I love browsing through cookbooks. I have a vast collection of books to look through but of course the fastest way now days it to just look it up on the internet. I find most of my recipes that way but I still love to read cookbooks. Have you ever read one of Paula Deens cookbooks? They have the cutest stories to go with the recipes. My favorite cookbooks to read are the older ones from the 1950's. There are tips on how to make your man happy and have a happy household. It makes me laugh to think about doing those things now. My how times have changed.
I found this very basic recipe for chicken tortilla soup and have made it my own. I have added legumes and corn to it for the added fiber. I also added tomato paste to give it more flavor.
EASY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP--JAZZED UP
2 cans of chicken broth OR 1 can of chicken broth + 1 can water
1 cup of cooked, cubed lean boneless chicken
1/2 can Ro-Tel diced tomato & green chili ***
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 15 oz can chick peas or any bean
1/2 10 oz bag frozen corn or 1 can corn
chili powder to taste
garlic power to taste
shredded low fat cheese
sliced avocado
homemade totilla strips (recipe included)
In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine all ingredients except last 3. Simmer about 10 minutes. Serve soup hot over tortilla strips with shredded cheese and avacodo on top.
***I use the whole can and sometimes add extra green chilis. If you want more heat, you could add jalepeno.
HOMEMADE TORTILLA STRIPS
slice corn tortillas into thin strips. Spray with non-stick spray and place on cookie sheet in preheated 375 degree oven until crisp.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Speedy Cassoulet
This great recipe can be made either on the stove top or the crockpot. I have made it both ways and it turns out great.
SPEEDY CASSOULET
1 can (15-16 oz) cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) dice tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) readt-to-serve chicken broth
1/2 pound fully cooked turkey kielbasa (Polish or smoke sausage), cut into 1/2 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped bell peppers , thawed***
seasoned bread crumbs, if desired
STOVE: Heat beans, tomatoes, broth and turkey kielbasa to boiling in a 3-quart saucepan, stirring occasional; reduce heat.
Stir in bell peppers. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bread crumbs
CROCKPOT: Put everything in the crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours.
***We prefer our bell pepper cooked through so I always add it at the beginning instead of the end.
1 serving: calories 345 (calories from fat 155); fat 17g (sat. 6g); cholesterol 35mg; sodium 1200mg; carbohydrate 36g (dietary fiber 9g); protein 21g)
% daily value: vitamin A 10%; vitamin C 52%; calcium 14%; iron 30%
diet exchanges: 2 starch, 2 1/2 medium-fat meat, 1 vegetable
10-12-06 I guess I really like this recipe because I was just looking through old posts and realized I also posted it on July 7th. At least this one had the calories for you! It really is yummy and comes together fast.
SPEEDY CASSOULET
1 can (15-16 oz) cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) dice tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) readt-to-serve chicken broth
1/2 pound fully cooked turkey kielbasa (Polish or smoke sausage), cut into 1/2 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped bell peppers , thawed***
seasoned bread crumbs, if desired
STOVE: Heat beans, tomatoes, broth and turkey kielbasa to boiling in a 3-quart saucepan, stirring occasional; reduce heat.
Stir in bell peppers. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bread crumbs
CROCKPOT: Put everything in the crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours.
***We prefer our bell pepper cooked through so I always add it at the beginning instead of the end.
1 serving: calories 345 (calories from fat 155); fat 17g (sat. 6g); cholesterol 35mg; sodium 1200mg; carbohydrate 36g (dietary fiber 9g); protein 21g)
% daily value: vitamin A 10%; vitamin C 52%; calcium 14%; iron 30%
diet exchanges: 2 starch, 2 1/2 medium-fat meat, 1 vegetable
10-12-06 I guess I really like this recipe because I was just looking through old posts and realized I also posted it on July 7th. At least this one had the calories for you! It really is yummy and comes together fast.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Should I change the name of my blog?
So I'm thinking I should change the name of my blog to "Cooking Healthy with a Crockpot" because I have been trying new recipes all week. I found 2 great recipes that are both tasty and healthy! I haven't been doing any baking because....well it's not not so healthy. It could be if I didn't scarf up all the cupcakes/cookies/pumpkin anything in the first 5 minutes but that's not going to happen any time soon. I'm an emotional eater and tend to turn to food when I'm happy/sad/everything. I'm trying to change that but after almost 37 years it's kind of hard. Are you wishing I would quit blabbering about my problems and just get to the recipes yet??? Here they are
SOUTHWEST STEAK AND BEANS
1-1/2 lbs. flank steak*
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. jar chunky salsa
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed**
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice***
Trim excess fat from steak. Place onions and garlic in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker and top with steak. Mix salsa, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over meat. Top with drained black beans. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat from slow cooker and slice into thin strips against the grain. Turn heat to high and return beef to slow cooker along with sliced peppers. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender. Serve with rice. 6 servings.
