Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

The kids and I decided we wanted breakfast for dinner. :)

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup milk

1 medium apple, diced

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Combine oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, syrup, milk, and egg. Mix with oat mixture. Fold in diced apples. Bake in an 8x8 baking dish at 350 for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with brown sugar on top. Yum!

Apricot Curry Chicken

This is simmering away in the crockpot right now. :o)

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

- 1/2 medium onion, chopped

- 1 (12 oz) jar apricot jam

- 1/4 cup chicken stock

- 1 1/2 tsp curry powder

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

- 1/4 tsp salt

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Mix together onion, jam, stock, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground ginger & salt until well blended and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

A trick if your sauce is too thin - after chicken is done cooking, remove chicken from crockpot. Turn heat to high. Mix 1 tbsp (or more, depending on how much you want to thicken it up) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water together until smooth and add to the sauce. Leave the top off for a few minutes until it's thickened. A bit quicker, but messier - remove cooked chicken and pour sauce into a saucepan. Add cornstarch/water mixture and heat on high (uncovered) until thickened. Add chicken back in and serve.

You could also add chopped, dried apricots to this dish for a little texture. I couldn't find any that are peanut-free, so skipped it.

Serve chicken over rice. Yummy with stir-fried veggies on the side!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Made this tonight, swapping out full-fat ingredients for fat free. I really never use fat free cream cheese, but figured it couldn't be too bad in a recipe. It was yummy, but I felt a little funny eating it because... well, fat free cream cheese really just shouldn't exist. Next time will use just plain old low fat, which is an OK substitute for the real deal. I do think the butter is important in this recipe. It gives a nice texture and flavor.

-3 tbsp butter

-1/2 large onion, chopped

-1-2 cloves garlic, minced

-3 tbsp all-purpose flour

-46 ounces V8 juice

-1 can fat free evaporated milk

-1 (8oz) block cream cheese, chopped into pieces

-salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a soup pot, add onions and garlic and saute until soft. Add flour and stir, allowing the flour to cook out for a few minutes. Add V8 and evaporated milk and bring to a soft boil. Simmer about 10 minutes, then stir in cream cheese. When it melts, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Serve with croutons, fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Perfect with grilled cheese!

White Chocolate Fruit Salad

From my cousin, Mary Ann. Her words? To die for. :o) Enjoy!

-1 large can pineapple tidbits in its own juice
-2 regular cans Lite Fruit Cocktail
-2 regular cans mandarin oranges
-1 cup lite sour cream
-12 ounce tub lite cool whip
-2 small boxes instant Jell-O White Chocolate Pudding

Drain pineapple and save 1 ½ cups juice (you may need some of the juice from other cans to make the 1 ½ cups). Mix pudding with juice in a large bowl. Mix in sour cream. Mix in cool whip. Fold in fruit. Refrigerate.

*If you use fat-free sour cream, fat-free cool whip and sugar free pudding, this will count as 3 Weight Watcher points per cup.

Chicken Soft Tacos

Shocking, I know. A Mexican-inspired dish... from me! Seriously, what is my problem? I can't get enough. Anyway... my boss gave me a bunch of fresh jalapenos from her garden. I picked a bunch of fresh cilantro from mine. What to do, what to do...? I took a look in my cabinet and threw this together tonight. It was pretty good!

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, diced (I left half the seeds in for some heat)

juice of 1/2 a lime

flour tortillas

olive oil

salt & pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and sear on both sides. Lower heat, add tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken; shred and chop. Add back to the tomatoes, squeeze lime over. Serve in warm tortillas. Top with lettuce, cheese, cilantro, black beans, sour cream and whatever else you like!

Carolina Pork BBQ

We're having these sandwiches for dinner tonight with corn on the cob and salad. The sauce is not tomato-based, and is spicy and sweet. The house smells yummy. The sauce is very vinegary, so if you're not a huge fan, cut the amount of vinegar a bit.

Pork:

-3-4 lb pork tenderloin roast

-2 tbsp minced garlic

-1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth

-fresh cracked pepper to taste

Stir together chicken broth and 1 tbsp garlic in the crockpot. Add roast. Top with the rest of the garlic and fresh cracked pepper. Cook on low 6-8 hours. When meat is done, remove from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Top with the BBQ sauce.

BBQ Sauce:

-1 (16 oz) bottle apple cider vinegar

-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

-2 tbsp kosher salt

-1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

-1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

-1/4 tbsp hot pepper sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Let stand 3 hours so everything incorporates. Whisk well before pouring over shredded pork.

Black Bean Burritos

I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out, but I tried it anyway and it was absolutely delish! We served Mo's lime grilled shrimp on the side and a big salad with Hallie's Mexican salad dressing. Really yummy meal and healthy, too! Enjoy.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

whole wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat until just warm.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for about two minutes. Add black beans and cook for about 5 minutes. Add corn, salt and cream cheese. Stir together until combined and cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve in warm tortillas.

Turkey Meatloaf

I have never made a meatloaf before trying this recipe. I searched for a lot of different turkey meatloaf recipes and combined some things of each in developing this recipe. This meatloaf came out really moist and the best part it is low-cal and low-fat!

1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/4 lbs. ground turkey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP tomato paste
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Shred zucchini and mix with 1/2 tsp. salt. Let zucchini and salt mixture drain from a strainer for up to 30 minutes, then press out remaining water.

