foodies are chomping it down these days, but I just hadn't gotten there yet. I found it too bland, too grainy, I don't know, just too quinoa-y.


I'm now a believer.

I could eat this pilaf all day long. It's nutty, it's soft, and has such a great flavor. I think one of the best parts about it is the fresh parsley. It adds a wonderful brightness to an earthy grain that goes just beautifully. If you don't think you're quite sold on quinoa yet, I really urge you to try this, you just might change your mind.


Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Buffalo Chicken done Two Ways

Gosh, I've been a lousy blogger.

I would love to tell you that it's because I've been insanely busy saving the world, or throwing awesome crazy parties, but here's my lame excuse...

I've been reading.

A lot.

Can one have an unhealthy obsession with books? I suppose there are way worse obsessions, but seriously, when shopping, sunlight, and mealtimes start to become obstacles, rather then enjoyable, perhaps it's time to address some issues.

Luckily I have managed to squeeze in a meal here and there. Two of them were courtesy of Masterpiece's Buffalo Chicken marinade, a sample I received for free as a Foodbuzz member.


First let me say something about the marinade itself. It's delicious. I'm definitely not a Connoisseur of buffalo wings, by any means, but I did really like this sauce. It's very tangy, and hot, and proved itself to be versatile for several different uses.



The first thing I made was a Buffalo Chicken risotto that I could not stop thinking about. I was almost certain that if I made it, I was going to be the only one who liked it, but my husband and I both lapped this up like starved puppies. My husband even declared it the best risotto he had, but considering the fact that it was infused with classic "man-food" I wasn't too surprised. My mouth still waters every time I think of this dish.



Buffalo Chicken Risotto
Cuisine Magazine April 2011

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup hot sauce, or Masterpieces Buffalo Chicken Marinade
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup onion
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dry arborio rice
1/2 cup lager beer, or white wine (I used wine)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

chopped celery
blue cheese crumbles
blue cheese dressing (I used homemade)

Directions

For the brodo, simmer broth, hot sauce, honey, and worcestershire in a saucepan over medium heat.

For the risotto, sweat minced celery and onion in butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in rice and saute until each grain is coated in butter.

Deglaze the pan with beer or wine and stir until completely absorbed, 1-2 minutes. Add brodo to the pan in 1/2-cup increments; simmer and stir frequently until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, about 45 minutes total. Stir in chicken and heat through.

Garnish each serving of risotto with chopped celery, blue cheese crumbles, and blue cheese dressing (don't skip this part, it really makes the risotto!)



The second thing we made were these delicious buffalo chicken salads. Really no recipe needed for this one. Warm cooked, shredded chicken, coated with the buffalo chicken marinade, over the stovetop. On a large bed of lettuce (yes there really is lettuce under there), top with broccoli, celery, sliced cucumbers, chicken, blue cheese crumbles, and tortilla chips. Serve with a side of blue cheese dressing as well. This was very delicious, and rather healthy. The chicken and blue cheese make this a very flavorful salad.



I'll go ahead and dedicate these manly chicken dishes to all the fathers out there, Happy Father's Day! I sure am grateful for my dad, and the father of my kids.

And now to come full circle, are you a reader? If so, what kind of books do you like to read?

Cheesy Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole with Rye Crumb Topping

I'm not sure why, but I always feel really accomplished when I can serve an entire, satisfying meal without any meat. Don't get me wrong, I love my steak and chicken as much as the next carnivore, but I like to prove to myself that it's not imperative to a good meal.



I found this in my Cuisine at Home magazine, a magazine I've come to love. It's a casserole full of veggies, cheese, rice and the wonderful flavors of rye bread. It's a unique, but healthy and delicious casserole that will not leave you wishing for a burger. My husband isn't a huge fan of caraway, so I will probably leave it out next time, but I will make this again. It would work as a main dish, or a lovely side dish for guests or a potluck. I do love to see my family eat their veggies!



