Tag Archives: garlic

Chicken, Crock pot, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Soups

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)

May 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I just found a new favorite chicken soup ! For years I have made ‘my chicken soup’ more often than any other recipe. But this one just takes the cake and this is my new ‘go to’ recipe. It combines home cooked goodness with just a little something extra…the evaporated milk makes the broth become such a mellow base and the roasted chicken has such a great texture – very different from your traditional soup where you cook the chicken in the broth. Give it a try !!

6 servings
373 calories per serving

1 c onions, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t oil
¼ t flour
½ t oregano flakes
¼ t onion powder
¼ t garlic powder
6 c fat free chicken broth
2 c water
4 c diced potatoes (I used canned)
1 t salt
2 c skinless roasted chicken, diced (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
2 c wide egg noodles
1 c fat free evaporated milk

Heat a skillet and add oil and brown onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir in flour, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder and then pour into crock and mix in broth, water, potatoes and salt. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. Add chicken, noodles and milk and cook until noodles are tender, about ½ hour. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can easily do this stove top. Just let it simmer for an hour or 2 at very low temperature for the first step, then add the chicken, noodles and milk and let cook another 15 minutes or so.

Lunch, Salads

Turkey, Black Bean and Edamame Salad

April 26, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Edamame are just baby soybeans – they are tender, sweet, and you often see them served at Japanese restaurants. I like to buy frozen ones and keep them on hand for different recipes. Salads are a great way to serve them 🙂

4 servings
390 calories per serving

2 c cubed smoked turkey
15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. can corn
1 c shelled edamame cooked according to package instructions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 T minced garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T oil
2 T cider vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
4 c field greens

Mix the turkey, beans, corn, edamame, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard and pour over the turkey mix and season with salt and pepper. Place mixture over the lettuce and serve immediately.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Potatoes in Foil

April 22, 2011 admin Leave a comment

These potatoes come out so tender and the spritz of citrus at the end gives them a great flavor !

4 servings
167 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. new potatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves
1 T oil
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ c cilantro leaves or basil leaves
Lemon or Lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a large double layer square of foil and place potatoes and garlic on it and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close up tightly and grill, rotating packet often, 25 minutes or until done. Before serving, add in cilantro, extra salt and pepper, and spritz with lime.

Lunch, Mexican, Soups

Salsa Black Bean Soup

April 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This was so super delicious ! It rivals any restaurant soup out there ! I made it without the cheese and it was so incredibly tasty that you did not miss it at all.

4 servings
213 calories

1 t oil
1 T minced garlic
2 c water
1/2 t chipotle chile powder or 3 t chipotle sauce
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle salsa
1 T lime juice
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil and sauté garlic 1 minute. Stir in water, chipotle, beans and salsa. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove 2 c of the mix and put in a blender and puree. Then put back in the pan and simmer 15 minutes. Then add the juice and cilantro and simmer 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Lunch, Pork, Sandwiches

Ham and Provolone Melt

April 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Placing these in the oven for 10 minutes transforms these from good sandwiches to GREAT sandwiches. All the flavors combine so nicely and the garlic and pepper give it just a little bite. These are definitely in my top 10 sandwiches !

1 serving
357 calories per serving

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin bun
4 slices thin sliced deli ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat provolone cheese
1 T olive oil
½ clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 slice tomato
½ green pepper in thin slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mid together garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Place ham, peppers and tomato on bun. Drizzle with garlic and oil mix and top with cheese. Wrap sandwich in foil and bake 10 minutes.

Lunch, Pork, Soups

Emeril’s Ham and Split Pea Soup

April 16, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I made just a few variations to Emeril’s original recipe. This is just OUTSTANDING ! The flavor is so big and I like the texture of this so much better than the pureed versions of split pea soup.

