Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side

I really have to stop pretending I can eat pasta with any type of portion control.

This recipe was one of my favorites. But it's not so great for the waste line.

This new recipe is pretty close to the other Cajun meal I made. It's easy and flavorful. What isn't so great about it is the portion you're supposed to eat. 1 1/2 c of this yummy meal is 375 calories. Not too bad. I probably had 2 c worth...ugh.

This is a SkinnyTaste recipe from her new cookbook. I love everything about her cook book and her meals.

Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side

Photo by my iPhone.

Recipe from SkinnyTaste Cookbook

Serves 5

1/2 c fat free milk
1 T flour
3 T light cream cheese
8 oz linguine (I used whole wheat pasta)
Kosher salt
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
1 1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning (add more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 T olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (guess who didn't add this?)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced (guess who didn't add this one either?)
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 c Swanson 33% less sodium chicken broth (I'm not a fan of Swanson chicken broth so I used Kitchen Basics)
2 medium scallions, chopped

In a blender, make a slurry by combining the milk, flour, and cream cheese. Set aside.

Start your pasta water and start cooking your pasta according to the package.  It'll be done about the same time the chicken sauce is.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Spray the pan with oil and add half of the chicken. cook until done, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the peppers, onion and garlic. Cook stirring until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 more minutes.

Add remaining 1/2 tsp garlic powder and season with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken broth and the slurry, and cook, stirring until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. DO NOT let it boil.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Adjust with salt and Cajun seasoning and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the linguine and toss well to coat.

To serve, divide the pasta and chicken among 5 serving plates and sprinkle with the scallions.

Jenn Note: I just realized I didn't add, or even purchase, the tomatoes for this meal. I'm sure it would have made it even better.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Stroganoff is one of my all time favorites. I make a Kick Ass version myself. It's not the lightest of meals, but once in a while it's a great comfort food dish.

Cooking Light has a Hamburger Stroganoff recipe that I've been "watching". It's easy and frankly quite delicious for a "light" recipe.

Here's the deal though...this serving...not the right size,

 

Turns out the serving size is 1/2 c stroganoff with 2/3 c noodles. That, my friends is probably double.

If you don't care about calories, I say eat on. If you do care about calories, Portion control baby.

Hamburger Stroganoff
Recipe from Cooking Light Dinner's Ready
322 calories per serving
Serves 6 (if you follow the portion amount)

8 oz uncooked medium egg noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef, extra lean
1 c prechopped onion
1 (8oz) package presliced cremini mushrooms
1 c fat free, lower sodium beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c low fat sour cream
1 T dry sherry
3 T chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan, cook 4 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates, stirring frequently.

Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until slightly thick. Stir in salt and pepper.

Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and sherry. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Caesar Pitas

So I wasn't sure this afternoon at lunch how this concoction could be considered "Caesar" then I read the ingredients list again and realized I missed a vital ingredient...anchovy paste. I even had some in the fridge! 

This chicken salad has potential. It was flavorful, but was missing something in the texture.  I kept feeling like I wanted celery or onion in the mixture.  When I make it again, I'd put in some celery and I'd remember the anchovy paste.

1 sandwich is 304 calories - not too bad for lunch.

Chicken Caesar Pita
Recipe from Weight Watchers The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook

Serves 4

1/4 c plain low fat yogurt
2 T low fat mayonnaise
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp anchovy paste
Salt and pepper
2 c cooked chicken, chopped
4 6" whole wheat pita breads
romaine lettuce leaves

Combine the yogurt, mayo, cheese, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat with dressing.

Cut a pocket in each pita. Fill each pita with one fourth of the chicken mixture and 2 lettuce leaves.

Chicken Tacos

I'm a fan of tacos. Mostly my own tacos. Mom taught me a thousand years ago and that recipe has  never changed. I don't deviate from that.

But...when trying to cut down on the calories, occasionally its okay to try something else.

This chicken taco recipe I could have made blind folded, but instead actually followed the recipe. Shocker, I know.

It's easy, and delicious. My two favorite ingredients.

