Crockpot Pinto Beans

Southerners love pinto beans! This is a different way to make them than how I was taught. It’s a little more frou-frou, but I think Mama and Daddy would approve.

1 pound dried pinto beans
10 each pearl onions (I use frozen onions)
4 cloves garlic, whole
4 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1 each bay leaf
1 tablespoon sea salt
pepper, to taste

1. Soak beans in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.)

2. When ready to cook, put beans and rest of ingredients except salt in crockpot. Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. Add salt and stir. Turn crock pot off. Wait 30 minutes to serve. Pull bay leaf out before serving.

Servings: 6

Notes: If you want, you can fish the garlic and onions out.

You can also put beans in a large Dutch oven and boil vigorously to reduce liquid and then use stick mixer to mash beans with onions and garlic coarsely.

You can also use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it vegetarian.

Make sure to do the soak and boil in step one! This will help make them less gassy!

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 305 Calories; 1g Fat (3.7% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 58g Carbohydrate; 21g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1413mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable.

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Smoked Corn Stuffed Pepper

4 large green peppers

5/8 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1/2 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 11-ounce can Mexican-style corn, drained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 4-ounce can chopped green chiles

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 ounce jalapeño peppers (optional)

Jalapeño pepper slices, for garnish

 

Cut a thin slice from stem end of each pepper; remove seeds and membranes; rinse. Cook peppers 5 minutes in enough boiling water to cover; drain. Season inside of peppers with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper; set aside. Combine rice, beans, corn, onion, walnuts, chiles, liquid smoke, cumin and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spoon 1 cup rice mixture into each pepper; stand upright in 13 × 9-inch baking pan. Cover pan with foil; bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle peppers with cheese. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with jalapeño pepper slices.

4 servings.

263 calories per serving.

2 ½ starches/breads, 1 ½ vegetables, ½ lean meat, ½ fat

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Eggplant Parmesan

Image via Wikipedia

2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/4″ slices

1/2 cup Egg Beaters, beaten

Olive or vegetable oil

1 jar Ragú Chunky Gardenstyle Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Dip each eggplant slice into Egg Beaters, then into bread crumb mixture. In a large skillet, brown eggplant in hot oil on both sides; drain on paper towels.

Evenly spread 1 cup pasta sauce in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Overlap eggplant slices over sauce. Top with remaining pasta sauce and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Serves 8.

271 calories per serving.

1 ½ starch/bread, 1 ½ vegetable, 2 lean meats, 1 fat.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

2 pounds beef stew meat, (such as chuck), trimmed and cubed

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 1/2-2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika, (or a mixture of the two), preferably Hungarian (see Ingredient Note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.

Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.

Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

 

8 servings (1 cup each).

TIPS & NOTES

• Serving suggestion: Serve over a serving of rice or noodles.
• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months. | Prep ahead: Trim beef and coat with spice mixture. Prepare vegetables. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Refrigerate in separate covered containers for up to 1 day.
• Ingredient Note: Paprika specifically labeled as “Hungarian” is worth seeking out for this dish because it delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular or Spanish paprika. Find it at specialty-foods store or online at HungarianDeli.com and penzeys.com.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 180 calories; 5 g fat ( 2 g sat , 2 g mono ); 48 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (40% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Iron (15% dv).

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat

 

Beef & Potato Salad with Smoky Chipotle

12 oz. stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. salt

3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 tbs. cider vinegar

1 small red onion, diced

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 ripe medium avocado, cut into ¼ inch pieces

Bring 1 quart water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add beef, garlic and salt. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Skim off the foam that rises during the first few minutes of simmering. Partially cover and simmer until the meat is fall-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon; let cool.

Add potatoes to the meat broth (if there isn’t enough to cover them, add water) and simmer over medium heat until tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Scoop the potatoes into a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with vinegar.

Coarsely shred the beef and stir it into the potatoes, along with onion, oil and chipotle to taste. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in avocado just before serving.

6 servings (3/4 cup per serving).

