Category Archives: LIGHTER FARE

BAKED POTATO SOUP

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4 lg baking potatoes
4 slices bacon
6 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup flour
4 green onions, sliced
5 oz low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz low-fat sour cream

pierce potatoes with fork & bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until done.

cut bacon into 1/2″ pieces & cook in a heavy-bottom soup pot over medium heat until crisp. remove bacon from pot & set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.

to the drippings in the pot, add flour & stir & heat for 1 minute. whisk in milk.

cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until bubbly & thickened, stirring frequently.

scoop out potato pulp from skins; add to the milk mixture. mash with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving it a little bit chunky.

add bacon (leaving a little out for topping the soup), 2 tbs of the onion, 1 cup cheese, salt & pepper.

stir until cheese has melted.

remove from heat & stir in sour cream; mix until combined.

spoon soup into bowls. sprinkle with bacon, cheese & onions.

6 servings

QUINOA-BLACK BEAN CASSEROLE

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1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup salsa
2 eggs
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sweet potato
3 cups black beans (or 2 cans, drained & rinsed)
1 tbs ground cumin
2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
salt & pepper to taste

preheat oven to 350°.

mix cooked quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, half the cheese and the cumin, salt & pepper in a large bowl. in a small bowl, mix the eggs and the salsa. pour over the vegetable-bean mixture. pour all ingredients into a 9″x9″ casserole dish coated with pam. sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. serve on a bed of spinach (optional) and garnish with cilantro.

8 servings

SUN-DRIED TOMATO STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

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2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, without oil, minced
2 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste

in a small bowl, stir together sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and thyme.

using a sharp paring knife, cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast creating a pocket. be careful not to cut all the way through. stuff each chicken breast with 1/4 of the cheese mixture.

season each chicken breast with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

spray a large nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray and warm over high heat. add chicken and brown well. remove and set aside. add white wine to pan and boil until almost evaporated.

in a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons chicken broth until smooth. whisk cornstarch mixture, remaining chicken broth, and tomato paste into white wine.

return chicken breasts to pan. bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce.

15 MINUTE CHILI

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1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz) can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 cup salsa

in a large pot, brown turkey with chopped onion.

add beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salsa to turkey mixture. cook until hot.

serve with cornbread, cooked pasta, cooked rice, or on top of a baked potato. sprinkle with cheese if desired.

4 servings

VEGETARIAN CHILI

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1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups celery, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons chili powder

heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, spraying with pam. cook veggies until they are slightly soft, about 6-7 minutes.

meanwhile, combine tonatoes, beans and spices in a large dutch oven or slow cooker. when veggies are done, add them to the mixture and combine thoroughly.

for dutch oven: simmer 3-4 hours on LOW, stirring occasionally.

for slow cooker: simmer for 6-7 hours on HIGH.

8 servings

GARDEN HARVEST VEGGIE SOUP

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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, white part only, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
3 red potatoes, quartered
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
9 cups water
2 small zucchinis, chopped
1 cup green beans
1/2 cup ditalini pasta (or another small pasta)
2 plum OR italian tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

BASIL TOPPING:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan or stock pot. once warm, add carrots, leek, and celery. cook over medium heat for 5 minute, stirring occasionally. add garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 5 minutes. add potatoes, spinach, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; cook 3 minutes. add water, zucchini, beans, pasta, and tomatoes to the saucepan; cook an additional 8 minutes. while soup is cooking, place the basil, remaining oil and cheese in a small food processor; blend until smooth. swirl basil mixture into the soup just until combined and serve.

8 (2 cup) servings

CABBAGE VEGETABLE SOUP

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1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 (14.5 oz) can green beans
1 (12 oz) can sweet yellow corn
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans

place tomatoes, onion, celery, carrots, and cabbage in a pot. simmer over medium heat until tender.

add canned veggies. heat through.

12 servings

STICKY CHICKEN

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1 teaspoon salt
2 pieces paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken (3-4 lbs)
1 cup chopped onion

in a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well, and pat dry with paper towels. rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

when ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. roast, uncovered, at 250° for 5 hours. after the first hour, baste the chicken occasionally (every half hour or so) with pan juices. the pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. if the chicken contain a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.

4 servings

TWENTY CLOVE CHICKEN

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1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
20 cloves of garlic
4 ribs celery, chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 lemon, juiced and zested
fresh herbs, optional

combine wine, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried red peppers in a large bowl.

add garlic cloves and celery. coat well.

transfer garlic and celery to a slow cooker with a slotted spoon.

add chicken to herb mixture. coat well. place chicken on top of vegetables in slow cooker.

sprinkle lemon juice and zest in slow cooker. add any remaining herb mixture.

cover. cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

6 servings

THREE-BEAN VEGETARIAN CHILI

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2 red bell peppers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups (1/2″) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 (28 oz) can no-salt added tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can cannelli beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

preheat broiler.

cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. remove and discard seeds and membranes. place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. broil 15 minutes or until blackened. place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. let stand 15 minutes. peel and chop peppers.

heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat. add oil to pan; swirl to coat. add onion; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. stir in cumin and next four ingredients (through garlic); cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. add bell peppers, broth, squash, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. add beans; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. sprinkle with green onions.

6 (1 1/2 cup) servings