Pinterest Review: Bruschetta Chicken

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This was fantastic. I'm re-thinking the side I serve with it for next time. This time, I made garlic bread, because it was fast and easy. My husband suggested next time adding some spinach to the chicken and serving it with rice. This sounds like a great plan to me, so that is what we'll be doing. On a plus side, the leftovers are AWESOME as a salad. All you need is just a little bit of the sun-dried tomato dressing, and you're in business.

What's Needed:
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
2 tomatoes, finely chopped (I didn't have any fresh tomatoes, so I used a can of petite diced tomatoes, drained)
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. dried basil

1. Heat grill pan to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Marinate the chicken (for at LEAST 10 minutes prior. The longer you can marinate, the better).

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

4. Grill on grill pan for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, tomatoes, basil, and cheese.

5. Turn the chicken over. Top with tomato mixture. Cover grill pan and cook 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done.

PointsPlus: 6
Husband's Grade: A-

Inspired by: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Lemon and Brown Butter Fish Fillets

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This was a great, light, summer meal. It would have been even better had I remembered to make the bread I was planning on. Even mashed potatoes would have been a good side.






What's Needed:
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint red grape tomatoes
1/2 C. parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. tilapia fillets
All-purpose flour
4 T. cold, unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat a large skillet over high heat with 2 T. of olive oil.

2. Add the grape tomatoes in an even layer and sear for 2 minutes. Add half of the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until tomatoes start to burst. Remove them from the pan and cover with aluminum foil.








3. Wipe out the skillet. Return stove to medium-high heat.

4. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.


5. Add 2 T. olive oil to skillet. Once oil is hot, shake extra flour from the fish and add to the skillet.

6. Cook fish for 4-5 minutes on each side. Once cooked, transfer the fish to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil.











7. Wipe skillet clean. Return stove to medium-high heat.

8. Melt butter. Once butter is brown and smells slightly nutty, add lemon juice and remaining parsley.

9. Pour brown butter over fish and top with tomatoes.

PointsPlus: 10 (1 fillet with sauce and tomatoes)
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: Rachel Ray: 365 and No Repeats

Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp and Rice

This was very good--considering I didn't have the white wine to add to the sauce. I added extra lemon juice instead. It turned out very nice, but would have been better with the wine.

What's Needed:
Coarse salt
1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, tails removed (I used pre-cooked frozen shrimp. All I had to do was defrost and remove the tails).
2 tsp. lemon zest plus the juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 C. Dry white wine
1 T. parsley
1 small white onion, chopped
1.5 C. white rice
2 C. chicken stock
(Optional: 1/2 C. jumbo green Spanish olives, coarsely chopped)

1. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 T. of olive oil and the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add the rice and lightly toast, 2 minutes.

3. Add the chicken stock and cover the rice with a lid to bring the stock to a boil. When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 17 minutes, or until tender.

4. Heat a large nonstick skiller over medium heat. Season shrim with lemon zest, lemon, and salt.

5. Add Olive oil to the hot pan and add the shrimp. Cook for a minute, then add tomatoes and parsley. Cook for another minute until shrim are firm and pink.

6. Add the white wine. Stir in the olives (if using) and remove from heat.

Serve shrimp over rice.

PointsPlus: 8 (1/4 of the shrimp and vegetables, and 1/2 C. of rice)
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats

Two Meals in One: Kickin' Chicken Chili and Kickin' Chicken Taco Salad

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I love when you can use the leftovers from one meal to make something different. This recipe does exactly that!

Note: The base recipe makes enough for 4 servings, plus reserves

Base Recipe: Kickin' Chicken Chili
What's Needed:
2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 16-oz. package frozen sweet pepper and onion (or substitute 2 C. each chopped sweet pepper and onion)
1 16-oz. jar of salsa--your preference (For extra spicey, try green salsa)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic, undrained
Optional: Sour cream, shredded cheese

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cumin, and salt. Toss gently to coat.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, half at a time, in hot oil until light brown. Drain off fat.

3. Combine chicken, frozen vegetables, salsa, drained beans, and tomato in crockpot.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-2.5 hours. Reserve 3 C. of chili. Place the reserves in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

5. Serve the remaining chili, topped with sour cream and cheese. Serve with cornbread.

PointsPlus: 7 (for 1/4 of the recipe, minus the 3 C. reserved)
Husband's Grade: A

Left-Overs Recipe: Kickin' Chicken Taco Salad
What's Needed:
Reserved Kickin' Chicken Chili
6 C. torn romaine lettuce
1 C. grape or cherry tomoatoes, halved
1/2 C. choppped red onion
1.5 C. Tortilla strips (Southwest flavor or Lightly Salted)

Optional: 1/2 C. Sour Cream; 1/4 C. chopped cilantro or parsley




1. Heat reserved chili until hot, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion.

3. Add heated chili; toss to combine.

4. Divide lettuce mixture among large salad bowls. Sprinkle with tortilla strips.

PointsPlus: 7 (for 1/4 of the recipe)
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: The Ultimate Slow Cooker Book

St. Valentine's Day Baking: Cinnamon Love Knots

Yep, I cheated. I tried one already. WOW, are they good. Especially considering the points value. I know that my husband and son are going to gobble these up tomorrow morning!






