Shrimp & Wild Rice Burrito

I love to test out new flavor combos! This idea came at the suggestion of my wonderful coworker! And as the weather begins to cool (I know I know we don't want to think of it YET) wild rice will soon become a delish fall staple. This burrito is stuffed with lemony garlicy shrimp, hearty wild rice, fresh tomatoes and just a bit if cheese. The perfect flavor combo for an easy lunch or dinner.

Servings: 1

Serving size: 1 burrito

Points plus: 9pp (don't fret, a large portion!)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Two whole wheat tortillas

1 cup cooked wild rice

1cup diced cherry tomatoes

2 T low fat cheddar

1/2 cup of your fav salsa

2 cups mini shrimp, uncooked, peeled and de-veined

1 t minced garlic

1 lemon

Salt + pepper to taste

Directions

Place thawed shrimp in a bowl. Add fresh garlic, the juice from one lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and let marinade for about 10 mins. 

After ten mins spray a non stick skillet and sautéed shrimp for about 2 mins per side. 

Warm each tortilla for about 15 second in the micro. Top each with half the shrimp, 1/2 cup rice 1 T cheese, cherry tomatoes and salsa. Wrap like a burrito or taco and enjoy!

Tip

You could easily pack this for lunch, something I'm trying to get better at! Simply pack each ingredient in a desperate Baggie, warm before lunch, assemble and enjoy!

XOXO - Katie

Campfire 'Breakfast in a Bag'

I will warn you... you might think this sounds like a CRAZY idea! 

My mom came up with this idea for a creative breakfast while camping.  Basically you cook you breakfast over the campfire IN A BAG!  I know what you are thinking, this is never going to work.  The bag for sure will catch fire!  But believe me... it really does work!!!  Next time you are camping and enjoying the great outdoors, try it out for yourselves.

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 breakfast in a bag (1 egg + 1 1/2 slices of bacon)
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Grill/Cook Time: 15-20 minutes (depends on the campfire)

Ingredients:
Paper lunchbags
Tinfoil
Smore's/campfire sticks
6 eggs
9 slices of bacon
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Start a campfire. :)  Line the grilling grate with tinfoil.  Assemble and prep your 'breakfast in a bag' by opening up lunch bags and lining the bottom with 1 1/2 slices of bacon each. Crack an egg into each bag and season with salt and pepper.  Fold over the top to 'seal' and poke holes in the top of the bag to attach each 'breakfast in a bag' to the campfire stick.  Place on top of the grilling grate and cook for 15-20 minutes.  You will probably need to pull one bag off the fire to check on cook time.  Have fun and enjoy your campfire 'breakfast in a bag'!

*Tip - You could cut your bacon slices in half ahead of time at home so you have them ready to go at the campground.

Tip:
Make sure you don't overload the campfire with too many 'breakfast in a bags'.  We had 8 total on the campfire at one point and it proved to be too many.  We had a little grease fire breakout from the all the bacon grease!  Be careful! :)

XOXO Megan

Pudding Pops

I picked up popsicle molds at Ikea months ago, and just got around to using them last week as summer winds down. Now that I tried them, I have many plans for more, but let's start with a SUPER easy popsicle recipe involving pudding!  This is a double chocolate recipe for any chocolate lover, is fun to make and even fun to eat! Enjoy!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1 pudding pop
Points Plus: 2pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freeze Time: 2 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 package of sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding
2 cups of cold milk
4 T mini chocolate chips
Popsicle maker or 8 mini dixi cups and 8 popsicle stickes

Directions
Mix cold milk with pudding mix and whisk for about 2 minutes.  Add in chocolate chips and using a measuring cup, pour about 1/4 cup of mixture into each mold.  Insert the stick end and freeze for two hours!

After the popsicles are frozen, run one under warm water until the stick end easily slides out.

Tip
You could use many combinations of pudding flavors and candies/fruits, get creative people!

