Everyone around here loves Chili. I had been searching for a while for a healthier version. I found this Weight Watchers Zero Point Chili (means you can have 2 servings) on Pinterest. I have not tried it yet but the reviews were sooo positive, I decided to share right away. They say it is even better the next day. Since so many of my readers are also Chili lovers I think this might be our go to fall recipe. Bon Appetit!!
adapted from mess for less
Ingredients
- 1 pound 99% fat free ground chicken or turkey
- 1 can of Kidney beans drained (15 oz)
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles 14.5 oz
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Shredded low fat/fat-free Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Cook ground chicken in a pan, breaking it apart to create crumbles.
- Add chicken to a crock pot along with kidney beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, chopped onion and spices.
- Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Set crock pot to high and cook for 4 hours.
- Top with cheddar cheese and serve
I first have to say…BBQ was really never my thing. My husband LOVES it. So I was always along for the ride. A few years ago my friend Todd, really got into using a smoker in his cooking and one night at his house BBQ’d for everyone….Needless to say…it was AMAZING. I have introduced you to his Instagram page Happens At The Bean. If you don’t follow it, you really should..its really great….Last week Todd told me he started cooking with his friend, Leland, a BBQ guru and owner of the Avellino Family Barbecue and who has created a Saturday take out menu with a pick up in Stamford. Each week they email you the menu. You place the order by Thursday and arrange for a Saturday afternoon pick up. You can eat it that night or they will give you reheating instructions so you can buy for the upcoming week!! So far, we have had the Corn Bread, Ribs, Wings with the “Woody” Marinade, and the Brisket. Everyone in our house thought it was the best BBQ we’ve ever had!!!!!! We cannot wait for this weekend!!! To get on the list or to order for Saturday night, click HERE. I might have to try those baked beans!!!!
It’s so hard to believe that Tuesday was the first day of Fall. To celebrate I made this really really good Wild Rice soup. MY family LOVES soup all year round but I feel like I make it so much in the fall and winter. We literally have it 2 or 3 times, some weeks!!! My husband does not love mushrooms so I left them out but other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was a HIT!!!!! I am so happy. I made mine on the stovetop but I am def going to try the crockpot version next time. Bon Appetit!!!
Adapted from gimmesomeoven.com
INGREDIENTS
- 6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 cup uncooked 100% wild rice (not the blend)
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
CROCK-POT (SLOW COOKER) METHOD:
- Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of a large slow cooker. Stir briefly to combine, then place the lid on top.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours, until the rice, is cooked and tender.
- During the final 10 minutes of slow cooking, prepare your cream sauce on the stove. In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until combined. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture nearly comes to a simmer and has thickened. (It should be very thick.)
- Add the cream sauce and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
- Serve warm. Or transfer to sealed container(s) and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
STOVETOP METHOD:
- Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
- Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, during the final 10 minutes, prepare your cream sauce in a separate saucepan on the stove. In it, cook the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until combined. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture nearly comes to a simmer and has thickened. (It should be very thick.)
- Add the cream sauce and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
- Serve warm. Or transfer to sealed container(s) and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Couscous with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomato
Couscous is the stuff that looks like pasta but isn’t, or perhaps it looks like a grain of some kind, but it isn’t that either. In fact, couscous can refer to one of two things: either coarsely ground durum wheat, known as semolina, or North African couscous. North African couscous comes in two forms, fine and medium, and is more similar to pasta than grain.
The North African variety is probably the best to use with this recipe as it gives it an authentic flavor when combined with the black olives and sun-dried tomatoes. The couscous provides a chewy bed for the delicious black olives and sun-dried tomatoes. The irresistible combination of these three ingredients gives the dish a Mediterranean vibe and unforgettable taste. It’s also extremely healthy.
To make this healthy vegan dish, book vegetable broth and water in a pan, stir in the couscous, and add seasoning. Let it simmer. In a skillet, heat olive oil and add pine nuts, fry until golden brown. In a saucepan, add olive oil and heat garlic and shallots. When soft, stir in the black olives and sundried tomatoes until heated through. Combine with the couscous.
Ultimate Tofu Breakfast Burrito Bowls
Everybody loves burritos, but is it the burrito they love or the burrito filling? The great thing about burritos is their flexibility, you can not only put anything you want into them, but you can also play with their form. You can have them in wraps or bowls, for instance, depending on your preference. This ultimate burrito bowl recipe is designed for breakfast, but in reality, it can be enjoyed any time of the day.
Although you can eat this delicious burrito bowl for lunch or dinner, the idea for it is breakfast. You would probably eat this as a treat breakfast, perhaps as an alternative to a fully cooked breakfast with lots of fatty food. The ultimate breakfast burrito delivers the same mealtime satisfaction as a cooked breakfast without the fat and extra calories.
To make this special occasion breakfast, heat oil on a skillet, break up the tofu and add salt and pepper. Cook until tofu is brown. Then add onion, garlic powder, and turmeric. Cook for five minutes. Then heat a saucepan with oil and add tomatoes, cumin, and salt, until the tomatoes become saucy. You can then add the beans, cilantro, and lemon juice.
Vegan Red Lentil Soup
Everybody loves lentil soup! It’s filling, contains lots of protein, and it’s super easy to make. Even if you aren’t into vegan food, you will find this red lentil soup hard to resist. You can serve this dish as a starter to the main meal, eat it for lunch with some delicious crusty bread, or have it as a snack after coming in from the winter weather.
