Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup

January 24, 2017Leave a comment

This is a perfectly warm and comforting soup, without all the carb and fat you usually get in a potato bacon soup. It’s is so light you probably will still be able to have some crusty bread with it (if you are into that sort of thing). However, I felt the soup was plenty filling without the bread. The high protein content (35 grams per serving) helps keep you feeling full and satisfied while still being low in fat and carbs.

Comforting chicken, potato and bacon soup.

Make sure to use bone in chicken thighs. The bone helps keep the meat tender and not dried out. If you can’t find any bone in thighs with the skin already removed, just remove it yourself. Slip you finger between the skin and the meat, and tear off. It can be slippery; I find grabbing the skin with a paper towel helps. Using kitchen shears, cut off any remaining hunks of skin or fat. Before serving, you will gently remove the thighs with a slotted spoon. They will start to fall apart so you have to be gently. Remove the bones and any cartilages and return to the slow cooker.

The whole recipe only takes 4 hours in the slow cooker on low. Unfortunately, you do need to tend to it after 2 hours (to throw the potatoes in). But it is a great meal to make when you are going to be busy in the house doing other things.

Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup

4 bacon slices, chopped

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, remove the skin.

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp oregano

½ kosher salt

2 large leeks, thinly sliced

4 carrots sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 thyme sprigs

12 ounces baby potatoes

2 huge handfuls baby spinach

Cook bacon in a large skillet, till nice and crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan
Season chicken thighs with seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and salt) Place in skillet and brown. Approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove and place in slow cooker.
Add carrot, leek and celery to pan and sauté for 5 mins. Then move to slow cooker.
Add chicken stock and bacon to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
After 2 hours add potatoes and cook on low for another 2 hours.
Remove chicken and pull meat from the bone. Shred and put back in slow cooker. Add spinach and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Info for 1/6 the recipe: 256 calories 7 grams fat, 15 grams carbs, 35 grams protein

Inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine.

30 Minute Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016Leave a comment

I am not anti carbs or anti pasta by any means, but sometimes you need a nice satisfying lower carb meal option. Especially this time of year when there is an overabundance of carb rich food everywhere you look. That is where spaghetti squash comes in. In can be a great replacement for traditional noodles.

Let’s keep something straight though, spaghetti squash does not taste exactly like noodles. It has a little (non offensive) vegetal taste and it has a little more crunch to it then traditional noodles. Don’t get me wrong it is still delicious. I just don’t want anyone to make it and expect it to taste like regular wheat noodles and be disappointed.

One cup of spaghetti squash has only 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates compared to once cup of traditional cooked noodles that have 221 calories and 43 grams of carbohydrates. Making spaghetti squash a great substitute when you are trying to lower the overall calorie or carb amount of your meal (or you would rather get all those calories/carbs from somewhere else).

When it comes to cooking the squash there are many different ways you can do it. You can roast it in the oven, put it in the slow cooker or microwave it. Microwaving is my personal favorite. It is quick and it makes cutting it easy. No more failing around the kitchen with it stuck to end of your knife while you slam it on the counter. (Please tell me I’m not the only one who has done that?!)

When you microwave it, make sure you stab it all over with a fork. That will release the steam and prevent it from becoming a bomb in your microwave. For a 2 ½ pound squash, it will need to cook for about 14 minutes. Turning over halfway through. If your squash is larger it will need more time. It is done when the outer skin is soft and easily pierced. After that, DO NOT take it out of the microwave. Leave it in there, for another 10 minutes. It will continue to steam on the inside. (This is a great time to prep the rest of your meal.)

Cutting the squash in half width wise leads to longer noodles.

Once the 10 minutes is up, carefully remove the squash, it will still be hot. Cut it in half width wise, not length wise like you have always been told! When you cut it width wise you get nice long noodles, not the 2 inch ones. Gently scrape out the seeds and any loose pulp. Since it is already cooked, you will not have to put too much man power into this. Using a fork, gently pull the flesh out into a bowl and separate into strands.

