Ever since our Day Trip to Savannah, Georgia to visit Mrs. Wilkes, The Husband and I have wanted to recreate some of the delicious Southern Foods we fell in LOVE with there.  The first thing we decided to try was her creamy, smoky, black eyed peas.  I am sure it was the BACON and the BACON grease that made her Black Eyed Peas amazing.  I decided to “healthify” the Black Eyed Peas I was making by using a smoked ham hock and letting them slow cook all day long to absorb that sweet, hickory bacon flavor. 

I thought about adding in some BACON as the end for a finishing touch, but, when it came down to it, the Black Eyed Peas had so much flavor, you didn’t need it.  I know, I am surprised I actually passed up on adding bacon to something too LOL.

These beans make the perfect Southern Side Dish next to Healthy “Fried” Chicken or make them a meal and  serve them up with steamed Collard greens.

SLOW COOKER BLACK EYED PEAS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb black eyed peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ham hock or shank
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cover beans with 6-8 cups of water and soak over night or quick soak.  To quick soak, cover beans with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for 2 hours.  Drain and rinse. 

2.  Spray a large stock pot with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

3.  Add getable mixture, ham hock, bay leaf, beans, water and bouillon to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are tender.

4.  Remove ham hock.  If you would like to include the ham off the bone, dice into pieces and return to ham to the slow cooker.  Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and dashes of hot sauce.  Scoop beans into a large bowl and add desired amount of “broth”.  Dig in and enjoy!

Makes 12, 1/2 cup servings, 3 points+ each with the diced ham from the ham hock

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup serving with the diced ham from the ham hock

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup serving without the diced ham from the ham hock

STEP – BY – STEP

Soak your beans over night or quick soak as described above. Drain an rinse.

Sauté the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in nonstick over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

The “secret” ingredient for getting that rich, sweet, smoky bacon flavor without the bacon!

Layer up everything in the crock pot.  Veggies, ham shank…..

Beans, bay leaf and bouillon.

Add water, cover and cook in your slow cooker/crock pot on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are tender.

Remove ham hock. If you would like to include the ham off the bone, dice into pieces and return to ham to the slow cooker. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and dashes of hot sauce. Scoop beans into a large bowl and add desired amount of “broth”.

Dig in and enjoy!

I wanted to make sure I shared this recipe as I mentioned on Sunday.  You can use any leftovers to make “Black Eyed Pea” Burgers and/or make one fantastic veggie dip by mashing some up.

Keeping up with our 100% tracking challenge, here is how yesterday went down:

• B ~ 1 hard boiled egg (2), 1 1/2 cup fruit salad ~ banana, grapes, melon, pineapple (0)
• S ~ Grande FF Decaf Latte (3)
• L ~ Turkey Burger (4), 100% Whole Wheat Thin Bun (3), lettuce, tomato, onion, 1 Tbsp “secret sauce” (1),  Spicy Peanut Asian Slaw (1)
• S ~ 1/4 cup trail mix (5)
• D ~ salad with 1 Tbsp ranch on the side (3), 1 c pasta with meat sauce (7), 1 pesto breadstick (5)
• Total ~ 34 Daily Points+

OK ~ Your Turn, what was on your tracker yesterday?

Have a FANTASTIC Friday ~ I will catch up with you later!

This Butter Bean, Sausage & Kale soup recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes.  It is loaded with flavor from the STAR ingredients ~ Spicy Turkey Sausage and Italian Tomatoes.  This recipe was inspired based on all the delicious soup recipes I saw in my Weight Watcher Classic Comforts Cookbook and the BIG can of butter beans I have been wanting to find a way to use.  I LOVE idea of taking flavored sausage, plus beans plus VEGGIES to create a soup that gets better with each bite.

BUTTER BEAN, SAUSAGE & KALE SOUP (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 links, 7 oz total, Lean Spicy Turkey Italian Sausage, casings removed (I used Jennie-O)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups water
• 32 oz Chicken Broth
• 15 1/2 oz white beans, drained and rinsed, (I USED BIG Butter Beans)
• 14 1/2 oz can diced, Italian tomatoes
• 1/2 Kale bunch, roughly chopped
• A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly Ground Pepper and sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently to break up the sausage until the sausage is no longer pink, 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2.  Add the water, beans, and broth; bring to a boil.  Add the Kale, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 LARGE servings, 5 Points+ Each!!

