Supper-Time Sunday!

I gotta say... of all of the posts that I do these ones are probably my favorite. I really love sharing all of the delicious eats that we have been able to enjoy lately with my lovely family and friends - and all of you that I don't know but would love to! We had another great week of eats this week!

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FRUIT SWEETENING PASTE (PURE FRUIT SWEETENER)

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Primally Inspired

I have to talk about this one first because it is the one that I am most excited about. When you are sugar intolerant it is easy to feel that your options are very limited - because they are. When I saw this all natural fruit sweetening paste on Primally Inspired I knew that I wanted to try it out!

Our local Winco Foods has a large section of bulk bins and I was able to get all of the ingredients for this paste from there. The recipe says that you can use any amounts of any combination of dried fruits so, really, the sky is the limit. I got the recommended fruits and made sure none of them were listed with added sugar. (Another great benefit to Winco Foods bulk section - they list the ingredients and nutritional information on all of their bins). I got 0.47 lbs Deluxe Raisins for $0.36, 0.36 lbs Dried Apricots for $1.23, 0.57 lbs Dried Adriatic Figs for $1.18, and 2.94 lbs Dried Whole Pitted Dates for $1.46. Total weight = 4.34 lbs for $4.23. Pretty awesome, right? 

What is even more awesome is that it tastes DELICIOUS! My husband had some spread on a piece of toast and I had some spread on my Tone It Up Protein Pancake at breakfast IMMEDIATELY after I finished making it.

And if that weren't awesome enough... We ended up with about 40 ounces of the finished product ~ 40 ounces for $4.23. If you buy honey at Sam's Club it costs $12.80 for 80 ounces. And pure maple syrup (grade A) at Costco is over $13 for 33.8 ounces. This is a delicious and very cost effective alternative!

You can see that we have already dug into the smaller jar

I am so happy to have this all natural product to sweeten my eats with and to finally have something that resembles jam again! 

PIN IT!

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SUPER THICK SHAMROCK SMOOTHIE

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Lauren at Oatmeal After Spinning

There have been a lot of St. Patrick's Day eats going around right now. Since today is St. Patrick's day it seems to make sense, right? Well it is no fun to be left out of favorite traditions when you are trying to eat healthy so there have been a lot of copycat shamrock shakes going around as well. I even blogged about one last week that we enjoyed.

However, this one takes the cake for me. I loved this recipe and made it twice this week. One time I hoarded it for myself as my lunch and hid away from the kids so I wouldn't have to share. The second time I was feeling more generous so I made the same amount but distributed the goods throughout my little family so everyone could enjoy it. Cute hubster is not a fan of peppermint but even he enjoyed it!

I made a couple of changes to this recipe. The first time that I made it I didn't have a frozen banana or peppermint extract.... so instead I used 1 whole small banana and pure mint extract. I used 1/2 tsp mint extract (*DISCLAIMER! Only use this much if you like STRONG mint flavor!) and I used frozen kale instead of the spinach. It got incredibly thick and I ate it in a bowl just like mint ice cream - DIVINE!

When I made it for the family I actually had peppermint extract. I kept my other changes the same but used 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. It was pretty good still but I liked the strength of the mint extract and will probably continue to use it for my own hoarding smoothie purposes.

Overall this is, by far, my favorite copycat Shamrock Smoothie!

PIN IT!

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CROCKPOT JAMBALAYA

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of With Just a Bit of Magic

This is a recipe that my wonderful sister-in-law posted about and I knew that I wanted to try it. I love Jambalaya but usually can't eat the ones that you get at restaurants around here because they are made with noodles. (No gluten for me!)

I had a bit of a hectic day and didn't get the ingredients for this one in the crockpot until there were only about 4 hours left to dinner time. I placed the ingredients in my "depths of Mordor" crockpot and set it to high hoping that it would be ready in time. 

Well, it was and it wasn't. The brown rice is extremely finicky about when it will cook right and it was still a little crunchy by the time it was time to eat dinner. We didn't mind it and we ate the jambalaya anyway. Cute hubster took the leftovers to work and didn't mention any bad crunchiness so I assume it was fine.

What we particularly enjoyed about this recipe was the delicious flavor. I used all natural Sweet Apple Chicken sausage and the contrast of the sweetness with the hot sauce we added to our bowls was divine. 