Chicken Tacos
Recipe From Weight Watchers The New Complete Cookbook
Serves 6

4 (5oz) boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp Mexican or taco seasoning (Oh maybe I didn't follow the recipe. I used chili powder, salt and pepper)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 (6in) corn tortillas, warmed
1 large tomato, diced
1 hass avocado (halved, pitted, peeled and diced (yah I skipped this one too - gross)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c fat free sour cream

Sprinkle chicken with Mexican seasoning, salt and pepper. Spray ridged grill pan (now you all know I just used the outdoor grill - but let's not mince words) with nonstick spray and set over medium heat.

Place chicken in pan and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, tear chicken into long, thin strips.

Top each tortilla with one-sixth of chicken, tomato, avocado, onion, cilantro and sour cream. Fold in half and devour.

Another side note from me...I had a spare lime around and topped it off with a squeeze of lime. And in case you're wondering...I know you were...I heated my tortillas over an open flame on the grill. You could, alternatively, wrap them in foil and stick them in the oven to heat. I try to avoid the microwave with corn tortillas - for some reason they get weird to me.

Savory Beef Stew

Stew is one of my favorite winter meals. It's an easy dish that only requires time for the meat to become tender.

This recipe was quick, easy and oh so delicious. I had leftovers today of this stew...and oh man ... that was almost worth just making to stew to have leftovers.

Savory Beef Stew
Recipe from Cuisine at Home
Serves 6

2 1/4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into small chunks
1/4 c flour
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 c diced onions
2 T minced garlic
6 c low sodium beef broth
2 c chopped carrots
2 c peeled and diced russet potatoes
1 c diced celery
1 T thyme
1 T tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c cold water
2 T cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste

Toss beef chunks with flour. Heat 1 T oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in two batches until it's browned on all sides. Adding 1 T oil as needed. Remove beef to a plate, and set aside.

Add remaining 1 T oil to pot, sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes.

Deglaze pot with 1/2 c broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add remaining 5 1/2 c broth, carrots, potatoes, celery, thyme, tomato paste, W sauce, beef, and bay leaves. [Jenn Note: I wouldn't add the potatoes at this time. They got too  mushy. When I make this again, I'll add the potatoes for them to cook right before I wanted to eat.] Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Whisk together water and cornstarch; stir into stew. Boil stew 1 minute. Remove from pot from heat, remove bay leaves and serve.

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

Occasionally, ok a lot, I watch the Food Network. And occasionally I stumble onto a recipe that I know I've just got to make. In most cases, I know I've got to make it for the Sunday Dinner crowd. Aside from those people eating anything, I do like to use them as guinea pigs for new recipes. We haven't had to order pizza yet. And none of them have complained. (I suppose they don't dare for fear of being pitched from the list.)

This group....

 Turned into this group after having dinner.

Great recipe. Easy to make. A bit of prep, but it's worth it.

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Recipe from Food Network.com
Serves 6-8 (I had 8 last night and we had enough to feed 2 more people)


Beef:

8 strips bacon, chopped

1 T olive oil

2 lbs ground chuck (80 percent beef, 20 percent fat)

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Mexican oregano

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1 T unsalted butter

1 R all-purpose flour

2 c whole milk, at room temperature

1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream, at room temperature

2 Ryellow mustard

Kosher salt

Casserole:

2 lbs frozen cheese ravioli, thawed

8 slices Swiss cheese

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

8 slices American cheese

8 ounces shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded (like straw)

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (like paper thin!)

2 T pickle juice

For the beef: In a large pan with straight sides on medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook, while stirring, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pan and add the olive oil, beef, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Brown the beef while breaking it up into bits, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve. Leave the fat in the pan for the sauce.

For the sauce: Add the butter and flour to the already-hot pan from the beef. If the butter begins to brown, lower the heat while working it into the flour. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then raise the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Once it begins to thicken slightly, add the heavy cream and continue to cook until the sauce reduces a bit more and thickens as well. Add the mustard. The sauce will not be thick like gravy, but not as thin as water either. Taste and season with a pinch of salt.

