Hot Wassail

My mom always makes this once it starts to get cold outside.  Just the way it makes my house smell is worth having it simmering on the stove!

Ingredients:

1 8oz can frozen lemonade
1 8oz can frozen apple juice
1 8oz can frozen pineapple juice
1 8oz can frozen orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 cinnamon sticks
3 qts water
1 orange, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Simmer for 1 hour before serving. 

This recipe serves 20 people, so you can modify it for however many you want to serve. 

Crockpot Roasted Lemon Chicken

We had this for dinner tonight, and we both thought it was delicious.

Ingredients:

4-5 lb. chicken (or in our case 2 cornish hens)
1/2 cup chopped onion (we thought stuffing would be good too)
2 T. butter
1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. parsley

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken dry.
2. Stuff the chicken with chopped onion and then rub butter on it.
3. Put the chicken in a crockpot and squeeze the lemon juice over it.
4. Add the rest of the seasoning and cook the chicken on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

We had this with couscous and green beans.  I felt like we were feasting - so good :)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

We love eating soup in the fall and this is a really good one.

Ingredients:

3 T. butter or margarine
2 large onions, sliced
1 T. curry powder
2 large butternut squashes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cans (14-14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups water

1. In 5 qt. saucepot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 18-20 minutes.  Add curry and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add squash, broth, salt, and water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer soup until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Spoon one-third of mixture into blender; cover, with center part of lid removed to let steam escape, and puree until very smooth. Pour into large  bowl. Repeat twice more with remaining mixture.
4. Return to saucepot and heat through.

from: good housekeeping soups and stews cookbook

-Trish

Biggest Loser 100 calorie cupcakes

So we were watching Biggest Loser the other night, and they taught the contestants how to make 100 calorie cupcakes.  My ears perked up, because as you all know, I'm a little obsessed :).  I tried these today and made a few adjustments, but they were really yummy!

Ingredients:

5 egg whites
pinch of salt
3 T. honey
2 T. vanilla extract

1/4 c. nonfat greek yogurt

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

Frosting:

1 c. nonfat cream cheese

1 c. fresh raspberries (or I think strawberries would be good too!)

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. Beat egg whites until they begin to hold their shape

3. Whip in salt and honey until the whites hold a soft peak, then add vanilla.

4. Fold in yogurt

5. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder and mix

6. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients a little at a time

7. Fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes

For frosting:

1. Puree berries and fold into cream cheese.

2. Put a little dollap on top of each cupcake.

* So I thought the frosting was really tart.  I sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top to make it a little sweeter and I thought it was really good.  The cupcakes are really light and fluffy.  Mmmm.

Chicken Tortellini Casserole

Ok, since I have time today, I am going to just load up a bunch of recipes :)  Feel free to do the same whenever you get a chance.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c. white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1 pkg. cheese-filled tortellini
4 oz. can mushrooms, drained
1 cube margarine
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1 c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
grated cheese
bread crumbs

Boil chicken breasts in chicken broth, wine, and crushed garlic for one hour.  Turn off pot and cool.  Slice into bite-sized pieces.  Prepare tortellini per package instructions. Place chicken, cooked tortellini and mushrooms into a bowl and mix with the following sauce:

Sauce: Heat margarine, green onions, sour cream, grated cheese and soups.  Spread mixture into a baking dish.  Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs.  Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until warm. 

Serves 6-8

Pumpkin Dessert

I made this one for Ammon's baby blessing.  It's a Cheney family favorite and oh so good.

Ingredients:

13 oz. can evaporated milk
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
20 oz. can pumpkin
3/4 c. chopped margarine
dry yellow cake mix

Mix together the milk, spice, sugar. eggs. salt, and pumpkin.  Put in a 9x13 pan.  Top with cake mix and chopped margarine.  Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  This is really good with cool whip or ice cream.

-Trish

Healthy Turkey Vegetable Chili

We love this, and it's only 280 calories per serving!

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 minced garlic clove
ground red pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 small yellow pepper, seeded and diced
12 oz ground turkey
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes, diced
1 can white or black beans
4 cups baby spinach
black pepper to taste

Optional:
1/4 C fat free yogurt as garnish
fresh or chopped cilantro or chives to garnish

• drizzle oil on large saute pan over medium heat
• Add onion, garlic, red chili and saute until tender
• Sprinkle cumin and stir well. Add carrot, celery and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to get tender.
• In seperate pan, brown the turkey, then transfer to vegetable mix.
• Add the tomatoes and beans and cook until tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally.
• Stir in spinach and remove from heat.
• Season to taste with black pepper.
• Serve with yogurt and cilantro.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is one of my new favorite soups and it's fairly easy to make.  I'll add a picture next time I make it :)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 6oz. box Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 rotisserie chicken deboned and shredded
1 48oz. carton (6 cups) chicken broth
1 4oz. can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
6 T. sliced almonds
1 c. chopped carrots
optional - 1/4 c. flour
optional - 1 pint half and half


Cook the rice according to package directions.  Melt the butter in a large pot, add the onions and saute.  Add the rice and all the other ingredients.  If you are going to use the flour and the half and half, add those at the very end. Those two ingredients make it into a "cream of mushroom" soup.   I made this without those two ingredients to make it a bit healthier and more like chicken noodle soup.  It turned out to be really yummy!  I think it would be good either way.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

This also works really well as a freezer meal.  Just pour it into a 10-cup plastic freezer container, and freeze!  All you have to do is reheat it when you are ready to eat it. 

Makes 6 servings.

-Trish