I didn't want to buy fresh thyme so I used 2 tsp dried thyme instead of the 2 tbsp fresh that it calls for. I also didn't want to spend the money for the shrimp so we just left it out completely. If you have a food processor the chopping of the veggies for this dish is a cinch, otherwise it would be a bit time consuming. 

*Side Note: I have found the PERFECT method for cooking even the most finnicky and stubborn of brown rice:

COOK THE PERFECT BROWN RICE

Photo + recipe courtesy of Pinch My Salt

Seriously. This technique has NEVER failed us. We love it!

Overall, this jambalaya recipe was very good and if I am in the mood for jambalaya again I will probably pull this recipe out of the archives; however, there are so many other recipes out there that I want to try that unless I am specifically craving jambalaya I will probably not revisit this recipe.

PIN IT! (Jambalaya)

PIN IT! (Brown Rice)

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CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

Recipe courtesy of Life After Bagels

I love my morning oatmeal greatly and I am always interested in finding new ways to switch things up. I used to love carrot cake greatly when I was still eating sugar and gluten and so this recipe particularly caught my eye. Especially since this is a great way to add some veggies to the most important meal of the day!

And it was delicious! Very hearty, flavorful and filling. However.... I did change several things about the recipe.

I didn't want to bother cooking steel cut oats so I just used my normal 1/2 cup of gluten free old fashioned oats. To that I added all of the gratings of 1 medium carrot, 1 small banana (sliced), 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional), and a large sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. I cooked it on high in the microwave for 3 minutes and then added 2 tbsp of unsalted almonds to the finished product. Like I said, it was delicious and it was quite sweet enough for me with the carrot and the banana to not need the additional maple syrup.

I am sure the original recipe is just as delicious - this is just what worked for me!

*Note: If you would like to see a picture of this recipe, the recipe itself, or pin this recipe please click on the "Life After Bagels" link under the title above. This link will take you directly to this particular recipe on Life After Bagels site.

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QUESTIONS FOR MY DEAR READERS: What was the best thing you ate this week? Are you doing anything special with your food for St. Patrick's Day?

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Time for another recipe round up for this week!

BAKED SOY LEMON CHOPS

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com

This is an extremely easy recipe that comes together in no time. I read in the reviews that many people suggested cutting back on the amount of soy sauce. Since I only had 1/3 cup of Tamari this was really convenient for me; however, I was still very disappointed about the amount of marinade that was leftover. I put my chops in an 8x8 pan and there was enough marinade for at least twice the number of pork chops this recipe calls for.

Tha being said, the flavor was really good and instead of basting the meat we just turned the chops over. Cute hubster loved it. There are enough recipes out there to try that I wouldn't do this one again but it is a delicious and easy recipe if you are looking for one!

Pin it!

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PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE PUDDING CAKE - IN THE CROCKPOT!

Recipe + Photo are courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I love easy desserts. Even though I can't eat them I love making them for other people. This was the perfect option for my little girl's birthday. It came together so quickly and cooked perfectly in the crockpot. I can't say how it tasted because, like I said, I can't eat it but it got great reviews from the people at the party. I got the impression that it is really rich and a little goes a long way but people still really liked it.

I didn't change anything about this recipe and followed the cooking time exactly. 

Pin it!

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BANANA OAT BREAKFAST COOKIES

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Watching What I Eat

I made these for my babies one morning when I wanted to change up breakfast. That wasn't such a great idea because they take quite a while to prepare and by the time they were ready I had had to find something for the kids to munch on anyways. BUT! They were well worth the wait. They were chewy and perfectly sweet. In fact, I felt like they were the closest cookies I have found that don't taste like a "healthy cookie" if you know what I mean.

I followed the recipe except that I omitted the walnuts and added 1 scoop vanilla protein powder and 2 tbsp ground flaxseed for some extra nutrition. The kids liked them but I think that mom and dad liked them more. 

Pin it!

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Tried any amazing recipes lately? Share the love with me!

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Hello all! It is time for another recipe round-up! There are lots of delicious eats around the web and here are the ones that we have tried lately!

THE CHEW'S BAKED ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

Recipe + photo courtesy of Stacey over at Stacey Snacks

From Stacey Snacks blog, "This recipe won a contest on a television show called The Chew.

Mario Batali and others judged 3 chicken recipes made by regular people, and this won first prize!"

Confession... it has been a long time coming before I thought I would ever be okay eating artichoke hearts and mushrooms - let alone this much! But, I kid you not, we loved this meal SO much that I made it twice in two weeks. Every bite is extremely flavorful and the combination of the mushrooms with the onion and artichokes is just heavenly. 