If you don’t want to microwave it, you can cook it in the oven. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place in a pan cut side down. Place a small amount of water around the squash and bake at 400 for 35-45 mins. Alternatively, you can cook it in your slow cooker too. I have, however, yet to try this method. You need to pierce it all over with a fork and place whole in your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs. It’s is done when it can be easily pierced with a knife.

Just about anything you can do with regular noodles you can do with spaghetti squash. However, I prefer something lighter, like garlic, olive oil with shrimp. In this recipe I used precook frozen shrimp because that it what I had on hand. You also could sub out precooked chicken breast. spaghetti-squash

Garlic Lemon Shrimp on top of Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Olive Oil.

For the squash:

2 ½ pound spaghetti squash

2 Tb Olive oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

¼ cup shredded parmesan

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

For the Shrimp:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb Olive oil

1.4 cup fresh lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 ¼ precooked, defrosted peeled and deveined shrimp.

Prick the squash all over with a fork. And microwave for 6 minutes. Turnover and microwave for another 8 minutes. Let continue to steam in microwave for another 10 minutes.
While squash is cooking make the shrimp. Place garlic and oil in a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with Shrimp (or precooked chicken) and set aside.
When squash is done steaming, remove from microwave. Cut in half width wise and remove seeds. Using a fork pull out the flesh and separate into strands.
In the same skillet used to cook the shrimp heat the olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Careful not to burn the garlic.
Add red pepper flakes (If make this for kids, you may want to omit this step. And top individually with red pepper) cook for 1 more minute.
Add cooked squash and toss. Season with salt and parmesan.
Toss in prepared shrimp. And serve.

Nutritional info for 5 shrimp and 1/4 the spaghetti squash

Calories: 297 Fat:13 Carbs:20 Pro:24

Adapted from Spaghetti Squash in Gina Homolka’s Skinnytaste Fast and Slow Cookbook.

Make Ahead Mason Jar Lunches

November 3, 2016November 3, 2016Leave a comment

Healthy lunches are hard when you are busy or not at home during the day. It’s just too easy to run to the café or a nearby restaurant to grab something quick. So this week I have been I I would experimenting with some healthy lunches that you can make ahead of time.

Mason Jar Cobb Salad

Food prep in mason jars has been all the rage lately. My breakfast overnight oats in mason jars is one of my most popular recipes. So I thought I would test some of these mason jar salads out and see if they held up to the hype. Overall I was fairly impressed. You can make a bunch on one day, vary the ingredients so you don’t get bored and they keep for a couple days in the fridge.

They last about 3-5 days in the fridge (to be honest, I feel 5 days is kind of stretching it. I would stick closer to 3.) The trick in making them is how you layer them. The order of ingredients is very important to keep everything delicious and not soggy.

Below are the basic instructions to making your own jars. By following these basic instructions, you can easily come up with your own versions. These are incredibly customizable and just like the overnight oats you can easily adjust for your own tastes. I have also included a couple recipes I tested out below, a Cobb salad and a basic salad with quinoa. (I am also testing out a zucchini noodle and quinoa salad. If it is a success look for that recipe in a few days!)

You need wide mouth quart size mason jars. The pint size it just too small. The regular mouth could work, but it is just easier and less messy with the wide mouth.

Dressing goes on the bottom. This helps keep the more delicate or absorbable ingredients from getting soggy. Generally, I use 1-2 tablespoons. But if you are dressing fanatic you can add more. Can adjust to your personal taste preferences.
Layer the ingredients. After the dressing add the heaviest NON ABSORBANT ingredients, like carrots or cucumbers. Next add in any grains, beans or pasta. Then add in any cheese or protein. Next add in any soft veggies or fruit, like cut strawberries or avocado (if you are making these more than 24 hrs. ahead of time I would wait and add these the day of.) On top of these place any nuts, seeds or light grains (like quinoa! I layered the quinoa above the dressing in my recipe below and it ended up soaking up most of the dressing, so make sure you layer it up higher.) Last but not least, add the salad greens. When adding your greens, gently push everything down. You want it fairly compacted to keep the layers mixing.
Add perishables the day off. Things like avocado or fruit (or maybe hard boiled eggs) need to be added the day of (or at most the day before) I found in my experiments that anything more than 24 hrs. the avocado started to brown and the fruit started to break down.
When it is time to eat: shake, shake, shake, shake it off. (sorry couldn’t help myself there). But seriously you need to really shake it up good. Then pour onto a large plate or bowl and enjoy. Technically you could eat it straight from the jar, but every time I did that I ended up making a huge mess. That might be my problem though.

