Easy Chicken and Dumplings

MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS
HANDS ON TIME: 30 MINS. TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS.


Only 7 ingredients and easy enough for weeknights!!

Deli-roasted chicken, cream of chicken soup, and canned biscuits make a quick-and-tasty version of this favorite. One roasted chicken yields about 3 cups of meat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (32-oz.) container low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 lb.)

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup

1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 (10.2-oz.) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits

2 carrots, diced

3 celery ribs, diced


DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; return to a low boil.

2. Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

3. Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add carrots and celery. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.

Welcome

Just wanted to give a great big welcome to all the moms in our M & M group! Last night's meeting was a huge success and I'm already anxious to attend next month's meeting.

Just wanted to give each of you a brief introduction to the recipe blog and let you know that you are able to comment/review each of the recipes listed below this post. You will have to either create a blogger profile or just comment as an anonymous reader. (Either is perfectly fine, however please remember to leave your first name if you comment as anonymous.)

I consider it a great duty to prepare healthy and delicious meals for my family. I would honestly love to make more meals from scratch, but with the time it takes to do so with a busy toddler tugging my skirt, it just doesn't seem feasible. You'll notice most of the recipes don't require many ingredients or hours of labor in the kitchen. It would be great to have every single recipe listed on the blog to have 10 or less ingredients,(including spices and water) and take less than two hours. (preparation and cooking time)


If you have any favorite recipes that are healthy and absolute hits with your family, please feel free to e-mail them to me at bghenso@hotmail.com

I'm so looking forward to hearing from each of you!!! Also if you have any questions about this website or how to set up a blogger profile feel free to e-mail me your questions. Thank you for your participation in advance. Here's wishing you some healthy and happy cooking!! God bless!

Artichoke Chicken

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise (healthy option = reduced fat or fat free mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon garlic salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic salt. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.


2.Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

Serve with brown rice and your choice of vegetable.

Pan-Cooked Chicken Breasts with Zesty Itailan Sauce

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The sauce will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for several months.


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes, drained,

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons of basil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. When it begins to color, add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often and crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes are cooked down and beginning to stick to the skillet, 15-25 minutes. Stir in the basil, taste and adjust the salt and garlic. Remove from the heat.

2. Brush the chicken breasts on both sides with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Heat the grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a bit of water on the skillet and if it sizzles away at once, the skillet is hot enough. Cook the chicken breasts until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Check one breast to make sure that it's cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer to a platter or plates. Spoon on the sauce and serve.


You can serve this with pasta or rice and a side of vegetables of your choice.

PER SERVING: 9.5 GM TOTAL FAT, 1.6 GM SATURATED FAT, 241 CALORIES, 8.6 GM CARBOHYDRATES, 28.8 GM PROTEIN

Easy Gumbo Soup

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

2 8oz cans of stewed tomatoes

2 6oz cans of vegetable juice cocktail

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon minced onion

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 1/4 cup of water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 pacakge of turkey smoked sausage

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 package of white rice (boil in bag)
(healthy option = brown rice)
Preparation:

1. In saucepan, combine stewed tomatoes, vegetable juice, green pepper, onion, worcestershire sauce, red pepper and 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and let simmer. In a separate skillet heat olive oil and brown the chicken and turkey sausage. Cut chicken and sausage into small pieces and stir it into the soup mixture.

2. Prepare the boil-in-bag rice as directed and then stir into the soup mixture. Remove from heat and let stand five minutes.

Turkey Chili

MAKES 4 GENEROUS SERVINGS

For this recipe you will need the following equipment: large non-stick skillet and wooden spoon or spatula; chef's knife and cutting board; measuring spoons; large heavy ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The chili will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. Making it a day ahead of time is best for flavor.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey (light meat)

2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil

1 medium-size onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup of grated carrots

1 medium-size or large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Salt to taste

1/4 cup of ground chili powder (mild-hot, your choice)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 1/4 cups water

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

3/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 15 ounce can of pinto or red beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Preparation:

1. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is browned, 8-10 minutes; there should be no sign of pink. Remove from the heat and pour off any liquid or fat from the skillet. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in the casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the carrot, bell pepper, and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the ground chili pepper, and cumin and cook, stirring until the mixture begins to stick to the pan, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together about 30 seconds, and add 3/4 cup of the water. Stir together for a minute or two, until the mixture is thick. Stir in the browned turkey, then the tomatoes, oregano, and remaining 1/2 cup of the water. Add salt to taste, about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir often, because the chili tends to stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beans, taste, and adjust the seasonings.

(Seasoning Hint: If the chili tastes slightly bitter, stir in the sugar. If it is too hot, try adding a little more salt, which will balance out the spiciness)

Set aside until ready to serve.

Just before serving, bring back to a simmer and stir in the cilantro if using.


Serve this chili with corn bread, country bread, or corn tortilla chips.

PER SERVING: 16.9 gm total fat, 3.1 gm saturated fat, 383 calories, 31.10 gm carbohyrdates, 30.20 gm protein.

Turkey Cheeseburgers

For this recipe you will need the following equipment:

Cutting board and chef's knife; medium-size mixing bowl; measuring spoons; large plate; grill, ridged grill pan, or large, heavy nonstick skillet, spatula or tongs.

ADVANCED PREPARATION:

You can make these up and shape the burgers, then cover and refrigerate for a day.


Ground turkey is a healthy alternative to red meat since it is lower in cholesterol. I normally use the most lean ground turkey which has a bit different consistency than red meat. These seasonings mix perfectly with the meat and you are hardly aware that you're not eating ground beef!


Ingredients:

1 small white oninon, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 lb. ground turkey (light meat)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley

For serving:

Hamburger buns (healthy option = 100% Whole wheat buns)
Cheese
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
Lettuce, tomato, sliced onion (optional)


Preparation:

1. Peel and then rinse the onion with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Chop the onion finely. Mix with the ground turkey and remaining ingredients. Shape into 4-6 patties. Press them into 3/4-inch-thick rounds.

2. Prepare the grill or heat the grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately upon contact. Cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. They should be just cooked through, not at all pink. Serve at once with the condiments and garnishes of your choice.


Per Serving: 8.0 gm total fat, 2.6 gm saturated fat, 174 calories, 3.2 gm carbohydrates, 22.50 gm protein

Easy, Creamy Mac-N-Cheese

MAKES 4 SERVINGS; HANDS-ON TIME: 20 MIN. TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN.

Ingredients:


1/2 (16-oz.) package rotini pasta
(healthy option = 100% whole grain pasta)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups of 2% milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Recipe directions:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and next 3 ingredients; cook, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

3. Gradually stir in Cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in hot cooked pasta. Serve immediately.



A little extra!!!

Variations:

Southwest Chicken Mac-n-Cheese: Stir 2 cups chopped cooked chicken and 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained, into cheese sauce with pasta.


Spinach-Bacon Mac-n-Cheese: Stir 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (about 6 slices; healthy option = turkey bacon) and 1 (6-oz.) package of fresh baby spinach into cheese sauce with pasta.


Broccoli-Ham Mac-n-Cheese: Stir 2 cups of chopped smoked ham and 1 (12-oz.) package of frozen steam-in-bag broccoli florets, cooked according to package directions, into cheese sauce with pasta.


Chicken-Asparagus Mac-n-Cheese: Stir 2 cups chopped cooked chicken and 1 (9-oz.) package frozen asparagus cuts, cooked according to package directions, into cheese sauce with pasta.