And guess what? I did this in the crockpot! I placed all of the veggies on the bottom of the crockpot, topped with the chicken, topped with the sauce and let it go to town. My crockpot believes that it is the depths of Mordor itself and I have to keep a careful eye on my dishes so that they don't get over cooked but I think that if you go by the standard of 6 hours on low that you will be alright. I did this in the crockpot both times and both times it turned out great.

I also did not use chicken with bones or skin. I used 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs. The only other changes that I made were that I used dijon mustard and chicken stock instead of the wine. We served this over Lemon Parmesan brown rice. YUMMY!

Make this one! You won't be disappointed!

Pin it!

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CROCK POT PICANTE CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Gina over at Skinnytaste.com

Was the above crock pot recipe not really to your liking? Well I have another one for you! This came together so quickly and got rave reviews from cute hubster, my girl [A] and my boy {N}. The chicken came out tender and delicious and shredded with hardly any effort whatsoever on my part. 

Unfortunately, I waited too long to make this after buying my groceries and so my avocados were no longer good. But we did use the lime juice and sliced scallions (aka green onions). I sprinkled a little bit of cheddar cheese into the family portions - not mine though. I like my food tasting more fresh!

Cute hubster added some Greek yogurt to his 2nd portion to tone down the heat a bit. It is fairly spicy but neither of my babies complained about it. If you are worried about it I would use Rotel tomatoes without the green chiles and it should be just fine. 

I didn't have ancho chile powder so I just used normal chile powder but I kept everything else the same. I know that 2 chicken breasts seems like a small amount but it really was perfect for this recipe.

Pin it!

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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Katie over at Chocolate-Covered Katie: the healthy dessert blog

Sometimes a girl just needs some chocolate! And chocolate mousse/ice cream is a delicious treat that I have not been able to enjoy for a long time thanks to my body rejecting refined sugars. 

Enter the always reliable Chocolate-Covered Katie! I love love love love her. I have never had trouble with any of her recipes and I have ALWAYS liked them. This dessert did not disappoint at all. And at only 4 ingredients there is NO reason to not try it out!

I didn't need to refrigerate my coconut milk overnight - it was thick enough when I opened the can. I used Stevia in the Raw + a little pure maple syrup to sweeten our desserts. I would normally be alright with just stevia but my family likes things a little bit sweeter than stevia can provide without going too bitter. 

I divvied this recipe up into 4 small cups and stuck them in the freezer while we ate dinner. When they came out they had just started freezing around the edges but the middle was decadently creamy. If you want a mousse like texture = refrigerate. Ice cream = freezer.

Pin it!

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: What recipes have you tried from around the web lately? Share your faves with me! 

Loves...Shayla

Supper-time Sunday!

Chicken Coconut Curry

Rating: B-

We love curry around here and I was excited to try this one out; however, I didn't feel like it lived up to our curry standard as it was written. It was bland and too thin. I added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and  about 1 1/2 more tsp curry powder and still topped my portion with Sriracha. What can I say? We like things spicy. I think that this dish has potential and my mom is going to try it with curry paste instead of ground curry powder. My husband liked it just fine and we might do it again but it definitely wasn't a favorite. 

Link: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/11/coconut-chicken-curry.html

Banana Vanilla Protein Pancakes

Rating: C

These ones had an okay flavor but they were really dense. They had a strange texture... it was like a mix between a pancake and a cookie. Too hard. If you are looking for a protein pancake that resembles a normal pancake really closely... this is not the one for you. I won't make them again.

Link: http://www.pbfingers.com/2012/05/26/banana-vanilla-protein-pancakes/

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Pancakes (Vegan)

Rating: B

Her method for adding the bananas is CRAZY!!! They made the pancakes fall apart and they were SOOO unmanageable I was going insane. The texture is really good and very much like a normal pancake despite being vegan and the peanut butter flavor is quite strong but good if you really like peanut butter. We just topped our pancakes with bananas after they were cooked and didn't add them to the uncooked batter. I also didn't have buckwheat flour or vanilla soy milk. Instead we used all wheat flour and regular milk and just added 1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder. Not vegan, but it works. :-)

Link: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/06/peanut-butter-banana-oat-pancakes.html

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Rating: A-

This is a wonderful basic recipe for pancakes. My mom didn't have baking soda on hand so we had to use baking powder and they did NOT fluff up, but we added 1/3 cup blueberries and 1 tsp lemon extract to the batter and they had an AMAZING flavor. They were my dad's favorite. I think you could add a bunch of different flavors or fruits to this one or just top them with it afterwards. We will definitely repeat this one. 