TIPS & NOTES

• Serving Suggestion: Serve with a warm tortilla.
• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the salad for up to 2 days. Stir in the avocado just before serving.
• Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a spicy, flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 245 calories; 15 g fat ( 3 g sat , 10 g mono ); 24 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 4 g fiber; 429 mg sodium; 458 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (21% daily value)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat

Recipe from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chipotle_beef_potato_salad.html

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ pounds shiitake mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried thyme

15 ounces ricotta cheese, part skim milk

½ cup skim milk

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

2 ½  cups mozzarella cheese, part skim milk, divided evenly

¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated

10 ounces frozen spinach, chopped, defrosted and drained

1/3 cup fresh basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

5 cups tomato sauce

1 package lasagna noodles, no bake

non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and season with salt. Cook until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, milk and eggs, and stir. Add 1 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, basil and oregano; season with salt and pepper and stir to incorporate.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-x-13-x-2-inch pan. Layer 4 sheets of lasagna on top, slightly overlapping. Spread half the ricotta mixture on the noodles, and cover with half the mushroom mixture. Top with 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Repeat with 4 sheets of lasagna pasta, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining mushrooms and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Cover with the remaining 4 sheets of lasagna, the remaining cup of tomato sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Lightly coat a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and cover the uncooked lasagna, spray-side down. Bake at 375 degrees, covered, until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Remove foil from lasagna and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Cook until cheese browns, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm and garnish with basil.

12 servings. 405 calories per serving.

3 Starch/Bread, 1 ½ Vegetable, 2 Lean Meat, 1 Fat

Recipe from http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/spinach-and-mushroom-veggie-lasagna

Their calorie count on this was 337 calories. I lowered the amount of cheese and milk and still had it at 405 calories in MasterCook. Not sure who is right. But it is still a lot less than regular lasagna and it looks delicious. I haven’t tried it yet but will be soon!

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Enchilada Lasagna

1 pound ground beef, lean

1 large onion, sliced

8 each corn tortilla, cut in strips

1 can refried beans

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cans enchilada sauce

12 ounces cheddar cheese, lowfat, shredded

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain beef mixture and rinse with hot water to get residual grease off.

Spray a 9x3X12 casserole dish with non-stick spray. There will be 3 layers of the following: tortilla strips, ground beef mixture, refried beans, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400.

Uncover and continue baking until top of cheese has melted.

12 servings. 326 calories per serving.

2 Starches, ½ Vegetable, 2 Lean Meat, 1 1/2 Fats

Chile Relleno Casserole

Image by jasja dekker via Flickr

8 ounces green chiles

3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 scallions, sliced

1 cup cheddar cheese, low-fat, shredded

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

6 large egg whites

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat casserole dish with cooking spray and place on baking dish.

Place green chiles, corn and scallions in casserole dish. Top with cheese. Whisk milk, egg whites, eggs, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Pour into casserole dish.

Bake about 25 minutes or until tops begin to brown and set.

4 servings. 229 calories per serving.

½ Starch/Bread, 1 Vegetable, ½ Non-fat Milk, 2 ½ Lean Meat, ½ Fat

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Southwestern Chicken

1 pound chicken breast, cut into strips
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup onion, cut into strips
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup salsa
cooking spray

Coat a large nonstick frypan with cooking spray, and place 
over high heat until hot. Add chicken, stir fry 3 minutes.
Stir in chili powder and cumin. Remove chicken from 
frypan, set aside. Add oil to frypan, and heat over 
medium high heat. Add green pepper strips and onion, 
stir fry 3 minutes. Return chicken to frypan and 
stir in corn and salsa. Stir fry 2 minutes more or 
until thoroughly heated.

Calories per serving: 247
Carbs per serving: 18g
Protein per serving: 22g

Food Exchanges:
1/2 Starch/Bread, 1.5 Vegetables, 2.5 Lean Meats, 1/2 Fat

Healthy Chicken And Biscuits

For the Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2/3 cup skim milk

For the Filling:
3 each chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 packet chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons neufchatel cheese

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare the biscuits: Place the 
flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. 

Stir until well combined. Add the margarine. Working quickly
with your fingers, rub the margarine into the flour, until 
pea sized crumbs form. If the margarine begins to melt, place
the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
Add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. 
Turn out the dough onto a sheet of wax paper and form into 
a log. Wrap and place in the refrigerator while you prepare 
the chicken and vegetables.

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. Place the flour on a plate and 
roll the chicken chunks in it. Heat a large stockpot over 
medium-high heat. Add the chicken, then the carrots, onion, 
celery, parsley, and garlic. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring 
occasionally, as the chicken begins to brown. Turn the heat 
off and add the peas, chicken stock and bouillon granules 
and stir until well combined.

In a corner of the pot, gradually whisk in the cream 
cheese, so it does not curdle. Then stir with a wooden 
spoon to incorporate the cream cheese throughout. 

Remove the biscuits from the fridge and slice into 1-inch 
thick rounds. Arrange them over the chicken mixture and 
coat the tops of the biscuits with a thin layer of 
cooking spray. 

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through. 
Serve immediately.Calories per serving: 428
Total Carbs per serving: 40g
Total Protein per serving: 30g
Food Exchanges:
2 Starches/Breads, 1 Vegetable, 3 Lean Meats, 2.5 Fats