6 servings
268 calories per serving

1 pound dried split peas
1 ham bone (leftover from a baked ham meal)
3 T butter
1 c finely chopped onions
¾ c finely chopped celery
½ c finely chopped carrots
2 t minced garlic
1 lb. lean ham cut into small cubes (leftover from baked ham meal)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
8 c water
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme flakes

Even if the package says that no soaking is necessary, soak the peas over night in a large bowl with water at least 2 inches over the peas. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter and cook onion 2-3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook another 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in peas, water, ham, and spices. Add in ham bone. Cover and cook 1 hour or until peas are tender. Remove ham bone and bay leaf, leave uncovered and cook another ½ hour to thicken. If it gets too thick, add extra water.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork

Garlic Stuffed Pork Roast

March 9, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I love stuffing garlic into any roast before cokoing. The mellow garlic flavor permeates throughout all the meat and makes for a great dinner. This time I did it with pork roast and served with Potato Pancakes.

8 servings (1 serving = 4 oz. meat)
242 calories per serving

2 lb. pork roast
4 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim the roast of 95% of the fat. Make slits in both sides of the meat and stuff in little slices of garlic. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place ½ cup water in the bottom of a baking pan and then place the roast in a rack on the pan. Cover loosely with foil and cook ½ hour. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue cooking 1 – 1.5 more hours or until done in the center. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Breakfast, Kid Friendly

Savory Breakfast Muffins

March 8, 2011 admin Leave a comment

These are FABULOUS ! Serve as a breakfast muffin, for brunch, for lunch, or even as a dinner side. They are quite versatile – add or remove spices to make these taste just how you like them 🙂

12 servings
190 calories per serving

6 slices thin bacon, chopped (I use the precooked version and totally skip the frying step)
10 cloves roasted garlic, chopped finely (don’t substitute raw garlic)
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk Bisquick
1 1/2 T chopped parsley
2 c shredded low fat mild cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pans with Pam. Fry bacon and remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Beat eggs and stir in Bisquick, parsley, cheese, bacon, salt, pepper and garlic and spoon into muffin tins. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool before removing from pan.

Asian, Dinner, Fish

Sesame Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

March 5, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great tasting asian dish that is so versatile – you can easily change up the veggies or the protein and end up with something quite different.

4 servings
400 calories per serving

12 oz. cleaned, peeled shrimp
8 oz. uncooked egg noodles
1 T sesame seeds
1 t peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c broccoli florets
8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
4.5 oz. jar whole mushrooms, drained
½ c chicken broth
2 T dry white wine (or extra broth)
2 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Cook sesame seeds over medium high heat 2 minutes or until golden and fragrant then set aside. Heat oil in skillet and cook garlic 30 seconds then add broccoli, water chestnuts and mushrooms and cook 7 minutes or until broccoli is beginning to get tender. Add shrimp and cool 5 minutes or until shrimp is done. Combine broth, wine, soy and cornstarch and mix well then add to skillet and cook until thick and bubbly. Add in the cooked noodles. Sprinkle with seeds just before serving.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly

Breast of Chicken Hortelana (Baltimore International College)

March 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This was one of those meals that just had that special extra something. Thanks to Baltimore International College School of Culinary Arts for another great recipe that brings gourmet cooking into your home. Sure, you could just brown up the chicken and call it done…but by adding these few extra ingredients to the pan, simmering, and then serving over the chicken, you have a restaurant quality dish that you will be proud to serve. And at only 277 calories per serving, there’s plenty of room for a nice side as well.

Baltimore International College School of Culinary Arts has many, many recipes for you to try out (just go to the menu option ‘Programs” and then you will see a link to the recipes. And if you know someone with a passion for food looking for formal schooling, pass along the link. So make sure to visit – just click the banner below 🙂

2 servings
277 calories per serving

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 4 oz. each
1 T flour
1 T olive oil
½ t salt
1 oz. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c mushrooms, sliced
1 oz. finely diced ham (I used some leftover Canadian Bacon)
¼ t pepper
2 oz. white wine
1 T lemon juice
2 oz. chicken broth
1 T chopped parsley or cilantro

Pound the chicken down a bit with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan – make sure the meat is even so it cooks evenly. Dredge in flour and then cook in hot oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook approximately 2 minutes each side then remove from pan and keep warm. Add ham, onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan and cook 3 minutes. Add wine, stock, and lemon juice and simmer a minute longer. Place chicken back in pan, add parsley and cook 2-3 minutes or until done. Serve sauce over chicken breasts.