Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

Course: main meals P+ Value: 7 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 6-8 hours Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	4 breast(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
	24 oz canned diced tomatoes
	2 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil, Cut up
	1 cup(s) roasted red peppers, in water, chopped
	2 Tbsp italian seasoning
	1/2 cup(s) uncooked brown rice

Instructions

Pour half of the diced tomatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker. Set chicken breasts on top of tomatoes, then add everything except rice.

Cook on Low 6-8 hours. 45 minutes before serving, stir in rice, turn on High and cover. Stir once while cooking.

Once rice is cooked, stir all ingredients, breaking and shredding chicken.
Top with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread if desired.

Almond and Parmesan Crusted Whitefish

Course: main meals P+ Value: 11 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 10 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients

	3 fillet(s) whitefish fillet(s)
	1/2 cup(s) almonds, ground
	2 item(s) egg white(s), beaten
	1 oz Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
	1 serving(s) old bay seasoning, 1 tsp
	2 Tbsp olive oil
	2 Tbsp Shedd's Country Crock Soft Margarine

Instructions

Heat oil and butter in large saute pan over medium heat.

Using a food processor or blender, grind almonds.

Set up a breading station, with beaten egg whites in one shallow dish and ground almonds, parmesan cheese and Old Bay in another shallow dish.

Rinse and pat fish dry. If fillets are large, cut in half. Dip in egg whites, then in almonds to coat.

Cook fillets in saute pan 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish is firm and browned.

Serve with green beans and slivered almonds and rice if desired.

Cheesy Corn and Broccoli Casserole

Course: side dishes P+ Value: 4 Servings: 10 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 30 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients

	4 medium corn on the cob, par-cooked and cut from cob
	3 stalk(s) broccoli, cut into florets
	1 Tbsp light butter
	1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	1 1/4 cup(s) 2% reduced fat milk
	2 tsp italian seasoning
	1 tsp sea salt
	1 item(s) bell pepper(s), red, finely chopped (medium)
	12 cracker(s) Nabisco Ritz Crackers, crushed
	8 oz Kraft 2% Milk Natural Cheese Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded cheese

Instructions

HEAT oven to 350F.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook broccoli florets 3 minutes, then drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Meanwhile, Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in saucepan on medium heat 1 min. Blend in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring until well blended; cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add Italian seasoning, salt and half of the cheese; cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add corn, pepper and 1/4 cup crumbs; mix well.

Arrange broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with sauce, then remaining cheese. Melt remaining butter; mix with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over ingredients in baking dish.

Bake 30 min. or until heated through.

Notes: Make sure the corn and broccoli are dry or dish will be too wet.

Make-ahead, do not add cracker crumb topping until ready to put it in the oven. Bake 45 min or until heated.

Ham and Bean Soup

Course: soups P+ Value: 5 Servings: 10 Preparation Time: 8 hours (to soak beans) Cooking Time: 2 hours Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	1 pound(s) dry great northern beans
	1 cup(s) carrot(s), chopped
	1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
	2 leaf/leaves bay leaf
	2 tsp thyme, fresh, 2-3 sprigs
	1 tsp dry mustard
	1/2 serving(s) Chipotle Chili Powder, tsp
	2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), pressed (medium)
	1/2 cup(s) celery, chopped
	1/4 serving(s) smoked paprika, tsp
	1/2 pound(s) uncanned chopped ham
	2 tsp table salt

Instructions

Rinse, sort then soak beans in cold water overnight or according to package directions. Drain.

In a large pot, combine all ingredients, then add water to cover by 2 inches. Simmer over med-low heat for 1.5-2 hours or until beans reach desired texture.

DEVOUR. Victoria told me this was the only soup she has ever liked!

I didn't have any celery on hand, so since I was serving it with roasted broccoli, I trimmed the stems and cut them into half-circle discs and tossed them in instead.