Cheese Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole with Rye Crumb Topping
By Cuisine at Home December 2010

Ingredients

For The Casserole:
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups cooked white rice

For The Crumb Topping:
1 1/2 cups fresh seeded rye bread crumbs
2 TB unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper

For The Sauce:
3 TB unsalted butter
2 TB minced shallots
1 TB caraway seeds
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1 TB Dijon mustard
2/3 cups smoked Gouda
2/3 cup shredded Emmental (I used Cheddar) cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Blanch broccoli and cauliflower in a pot of boiling salted water, 3 minutes. Drain and immediately shock in ice water; set aside.

3. Combine crumbs with melted butter in a bowl until coated, then season with salt and pepper.

4. Melt 3 TB butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and caraway seeds; cook until seeds are toasted, 3 minutes.

5. Whisk in flour, coating shallots; cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk and Dijon, cooking until sauce slightly thickens, 8 minutes (do not boil). Add Gouda, stir until melted. Add Emmental or Cheddar; stir until melted. Add Emmental; stir until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

6. Stir broccoli, cauliflower, and rice into sauce. Transfer mixture to a 2 quart baking dish.

7. Sprinkle crumb topping over casserole, and bake casserole until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let casserole rest 10 minutes before serving.

Per Serving: 283 cal, 15g fat, 28g carb, 3g fiber

Serves 8

My kids got new aprons for Christmas. After several attempts, this is hilariously the best picture we could get.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My church has a tutoring program that they hold every Thursday nights. Teenage kids from the area come in, eat dinner and receive help with their school work from volunteers. I've been out of school a bit too long now to be much good with tutoring (especially when it comes to math, yikes!), but I have no problem cooking meals. So when I was recently asked to help out with the dinners, I thought about it for half and second, and happily agreed.

One of the fun parts about making dinners for tutoring is that it presents some fun challenges. How to make a healthy, delicious meal for a crowd, on a budget. Filet Mignon and Lobster night are definitely out, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun coming up with good dinners at low cost.

Last week I lucked out seeing as I had just made this meal the Sunday before, and had a ton of leftover ingredients. My mom used to make this for us, and it was one of my favorite dishes. The chicken is lightly breaded and bakes in a sweet and tangy sweet and sour sauce that is insanely easy to make, with ingredients you probably already have. It's also very versatile, you can forget the breading if you want a lighter version. You can also use whatever cut of chicken you like, and rather then baking it, you can throw it in your crockpot for a hands-off dinner. I love eating the chicken, but my very favorite part is pouring the sauce over the rice and scooping it into my mouth, so yummy! Nothing like a meal that takes you home!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Courtesy of my Awesome Mom!

Ingredients

1 lb of chicken (cut of your choice, but I do recommend boneless)
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
olive oil for cooking
SAUCE:
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (just white distilled vinegar)
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Directions

1. Beat eggs and place in pie pan or bowl. Combine flour and seasoned salt and also place in bowl or pie pan. Dip chicken in beaten egg, roll in flour mixture. Brown in olive oil, about three minutes on each side, chicken does not have to be cooked through. Place in casserole dish, or crockpot.

2. Whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour over chicken and either bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or cook on low for 7 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice.


What is your favorite meal to feed a crowd? Any tips for cooking on a budget?

CEiMB and HBi5

Normally I'm supposed to post Craving Ellie in My Belly on Thursdays, but yesterday my brain was only functioning at 50%. The night before I thought I'd act like a college student and stay out half the night with some girlfriends, great times, but I'm left braindead the next day! So, it wasn't until noon today that it hit me "I never posted CEiMB!" My apologies to the folks in the group, but hopefully my "two-in-one" post will make up for it.


This week for CEiMB we made Emerald Stir Fry with Beef, hosted by Alyssa's Two Bites. Now, I enjoy a good stir fry, but I do have to be careful not to make them too often because my husband tends to think that they all taste the same, and he's just not that crazy about them.

I made quite a few changes with this stir fry. I used green beans and a frozen veggie mix in place of the sugar snap peas and asparagus. I also added a little sugar to the sauce to sweeten it a bit. It was good, everyone was pleased, but I do think I have to side with Glenn and agree that it did taste about the same as every other stir fry I make. A delicious dish, just not that exciting. Maybe we'll do shrimp or scallops next time? That might mix it up a bit. You can find the recipe here.

And now for HBi5. The starter this week was a bit different, calling for more things like honey and eggs and I liked it! I made the loaf of bread, which got eaten very fast. It was sweet, soft and great with sandwiches, especially my all time favorite one.