Nutritional information per 1 HEAPING cup serving calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP-BY-STEPS:

Add your lean spicy turkey sausage plus veggies and cook over medium high heat.

Add your garlic and cook 1 additional minute.

Add your beans, tomatoes, water and chicken broth.

Add your kale, cover and cook until kale is cooked, about 10 minutes.

Tadah!!! Super fast, super easy!  Add crushed red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and additional crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce!

This soup freezes well too so why not double the recipe to have some now and then later for the nights you don’t feel like cooking.

Sometimes looking through my archives for recipes to share with you all this early in the morning totally makes me hungry.  I am pretty sure if I had some of this on hand, I’d be eating it right now, at ohhh, 6 am …..

Have a fantastic day all!  I will be back tonight with my daily eats!

Are you all ready for my Cooking with Beer Series?  Yesterday, I had the chance to experiment with New Belgium’s Beers and as a result developed 5 Delicious Recipes to create one FANTASTIC Beer-Becue with all the Fixin’s.

One of my FAVORITE side dishes to any barbecue is baked beans.  But, not the kind you get in a can (no pork and beans either).  I really LOVE good, old fashioned, made from scratch baked beans.

Sometimes I go for the Quick & Easy “Slow” Cooker Baked Beans version and when I have time, I like to  make them completely from scratch like my Molasses Baked Beans. 

I think that the texture of dried beans is better, however, if you don’t have time to soak them night before and you don’t want to “listen” to everyone tell you about them, go for canned.

As much as I LOVE Bacon, I don’t LOVE it in beans because it just gets soggy.  I think beer pairs well with sausage so I picked a Lean Turkey Sausage to get all the smoky flavor without all the added fat.

You will want to use a Dark Beer as it really brings out the richness as the beans and creates a depth of beer flavor in every slightly spicy, sweet, tangy bite.

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE BEER BAKED BEANS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound  Lite Kielbasa or Smoked Turkey Sausage, quartered then chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 Bell pepper, diced
• 15 ounce Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Dried Pinto Beans or 2 16 ounce cans, drained and rinsed*
• 2 Chipotle Peppers, minced with 2 Tablespoons Adobo sauce from Chipotle peppers
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Dark Molasses
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons deli mustard
• 2 Bottles New Belgium’s 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

* If using dried beans, soak over night in 6 cups of water.  Drain and set aside.. 

1. Heat a large soup pan over medium heat.  Add your Kielbasa sausage and cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes, then, set aside.

2.  Using the same pan, add your chopped onion and cook until slightly browned/caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.  If the pan is dry, use additional nonstick spray or a splash of oil.

3.  Remove pan from heat and add sausage into the pepper onion mixture.

4.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  Add remaining ingredients waiting to season with salt and pepper until after cooking.  The mixture will be thin, but, that is ok as it thickens as it cooks.

6.  Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

7.  If the mixture is too thin, simmer on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve straight from the pan and enjoy!

Makes about 14, 1/2 cup servings, 4 points+ each

Nutrition facts per serving, calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP-BY STEP

Heat a large pot over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Add sausage and cook until browned, about, 5-7 minutes.

Remove sausage and add onion/bell pepper to the same pan.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add sausage back to pan.

I prefer using Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because I like the smoky flavor they have.  You could however use regular Diced Tomatoes.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Including 2 bottles of New Belgium 1554 ~ You want it to be a darker beer for a richer flavor.

Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

If the mixture is too thin, simmer uncovered on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

These beans are excellent straight up but would also be a fantastic meal over brown rice with veggies.  Enjoy!

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES UP NEXT

* Chipotle Cheddar BEER Corn Muffins

* Honey Chipotle BBQ BEER Sauce

* Chili Lime BEER Buttered Corn

* Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler

* Plus all the “fixin’s” you need to go on the side for one awesome BEER-Becue!

Stay tuned for more from my Cooking with BEER Series!

Happy Hump Day all!  I woke up this morning with one thing on my mind….PANCAKES!  Not just any ole pancake, but, a HUGE protein packed coconut, vanilla pancake covered in whipped butter and mapley goodness.