For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish, layer starting at the bottom with: a few spoonfuls of sauce to cover the bottom, half of the ravioli in 1 layer, the Swiss cheese, half of the beef, half of the tomatoes, half of the remaining sauce, the remaining ravioli in 1 layer, the American cheese, the remaining beef, the remaining tomatoes, the remaining sauce and the reserved bacon. Top with all of the shredded cheese blend. Bake until the edges are bubbly and the cheese begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Toss the lettuce and onion in a large bowl with the pickle juice. Serve each portion of casserole with a mound of this garnish over the top.

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken Breasts

The January Sunday dinner theme was "Comfort Food". I asked all my guests to bring their favorite comfort food dish. We had it all. Mid-West dishes, farm dishes, oh and some salad - just for something green.

I decided to make a slow cooker meal that I had been wanting to try. My favorite comfort food is Hunter's Stew - but it makes a lot and I figured we'd have enough food. Instead I grabbed this meal for two recipe and oh boy was it good.

You have to like curry, obviously, to make this recipe. It's not an overwhelming curry flavor, in fact, I felt it was a perfect amount of curry.

The recipe is easy, but does take some time to make - hence the slow cooker.

Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken Breasts
Recipe From American Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2011
Serves 2

2 (12oz) bone-in split chicken breasts, skin removed, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger (really don't skimp on this item)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp tomato paste
3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp minute tapioca (oh and BTW - I skipped this. Tapioca is gross)
2 T raisins
3 T plain whole milk yogurt
1 T minced fresh cilantro
2 T sliced almonds, toasted

Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.

Combine onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, oil and tomato paste in microwave safe bowl. Microwave, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and tapioca. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3-4 on low.

Stir in raisins, cover, and cook on high until raisins are heated through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

In small bowl, combine 1/4 c hot braising liquid with yogurt ( to tempter), then sitr mixture back into slow cooker. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 c sauce over chicken, sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Jenn Note: I didn't use bone in chicken since I was trying to server several people. I used boneless chicken breasts and cut them into big chunks. It worked great. The advantage of bone-in is there may be more chicken flavor.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Seattle SIL came over tonight for us to discuss our excursions for our next cruise that departs from Barcelona. Since we'll be spending some time in Barcelona I thought it only appropriate I make Paella. Paella, to me, is heavenly and, if made correctly, is so delicious.

Making traditional Paella is time consuming and makes a ton. Thankfully America's Test Kitchen does a cook book with meals for 2 people. And they have a version of Paella ... so I made it.

There were some steps that I questioned their logic, but I followed the recipe and it turned out fantastic. It's an easy recipe, but does take some concentration for the steps.

The only thing I changed, and it was because I couldn't find it, was I had to use linguica sausage instead of chorizo. I know...I know...sacrilegious, but I looked at two different stores and couldn't find chorizo sausage. Linguica has many of the same flavors so I think it worked well.

Also, the saffron used in this dish was the saffron I bought in Spain LAST cruise...so it made it even more authentic. If you don't have saffron, or can't afford it, there aren't many options for substitutions. I've been known to use turmeric (not a great choice) so the rice gets that nice yellow color. If you can, use saffron. You won't regret it.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Photo courtesy of continental.com.au

America's Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2013
Serves 2

1 1/2 c water
1/2 c Arborio rice (it's pretty important to use Arborio rice and not long grain rice for this recipe)
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 oz chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 (8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 small onion, chopped fine
3/4 c diced tomatoes, drained - but reserve the juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
1/4 c green olives
1/4 c green peas

Combine 1 c water, rice and 1/8 tsp salt in a bowl. Cover and microwave until rice is softened and most liquid is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to plate. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to fat left in skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate with chorizo.

Add remaining 2 tsp oil and onion to now empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add drained tomatoes and cook until beginning to soften and darken, 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saffron and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in par cooked rice, breaking up any large clumps, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 8-12 minutes.

Stir in browned chorizo and chicken and any accumulated juices, olives and peas. Increase the heat to medium high.Cook, uncovered, until bottom layer of rice is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through cooking to ensure even browning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Smothered Pork Chops

I'm trying to get pork more into my diet. It's not my first choice, often, and a meat I forget about. I get tired of chicken so need to find alteratives.