After constructing the salads, tightly cap and store in the fridge. When transporting them, try to keep them as up right as possible. That will keep the dressing from mixing with the other ingredients.

Mason Jar Cobb Salad

Makes 2 quart jars

2 Tb your favorite Ranch (I used Bolthouse)
2 strips bacon
10 grape tomatoes
¼ cup grated carrots
¼ cup sliced cucumber
2 ounces avocado, diced
2 large hard-boiled eggs, diced
4 ounces cooked or grilled chicken breast, diced
1/2 ounce blue cheese
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Layer everything in the mason jar in the order listed above. Pack it tightly and secure lid. Will last 24 hrs. as is, if making ahead of time add the avocado and egg in no more than 24 hrs. in advance. When it’s time to eat, shake it up really well and pour on to large plate.

nutrition:

calories: 357 fat:18 carbs:18 Protein: 30

Quinoa salad Jar

1 Tb Vinaigrette*
½ cup cherry tomatoes
¼ cup garbanzo beans
1.5 oz. grilled chicken breast
¼ cup cooked quinoa
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 oz. avocado
2 cups salad greens

(In the pictures, you’ll notice I layered the quinoa right above the dressing. I don’t recommend doing this. The quinoa absorbed a lot of the dressing and got soggy. By layering it up higher, it will stay dry and fluffy) *I used a basic homemade vinaigrette.

Nutrition:

Calories: 380 Fat: 11 carbs:39 Protein: 32

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Turkey

October 29, 2016October 29, 2016Leave a comment

The standard rice in this dish is replaced with the superfood quinoa. While we eat quinoa like a grain it really is a seed. It is closely related to beets and spinach. Keep in mind it is covered in a bitter substance called saponins, so when you prep it make sure when you give a good rinse it first. Quinoa is naturally gluten free and decent source of protein, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron and vitamin E, hence why it gets to be called a superfood.

Superfood Quinoa

By dicing the veggies small they are less likely to be picked out or noticed by the pickier eaters. Keep in mind, though, bell peppers are a strong flavor and young palates may not eat them. But that is ok, there are still 2 servings of vegetables hiding on the inside. If you or any of your eater do not like feta you can leave it out completely, or just sprinkle it on top of some of the peppers.

You can make this dish any time of year, but it is fun to turn them into pepper-o-lanterns around Halloween! If you do carve them, do it before you stuff them and keep the oepenings small. You may want to plan some extra time to make this; it takes about 30 minutes to prep and then another 30 in the oven. (You can prep it ahead of time, and throw it in the oven at later point. Just note it may need a little extra cook time if the peppers are cold from the refrigerator.)

Stuffed Pepper-O-Lantern!

Stuffed peppers with Turkey and Quinoa

½ cup quinoa

1 cup chicken broth

6 bell peppers (any color you prefer)

1 Tb olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 small zucchini, diced

1 lb ground turkey.

2 tb Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1 Tb fresh oregano chopped

3 oz feta crumbled

Heat oven to 350. Combine quinoa and chicken broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 15 minutes. Quinoa is cooked once all the liquid is absorbed and they looked unwound.

Cut the tops of the peppers and set them aside. Remove the seeds and any white ribbing inside (If you are carving them, do that now. Keep the openings small, you don’t want all the insides to fall out when cooking). Place peppers in a baking dish. Discard the stems from the peppers tops and dice.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, onion chopped pepper tops, and zucchini. Cook till soft about 10 minutes.

