Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken

Photo: Gina's Blog - (mine's not this pretty)

End Product: Slow cooked shredded chicken with corn, tomatoes and black beans.

Tip: Prepare the night before and turn your crock pot on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal.
Bonus: This happens to be a Weight Watchers recipe that I just thought sounded good. I got it from my friend Krista's cooking blog - and she got it from Gina's blog - which is all about weight watcher's recipes! It's low fat and low in points.
Serve: over rice with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free sour cream (not for me, but an option!) and/or reduced fat cheddar.
Prep Time (for Kristy = slower than average): 12 minutes



Ingredients:
24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste



Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

The Skinny Girl's Margarita

Bethenny Frankel from The Real Housewives of New York (on Bravo TV) shows you how to make what she has deemed "The Skinny Girl's Margarita." She doesn't use exact amounts of any of the liquids, but really I think it's best when making drinks with alcohol in them to use your own proportions to best suit your needs. (My husband probably used 1/8 of the amount of alcohol in making margaritas for us that normal ones have. :) )

Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

I absolutely LOVE this version of tortilla soup. I literally CRAVE it every couple of weeks because of how fresh and homemade the taste it, and yet it is super easy to make. I got the original recipe from Real Simple Magazine, but did change several things to accomodate Brian and I's tastes and preferences. Since there are various ways to do this (and all will taste fabulous!) I'm going to post those options so you can decide what's best for you and your family!

Tortilla Soup

Option #1: Two 14-19oz. cans chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best), 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In med. saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Add corn & hot sauce, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

OR:

Option #2: Two 14-19oz. can chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best) with chicken cubes removed, 1/2 lb. chicken, 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In large pot, boil chicken for approximately 30-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and shred into small and medium pieces, set aside. In medium saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Chop bell pepper into medium and large chunks. Add bell pepper, corn, & hot sauce to soup, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

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**My husband and I do like a little more spice, so we added more like 3 t. of hot sauce instead of 1. You can also add any of your other favorite veggies, red bell pepper, squash, etc., to give it a flavor that is perfect for your family!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe for chicken enchiladas I got from my sister. I made it a few weeks ago and it is delicious! I didn't get a picture before my husband dove into the dish, but trust me - they look and taste great!

Ingredients:

1 package corn tortillas

Filling:
-2 chicken breasts
-2 bay leaves
-salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-1 bag Mexican cheese blend


Sauce:
- 7 oz. can chopped green chilies
-1 can Rotel tomatoes (I prefer the spicy kind, but use the original to keep the heat down in the dish)
-1/3 cup chopped cilantro
-1 cup heavy whipping cream
-1 egg


1. To create the filling for your enchiladas, season chicken with salt and pepper. Boil chicken breasts with onion, garlic, and 2 bay leaves.
2. Shred chicken breasts. Note: Pulling the cooked breasts apart using two forks is the easiest way to shred the chicken. Also, shredding is traditional for enchiladas, but if you're short on time, you can cube the breasts instead.
3. To make your sauce, put all sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor until it reaches a sauce-like consistency.
4. Add 1/3 of your sauce mixture to the shredded chicken. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 bag of shredded Mexican cheese mix and combine all ingredients.
5. Fill corn tortillas with the filling mixture. It only takes about 2 or 3 tablespoons per tortilla if you have the small corn tortillas. TIP: You will have better luck if you slightly warm your tortillas in the microwave to make them more pliable; otherwise, they may tear when you try to roll them.
6. Place rolled enchiladas in 13 * 9 baking dish and top with the other 2/3 of the sauce mixture.
7. Top with the remaining portion of the bag of Mexican cheese blend (optional).
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Good news - this dish is gluten free! Don't forget to check the gluten free section of our recipes list for more gluten free snacks and meals.

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

This recipe is one of this Sassy Chef's adventures in Vegetarian Cooking. I like the idea of great tasting meals without the meat, but truthfully - they seem hard to come by! Here is a great recipe from Cooking For 2 that is vegetarian and delicious! My husband even ate it without missing the meat! You could also easily make it vegan by using vegan cheese and cutting the sour cream (which is really just a serving condiment in this recipe anyway!).

This Vegetarian Enchilada Bake is filling and healthy! One of my favorie things about Cooking For 2 is that they include the nutrition information right below the recipe. This particular recipe has 286 Caloris, 11 gams of fat, 5 gams of fber and 12 grams of protein in a single piece! The recipe is also gluten free because you use corn tortillas.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 corn tortillas (6 inches)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, pepper and garlic in oil until pepper is crisp-tender. Add the corn, beans, salt and cumin; saute 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in salsa and cilantro. Place a tortilla in the bottom of a 1-1/2-qt. round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 3 servings.

Just remember that the recipes in this book are designed to feed two people! Ideal for a couple without kids or a single person with one night of leftovers! If you're having guests though, double up the recipes! I like a spicier dish, so you can easily add jalapeno or more red pepper to up the heat! My version was doubled and easily fed 3 people with leftovers. Chips and salsa are a simple appetizer that work great with the Mexican flavors in this dish!

Kristy