Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Who doesn't love creamy cheesy spinach artichoke dip, hu?? You might think that putting that tasty dip between two pieces of bread and then frying it would make it all the more un-healthy.  But not true! This simple twist on the restaurant staple doesn't disappoint and will satisfy your craving for this appetizer that is normally an indulgence.  Despite JUST getting home from the store, I was still missing a few ingredients, so I made a few adjustments from the recipe linked below.

Servings: 2 sandwiches
Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Points Plus: 8pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
3 cups baby spinach, stems removed
1 T minced garlic
1 oz semi soft goat cheese
1 T light sour cream
1 T parmesan
3-4 cup shredded part skim Mozzarella, divided
1 cup diced canned artichoke hearts (packed in water not oil)
Black pepper + kosher salt to taste
A PINCH NOT A CUP of crushed red pepper flakes (see below)
Spray butter
Cooking spray
4 slices light whole wheat bread (I used Sarah Lee)

Directions:
Spritz a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and add spinach. Sautee for about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until spinach has fully wilted. Remove from heat and mix in goat cheese, sour cream, parmesan and shredded Mozzarella.  Stir to combine then mix in artichoke hears, black pepper and kosher salt. Now this next step is very very important. 

Take your red pepper flakes out of the cupboard and CHECK to be sure the 'sprinkle cap' is on.  Then lightly shake a few dashes into your cheesy artichoke mixture.  Be absolutely sure that this cap isn't missing, because if it is you will dumb the whole bottle into your cheesy artichoke mixture and then have to try your darndest to scrap as much as possible out.  This happened to ME, and the dish fixable.  But it was not fun, not fun at all. 

Anywhoo - spray one side of your bread and place on a non-stick skillet.  Top each piece of bread with half of cheesy artichoke mixture and 1/4 cup of Mozzarella cheese.  Top with second piece of bread and cook as you would a grilled cheese, 3-4 minutes on each side.  Don't let these babies burn!  Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Tip:
Double or even triple this recipe and put the leftovers in your fridge for an easy weeknight dinner all week! Trust me - you won't get board of it!

XOXO - Katie

Adapted from Emily Bites

Chicken Taco Salad

Remember how much you guys liked these Crockpot Chicken Tacos? I made them again a few weeks ago and I used the leftovers to make a delicious chicken taco salad.  Since the crockpot chicken makes quite a bit and you will likely have leftovers, here is a great healthy option instead of tacos!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 main course salad 
Points Plus: 6pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: n/a
 
Ingredients:
2 large handfuls of baby mixed greens
6 oz. cooked Crockpot Chicken
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 oz. shredded Mexican cheese, reduced-fat
8 Tostitos tortilla chips, crushed
Fresh cilantro
Salsa (optional)

Directions:
Wash and prep the mixed greens and plate out into two servings.  Add 3 oz. chicken to each salad along with a sprinkle of tomato, 1 oz. of shredded cheese and 4 crushed tortilla chips per serving.  Top with fresh cilantro and salsa if desired.  Serve immediately! 

Tip:
Salsa makes for an awesome, low pp, delicious dressing when you serve taco salad!  I'm not a big salad dressing fan to begin with, but salsa is a perfect substitue to tradtional dressings.

XOXO Megan

Meatball Nirvana - Your Old Standby Meatball

Let's talk about meatballs. What could be better than an old standby meatball recipe that could be used in a ton of different ways??  My friend Jessie has made these meatballs for me several times. And after the last time, when she paired them with spaghetti and a delish red sauce, I knew I needed the recipe!  My husband is a hunter, and we have a freezer full of venison that I don't exactly know what to do with.  With these meatballs I decided to sub half of the ground beef for ground venison, which not only put a dent in our freezer stock, but lightened up the recipe just a tad more. Use these meatballs in your favorite Italian pasta, throw them on a sub with a fresh mozzarella for a tasty sandwich or make them teeny tiny and toss them in a soup!

Servings: 18 meatballs
Serving Size: 1 meatball
Points Plus: 1pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients 
1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 lb venison
1 small onion, diced
1/2 t garlic salt
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
3/4 t dried oregano
3/ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 dash tog sauce, more if you like things spicy!
1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup grated Paremesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Jessie taught me that it is SUPER easy to make meatballs in your kitchen aid mixer (if you have one). Simply put all of the above ingredients in your mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and mix until everything is incorporated! If you don't have a kitchen aid, don't fear!  Simply put all the ingredients up to the Worcestershire sauce into a bowl and mix with your hands.  Slowly incorporate the milk, parmesan and breadcrumbs and mix some more until everything is mixed - haha.