XOXO - Katie

3 Pepper Cracker (or Veggie!) Spread

This spread really has some kick to it!  Mix in some spicy peppers and you will definitely turn up the heat.  The recipe suggests you serve this as cracker spread, but it's equally as good on some fresh veggies too (I would suggest cucumber slices, caulifower, even carrots). 
When I was making this I could not figure out what they meant by 3 peppers!  Obviously the jalapeno and Tabasco could as 2 of the 3 peppers, but what is the last one?  I realized they meant the cheese since jack meant PEPPER-jack!  :)

Servings: 8 
Serving Size: 2 Tbsp.
Points Plus: 2pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese, reduced-fat
2 Tbsp. canned jalapeno peppers, drained and diced
1 tsp. hot sauce/Tabasco

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a mixer until well combined.  Refrigerate if you are serving later, or serve immediately with a side of crackers.
Tip:
This is a really easy make ahead recipe!  We went camping this past weekend and I made this ahead of time to throw in the cooler for a easy and delicious appetizer for us to enjoy while we were enjoying the great outdoors.
XOXO Megan

Sicilian Salad

This recipe is a restaurant copy from one of our favorite places to go for a casual dinner, Mozza Mia! I think this salad is their signature salad and it's a great combo of flavors.  One flavor that I have yet to really decide if I like or not is fennel.  It has a VERY strong licorice flavor, otherwise known as anise.  At Mozza Mia the chef obviously knows how to disguise this flavor.  I can't say I was quite as successful, but I did use a touch of light butter and garlic to sauté which helped soften it a bit.  The citrus, arugula and pine nuts played off of each other well to create a crisp and refreshing summer salad.

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 entree salad
Points Plus: 3pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:
Arugula
1/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. light butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 grapefruit, cut into slices
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
Splash of grapefruit juice
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Wash and plate out two entree salad servings of arugula.  Slice the fennel into very thin slices (think shaved onion slices).  Add 1 Tbsp. light butter and 1 tsp. minced garlic to a small sauté pan and add the fennel slices.  Cook over medium heat until the fennel starts to soften, about 4-5 minutes.  Toast the pine nuts until just brown on the stovetop.  Assemble the salads by layering on the grapefruit slices, fennel, pine nuts, and 1 oz. of Parmesan cheese per salad.  Instead of a traditional salad dressing I squeezed some fresh grapefruit juice over the top of my salad and seasoned with salt & pepper.

Tip:
In the true spirit of a restaurant copy I wanted to try out the salad with fennel.  However, I think my recommendation would be to omit the fennel next time! :)

XOXO Megan

Roasted Figs

Another super duper easy peasy fancy dancy recipe! I went to Trader Joes a few weeks ago and discovered a TON of new foods, figs being one of them.  I always meant to try cooking with figs, but where the heck do you buy these little thangs?  It turns out you can get them at the normal grocery store too, hahaha.  Roast up some of these babies to impress your friends as a cute little appy at your next dinner gathering!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 5 figs
Points Plus: 2pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
10 figs
4 oz goat cheese
Balsomic vinegar
Salt + pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Rinse figs and cut them in half. Using a silicone brush, lightly brush each fit with a thin layer of balsamic vinegar. Spread a thin amount of goat cheese equally on each fig.  Top with a bit of fresh ground pepper. Place figs in the oven on a small, rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Enjoy immediately from the oven!

Tip

You could easily add a bit of honey to each fig for an additional point plus! 

 

XOXO - Katie

Cherry BBQ Pork Chops

We took a trip to northern Michigan about a month ago and as we explored the quaint, tourist towns we found ourselves finding cherries at every turn!  Michigan cherries are a classic tradition and we were excited to find that the sweet cherries had just ripened for the season. We knew that at least one of our souvenirs from the trip had to include some of the cherry love!  We picked up this delicious Cherry BBQ grilling sauce that is locally made in Petoskey, MI.

A few weeks later, we decided to try out our new grilling sauce and we though pork would be the perfect pairing.  Grilling pork chops allow you to sear in flavor and get some serious grill marks.  The combination of sweet and tangy in this cherry BBQ sauce really compliments the pork chop.

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 pork chop
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook/Grill Time:

Ingredients:
6 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick (about 6 oz. each)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
12 Tbsp. cherry BBQ grilling sauce (American Spoon brand)

Directions:
Light your grill and turn the burner to high heat.  You need a very high heat to properly sear the pork chops and lock in flavor.  Generously season both sides of each pork chop with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes per side.  The pork chops should be nicely brown before you flip to cook the other side.  Reduce grill heat to medium low to finish cooking the pork chops.  Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, making sure it reaches 160 degrees.  Serve with you favorite side dishes!

Tip:
Intrigued by this cherry BBQ sauce?!  Check out American Spoon's website and find this grilling sauce and tons of other goodies!

XOXO Megan

Caramel Apple Fruit Dip

In case you didn't know, fruit is a whole lot tastier when you have something sweet and delish to dip it in.  Like this fluffy fruit dip for example. You can whip it up in a a flash and it is the perfect pairing for apples and strawberries this summer. It seriously tastes like caramel people!