What's Needed:
LOVE KNOTS:
2 packages (1/4 oz. EACH) active dry yeast
1/2 C. warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 C. warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt

TOPPING:
2 C. sugar
2 T. ground cinnamon
3/4 C. butter, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Stir in enough flour to form a stiff dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; kneed until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.











3. Punch dough down; divide into three portions. Cover two with plastic wrap.

4. Shape one portion into 12 balls. Roll each ball into an 8-in. rope.

5. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip rope into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon-sugar.











6. Tie into a knot. Tuck and pinch ends under and place on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.










7. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Let cool completely.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus Value: 3 per knot

Inspired by: The Taste of Home Baking Book

Baking Extravaganza 2: Lemon Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Bread--because I love blueberries and it sounded good. That sounded like a good enough reason to get baking for me. Plus, it kept the kitchen nice and warm.

What's Needed:
1/3 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
NOTE: If using frozen blueberries, do NOT thaw before adding to batter.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in eggs and lemon juice.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

4. Fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pan.









6. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Cool completely.


Optional Glaze: (Drizzle over warm bread)
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 C. sugar

My Rating: A
PointsPlus: 3 per slice (You should be able to get about 20 slices out of this loaf)

Inspired by: Taste of Home Baking Book

Baking Extravaganza: Apple Crisp

A great dessert for a cold, snowy day in Illinois.

Apple Crisp with a Twist(It's with a twist because I didn't have any oats in the house. My solution--3 packets of instant, microwaveable oatmeal. It worked out well enough for me) :)

What's Needed:
4 medium sliced, peeled apples (tart apples work best)
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3 packets of UNFLAVORED instant oatmeal
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/3 C. cold butter
(Vanilla ice cream, optional--but it's SUCH a good option!)

1. Place the apples in a greased 8-in. square baking pan.









2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnmon, and allspice. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples.








3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.


Serves 6 people

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 8

Inspired by: Taste of Home Baking Book

Tomato Soup--ALA Rachel Ray

The thing I love about Rachael Ray's recipes, is that they're so easy to adapt.

If you don't have something, switch it out for something else. Same thing goes if you want something less/more spicey. I tried her '15-Minute Tomato and Bean Stoup' tonight, since I have a house full of sickies (myself included). This is a GREAT soup to have when you have a cold. I substituted peas for the celery and left out the zucchini, since I didn't have any. Serve this with fresh bread, and you have yourself a meal!



What's Needed:
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, choppped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (use more if you like it spicey)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 C. chicken broth
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 5.5-oz. can tomato juice
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
2 C. frozen cut green beans
1 C. frozen peas
1 T. basil
1/2 T. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese to pass at table

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomato juice and tomato paste. Stir until well-combined.

2. Add olive oil to big soup pot and place over medium-high heat.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.

4. Add onions and carrots. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or until onions are translucent and carrots are soft).

5. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste mix, green beans, and peas.

6. Bring soup to a bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Turn off heat. Add basil and oregano to soup.

Serve with fresh bread. Serves 4.

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 5

Taken from and inspired by: Rachael Ray--365: No Repeats

Converting a Rachel Ray Soup to Crockpot

I love this soup, but I did not want to come home on a Friday and immediately set to work on making this. To solve my problem, I converted the recipe to a crockpot recipe. Here's the recipe re-done for you. Enjoy!


What's Needed:

4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 C. shredded carrots
1 dried bay leaf
Salt and black pepper
6 C. chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 package fresh gnocchi
1 C. frozen peas
Parsley

1. Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese. Combine chicken mixture with your hands, then roll into walnut-sized meatballs.

2. Add celery, onions, carrots, and bayleaf to crockpot.

3. Add chicken meatballs to crockpot.

4. Add chicken stock.

5. Cook for 7-8 hours on low.

6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add gnocchi, peas, and parsley.