Form your tasty meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs.  Place balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in your prepared oven for 20-25 minutes.

Tip
An easy way to make uniform sized meatballs is to use a cookie scoop!

XOXO - Katie

Jessie's recipe is adapted from this one.

Real Food Taco Seasoning

Did you know that store bought taco seasoning contains ingredients that really have no business in taco seasoning?  After reading this post from 100 Days of Real Food (a great blog PS) I made a pledge to DIY this spice blend going forward.  I mean, I don't know about you, but I have never seen Maltodextrin at the grocery store.  Making your own taco seasoning is simple, takes 2 seconds, and you likely have all the ingredients at home! Here is her recipe - I used it to whip up a tasty taco salad at the cabin!  You can see the taco meat spice hidden there under all the other taco salad deliciousness!

Servings: This recipe is enough to season 1 lb of ground meat
Serving Size: Whole recipe
Points Plus: 0pp
Prep Time: 2 seconds
Cook Time: NA
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
A dash of kosher salt and pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix them up!  Be creative!  If you love spice, add more chili powder.  If you cumin (like me) add more cumin!

Tip
Quadruple (or more) this recipe, stick it into an air tight container and store with your spices.  Use any time you need a Mexican flavor!

XOXO - Katie

Gnocchi, Sausage and Spinach Soup

THIS SOUP is one of my favorites. So when I saw this recipe, that was similar but had the wonderful additions of gnocchi and cream, I knew I had to try it asap.  I was able to pull it together quickly, and it made for a tasty weeknight dinner.  I have never had gnocchi in a soup, and really enjoyed how light it was!

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 6pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 t olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 T garlic, minced
6 oz turkey sausage, I like Trader Joes which is precooked!
1 t dried basil
4 cups chicken stock
1 package of store bought gnocchi
6 handfuls of baby spinach, stems removed
12 T fat free half and half
Salt + pepper to taste
Fresh basil to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add your onion, pepper and garlic.  Saute until onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes.  I used precooked turkey sausage in this recipe, so at this point I added that sausage and sauteed until it was warmed, about 3 minutes.  If you are using raw, saute until cooked through. Sprinkle dried basil on your sausage and veggie concoction, and then add stock.  Bring to a boil and add gnocchi.  Cook according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve
For each individual portion, put a handful of spinach into the bottom of a soup bowl. Top with 1 cup of soup and then add 2 T half and half.  Sprinkle on fresh basil and enjoy!

Tip
First, as you may know, I don't like adding spinach to soup while it is cooking because, really, I don't like how it reheats for leftovers. When adding it as I explain above it keeps the spinach more fresh!

Recipe adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato basil soup is a lighter soup that is perfect for spring.  It's not as hearty as a chili or chowder, but it is still packed with flavor.  The fresh basil adds another element into the mix and helps to balance out the tomato flavor.

Servings:  6

Size:  1 1/4 cups of soup

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 14 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, diced

Directions:
In a large saucepan (or French oven) over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Cook for 2-3 mintues.  Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove 1/2 cup of soup mixtuer from the pan and add to small bowl.  Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour until smooth and return to the pan.  Simmer the soup over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the milk and fresh basil.  Serve immediately.

Tip:
I forgot to do this, as you can tell by my picture, but sprinkle some fresh basil on top of each serving for an extra pop of color (and flavor!)

XOXO Megan

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

This is an easy breakfast side you can serve with eggs for a quick meal when you have company!  Pop them in the oven early since they do take about an hour to roast.  These delicious, crunchy breakfast potatoes are sure to be a hit.  Try them out and see what you think!

Servings: 6

Size: 1/6 of the potatoes

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 55-60 minutes

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, cubed
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder

Directions:
Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Add the potatoes to a 9x13 baking dish and drizzle the olive oil and salt on top.  Use a tongs to mix up all ingredients - you want all the potatoes cubes to have an even coating of olive oil.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 mintues, stir with a tongs and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  After 40 minutes, stir the potatoes again and sprinkle the onion powder over the top and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes or until they are brown and crispy. 

