I know that Chili is normally a fall or winter meal, however this spring has been unseasonably cold. Not that I’m complaining, being 7 months pregnant and all…I can hold off on the warm weather. I am constantly trying new ways to make turkey chili; I love it. This one is definitely a keeper. I pureed half of the beans and mixed them in. Feel free to skip that step or puree all of them in you have particularly picky people in your house. Mine can deal with some beans, but not a lot, so half puree it is for us. I made a huge batch because I planned on leftovers, so you can also cut this recipe in half if you don’t feel like feeding an army or want left overs (I never turn down a left over day!)
Ingredients
2 Yellow onions, diced
1 Green or Red Pepper, diced
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Worcestershire
3 tsp. cumin
3-4 TBS Chili Powder (depending on taste)
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ – ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
1 tsp. paprika
1.5 tsp. dried oregano
2 – 8oz cans tomato sauce
3 Cups Red Kindey Beans (or half kidney, half black)
2 – 15oz cans diced tomatoes with zesty chilies
2.5 lbs lean ground turkey
Optional
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Corn Bread
Instructions
In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Working in two batches. Add browned turkey to crock pot.
Puree half the beans.
Add all ingredients to the crock-pot.
Stir well, set to cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve topped with some cheddar cheese and/or sour cream and a side of cornbread for some great comfort food.
I originally found this Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Casserole recipe while perusing around on Pinterest, I just love that darn site. To make it a little healthier I modified it slightly my swapping out Skinny Cow Cheese for the cream cheese, used part skim cheese and whole wheat pasta. I also used fresh spinach instead of frozen, just cause, but you can use frozen. This ones a keeper, it’s a really good easy weeknight meal. You could even make it ahead of time and just pop it into the oven when you’re ready to cook, you might need to increase the cooking time though.
Ingredients
1 Lb Chicken Breast
1-15oz Can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)
1 Cup Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella
2 tsp. olive oil
8 oz cooked Whole Wheat Penne (or other short pasta) Cooked Al Dente
¼ cup chicken stock
5 Wedges of Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Instructions
Heat Olive oil in a large skillet. Brown Chicken until cooked through. Remove chicken.
Add Onions and sauté until translucent.
Add Spinach and cook until it wilts. You might need to add some chicken stock to help it along
Add the chicken, diced tomatoes, Laughing cow cheese and salt and pepper . Stir over medium heat until the cheese melts.
Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture in. Top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes.
This simple recipe for Spicy Teriyaki Chicken comes directly from my awesome weight watchers leader Sharon. I wrote down what she told us and then accidently threw the paper away, I always do that. I really should have someone check the stuff I throw out before I do, I am always throwing out needed things. Oh well, so this recipe is to the best of my knowledge pretty much the same as what she told us, except I might have added more Franks Red Hot, I have a heavy hand with the hot sauce. Oh and I added honey.
This dish is so simple to make, you can throw the chicken in a Ziploc with the sauce in the morning and then pop it in the oven when its time for dinner. Keep the skin on when it cooks but remove it before you eat.
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
1 TBS honey
¾ cup Teriyaki sauce
about ¼ cup Franks Red Hot
Instructions
Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour the Honey, teriyaki and franks red hot in the bag. You can let this sit in the fridge for as long as needed.
Pre-heat your oven to 350. Place chicken in a oven proof dish and cover with foil
Cook for 45 minutes covered, remove the foil and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
I served mine with my homemade fried rice. Delicious!!
This recipe for Jambalaya is so simple and easy. By using instant rice and both cooked sausage and chicken it cooks up in 20 minutes. It’s a perfect one-pot meal for busy weekdays. You can use any brand of chicken sausage you like, I used Al Fresco’s Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage. If you would like it less spicy, just use a regular chicken sausage or turkey kielbasa.
Ingredients
2 tsp. canola oil
½ cup diced peppers
½ cup diced onions
2 small celery stalks diced
6 oz. Andouille Chicken sausage
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Bay leaf
1/8 tsp. salt
6 oz. cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1 tsp. creole seasoning
¾ cup instant brown rice
1 ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup water
Instructions
Dice the chicken sausage up into bite size half moons, by first slicing down the center and then dicing into pieces.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the sausage and cook until the sausage starts to brown, about another 5 minutes.
Add the rice and seasoning.
Then add the chicken stock and water. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until rice is cooked.
Stir in chicken and diced tomatoes
Cook for another couple minutes to heat everything through, then remove the bay leaf.
Dice the chicken sausage up into bite size half moons, by first slicing down the center and then dicing into pieces.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the sausage and cook until the sausage starts to brown, about another 5 minutes.
Add the rice and seasoning.