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Points Plus: 3pp

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 small box of sugar-free fat-free butterscotch pudding

8 ounces of crushed pineapple

12 ounces fat-free cool whip

Fruit of your choice! I used apples and strawberries

Directions

Mix together the pudding with the pineapple. Stir in the cool whip until combined.  Let the dip sit in the fridge for about 3 hours prior to serving.  Serve with cut up apples, strawberries, and any of your FAV fruit!

 

Tip

You could easily sub the butterscotch pudding for a chocolate!

 

XOXO - Katie

Orzo w. Rainbow Veggies & Feta

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Points Plus: 5pp


2 cups - serving is 1/2 cup = 5pp

1/2 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup reduced fat feta
red onion
yellow pepper
green pepper
1 T olive oil
Basil

Grilled Pita Pizzas

My husband actually came up with this idea for this recipe!  We are continuously finding new ways to use our grill and with a variety of different foods.  We love to make homemade pizza and thought why not try a grilled pizza of sorts.  Pitas worked great on the grill since they are already cooked and not just dough.  We went for a simple tomato, basil and cheese recipe, but you could easily make whatever kind of pita pizzas you feel like.  Be creative!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 pita pizza
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook/Grill Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pitas

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Fresh rosemary, chopped

Kosher salt

1 large tomato, sliced

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reduced-fat

Fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Wash and chop the fresh rosemary. Slice the tomato into thin slices. Lightly brush 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil on each pita.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh rosemary.  Place the pita on the grill over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. After the pita has started to crisp up on the grill, add tomato slices, fresh basil leaves and top with 2 oz. of shredded mozzareall cheese.  Place back on the grill for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.  Slice into quarters with a pizza cutter and serve immediately!

Tip:

Fresh herbs made such a difference!  We have a rosemary plant we've been using all summer long and it's amazing how much more flavorful the fresh variety is compared to a dried herb.

XOXO Megan

Kale & Bacon Salad

You read that right! A delish salad featuring kale AND bacon, two foods that don't normally go together. This kale is slightly sauteed in bacon fat (yes, it's true) and then used as the base for a ton of yummy toppings. The unique flavors are sure to please even the kale-skeptic!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1/2 of salad
Points Plus: 5pp
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 mintes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale
1/4 cup raw farro, then cooked according to package directions
2 strips of raw bacon
2 T raw red onion, choped
10 green olives, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

Directions
Head a large non-stick skillet and cook bacon until crispy. Set on a paper towel to cool. When bacon is cooled break it into small pieces.

Remove most of the bacon fat with a paper towel, leaving about 1 t in the pan. Rip kale into small pieces, rinse and dry. Add kale to your same skillet with the bacon fat and sautee for about 3 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green. When greens are done and all bacon fat is absorbed, split it between two dinner plates. Top each salad with cooked farro, bacon, red onion, green olives and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Tip


XOXO - Katie

Black Bean Dip

This zesty bean dip is quite popular!  In the span of a week, I made this recipe twice (and thought about making it a third time) to serve or bring to 3 different events.  I first made it as a side when grilling out with friends.  Then I brought it to our neighborhood block party for National Night Out and then again I brought it to book club.  I got a lot of compliments from all 3 events and this recipe has quickly become a favorite in our house!  Not only does it taste good, it's also healthy (especially when you serve with veggies instead of chips) and it's SUPER easy to whip up!

Servings: 10
Serving Size: 3 Tbsp.
Points Plus: 3pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped with seeds removed
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. water

Directions:
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, jalapeno pepper and garlic and pulse until finely chopped.  Add in the black beans, cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, oregano, pepper, lime juice and water.  Pulse until all ingredients are mixed well, you will likely need to scrap the sides in the middle to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.  Feel free to add an additional Tbsp. of water for a smoother, thinner consistency.  I prefer the dip to be a little heartier which makes it stick to chips or veggies.  Garnish the top with a little fresh cilantro.

Tip:
Although this dip is good when paired with chips, you can serve this with fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, broccoli etc. to save all your pp for the dip!

XOXO Megan

Recipe inspired by Five Heart Home

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe

I am used to the traditional 'fried rice'. That with veggies, chicken or even just egg.  This recipe has some unique flavors, using shrimp and pineapple for a tropical twist. This dish makes the perfect healthy Asian inspired meal, served with a spring roll and some egg drop soup!