7. Allow to stand 5 minutes in crockpot to thicken up. Discard the bay leaf.

8. Ladle into bowls. Serves 8

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 6

Taken from (and inspired by) Rachael Ray: Just in Time

Panzanella Stoup--ALA Rachel Ray

I love me some Rachel Ray. This is one of my all-time favorite 'stoup' recipes. For those of you not in the know, a 'stoup' is too thick to be called a soup, but too thin to be considered a stew. Enjoy carbaholics. This soup is mighty tastey!


What's Needed:
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 bell peppers, one yellow, green, and red; seeded and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 C. torn or chopped stale crusty bread, about 1/2 a loaf
salt and black pepper
1 C. fresh basil leaves, torn (or about 1 to 1.5 T. of dry basil)
Shredded Parmesan cheese to pass at the table

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat with 3 T. of olive oil. Add the bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

3. Add bread. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir after 5 minutes, then let simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the basil. Stoup is done when a spoon stands upright in the pot (see picture).

5. Serve in soup bowl and top with some cheese.

Husband's Grade: C (My grade: A)
PointPlus: 7

Taken from: Rachel Ray Just in Time

Pizza Casserole

I will be honest--this did not exactly taste like pizza. I'd call it more of a Italian sloppy joe. That being said, it was very tastey. I would definitely make this again.

What's Needed:
1.5 lb. ground beef
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
1/2 C. water
1 C. milk
2 eggs
1 T. olive oil
1 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until cooked through. Drain off fat.

3. Stir onion, sweet pepper, garlic, pasta sauce into meat. Add the water. Cook and stir until boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat milk, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add four and salt; beat for 2 minutes more.

5. Transwer hot beef mixture to an ungreased 9x13-inch baking idsh. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Makes 9 servings.

PointsPlus 7 (1/9 of the casserole)
Husband's Grade: A-

Inspired by: 9x13 The Pan That Can

Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything more perfect than the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven? I think not. That smell brings back many happy childhood memories. My mom would make those every time my Nana and Papa came to town because Papa loved them so much. This is officially my new Christmas Eve tradition--cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Boy, were they a hit!










What's Needed:
4 1/2 - 5 C. All-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 C. milk
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. butter

For the Powdered Sugar Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 C. of the flour and the yeast; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 1/3 C. butter, granulated sugar, and salt; heat and stir just until warm (120-130 F) and butter is almost melted.

3. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape into ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours).

5. Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.

6. For the filling, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, the 1/4 C. flour and the cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/2 C. butter until crumbly.

7. Roll out dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling over dough. STarting from a long side, roll up dough rectangle into a spiral. Press seam to seal. Cut spiral into 12 equal pieces. Arrange slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan.

8. Loosely cover; let dough rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 45 minutes).

9. Preheat oven to 375. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully invert cinnamon rolls onto a wire rack; remove pan. Cool slightly. Invert again onto a serving platter.

10. Make the icing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until icing is of drizzling consistency.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 10 (but oh, so worth it!)

Inspired by: 9x13: The Pan That Can

Quick Lasagna

Very good, but needed more sauce. I made a change in the recipe for next time to use 2 jars of sauce instead of one.

What's Needed:
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
12-oz. package broad egg noodles
1 C. fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 C. shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 16 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Set aside
2. Cook noodles and drain. Toss noodles with cottage, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.
3. Mix together browned beef and 1 jar of spaghetti sauce.
4. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, plus 1/3 of the 2nd jar of spaghetti sauce.
5. Layer in half of the noodles. Repeat layers.
6. Cover. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 10 for 1/6 of the crockpot

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Beef & Rice Casserole

You could very easily turn this into an oven casserole dish. Everything in this is cooked already, so the time that it's cooking in the crockpot, the flavors are just meshing. Be sure to add salt to the rice when you cook it (probably the night before). I forgot, and it was very bland. I had to add a few things to spice it up a bit.

What's Needed:
1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C. green bell pepper, cut finely
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
About 2 T. of Adobo without pepper
ABout 1 T. of Parmesan cheese
1 small can reduced-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 C. water
4 cups COOKED brown rice

1. Brown ground beef, onion, garlic and green pepper in a skillet over medium heat. Season with basil, oregano, and Adobo.

2. Combine soup and water in separate bowl.

3. Spray crockpot with cooking spray.

4. Layer 2 C. cooked rice on the bottom of the crockpot. Add half of the ground beef and half of the soup mixture.

5. Repeat layers.

6. Cover. Cook on LOW 4 hours. The last 15 minutes, add the Parmesan cheese. Stir to mix.

Husband's Grade:
PointsPlus: 6 (for 1/6 of the casserole)

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Super Easy Chicken

And it was SUPER easy. I served this with a salad and a side of rice.

What's Needed:

4 FROZEN chicken breast halves
1 packet dry Italian salad dressing
1/2 C. Water

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sprinkle dry Italian salad dressing over the chicken. Add water.

2. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 3 (1 chicken breast)

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Single Serving Caprese-like Salad

I've had a major craving for tomatoes and string cheese lately, especially since my neighbor was so kind as to let us have all of the ripe tomatoes in her garden while they were on vacation. I like Caprese salads (when done right), so I decided to give it a go. All measurements are approximate, as this was a very fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of cooking day.

What's Needed:
About 5 ripe Roma tomatoes (or cherry or grape--any small kind will do)
2 Low-Fat String Cheese
1 Chicken breast half
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Pinch of salt


1. Cut tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Place in a medium bowl and season with a little salt.

2. Cut string cheese into bite-sized pieces. Place in the bowl with tomatoes. Toss with Italian seasoning and Balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat.

3. In a small skillet, cook one chicken breast half in extra virgin olive oil. Season with Italian seasoning.

4. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the bowl and mix well.

Enjoy! Serves 1.

MY Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 5 points

Summer Edition: Tacos and Salsa

If you have your ground beef pre-cooked and in the freezer, the time to prepare this meal is cut in half. Prepare the salsa first so the flavors have a chance to blend together.

What's Needed:
Salsa:
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 C. finely chopped fresh cilantro (or 1/8 C. dried cilantro)
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper

1. Place the fresh tomatoes in a strainer or colander in the sink; drain 20-30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine fresh tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place plastic wrap over the bowl. Place in fridge until ready to use.

What's Needed:
Tacos:
4 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
16 taco shells
Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat the oil. Saute the onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 6-8 minutes.

2. Stir in the cumin, oregano, and paprika. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

4. Taco building:
Divide beef among the taco shells. Top with lettuce, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus:
2 tacos with everything (cheddar cheese, sour cream, lettuce and salsa) 6 points
2 tacos (cheddar cheese, lettuce, and salsa only) 6 points
2 tacos (salsa and lettuce only) 3 points

Inspired by: WeightWatchers Complete New Cookbook

Summer Edition: Tamale Pie

Very quick to put together. This is one of my go-to meals when I need something in 20 minutes or less :)

What's Needed:
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 C. water
1 Can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onion--about 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in the pre-cooked ground beef, let heat about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in soup mix blended with tomato and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.Reduce heat to low and stir in beans. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Turn into 2 quart casserole dish.

4. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions. Spoon evenly over casserole.

5. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until corn topping is golden and filling is hot.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 9 points for 1/6 of the casserole

Quesadillas and Corn Salad

What I once thought was difficult will now be a go-to meal in the Garcia house when I need something quick and easy to prepare.

What's Needed:
Corn Salad:
1 C. thawed frozen corn kernels OR 3 medium ears of corn--kernels cut off the cob
1 C. thawed frozen bell pepper strips, diced OR 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt

Quesadillas:
1 1/2 C. diced cooked chicken breast (I bought a package of pre-cooked chicken)
1 C. shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 C. thick-and-chunky salsa
6 (medium) flour tortillas
1/3 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a medium bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Stir well; set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, combine chicken, lettuce, and salsa. Stir well to mix.

3. Divide chicken mixture among 3 of the tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with the 3 remaining tortillas.

4. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. One at a time, cook the quesadillas until lightly browned, 3 minutes on each side. Turn carefully with a wide spatula.

5. Cut quesadillas into quarters. Arrange 3 quarters on 4 plates. Serve with the salad on the side.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 8 (3 quesadilla quarters and 1/2 C. salad)

Inspired by: WeightWatchers New Complete Cookbook

Carnitas

I was introduced to carnitas by my father-in-law, who brought it home from the store one night for dinner. Turns out, this is one of my husband's favorite things, so when I stumbled across a crockpot recipe for it, I was very excited.

What's Needed:
1 2-lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 T. whole black peppercorns
2 tsp. cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 14-oz. cans chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
12 6-inch crisp corn tortillas
Your choice of salsa and sour cream

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place in crockpot.

2. Make a bouquet garni by cutting a 6-inch square from a double thickness of 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Place peppercorns, cumin seeds, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves in the center of the square. Bring up the corners and tie with clean 100%-cottom kitchen string (or, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together--that's what I normally do). If you don't have cheesecloth, use a coffee filter.

3. Add bouquet garni to the crockpot and pour broth over meat.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or on HIGH for 4.5-5 hours.

5. Using a slotted spatula, remove meat from slow cooker. Discart bouquet garni and cooking liquid. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds; discard any fat.

6. Sprinkle meat with lime juice; toss to mix. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, and salsa.

Husband's Grade: A
PointsPlus: 10 (about 5 oz. of meat and two corn tortillas)