Tag Archives: beans

Black Bean Chili

This is a great quick chili – you can serve it with rice, drop the whole thing in some broth to make a soup, or eat as is with a nice dollop of sour cream on top.

Black Bean Chili
Black Bean Chili

4 servings
253 calories per serving

2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 t chili powder
1 t oregano flakes
1 t ground cumin
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Place onion and garlic in a hot saucepan sprayed with Pam and cover and cook on low 5 minutes stirring occasionally and adding up to 1 couple of tablespoons of water to keep them from scorching. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, peppers, chili powder, oregano and cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes then add the beans and simmer another 5 minutes.

Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)

This recipe confirmed all my earlier suspicions – – I REALLY REALLY don’t like dumplings ! heheheh But I know there are lotsa people out there who do and my husband (who is a bona fide dumpling lover) said these were quite tasty !

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings

8 servings
400 calories per serving

Soup:
4 c cubed cooked chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
6 c fat free chicken broth
1 T parsley, chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
6 c diced potatoes
1 c green beans
1 c carrots, sliced

Dumplings:
1 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
4 t baking powder
1 egg, beaten
2 T oil
2/3 c skim milk

Combine all soup ingredients in crock. Cover and cook 4-6 hours. Transfer to a large soup pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer. To make the dumplings, mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl mix egg, oil and milk and then add to flour mixture. Drop by large tablespoonfuls on top of the simmering broth until the surface is covered. Cover and simmer 18 minutes.

Quick Baked Beans

Great to serve next to a no fat hot dog (which is only 145 calories on a bun!). This is a great side dish full of fiber and full of rich flavor.

Quick Baked Beans
Quick Baked Beans

4 servings
235 calories per serving

16 oz. can of pork and beans
15 oz. can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
¼ c ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 T cooked bacon crumbles
Dash of Smoke Flavoring (optional)
2 t dried minced onion
2 t spicy brown mustard

Combine all and cook on low heat 15 minutes so flavors mingle.

South of the Border Chicken

This is one of those PERFECT meals. Some meals are just spiced perfectly, cook up perfectly time and time again, and deserve a place in the Hall of Fame of recipes – this is one of those. If you love Mexican inspired dishes, you have to give this one a try !

South of the Border Chicken
South of the Border Chicken

4 servings
289 calories per serving

12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ t pepper
¼ t salt
2 t oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c fat free beef broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4.5 oz. can chopped chilies
1 t chili powder
½ t ground cumin
3 c hot cooked rice
Pam

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in a hot skillet sprayed with Pam. Cook 5 minutes or until they begin to brown then set aside and keep warm. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and 2 T of the broth. Cook 6 minutes or until tender then add tomato sauce, beans and the rest of the broth and mix well. Add the pepper, chili powder, cumin and chicken and bring to a boil the reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chimichurri Chicken and Green Beans

Chimichurri sauce just makes everything better ! It’s a great mix of parsley, vinegar, garlic and lemon and is much like the Italian gremolata. Serve with some coucous for a great complete meal !

Chimichurri Chicken and Green Beans
Chimichurri Chicken and Green Beans

4 servings
280 calories per serving

3 T oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.25 lb.)
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
12 oz. fresh green beans
1 T water
¾ c parsley
1 T cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, halved
¼ t red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon

Brush chicken with 1 T oil and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Heat grill and cook chicken 12-15 minutes or until done. While the chicken is cooking place beans and water in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave 3 minutes. In a food processor combine 2 T oil, the rest of the salt and pepper, parsley, vinegar, garlic and red pepper and process until almost smooth. Place chicken on bed of beans, with sauce and lemon zest on top. Squeeze extra lemon juice over top and user lemon slices as garnish.

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

This was a perfect meal to serve for guests – tasty, elegant, refined. It was also so perfectly seasoned with the dressing, rosemary and sundried tomatoes. This is one of those recipes that will be made again and again !

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans
Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

4 servings
380 calories per serving

1/3 c low fat Italian dressing
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 oz. each)
¼ c water
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
¼ c chopped drained sun dried tomatoes in oil
1 t rosemary leave flakes
19 oz. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Heat dressing in skillet and cook chicken 5 minutes per side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium low and add water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and rosemary then cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in beans and cover and cook 5 minutes or until beans are warm.

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans
Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

Chicken Cheese Burritos

These took just 10 minutes to throw together and were so very good – the onion was just enough, the beans leant a great flavor as well as making the texture really nice, and the cumin and lime made for a great overall flavor. You can make these ahead and freeze them – then you have a quick nutritious microwave lunch ready in 3 minutes !

Chicken Cheese Burritos
Chicken Cheese Burritos

6 servings
367 calories per serving

2 t oil
1 c diced onion
1 T minced garlic
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 c cooked and diced chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
1 T cumin
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 T minced lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
2 t oregano flakes
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
6 8 inch whole wheat tortillas (Smart Delicious 80 calorie version)
1 ½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion and garlic about 2 minutes then add beans. Mix chicken with cumin and add to onion mix. Stir in tomatoes, jalapeno, zest, juice, oregano, salt and pepper and cook until jalapenos are slightly softened, about 5 minutes then let filling cool slightly. Place tortillas on a flat surface and fill with ¾ c filling and ¼ c cheese. Fold and eat ! Here is a video that will help you learn how to roll the burrito so it does not leak.

If you are making these to freeze and eat later, make sure you let the mix cool completely before putting them together and then fold in all 4 sides and roll, securing the filling inside. Wrap each in plastic wrap and then place all the burritos in a zip loc freezer bag.

Kitchen Sink Salad

This is my ‘recipe’ for a salad that contains ‘everything but the kitchen sink’. Sometimes it’s the best unplanned dish of the week.

By the end of the week I have a bunch of bits and pieces of veggies left over – so I use them all in a salad – whatever I have, it gets thrown in. And because the salad is so full of flavor from all the veggies, I use NO OIL. And that makes for one LOW CAL, LOW FAT salad !

Sometimes I even put in bits of other prepared salads I had made – this picture shows a salad where I added in some left over cucumber and radish salad – and even some black beans. Try it – it makes salad eating so much more pleasurable !

Kitchen Sink Salad
Kitchen Sink Salad

1 serving
30-80 calories per serving

2 c field greens or any other leftover lettuce you have
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t oregano flakes
Vinegar (balsamic, red wine, anything)
Citrus juice – up to a tablespoon of lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice – whatever floats your boat
1 c Veggies – cucs, broccoli, carrots, celery, jicama, zucchini
1/4 c Beans – black beans, chick peas, cannellini beans
1/4 c Fresh herbs – parsley, cilantro, basil

Mix it all up and enjoy !

Chicken and Pasta Soup

This soup is prepared a day ahead and refrigerated so that the flavors really mingle. If you want to serve the same day you make it, that works too 🙂

Chicken and Pasta Soup
Chicken and Pasta Soup

6 servings
265 calories per serving

1/2 c cannellini beans
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
6 bay leaves
7 c water
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 carrot, sliced thinly
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
Leaves from the tops of the celery stalks
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 T minced garlic
½ t onion powder
2 t basil flakes
8 oz. FiberGourmet pasta (short alfredo, elbows or rotini)

In a soup pot combine chicken, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil. Add onions, carrots, celery, celery leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic and basil. Return to a boil and then lower heat and simmer 1 hour. Add beans and remove bay leaves. Refrigerate overnight. The next day heat the broth and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in soup bowl and ladle soup into each bowl.

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