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 small white onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3.5 cups cooked brown rice
1 20oz can pineapple chunks, drained
2 cups raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 T soy-sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 t sesame oil
1/4 t pepper + Kosher salt to taste
Cooking spray

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 7pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk your eggs.  Spray a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and add eggs. Cook scrambled eggs until set. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a large skillet or Dutch oven with cooking spray. Sautée the onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cool about a minute longer. Add pineapple, pea, rice and shrimp and heat through.

In a small bowl whisk soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, sesame oil and pepper. Pour over rice mixture and mix until warmed. Add eggs and serve!

Tip

This makes great leftovers. After dinner is done individually portion containers for a delish grab and go lunch!

Xoxo - Katie

Santa Fe Stuffed Zucchini

It's definitely zucchini season!  I don't know about you, but I love zucchini and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it.  I found this recipe which makes zucchini boats that are stuffed with a Santa Fe seasoned ground turkey mixture.  The original recipe calls for 12 oz. ground turkey and not the full cans of black beans or corn - I decided to make a bigger recipe and had some leftover stuffing mixture that I baked in a sepearte pan in the oven.  The leftover stuffing would be great over lettuce!

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 2 zucchini halves 
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
5 medium zucchini
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
Kosher salt
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to to boil.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and slice each zucchini in half length-wise.  Scoop out the insides of each zucchini half, leaving about 1/4 of an inch to form a zucchini boat.  Place the hollowed out zucchini halves in the boiling water and boil for 1-2 minutes.  Save the insides of the zucchini to add to the stuffing mixture.  Brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat; season with salt to taste.  Once the turkey is almost cooked through, add in the black beans, corn, jalapeno, tomato, onion, garlic, zucchini and cumin.  Mix all ingredients together and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, covered.  Place the zucchini boats in a 9x13 baking dish.  Add about a 1 Tbsp. to the bottom of each zucchini half and then top with the turkey stuffing mixture, about 1/3 cup of stuffing will fill each boat.  Finish with 1 1/2 Tbsp. shredded cheese per half and top with fresh cilantro.  Bake for 35 minutes and then serve immediately.

Tip:
Maybe Santa Fe isn't your favorite seasoning?  Try taco zucchini boats instead!

XOXO Megan

Recipe inspired by Skinnytaste  

Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream

I have always been intrigued by grilled fruit. It seems like it would be hard to get those perfect grill marks and won't it require careful attention to make sure the fruit doesn't burn?? Well let me tell you... grilling fruit is really quite easy! These ripe peaches carmelized while on the grill and made for a delightful summer dessert!

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1 peach + scoop of ice cream
Points Plus: 3pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes (time for the grill to heat up)
Cook Time: 7-10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 ripe peaches
2 tsp. honey
1 cup Edy's Slow-Churned vanilla bean ice cream

Directions:
Turn on your gas grill and heat to high heat. Wash, halve and remove the pits from the peaches. Place the peaches flesh side down on the grill. Cook with the lid closed for 5 minutes (this ensures you get some good grill marks on each peach half). Flip the halves and cook with the lid closed for an additional 3-5 minutes. Once finished cooking bring the grilled peaches inside and place two peach halves in each bowl. Top with a 1/2 cup scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a 1 tsp. drizzle of honey. Serve while the peaches are still warm from the grill!

XOXO Megan

Bellini

Who doesn't love to end the week with a fun and unique cocktail!  Here is a simple Bellini recipe, which really just consists of a peach puree topped off with sparkling wine (or Champagne)! This drink is fancy people, enjoy in the evening or serve at brunch!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 2 T peach purée + 4 fl oz Champagne
Points Plus: 4pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 rip peaches, seeded and diced
1 T fresh lemon juice,
1 T sugar
8 fl oz chilled sparkling wine, I used Prosecco

Directions
Get out your food processor, magic bullet or blender and add the peaches, lemon juice and sugar to the bowl. Process until smooth. Press the mixture through a sieve and only keep the liquid that you are able to squeeze through. Chill the peach puree for at least two hours. Place 2 T of peach puree into each Champagne glass and fill top with cold sparkling wine. Serve Immediately!

Tip
For a non-alcoholic twist, serve the peach puree with peach flavored La Croix!

XOXO - Katie

Peach Caprese

Have you ever considered adding peaches to tomatoes in a traditional caprese salad?? Sometimes creating an entirely new dish is really very simple! When thinking of new ways to incorporate peach into my menu, I thought of a staple in our home - caprese! (especially during the summer months)  It turns out that adding a sweet twist to this dish is just what it needs to make it anything but ordinary.