Link: http://www.everydaybelle.com/2011/06/greek-yogurt-pancakes/

Banana Chips

Rating: B-

This was a link on Pinterest that doesn't link to anything but a picture so here is the "recipe": 

Slice banana into thin chips, dip in lemon juice, and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for 2 hours @ 200 degrees and flip. Bake for another 1.5-2 hours or until crisp. (They wont be totally crisp in the oven, but will harden as they cool) IMPORTANT STEP: Spray the cookie sheet with PAM

These were decent but the cooking method caramelizes the bananas and makes them really sweet. I could only eat three before they were too sweet for me. They weren't easy enough or good enough to warrant repeating for us but it is a good healthy treat.

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

Rating: A

Oh  my deliciousness! This one was a great one. The whole family loved it and my husband had 3 pieces after it came out of the oven. I didn't have pastry flour but so I just used normal whole wheat flour. I used agave instead of the brown sugar. And I also didn't have vanilla flavored greek yogurt so I just used my plain, nonfat yogurt and added 1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder to my batter. It was just the right amount of sweet without being overly sweet.

You have to be careful about cooking it. Banana bread bakes REALLY fast on the outside and gets very dark. Mine got a little bit too dark for my liking on the outside but I was diligent about checking the inside so that it wouldn't be raw. Mine took about 55 minutes and the outside was BORDERLINE too dark. But it was still yummy and we will definitely repeat it. 

Link: http://nosugarsweetlife.com/content/greek-yogurt-blueberry-banana-bread

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Rating: A

This was a lovely and easy breakfast to put together for the family. We all enjoyed it and I didn't add any extras to the dish except for a little bit of cinnamon. It really doesn't require any sweetener since the banana sweetens it nicely. I didn't add the coconut oil but wouldn't be against trying it. I made mine in individual ramekins for easy serving to the family and topped with a bit of plain Greek yogurt. We will definitely repeat this one!

Link: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/03/22/banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/

Supper-Time Sunday! (lol... ish)

Dump Chicken ~ Teriyaki Chicken

Rating: B-

Now, to be fair to this site... I think that it is a great idea and there are a TON of recipes. I only tried one of them this week. The teriyaki chicken had a good flavor but it wasn't nearly strong enough for us. Unfortunately, that may have been because of changes I had to make: #1: No sherry - substituted for apple juice, #2: No fresh ginger on hand (a CRIME!) - had to use ground. If you also have to make these substitutions make sure you use 1/4 tsp ground ginger for ever 1 Tbsp of fresh that the recipe calls for. I cooked mine in my crockpot for 1.5 hours on high and about 2.5 - 3 hours on low but this will vary with every crockpot. I mixed a bunch of sauteed vegetables in and we served it over pineapple brown rice. The final dish was very tasty and would've earned a rating of B+ but I made a LOT of changes to get it to that point. 

Link: http://whenthedinnerbellrings.blogspot.com/2011/06/super-easy-way-to-getting-meals-ready.html

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Rating: B-

This is a great idea for a healthier spaghetti sauce, however we are pretty used to more flavorful sauces. This dish relies completely on the flavors of the onion and peppers until you add a few herbs to your individual dish. We are just too much in love with garlic to fully enjoy a sauce that doesn't call for any. The sauce was really thin too which Skinny Taste addresses but we didn't like it enough to repeat it. If you like Chicken Cacciatore I think that this is a good, solid recipe and it was really easy to make. Try it out!

Link: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/crock-pot-chicken-cacciatore.html

Perfect Protein Pancakes

Rating: A

I had heard of protein pancakes before this week but had never tried them - I had no idea what I have been missing! I love them and they will be my go-to breakfast for a while, at least. I don't have buckwheat or almond flour on hand so I have tried this recipe once with 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and once with heaping 1/2 cup rolled oats. I just throw the ingredients in my blender and blend until smooth. My biggest complaint about this recipe is actually the cooking method. It is HARD to flip such a large pancake. I will probably start doing what is implied in the picture - make a bunch of smaller ones. I add blueberries to my pancakes once I have poured them onto the pan and top with organic, unsweetened applesauce. If you have never tried that method before - do it! It is delicious and saves you countless of needless calories from butter and syrup. 