This recipe is 1) easy and 2) quite good. I made mashed potatoes with this so probably put the "heathy" out the window.  By and large, though, it would be a fairly healthy mean (without the potatoes).

I have several America Test Kitchen Cooking for Two cookbooks. As a single person, cooking for one is almost impossible. But cooking for two is easy. The "leftovers" often go to the Pantry Goat so I never feel like I'm wasting.

Smothered Pork Chops

Photo courtesy of Dishing With Dish blog

Recipe from American Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2012
Makes 2 servings

1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 (7oz) bone-in blade-cut pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
1 T vegetable oil
1 T unsalted butter
1 onion, halved and sliced thin (really you only need 1/2 of a BIG onion.
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 c plus 1 T beef broth (oh I should mention I didn't have beef broth so I used chicken.)
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine onion powder, paprika 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub evenly with spice mixture.

Heat oil in 10" oven proof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops 3-4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Melt butter in now empty skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened and well browned, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. Return chops and any accumulated juices, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until chops are completely tender and fork slips easily in and out of  meat, about 1 1/2 hours. [Jenn Note: This surprised me. It took my chops only 20 minutes to cook. So check your chops after 15 minutes.]

Transfer chops to plate and tent loosely with foil. Remove bay leaf and strain contents of skillet through fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup; reserve onions. Let liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove the fat from surface using large spoon (or you can strain it into a fat separator like I did).

Return 1/3 c defatted pan juices to now empty skillet and bring to a simmer.  Whisk remaining 1 T broth and cornstarch together in a bowl until no l umps remain, then whisk mixture into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in reserved onions and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Broccoli with Garlic and Asiago

As my side dish to the Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese I made this broccoli dish. I can't say it was great, but it was good. I think by trying to make broccoli better I somehow make it worse.

Broccoli with Garlic and Asiago
Recipe from Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2
Makes 4 servings

1 large head broccoli, cut into long thin spears
2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 lb Asiago cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Simmer broccoli in a 1/2 inch boiling, salted water in a shallow skillet for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and remove from pan. Return pan to stovetop over medium heat, add oil and garlic, and saute 3 minutes. Add broccoli spears and coat with the oil. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with curls of cheese.

Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss and Balsamic Mayo

I haven't made a Rachael Ray recipe for some time and I'm glad that I picked this one to ease me back in to. I will say I "followed" this recipe 100%. The only difference is I didn't put this burger on a bun and thus didn't make mayo, but I've had that mayo before and I can vouch for how delicious it is.

Oh and I grilled the burger outside instead of inside ... but that's not that big of difference. I'm trying to get better at actually following a recipe. It's hard for me cuz I think I have a creative food mind...and sometimes I should have just followed the recipe.

Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss and Balsamic Mayo

Recipe from Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2
Makes 4

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus 1 T
1 T finely chopped onion
1 1/3 lb ground sirloin, 90% lean
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Steak seasoning blend like McCormicks Montreal Steak seasoning
4 crusty rolls, split
12 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 slices swiss cheese
3 T aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 c mayonnaise or reduced fat mayo
ground pepper taste

Preheat grill pan or large nonstick skillet for burgers, over medium high heat. In a small nonstick skillet over moderate heat, saute chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, combine meat with Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning blend. Mix in sauteed onion and form into 4 large patties. Drizzle patties with a touch of olive oil. Quick toast your split rolls on the hot grill pan or skillet and set aside. Then add burgers to hot pan or skillet and grill or pan-fry, 4-5 minutes on each side for medium to medium well burgers.

Return small nonstick skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 T olive oil and sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, then saute until just tender, about 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat.

Pile mushrooms on top of burgers just before you are ready to take them off the grill or out of the pan. Fold each slice of swiss cheese in half and rest on top of mushrooms. Place a loose tin foil tent over the burgers and turn heat off. Allow the cheese to melt down over the mushrooms and burgers, about 2-3 minutes.

Combine balsamic vinegar, mayo and lots of ground cracked pepper in a small dish.