Combine turkey, zucchini, salt, garlic, egg, tomato paste, basil, oregano and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Shape meatloaf in pan and top with tomato sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Turkey Chili Mac

I found this recipe in one of my low-fat cookbooks and decided to give it a try. I modified it a bit to our tastes and Matt and I both enjoyed it. It's easy to make and great on a cold night when you want something hearty but don't want all the calories!

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 lb. ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. salt

1 - 16 oz. can chili beans

1 - 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

3/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Cook pasta and drain. While pasta cooks, heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey and next seven ingredients. Cook until turkey is browned. Add cooked pasta, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook until heated through. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

This is one of my favorite low calorie, Crock pot recipes.

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (reduced fat)
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1/2 pound cooked chicken (I used shredded rotisserie chicken breasts)
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
9 uncooked lasagna noodles (don't use the oven-ready noodles)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine the soup, spinach, chicken, sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Grease Crock pot with cooking spray and place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the Crock pot. Break noodles as needed to fit. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over the noodles; sprinkle with 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. Layer three more noodles, half of remaining mixture and 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles, mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then reduce heat to LOW and cook for about 3-4 hours or until done.

Maryland Crab Soup

I'm proud to say Baltimore, Maryland is my hometown. I grew up eating steamed crabs and crab soup and truly believe that traces of Old Bay can be found coursing through my veins. The taste of real Maryland crab soup takes me right home. It's the ultimate comfort food. I will definitely be making a big pot after the holidays. This recipe is modified to my tastes from one of my mom's oldest cookbooks, The Chesapeake Collection. Traditional Eastern Shore crab soup doesn't call for worschestire sauce, but I add it, 'cuz that's how I roll.

4 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
5 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning*
1 tablespoon worschestire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 pound backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells**
Salt and pepper to taste

*You can find Old Bay seasoning by the seafood counter.
**Get REAL crabmeat. Look for Phillips crabmeat in the refrigerated section of the seafood area.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add Old Bay and worschestire sauce. Reduce heat and add crabmeat. Heat through, but don't boil. (The crabmeat will shred.)

Serve with saltine crackers. Ever since I was little, I've crumbled them into my crab soup. My Uncle Fred showed me how to crumble crackers while they were still in the package, so that's my favorite way to eat it.

This freezes really well. Hope you try it and enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

My mother-in-law is an AWESOME cook. She is what I aim to be in the kitchen someday. Recently, before dinner one night, she asked me to try her pumpkin soup to see what it needed. I obliged, thinking I wouldn't like it. I am not generally a sweet-as-savory kind of gal. If I'm having pumpkin, I prefer it with sugar and spice and everything nice in the form of a pie or muffin. Or so I thought. My mother-in-law's soup was incredible. Needless to say, it needed nothing. Several helpings later, I asked for the recipe. Like Shana's grandma, my mother-in-law rarely cooks from a recipe. She told me what she used in it, but said she just keeps tasting it until it is just right. Here is the best I could do... I made some this morning. It turned out really good; very close to my mother-in-law's. Even if pumpkin soup weirds you out, I'd encourage you to give it a try. It's really healthy, too!

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion; chopped fine

2 cloves garlic
1 (32 oz) container chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

dash all spice

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes until the onions are transluscent. Add chicken broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower the heat; add pumpkin, spices and bay leaf and bring to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add additional chicken broth if it's too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

My advice is to keep tasting it. Add more spices if you think it needs it. These are not exact guestimations.

It's delish the way it is, but my mother-in-law put a little cream on top when she served it. YUM!

Turkey Chili

I had been in search of a good chili recipe for quite some time. I asked Grandma Helen for her recipe and referred me to my Aunt Cindy. Grandma loves Cindy's chili. So, I called my aunt to get her recipe. Turns out she came across the Consumer Reports recipe years ago and that is what she has used all these years. She has it memorized. In fact, she gave it to me over the phone while walking on the beach in North Carolina. I modified it a bit for our tastes. Rather than green pepper, I use red, and because Matt and I aren't big fans of onions, I omit them. I just made this chili tonight and our family loved it. I hope you do, too!

1 lb. ground turkey
1 clove minced garlic
1 medium red pepper
4 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cider vinegar
¼ tsp. all spice
¼ tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ cup water
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can chili beans
¼ cup frozen corn

Cook turkey, garlic and red pepper in a soup pot over medium high heat, stirring frequently to break up meat. Cook until meat has last its pink color. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer the chili for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.

I serve the chili with toppings...sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced onions and chopped black olives (Matt's favorites).

Black Bean Soup

I was never a huge fan of black bean soup. I wanted to like it, but every time I ordered it I was disappointed. But recently a former co-worker of mine whom we all know and love made some. She raved about it, so I asked her to share the recipe with me. I made it that night and I am hooked. Black beans might just be nature's perfect food, too. High in vitamins and fiber, counts as a veggie, and FILLING. So, while this soup is good for you, you'll never know it by the taste.

I also love this recipe because I can buy all the ingredients, and just have it on hand to make whenever I want. Nothing perishable about it.

2 cans black beans, drained well but NOT rinsed

1 (15 oz) can of chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with jalepenos; don't drain

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp chili powder or chipotle chili powder

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil with the garlic. This will infuse the broth with garlic flavor. Mash one can of black beans with a potato masher. Add both whole and mashed beans to the pot along with tomatoes, chili powder and bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste.

The original recipe calls for a cup of salsa instead of the tomatoes with jalepenos. The result is a thicker soup. Thin it out with more chicken broth if necessary.