Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side Celebrate Mardi Gras with this colorful Cajun spiced pasta tossed with chicken strips, bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms and scallions in a creamy light sauce. One of the easiest ways to lighten up a pasta dish is to add tons of protein and vegetables to your dish which keeps the portions large and the carbs low and this dish is a perfect example. Be sure to be generous with your Cajun spices, it should have plenty of kick so don't be shy! I took a knife skills class at Sur La Table this week with my girlfriend and of course I HAD to buy a new knife and cutting board there. This dish comes together rather quickly once all your vegetables are chopped. You can make this with shrimp instead of chicken, or use a combination of both. Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter SideSkinnytaste.comServings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 ptsCalories: 323.8 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 25.9 g • Carb: 44.1 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 3.2 gSodium: 126.5 mg (without salt) Ingredients:
The Original Caramel Apple Jello Shots [With Real Apples] Can you believe I actually spend time trying to figure out what kinds of food could be used as a vessel for jello shots? I'm not a lush I swear ... although my blog would have you totally fooled. It's just that, after filling lemons, limes, oranges and strawberries with vodka infused jello, I knew there had to be something else ... So we tried apples... and guess what? (If you wanted something with a little bit more alcohol content you could always try them out with Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka instead of butterscotch schnapps) Or for a kid friendly, non-alcoholic version just use cold water mixed with two tablespoons of caramel syrup instead of butterscotch schnapps or vodka! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Roasted Parmesan Sweet Potatoes — Teenie Cakes My mom occasionally baked sweet potatoes when making a roast. My sisters, brother and I wouldn’t touch it, so my parents happily enjoyed these tuberous roots to themselves. Come to think of it, they never really insisted or enforced that we partake in its consumption and happily enjoyed it for themselves. So all these years later, I’ve decided to give sweet potatoes (also sometimes mistakenly referred to as yams in the United States) another try. These colorful roots boast some impressive health benefits. They are sweet, and I admit…took some getting used to because my mind stubbornly held that they looked like potatoes, but didn’t taste like potatoes. Serving these roasted Parmesan sweet potatoes alongside some BLTs with avocado proved to be a complimentary combination. Nutrition tidbits about Sweet Potatoes Interesting article: What is the Difference between a Sweet Potato and a Yam? Note: I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. Special Handling Roasted Parmesan Sweet Potatoes Serves 3-4
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Chicken Spaghetti Casserole When I asked Facebook fans the other day about the possibility of me posting a new casserole recipe, I received an overwhelming response. It seems that there are a lot of casserole-lovers out there! I live in San Diego- not really the Casserole Capital of America. This is quite the cheesy casserole, and I mean that in a good way. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe. Boil the pasta, just so it’s kinda al dente (still has a slight bite to it). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan. Cook the veggies in that melted butter, just until they’re a little bit softened up. Mix nonfat milk with fat-free cream of mushroom soup. Pour that sauce into the veggies. Mix it up. Add cheese. It melts into the sauce nicely. Mix in chopped, cooked chicken and the pasta. Add some tabasco for flavah. Pour it into a greased baking dish. It looks purdy, don’t it? More cheese. Sprinkle it on the top. Bake it for a half hour or so, and it comes out all bubbly and hot and melty.
Handle the Heat » Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes appetizers This week has been such a mess! I can't wait for next week for a total do over! I have so much to accomplish this weekend - thank goodness it's a 3day weekend! Any fun plans you guys have for the extra time? Meanwhile... let's look at some yummy mini appetizers that you can make with your garden's supply of ripe tomatoes (or on sale at the market heehee)! Anything with goat cheese, I am a HUGE fan! Whip up some caprese bites! BLT stuffed cherry tomatoes! I am a HUGE fan of serving bruschetta! Party add on! Don't have enough little plates to do a fancy mini appetizer spread?
Filipino Adobo Chicken In the Philippines, adobo refers to the process of stewing chicken or pork in vinegar and a soy based sauce with lots of garlic. As this simmers, your kitchen will be filled with an intoxicating sweet and sour aroma that will leave you anxious to eat. My friend Liren of Kitchen Confidante was so gracious to share her family recipe with me, which I slightly modified to reduce the fat. I served this over brown basmati rice which made this a complete meal. It's recommended marinating this overnight but if you're pressed for time, at least one hour before cooking. I always use dark meat when making stew; legs and thighs both work well. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much! Filipino Adobo ChickenAdapted from Kitchen Confidante Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts Calories: 174.8 • Fat: 4.3 g • Protein: 27.2 g • Carb: 5.0 g • Fiber: 0.5 g Ingredients:
Red Velvet Cheese Ball | The ultimate dip for red velvet lovers!! This sweet version of a cheeseball will have you going back for more! Follow Taste and Tell Every once in awhile, an idea comes to me. An absolutely brilliant idea. Now, I’m not one to toot my own horn, or to pat myself on the back, but I do believe that this one deserves a little of both. Red. Yep, you read that right. I guess I can’t say the idea is completely original. The best way I thought to get that red velvet flavor and color while keeping the texture of the cheese ball was to use a cake mix. Not only would this great for Valentine’s Day, but I’m sure it would be a hit at your Super Bowl party this weekend, too! The ultimate dip for red velvet lovers!! Ingredients 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups red velvet cake mix, dry 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips assorted cookies and crackers (my favorite was Vanilla Wafers) Instructions
Moroccan Recipe: Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas Recipes from The Kitchn If you don't own a tagine, don't fret. You can use a Dutch oven, as I do, or any other heavy cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook's Illustrated has performed various cooking tests and confirmed that, although the conical tagine makes a particularly striking table presentation, stews cooked in other cooking pots tasted equally delicious. This is not a quick weeknight meal, by any means, but it is most certainly a lazy "make your house smell amazing" weekend kind of meal. It also makes terrific leftovers, so even if you aren't throwing a dinner party or making Sunday dinner for your family, it's worth making this for the meals it will give you all week long. Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas Serves 6 to 8 Warm one tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven (at least 5 1/2-quarts) or tagine over medium-high heat until the oil flows easily and you can see it shimmering. Pour off all but a teaspoon of oil and return the pan to medium heat. Notes:
Inchi Kabin/Nyonya Fried Chicken This is a Nyonya version of fried chicken. The nyonyas and babas are indigenous to the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore and have their own cuisine which is mix of Chinese and Malay. Inchi Kabin is all know as Encik Cabin Chicken. Ingredients: 1 small chicken – about 2.5 pounds Marinate: 2 tbsp curry powder 2 tbsp grated ginger 2 tbsp chili powder – you can use less 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 4 tbsp coconut milk Salt to taste 1. Note: You don’t need any dipping sauce for this chicken as it is flavorful enough to eat it on its own. I am entering this post in the Muhibbah Malaysian Monday roundup, created and hosted by Sharon of Test with a Skewer and Suresh of 3 Hungry Tummies.