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
Points Plus: 3pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 thick slices of fresh, ripe tomato
4 thick slices of fresh, ripe peach skin on
2 oz fresh Motzarella cheese, cut into four equal slices
4 basil leaves
1 T olive oil
Kosher salt + pepper to taste

Directions
Another simple dish!  Get out a pretty platter and layer the tomato, peach and cheese slices in a ring, as shown in the photo above. Insert the basil leaves evenly in dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tip
The possibilities are endless as far as what ELSE you could sub in to this salad.  Mango, pineapple or regular apple would be interesting to try!

XOXO - Katie

Peach Breakfast Parfait

Peach week continues with an simple breafast parfait!  All you need is vanilla yogurt, granola and some fresh peaches and you will have breakfast ready in a snap!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 parfait
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:
12 oz. Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt, low-fat
4 oz. Back to Nature Classic granola
1 peach, sliced

Directions:
Wash and slice the peach into thin slices. Begin layering the parfait in a low-ball glass (I found these worked really well so you can make lots of parfait layers!) with 3 oz. vanilla yogurt.  Top with 1 oz. granola and then 3-4 peach slices.  Finish the parfait with another 3 oz. of vanilla yogurt and 1 oz. granola and a few additional peach slices.  Enjoy!

Tip:
Experiment with the serving dishes you have on hand to get a true layered parfait look.  I think ice cream or custard dishes would work really well too and are fancy!

XOXO Megan

Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken

Happy Peach Week!  This week we will bring you FIVE recipes that feature peaches, a delish summertime treat!

Many many months ago, when there was snow on the ground in MN, I was watching the food network and saw this recipe being created.  I thought it looked amazing, but wanted to wait until fresh peaches were really in season in MN to try it.  So I waiting, and waited, and waited.  And last night, I finally made it!  The chicken was cooked perfectly, perhaps the best I have ever made.  The peach flavor is subtle and not overpowering, and the slow cooked method of preparing the chicken made it very tender and juicy.  I served this with corn on the cob, and it was a wonderful summer time dinner.

Servings: 10
Serving Size: 1 piece of chicken + 1/4 cup of sauce
Points Plus: 8pp
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 T light butter
1 T olive oil
12 chicken breasts, bone-in no skin, about 4 oz each
1 yellow onion, diced
3/4 cups whisky
2 cups barbecue sauce, light
1/2 cup peach preserves
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 peaches, pitted and sliced into 8 slices each
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Heat your butter and olive oil in a large oven safe Dutch oven. Add chicken to your pan and cook until the skin is golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set it on a plate.

Add the diced onion to the same pan and stir over medium heat until the onion is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Pour in the whisky and cook for about 3 more minutes, allowing the whiskey to reduce. **Be sure to be careful when pouring the whiskey into your pot if you are cooking on a gas stove or over an open flame.  We don't need any fires people**

Add barbecue sauce and peach preserves to the onion mixture and whisk. Add Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup of water to the sauce.  Add the chicken back to your Dutch oven.  Finally place the peach slices in the pot and cover. 

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is very tender (and it does get tender!). When chicken is done cooking, sprinkle it with fresh cut parsley and serve.

Tip
Bone-in chicken is the way to go people! Especially when slow roasting, using chicken with the bone in creates a much more tender product.

XOXO - Katie

Recipe inspired by the one and only Pioneer Women.

Pasta w. Sausage & Peppers

Sausage + peppers is a traditional 'manly' dish. My husband requested it a few weeks ago and how could I say no?  I love sausage. I love peppers. Essentially this is a simple pasta alfredo version with spicy sausage and sweet peppers.  It makes super leftovers and has really great flavor. 

 

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups cup
Points Plus: 8pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Pasta
2 cups whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked
1 green pepper, diced
2 links of spicy chicken sausage diced, I prefer Trader Joes
Cooking spray
4 T parmesan cheese

White Sauce
3 T flour
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 T light butter
A touch of fresh ground nutmeg, about 1/4 t
Kosher salt + fresh ground pepper

Directions

To prepare pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions, haha.

Spray a skillet and add green peppers.  Cook on medium heat until soft, about 7-10 minutes.  Don't burn! Add diced chicken sausage until cooked through.

To prepare the white sauce:

Add flour to a sauce pan and gradually whisk in flour until smooth. Add nutmeg and whisk over medium heat until the sauce beings to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in your parmesan cheese, egg and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:

Combine white sauce, pasta, sausage and peppers. Top each bowl with 1 T parmesan cheese.

Tip
Here is a hilarious article about traditional sausage and peppers and I HIGHLY recommend!

XOXO - Katie