(CLOSED) No November Nonsense!!!! Healthy Hump Day!

Will be back with a yummy idea in a bit.

In the colder months I like soup and eating soup. It's comfort and warmth both in bowl and in my tummy. I also love the taste of chicken pot pie but not all the calories and what nots associated it with it so when I saw the recipe from the Skinnytaste website http://www.skinnytaste.com/ for those who don't know about it I knew I had to make it. I actually made it back in September but it was super yummy and filling and if you had the extra calories left you could have a biscuit with it. It's good without though. Oh I also left the mushrooms out because I didn't have any.


This is the link for the recipe http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-soup.html if you want to go directly to the site.

Here's the info for the recipe

The taste of chicken pot pie, in a soup!

Chicken pot pie is ultimate comfort food and this creamy, chunky soup is loaded with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, carrots, corn, celery, onions and green beans in every bite. You can modify this with the vegetables you like to suit your taste. If you want to get fancy, you can serve this in hollowed out bread bowls or serve it with cut-out baked pie crust (extra points).

This recipe requires cooked chicken breast. If you have raw chicken, poach 3 breasts in water for 15 minutes, then remove and dice into bite-sized pieces. This soup is filling! One cup filled me up, but if you want a larger serving, I posted nutritional info for a bowl as well.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup either 1 cup or 1 bowl serving information.

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pt • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 169.2 • Fat: 1.2 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 21.2 g • Fiber: 2.3 g

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 bowl (1-1/2 cups) • Old Points: 5 pt • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 253.8 • Fat: 1.8 g • Protein: 27.7 g • Carb: 31.9 g • Fiber: 3.4 g

1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
2 cups water
4 cups fat free milk
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/2 medium chopped onion
8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms
2 chicken bouillons
fresh ground pepper
pinch of thyme
10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
salt

Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.



xo

Amber

I started this recipe last night by soaking dry beans and started the crockpot this morning to have ready by dinner time. It's pumpkin chili from skinnytaste.com. Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin.html

Because I'm vegetarian, I'm omitting the turkey altogether and subbing the chicken broth with low sodium vegetable broth.

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 182.6 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: 23.3 g • Carb: 10.9 g • Fiber: 8.8 g • Sugar: 2.1
Sodium: 429.8 (without salt)


Ingredients:

cooking spray (I use my misto)
2 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 (15 oz cans) of white northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
fat free sour cream for topping (optional)
chopped cilantro and chives for topping (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large heavy saute pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot.

Add oil to the saute pan, then onions, garlic, sauté about 3 - 4 minutes; add cumin and sauté another minute.

Add to crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I know what I'm making this Saturday!

xo
Amber

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

My FAVORITE recipe ever...and it's a lot healtier than regular cookies (these also can be made as muffins).

PLUS it's the easiest recipe ever (and EVERYONE loves it).

Needed:

1 box of Duncan Heinz Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1 16oz can of pumpkin pie filling
1 bag of Gheradelli (or any other brand) dark chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix everything together.
Scoop mix onto cookie sheet into cookie like-blobs (they don't really spread while cooking).
Cook for 13-16 minutes.

AAAAAAND...DONE!

YES! I have also just made these into "brownies" by pouring it all in a 9X13 pan! YUM!!

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

(I haven't made this yet but it's on my menu for next week)

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, and basil. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.
Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving Calories: 362
Total Fat: 10.8g
Cholesterol: 57mg
Sodium: 536mg
Total Carbs: 37.8g
Dietary Fiber: 3.7g
Protein: 28.4g

Low-Fat Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients
• 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tablespoon salt
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained thoroughly
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups meatless tomato sauce
• 15 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and cover with cool water until ready to use.

While pasta is cooking, combine onions and oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Spoon out half the onions and reserve for later. Add the mushrooms (if using) to the onions in the skillet. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mushrooms are tender and slightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the parsley and a pinch of salt; transfer to a bowl.

Add the reserved cooked onion and the spinach to the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat to evaporate any excess moisture, about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt.

Heat oven to 350° F. Drain the lasagna and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the oregano and basil with the tomato sauce. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 3-inch pan. Arrange 3 lasagna pieces, slightly overlapping, in the pan. Spoon the spinach mixture on top in an even layer. Spread with half of the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Arrange a layer of 3 more lasagna pieces. Spread with the mushrooms, the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining 3 pieces of lasagna, 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until brown and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 243
Total Fat: 7.7 g
Cholesterol: 23.7 mg
Sodium: 228 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 29.9 g
Protein: 15.1 g

243 cals in ONE PIECE!!!!!!!!! that's what I'm talking about!!!

This is a great recipe -- I love pasta. I love cheese. I love veggies