You know, just your average healthy Weight Watchers Oatmeal Pancake that takes up your entire plate for only  (10 points+ with 2 tsp whipped butter, coconut & PURE Maple Syrup)

I was super productive after breakfast getting a ton of my todo’s done.  After putting everything in the crockpot for tonight’s dinner, I decided I just NEEDED to have a little Rice Sticks in my life.

I originally bought these to make Pad Thai, but, when I saw THIS RECIPE for Spicy Chicken Noodles from Cooking Light, I knew I had to make it.

These noodles are 5 points+ a serving.

I pretty much followed the recipe with a few exceptions   I added organic broccoli slaw and sweet red peppers for some veggie crunch.

I turned on the grill for lunch to make all the neighbors jealous….LOL.  Actually, I grill a lot just so I don’t have another pan to wash.  I marinated 2 chicken breasts in this Brandy Chipotle Apple Marinade.

Just toss everything together with the dressing you whip up while everything cooks.

Add chopped cashews & sesame seeds, then, dig in.  You get 1 3/4 cups for 10 points+.  The Husband thought it tasted better cold, I think it tastes better hot.  It has a nice sesame, ginger, sriracha spice and I’d definitely make it again maybe with a little peanut butter in the sauce.

I always want something sweet after Asian food so I had a big bowl of 0 points+ blueberries for dessert.

This week’s host for Craving Ellie in My Belly is Leslie of Lethally Delicious.  She is always whipping up baked goods that make my mouth water.  She picked Ellie Krieger’s White Turkey Chili for all of us to make.  You can find the recipe HERE.

My first challenge was finding a Poblano Pepper.  Did you all know that a Pasilla Pepper is the same thing?  I didn’t know until I googled what a pasilla pepper was on my phone while in the produce section

I really thought this recipe would work great in the Crockpot so I modified it just for that.  I “Quick Soaked” my beans since I didn’t soak them overnight by placing them in 6 cups of water and bringing them to a boil.  Then, removed from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.

While the beans soaked, I prepped everything else.  I chopped up my celery, onion, peppers, garlic and spices.

Saute your veggies in Olive Oil until slightly soft, about 4 minutes.

Add your spices and garlic, cooking for 1 minute.

If you don’t have ground turkey breast on hand, you can always use your food processor to “chop” up 1 lb of turkey or chicken breast. 

Add your turkey and cook until it’s no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

The final steps….chicken broth, oregano and beans.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

I added the hominy about 10 minutes before serving.  I didn’t want to cook it in the chili all day because I thought it might break down into nothing.  Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and SALSA (my addition)

Top with Cilantro.

Serve with limes on the side.  I opted out of adding greek yogurt because it didn’t seem to fit as a topper for this chili.

Soups, chili’s and stews always require crusty bread.  I had 2 slices (6 points+)

I think next time if I made it again, I’d definitely add a container of diced tomatoes and green chilies maybe even some chili powder too.  I had a 1 cup serving for 5 points+

Honestly, I didn’t LOVE this recipe at all.  It was rather bland and needed more “umpfh” in my opinion.  Even after adding more hot sauce and BBQ Sauce (the husband’s suggestion), I thought it was still just ok.  Sorry Leslie , it was still fun to make and use my crockpot.  Oh and The Husband LOVED it ~ he had 5 cups (lucky me)….

BANANA SOFT SERVE is calling my name (ZERO points+).  For those who asked me today how I make it, you can find how I make mine HERE.

Q’s:

1.  What are your 2011 New Year’s Resolutions/Goals?

I am working this week on coming up with my 12 monthly goals like I have in the past.  I started out by Brainstorming some of my ideas over at Friends for Weight Loss.  This year, I am definitely making all 12 happen, but, I’d love to “steal” some ideas from you all

Night all!

Thanks for all the compliments on this week’s Wordless Wednesday!  My nephew has to be the cutest kid ever, I just LOVE his personality.  Then again, I am probably a bit biased

Today’s eats were kind of random and 100% unplanned.  I think I learned my lesson on WHY I plan out my day BEFORE I head out of the house.  I had actually packed yogurt with pineapple and granola for breakfast, but, it just didn’t sound good.