*I couldn't find flank steak at my little grocery so I used bottom round steak. After 8 hours in the crockpot it basically just flaked into chunks so I never got to slice it. It was very tender.
**I found out I really don't like black beans. I think next time I make it, I will use pinto or red kidney beans.
***We ate it more like a stew and put low fat sour cream and low fat cheese on top. We also each had a flour tortilla to scoop it up. Kind of like eating picadillo or green chili stew. Very yummy and filling.
CHICKEN CACCIATORE
3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine *
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Place all ingredients in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Serve with hot cooked pasta, if desired. 6 servings
*didn't add the wine b/c I don't drink wine.
This was very good! I served it over egg noodles.
I had a few tips for both these recipes. Since I know I'm going to be in a hurry in the morning when I start the crockpot, I try to cut any veggies up and put them in baggies in the fridge the night before. I also set any can goods, spices, etc on the counter with the crockpot. I always spray my crockpot with non-stick spray. It makes clean up so much easier. Lastly, since I'm using the bell peppers in the crockpot, I checked the discounted veggies section. Instead of paying $.89 each I got 2 red, 1 yellow and 1 green for $1.50!
Even though we are trying to eat healthier, I still want great flavor. This is why I found recipes that would give us that. I have also been making my lunches taste good. Today I made chicken salad with a can of chicken, 1 tbs of light mayo, 1/2 a small chopped Granny Smith apple, 10 grapes sliced, 2 tbs pecans pieces, salt and pepper. Mix and serve on a bed of romane lettuce or spinach leaves (if we can ever eat them again). I sliced the rest of the apple and put it around the edge of the plate and had a few thin wheat crackers with it. Arby's makes a similar sandwich filling that I love but they use tons more mayo. I got the same results with much less LITE Miracle Whip.
Stay tuned for more healthy crockpot recipes!!
SOUTHWEST STEAK AND BEANS
1-1/2 lbs. flank steak*
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. jar chunky salsa
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed**
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice***
Trim excess fat from steak. Place onions and garlic in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker and top with steak. Mix salsa, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over meat. Top with drained black beans. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat from slow cooker and slice into thin strips against the grain. Turn heat to high and return beef to slow cooker along with sliced peppers. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender. Serve with rice. 6 servings.
*I couldn't find flank steak at my little grocery so I used bottom round steak. After 8 hours in the crockpot it basically just flaked into chunks so I never got to slice it. It was very tender.
**I found out I really don't like black beans. I think next time I make it, I will use pinto or red kidney beans.
***We ate it more like a stew and put low fat sour cream and low fat cheese on top. We also each had a flour tortilla to scoop it up. Kind of like eating picadillo or green chili stew. Very yummy and filling.
CHICKEN CACCIATORE
3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine *
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Place all ingredients in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Serve with hot cooked pasta, if desired. 6 servings
*didn't add the wine b/c I don't drink wine.
This was very good! I served it over egg noodles.
I had a few tips for both these recipes. Since I know I'm going to be in a hurry in the morning when I start the crockpot, I try to cut any veggies up and put them in baggies in the fridge the night before. I also set any can goods, spices, etc on the counter with the crockpot. I always spray my crockpot with non-stick spray. It makes clean up so much easier. Lastly, since I'm using the bell peppers in the crockpot, I checked the discounted veggies section. Instead of paying $.89 each I got 2 red, 1 yellow and 1 green for $1.50!
Even though we are trying to eat healthier, I still want great flavor. This is why I found recipes that would give us that. I have also been making my lunches taste good. Today I made chicken salad with a can of chicken, 1 tbs of light mayo, 1/2 a small chopped Granny Smith apple, 10 grapes sliced, 2 tbs pecans pieces, salt and pepper. Mix and serve on a bed of romane lettuce or spinach leaves (if we can ever eat them again). I sliced the rest of the apple and put it around the edge of the plate and had a few thin wheat crackers with it. Arby's makes a similar sandwich filling that I love but they use tons more mayo. I got the same results with much less LITE Miracle Whip.
Stay tuned for more healthy crockpot recipes!!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Healthy eating has begun
Neal and I are both trying to lose some weight so we are eating healthier and I'm exercising! I've been looking up recipes for us to try and found a few new ones I'm going to try this week. Today I made minestrone soup for us to take for lunches and it smells soooo good! I've already divided it into containers so we can just grab one and go.
MINESTRONE SOUP
6 servings
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15-16oz) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 small zucchini, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti
1 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, crushed
Heat all ingredients to boiling in Dutch oven, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
I made a few changes by using diced tomato instead of whole and used chicken bouillon cubes instead of veggie. I added extra Italian seasoning and some pepper. I started it on the stove but my pan was not big enough so I put it in my 6qt crockpot and it came to the top. I would advise not putting the elbow macaroni in the crockpot because it tends to not cook. If you are going to cook it in the crockpot, cook your pasta separate and just add some in your bowl when you serve it.
This recipe is Low Calorie, Low Fat, and High in Fiber.
