Southwest Chicken

Saw that I hadn't updated in awhile. Too tired to post much, but rest assured this was very good.

What's Needed:
1/2 of a 32 oz. bag of frozen corn, defrosted
15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. jar chunky salsa (I used Pace Picante--Medium)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 C. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine corn, black beans, and 1/2 C. salsa in crockpot.

2. Top with chicken. Pour remaining salsa over chicken.

3. Cover. Cook on LOW 7-8 hours.

4. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

Serve with brown rice.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 9 (not including rice)

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly.

Steak Fajitas

Yes--in the crockpot. This worked out fantastic, although a bit too wet for the tortillas. Next time, I will probably add a little less liquid.

What's Needed:
4 ribeye steaks, trimmed of all fat
15 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium bell peppers (any color--I used red and yellow), julienned
1 T. parsley
12 tortillas (I prefer corn), warmed

IF WANTED:
Fat-free sour cream
Low-Sodium Salsa

1. Slice steak thinly into strips across grain. Place in crockpot.
2. Add tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt.
3. Cover. Cook on LOW for 7 hours.
4. Add onions, peppers, and parsley.
5. Cover. Cook 1-2 horus longer, or until meat is tender.
6. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into crockpot.
7. Cover. Cook on HIGH 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 3 (1/2 C. meat mixture, tortilla) Doesn't include sour cream or salsa.

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Chicken Jambalaya

I'm on a Cajun kick lately it seems. This was really good, but I think more suited to a fall/winter meal. It's truly a 'stick-to-your-ribs' goodness!

What's Needed:
4 uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
3 C. fat-free chicken broth
3/4 C. water
1 1/2 C. uncooked brown rice
7 oz., reduced fat, smoked turkey sausage, diced
1 tsp. celery seed (or 1/2 C. celery, thinly sliced, if you enjoy that)
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves (whole)
14 1/2 oz. can no-salt diced tomatoes, undrained

1. Stir together all ingredients in the crockpot, saving the chicken for last.
2. Cover. Cook on HIGH 6-7 hours.

Husband's Grade: B
PointsPlus: 7 (1/6 of the recipe)

Baked Tilapia

God bless the Deen Brothers! They brought me back to fish. Long story short, because of some bad fish that we got from a neighbor, I haven't eaten fish since about the 4th grade. Because of my little guy, and because I don't want him to not eat fish since Mommy doesn't, I jumped out of my food comfort zone, and decided to try this recipe. This came as a complete surprise to my husband, who loves fish, as I vowed never to cook fish ever. Much to my surprise, I actually LOVED this, and I plan to make it again.

Serve this with the rice pilaf recipe below.




4 6-8 oz. tilapia fillets
2 tsp. garlic salt (I used Garlic Garlic by Tastefully Simple
Ground black pepper (to taste)
1/4 C. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Lime juice (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.

2. Rinse fish and pat dry; place on baking hseet. Season each fillet with 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt and pepper to taste. Divide butter pieces and juice evenly among the tops of the fillets.

3. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

PointsPlus: 3
Inspired by: The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat


Rice Pilaf
1 C. white rice
2 C. chicken broth
1/2 medium onion
2 T. butter

1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until onion is softened. Add rice; cook and stir for 1 minute.

2. Slowly sitr in broth, adding salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-17 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

PointsPlus: 5
Inspired by: The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat

Husband's Grade for whole meal: A+

Tangy BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School and having a 19 month old has kept me busier than I could imagine.

This was one of those crockpot meals where you start salivating as soon as you open the front door. It smelled THAT good!

What's Needed:
1 C. chopped red onions (about 1/2 an onion)
1 C. low-sodium ketchup
1 C. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1 C. water
2 T. vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 lb. lean boneless chuck roast
Kaiser Rolls, for serving.

1. Combine all ingredients except roast in slow cooker. When well mixed, add roast.
2. Cover. Cook on LOW 7-9 hours.
3. Remove roast. Cool and shred meat. Return to sauce. Heat well.
4. Serve on Kaiser rolls.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 7 points (per sandwich--WITH roll)

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly