White Chicken Chili

This White Chicken Chili is so flavorful.  Link here.

White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Our Best Bites

I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency.
If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth.

1 T Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 3.5 oz can green chilies
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lime
1/2 C chopped cilantro

1 32oz box chicken brothCondiments: (in addition to measurements above)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shredded
Avocado
Tortilla Chips or make your own tortilla strips

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes.Then add green chills- along with all of the juices in the can. Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth.Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. Serve with condiments. If you don’t have all those condiments- at least have sour cream! But honestly, it’s best with everything 

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

Cowboy Quesadillas from Our Best Bites

Cowboy quesadillas
quick ,easy, delicious

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (here’s our favorite)

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Can be modified to gluten free by using gluten free bbq sauce, and corn tortillas

Chicken Stir Fry (Sunbird packet)**

recipe to come

Chicken Fajitas (Seasoning Mix)**

recipe to come

Creamy Potato Crockpot Soup

Creamy Potato Crockpot Soup
from: Nikki Holmstead

5 lbs of Russet potatoes, washed but not peeled. Diced into 1/2 in cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced (use as much or little onion as you like)
4 cloves of garlic minced (feel free to add more if you love garlic)
8 cups of chicken stock
16 oz cream cheese (low fat works great)
1 tbs seasoned salt or all purpose seasoning

Garnishes:

Crumbled Bacon
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and chicken stock to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. (When I halved this reciped it took less time to cook about 1-2 hours less.)
Remove 1/2 to 1/3 of the soup and puree. An immersion blender works great for this, but a potato masher would work or a hand mixer. Return pureed portion to the crockpot with the cream cheese.
Stir until the soup is well blended. Allow cream cheese to melt and heat through.
Serve with your choice of garnishes. Tastes great in bread bowl.

Creamy Corn Chowder

I made this for the first time tonight and it was so good. It tastes like the corn chowder at Mimi's Cafe, but not as many calories. There was quite a bit of stirring, but actually really easy to put together. Loved it!

Creamy Corn Chowder
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional)
1 small onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Modify to make gluten free by using corn starch instead of flour. Modify to make vegetarian by omitting bacon.

Serves 6-8.

Taco Soup

Here is my version of taco soup that may be exactly like someone else's version, but between the two versions I have seen, this is a hybrid. So I call it mine.

Taco soup

-2 cans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups soaked and cooked,if using fresh) of beans of your choice ( I usually use pinto and black)
-1/2 lb. to 1 lb. ground beef, browned with 1/2 an onion and a few cloves of garlic
- 2 cans of tomatoes, UN-drained
-1 can whole kernel corn, UN-drained
- 1 envelope dry Ranch dressing mix
-1 envelope of Taco Seasoning

Throw everything in the crockpot. Add water to just cover ingredients. Stir a couple of times, and cook on Low for about 5-6 hours. Top with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and/or chopped green onions.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is from Holly Clegg's cookbook, Trim and Terrific: Meals on the Move. It's one of my favorite cookbooks. And this is one of my favorite recipes from that cookbook, if not THE favorite. And it is very nutritious to boot.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 c. coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 TBSP seeded, and chopped jalapeno ( although I have omitted this and it still is good)
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or about 1 TBSP of dried)
1/4 c.lime juice
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, and cilantro (unless using the dried, add the dried to the dressing). In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and cumin. Toss dressing with bean mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Try with tortilla chips and/or sliced avocado, sooooooooooooo delicious!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

This is the best Sweet and Sour Chicken that I have made so far. I really liked it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
Recipe by ourbestbites.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and juices reserved
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3-4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs diced into 1 inch pieces
(you could also use pork tenderloin, or sliced boneless pork chops)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cups broccoli florets
1 medium bell pepper, stemmed , seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch squares*
hot cooked white or brown rice

*In this post, I used half of the bell pepper, and added 1/2 of a diced onion as well

Instructions
Start cooking your rice so it will be ready.

Combine cornstarch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the reserved pineapple juice*, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar to the bowl and stir to combine.

*If you’re using a stainless steel pan, save pineapple juice for de-glazing it

heat 2-3 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons oil to the pan and add the broccoli and bell pepper. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the hot cooked rice. If desired, top with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4 (or more like 6 if you’ve got some kiddos in the mix)

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower

This recipe makes me love cauliflower. But only when it is cooked this way. And I am finding that I am a fan of roasting vegetables. This is so delicious. From Our Best Bites.