Put burgers on rolls. Slather the top of buns with balsamic mayo. Add romaine, tomato and whatever else you like on your burgers.

Italian Vegetable Soup

So the whole time I was making this I kept thinking, "This is the stranges Italian Wedding Soup I've ever made." Turns out it's Italian VEGETABLE Soup.  Suddenly it made more sense.

This soup has everything but the kitchen sink in it. And let me tell you...it's delicious.  I started making this for Meatless Monday, but had some ground turkey I needed to use, so browned that up and poured it in. Glad I did. Though it negates the "vegetable" soup thing.

Super easy to make. Takes a bit to get it started because there's some good amount of vegetable chopping. Note...when chopping your veggies make sure they're all about the same size, that way they cook evenly.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Recipe from The Recipe Girl Cookbook
Serves 8

1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced and rinsed well
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 c chopped zucchini
2 c chopped carrots
2 c chopped cabbage
3 14.5 oz cans of low-sodium chicken broth
2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
3 c thinly sliced kale or swiss chard (yah I didn't add this...gross)
1 c frozen corn
1 T finely chopped fresh oregano or basil (I used basil. Delicious)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and leeks and cook, stirring until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add the zucchini, carrot and cabbage. Cook stirring often until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 7-10 minutes. 

Stir in the kale, corn, basil or oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is wilted and soft 3-4 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

I generally judge a restaurant by their French dip sandwiches.  I'm a HUGE fan of French dips. Dad used to make a killer French dip. I rarely make them because making a French dip for one person is tough.

But today, Meg-A-Roonie was coming to lunch and I figured it was a great opportunity to make a French dip.  And one by SkinnyTaste.com would mean it's "low cal". It would have been had I followed the recipe.  I followed it mostly. That should count.

The recipe can be found here on SkinnyTaste.com, but just in case you'd rather just scroll down, it's below too.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

For The Beef:

• 3 to 4 lb lean beef round roast, trimmed
1 tbsp minced garlic, minced
• 1 T fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 to 3 (14.5 oz) cans Swanson's low-sodium beef broth

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 large onion, cut into chunks

For the Caramelized Onions (makes about 1 cup):


• 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• For the Peppers (makes about 2 cups): (I only did one red pepper cuz Meg-A-Roonie was the only one that was going to eat a bell pepper).
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips
• 
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips

For the Sandwich:

Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone or Mozzarella Slices  (JW: I used swiss cheese cuz that's what I had available. whole wheat baguette or rolls, cut into 2 oz pieces



In a small bowl mix garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture onto all sides of the roast, then place in the slow cooker. (JW: So I'm not a fan of rosemary, so instead of rosemary and thyme I used McCormicks Montreal Grill Seasoning.)

Pour the broth into the side of the roast until it just cover the meat. If the broth doesn't cover the roast you can add water and top with onions. Add the Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns and bay leaf to the broth. Cover and cook on low until the meat flakes apart easily with a fork, about 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast. (JW: my roast was 2.3 lbs. I clearly didn't need to cook it for 9 to 12 hours. Instead I cooked it for 3.5 hours. It was delicious.)

An hour before the meat is done, prepare the onions and peppers. In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until golden, stirring often, reducing heat as needed if the onions are burning or browning too quickly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add 1 tbsp to the pan if it becomes too dry. The onions should turn golden and the flavor should be sweet. Transfer to a serving bowl, then add the peppers to the skillet and cook stirring often until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred with a fork or slice with a knife. Strain the broth through a fine sieve then place in a gravy separator to remove any fat. Pour 1/4 cup broth into each small ramekin.

Preheat the oven to broil. Split the bread open and top with 2 ounces of beef. Top with onions, peppers and cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Place on a plate with broth for dipping.

Thai Red Curry Beef

Oh you should smell this house right now. This recipe has been in the slow cooker since 11am this morning. It smells AMAZING. I can't wait to taste it.

I'm posting this early because I know I'm going to love this. I love everything about it already so I'm sure it'll be great. I'll update later if it's not.

This is a slow cooker recipe, so you'll need to plan. I was supposed to make this last night and as I began to prep to cook I realized it was a slow cooker recipe. DOH!

