Clean-Eating Crockpot Pork Chops

Crockpot Pork Chops
 
Dice one small onion
Cut 4 potatoes (can be sweet potatoes too) into chunks
pour in 10.5 oz. of chicken broth and then the pork chops…set on low for 6-8 hours and done!

Olive Garden Inspired Minestrone Soup

Olive

 

Recipe adapted from Spark Recipes

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ¼ cup zucchini, chopped
• ½ cup frozen cut green beans
• ¼ cup celery, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can small white beans, drained
• ½ (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup carrots, julienned
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ¼ tsp. dried thyme
• 1½ cups hot water
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• ⅓ cup small pasta shells

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and saute onion, celery, garlic, zucchini and green beans, about 5 minutes.
2. Then add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, allowing soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Add baby spinach leaves and pasta, cooking an additional 20 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1¼ cups • Calories: 190 • Fat: 4 g • Carbs: 30.4 g • Fiber: 9 g • Protein: 8.9 g • WW Points+: 4 pts

Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers, Arugula, and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 orange bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta 

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups loosely packed arugula

1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into 1-inch strips.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add bell peppers and tomatoes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tomatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
5. Combine remaining 3/4 teaspoon garlic, vinegar, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add pasta and oil mixture to bell pepper mixture in pan; toss well to coat. Cool slightly. Stir in arugula. Top each serving with cheese.

Chicken and Potatoes

Roasted Chicken and New Potatoes

 

1 ½ to 2 lbs broiler-fryer chicken pieces, skin removed (I usually buy some wings, drumsticks or thighs, with no skin)

1 lb new potatoes, cut into fourths ( I buy the red mini potatoes)

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoon dried basil

3 Tablespoons olive oil (or veggie)

1 teaspoon garlic salt

 

Heat oven to 375. Place chicken and potatoes in ungreased rectangular (or oval baking pan). Mix remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over chicken and potatoes.

Cover and bake 30 minutes. Turn chicken and potatoes. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until  juice of chicken is no longer pink when thickest centers are cut.

The Perfect Potato Soup - The Pioneer Woman

Perfect Potato Soup

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

20 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

12

 Ingredients

• 6 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1-inch Pieces
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced
• 3 stalks Celery, Diced
• 6 whole Small Russet Potatoes, Peeled And Diced
• 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Or Vegetable Broth
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Cajun Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Grated Cheese Of Your Choice

Preparation Instructions

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.
Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.
Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove half to 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food process until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in cream, then stir in parsley, reserving a little for garnish.
Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

Auntie's Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs. Ground Chuck Beef
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. tomatoes or 1 large can crushed tomatoes (she liked Contadina)
1 - 8 oz. tomato sauce
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
8 oz. cottage cheese
1 pkg Lowry's spaghetti sauce mix
1/2 c. cheddar cheese (grated)
1/2 lb. lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles)

Cook noodles accordingly to directions and add 1 tsp. oil to the boiling water.  Brown meat, drain off fat and add salt, garlic powder, tomatoes, tomato paste and spaghetti sauce mix.  Simmer for 30 min. Drain and rinse noodles in cold water.  Put some of the sauce in a 9x13 pan, cover with noodles and top with cheese.  Repeat ending with sauce.  Top with Parmesan cheese ... Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. 

Layered Southwestern Salad
Mimi Driessnack (from Nashville SBS)

Serves 8-10 

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream or lite sour cream
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Place all ingredients in blender.  Blend well.

Salad:
16 oz pkg (approx 3) Romaine hearts, cut up (sliced cross-ways)
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
Small red onion:  chop the amount you like!
8 oz pkg shredded Mexican cheese blend
15 oz. can "mexican" corn w red & green peppers, drained
3oz or 6oz (your choice) can sliced black olives, drained
tortilla chips

Layer lettuce and next 7 ingredients in large salad bowl (glass is nice! :)
Crush tortilla chips on top.
Serve with Dressing.

Grilled Salmon Salad

Prepare the tortilla bowls for this main dish salad recipe well ahead of serving time to make dinner go quicker and easier.

read reviews

4,746views

4 users rated this recipe an average rating of 4.5

• Makes: 4 servings
• Yields: 4 main-dish servings
• Prep: 30 mins
• Grill: 8 mins

• 44

Rate me!

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Loved It?