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower
Recipe by ourbestbites.com

Ingredients
3-4 tbs olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower
kosher salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons crumbled Parmesan cheese (stuff in a green can a-okay!)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds and set aside.

Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower head and trim into large florets. Slice each floret into 1/4 inch slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and garlic mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Use clean hands to toss to coat. Add more olive oil if needed. Bake for 15 minutes and then toss with spatula. Bake 10 more and then toss with Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for 5-10 minutes until slightly golden brown on edges.

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls (Pao de Queijo)

I made these once for my mother-in-law because they are a gluten free roll and she is on a very strict gluten free diet, and I think I liked them more than she did! I LOVED them! They do not have a bread texture, it is more like a cream puff-ish texture. I think they are sooo good. From Our Best Bites.

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!

Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!} These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

Taco Sundaes

I think these could also be known as Mexican Haystacks. I got it from the cookbook Set For Life: Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Terrific by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland. It is another great recipe for feeding a crowd and it is quite delicious.

Ingredients: 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, 1 1 1/4 oz. package of taco seasoning mix (I usually use the lower sodium type), 1/2 c. water, 4 cups cooked kidney, pinto or red beans (2 cans drained), 1 c. raw brown rice, steamed ( I usually use white, and I just cook it normal), 1 17oz. can whole kernel corn drained and heated, 1 head lettuce chopped ( I use green or red leaf torn), 4-6 tomatoes chopped, 1 small can sliced olives drained, 1 c. finely grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, ranch dressing, tortillla chips crushed.

Brown beef and drain. Add taco seasoning, water, and beans. Cook for 15 minutes. Let guests build their own sundae in the following order: steamed rice, meat-bean mixture, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, salsa, dressing. Add tortilla chips as the topping for the sundae. Yield 10 servings.

*It can be gluten free if the taco seasoning does not have a gluten product in it (i.e. flour). It varies with brands so double check before serving to a person on a gluten free diet.

Garden Fresh Casserole

I love to eat this stuffed in a whole wheat pita pocket. Mmmmmm so good. It is from Set For Life: Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Terrific by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland.

Garden Fresh Casserole
Serve with whole wheat pita pockets and fruit salad

Ingredients: 1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef, 1 small onion chopped, 1 green pepper coarsely chopped, 1 beef bouillon cube, 1 c. hot water, 1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice, 2 tomatoes coarsely chopped, and shredded cheese to taste.

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain well. Add green pepper. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour over beef mixture. Simmer 15 minutes. Add rice and tomatoes. Steam 10 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and stuff it in to a whole wheat pita pocket if you want a tasty of Healthy Deliciousness Heaven ( or make it gluten free and skip the pita). Serves 4.

Nutritional Value ( not including cheese or pita pocket)
calories 305
protein 21
fat 7
carbs 40

Black Beans

From Our Best Bites. Very delicious, very nutritous.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

Ingredients:
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

Instructions:

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Serve as a side dish, or on top or rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak.

Makes 6 1/3 C servings

Black Bean Soup

From Our Best Bites. I looooooooooooooooooooove this soup! So delicious, so nutritous! My husband really likes it which cracks me up since there are carrots in it! Which have been cooked!!!! He claims cooked carrots make him throw up. I think its a mental thing. Especially since this soup has them cooked in and he was none the wiser.

Black Bean Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters.

Puree soup until completely smooth. Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges. Makes about 8 C soup.


Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):
125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber
2 Weight Watchers points
South Beach Diet Phase 2 (eat carrots sparingly)

Amazing Crockpot Pinto Beans

from: the kitchen of Amanda Erickson

Loved these and so easy!

Ingredients: 1 onion halved, 6-7 whole garlics peeled, 1 whole jalapeno seeded and chopped, 1 TBSP salt, 1/8 tsp. cumin, 1 3/4 tsp. pepper, 9 c. liquid (combo of chicken broth and water), 3 c. beans rinsed.

Combine ingredients in the crockpot in order given. Cook on high for 8 hours. Drain and reserve liquid. Mash by hand or puree with immersion blender to desired consistency adding water as needed. Freezes well.

Hungry Idaho Boy's Meal

That's what I call it, but I think most people call it a hash of some sort.

Ingredients:
-diced potatoes, fresh or frozen (can substitute with hashed potatoes
-green pepper
-onion
-ground beef*

Sautee' onion and green pepper in a little bit of canola oil. Add potatoes, and ground beef. Cook till meat is done and potatoes are fork tender. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

*for a breakfast version use ham or sausage or bacon and add an egg or two. So yummy!