recipes/meal ideas

zavrrr

I really love to cook, so I thought I'd start a post for recipes and meal ideas and hopefully we can swap

zavrrr

Now that it's summer I am all about wanting to eat #CHILLEDSOUPS (ha).

I've been making this recipe, which I got from my aunt and I think originally came out of the instruction book for her blender or something, but it's a total winner. It's also good hot, but I particularly like it chilled. Super easy and tasty, very low calorie!

CREAMY CARROT SOUP
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. finely chopped onions
1.5 lbs. carrots, cleaned and sliced (about 5 cups)
.5 tsp. salt
ground black pepper, about 4 turns of a mill
4 cups chicken stock
.25 c. part-skim ricotta
2 Tbsp. port wine
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill, thyme, or other herb

Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook until wilted.
- Add the carrots, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the Ricotta and puree everything with a stick blender, or do it in a smaller blender/food processor in batches.
- Bring the puree to a boil and add the port and herbs, stirring through. Can add more for garnish. Serve hot, or chill.

Makes 6 servings @ 139 calories each.

Notes:
- The port REALLY makes this...I definitely recommend just getting a cheap bottle for cooking with.
- Swapping to fat-free ricotta drops the calories to 90/serving. I personally can't taste a difference.
- You could also obviously use vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Trader Joe's sells baby carrots in a 1.5 pound bag (probably other places too). These don't need to be chopped or peeled, you can just dump the whole bag in there. Also, 4 cups of stock is a quart, which is the size most of those prepackaged containers are, so there's another thing you can just dump in without prepping/measuring if you'd like.

egonewild

I really love this recipe from Hungry Girl:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1284-crock-around-the-clock

Hungry Girl Pulled Slow-Cooked chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours OR on low for 7 - 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.

If you're serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

thewaxlion

I love this recipe from Skinnytaste: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/02/chicken-and-andouille-sausage.html


Chicken and Andouille Sausage
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 4 oz chicken, 3 oz sausage + broth • Old Pts: 8 • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 347.5 • Fat: 13 g • Protein: 47 g • Carb: 8 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 490 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:


2 tsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
14 oz (4) lean skinless chicken thighs, with bone*
12 oz (4) lean skinless chicken drumsticks, with bone**
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1 tbsp all-purpose flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
2 cups water
2 links (6 oz) andouille chicken/turkey sausage (Applegate)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped scallion

Directions:

Heat a large deep non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the oil, onions, peppers and celery. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring

Push the vegetables to the edges of the skillet and add the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Brown 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables

Add the water, sausage and bay leaf, adjust salt and pepper to taste, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 to 35 minutes, remove bay leaf and top with scallions. Serve with rice or quinoa if desired