This vegan red lentil soup is made using red lentils and butternut squash for additional flavor and fullness. Combining these two ingredients ensures that the soup is not too bland. The lentils and squash are cooked down the spice, and coconut milk is added to create a creamy vegan lentil soup that is simply irresistible. The other great about it is the easy with which it can be made and the simplicity of the ingredients.
To make some yourself, heat oil in a large pot and add onion, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek. Then add lentils, squash, and cilantro to the pot. Stir in water, coconut milk, and tomato paste; you can season it further with curry powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg salt, and pepper. Simmer on a low heat until lentils are soft.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
It doesn’t have to be summer to enjoy a delicious salad that’s healthy and keeps your weight down. On the contrary, the Black Bean and Corn Salad can be enjoyed as a starter or a stand-alone meal at any time of the year. It takes very little time to prepare and can be used as a healthy snack on its own or combined with a wrap to bring extra flavor to a tortilla or burrito.
If you want to stay healthy through the winter so that you don’t have excess weight to knock off come January, try incorporating a dish such as the Black Bean and Corn Salad into your diet; you might also try supplements helps reduce fat absorption. Have the salad in the afternoon an hour before you exercise to stave off the hunger pangs and give you a card boost for running or swimming. It’s easy to eat fatty foods in the winter but keeping things light is more beneficial for your health.
Make this tasty salad by placing the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper into a small jar. Close the lid on the far and give it a vigorous shake until all the ingredients are mixed well together. Next, prepare the beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro in a salad bowl. Stir up the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over the top to flavor.
Vegan Black Bean Burgers
Simply because you eat vegan food doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy delicious burgers now and again. The good news is these ones don’t contain meat, and they’re super healthy. It’s easy to pick up a box of frozen burgers at the supermarket, even vegan ones these days, but if you buy the ingredients for these homemade ones instead, you won’t ever go back to the frozen kind.
A delicious vegan burger is something that suits everybody, veggies, and meat-people alike. They can be served in a bun like a traditional burger or one their own as part of a main meal. These burgers can be given a healthy twist by combining them with salad or used as an indulgent treat by pouring beans over them and serving them with fries. However, you choose to eat your burgers; you won’t be disappointed.
To make these one-of-a-kind burgers preheat your oven to 350⁰F and prepare a baking tray with a baking sheet. Mash together black beans, onion, garlic, carrots, green pepper, whisk cornstarch, water, chile-garlic sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper together in a separate bowl. Mix wholewheat bread into the mixture and stir in ¼ cups of flour until a sticky batter forms. Scoop mounds of burger-sized batter onto the baking tray and cook.
Ever since I got my Coastal Cast Iron pan..I have wanted to cook everything in it! I read that it is also the best pan to cook sweets in, especially Cobblers and cornbreads. Supposedly, the favor is much better in skillet. This peach cobbler recipe popped into my inbox this week and it seemed like the perfect thing for my first Cast Iron baking project. I am planning my cobbler to be the perfect finale for a Labor Day Lobster Bake…..To get your own Costal Cast Iron pan and 10% off click HERE.
Peach Cobbler in a Cast Iron Skillet
Adapted from SuccessfulHomemakers.com
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced peaches
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- Pre-heat oven to 375*F.
- Places sliced peaches in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and flour. Stir to coat peaches and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk, set aside.
- Over low heat, melt butter in a cast iron skillet.
- Pour the batter over the melted butter – Do not stir into the butter.
- Pour the peaches over the batter – again, do not stir.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is light brown and puffy.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
I recently partnered with a company called Coastal Cast Iron. The founder Mike is a cooking enthusiast with a professional background in metal finishing. He has spent the better part of the last decade inventing a special nonstick, easy clean coating that will hold up to the “rigor that a cast iron pan is expected to go through. Mike believes that there is no turning back after you cook with cast iron. “It just feels different and it feels like you are creating something special”. Costal Cast Iron sent me the most beautiful grey pan. It is so fabulous I do not want to even cook with it and get it dirty!!!! BUT then Mike sent me his EXCLUSIVE Best Steaks EVER recipe and I had to try it. The pan is incredible..The Filets were so easy to cook AND the clean up was even better. There is currently a promotion going on on the WEBSITE right now, 10% off your order with the code SUMMER10. How great is that??!!???? I will be working with Mike and Coastal Cast Iron from now until the rest of the year so stay tuned for even more fab recipes….
The Best Steaks That I Ever Cooked Recipe from Coastal Cast Iron:
Get filets, not too terribly thick. Maybe 1 1/4 inch. Season heavily with salt and pepper about an hour before you plan to cook.
Heat up your skillet to about 400 degrees and put in Avacado oil and let that heat up for a few seconds.
Put the steaks on and don’t touch for 4 minutes.
Add 4 tablespoons of butter, 4 smashed garlic cloves and 3-4 rosemary sprigs then flip the steaks.
Once butter is melted, tilt the pan and spoon the butter/garlic/rosemary over the steaks regularly.
Cook for about 4 minutes on the second side and remove from heat.
While your steaks are resting, but still super hot, we put a Gorgonzola compound butter on top and let it melt.