Tip:
I didn't have these ingredients on hand, but some fresh rosemary on top of these potatoes would be delicious!  You could also dice up some red and green peppers to roast along with the potatoes for another variety.

XOXO Megan

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

I am not sure why the idea of non-Mexican themed quesadillas has never entered my mind before.  But it's true! There are so many more options for this tasty sandwich than chicken, beans, Mexican cheese, salsa and sour cream (don't get me wrong, I love those too).  Switching the chicken up with a BBQ flavor was a suggestion of a friend, and I went from there.  There are many more quesadillas in my future, and your future, but start with these flavors for an easy week night dinner!

Servings: 1
Serving Size: 1 quesadilla cut into 4 pieces
Points Plus: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 corn tortillas
1/8 cup reduced cheddar cheese
2 T of your FAV BBQ sauce, divided
2 oz (1/2 cup) chicken (I used rotisserie)
2 T red onion, diced small
Cooking spray

Directions
In a small bowl mix your chicken with 1 T of BBQ sauce. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray.  Place your tortilla on the pan and layer on the chicken, onion and cheese.  Top with the second tortilla and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until crispy.

Tip
There is nothing easier than picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store and having it for dinner that night.  The hardest part of this easy meal is picking the chicken off the bones (a job reserved for husbands...am I right??) It is easiest to pick the meat off when the chicken is still hot, and the putting it into a Tupperware for other meals throughout the week.

XOXO - Katie

Chicken Sausage Italian Soup

This is a recipe makeover from the Italian Sausage Soup I posted about a year ago.  This is my go-to dinner if I am out of ideas because it it so quick and easy!  This is truly a 30-minute meal.  It's a hearty blend of Italian flavors and perfect for chilly weather.  I made it this week because of our April snowstorm here in Minnesota.  Yes, last week I was telling you about temps hitting 70 and now we are back to a winter wonderland outside, gotta love MN in the spring. :)

Anyways, I've adapted this recipe over time because I have made it so often I have some extra tips and tricks to make this soup even better than the original recipe.  I always make it with chicken sausage isntead of turkey sausage.  Also, I usually add a bit more pasta and I definitely add more chicken broth since the 2 cups it calls for never seems to be enough (espcially for leftovers).

Servings:  4

Size:  1 1/3 cups of soup + 1 Tbsp. cheese

Points Plus: 5 pts

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz. hot or sweet Italian chicken sausage

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

3/4 cup uncooked small shell pasta (or whatever shape you prefer)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves

4 Tbsp. grated fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.  Slice the chicken sausage into coins and add to pan, cook about 5 minutes or until browned.  Add broth, tomatoes and pasta to a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Once the mixture comes to a boil add the sausage and freshly ground pepper.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.  Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted.  Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Note: If you won’t be eating all of the soup at one time I would recommend putting the spinach leaves in each serving bowl and pouring the soup serving over the top to wilt the spinach.  The wilted spinach in leftover soup can become limp - this way you have freshly wilted spinach for each serving!

Adapted from Cooking Light

Tip:

With leftovers, feel free to add extra chicken broth if needed to make more of a soup consistency.  3 cups should be enough, but you might need more!

XOXO Megan

Shrimp Cobb Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

A good cobb salad is one of my restaurant go-to meals.  I have never, however, seen it with shrimp!  I was curious to try this unique version, with a make-your-own cilantro lime vinaigrette.  I love an excuse to whip out my food processor! Suggestion - eat it when your shrimp are still warm!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe + 2 T dressing
Points Plus: 10 pp
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Salad
1 pound medium shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning
2 slices turkey bacon, diced
2 large eggs, hard boiled
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 oz cup crumbled goat cheese

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño, optional
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions
To make the cilantro lime vinaigrette, combine cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil and vinegar in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside. If using a food processor without an opening on top (like I did), simply add all ingredients and turn on.  You may need to scrap the sides a few times to get all ingredients to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or give a quick spritz with cooking spray.  Put shrimp in a bowl, add Emeril's Essence and gently toss.  Place shrimp on your baking sheet in a single layer and back for 4-7 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with arranged rows of shrimp, turkey bacon, eggs, avocado, and goat cheese.

Serve immediately with 2 T cilantro lime vinaigrette per salad.