Link: http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2012/04/perfect-protein-pancakes/

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

I love easy slow cooker recipes. I especially love healthy and easy slow cooker recipes that turn out absolutely delicious!

I only used 3 large chicken breasts for this meal. The sauce to chicken ratio was a little bit off - it was extra saucy. But it was fine as my family just ate it over brown rice and I had it over some romaine lettuce. It was delicious every single way and we didn't add any sour cream. And it made a TON! My 3 chicken breasts made enough for us to have a big dinner, leftovers the next day, and still have enough to use for an entirely different meal. (More on that later.) I am guessing that the serving size on this is supposed to be 8 but I might be mistaken.

It was a bit spicy and very flavorful. This is one that is going in my permanent recipe file. Recipes that are this easy and delicious must be repeated!

*HINT!!! If you want to make shredding your chicken insanely easy just throw it into a Kitchen Aide or Bosch mixer once it is finished cooking. Mix for 20 - 30 seconds until completely shredded. Really. It works!

I have been better about taking my own pictures lately but for some reason I don't think I took one of this one... hmmm... Oh well! This recipe and picture are courtesy of Thoroughly Modern Mom and can be found at this site HERE.

SLOW COOKER CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN

From Thoroughly Modern Mom

Servings 8

Nutritional Information per serving (calculated on MyFitnessPal.com): Calories 171, Carbs 16, Fat grams 2, Protein 24 (Calculated without sour cream) 

In a slow cooker, mix together:

One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa

Juice from one lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped, optional (for less heat use larger peppers and remove the membrane and seeds before using)

Add 4-6 thawed chicken breasts and toss to coat with the salsa mixture.

Cook on low for 6 hours and serve immediately. (Always remember that slow cooker times are relative. This did NOT take 6 hours in my slow cooker but it may in yours... hopefully you know the ins and outs of your cooker. If not, plan on 6 hours and just check on it periodically.) 

*MAKE SURE TO STAY TUNED!!! I will post an AMAZING recipe tomorrow that you can use the leftovers from this meal for!

Cranberry Sauerkraut Meatballs

Sound nasty? Well guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! Love love love love love. Not only did I love it, but so did my husband, mother, father, brothers, little sister, 3 year old toddler and 9 month old baby! It was great fresh, it was great as leftovers and it was REALLY easy to put together. 4 ingredients for the sauce? I can handle that.

If you have ever bought bagged meatballs you will know that they are expensive. I was interested in eating this for dinner, not in making this for a party. So I did homemade meatballs. I think I ended up with.... probably about 15 meatballs. What this means is that the sauce to meatball ratio was MUCH higher. But we loved the sauce so much. My kids ate no meatballs - just sauce over brown rice.

The nutritional information I have included with this recipe is based on the 66 servings you can get from the bag of meatballs that you buy. This is assuming you are taking this to a party. I made my meatballs homemade style and I have included my recipe for basic meatballs as well.

The recipe and picture are courtesy of Taste of Home and can be found at this site here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cranberry-Sauerkraut--Meatballs?pmcode=IMADV01T&_mid=2325232&_rid=2325232.558202.228586

CRANBERRY SAUERKRAUT MEATBALLS

From Taste of Home

·         1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce

·         1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

·         1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce

·         3/4 cup packed brown sugar

·         1 package (32 ounces) frozen fully cooked homestyle meatballs, thawed

In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, chili sauce and brown sugar. Stir in meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 meatball with about 1 tablespoon sauce equals 53 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 142 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 starch.

HOMEMADE MEATBALL RECIPE

From Shayla's Kitchen

Servings 15

1 lb. hamburger (or pork, chicken or turkey)

1/2 cup oats

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 tsp salt

Few grains pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup milk

Mix together all ingredient and roll into balls. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place meatballs in skillet and brown on all sides. Drain meatballs on a paper towel. Place browned meatballs in sauce in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

This recipe has gone pretty viral on Pinterest and the blogging world. It isn't really surprising though since the original recipe has only three ingredients and a lot of flavor. The sauce in and of itself is a very good sauce (sweet but just a little bit spicy), however I didn't want the dish to depend entirely on the sauce for deliciousness. The recipe below is reflective of the changes that I made. How did it turn out? Well... my husband said, "Eureka!" and had three helpings. Yeah, it was that good. We will definitely be making this easy dish again.