I wanted some warm, something breakfast-y and filling.  Just when I was about to give in and have my yogurt, my co-worker showed up with SENORITAS!!!

They are straight from the oven, warm, soft and slightly buttery with caramelized sugar bottoms. (6 points+ estimate on the high side, they are small)

Morning Star Breakfast Sausage (2 points+) and pineapple.

I never had a “real” lunch because we usually leave early before our Winter Shut Down.  Lunch became the bread, cheese and cracker plate I made up that we received from Dairi Concepts while I watched the clock tick away  

* 3 slices sourdough baguette (2 points+)

* 5 Wheat Thins (1 points+)

* 4 slices cheese ~ Asiago, Parmesan, Romano and Fontina (6 points+)

After work The Husband and I finished up a little shopping before stopping at Trader Joe’s.  They had the COOLEST RAINBOW as we walked out.  We both whipped out our cameras in the pouring rain to snap some pictures. 

I wish you all could see the TWO rainbows next to each other making 2 perfect 1/2 circles.

Dinner tonight was made to host all my Craving Ellie in My Belly Friends (CEiMB) Cookbook Club Friends.  I picked this recipe awhile back knowing that I wouldn’t have a ton of time Christmas week and I’d want something that would cook FAST.

This week’s recipe is Ellie Krieger’s Baked Beans with Ham.

I debated using Canadian bacon, but, decided on this Ham Steak when I saw it at Trader Joe’s.  I used 12 ounces of it.

This recipe is just as easy as my Quick & Easy Slow Cooker Baked Beans, but, it is ready in under 30 minutes.

Start off by browning 1 onion in 2 teaspoons of canola oil.

Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 12 oz of ham, brown slightly, about 3 minutes.

I used 2 cans of White Kidney Beans because I couldn’t find canned navy beans along with 1/2 a can of Crushed Tomatoes.

Add remaining liquids ~ 1/2 cup water and 1/4 molasses.

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar, 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard, Black Pepper and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes for a “spicy” kick.

You all didn’t think I could just follow a recipe, did you?! LOL.  I actually tasted the sauce and decided it NEEDED more.  I added 1/4 cup Gayle’s Apple Cider BBQ Sauce, but, wished I had her Chipotle BBQ to add smokiness.

While the beans simmered, I whipped up one of the BEST salads I think I’ve had in a long time.

Crunchy Apple Salad

INGREDIENTS

5 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 Tbsp Agave Nectar

4 tsp canola oil

1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 package coleslaw mix

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

3 scallions, green and white, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup dry roasted walnuts, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar through pepper. 

2.  Add the cabbage, apple, green onions and walnuts.  Toss to combine.

Makes 4, 1 cup servings, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per 1 cup serving

The Baked Beans with Ham Recipe can be found in Ellie’s So Easy Cookbook and online HERE.

1 heaping cup = 11 points+.  Definitely tasty and filling.  The ham chunks totally made me think of BACON.  I bet this would be awesome over some brown rice.

Crunchy, nutty, hearty and filling.  This salad reminded me a little of a Chinese Chicken Salad based on the dressing.  I can definitely see repeating this again and again.

After dinner, I whipped up my 3rd attempt at Butter Toffee with Almonds ~ this time, I think I got the recipe right!

I LOVE Winter Break at work ~ I do not have to go back to work until next year – woohooo!

Q’s:

1.  What are your favorite type of beans to eat?

I LOVE all beans really, but, I think Chickpeas are my favorite because they are fun to say.  Nope, I NEVER call them Garbanzo beans

Night all!

Happy Monday all! I definitely think today was an AWESOME start on Day 1 of the new Weight Watcher’s Points Plus Program.  I LOVE that I wasn’t starving all day, enjoy my food and I have POINTS left for a treat tonight!

In the morning I NEED protein or I am hungry like an hour later.   So, I figured I’d whip up my usual “EggWich”.

2 slices Nature’s Pride Oatmeal Bread

1 Egg “fried” with nonstick spray sea salt & black pepper

I learned a lesson on BREAD today with the new Weight Watcher’s Points Plus Program.  Normally bread on the old points program  1-2 points a slice and 3-4 points for 2 slices. 

