White Bean Chicken Chili

This chili will warm you up as much as a bowl of red chili. It is a little big lighter, but still very hearty and filling. I like to make a pot at the beginning of the week and then have it for lunch for the rest of the week.

9 Servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound diced chicken(used BLSL breast)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 large jar of salsa verde(I used the safeway brand)
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes or Rotel(which I used)
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained & rinsed
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen corn
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
2. Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer until chicken is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips

Nutritional Information(per serving):
Calories: 222 Total Fat: 6.1g Cholesterol: 40mg

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

This pot pie is loaded with veggies and only has one crust instead of two. I know, I know, just one?? I promise its yummy, and you don't have to feel guilty about eating it for dinner or lunch the next day.

6 Servings

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 ribs of celery
4 small red potatoes, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
kosher salt and black pepper
1 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then shred.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a shallow 1½- to 2-quart baking dish.
4. Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Nutritional Information(per serving)
Calories 398 Calories From Fat 36%
Protein 23g
Carbohydrate 37g
Sugar 10g
Fiber 4g
Fat 16g
Sat Fat 4g
Sodium 561mg
Cholesterol 46mg

Swedish Meatballs

I'm posting my recent recipes because I'm craving them like nobody's business! I'm considering walking myself down to Safeway(it's only 1.5 miles round trip) to purchase these ingredients. This craving started with my making a list for Ikea, & then I started thinking about their Swedish Meatballs, which are surprisingly good, and now I think about eating them at least twice a day. You can sub ground turkey in place of the chuck and pork, but to be honest, it will not taste the same. I understand if you don't eat those two animals, but I had to say my piece. Enjoy!

Serves 8(freezes well, see below!)
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork
3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups canned reduced-sodium beef broth
grape or current jelly, cooked egg noodles, chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, panko, 1/2 cup milk, eggs, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and allspice. Mix just until combined.
2.Using a rounded 1-tablespoon measure for each, form mixture into meatballs (you should have about 48). Place meatballs onto two rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
3.Meanwhile, make sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let darken). Gradually whisk in remaining cup milk and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
4.Using a slotted spoon, add meatballs to bowl with sauce; gently toss to combine. Serve as an appetizer, on toothpicks, with jelly on the side; or as a main, over noodles, garnished with parsley, with jelly on the side.

*Frugal tip! To Freeze: Divide meatballs and sauce among airtight containers; freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator (or place containers under cold running water to release frozen blocks). Reheat, thinning sauce with water if necessary. Two meals for the price of one!*

Smoked Salmon Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce

First of all, YUM!!! And second, I don't get to make this dish often because as my husband puts it "It doesn't have any meat"...He's one of those people who needs to have a solid piece of beef, chicken, or fish at every meal. So I make this for girl's night's, his Drill weekends, or if he is out with the boys. I'll find any excuse to make it really because I LOVE IT! Its fast(not healthy..everything in moderation though!)and goes great with a nice big glass of wine, a white Charles Shaw(AKA $2 buck Chuck, at Trader Joe's)goes great with it and its cheap, my personal favorite! Here it goes!

Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 pound farfalle(bowtie, or almost any short pasta. I like orecchiette)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, minced(if you can't find shallot you can use red onion)
1/4 cup vodka
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon(the cold kind not the kind that is shelf stable, please), cut into thin strips
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons minced chives

Directions:
1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the farfalle, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
2.Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the heavy cream and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the smoked salmon, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. In a small bowl, beat the eggs yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of heavy cream.
3.Drain the farfalle. Add it to the skillet and stir well. Add the egg-yolk mixture and stir over low heat until warmed through and the sauce is creamy, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls, scatter the chives on top and serve.

*Frugal tip! Smoked salmon can be a bit pricey. So what I do is stock up on it when I see it is on clearance & put it in my freezer. A couple weeks ago, I got a couple packages for $4.99. YAY for good deals! I do the same thing with the pastas I like(we're trying to switch to whole grain and organic when its possible so if I see that the whole greain organic pastas are on sale, I stock up on them! Its a good tip, you should do it too!*

I love The Olive Garden

Yeah, I know not very gourmet but I really like a few things on their menu. They are simply delicious! My favorite things are the Zuppa Toscana and the plain old Fettuccine Alfredo. MMMMM! If you love those two things, you're in for a treat because I have some yummy copycat recipes for both!!! The Alfredo is NOT diet friendly, but if you only have it every once in a while it's fine! :)

Zuppa Toscana
servings: 6

Ingredients
1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (13.75 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh kale, tough stems removed

Directions
1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the kale into the soup just before serving.