And I made the hamburger buns. The tops were brushed with a bit of butter and sprinkled with a bit of garlic salt, my favorite condiment! To fill them we made our favorite burgers ever. The recipe comes from one of my Weight Watcher cookbooks and they are fantastic. Ground beef mixed with a whole variety of veggies and seasonings, then we just grill them on our Foreman. They have a ton of flavor and would satisfy anyone, whether they're dieting or not!



Mushroom BurgersWeight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon steak sauce
salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion, carrot, celery and garlic until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms; saute until the mushrooms brown and the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2. Spray the broiler racl with nonstick cooking spray; preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, beef, steak sauce, salt and pepper. Form into 4 hamburgers. Broil the burgers 3-4 inches from heat, 5-7 minutes each side, or grill in Foreman Grill.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 153 cal, 8g fat, 3g sat fat, 44mg sod, 1g fiber

Points per Serving: 4

Unfortunately I waited too long to do my apple strudel bread, and the starter wasn't good anymore, drat! I will definitely try it another time though! I'm excited to see how the rest of you clubbers did and have a fantastic weekend ya'll!

The Winners!

Thanks for everyone that participate in the Silpat giveaway. The lucky winners are Jenn and Debbie! Congratulations ladies! I'll contact you to get your info.

And now's the time where I should post a recipe, but to be honest, it's Friday and I'm ready to lounge with my babes. I will leave you with a little rice tip that I discovered the other day though. I always end up making too much rice and I don't really like leftover rice, it just doesn't taste as good to me the next day. So I threw some in a skillet with olive oil, and cracked and egg right into it. I stirred it so the wet egg completely coated the rice, threw in some salt and pepper and kept stirring until the egg was cooked. It gave the rice such a nice flavor and texture, but it wasn't necessarily "eggy" tasting. A bit like fried rice, minus all of the other goodies. My picky little boy ate about three helpings of it, so we'll definitely be trying it again!

What does everyone have planned for the weekend? The area that I live in just had a Whole Foods open up so I'm patiently waiting for my hubby to get home so we can check it out! Is it weird to go to the grocery store on a date? Kim I think I'm going to try and find that cheese and bread that you posted the other day! Anyway, apparently I'm in a rambling mood, so I best be going to before I really get going. Have a wonderful weekend my friends and I'll see you Monday!

Mushroom Risotto

Ever since I discovered the magic of risotto last summer, I've been a bit obsessed. There are so many fun ways to make it, and it's surprisingly healthy, considering how rich and creamy it is. You can serve it for a main course, or a side dish, for lunch or dinner. It's so versatile!

I found this gem at Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, a blog I highly recommend, whether or not you are counting your points! I daresay this has been my most favorite risotto so far, I just love the richness and meatiness of those baby bellas, and the risotto is so creamy. Just be aware that this particular recipe makes a lot. I halved it and still had quite a bit leftover.

Mushroom Risotto
From Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipes

Ingredients

2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
2 cups arborio rice
1 tsp olive oil
3 tsp butter
2 shallots, minced
1 cup white wine
8 cups fat free chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp chopped parsley
Heat chicken stock in a small pot and keep on low heat.

Directions

In a medium size heavy sauce pan, saute garlic in 1 tsp olive oil. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and let the mushrooms cook about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Add butter to the pan on set flame to medium-low heat. Add shallots, sauté about 1 minute. Add rice mixing well until well coated and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper and mix well until it is absorbed into the rice. Ladle 1 cup stock into rice and mix until all stock is absorbed, add another ladle, and continue adding and stirring until all broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and parsley, mix well and serve.

5.5 WW points!

Butternut Squash Risotto

A while ago Sophia at Burp and Slurp posted about going to a cooking class and making risotto with butternut squash. For days I could not get it out of my head and knew that I had to make some pronto. I am such a fan of risotto, and the addition of rich creamy butternut squash made it even better. I loved the orange color and the smooth texture. Pure Fall. Thanks for the great idea Sophia!

Butternut Squash Risotto
By allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup Arborio rice 1/3 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place squash cubes into a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to steam until the squash is tender (10 to 15 minutes), then drain, and mash in a bowl with a fork.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.

