Tortilla Soup

3/4 bag of frozen peppers
2 chicken breasts
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can garbonzo beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen onions
chipotle pepper
1 container chicken broth (Trader Joe's)
1 can evaporated milk
reduced fat mexican cheese shredded

Season cicken with salt and chipoltle
brown chicken peppers and onions
add chicken broth and beans
cook until chicken is cooked and liquid is reduced
add some cheese (1/2 cup?)
add milk - don't let it boil

Mexican Pork Stew

1 pkg pork stew meat
2 small cans green chilis
1 can garbonzo beans
1 can black beans
1 container veg broth from Trader Joe's
1 jar roasted red & Yellow Peppers from Trader Joe's
1/2 cup frozen onions
1 tb garlic

Brown stew meat, onions, & garlic. Drain Beans and rinse. Put all of roasted peppers and juice into crockpot, cut peppers into small pieces. Add both cans of chilis and juice to crockpot. Add beans to crockpot. Add browned meat etc. to crockpot and deglaze pan with a small amount of water.
Cook all day on low. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Next time i might use slightly less broth and add some evaporated milk after cooking.

Favorito

This is our favorite meal at a local mexican restuarant - I finally got it right at home!
3/4 cup brown rice -cooked in 2 cups water
2 chicken breasts - pounded flat and sliced into strips
3/4 bag frozen peppers
1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
2 handfuls frozen shrimp
2oz yogurt cream cheese from walmart
1 slice light cheddar from trader joes
chipolte pepper - penzey's
northwoods fire seasoning
salt

cook onions until they are about to brown
add peppers
once they are about to brown add chicken (seasoned)
once chicken is about cooked add 2 handfuls frozen shrimp
add wet rice
once everything is done sprinkle broken up cheese slice around pan then add cream cheese to the center of the pan mix it in as it melts
salt to taste

Chicken Thighs and Peppers with Quinoa

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 cup Quinoa
parmeasan cheese
dry milk
frozen chopped spinach
garlic powder
italian seasonings
salt

clean and cut chicken into bite size pieces
cook with peppers and juice
when almost cooked add enough water to bring it up to about 2 cups
add 1 cup quinoa, parm cheese, seasonings, some dry milk
cook until quinoa is cooked

Spinach Chicken

I will come up with a better name for this....
I just threw this together and put it in the oven before I left for the gym.
I had a container of grape tomatoes and about 3/4 of a cup of chopped frozen spinach - so i threw those in to my big enamel pot. I added 1 cup of brown rice, 2 cups of water, a couple tablespoons of garlic, 1/4 cup of parmasean cheese, salt, pepper and some italian seasoning.
I took two bone in chicken breasts and stuffed some of the mixture under the skin.
I flipped the breasts over so that the stuffed skin side was submerged (since it had rice that would need access to the liquid.
I put it in the oven with the lid on at 350 for about 1.5 hours. I meant to have it in for one hour - but i didn't make it home in time.
The rice was a little overcooked - but i love it that way. One of the stuffed breasts exploded - the other remained intact, but since the skin didn't brown I am no so sure about bothering with stuffing the breasts - maybe with just the tomatoes and leave it upright.
Also - to get more tomato flavor I might have the tomatoes next time so that they give up their juices to the rice.
This was soooo good and sooo easy.

Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Cake (Diabetic)
Carrot Cake recipe from an egg carton
Saugus, California 1980

1 cup Sugar (original recipe 2 cups)
1/3 cup Agave
2 cup Flour 1 cup white, 1 cup white wheat
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice
2 tsp Baking Soda
1lg carton Egg Beaters
3/4 cup Salad Oil
2 cup Cooked Pumpkin Puree

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees
Grease two round cake pans
Mix all dry ingredients and sift
Beat pumpkin, eggs and oil together
Add dry ingredients and mix well

Icing
1 pkg reduced fat cream cheese
2 sticks lowfat margarine (promise)
splenda to taste (doesn't take much)

Since this icing did not have bulk from the powdered sugar normally used I piped rossettes onto the cake - this covered the cake without being a think heavy layer

the cake was dense and moist - almost like pie without the crust - due to the extra eggs? did not need much icing - could even be served with some whip cream instead fo icing as it is so much like pie.

Derby Pie


1/2 c. butter, softened (promise)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. flour
6 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1.5 c peacans (use more next time?)
1 unbaked pie shell

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour
and blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in a preheated
325 degree oven for 60 minutes or until center is set and
top is golden. Cool at least 1/2 hour before serving, but
is best while still warm.
I reheated it before serving.

Cauliflower Gratin

1 small Cauliflower cut into 2 inch pieces
1 can evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup 2% cheese - any kind
2 TB smart balance
ground pepper
salt

bake at 400 for 1 hour