Fall Dessert - Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

1 15oz can Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

2 boxes of Jello Fat Free-Sugar Free instant pudding

3 cups Skim milk

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin spice

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix completely for about five minutes with an electric beater.

Spoon into pudding cups and refrigerate for an hour or longer.

Enjoy!

Makes 5 ½ servings at 128 calories per serving (eat the last half serving in the bowl for all your hard work!)

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Ingredients:

One box Super Moist SPICE Cake mix

   (the powder contents – not the eggs, milk, oil, or whatever the box says add)

One 15oz can Libby’s Pure Pumpkin (not pie filling)

Directions:

Blend with mixer the pumpkin and cake mix until completely mixed.  Place two heaping tablespoons of batter into muffin tins sprayed heavily with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

If desired, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.  (These calories are not in my totals)

Yield: 24 muffins

98 calories per muffin

Less than 2 g fat per muffin

Turkey Smoked Sausage and Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 3 egg whites, beaten

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 Smoked turkey sausage, cooked and sliced

Directions:

Mix sweet potatoes with applesauce, egg whites, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon into a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish coated with non-stick spray. 

Arrange sausage slices on sweet potato mixture.

 Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Each serving is under 350 calories.  Serve with a side salad!

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Mushroom Chilaquiles

This vegetarian concoction comes from Crock*Pot Comfort Food Diet Recipes and is a perfect fit for my busy Meatless Monday supper.  I put it all together before heading off to work, and come home to a wonderful smelling house with supper ready to go!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 bell pepper (red or green), seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes

1 package of fresh white mushrooms, sliced

1½ tsp.  Ground cumin

1½ tsp. Dried oregano

1 cup shredded cheese ( I use a low fat/reduced fat cheddar or Mexican blend)

4 green onions, sliced

3 small Italian tomatoes chopped

6 cups Baked Tortilla chips

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion, pepper and jalapeno.  Cook until softened, stirring occasionally. (about 3-5 minutes)

Transfer over to your crockpot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Add mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, cumin and oregano.  Mix all ingredients well in the crockpot.

Cover and cook on LOW for six hours, or HIGH for three hours.

When ready to eat remove lid, add cheese and stir.  Wait ten minutes then serve in bowls over the coarsely crushed tortilla chips.  Top with green onions, fresh chopped tomatoes and a touch more cheese.

Makes about 6 1½ cup servings

Calories: Just under 350 (includes chips)

ENJOY!

Creamy Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

1½  lbs. Shrimp, medium-uncooked, peeled, and deveined
1 lb. box Rotini Pasta
1½ Onions chopped
Bell Pepper - 1 Medium chopped
Fat Free Cream Cheese, 4 oz
Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
2 cups of Broccoli florets, Fresh,
2 tsp Kraft Parmesan cheese 100% Grated
Mushrooms, white, 1 cup sliced
2 tsp. Basil, dried
1 tsp. Oregano, dried
15oz can Chicken Broth

Directions

In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta cooks:

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
Add onions, peppers, mushrooms and cook until softened 3-5 minutes. (Add salt and pepper to taste)
Add chicken broth, oregano and basil - bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add shrimp and stir occasionally. 

Add cream cheese - continuously stirring in the cream cheese.

Reduce heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and broccoli.

Drain and rinse pasta, and add to skillet. Mix well.

Serve with a small salad and enjoy!

This dish is under 400 calories

Southwestern Chicken Chili

This is a meal that is great for a break from traditional chili and stews.  It's superb for those Saturday night tailgating at home dinners as it can be made a day or two in advance then reheated!

(Don't freeze it though, unless you add the pasta after thawing.)

Ingredients:

1½ Bone-in split chicken breast  

1¼ cup of uncooked pasta (elbows or small shells)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained

1 can of light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups of V-8 juice

1 can tomato sauce

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel mild or regular your choice)

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place two or three chicken breasts in a large pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken.  Add some salt and pepper to the pot with a bay leaf if you have it.  Bring to a boil on high then reduce to simmer for about an hour.  While chicken cooks chop veggies and rinse canned corn and beans.   Remove chicken to cool.

While chicken cools, cook pasta according to package directions then rinse and drain.

Pick chicken from the bones of one and half of the breasts.  Pull it apart to shred.

Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add onions, peppers and garlic.   Cook until tender.  Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.   Once boiling reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. 

Serve with toasted Arnold Sandwich Rounds, sliced.

Enjoy.

Makes six equal servings at about 325 calories each.


 

(To make it kid friendly – finely chop the onion, large chop the green pepper, and use regular diced tomatoes.)

Greens, Beans and Turkey Bacon Soup

This recipe is derived from the original which comes from one of my favorite cookbooks and the creators of Cooking Light magazine- Fresh Food Fast-weeknight meals.   I have made a few adjustments from the original version in order to lighten in a little more and use fresh kale and onions.

Ingredients:

3 slices Turkey bacon, cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces

3 cups of fresh chopped Kale

2 ¼ cups of water

1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5oz) can of 99% fat free chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup of mushrooms

1 ½ tsp. Olive oil, divided

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven over Med-high heat until crisp.  (Using turkey bacon I add a ½ tsp of olive oil in this.)

Once bacon is crisp, add the remaining olive oil and onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened.  (Appx. 3 minutes)

Add chicken broth, water, beans, and kale along with a little salt and pepper. ( I use a lot of pepper)

Kale is high in beta carotine, vitamin C, and rich with calcium

Rinsing and Draining removes up to 50% sodium

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

It's quick, it's easy, and it’s even better the second day!  I make it a day in advance and use it for my lunches! 

This healthy and delicious soup is right at 200 calories per 1 2/3 cups servings.

Serve with a slice of toasted crusty bread!

Jamaican Ox-tail Stew

On a mission trip to Jamaica, I learned this recipe from sticking my head in and asking the cook questions about what she was cooking. I was graciously welcomed into her kitchen and given a seat to listen and watch.


Note- this is an all day stew to make the house smell wonderful.

Ingredients:

Ox-tails, raw about 2lbs.
2 cans Diced tomatoes and green chilies (drained)
Tomato Paste 1 small can
2 cans large Lima Beans (drained)
2 medium Onions
Baby Carrots, raw, 20 medium cut into chunks
Garlic, 1 clove sliced thin
Mushrooms, fresh, 1.5 cup slices
Olive Oil, 2.5 Tbsp (divided)
Beef broth, fat free 1 qt.
All Purpose Flour 0.25 cup
Jalapeno Peppers, 1 pepper (seeded and chopped)

Directions:

Lightly flour the ox-tails.
Heat 1.5 Tbsps. oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat.
When oil is hot, add oxtails - brown all sides, then add beef broth. (A little water may be added to cover the tails)
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 4-5 hours.
Check occasionally stirring the mixture.
After simmering, take a pair of forks and remove the remaining meat from the bones. Discard the bones.
 

Rich Broth!

Chop veggies, seed pepper, slice garlic.
In a seperate skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. oil.   When hot add garlic and jalapeno first for one minute stirring, and then add onions, carrots and mushrooms.
Stir frequently to crisp tender (five minutes or so).

Add this to the Ox-Tail mixture and stir.

Drain tomatoes and beans. Add to the Dutch oven and stir.

Allow stew to simmer another 45 minutes to an hour.
Cook rice according to package directions in a separate pot or rice cooker.

Serve stew over 1 cup of cooked rice.

Enjoy!