3. Pour in the white wine; cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the rice, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the remaining chicken stock, and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Finally, pour in the remaining stock, and continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Garden Risotto

This is really something that I should be posting in the spring. With it's gorgeous green asparagus, spinach and peas, it's the perfect way to celebrate the end of winter. However, since it's just too good to wait until spring, I'll give it to you now, and perhaps it will give you some "spring vibes" during those cold, snowy months!

Surprisingly enough, this was actually my first encounter with risotto, and I finally know why it's so popular! The flavor was so rich, and the rice is so naturally creamy. Risotto takes some attention and time, but it's not difficult at all. And the very best part is that it's a recipe by Ellie Krieger, which means it's not going to be mean to your waistline!

Garden Risotto
By Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound asparagus, steamed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.

Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth if the risotto seems too thick. Serve in soup plates.

Per Serving: 205 cal, 4g fat, 3.5g fiber

Serves 6

Points Per Serving: 4

Sesame Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

I like stir-frys, but I have to be careful not to make them too much because I find I grow tired of them quickly. This particular stir-fry is one that I could eat often, it's very tasty and reminds me of the type of chicken and shrimp I would order for take out. It's packed with veggies and has a very flavorful sauce. I will caution that it doesn't make for the best leftovers, so if you don't plan to cook for a lot of people, you might want to halve this, it makes quite a bit.

And I realized that I have now posted two pictures of my son, but none of my little princess, so here is her debut. She's a hoot and always has something interesting to say!
Have a wonderful weekend ya'll!


Sesame Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir Fry
Found in Cooking Light June 2009

Ingredients

SAUCE:
1 cup water
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used black, it was fine)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

STIR-FRY
2 tablepoons olive oil
12 oz skinless-boneless chicken breasts, but into 1-inch pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup mushrooms halved
1 cup snowpeas trimmed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp cooked and peeled (mine were raw, I just cooked them in the stir-fry and it was fine)
3 cups cooked rice

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and stir-fry for 4 minutes until done. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chopped broccoli and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to the pan; stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender. Return chicken to pan, and stir in shrimp. Add sauce, bring to a boil. REduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Serves: 6 (1 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)

Per Serving: 340 cal, 28g prot, 7.3g fat, 38g carb, 2.7g fiber, 142mg chol, 4.1mg iron, 864mg sod.

Points per Serving: 7

Pumped up Rice and Beans

I tease my parents a lot for getting into funny "food ruts" where they find something they really like and then eat it over and over until they are completely sick of it, and can eat it no longer. One of their big kicks for a while was rice and beans, rice and beans? BORING! But after spending a lunch with them featuring rice and beans, I quickly realized how wrong my assumptions are. There is so much you can do with a simple bowl of rice and beans, without spending a lot of money, or compromising your jeans size! So, here is the way I like mine (not all ingredients will be featured in above picture as I did not have them all on hand!)

Stuff to Pile in your Bowl

white or brown rice
black bean soup, or any canned beans flavored to your liking (they're fine just plain too)
favorite cheese shredded
chopped tomato
chopped avacado
chopped green onion
chopped cilantro
favorite salsa
sour cream
whole grain tortilla chips either for dipping, or crumbling

Of course the possibilities are endless, this is just a start. If I had some shredded pork or chicken, I may have thrown that in there too! Hope you enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

I know that casseroles, especially ones like these, aren't exactly the trendiest meals right now, but how can I possibly turn my back on a dish that loved so much growing up. Not only that, but you can't deny the total deliciousness and simplicity that you get when you make this casserole. It calls for pretty much everything you already have in your cupboard, it take about five minutes to throw together, and I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like this combo of chicken and rice. My kids especially LOVE it. When you make this, try really hard to use chicken thighs, not breasts. I have made this with chicken breasts before, and it's not even close to as good as it is with chicken thighs. Since I have small children, I'll cut the chicken up before baking it, but I prefer it when the chicken thighs are cooked whole. And there is my two cents, ENJOY!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup dry rice
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups water
1 package onion soup mix
1 tablespoon paprika (I just eyeball it)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can full of water (can you tell this is a family recipe!)