POINTSPLUS = 1 slice for 2 pts or 2 slices for 5 Points!

No worries though, my ZERO POINT apple made up for my 7 point+ sandwich

All together with the BEST travel coffee mug ever from my awesome Meals & Moves Friend!  It seriously NEVER leaks or spills even when dropped on the concrete

My breakfast kept me going for 5 hours, no AM snack needed.  That, my friends, is why I LOVE protein in the morning.

Lunch today was some leftover 17 Bean Soup I whipped up with our Christmas Dinner on Thanksgiving Leftovers.

Check out the 17 bean goodness ~ I really just LOVED the colors.

Simplest soup ever ~ simply, chop, drop and pour.

17 Bean Vegetable & Ham Soup

INGREDIENTS

16 oz Dried Soup Beans

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 ham bone or hamhock

32 oz chicken broth

32 oz water

2 cups chopped and cooked lean ham

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Soak your beans overnight according to the package instructions.  Drain and rinse.

2.  Combine everything, except the ham in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer 1 hour or until beans are soft.  Add in ham and simmer 5 minutes until ham is heat through.

Makes 10 heaping cups,  5 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

I think leftover soup is even better the next day!

Veggies with 2 Tablespoons ranch (4 pts+)

I had that ZERO POINT orange for dessert!  I <3 points plus just for the FREE FRUIT!

I was wanting to eat my BANANA all day long now that it’s ZERO points, but, I managed to refrain until the afternoon.  Paired with a 2 pts+ Sargento Colby Jack Cheese.

My focus through the New Year is to work on using what we have on hand and getting creative.  I have our freezers packed lol.

Two types of Potatoes tossed in a little olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

His & Her Potatoes! The Husband won’t touch sweet potatoes. Baked at 400 for 15 minutes, then, I added the chicken in the “secret sauce” on top and cooked for 35 minutes longer.

Secret Sauce

2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

2 Tbsps Trader Joe’s Raw Honey

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin

Whirled in my mini processor then tossed with 4 chicken breasts.

3 ounces Chipotle Glazed Chicken Breast (3 pts+) ~ sweet, spicy, GOOD!  I LOVED hearing The Husband go “hot, hot, hot” LOL

3 oz roasted sweet potatoes (4 pts+, added 1 for the Olive Oil) These potatoes totally pair well with the chicken and cool your mouth off.

Grilled Asparagus (0 points+)

Believe it or not, I still have lots of points left!!!  I am off to find a way to use them up   I am really thinking about an apple with my Biscoff Cookie Spread and a cup of milk!

I am so humbled by all of your comments, stories and the fact that you all want to be in a support group together.  It is already SO MOTIVATIONAL to me to read your comments.  I cannot wait to at least get something up and running for us all to share ideas. 

I am working on in it my “spare” time, but, I promise, something will be up soon!

Help me with ideas for designing our support group and win a Points Plus Calculator!

Q’s:

1.  If you started Weight Watchers Points Plus today, how did your day go??? 

2.  What is the most FAVORITE thing you ate at Thanksgiving this year?

FUN!!! I got to SHINE ON YAHOO today. Check out  this fun article sharing The Skinny on Weight Watchers New Plan written by Piper Weiss.

Night all!

The one thing I LOVE about recipe testing is having leftovers to “test” all week long   Breakfast was a filling-less Cranberry Orange Scone.  Just for the record, although delicious. they are so much better with the cranberry orange spread inside.

I was a bit too excited to eat one for breakfast because somehow I NEVER took a picture.  That’s ok, I recycled my picture…recycling is good

Recipe for both versions coming soon!

Mid morning snackage ~ Mixed nuts ~ I only ate about 1/2 this stack

We had a brown bag lunch today at work where we learned about Sustainability ~ what it is, what we can do and more importantly, the steps our company is taking.  So cool! 

Since I had to “brown bag it”, I figured it was the perfect time to whip up the sandwich I’ve been wanting to make for like ever now! I broke away from my usual Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread to try the Nature’s Pride Oatmeal Bread that  Foodbuzz sent to us as part of the taste maker program.

Decent stats, although I have to admit, I miss seeing a higher fiber number.

