mediterranean chicken fettuccine

I'm always on the search for meals that require few dishes to wash when I'm done (after all...who likes to do the dishes?).  This one was a winner on that count, for sure.  I also loved it because 1) it was easy, 2) it was easy, 3) it was easy...do I need to keep going? :)

P.S. Did I mention it was under 500 calories?  Yeah, that's right.

Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list for this dish.  It's quick to put together, and the final product looks and tastes delicious.  It would be a perfect recipe to pull out when company comes over - it's one of those meals that looks as if you've slaved all day in the kitchen when really you've been soaking in a bubble bath.

Mediterranean Chicken Fettuccine
From Taste of Home's Light and Tasty 2002

6 skinless chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each)
1 T. olive or canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dry red wine or chicken broth
2 t. dried oregano
2 t. dried basil
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. salt
2 bay leaves
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives

In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in oil.  Remove and keep warm.  In the same skillet, saute onion, celery and garlic until tender.  Add tomatoes, wine or broth, oregano, basil, sugar, pepper, salt, bay leaves, and chicken; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions.  Uncover chicken mixture; simmer 10 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.  Discard bay leaves.  Drain fettuccine; top with chicken and sauce.  Sprinkle with feta cheese and olives.  Serves 6

Nutrition: 427 cal, 16g fat (6g sat fat), 86mg cholesterol, 953mg sodium, 36g carbs, 4g fiber, 29g protein.

southern fried rice

Am I the only one who loves black-eyed-peas?  Surely there are more of us out there, right? ;-)

I love eating black-eyed-peas (it's probably the southerner in me).  I look forward to New Years every year only for the excuse to eat the little cuties, and I love incorporating them in my meals throughout the rest of the year.

It might be an obsession...verdict's still out.

This southern fried rice is an absolutely delicious way to showcase black-eyed-peas and would make a perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken or pork chops.  The other nice thing about it?  It's easy to make!

Southern Fried Rice
modified from a recipe in Taste of Home's Light and Tasty 2002

1/2 onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 T. chicken broth
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup cooked rice

In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion in oil until tender.  Add the black-eyed peas, corn, thyme, garlic, salt, and cayenne; cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add broth; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add spinach and rice; cook and stir until spinach is wilted.  Serves 4.

Consider making this a main dish by adding some cooked hamburger or sausage!

Nutrition: 216 calories, 5g fat (1g sat fat), 0 cholesterol, 679mg sodium, 37g carbs, 6g fiber, 8g protein.

barbacoa beef

We've always loved going to Chipotle and getting the barbacoa beef, but we don't live near one anymore.  This recipe has just as much flavor and is so easy!  We didn't even need all of the add-ons of sour cream, salsa, and cheese - it had enough flavor on its own.

These beef was great in tortillas, over a bed of salad greens, or on top of rice.  Heck, I was eating it straight from the slow cooker.  This is a new favorite at our house - I'm sure it will be at yours, too!

Slow-Cooker Barbacoa Beef
from Gooseberry Patch's 101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes

• 3 to 4 pound beef chuck roast
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• juice of 2 limes
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 T. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1 cup chicken broth
• flour tortillas
• Garnish: shredded Colby Jack cheese, shredded lettuce, guacamole

Place roast and bay leaves in a large slow cooker.  In a food processor or blender, combine vinegar, lime juice, peppers, garlic, and seasonings.  Process on high until smooth.  Pour vinegar mixture and broth over roast.  Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours, until roast is very tender.  Shred beef with 2 forks; return to juices in slow cooker.  Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.  Serves 8.

skillet lasagna

This recipe is one of those great finds that I'm so thankful I tried!  I was looking for something easy and fast for a weeknight dinner, but I also wanted something full of flavor.  This fit the bill perfectly.  We love it with spicy tomato basil pasta sauce, but you could use whatever flavor you like best. 

