Cheesy Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

** 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
** 1 can cream of celery soup (fat free)
** 1 can cream of mushroom soup (fat free)
** 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
** 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
** 1/4 tsp. onion salt
** 1 can of mushrooms or can use fresh sliced
** 8-10 ounces of low-fat or fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Place chicken in crockpot.
Mix the undiluted soups together with the garlic powder and onion salt and pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
About fifteen minutes before serving, cut up or shred the chicken and place back in crockpot.
Add sour cream, stir well and low to heat up.

Serves: 8
4.5 weight watcher points (must add points for rice)

Maple Glazed Salmon

Maple-Glazed Salmon

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine.
March 2000. Page: 180.












Serving Size : 4

2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons apple juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces, each; about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Directions.
Hoisin sauce and five-spice powder can be found in the Asian-food sections of large supermarkets.

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the salmon to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes.

3. Remove the salmon from the bag, reserving the marinade. Place the salmon fillets, skin sides down, on a broiler rack coated with cooking spray. Broil for 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, and baste the salmon occasionally with the reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet).

Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad

(Recipe and Picture from Dara: Chick in the Kitchen)

Ingredients and Directions

I use raw sweet corn for this recipe, which in season (right now! go get some) is just divine. You just stand the cob up on end, and use a large chef’s knife to pare the kernels away from the cob. Make sure you do this inside the dish you’re going to use for the rest of the recipe, so that any liquid released by cutting the corn winds up in your food, not on your cutting board. I’m a tiny bit obsessed with the crunchy texture of the raw corn, especially the way 4 or 5 kernels will hold together off the cob, uniting to create a big chunk of summer goodness.

I use two ears of corn; two avocados, in bite-sized chunks; a half pint of grape tomatoes, halved; the juice of one lemon; and a large handful of cilantro, chopped (you can substitute basil). Mix them all together and serve at room temperature or straight from the fridge.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

picture and recipe from The Sister's Cafe


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed ("miniature wild blueberries are great for this, and pose the least risk of sinking")
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

Chilighetti
(Picture and recipe from Shannon!)

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 onion, diced

3 cans diced tomatoes

3 cans chili (I prefer Stagg brand)

3 cups cheddar cheese, grated

8 ounces sour cream

16 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked

parmesan cheese, grated

In a large stockpot, brown the onion and ground beef.

When beef is thoroughly cooked, add the tomatoes and heat through.

Add the chili, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Stir well and slowly bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add the cooked spaghetti noodles and combine. Pour into a casserole dish (I usually fill 2 deep 8x8 pans, or a deep 9x13)

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

(At this point the dish can be frozen for use within 2 months or refrigerated for baking the next day)

Or it can go straight into the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Grilled Pizza Sandwiches
(picture and recipe from Adrianna)

* 14 slices Italian bread
* 7 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 7 slices provolone cheese
* 7 slices tomato
* 4 teaspoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
* garlic powder
* sandwich sliced pepperoni or canadian bacon (or both if you like)
* soft butter
* Pizza sauce, warmed

Butter 7 slices of bread, lay them out on a large griddle, layer one slice of mozzarella cheese, one slice of tomato, a dash of salt and pepper, the meat or meats, a slice of provolone cheese and top the remaining 7 slices of buttered bread. Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder on both sides while toasting until golden brown and the cheese is melted. (about 3 - 4 minutes on each side) Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.

Cafe Rio

This recipe and picture comes from Shannon and looks divine!

Sweet Pork

3-5 pounds pork tenderloin roast

1 cup salsa (nothing fancy... just Pace or something)

2 cups brown sugar

1 can Dr. Pepper

Combine the salsa, brown sugar and Dr. Pepper in a bowl. Put pork in crock pot and pour liquid over top. Set crock pot to low and cook for 8 hours. When cooked, remove pork from crock pot, put in large bowl and use forks to pull pork apart into small strings. Transfer sauce from crock pot to sauce pan and add 2 tsp cornstarch. heat till thickened. Pour desired amount of sauce over pork and combine.

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

3 large tomatillos (canned or fresh)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup mayo

1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing mix (Hidden Valley)

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

juice from one lime

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp canned diced jalapeno peppers (more or less to taste)

Combine all ingredients in blender and combine till thick and creamy. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let flavors meld. Dressing can be saved in airtight container for about 3-4 days in refrigerator.

This is a layered salad and so you will also need the following, and should layer in this order:

• Warm Tortilla (I like to buy the uncooked tortillas in Costco's refrigerated case and cook them fresh for this salad, but any tortilla will do)
• Cooked white rice
• Warmed Pinto or black beans (your preference)
• Sweet Pork (from recipe above)
• thinly sliced romaine lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• glob of guacamole
• glob of sour cream
• tortilla strips
• sprinkling of grated cotija cheese
• and of course the dressing (I usually serve on the side)

I saw this other recipe for the dressing over at Maries and I may make this one because it doesn't use tomatillos.

Cafe Rio House Dressing

1/2 Buttermilk ranch packet (make as per directions)
1 tomatillo or 1/4 c. green salsa
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1/2 lime
few drops of green tobasco sauce