I do LOVE that they are focusing REAL ingredients that you can recognize & pronounce.

*Trader Joe’s Spicy Hummus

* Trader Joe’s Cranberry Orange

* Honey Roasted Turkey Breast

Sweet, spicy, delicious.  I LOVE how soft the Oatmeal Bread is even after being frozen.

Crunchy, pumpkin seed side salad put together by The Husband.  Have you all figured out how to tell when he makes the salads versus me?  He cuts HUGE pieces   It all crunches the same.

Tonight’s dinner originally started out as Elise’s Recipe that she whipped up for her hubby.  Then, Janetha put her spin and I just couldn’t resist whipping up this delicious sounding Mexican Casserole.

I started off sautéing 1 yellow bell pepper & half a red onion with nonstick spray over medium heat.

Then, added ground turkey along with Taco Seasoning.  You can easily use a package mix or you can make your own (once you make your own, you probably ALWAYS will – it’s THAT good!)

VEGAN/VEGETARIAN NOTE: If you wanted to veganize this dish, simply sub sweet potatoes for the ground turkey (omit the yogurt & use a vegan cheese).  I LOVE using sweet potatoes with Mexican flavors….Veggie Terrain taught me that with her sweet potato tacos.

I pretty much NEVER cook brown rice anymore, unless it’s Trader Joe’s 3 Minute Brown Rice.

I absolutely LOVE that it doesn’t taste like instant and it doesn’t take hours to cook.

Once your turkey taco meat is browned and cook through, remove from heat and get ready to dump like EVERYTHING in the pan.

2 Fresh tomatoes, 2 cups brown rice and your favorite canned beans (drained & rinsed).

I personally think the type of enchilada sauce you pick makes a HUGE difference in the flavor.  This is my FAVORITE one and it’s 110% worth paying $1 or $2 more.

. 

11 oz  Enchilada Sauce plus 4.5 oz diced green chilies. 

1 cup Trader Joe’s 0% Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup Pepper Jack Cheese

You all know I sort of have a “thing” for tortilla chips.  This recipe totally gave me a reason to buy THESE

I really wanted to add some crunchy texture and tortilla flavor to the ghoulash casserole.

Oh, since they are “veggie” chips they totally count as adding “veggies”, right?! Ha…I wish…how awesome would that be if chips counted too   I have to admit corn would’ve been awesome in this too.

Since I have about 5 oz of enchilada sauce left, I decided to just go ahead and pour it on top.

Sprinkle with more cheese (about 1 cup).  I used Low Fat Sharp because it’s what I had left.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, turn on broiler and bake another 3-4 minutes or until the top is crispy.

I cut it into 8 sections, scooped it up and served it with some homemade guacamole.

The result is freakin’ AMAZING!  I LOVE that you get a little bit of everything in each bite…the cheese, chewy rice, crunchy peppers and tortillas, a little heat from the seasoning finished the cooling guacamole. 

I cannot wait for leftovers because I am pretty sure this just gets better each day!  Hop over to Janetha’s site for the recipe.

Nutritionals with my modifications (tortilla chips, pinto beans vs black beans, red enchilada sauce vs green) ~ 10 servings, 8 points each (excluding guacamole).

Just another reason I LOVE California ~ after pouring down rain all weekend, we walked out of the movies to see this skyline.

We ended up seeing Unstoppable ~ I can’t believe it was based on a true story. It’s intense, but, in a good on your edge of the seat kind of way.

ONE WORK DAY LEFT!!!

Night all!

Happy Monday all!!!  I am back today with an amazing fall soup recipe that will help you use up all the veggies you have on hand.  This has to be by far the easiest Minestrone soup recipes I’ve ever made in the crock pot.  I LOVE it because there isn’t much you have to do when you get home to get dinner on the table, yet, it tastes like you worked all day making it from “scratch”

Give this recipe a whirl the next time you need to clean out the fridge and pantry.  I definitely think this would be fantastic with some butternut squash, crunchy carrots and even corn (don’t tell The Husband ~ you know how he is weird about corn in his food LOL). 