Directions

Butter bottom of 9x13 casserole pan. Arrange dry rice at bottom of pan, lay chicken on top and sprinkle with paprika. Dissolve bullion in water and pour over chicken. Sprinkle soup mix over chicken and rice. Mix mushroom soup with 1/2 can water and pour over all. Cover and bake one hour at 350. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes at same temperature.

Kathy, a friend from Three on Food, was nice enough to offer me this really cool award. Thanks so much Kathy!! It's called the Premio Meme award, and with it I'm supposed to list seven things about my personality. Then I'm supposed to pick seven bloggers to pass this award to. It's hard to pick out attributes of my own personality, but I'll do my best, here goes!

1. Positive. Of course we all have down days, or go through experiences that are difficult, but overall I try my hardest to always look on the bright side of any situation. Life is just better that way!

2. Adventurous. Not in the crazy extreme sports kind of way, but I like to put myself out there every once and a while and do something a little scary and unfamiliar. I just ran a 5K on Saturday, something I NEVER thought I'd do, and loved it!

3. Bossy. I'm the oldest of five siblings, so I bossed them a TON growing up. Now I have a husband and two kids to boss, although that side of me is mellowing out quite a bit.

4. Friendly. I really love meeting people and making new friends, so I consider myself pretty outgoing.

5. Restless. I definitely enjoy quiet time, and I really look forward to my evenings after the kids are in bed, but I have to have something to do. It's hard for me to just sit, even if I'm watching a movie, I almost always have to be doing something else to keep my hands busy, otherwise I get bored! It drives my husband crazy and it kind of drives me crazy too. I blame my dad, he's restless too.

6. Curious. I really enjoy learning new things and getting educated whenever I can. I've been out of school for a while while so my husband can finish dental school, but I really look forward to continuing my education when he's finished.

7. Loving. My family and friends are so important to me and I love them with every sugar-soaked cell in my body. I don't know where I'd be without them!

So there you have it! I'd like to pass this award on to the following:

1. Donna, from My Tasty Treasures
2. Jennifer at Bread plus Butter
3. Heidi at Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
4. Coleen at Coleen's Recipes
5. MaryBeth and Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way
6. Dar at Girlichef
7. Ingrid at 3 B's, Baseball, Baking and Books

All of these are fantastic blogs that should be visited often. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice

Can you believe that March is already halfway over?? I haven't even had a chance to let the fact that it's March sink in yet, where is the time going? On the plus side, I have been enjoying the gorgeous weather lately, today was our first day back out to our favorite nature trail to feed the ducks. It was also a quick indication that I need to get my daughter outside and moving more because for a three year old, she sure does whine a lot about having to walk!



Anyway, I'm excited about this recipe. It was found in Cooking Light (surprised?) and it was a fun one to try because it's not normally something I would make. I've never combined these types of ingredients together, and so it was a gamble, but it turned out to be just delicious. The chicken was so flavorful and because of the peanut butter had a very velvety texture. The kids and hubs also loved it, which means I'm sold. Plus, it's rather pretty don't you think?



I'm going to post the original recipe as it appears in the magazine, but I'll tell you how I adapted it. Since I'm trying hard to keep my dinners as family friendly as possible, I cut out the red pepper flakes completely. I also didn't add the curry powder, which I know made a big difference. The biggest reason I omitted it was because I didn't have it when I thought I did, but to be completely honest, curry (at least in powder form) isn't my favorite flavor, I hope we can still be friends! I do plan to try more curry dishes in the future, but without it, this dish still came out wonderful.

This recipe makes a ton (12 servings!), I halved it for my family and there were still a lot of leftovers!

Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice

Found in Cooking Light August 2008 edition

Ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 cups chopped plum tomato (about 6)
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
8 cups rice
3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter and next five ingredients (through tomato paste); cook one minute. Add tomato and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve chicken mixture over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

Serves 12: serving size is 3/4 cups chicken mixture, 2/3 cup brown rice, and 1 tablespoon yogurt.

Per Serving: 340 calories, 7.6g fat, 30g protein, 38g carbs, 4.6g fiber, 56mg chol, 2.1 mg iron

Points per serving: 7