Then add the chicken stock and water. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until rice is cooked.
Stir in chicken and diced tomatoes
Cook for another couple minutes to heat everything through, then remove the bay leaf.
This recipe for oven-fried chicken is sooooo good. I have some good oven fried chicken in the past but this one far surpasses all the others. The original recipe that I adapted it from was from cooking light. Serve it up with some coleslaw, oven roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes.
Just a heads up, if you pop these ingredients into a calorie counter or WW recipe builder you are going to get a different number. The way I calculated it was to measure the milk, flour, and oil after I was done cooking and subtracted it from the total to get an “accurate” measure of the nutritional value.
Ingredients
20 oz. Skinless boneless chicken breast
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 Egg white
Couple dashes of hot sauce (optional)
¼ cup white cornmeal
½ cup white whole wheat flour
2 TBS canola oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Combine the buttermilk, egg whites and hot sauce. Place chicken in a the buttermilk.
In another bowl, mix the cornmeal and flour. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan. If your frying pan is not big enough you will need to work in batches.
Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side).
Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
*Nutritional Information is calculated through Weight Watchers Online Recipe Builder and calorie-count.com. Some data may not be accurate
Oven Fried Chicken
4 Servings
6 Weight Watchers Points Plus
Ingredients
20 oz. Skinless boneless chicken breast
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 Egg white
Couple dashes of hot sauce (optional)
¼ cup white cornmeal
½ cup white whole wheat flour
2 TBS canola oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425
Season Chicken with salt and pepper. Combine the buttermilk, egg whites and hot sauce. Place chicken in a bowl or Ziploc bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over it.
In another bowl, mix the cornmeal and flour.
Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan. If your frying pan is not big enough you will need to work in batches.
Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side).
Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
I adore Chinese food; it just does not adore me. I like all the Chinese food that is bad for you too. I will eat chicken and broccoli, but it’s not my fav. I love orange chicken, Sesame chicken, General Tso’s chicken… you know all the REALLY bad for you stuff. I decided to start researching how to make my favorite take out at home, easier on the budget, easier on the waistline.
This recipe is an adaption to a million I found on the Internet. This orange chicken recipe is seriously everyone where online…the first one I found was on Six Sisters Stuff.
Its been copied and redone a million times so I am not exactly sure where the “original” recipe came from, but I made a few adaptions to it. I added some spices, used rice wine vinegar instead of balsamic, and used white whole-wheat flour. I also added some red pepper flakes after I cooked it. I was serving to a toddler, so I knew he wouldn’t eat it if it was spicy. If you have no kiddies at home feel free to add the red pepper in the beginning.
Ingredients
20 oz. chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
6 oz. of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tsp. Rice Wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
3 TBS Ketchup
4 TBS brown sugar
½ tsp. garlic
¼ tsp. ginger
2 tsp. canola oil
¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
3 Cups cooked brown rice
3-4 Cups cooked broccoli
Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag with the flour and shake to coat.
Heat the oil in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Brown the chicken. If you do not have a big enough skillet you will need to brown the chicken in batches.
In a bowl, mix together the orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, salt, ketchup, brown sugar, ½ tsp. garlic, and ¼ tsp. ginger.
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the orange mixture over top.
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high, or 5 hours on low.
When the chicken is done, mix it with the broccoli and serve it over rice.
Enjoy your Chinese take out guilt free!!
Nutritional Information
8 Weight Watchers points+
326 Calories; 3.4g Fat; 0.2g Sat Fat; 6omg Cholesterol; 48.8g Carbs; 2.4g Fiber; 18.5g sugar; 23.3g Protein
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Ingredients
20 oz. chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
6 oz. of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tsp. Rice Wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
3 TBS Ketchup
4 TBS brown sugar
½ tsp. garlic
¼ tsp. ginger
2 tsp. canola oil
¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
3 Cups cooked brown rice
3 Cups cooked broccoli
Instructions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag with the flour and shake to coat.
Heat the oil in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Brown the chicken. If you do not have a big enough skillet you will need to brown the chicken in batches.
In a bowl, mix together the orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, salt, ketchup, brown sugar, ½ tsp. garlic, and ¼ tsp. ginger.
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the orange mixture over top.
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high, or 5 hours on low.
When the chicken is done, mix it with the broccoli and serve it over rice.
Nutritional Information
8 Weight Watchers points+
326 Calories; 3.4g Fat; 0.2g Sat Fat; 6omg Cholesterol; 48.8g Carbs; 2.4g Fiber; 18.5g sugar; 23.3g Protein
Ah, Summer. Don’t you love summer? Grilling, Fire-pits, the Beach, the boardwalk; It’s just my favorite time of year. You know one of the hardest thing for me to resist on the boardwalk? Sausage and pepper sandwiches. OMG aren’t they just the best thing EVER?? But goodness gracious could they be any worse for you? I doubt it. Well I guess it could be deep-fried?