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Tip
I change my lettuce preference a LOT! Currently, I love romaine.  But buying it precut reminds me of my college cafeteria days.  I love buying the hearts, chopping off the end and then cutting it in thin strips (julienned).  After it is all cut give it a rinse and then put it into a large zip lock back.  You will have fresh crisp lettuce all week long!

XOXO - Katie

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

I love trifles!  They are really easy to make, but the end result resembles more of a fancy dessert.  This would be perfect to serve at an Easter brunch this weekend!  Lemon and blueberry is a great flavor combination too – this dessert is full of spring flavors and colors.  Enjoy!

Servings:  8
Size:  1/8 of the trifle
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty:  Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredient List:
1 Angel food cake (store-bought already baked version)
2 lemons (used for zest and juice)
1 ½ cups skim milk
1 container Greek fat free yogurt, plain
1 8 oz. container fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 packages lemon instant pudding mix, sugar-free
1 pint fresh blueberries

Directions:
Wash and pat dry the blueberries. Zest the two lemons and set aside the lemon zest.  Using a serrated bread knife, cut the angel food cake into 1 inch cubes. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from one of the lemons on top of the angel food cake.  In a large bowl, mix together with a whisk the milk, Greek yogurt, ½ the frozen whipped topping and lemon zest until smooth.  Add in the packages of pudding mixture and continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and resemble pudding.  In the bottom of your trifle bowl, start layering beginning with 1/3 of the angel food cake pieces.  Next, use 1/3 of the pudding mixture, drop spoonfuls on top of the cake layer.  Finally, sprinkle in 1/3 of the blueberries on top.  Repeat this process twice more to make 3 layers each of the cake, pudding and berry layers.  Use the remaining frozen whipped topping (cool whip) to pipe decorative stars on top of the finished trifle.  Make sure the top layer has a lot of blueberries to have a good pop of color! Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Tip:

I used plain Greek yogurt for the pudding mixture, but you could easily sub in lemon flavored Greek yogurt if you want to really amp up the lemon flavor!

XOXO Megan

Beef & Peppers Stir Fry

I saw The Pioneer Women aka Ree Drummond aka my obsession make this on her TV show a few weeks ago and knew I had to make it ASAP.  I love dishes that morally go on top of a car (ie: rice) over lettuce.  It for sure lightens it up and adds an extra crunch!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 5pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
1 pound steak cut into thin strips, I used filet
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 T packed brown sugar
1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 T minced fresh ginger
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Red Chile Paste
1 t olive oil
1 onion, Sliced
2 Red Bell Peppers, cut into rings (I used a bag of assorted colored mini peppers)
1 T jalapeño, diced
1 cup sliced carrots
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Cilantro leaves, removed from stem
Lettuce

Directions:
Wisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside. 

Heat 1 t oil in a large skillet. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for about a minute. Add bell peppers, jalapeno and carrots. Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm.

Add your meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook until meat is cooked through.

Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce has thickened.

Serve on top of lettuce and top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. 

Tip:The sauce in this recipe is really tasty, you could use it as a stir fry sauce with any meat or even just veggies!
Adapted from The Pioneer Women

XOXO - Katie

Butter Chicken

Butter chicken!  Sounds delish and full of butter right? WRONG!  Butter chicken is similar to the Indian fcurry favorite Chicken Marsala.  Next time you are craving takeout - make this instead! It's creamy and full of fun spices, and you can even get crazy with your spice self (I added pumpkin pie spice to mine, it was crazy)!  Serve with a side of naan and you have dinner in under 30 minutes!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 6pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
1 t olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons garam masala (more to taste)

1 teaspoon curry powder (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (more to taste)

Pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Cloves (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)

Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

Heat oil in your Dutch oven and add and onions.  Cook about 2-3 minutes, until onions are soft. Wisk in flour and let it heat for about a minute. Wisk in coconut milk and tomato paste and bring to a boil.  Add spices.  Here is where things get FUN!  Start with the amounts of spices listed above, stir them in, and then taste your sauce.  Add from there depending on what you like! You might think adding sweet spices like cinnamon and cloves will make the dish really sweet, but it doesn't at all.  It just makes the dish more flavorful.  Don't forget to add salt, I used about 1 t total of kosher salt. 

Tip:

You could add any veggies you like to this flavorful chicken. I think crunchy peas and fresh spinach would be delish!

