Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato & Balsamic Sauce – DELICIOUS and low fat!!!

Tags

balsamic, Chicken, Cooking, entree, Food, healthy, low-fat, main dish, oregano, Poultry, recipe, tomato

Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato & Balsamic Sauce

I think chicken is my favorite protein to cook with! It’s so versatile, healthy and just delicious! This dish was even more delicious than what I expected going in. I want to make it again, so I told myself I definitely needed to blog this recipe. Because yes, I do cook from my own blog! LOL! They are recipes that I loved enough to take the time to document and photograph, so in my book that means they’re worth revisiting!

Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato and Balsamic Sauce

Serves 4 people

Cooking time: 45 minutes

4 chicken thighs (I used bone-in with skin removed, as they add more flavor, but you could do boneless and reduce cooking time)

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 tsp avocado or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I buy the multicolored heirloom cherry tomatoes. Delicious!!!)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (Only use wine you would drink. If it’s not good enough for drinking, it’s not good enough for cooking!)

2 tsp capers, drained

2 tbsp lemon juice

Add oil to non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Season one side of chicken with 1/2 of salt and rosemary and add to pan, seasoned side down. Season other side of chicken. Brown chicken on each side for about 2-3 minutes per side. When browned but not cooked all the way through, remove to plate and stick in a 350 oven while you continue cooking sauce.

Turn the heat on your frying pan down to medium-low and add garlic and shallots (You don’t want to burn your garlic! It turns bitter, ruins your dish and that pan is done!) stir until shallots are softened. Add vinegar and cook until mostly evaporated, scrapping the bottom of the pan while it cooks to get the yummy stuff off the bottom and into your sauce.

Stir in tomato halves, capers, chicken broth, wine, lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer until well mixed. Add your chicken back in to the plan and turn to coat with sauce. Cover the pan and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, turning chicken once, until chicken registers at least 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

This is great served over rice! The sauce is fabulous, so you want something to soak up that goodness!!! I paired it with some artichokes cooked with lemon and garlic. So good!!!

I hope you enjoy!!!

Healthy Potato Leek Soup in the Pressure Cooker in 30 Minutes!

Tags

healthy, instant pot, low-fat, Potato Leek Soup, Pressure Cooker, vegan, vegetarian

As one of my food blogger friends recently noted, I am like a kid in a candy store with my new pressure cooker! I am constantly amazed at how quickly it cooks and how flavor infused the foods are. Not everything I’ve made has been a homerun, but this Potato Leek soup was a grand slam!!!

First of all, the soup was delicious!!! While it was a meat-free meal, it was hearty enough to be a stand-alone entrée. I just served it with a slice of French bread. Second, when you look at the ingredients it was a pretty darn healthy, low-fat meal that could easily be altered to be completely vegan and still be incredibly tasty. Third, the entire process to make this soup took about 30 minutes!!! 30 MINUTES!!! For those of us that love to cook and have busy schedules, this pressure cooker is a handy tool to make delicious food in a short amount of time.

So here is the recipe. I’ve made notes on some of the ingredients that could be changed to convert this to a vegan soup. I did taste my soup prior to the last step of adding the half and half and it already tasted great at that point, so if you want it vegan or just want to save the calories, this is a viable option.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, these same ingredients could be cooked on the stovetop or in your slow cooker, but it would just take longer. Basically, you would want to cook it until the potatoes are very tender.

Potato Leek Soup

3 tbsp olive oil

6 cups leeks, chopped (Don’t use the tough, dark green parts at the top)

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

3 tbsp flour

6 cups broth (I used homemade turkey broth. You could also use vegetable broth for a vegan soup.)

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

¾ cup fat free half and half (You can leave this out for a vegan soup.)

Set your pressure cooker to sauté or do this step on the stove in a separate pan. Pour in olive oil. Once heated, saute the leeks for about 6-7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add flour and continue stirring for another minute. Stir in salt and pepper and slowly add broth as stirring. Add potatoes. Put the lid on your pressure cooker and lock. Set the release valve to Pressure Cook, not steam. Set the cooker to Pressure Cook setting for 10 minutes. Once cooking cycle is complete let pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend soup or pour into a blender. Blend until smooth. Then stir in half and half, if you wish. Taste and add additional seasoning, if needed.