So here is my lightened up version of the classic sausage and pepper sandwich. I use chicken sausage, find one that is 3-4 points+ per link. The one I used was 4 points+ per link, Al Fresco Roasted pepper and Asiago. I roasted the peppers and onions in the oven with a little olive oil instead of sautéing, which gives a wonderful flavor. Just pop the sausage on the grill, zero fat added.
Ingredients
4 chicken sausage links
2 Cubano Peppers
½ medium Spanish onion (or sweet Vidalia)
1 TBS olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 small Loaf Italian bread, or 4 small sandwich rolls.
Equipment
Baking Sheet
Grill
Preheat your oven to 450. Slice your onions and peppers into strips. Coat with olive oil and S&P.
Roast the peppers and onions for 10-15 minutes in the oven until browned. Flipping halfway through.
Meanwhile, pre-heat your grill to medium high heat. Grill the sausage for about 10 minutes until slightly charred and heated through.
Remove sausage from grill and slice into bite size rounds.Divide the sausage evenly between four rolls and top with peppers and onions.
Summer of grilling is in full swing. But I do still love my pasta, so why not combine the both. A long time ago I had gone to a restaurant and had a balsamic chicken & pasta dish that was outstanding so I thought I would try to recreate it at home. Grilling the chicken is a great and healthy way to cook the chicken, not to mention reducing the dishwashing, which I LOVE. I decided to reserve the marinade and cook it down into a sweet and delicious sauce for the pasta. Top it with some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, and you got yourself one winning pasta dish.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 oz. spaghetti
1 oz. Parmesan cheese
1 Heirloom tomato, diced into small pieces.
Chicken stock as needed
¼ cup reserved pasta water
In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic.
Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and add marinade. Place chicken in the fridge and let marinate for about 2 hours.
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken on grill and reserve marinade.
Grill chicken for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and thermometer reads 165. Remove chicken from the grill
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Place reserved marinade in a small pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add chopped basil. If it thickens up on you add a little bit of chicken stock to thin it out.
Mix the cooked pasta with the balsamic sauce.
Add tomatoes. Isn’t that a gorgeous tomato?? I had heirloom, it doesn’t need to be heirloom, its just what I had handy.
Mix in the reserved pasta water. Slice the chicken. Place pasta in a serving bowl and top with the sliced chicken. Shave or grate Parmesan cheese over top.
Enjoy!!
Nutritional Information
Makes 6 servings
8 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving
271 Calories; 5.3g fat; 1.8g Sat fat; 68mg Cholesterol; 25.7g Carbohydrates; 0.4g Fiber; 3.5g sugar; 29.8g Protein
Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Pasta
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 oz. spaghetti
1 oz. Parmesan cheese
1 Heirloom tomato, diced into small pieces.
Chicken stock as needed
¼ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic.
Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and add marinade. Place chicken in the fridge and let marinate for about 2 hours.
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken on grill and reserve marinade.
Grill chicken for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and thermometer reads 165. Remove chicken from the grill
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Place reserved marinade in a small pot.
Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. If it thickens up on you add a little bit of chicken stock to thin it out.
After 10 minutes, add chopped fresh basil leaves.
Mix the cooked pasta with the balsamic sauce, and add tomatoes. Mix in the reserved pasta water.
Slice the chicken.
Place pasta in a serving bowl and top with the sliced chicken.
Shave or grate Parmesan cheese over top.
Nutritional Information
Makes 6 servings
8 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving
271 Calories; 5.3g fat; 1.8g Sat fat; 68mg Cholesterol; 25.7g Carbohydrates; 0.4g Fiber; 3.5g sugar; 29.8g Protein
Several years ago after my grandmother past away, my mother and aunt put together a family cookbook with all my grandmother’s recipes (and other family recipes). My grandmother was such a wonderful cook, one of the best in my opinion (excluded my mother of course). Her recipes were always a pinch of this, a dash of that, etc. So putting together the cookbook was interesting, having to re-cook everything to get measurements to write down. The one recipe we have yet to completely master is her Zeppolis, I swear she left something out and is laughing at us. Hers were perfect and we had them with Christmas dinner every year. They were more like a fry bread then the sugary ones you get on the boardwalk. I WILL NOT give up! I will get that recipe right if it’s the last thing I do.