Update: Sadly not  nearly as curry-ee as I had hoped. I, personally, think it could have gone for only 4 hours and been fine. The beef had basically fallen apart and there were vey few chunks of meat...mostly meat pieces.

Thai Red Curry Beef

Photo courtesy of MyRecipes.com

Recipe from Cooking Light Dinner's Ready

Serves 8
245 calories (3/4 c beef, 1/2 c rice)

2 lbs lean beef stew meat
1/8 tsp salt
2 c finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c low sodium beef broth
1 T dark brown sugar
3 T red curry paste
2 T fish sauce
2 T fresh lime  juice
1 can (13.5 oz) light coconut milk
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 c bagged baby spinach leaves
4 c hot cooked jasmine rice
1/2 c fresh basil leaves

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain. Place beef in a 4-quart electric slow cooker; sprinkle with salt.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion mixture over beef. Combine beef broth and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño); pour over beef.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Stir in spinach. Cover and cook on LOW for 15 minutes or just until spinach wilts. Serve beef mixture over rice; sprinkle with basil leaves.

Gruyere-Bacon Dip

For my birthday again this year I asked everyone to bring their favorite appetizer. I'm a big fan of appetizers and so this is a chance to have appetizers for dinner. It's a win-win.

In an attempt to keep things somewhat healthy, I chose this recipe from the Cooking Light Dinner's Ready cookbook. So far I have yet to try a recipe in here that I haven't liked.

This recipe is a slow cooker recipe. I almost didn't do it in a slow cooker but at the last minute decided, "why not?" I'm glad I did. It worked perfectly and ended up being absolutely delicious.

Gruyere-Bacon Dip

Photo from MyRecipe.com

Recipe from Cooking Light Dinner's Ready
Yield 16 servings

• 1/2 c chopped onion
• cooking spray
• 4 oz shredded Gruyere cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 c canola mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 8 oz block fat free cream cheese, softened
• 2 T chopped green onions
• 4 center cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauce 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.

Place onion in a 2 1/2 quart electric slow cooker coated in cooking spray. Add cheese, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, cream cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 hours or until cheese melts, stirring after 45 minutes. Top with green onions and bacon.

Hunter's Stew

I can't believe one of my all time favorite family recipes isn't on my food blog. What the heck? I'm fixing that mistake now.

Hunter's Stew is a recipe dad taught me. It's basically a camping/hunting recipe that he's cooked when out with the Buckhorn guys hunting. It's one of the most simple and delicious recipes ever. And comfort food for this girl.

The whole idea here is it's all canned goods. You simply open them and dump it in.

Hunter's Stew

Recipe by Dad Wraspir
Serves 6 ish

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can Veg-all (Usually on the bottom shelf of the canned veggies)
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can canned corn
• 1 can canned cut green beans
• 1 jar Pace Picante sauce

Brown the ground beef. When it's done, dump everything in. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes - uncovered.

Bisquik dumplings - read the recipe on the side of the box, but I think it's 2 c bisquik mix and 1/3 c or a bit more milk. Make the dumplings.

Spoon them onto the top of the stew. Cook with the lid off for 10 minutes. Then with the lid on for 10 minutes.

Eat immediately. But be careful to not burn your tongue.

Crab Rangoon Dip

Yesterday was the cookie exchange Sunday dinner...more on those recipes later.  For the appetizer I had seen this on FB and wanted to give it a try.

A couple of things I changed. First, I used shrimp instead of crab. Seattle SIL is allergic to oysters, and crabs eat oysters. So instead of worrying if the crab was eating oysters, I opted for shrimp, whom I know don't eat oysters.

ahem...

Anyhow, the other thing I changed is I didn't bake it. I had too many things in the oven and didn't really want to bother.

All in all, this is a keeper. It was tasty...I'd add a smidgen of salt and pepper next time, but it was pretty good all the same.


Crab Rangoon Dip

Photo from Pinterest

• 2 c crab meat (I used two cans of shrimp)
• 16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks)
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

First, soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about a minute. [Jenn Note: Yah, since I didn't bake this, I just let the cream cheese come to room temperature and then mixed in the rest of the ingredients.]