XOXO - Katie

Cauliflower Chowder

I have said it before but I will say it again! It is SO easy to make healthy home made soup.  In many cases, when we are talking veggie soup, your steps are no more than adding a veggie to stock and letting it simmer, adding some spices and DONE!  Ok, ok, maybe there are a few more steps but really it is easy, and very tasty.  This soup is rich and creamy, and next time I will for sure be making a double batch.  You can add any toppings you want (it would be fun to add toppings you would add to baked potato soup) and the leftovers are even better the next day!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 2 cups
Points Plus: 4pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 slices of raw bacon
1 t olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Possible additional toppings: sour cream, scallions, cheddar cheese (adjust pp)

Instructions
Get out a non-stick pan and cook your bacon until crispy. I got my bacon from the butcher, so it was sort of thick, and I feel like it took FOREVER to get crispy.  So just be patient and let it cook up! When the bacon IS crisped up, remove it from the pan and cut into tiny pieces. (a NS pan works better for frying bacon for me than my Dutch oven)

In your Dutch oven heat 1 t of olive oil. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots and let cook until veggies are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Wisk in your flour and incorporate into veggies.  Let heat, about 1 minute.  Stir in your broth and milk and bring the soup to a boil.  Add in your cauliflower and bay leaf and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until cauliflower is cooked through.

When soup is done check it for flavor and add salt + pepper depending on your taste.  I added about 1/8 t of kosher salt and a ton of pepper.  Because the stock I use is salty that was plenty of extra flavoring for me!

Tip
Ummm, how come I have never used pre-shredded carrots in soup before?  Buying the little bag of pre-shredded is perfect for soups and salads!

Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.

XOXO - Katie

Asparagus & Chicken Stir Fry

With the spring-like temps here in MN (today it's supposed to hit 70 degrees!!!), I was craving some spring flavors for dinner!  I found this simple stir fry on Skinnytaste and knew this would be perfect to satisfy my craving.  I made a few slight adjustments; I cut back on the garlic and added some extra ginger (I LOVE ginger!). Traditionally stir fry recipes pack in a bunch of different veggies - this one only adds in one in asparagus, but it's quite good!  The combination of fresh ginger, lemon juice and garlic come together nicely in the stir fry sauce.

Servings:  4

Size:  1 1/4 cups stir fry + 1/2 cup white rice

Points Plus: 8pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, skinless and boneless
Kosher salt
½ cup chicken broth, reduced-sodium
2 Tbsp. soy sauce, reduced-sodium
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
3 tsp. garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Start by prepping the chicken by cutting the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces.  Sprinkle kosher salt on top to season.  Wash and prep the asparagus by cutting into 1-2 inch pieces.  Combine the chicken broth and soy sauce in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and mix until fully combined.  In a large skillet, heat ½ Tbsp. olive oil.  Add the asparagus pieces and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they are starting to become tender.  Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for an additional minute.  Transfer the cooked asparagus to a bowl; set aside.  Add the other ½ Tbsp. olive oil and add the chicken; cook until browned and all pieces are cooked all the way through (use a tongs for this step to continuously turn over the chicken pieces to cook evenly).  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.  Add the soy sauce mixture to the skillet.  Bring this mixture to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the cornstarch mixture and lemon juice.  Whisk the sauce to make sure all ingredients are well mixed.  Once combined, allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes.  Finish the stir fry by adding back in the chicken and asparagus; toss to evenly coat.  Serve immediately over 1/2 cup rice per serving!

Tip:
Rice cookers can change your life!  It is just SO easy to make rice with one of these kitchen tools.  I am still amazed by it!  My rice cooker has seperate buttons for if you are cooking white or brown rice - it automatically adjusts the cook time accordingly.  Go buy one if you don't already own a rice cooker for your kitchen!

XOXO Megan

Kale Chips

Kale is an interesting veggie.  I used to only like it raw, and have yet to find a sautéed recipe that doesn't require a ton of fat.  This recipe however created crispy, crunchy, salty, kale chips by simply roasting them in the oven. Serve these as a side to your lunch or dinner!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: About 2 cups of chips
Point Plus: 2pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-20 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Kale
1 T Olive oil
Garlic salt
Kosher salt

Instructions
I attempted to make kale chips over the weekend, and will admit, it took me two tries to get the recipe right. The end result however was way worth it!