---

print

save to recipe box

cooking view

SHARE

---

Grilled Salmon Salad

Ingredients

1/2

pound fresh or frozen salmon or firm white fish fillets

1

tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

1

tablespoon lime or lemon juice

1

teaspoons Cajun seasoning or Jamaican jerk seasoning

6

cups torn mixed greens, such as sorrel, spinach, romaine, radicchio, or leaf lettuce

1

cup fresh strawberries, halved

1

medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced

1

medium mango, seeded, peeled, and sliced

2

medium oranges, peeled and sectioned

1/4

cup chopped macadamia nuts or almonds, toasted

 

Lime peel curls (optional)

Directions

1. Thaw fish if frozen. Brush fish with olive or cooking oil; sprinkle with lime or lemon juice and Cajun or Jamaican jerk seasoning. Arrange fish fillets in a well-greased grill basket; grill fish directly over medium coals for 4 to 6 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily, turning once. (Or, place fish on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 4 to 6 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily.) Break fish into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine greens, strawberries, avocado, mango, oranges, and nuts; toss gently to mix. Spoon into Tortilla Bowls; drizzle with Tarragon-Buttermilk Dressing. Garnish each serving with a lime peel curl, if desired. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
3. If not using Tortilla Bowls immediately, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Prepare dressing, cover, and store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Tarragon-Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients

1/3

cup buttermilk

2

tablespoons light mayonnaise or salad dressing

1

teaspoon fresh tarragon or dill or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed or dillweed

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir together 1/3 cup buttermilk; 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise or salad dressing; and 1 teaspoon snipped fresh tarragon or dill or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed, or dillweed. Use immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Tortilla Bowls

Ingredients

4

9 inches flour tortillas

 

nonstick coating spray

Directions

1. Lightly brush four 9- or 10-inch flour tortillas with a small amount of cooking oil, or spray nonstick coating onto 1 side of each tortilla. Spray nonstick coating into four taco salad molds or small oven-safe bowls. Press tortillas, coated sides up, into molds or bowls. Place a ball of foil in each tortilla cup. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Remove the foil. Cool. Remove Tortilla Bowls from the molds. Fill the bowls with Grilled Salmon Salad or other salad of your choice and serve immediately. Makes 4 bowls.

Blackout Cake: Said to be close to Cheesecake Factory's Blackout Cake or Linda's Fudge Cake

BLACKOUT CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract, divided use
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/3 cup boiling water
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
3 pkg (6 oz each) semisweet chocolate chips (3 cups)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp butter, cut up
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup roasted almonds, diced (for garnish)

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Dust with flour, tap out excess.

In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup butter and sugar with electric mixer or medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until well blended. Add melted chocolate and beat 1-2 minutes; set aside.

Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in two additions alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water and beat until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then unmold onto racks and let cool completely.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
In a 2 quart glass measure, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat in a microwave oven on HIGH 3 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, or until ganache holds its shape and is thick enough to spread on cake.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Cover a cake layer with a little more than 1/3 of chocolate ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining ganache. Press almonds into side of cake. Refrigerate cake 3-4 hours, or until ganache is firm, before serving.

Choose A Fruit or Vegetable Bread

1 c. flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. butter/margarine
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 c. Fruit or Vegetable (zucchini, carrots, pears, peaches)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Combine flour, oats and soda; set aside.  In a large mier bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric micer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar; beat until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon peel; beat well.  Stir in vegetable or fruit.  Add flour mixture, a third at a time, beating on low speed til combined.  Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter in a greased 5 1/2 cup ring mold or 8x4x2 loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes for ring mold, or 55-60 minutes for loaf pan, or til a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cover with the foil the last 10 minutes of baking.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight for easier slicing.  1 loaf, 12 servings.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread (Susan McKechnie)

1) Combine:  3 beaten eggs, 2 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. oil

2) Add: 

3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tsp vanilla

Blend Well

3)  Alternately Add:  3 c. flour, 2 c. grated Zucchini

Place in 2 greased loaf pans

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes

Mexican Chicken Soup

Mexican Chicken Soup - south beach recipe

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
2 cups mild refrigerated fresh salsa

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and jalapeño; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cumin; cook 30 seconds more.

Add broth, increase heat to high, and bring to rapid simmer. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Stir in salsa, bring back to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.