Chop your green onions. Add them and your two cups of crab meat . 

Add the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, powdered sugar, garlic powder and lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients and bake for 30 mins at 350 degrees. Serve hot with chips or fried wantons or pork rinds. [Jenn Note: I served it with sliced baguette and carrot sticks.]

Red Curry Beef, Napa Cabbage and Noodle Salad

I like red curry in things. I have several recipes that have it and I have found it to not be as hot (spicy) as some people thing. The flavor to me is rich and yummy.

I'm not, however, a good cook when it comes to rice stick noodles. I cannot, for the life of me, cook them and have them not be crunchy. So I usually don't bother and just use spaghetti. I know, not rice noodles, but good all the same.

This recipe is designed to be a salad, so cold. But for dinner, I had it warm.  Tomorrow for lunch I'll have it cold and see if it's worth having as a salad.

Red Curry Beef, Napa Cabbage and Noodle Salad
Recipe from WW What to Cook Now?
Makes 4

• 4 oz rice stick noodles
• 3 T lime juice
• 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
•  1 T packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tsp Asian fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 3/4 lb sirloin steak, cut on the diagonal into 1/4 in strips
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 4 c thinly sliced napa cabbage
• 1/2 seedless (English) cucumber, cut into matchstick thin strips
• 1/2 c shredded carrots
• 1/2 c fresh cilantro

Place noodles in large bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Let  noodles stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander, then rinse under cold running water; drain again. Transfer noodles to large bowl.

To make dressing, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, fish sauce and curry paste in small bowl.  Put beef in medium bowl. Add 2 T of dressing and toss to coat. Reserve remaining dressing.

Heat large skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Pour in oil and swirl to coat pan. Add beef and stir fry until lightly browned, abut 3 minutes.

Add cabbage, cucumber, carrots, cilantro and reserved dressing to noodles and toss to coat; divide evenly among 4 plates. Top noodles evenly with beef.

Bacon - Cheddar Cheese Tarts

OMG...one of the best appetizer recipes I've made in a long time. 2 of these tarts are just 66 calories.  And a delicious 66 calories.

Bacon-Cheddar Cheese Tarts
Recipe from WW What to Cook Now?
Serves 12 -16

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/4 tspsalt
• 3 slices Canadian bacon, finely chopped
• 1/4 c fat free egg substitute
• 2 T fat-free half and half
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 24 frozen mini-phyllo tart shells
• 1/2 c finely shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Heat oil in medium, nonstick over medium heat. Add onion and salt, cover and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to plate. Add bacon to skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, whisk together egg substitute, half and half, mustard and pepper. Arrange tart shells on baking sheet. Spoon onions evenly into shells. Sprinkle bacon evenly over onions. Pour about 1 tsp egg mixture into each tart. Sprinkle tops evenly with cheese and bake until egg mixture is set, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Small confession here - I totally mixed the onions and bacon together in the pan after the bacon was cooked. Then spooned that into the tarts first. Turned out just fine.

Caliente Bean and Queso Dip

A couple of month's ago I got the SkinnyTaste cookbook by the blogger at skinnytaste.com. It's a cookbook that says it's "light on calories and big on flavor". I've found many recipes on skinnytaste.com that are just that.

Today for tree decorating I made this recipe. I didn't read the directions well enough and goofed one MAJOR part. Where it says 1 T of taco seasoning, I put in the entire packet. Yah, bit tooo taco-y and too salty.  In the future, I'd actually just use chili powder as I think it would impart the same flavor.

Caliente Bean and Queso Dip
Recipe from Skinny Taste Cookbook

Makes 3 1/2 c - 14 servings
Serving size 1/4 c

• Cooking spray
• 1 (15oz) can fat-free refried beans
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 1 1/4 c jarred medium salsa
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
• 1 1/2 c shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9X9 in baking dish with oil.

In a small bowl, combine the beans and taco seasoning and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the salsa and green chiles on top of the beans.

Bake until the edges begin to bubble, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the cheese and return to the oven. Bake just long enough to melt the cheese, 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.