Anyway, I am getting off track. She, like most Italian grandmothers cooked from love, not health and it was ok to have “some meat on your bones”. Now that I am older and much more health conscious, I have decided to slowly go through my grandmother’s cookbook and remake everything I can, just a little bit healthier. I have already posted our minestrone recipe, which was from the cookbook. The second is her rolled chicken Washington. This one is a good one folks. Even my picky pants son ate his whole piece. That’s an accomplishment with that one.
Rolled chicken Washington is best prepared the night before and baked the next night.
Ingredients
6, 5 oz. chicken breast
1 ¼ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar
½ cup finely diced mushrooms
2 TBS. light butter
2 TBS white whole-wheat flour
½ cup fat free half and half
½ cup whole-wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
¼ cup non-fat milk or almond milk
Equipment
Skillet
1 Baking dish (or pie pan) coated with cooking spray
1 Baking dish, foil lined, coated with cooking spray
Finely dice your mushrooms and melt butter over medium high heat.
Add Mushrooms to the melted butter and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add Flour to the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in half and half, cook until thick.
Stir in cheese. Cheese, cheese o’glorious cheese….eeeh-um sorry.
Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray and chill until firm. It looks a little strange, I know but its got cheese in it. How bad could it be right?
Divide the cheese mixture into 6 sticks. Pound out your chicken breast into thin cutlets and take 1 piece of the cheese mixture and lay it on top of the chicken cutlet.
Roll the chicken cutlet.
Dust the chicken in flour, then dip in milk and roll into breadcrumbs. Shake off excess breadcrumbs. Cover and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.
Pre-heat your oven to 375. Place chicken in a foil lined baking dish coated with cooking spray.
* I forgot to foil mine this time, BIG mistake. Warning, Cheese will leak out.
Lightly coat with cooking spray and bake for 35-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Flip the chicken halfway through baking time.
Enjoy!
Nutritional Information
Makes 6 Servings
8 Weight Watchers Points+ Per serving
319 Calories; 10.7g Fat; 3.6g Sat Fat., 109mg Cholesterol, 12.9 Carbohydrates; 1.5g Fiber; 2.2g sugar, 39.4g protein
Rolled Chicken Washington
Ingredients
6, 5 oz. chicken breast
1 ¼ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar
½ cup finely diced mushrooms
2 TBS. light butter
2 TBS white whole-wheat flour
½ cup fat free half and half
½ cup whole-wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
¼ cup non-fat milk or almond milk
Equipment
Skillet
1 Baking dish (or pie pan) coated with cooking spray
1 Baking dish, foil lined, coated with cooking spray
Instructions
Finely dice your mushrooms and melt butter over medium high heat.
Add Mushrooms to the melted butter and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add Flour to the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in half and half, cook until thick.
Stir in cheeses.
Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray and chill until firm.
Divide the cheese mixture into 6 sticks. Pound out your chicken breast into thin cutlets and take 1 piece of the cheese mixture and lay it on top of the chicken cutlet.
Roll the chicken cutlet.
Dust the chicken in flour, then dip in milk and roll into breadcrumbs. Shake off excess breadcrumbs. Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.
Pre-heat your oven to 375. Place chicken in a foil lined baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Light spray with cooking spray and bake for 35-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Flip the chicken halfway through baking time.
Nutritional Information
Makes 6 Servings
8 Weight Watchers Points+ Per serving
319 Calories; 10.7g Fat; 3.6g Sat Fat., 109mg Cholesterol, 12.9 Carbohydrates; 1.5g Fiber; 2.2g sugar, 39.4g protein
I love Thai food. I don’t go out for Thai very often because I just don’t think there is anything my son would eat. Pad Thai is my absolute favorite, I have made several Pad Thai dishes at home, but I’m still trying to get it to be exactly like the restaurant, not there yet. I also love chicken satay. Really, I love anything peanut flavored. This chicken satay and pasta is an easy one pot dish. All you protein, veggies and carb in one dish. Easy, Easy, love it.
Ingredients
½ cup A Taste of Thai Satay Sauce
2 cups Cooked whole-wheat spaghetti
1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced in wedges
2 medium red bell peppers, sliced in strips
1 Cup mushrooms, sliced
16 oz. chicken breast
Juice from 1 lime
1 TBS fish sauce (or soy sauce)
¼ – ½ tsp. Siracha
1 TBS peanut oil
Equipment Needed
Cutting board and knife
1 large skillet
Small mixing bowl
Slice your mushrooms, onion and peppers.
I sliced the onion in half and then cut it into wedges.
Slice the chicken breast into strips
In a small bowl, mix the satay sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and Siracha.
In a large skillet, heat peanut oil. Add your chicken to skillet and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet.
Add the onion, peppers and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes.
Return chicken to the pan and add satay mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Place each serving over ½ cup of cooked spaghetti.