Enjoy!

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker – A Revelation for me!!!

Tags

chili, ground turkey, low sodium, low-fat, Pressure Cooker

I’m one of those weird foodie women that loves getting kitchen equipment as gifts. My wonderful hubby bought me this 8 quart pressure cooker for Christmas this year. My son-in-law has been singing the praises of these things and I’ve been wanting one, so my wish has been granted! Last night I used it to make Turkey Chili and wow, just wow!!! My recipe wasn’t really any different that what I’ve used in my slow cooker or dutch oven on the stove, but the flavor was so much better! Every bite was full of flavor! The meat and beans were infused with the wonderful flavors of the tomato, garlic, onion and spices. It was just so delectable! That being said, I was also able to still keep the fat and salt levels to a minimum. Win! Win!

So if you’re like me an new to the pressure cooker scene, here is a great starter recipe for you! My friend, Lisa, also received one and requested some tips, so here you go my friend!

I’ve also given some choices i this recipe, so if you’re missing some ingredients you don’t have to buy new things and you can play with the spice level. While I added quit a few spicy ingredients, I found this recipe to still be on the mild to medium side.

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker

Makes 4-5 servings

1 pound Extra Lean or Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 large or 1 small red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper or more chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (Leave out to reduce heat)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup beef broth

14 oz can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

14 oz can black beans or more kidney beans, rinsed and drained

4 oz can diced green chilies

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste (Tip: I find most recipes call for these smaller amounts, so I buy the tube of paste, not so many of the cans)

2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or a hot sauce of your choice (You can leave this out to reduce heat)

Optional, but yummy toppings: sour cream, diced green onions, shredded cheese

My pressure cooker has a non-stick pot, so I just sprayed it with some cooking spray to start. If your’s doesn’t have a non-stick pot you will want to coat well with oil. I then used the meat (or saute) function to cook the meat, onion and garlic until the meat was lightly browned and onion was tender. Next add all the remaining ingredients and give a stir. Close and lock your pressure cooker. Set to high and let it get fully pressurized then lower heat to low pressure and cook for 15 minutes. I then let the pressure escape naturally and then opened and served.

The whole thing took about 30 minutes and tasted better than slow cooked chili of the same recipe.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake – I Lowered the Fat and Simplified the Process! Can’t Beat That!!!

Tags

baking, dessert, low-fat, lowfat, Pumpkin Cheesecake

So first try at cheesecake with a berry topping was delicious, but didn’t set up the way it should. I would not be defeated!!! I was getting in the fall mood last weekend and decided to try again with a pumpkin cheesecake. This one was a winner!!!! It had a firm, yet silky texture and the wonderful, comforting taste of pumpkin. I’m not usually a fan of pumpkin pie, but the cream cheese ads a wonderful tang to this dessert!

Tip: In my first attempt at cheesecake I learned that you can’t cut out all the fat and expect it to set up nicely. This version is a compromise. I used the reduced fat cream cheese and used full fat sour cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 Pre-made graham cracker crust

2 – 8 oz blocks of reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream (full fat – see tip above)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients one by one while continuing to beat. I used my stand mixer for this. Pour filling into crust. You will likely have some leftover. I poured this into small oven safe bowls and baked as well. Making little custard like bowls. Place dishes on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken – Quick, Easy and Flavorful!!!

Tags

Baked, basil, dipping sauce, Easy, Honey Mustard Chicken, low-fat, Quick

We all have our go to foods, but sometimes you just crave something different. I’ve eaten honey mustard sauces out, but I’ve never made my own. Heck, I seem to remember that McDonalds has a honey mustard sauce for their chicken nuggets. I almost never eat fast food, so honestly don’t know if they still have that sauce or not, but they did when I worked there in high school! Anyway, the other night I had some chicken breast tenders thawed out and thought I would make some honey mustard chicken. These couldn’t have been any easier and my family loved them! They had a great, tangy flavor!

Tip: Before you start brushing the raw chicken with the sauce, set some aside for dipping with your meal. I made the mistake of diving in with the basting brush and once the sauce was tainted with raw chicken it was unusable unless I cooked it. It’s easy to make more sauce, as it is just equal parts of mustard and honey.

