Kale, Butternut Squash, and Chicken Soup

I picked up a bag of butternut squash at Trader Joe's to try, found this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it.  Was expecting to like it but it actually came out really delicious!  Even my 4 year old daugther loved it.

Kale, Butternut Squash, and Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 boneless/skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon grape seed oil
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt, Black Pepper

Soup:
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup peeled and chopped carrot (about 2 large)
3 stalks celery chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 cups low sodium broth (I used chicken)
2 cups water
12 oz chopped butternut squash (I had the bag from Trader Joes)
2 cups chopped kale leaves
13 oz garbanzo beans drained (I used the boxed ones from Whole Foods, 365 brand)
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
Salt and Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
optional: crumbed gouda cheese for topping

Directions:

1.  Put chicken in small baking dish, mix rest of ingredients together and pour over chicken.
2.  Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes
3.  Take out and cube/shred then set to side.

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot, then add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring when needed.
2.  Add chicken and cook another 10 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the kale and cheese) then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the kale and simmer an additional 10 minutes.  If veggies are not soft enough for your liking, you can continue cooking on low.  Sprinkle individual servings with Gouda cheese. 

Stuffed Bell Pepper and Fried Okra

Made this spur of the moment tonight after picking the okra and bell pepper from the garden and it came out delicious!  No measurements on this because I was originally making dirty rice and decided to steal some of the meat from that before adding the rice and did this last minute.
I made 3 small stuffed peppers.

Stuffed Bell Pepper:
Whole Bell Peppers (stems cut off and cleaned)
Ground Turkey
Diced Onion
Diced Bell Pepper
Minced Garlic
Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Feta Cheese


 Preheat oven to 400.  Brown the turkey, add onion, diced bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  Cook down until veggies are soft.  Mix in bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.   Put mixture in bell peppers then top with feta cheese.  Bake until bell peppers are soft (took mine about 25 minutes but they were small).

Fried Okra:
8 fresh okra, diced.  Mine were cut in about 1/4" pieces
Egg wash (1 egg with about 1/4 cup milk)
Corn Meal seasoned with a little salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder
Coconut Oil (you can use any oil you want)

Pour enough oil in a pot to cover bottom about 1/4"
Coat okra in egg wash then corn meal.  Drop in oil.  Cook about 5" then turn and cook another 5".  Take out with slotted spoon and put on paper towel.  Sprinkle right away with a little salt and black pepper. 

High Protien Flourless Chocolate Chip and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

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Okay, so the original recipe came from here but I modified it a bit and I accidentally left out the flour but, hey, less carbs and they are still good!


INGREDIENTS
(makes 24 cookies)

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp Flaxseed
• 1 tbsp Wheat Germ
  
• Dash of baking soda
• Dash of baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 small box raisins
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
  

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
  

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.
4. Add wet to dry and combine.
   
5. Drop by tablespoons onto a sprayed cookie pan.
   
6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies start to turn golden brown
7. Cool before eating.
   

Cajun Smoked Sausage and Veggies

This is one serving, at least for me it is.

1/4 cup EVOO
1 tsp minced garlic
5 oz smoked sausage (one link)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 summer squash
2 slices eqqplant (about 1/2" thick)

(you could use any veggies you have on hand)

Heat olive oil and garlic in saute pan on medium heat. While heating chop up all veggies and sausage. Add and let cook down about 15 minutes. Serve.

Taco Soup

Another recipe from Spark People, member leighwoman. This was very good, Staci and Jenna even loved it. Here is my version with a few minor changes

2 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 lg. Yellow Onion, chopped
1/2 cp dry Pinto Beans
1 16 oz. can Kernel Corn
2 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
1 can Rotel Chopped Tomatoes
1 pkg. Low Sodium Taco Seasoning (I will use 2 next time)

You can use a can of pinto beans if you don't want to cook your own.

Boil water and cook pinto beans for about an hour or until soft.

Brown ground meat, drain if needed. Add onion and cook down about 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and let cook down at least 30 minutes. Can top with sour cream and cheese when served. Freezes well.

Cream Cheese Pancakes

So, I started a diet a couple weeks ago and now I have some catching up to do with posting my new favorite low carb recipes. I joined Spark People and I love it. Easy to keep up with my daily intakes and some great recipes plus message boards.

This morning I made cream cheese pancakes, original recipe by Spark Member mainstreetalto.

2 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 pkts stevia
Dash of cinnamon
1 tbsp Smuckers Simply Fruit

Blend everything together (I didn't blend the fruit in, I used it as a topping instead). Spray a small non stick pan and heat on medium. Pour batter into pan and cover (I didn't have luck flipping mine so I covered and let cook until there wasn't anything left runny on top). Serve, it is good by it self or topped with fruit.