Basic Sweet or Savory Crepe

Course: light meals P+ Value: 6 Servings: 2 Preparation Time: 05 min + rest time Cooking Time: 15 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
	1/2 cup(s) water
	1 item(s) egg
	1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	1/4 cup(s) White Whole Wheat Flour

Instructions

Put all ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend until combined, scraping sides down if necessary.
For sweet crepe: add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp splenda
For savory crepe: leave as is or add 1 tsp chopped chives.
Put blended batter (will be very thin) in fridge for at least 1 hour - the longer the better, up to overnight.
When ready to make crepes, blend again to combine. Heat 8" nonstick skillet over med-high heat, and spray with butter spray or nonstick spray (first crepe only). Make crepes 1/4 c at a time.
Yield 8 crepes, 4 per serving.

Tonight V and I had these for dinner, sweet - style. I filled them with part-skim ricotta and topped with thawed unsweetened blueberries.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Course: main meals P+ Value: 4 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 10 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	8 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
	1/4 cup(s) Kraft Light Done Right Zesty Italian
	1/4 cup(s) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
	1/2 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil, finely chopped
	1 cup(s) chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
	1/3 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt
	2 serving(s) Sabra spinach artichoke hummus, serving = 2 Tbsp

Instructions

If chicken is already cooked, combine chicken, dressing, broth in a saucepan and heat through. Chop and add artichokes and spinach.
In a small bowl, combine yogurt and hummus until smooth.
Once chicken and veggies are heated through, stir in creamy sauce, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes to heat thru.

Serve over brown rice.

YUM!!!

Roast Turkey Breast

1 large turkey breast (with bone and skin), 7-8 lbs

2 Tbsp EVOO

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp Dry Mustard

2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 325. With turkey completely thawed, rinse and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together. Force half of the seasoning under the skin, pat the other half on top. Place turkey breast-side up in roasting pan. Put 2 cups of water in bottom of roasting pan. Bake until internal temperature reaches 165, basting with juices every half hour. If top starts to get too brown, cover loosely with foil. Remove from oven and let rest 15-20 minutes before cutting.

DELISH! 8 lb breast I got made enough for 4 bags of 6-PP lunchmeat for Rod, plus what we had for dinner, plus an 8-PP dish to use for something else!

Butternut Squash and Turkey Orzotto

Course: main meals PP Value: 6 Servings: 5 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 30 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	6 oz Market Day Poultry Turkey breast roast
	2 cup(s) cooked cubed butternut squash
	1 cup(s) uncooked orzo
	1 cup(s) vegetable broth
	1 1/2 cup(s) water
	1 packet(s) vegetable soup mix
	1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated fresh
	1 Tbsp light butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. Coat a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, toss squash with oil and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between squash cubes. Roast, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add orzo. Stir constantly until orzo begins to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Add water, broth and soup mix; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Stir in cheese, turkey and roasted squash. Season well with salt and pepper; serve.

Substitutions: Can sub boneless skinless chicken breast for turkey, garlic & herb seasoning packet for Veg soup mix (YUM!)

Mediterranean Pizza

An experiment in how to combine a couple of my favorite foods: spanikopita and margharita pizza.

1/2 of a thin-crust pizza dough tube

1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Ranch dressing

1 small onion, finely diced

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 large garlic clove

1/2 can spinach (or 1/2 box frozen), squeezed of all excess water

2 Tbsp real bacon bits

4 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 oz feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Brush Large Bar Pan with a little bit of vegetable oil. Spread the 1/2 pizza crust to cover. Once oven is preheated, bake crust for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender (5 minutes). Add garlic, pressed, and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add spinach and stir until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle crust with mozzarella cheese, drizzle ranch dressing. Using tongs, spread spinach mixture evenly over crust. Add remaining toppings (bacon, tomatoes, and feta cheese), return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

Tzatziki Sauce

I love that making sauces affords me the opportunity to stuff in more veggies, and control the freshness of the ingredients. With some of the cucumbers I got from my MIL, I was craving some gyros.

Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 cup greek yogurt (I used my own home-made plain nonfat yogurt, strained to 1/2 cup)
2 small or 1 medium cucumbers
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Finely shred cucumbers, and drain or let sit on paper towels for at least 30 minutes to remove excess liquid.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate at least an hour or overnight to allow flavors to blend.