Honey Mustard Chicken

1 pound chicken

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together your mustard and honey. Set some aside for dipping later and don’t put your basting brush in it, so it’s not contaminated with raw chicken. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and lay on baking sheet. Baste both side of chicken with honey mustard sauce and then sprinkle with fresh basil. Bake chicken 30-45 minutes until cooked through. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your pieces. My chicken tenders cooked pretty quickly, but full size breasts or thighs  will take longer. Serve extra sauce with cooked chicken for dipping!

Enjoy!

Italian Sausage and Spicy Cream Sauce Over Pasta – Low-fat, Easy and Delicious!!!

Tags

Easy, Italian Sausage and Spicy Cream Sauce, low-fat, pasta, tomato, tomatoes

For some reason the turkey Italian sausage is always marked down at my local grocery store. I can’t resist a good deal, so I have a bunch of that sausage in my freezer. I figured I better use some of that stuff! I make my marinara sauce quite frequently, so I wanted to try something a little different last night. This spicy cream tomato sauce was delicious!!! Since I used sweet sausage, the dish wasn’t overly spicy, so even the sensitive palette would enjoy it, but you could easily spice it up even more by using spicy sausage and adding additional red pepper flakes. This would be an easy dish to multiply and serve to a large group too!

Italian Sausage and Spicy Cream Sauce Over Pasta

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 pound turkey Italian sausage, remove from casing

3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste (Tip: Buying the tomato paste in a tube (vs. a can) is perfect for this type of recipe. You can squeeze out what you need, cap it and put it back in the fridge. Rather than using a partial can and likely throwing away the rest.)

1/2 cup fat free half and half

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 – 13 oz box of pasta (I had whole wheat rotini pasta on hand, so I used that.)

I cooked in my dutch oven, but you could also use a large skillet. Spray pan with olive oil spray and heat to medium high heat. Add onions and cook until tender. Add sausage and cook, breaking up into small pieces. When sausage is almost completely browned, add garlic and cook another minute. Add all tomato products, stir well and reduce to low. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, you can boil your pasta in salted water. In the last couple minutes of sauce simmering, add the half and half and cheese and stir. Drain pasta and pour into large bowl. Spoon sausage and sauce over pasta and serve. 8 servings.

Mangia bene!!!

Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Spinach – Warm, Creamy Goodness!!!

Tags

Carrots, creamy, Gnocchi Soup, low-fat, spinach, vegetarian

I just love gnocchi!! They are wonderful, fluffy little pillows of potato-ey goodness! Now you add some veggies and a generous amount of creamy sauce and you have a tasty, comforting soup that will warm your soul this fall and winter! This creamy sauce could get out of control with the fat content, but in an effort to keep this reasonable I used fat free creamer to keep the fat content down. I also used pre-made gnocchi, which made this dish quick and easy to make. 

Leaving out the chicken would easily make this a delicious and still hearty vegetarian meal!

Creamy Gnocchi Soup With Spinach

3 -4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and diced (I baked it for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees)

4 cups fat free chicken stock (I used my home made stock)

2 cups fat free half-and-half

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1⁄2 carrot, shredded (Use a vegetable peeler or julianne)

1⁄2 onion, diced

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper

16 ounces pre-made potato gnocchi (You can find this in the pasta aisle)

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot over medium heat until onion is translucent.

Mix cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of half and half in a small bowl until smooth, set aside. Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme to frying pan and then stir in cornstarch mixture. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Enjoy!!!

Shepard’s Pie – A Healthier Version of a Warming Classic!

Tags

ground turkey, low-fat, Mashed potatoes, Shepard's Pie, vegetables

It’s officially fall and getting to be the time of year where we crave warm, comforting food. I was trying to think of something I hadn’t made in a while and Shepard’s Pie came to mind. This is one of those wonderful dishes that provides everything in one dish; meat, potatoes and vegetables. I used low-fat ingredients to make a lighter version and I was very happy with how it turned out! It had all the delicious flavor and hearty textures you would expect of Shepard’s Pie, without being loaded with fat.

You can get creative with the vegetables in this dish. My recipe includes what I had on hand, but you could substitute a variety of things. You could also completely replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes or do a half & half version. Get creative with it!!!!