Simply rip and rinse your kale, dry it off well and the put it into a bowl.  Drizzle in about 1 T of olive oil, a shake of garlic salt and a shake of kosher salt.  Mix kale around until it is shiny, meaning mostly covered in the oil. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay kale chips out evenly in one layer. Bake for 10-20 minutes, until they are to your desired crunchiness.

Tip
The secret to crispy chips is to not over crowd the pan when baking.  The first time I baked my chips they were sort of in a large heap on the cookie sheet.  The second time around, I used a larger cookie sheet allowing them room to be spread out.  They turned out much crispier!

XOXO - Katie

Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

This meatball recipe is from my Mom :)  She usually makes them with ground beef, but I wanted to try out turkey instead.  They were so easy to make and they make quite a few so you will likely have leftovers!  I only made enough pasta for 2 servings when I made these, but I adjusted the recipe below to serve 8 and use up all the meatballs.  Just a serving of 3 meatballs with sauce would be 4pp.  

Servings:  8 servings (total recipe will make 24 meatballs)

Size:  3 meatballs per servings + 3/4 cup cooked pasta + 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Points Plus: 10pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lbs. ground turkey

½ cup onion, chopped

1 egg, beaten
¾ cup oatmeal
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. fettuccine pasta
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients (through pepper) and mix well (this works best by mixing with your hands).  In a 9x13 baking dish or stone, spread 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom.  Shape the turkey mixture into 24 meatballs and place on top of the sauce.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Add an additional 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce to the tops of the meatballs at this point and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until no trace of pink remains.  While the meatballs are baking, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Serve in pasta bowls.  I suggest 3 meatballs per serving (this matches the pp value above) and a small sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top (about 1 Tbsp. of cheese).

Tip:

A great idea for leftovers with this recipe is to make meatball subs with your leftover meatballs!  

XOXO Megan

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

Fish tacos, what a delicious dinner for a Friday night.  These tilapia tacos are pan fried, not deep fried, creating a slightly crispy fish with less the fat.  And chipotle mayo - what can be better! I suggest purchasing fish fresh from your local supermarket, and using it the same day for the most tasty results.  These tacos are inspired by this recipe but slightly adjusted.  Enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 2 tacos
Points Plus: 6pp
Prep Time: 1 hour plus (includes marinating fish)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Tacos

1 pound tilapia fillets, cut in half lengthwise

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 limes, juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 corn taco shells

1 cup shredded carrots

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro leaves

 

Chipotle Mayo

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

2 cloves garlic, pressed

 

Instructions

To make the chipotle mayo, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chipotle paste, lime juice and garlic; put in fridge.  

 

Season tilapia with salt and pepper, to taste.

 

In a shallow bowl, marinate tilapia with lime juice and garlic for at least 1 hour, I marinated for about 4 hours.

 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add tilapia and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.

 

To serve, spoon tilapia into the center of each taco shell. Top with carrots, tomatoes and cilantro, drizzled with chipotle mayo.

 

Tip

Cooking with chipotle peppers is really fun.  They come in a can, with both the whole peppers and the pepper sauce.  You can use either the peppers and/or sauce for salad dressing, marinades and sauces.  YUM!

 

XOXO - Katie

Double Chocolate Cookies

I love cookies!  This recipe calls for two types of chocolate chips to make some seriously delicious treats.  The original recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman's blog.  I scaled back the recipe a bit to save some pp – I took out some butter and reduced how many chocolate chips the recipe calls for.  I also made the cookies a bit smaller to add an extra ½ dozen to the total recipe yield. They are still a bit indulgent, but every once in a while it is okay to splurge a bit. Katie and I actually made these together when we got together with our husbands for a dinner party a few months ago!

Servings:  3 ½ dozen or 42 cookies

Size:  1 cookie

Points Plus:  5pp per cookie

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time:  9-11 minutes per batch

Ingredient List:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

2 large eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add in the eggs, one at a time; make sure they are mixed well.  Add in the vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture in multiple batches.  Gently fold in the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips.  Scoop out the cookies (about 1 Tbsp. per cookie) onto cookie sheets.  Bake for approximately 9-11 minutes, until just set in the middle.  Cool on wire baking racks and enjoy!

Tip:

Okay these cookies are delicious!  You can easily cut this recipe in half to only end up with 21 cookies so you don’t go crazy.  Or bring the extras into work and share with your coworkers (and get them out of your house J)!!!

XOXO Megan