QUICK & EASY SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

3 cups beans, soaked or two 15 oz cans beans, drained and rinsed

6 oz lean Canadian bacon, chopped

15 oz can fire roasted, diced tomatoes

4 cups of vegetables – I used what I had in the fridge (celery, zucchini, summer squash, onion, bell pepper, green beans)

32 oz chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 oz whole wheat pasta

Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Top with parsley and parmesan if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine beans through crushed red pepper flakes in a 5 quart crock pot.  Cook on low all day long, about 8-9 hours. 

2.  Turn heat up to high, add pasta and continue cooking another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.  Season to taste, top with parmesan, parsley and enjoy!

Makes 10 servings, about 1 heaping cup each

Nutritional information per serving based on 10 servings, 2 points per serving!

I LOVE serving up my soups with really good, chewy, crunchy bread.  Ever since I met the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day people last year at The Foodbuzz Fest, I have wanted to give it a try.  I mean, who wouldn’t eat more homemade bread if it only took 5 minutes a day!

I honestly decided that I NEEDED to give it a try when I saw the words ~ Garlic Parmesan Knot ~ I haven’t met a piece of cheesy garlic bread I haven’t LOVED.

I used my Kitchen aid and mixed all the ingredients for their Master Bread Recipe in the book together.  You can see a similar recipe they make online here.

I covered lightly with plastic wrap and let it rest.

2 hours later – like 5 times the size ~ WOW!!!  This is enough to make 4 lbs of bread and can be kept in the fridge from 4-14 days ~ you just take it out when you are ready to use it ~ Awesome!.

I used my Eat Right Precision Pro Food Scale to measure out 1 lb of my dough and “attempted” to roll it into knots.  I made sure to take a picture of the “one” that turned out LOL.

While I let my knots rise for 30 minutes, I whipped up the parsley garlic infused olive oil and added a little parmesan to the topping.

I LOVED the consistency of the bread – it was crunchy, yet, dense with a little chew.  However, I think next time I would drizzle just the garlic infused oil to bake them, then, add the garlic on top AFTER it cooks so you don’t get that “burnt” garlic flavor.

I had visions of recreating THESE ROLLS we had in Florida ~ Not quite the same, but, definitely a good start.  Now I have 3 lbs of bread to practice with LOL.

Have an AWESOME Biggest Loser Day Tuesday!  See you all tomorrow ~ maybe for some daily eats.  I can’t believe the FOODBUZZ FEST is only a few days away ~ woohooo!!!  Can’t wait to see you everyone.

Night all!

One of my FAVORITE side dishes to any barbecue is baked beans.  But, not the kind you get in a can (no pork and beans either).  I really LOVE good, old fashioned, made from scratch baked beans.

However, sometimes, you just don’t have the time or the patience to make the completely from scratch version like my Molasses Baked Beans.  I created this recipe for our July 4th Work Barbecue because I really wanted homemade beans, but, I didn’t think about it until the morning of the barbecue.  I didn’t have time to soak my beans and well I am not THAT prepared to have pre-cooked ones I can pull from the freezer.

As much as I LOVE Bacon, I don’t LOVE it in beans because it just gets soggy.  I thought it would be fun to use “Smoked Turkey Sausage” because the beans would not only be sweet, but, they would be smoky too.

The result was AMAZING and nobody could tell I used canned beans.  This is a recipe I will for sure make again and again. 

You should definitely give these a try for your next BBQ, I guarantee everyone will love them as much as we did.

Quick & Easy “Slow” Cooker Baked Beans Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound  Lite Kielbasa or Smoked Turkey Sausage, quartered then chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup Ketchup (or make your own)

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup Agave Nectar (I used X-Agave), honey or sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons deli mustard

1/4 c Chipotle Barbeque sauce, if you want a little kick, optional

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add your Kielbasa sausage to a pan sprayed with nonstick spray over medium heat.  Cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes, then, set aside.

2.  Using the same pan, add your chopped onion and cook until slightly browned/caramelized.

3.  While your sausage and onions cook, mix together ketchup through black pepper and set aside.

4.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  Add your beans, sausage, onions and sauce mixture.  Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

Serve straight from the crock pot and enjoy!

Makes about 20, 1/2 cup servings,

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving using Calorie Count:

STEP-BY-STEP:

Brown your smoked sausage for 5-7 minutes or until browned.