1 serving: calories 240 (calories from fat 25); fat 3g (saturated 1g); cholesterol 5mg; sodium 900mg; carbohydrate 47g (dietary fiber 9g); protien 15g.
diet exchange: 2 starches, 3 vegetables
MINESTRONE SOUP
6 servings
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15-16oz) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (8oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 small zucchini, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti
1 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, crushed
Heat all ingredients to boiling in Dutch oven, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
I made a few changes by using diced tomato instead of whole and used chicken bouillon cubes instead of veggie. I added extra Italian seasoning and some pepper. I started it on the stove but my pan was not big enough so I put it in my 6qt crockpot and it came to the top. I would advise not putting the elbow macaroni in the crockpot because it tends to not cook. If you are going to cook it in the crockpot, cook your pasta separate and just add some in your bowl when you serve it.
This recipe is Low Calorie, Low Fat, and High in Fiber.
1 serving: calories 240 (calories from fat 25); fat 3g (saturated 1g); cholesterol 5mg; sodium 900mg; carbohydrate 47g (dietary fiber 9g); protien 15g.
diet exchange: 2 starches, 3 vegetables
Thursday, September 14, 2006
I have not fallen off the face of the Earth
Contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth! It's just been extremely crazy around here.
I have wanted to change the bedrooms around in the house for a year and finally found the right weekend to do it. I had to find a weekend that I had 3 days off, Neal would be working, and I didn't have anything planned...Labor Day weekend! Neal working was pretty important because if any of you have done anything like this before, you know that having your husband around will drive you crazy. I also had to have a few days to do this in because you can't just move one room and leave the rest until later.
The week before the "big move" I worked on getting the rooms ready. Saturday morning I got up bright and early and started moving things out of Kinsey's room into the living room. Next I cleaned the room and started moving my craft room into Kinsey's old room. That took most of the day. Sunday I finished moving the craft room then cleaned it. After lunch, I started moving our bedroom furniture into the old craft room. I cleaned our room and moved Kinsey's stuff into our old room. Monday I sorted through toys and clothes in Kinsey's room. I still have to change the closets around but that just hasn't gotten done.
When I was doing all this moving around, I found out that our village was having a village wide yard sale on the following Saturday. My sister and I decided to have a sale at her house so I spent all week going through things and pricing stuff. On Friday night we set up our canopy's in her yard and set out some stuff. Saturday morning we put out our signs and had a running start. We both sold a lot and made more than we could imagine. I ended up with 2 boxes of stuff left and she had 2 wheel barrows full of stuff.
Sunday, Neal, Kinsey, and I decided to drive down to Alamogordo and look at metal storage sheds for our yard. My plan is (was?) to get rid of the storage unit we pay for and to put stuff from the craft closet in there. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's then had dinner at Chili's. On the way home we were 2 miles from the house and hit a deer! It tore up the front of my SUV. This week I have been dealing with insurance adjusters and body shops. My beloved SUV will be fixed next week. Here is a picture of the damage.
Kinsey is loving Kindergarten and comes home everyday with new things she has learned. I'm so glad she likes it so much!
Thanks for reading this and keeping up with our crazy life!
I have wanted to change the bedrooms around in the house for a year and finally found the right weekend to do it. I had to find a weekend that I had 3 days off, Neal would be working, and I didn't have anything planned...Labor Day weekend! Neal working was pretty important because if any of you have done anything like this before, you know that having your husband around will drive you crazy. I also had to have a few days to do this in because you can't just move one room and leave the rest until later.
The week before the "big move" I worked on getting the rooms ready. Saturday morning I got up bright and early and started moving things out of Kinsey's room into the living room. Next I cleaned the room and started moving my craft room into Kinsey's old room. That took most of the day. Sunday I finished moving the craft room then cleaned it. After lunch, I started moving our bedroom furniture into the old craft room. I cleaned our room and moved Kinsey's stuff into our old room. Monday I sorted through toys and clothes in Kinsey's room. I still have to change the closets around but that just hasn't gotten done.
When I was doing all this moving around, I found out that our village was having a village wide yard sale on the following Saturday. My sister and I decided to have a sale at her house so I spent all week going through things and pricing stuff. On Friday night we set up our canopy's in her yard and set out some stuff. Saturday morning we put out our signs and had a running start. We both sold a lot and made more than we could imagine. I ended up with 2 boxes of stuff left and she had 2 wheel barrows full of stuff.
Sunday, Neal, Kinsey, and I decided to drive down to Alamogordo and look at metal storage sheds for our yard. My plan is (was?) to get rid of the storage unit we pay for and to put stuff from the craft closet in there. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's then had dinner at Chili's. On the way home we were 2 miles from the house and hit a deer! It tore up the front of my SUV. This week I have been dealing with insurance adjusters and body shops. My beloved SUV will be fixed next week. Here is a picture of the damage.
Kinsey is loving Kindergarten and comes home everyday with new things she has learned. I'm so glad she likes it so much!
Thanks for reading this and keeping up with our crazy life!
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