Jason's Chilicious

First of all, I don't know who Jason is, but he makes some good chili. Here's what you need:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 c cooked, shredded chicken
2 onions, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can of chopped green chilies
juice of 1-2 limes
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cans of chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/2 c chopped cilantro, plus a little more for garnish
1 1/2 c frozen corn
hot sauce (optional)
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
lime wedges
tortilla chips

Directions
Cook chicken breasts, cool, and shred by hand. (I cooked mine in a crock pot with a little water and taco seasoning on low for about four hours.)

Chop onions. Saute in pan with green chilies until soft. Add garlic, saute for a few minutes. Add dry spices, stirring until distributed evenly.

Add chicken broth, beans, corn, cilantro, and chicken. Add hot sauce if the chili powder didn't make it spicy enough for you (I added some Tabasco sauce to mine).

Simmer gently for a few hours. Toss in a handful of cheese. Add a bit of cilantro and a little more lime juice right before serving.

Serve with Jack Cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, and tortilla chips (and we had a little sour cream with ours as well).

If you want a pdf version you can print, click here.

Recipe compliments of Cathy Zielske.

Tri-Colore Orzo

I think this is my favorite recipe on this blog. I'm actually eating it right now as I post. Here's what you need:

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup*
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces**
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (ricotta salata cheese)
1/2 cup dried cherries
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts***
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.

Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Notes:
*(I actually omitted this 1/4 cup and it was still really good).
**You can find this in the organic produce section of your grocery store or next to the bagged salads / spinach.
***I used way less than 1/4 cup since pine nuts are expensive. I used approx. 1 TBSP. To roast the pine nuts, put them in a pan on the oven (without oil) on low-medium heat for a few minutes, string frequently. Watch them closely so they don't burn.
*If you only use 2 tsp. olive oil, this recipe is 6 WW points+ per cup. I can't really tell a difference by cutting the olive oil - it's still really good.

Recipe compliments of Giada De Laurentiis.

Chickpea Salad

2 cans of chickpeas
a couple of handfuls of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, chopped into small pieces
several cubes of haloumi cheese
lots of parsley
olive oil
lots of lemon juice
a sprinkle of cumin

Put it all together and you have one yummy (and healthy) salad.

*Recipe compliments of Laura Chau.

Garden Risotto

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I use cooking wine but you could omit this if you want)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound asparagus, steamed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.

Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth if the risotto seems too thick. Serve in soup plates.

*Recipe compliments of thefoodnetwork.com

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

I highly recommend you make this. We give it five stars in our house. It has such a good flavor. I made it twice in one week (granted it was for someone else the first time, but this dish makes a lot so there was plenty for us too. Yum!)

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
1 Tbsp. pepper*
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled**
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you're apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

**We like to cook our bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. And it's crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it's usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumble.

[ directions ]

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

*Recipe compliments of Becky Higgins.

Scotcheroos

I have heard this treat called lots of different things, but the recipe I have for it calls them scotcheroos. They are delicious.

1 C. sugar
1 C. light Karo syrup

Mix in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then take off heat immediately.

Add: 1 C. peanut butter

Stir together and then add 7 cups of Rice Krispies

Pour into greased 9x13 pan

Melt: 1 package of milk chocolate chips and 1 package of butterscotch chips in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. You can also melt them in a saucepan but watch carefully so the chocolate doesn't burn. If it melts too much it can become too hard and won't spread.

Spread melted chips on top of Rice Krispies. Don't refrigerate scotcheroos or they will become too hard to cut.

*For a variation of this recipe, click here.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

*This is not a low fat meal. But man, it is delicious. Of course, I have a thing for arugula. Ever since my friend Stacey introduced it to me a couple of years ago, I have been hooked.

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cups heavy cream (I also think half and half would work if you want to cut out some fat and calories)
3 lemons (or one fresh lemon and some lemon juice from concentrate - adding by taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound dried fusilli pasta
1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta (this is really only for looks and isn't necessary if you don't want to add it). Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

*I like it vegetarian as is, but you could add some chicken for protein.
*If you know you won't eat it all in one night, you can save some of the sauce separate from the salad and mix it together the next day when you are going to use it. Or just pour it all on and then reheat it the next day like I did. It was just as good as left overs.

[Recipe compliments of Barefoot Contessa]