Remove your sausage and use the same pan to brown your onions for 5-7 minutes.

Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray and add beans.

Then, browned sausage

and browned onions.

While your sausage & onions cook, whip up your secret sauce.  You can use any ketchup or vinegar, but, these are my two favorites.

While you don’t technically “need” to add Barbecue sauce since you’ve just made one up from scratch, I wanted to give my beans a little “kick” with some Gayle’s Chipotle Barbecue sauce.  Totally optional, but, I highly recommend it.

Pour your secret sauce over your bean mixture and stir to combine.

Cook in your crock pot on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.  You can easily leave these on all day and let people snack on them through your barbecue.

Add this recipe to your recipe collection by clicking the SpringIt Button ~ it’s free and let’s you save your recipe with the grocery list too – LOVE It! 

Happy “Almost” 4th of July all!

Happy Friday all!  Although it has been a rainy day, I have to say I am so PUMPED for the weekend to begin.  We kicked off our weekend with “date night” tonight and tomorrow we are heading to the Seed Bank to pick out everything for our garden and we might even plant “stuff” too!!! Sunday is the BIG RUN….I am just a little excited for it all to start, but, I need to sit back and enjoy the ride

I have been working RICE for my hips ~ Rest, Ice, Elevation and Compression.  A LOT of stretching with my FOAM ROLLER on my super thick Boulder Yoga Mat (which is awesome if you have hard wood floors), plus ice and Motrin.  Fingers crossed that it works and I am “SUPER FLY” and FAST on Sunday

I have been really craving baked goods all week and haven’t had time to bake.  So, this morning, I finally gave in and picked up a Low-Fat Triple Berry Coffee Cake (7 pts) with a Grande FF Decaf Latte for breakfast (2.5 pts).  It was a higher in point breakfast, but, worth every bite!

Mid morning I snacked on a bit of Kettle Cashew Butter and a banana (2 pts).  I didn’t want them together so I just licked my spoon since I am classy like that

I was really looking forward to using last night’s Mexican Pizza Leftovers to make a HUGE Lavish Burrito today.

I started off with 1/4 c ff salsa beans plus 1 1/2 oz taco ground turkey and SRIRACHA.

Then, I melted 1/2 oz of low fat CHEESE.

Plus TJ’s Corn Salsa, mini peppers, and AVOCADO!

Tomatoes, cilantro and fresh jalapeño slices.  I actually learned that I LOVE fresh jalapeño slices, just don’t eat the seeds ~ HOT, HOT!!!

My last topping was some organic herbed greens.

NOM, NOM, NOM!!! This was so spicy, cheesy, good and not bad for 7 points.

I have to admit I was pretty excited to have some down time when I got home.  For those of you who know me, I rarely sit still for long.  But, today, I plopped down in front of the TV and indulged in the Food Network.  I honestly think I could watch it for HOURS, other than it makes me really HUNGRY!

Mid afternoon snack ~ a few Salt & Pepper Pop Chips and a LF Colby Cheese (3 pts).

When The Husband got home, we headed out for date night.  I have been craving a really good salad, so we hit up Fresh Choice!  Let’s just say, I pretty much emptied their salad bar with everything I could on my salad. Estimated (3 pts since it’s mainly veggies and I had FF dressing on the side)

I LOVE that they are now serving up ORGANIC, LOCAL PRODUCE with their new FARM TO FORK INITIATIVE!!! 

Chicken Fettuccine Noodle Soup (3 pts per cup)

1 slice of Veggie Pizza that was just ok ~ not sure it was worth the 3 points.

I HAD to have my standard corn bread & honey spread bite too…just a bite though (1 pt) – See how the pts can add up so quickly?!  I broke into my WPA for today and it was totally worth it

Dessert was a 3 point cone with sprinkles.  FUN FACT ~ did you all know that the plain regular cones are ZERO POINTS (only 15 calories!).  I LOVE them because it’s built in portion control that doesn’t FEEL like it’s a small amount.

After dinner we went to see the Green House and we LOVED it!  Totally intense, but, I have to say it leaves you wanting to see more.  I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a Matt Damon movie I don’t like!

Have a great Saturday all ~ Night!!!