Fettuccine Alfredo
servings 4-6

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 12-ounce box fettuccine pasta (or your choice of pasta)

Directions
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
2. Add the garlic, cream, pepper and salt, and bring mixture to a simmer. Turn the heat down if the mixture reaches a rapid boil or it could boil over. You just want a simmer. Add the cheese, and continue to simmer sauce for 8 minutes or until thick.
3. While sauce cooks, bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook pasta for about 12 minutes or until done, then drain it.
4. Spoon pasta onto serving plates with Alfredo sauce poured over the top.

Mojito!

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than this drink. It cools you down, quenches your thirst, and makes you go "Ahhhhh!"



Ingredients:
1 large sprig of mint
.75 ounces simple syrup
1 oz lime juice
2 oz light rum
3 oz sparkling mineral water
1 half of the lime that you used for juice

Directions:
1. Muddle together the simple syrup and the mint. I have a mortar & pestle & that's where I do it, but you can also just do it right into the pint glass that you will be serving the mojito in. Either way, move it to the glass you will be drinking out of.
2. Add the lime juice, rum, sparkling water, and the lime hull to the glass. Top with ice. Crushed is best but if you've only got cubed, that's fine. Stir to combine, or if you have a cocktail shaker put the shaker over your pint glass(make sure it has made a seal) and give it one nice shake(up & then down once is all that is needed)
3. Sip & enjoy the cooling effect!

**Here is how you make simple syrup**
1 pound (2 cups) granulated cane sugar
2 cups boiling water

Stir together until clear. Let cool and pour into some sort of a container. I use an old jar, but if you're fancy, you can pour it into a bottle with a pour spout.

Baked Blueberry French Toast

This is yummy and not overly sweet! It makes me happy and it makes my handsome honey happy too. It is just delightful.

Ingredients:
1 day old baguette or loaf of french bread, cut into cubes
1 pint blueberries
12 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
8 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
Maple syrup (optional)

Directions:
1.Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries, reserving a few for garnish.
2.In a mixing bowl, beat cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Gradually add milk until blended. Pour half over bread. Top with remaining bread, then remaining cheese mixture. Cover and chill overnight or up to 24 hours.
3.Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350ºF about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with reserved blueberries. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Baja Style Fish Tacos

This is my favorite homemade fish taco recipe. The secret is in the sauce! It is cool and creamy but has a nice kick! YUMMY! This is usually a summer time recipe so it uses a lot of shortcuts(prepackaged ingredients).

Ingredients:
1 bag shredded cabbage
1 12oz bag corn tortillas
1 box beer battered fish tenders

For the sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and put it in the fridge to get nice & cold and also to let the flavors combine. **I wear rubber gloves when I handle the jalapenos because if you get the oil under your nails & then rub your eye it is MURDER so please use caution!!**
2. Bake the fish according to the package directions. I usually go a couple minutes longer to make them nice & crispy.
3. I like to steam my tortillas so they are more pliable, you can do this with a steamer basket or even easier in the microwave. Just wrap them in a damp paper towel & zap them for 15 seconds or so.
4. Assemble your taco! This is how I put mine together: Tortilla, cabbage, fish(I use 2 per taco), sauce. And of course you can add diced tomatoes, onions, avocado slices, whatever your heart desires!

These are the tenders I use:

Shepherd's Pie

This is one of those dishes that I love to make when its "officially fall". You know there is a definite chill in the air & you're cold all the time(maybe that's just me)? This will keep you warm, fill you up AND best of all it is GREAT as a lunch the next day!! Seriously, you can make a pan of this & keep it in your fridge all week for lunches. MMMMM! All things considered, it isn't too bad for you. You can substitute ground turkey for the beef and you can use the super low fat soups instead of the regular ones! Ta-da!! Oh yeah, its cheap too! My personal favorite!

Shepherd's Pie
Servings 8-ish

Ingredients
5 potatoes
1 pound(or so) lean ground beef(or turkey)
1 package whole or sliced mushrooms(or as many as you want!)
1 (15 ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. This is where you can absolutely make the recipe yours. I take my potatoes, leave the skin on & chop them into quarters or smaller, toss them into a pot of water and boil them until they are tender. Then I drain them, add some milk or cream(which ever I have), butter(lots if I'm not being "good"), and mix them up with my hand mixer, adding salt & pepper to taste. So do what you like for your potatoes!
3. Slice your mushrooms & saute over medium heat in about 2 tablespoons of butter, set aside.
4. Brown your beef(or turkey), drain & then mix in both cans of soup, the bag of mixed veggies and the mushrooms.
5. Take that scrumptious mixture & put it on your 9x13 dish, spread it out all nice & even. Top your meat & veggies with your mashed potatoes & spread that out to cover your meat & veggies.
6. I personally love butter. Shocking, I know. Anyhow, I dot the top of my shepherd's pie with some butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake it in your preheated oven for 30 min. And then enjoy it because it is YUMMY!