Skillet Lasagna
from Gooseberry Patch's Foolproof Family Recipes

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 26-oz. jar pasta sauce, divided
• 16-oz. container cottage cheese
• 8-oz. package lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken 
• 8-oz package shredded mozzarella cheese
• Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

In a large deep skillet over medium heat, brown beef and onion; drain.  Pour half of pasta sauce over beef; do not stir.  Drop cottage cheese by spoonfuls over sauce.  Layer uncooked noodles over cottage cheese.  Spread with remaining sauce; do not stir.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.  Check to see if there is a lot of liquid in the pan; if so, leave uncovered and cook 15 minutes longer, or until noodles are tender.  If there isn't a lot of liquid, cover pan and cook 15 minutes longer, or until noodles are tender.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top; cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Top with Parmesan cheese just before serving.  Serves 6.

ranch pasta dinner

Mommy's Kitchen once posted a recipe that immediately caught my eye - Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta.  It looked and sounded so delicious that I knew I had to try it.  I tweaked it a bit for my family, but the basic concept is the same.  We loved it!  And it was so, so easy and quick...the perfect weeknight meal.

Ranch Pasta Dinner

• 8 ounces whole grain egg noodles, uncooked
• 4-6 slices bacon, diced.
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 2 T. flour
• 1 packet (1.0 oz.) dry ranch dressing and seasoning mix
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar cheese blend

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy; remove and keep warm.  Saute onion and green pepper in bacon grease until tender; remove and keep warm.  Saute chicken in remaining bacon grease until cooked through.  Stir in flour and ranch mix.  Add in cooked vegetables, milk, and cheese.  Cook until mixture starts to thicken.  Add the cooked pasta and bacon to mixture and stir to combine.  Serves 6.

bean and pasta soup

It's officially September which means I can officially start posting soups.  I have been craving soups for weeks, but the weather has just been too hot to justify anything simmering on the stove.  Today, the weather was...hot...but it's September, so it's okay!

This soup is a simple one to make, and it tastes delicious.  It goes perfectly with sandwiches for a light lunch.

Bean and Pasta Soup

Adapted from Gooseberry Patch Christmas Five

• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thickly sliced
• 1/2 t. dried basil
• 1/2 t. minced garlic
• 2 10-1/2 oz. cans condensed chicken broth
• 1 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup elbow or twist macaroni, uncooked
• 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

 Over medium heat, heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan.  Add zucchini, basil, and garlic and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add broth, one soup can full of water, and tomatoes.  Heat to boiling.  Add macaroni.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.

crispy chocolate log

This is one of my favorite dessert snacks because it's so easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing.

I got this recipe back in high school.  Our Spanish teacher was also the cheerleading coach (and a rather unlikely one at that), so she would sell baked goods to her Spanish classes in order to raise money for the cheerleaders.  As a Spanish student, I gained probably 5 pounds that year, just due to my consumption of these crispy chocolate treats alone.  I managed to track down the parent who donated the goodies and persuade her to give me the recipe.

This is one of those easy-to-make recipes that is perfect to individually wrap and then put in lunch boxes or take on road trips.  I encourage you to serve them chilled...there's just something wonderful about biting into a chewy rice crispy layer before hitting the cool candy bar center.

In order to make these lower fat, try cutting the margarine down by half and cutting down or completely omitting the peanut butter.  It won't turn these into health food, but it will leave you with a much lighter dessert without compromising the flavor.

 

Crispy Chocolate Log

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 bag large marshmallows
• 5 1/2 cups crisped rice cereal
• 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
• 3/4 cups butterscotch chips

Line a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray heavily with cooking spray; set aside.

In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine margarine, peanut butter, and marshmallows.  Microwave on high 2-3 minutes until margarine is melted and marshmallows have expanded.  Stir to combine.  Add crisped rice cereal, stirring until thoroughly coated.  Spread evenly into pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Microwave on high 2-3 minutes (stirring at least every minute) until melted; stir.  Spread evenly over top of crisped rice mixture.

Lift up a long end of the parchment paper, and roll dessert like a jelly roll until it forms a log.  Arrange so that the seam is down, and then chill for at least one hour, or until chocolate center is set.  Cut into slices.  Makes 15 servings.