Add turkey, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano. Stir in quinoa and half the feta (if mixing inside the peppers. If you have picky eaters, skip this and just top some of the peppers with it)

Fill peppers with meat mixture, and top with feta. Cook for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition for one pepper: 291 calories, 12 grams fat, 24 carbs, 21 protein

Margherita Egg White Frittata

October 19, 2016Leave a comment

Recently I was gifted a very large bunch of basil and this recipe was born out of me desperately trying to come up with ways to use it before it went bad. And I must say, it was a success. I love basil, and there so many ways to use it other than pesto. Basil isn’t just big on flavor; it also packs an amazingly healthy punch. It is full of vitamin K, magnesium and potassium. Also, research is showing the phytochemicals in basil can fight viruses, bacteria and inflammation.

Now, to be honest, I did not test this recipe out on my children (I was hungry and not in the mood to share. Hey now, it happens.) But, I imagine most kids would like it. I used all egg whites in the recipe, but feel free to sub in whole eggs (just note that will change the nutritional breakdown).

Due to the high protein content it is very filling while still being low in carbs (if you would like more carbs, some fresh fruit would go really well with it.) This frittata makes a great brunch or dinner. Since does take a little attention and time, however, it is not the best choice for a rushed morning.

Margherita Egg White Frittata.

Serves 1

5 Oz Egg whites

3.5 Oz Grape tomatoes, sliced (any tomato will probably work here, this was just what I had on hand)

1 Oz Fresh mozzarella cheese

1 Tb Parmesan Cheese

2 Tb Basil, shredded

Place small skillet over medium heat and spritz with cooking oil. Once hot, place tomato slices on skillet. After a few minutes, pour egg whites over the tomatoes. Once the sides begin to set, use a spatula to gently left the edges allowing the still liquid whites to run under. As you lift the edge of the set egg, gently tip the pan so the uncooked egg can run underneath. Continue to do this till almost cooked through. It will still be a little raw in the middle. Add mozzarella slices and over with a lid (keep an eye on it though, you don’t want it to burn). Once the eggs are fully set turn over on to a plate and sprinkle with basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

Calories: 192 Fat:6 Carbs:5 protein: 25

Chicken with strawberries, basil and goat cheese.

October 18, 2016October 19, 2016Leave a comment

This protein packed recipe is great when you are short on time. It is also family friendly. My littles (age 5 and 2 love it). The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to throw together. The combination of the strawberries, goat cheese and basil go really well together. It’s easily adaptable to different family member’s tastes. For example, I leave the balsamic off my 2-year old’s plate, and I don’t add the goat cheese to the 5-year old’s.

Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, A and K. Make sure you choose berries that are dry and firm. Smaller berries tend to have more flavor then the larger ones. Typically, the larger berries contain more water so, their flavor is diluted.

While boneless skinless chicken breasts are a great lean protein source they can be tough to cook. They easily become chewy or dry. This is a quick cooking method, so there is less time for them to dry out. Make sure you do not use more than 1 tablespoon of oil when cooking them though. It just needs to be enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. We are pan frying these guys, not deep frying! The easiest and cleanest way to pound the chicken is to place it in a gallon zip lock, and smack the crap out of it with a heavy skillet or pan. Great way to get your aggressions out and the ziplock keeps all the chicken germs from flying around your kitchen.

The Ingredients

4 Chicken breast, boneless skinless.

1 Tb cooking oil. (I like coconut oil)

Salt and pepper

2 Lbs green beans, washed and trimmed

1 Tb oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt

black pepper

16 strawberries, washed hulled and chopped

2 Tb basil, chopped

2 oz goat cheese crumbles (feta would be great here too)

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Trim the green beans. Toss with oil and salt. Place on a cookie sheet/pan. (Make sure they are dry 1^st). Roast for 20-25 mins, shaking the pan every 10-15 mins. They are done when wrinkly and brown in spots.

Meanwhile, pound the chicken thin. You’ll want them to be uniform in thickness. Heat oil in skillet to medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, place chicken in skillet and cooked undisturbed for 3- 5 mins per side. Let sit for 5 minutes. (If you are making all 4 breasts, you may need to cook 2 at a time. Do not crowd them in the pan)

To serve: Place chicken breast on top of 1.5 cups green beans and top with ½ cup chopped strawberries, ½ oz crumbled goat cheese, a sprinkle of basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition (with 1.5 cups green beans, 4 oz chicken and ½ oz goat cheese):

Calories:377 carbs:16 fat:14 protien:41