Shepard’s Pie

5 russet potatoes, peeled and halved

1/2 cup non-fat milk

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper
2 carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

1 pound extra lean ground turkey

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup fat free chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (optional)

Mashed potato topping: Boil potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Mash potatoes. Add milk, sour cream, garlic and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well until smooth.

Make your pie filling while potatoes are cooking. I used an oven safe deep frying pan, so I could use it for my final product and not dirty another pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pie filling: Spray frying pan with canola oil spray. Over medium high heat, saute carrots and onion until tender. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute another couple of minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir well. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Remove filling from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so. Spoon mashed potatoes over filling in frying pan and spread to cover evenly. Bake uncovered in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese, if you wish and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy!!!

15 Bean Soup – Keeping it Lean and Low Sodium

Tags

15 Bean Soup, heart healthy, low sodium, low-fat, pork, slow cooker, Slow Cooking

Lately I have taken up the challenge of cooking low sodium meals. My mother-in-law, who has congestive heart failure, just had open heart surgery. She’s not yet well enough to cook for herself, so I’ve been trying to help out. She is supposed to eat less that 2000mg of sodium a day; that’s one teaspoon!!! Eating out or even pre-made food from the store is basically out of the question if you’re going to meet this goal. Making meals that help her meet this goal has definitely been a learning experience! This 15 bean soup has been one of my favorite meals thus far. While keeping the salt level low, it still had lots of flavor, was packed with fiber, was lowfat and was also easy to make. Of course, you can always add more salt, if that is not an issue for you, but in case you are also looking for low sodium, great tasting foods I’ll give the recipe as I made it.

I wanted to add some meat to add to the heartiness of the soup. I looked to see if I could find a low sodium sausage. I was not successful! Even the sausages that said they contained “30% Less Salt”, less than what??? A salt lick??? So I kept scouring the meat section. Ham hocks? Nope! And then I found some unseasoned pork tenderloin that was cut into small pieces, like stew meat. This did the trick! If you can’t find this in your store, you could always buy a tenderloin and cut it up into bite size pieces yourself.

15 Bean Soup

1 pound unseasoned pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 large onion, diced

1 20 oz bag 15 bean soup mix, found in bean section of grocery store

1/2 of seasoning packet included in bean soup mix (Even with the whole packet the sodium level in the whole recipe was only 70 mg, but I decided to only use half and add some other seasonings)

8 cups water

1 – 14.5 oz can of reduced salt diced tomatoes (luckily most tomato products come in reduced salt versions)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

Juice of 1 lemon or 3 tbsp of bottled juice

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Pepper to taste

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and brown pork over medium high heat. When almost browned add the onions and saute until tender and meat is browned. Add meat, onions and all other ingredients to a slow cooker, give a stir and cover. Cook over low heat for 8 hours.

As mentioned above, if you’re not watching your sodium some added salt would be a good add.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – An Easy, Healthy Version of a Family Staple

Tags

Carrots, Chicken Noodle Soup, healthy, low cholesterol, low sodium, low-fat, oregano

I know it’s summer, but it’s never the wrong time for a good bowl of soup! My in-laws have been having some health issues, so we’re trying to stock up their fridge and freezer with some easy, healthy meals. My father-in-law loves soup, so I figured I would make some Chicken Noodle Soup. What is more comforting than a big bowl of delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup??? My goal with this batch was to keep the sodium and cholesterol to a minimum as my mother-in-law is on a cardiac diet. That is one of the joys of cooking from scratch. You’re in control! And it is possible to keep fantastic flavor and make a healthy meal!

I used lots of herbs and fresh ingredients to give this soup plenty of flavor. Of course, if you’re not watching your sodium you can add more salt, but I found this to taste great without much.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

3-4 medium size carrots, finely chopped (I used my Pampered Chef chopper to get the fine chop quickly)

1/2 large white onion, finely diced (I’ve also used leeks in the past. These add a really nice subtle flavor)

1 tbsp fresh or dried oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, diced or pressed

1 tsp garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

16 oz whole wheat fettuccine noodles or rotini pasta

Put all ingredients, except pasta in a slow cooker and give a gentle stir. Cook on low for 6 hours. Gently remove chicken breasts to a cutting board and use two forks to shred them, then add back to the slow cooker. Add pasta and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until pasta is cooked. This soup freezes well if you want to save it for later.

Enjoy!