The original recipe is courtesy of Six Sisters Stuff and can be found at this site here: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/06/crock-pot-hawaiian-bbq-chicken.html

SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN BBQ CHICKEN

Adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff

3 large Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!) (or 4-6 small)

1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)

½ fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces

½ yellow onion, sliced

1 small green pepper, sliced

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!  Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Top with fresh pineapple and onion.  Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.  (I cooked mine for 4 hours, starting with frozen chicken breasts, and it was finished.) During the last hour of cooking, add green pepper. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving to let the chicken soak up the sauce. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh

We love love loved this Morrocan-style meal! So many wonderful flavors come together to make a satisfying and filling meal that is SOOOO easy to make! And guess what? 290 Calories and 2 grams of fat per serving! You can't beat that! I even loved the chickpeas in the dish as they added a wonderful new texture; however, my mother also made this dish and can't stand chickpeas so she just substituted great northern beans. Whatever your preference, be adventurous and try this dish tonight!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-marrakesh/detail.aspx

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN MARRAKESH

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Printer Friendly Version

Yields 8 servings

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• ¾ cup apple juice

1. Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and chicken breast pieces into a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, curry, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, and salt, and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. Pour in the tomatoes and apple juice, and stir to combine.
2. Cover the cooker, set to High, cook for 1 hour. Change slow cooker setting to low and continue to cook for 5 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 290 | Total Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 66mg

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff (Slow Cooker)

I grew up eating wonderful beef stroganoff that my mom would make for Sunday dinner on occasion. The biggest problem with my mom's original recipe is the amount of time and effort that it takes to make. This recipe is a slow cooker recipe that allows for much less effort; however, my mom would never make this recipe because it calls for mushrooms and onions. If you don't like mushrooms and onions than this probably isn't the recipe for you but if you do it is great!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/04/the-ultimate-beef-stroganoff.html

The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
from melskitchencafe.com
Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Directions:
Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

I am not a big soup fan but I like soups that are chock full of ingredients. Hearty and thick and less liquidy. I am a big fan of taco soup and this recipe was a good change up from our normal. It wasn't drastically different but it had a good flaovr to it and it is a really easy way to use up leftoever turkey if you have some in a few weeks!

This recipe and picture are from Sweet Treats and More and can be found at this site here: http://www.sweettreatsmore.com/2010/11/i-hope-you-all-had-great-thanksgiving.html

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
From Sweet Treats and More, Adapted from allrecipes
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2 c. chicken broth
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1/4 c. sour cream
1 (16oz) can diced tomato
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken tenders (2 breasts OR abt 2 cups shredded turkey)
4  corn tortillas

Place everything but the tortillas in the crock pot, stir together, and cook on high for about 3 hours (or low for 6-8 hours). (I ALWAYS aim low!)

Shred corn tortillas into small squares and stir into soup 5-10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with cheese, avocado, and additional sour cream if desired.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

Slow Cooker meals are really a must in this day and age of rush and go. This dish was really easy to put together. I was a little disappointed though because there was so much beautiful and delicious looking sauce in the crockpot and you only utilize it in a very small portion. And then the chicken ended up tasting far less flavorful than I was expecting. It was good, but not amazing. If you are looking for a solid slow cooker recipe than this is a good one but I wouldn't use it to plan on "wow-ing" guests.

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/6924/slow-cooker-chicken-tacos-verde/

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

From Real Mom Kitchen

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• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa verde
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• shredded cheese
• guacamole
• pico de gallo or fresh salsa
• tortilla shells

1. Place chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Top chicken with the diced green chiles, cumin, onion and garlic. The pour the salsa over the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Remove chicken from pot and shred.  Mix in enough of the juice leftover in the slow cooker to make the meat moist.
4. Spoon chicken into tortillas and top with shredded cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Recipe adapted from No Fuss Fabulous

Slow Cooker Spiced Vanilla-Pear Oatmeal

Looks beautiful, right? Sounds delicious? Of course! I hate to tell you.... it wasn't. It filled our house with the most amazing aromas and teased us all night long with thoughts of a delicious hot breakfast. But it was severely disappointing. It turned out too thick and much too bland. I understand you are supposed to add more brown sugar and milk to it but it seems like the added brown sugar was the only flavor. The pears were just texture with no flavor.

Maybe you can make something more of this meal?

To see the recipe visit this link here and you will also find the source of the picture: http://sweettreatsandmore.blogspot.com/2011/09/overnight-spiced-vanilla-pear-oatmeal.html