Dinner with Jennifer: August 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Taco Soup

From my law school friend Jamie.

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 can of Rotel
1 can black beans
2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can water
1 can yellow hominy
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 small can green chilies or 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Cumin, salt, pepper to taste

Brown the meat together with the onion. Drain. Mix in the other ingredients in the crock pot. Cook all day on low.

Chicken Spaghetti

from my friend Jamey from law school:

1 package of chicken breast or 3 cans of canned chicken (I would rather vomit than eat canned chicken...but apparently you can eat canned chicken and be OK because that is how the recipe was given to me...)
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 package of spaghetti
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 jar of cheese whiz
cheddar cheese

Cook the chicken breast and cut into small pieces. Saute the onion and celery in butter and pepper. Cook the spaghetti. Add it all together except for the cheddar cheese. Put in a 9x13 baking dish, and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

My girls used to call this "Funny Hamburgers."

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (can mix in ground turkey too)
1 diced onion
1 T celery seed or celery salt
2 c. tomato or tomato sauce

Brown the ground meat and then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer together for 15-20 minutes. Serve on toasted buns with a slice of cheese.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Easy Italian--Spaghetti and Pita Pizzas

I love Italian food so much, and lately everything I eat tastes fancier and yummier with a few sprinkles of goat cheese and some fresh basil leaves (straight out of the back yard) on it.

Spaghetti:

To make this healthier, remember to use whole wheat noodles. Read the package carefully, because sometimes noodles labeled as "wheat" are not the healthy "whole wheat." If you are trying to get used to whole wheat, try angel hair or some other fine pasta, rather than trying to choke down some thick spaghetti.

For sauce, check out the new Giada lines of pasta at Target. Also, Bertolli has some good sauce. Whatever kind of sauce you use, read the label very carefully and make sure sugar is not listed as an ingredient. Sugar is hiding in a lot of sauces, and is unnecessary and can sabotage your efforts to lose weight.

After you cook the sauce, you can add in crushed tomatoes or chopped fresh tomatoes for extra flavor.

Of course, sprinkle with goat cheese, add a few cherry or grape tomatoes, maybe some capers and black olives, and a few leaves of fresh basil. Yum-o.

Pita pizzas:

A few years ago, my friends introduced me to this wonderful easy Italian dinner. Top some pita bread (look for whole wheat or low carb for a healthier option) with some tomato sauce (see above), Italian blend cheese (mozzarella, parmesan), and top with your favorite toppings. Throw in the oven on broil and watch very carefully to make sure it does not burn. It is wonderful and takes about five minutes to cook.

Chicken Tortilla Pie

This is a Cooking Light recipe that looks wonderful.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup Fresh Salsa
1 cup spicy black bean dip (such as Guiltless Gourmet)
4 (8-inch) multigrain flour tortillas (such as Tumaro's)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine chicken and salsa in a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1/4 cup black bean dip over each tortilla. Top each evenly with chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Stack tortillas in bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts. Remove sides of pan. Cut pie into 4 wedges. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 380
Calories from fat: 26%
Fat: 11g
Saturated fat: 4.3g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.4g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g
Protein: 39.9g
Carbohydrate: 28.7g
Fiber: 12.2g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Iron: 0.8mg
Sodium: 660mg
Calcium: 215mg

Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwich

This low-calorie, low-fat version of the classic bbq sandwich will be a new family favorite!

INGREDIENTS
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* A dash of salt and pepper
* 14 Tbsp (about a half bottle) KC Masterpiece Low Calorie Classic Blend BBQ Sauce
* 6 whole wheat hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken breasts, along with salt and pepper to taste, in a large pot of water and boil until fully cooked through. (Time will vary depending on whether you are using fresh or frozen chicken.)

Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to pull the meat apart so it is thickly shredded. (Shredding too finely will cause the sandwich to become mushy once sauce is added.) Place pulled chicken in a large bowl.

Add a half bottle (approx. 7 servings worth, or about 14 tbsp.) of BBQ sauce. Toss until chicken is coated.

Spinach Alfredo Fettuccini

This recipe is from my friend Amy, from her friend Sara. Yummy yummy yummy. I will probably add some chicken in when I make it, so it feels like more of a meal to my kiddos.

Spinach Alfredo Fettuccine
Southern Living JULY 2001
Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) package frozen creamed spinach, thawed (could use fresh or frozen non-creamed too)
• 1 (10-ounce) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces fettuccine, cooked
• 2 green onions, chopped

• Cook spinach and Alfredo sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, basil, and pepper. Serve over pasta; top with remaining cheese and green onions.
Add in baked chicken breasts, chopped up, and serve with french bread.

Tomatillo chicken

My wise and creative friend Charlene invented this recipe, and it was raved about by everyone in my house. We served it over flour tortillas sprinkled with cheddar cheese.

In the crock pot, put:

1 package frozen corn
1 can black beans (rinse this)
1 can hominy (rinse this)
1 jar of tomatillo sauce/salsa verde
8 chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen)

Crock this on high all day. The chicken will fall apart and it is muy bien!