MMM…Chicken Stroganoff

I can honestly say that I have never had “stroganoff” before, not even back in my beef eating days. However, when I started seeing recipes for chicken stroganoff in my crock pot books and on Pinterest, I was instantly intrigued. I mean what’s not to like about creamy chicken and noodles? Plus each serving is less than 300 calories!

I combined ingredients from both my book, Diabetic Slow Cooker and from recipes found on Pinterest and here’s what I came up with…

What you need:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 10 oz Reduced Fat Sour Cream
• 1 package of Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix
• Minced garlic
• dried parsley
• Noodles (traditional stroganoff calls for egg noodles, but I used multi grain penne)

Then:

Pay attention because this is real tricky…

• Salt and pepper each side of the chicken and place it in the crock pot.
• In a bowl mix soup, sour cream, Lipton pack and garlic.
• Pour mixture over chicken and spread to cover.
• Cook for 5-6 hours on low.
• Cook noodles according to package and serve chicken mixture on top!

The important stuff (per serving):

*This does not include the noodles*

Makes about 4 servings

• Calories: 253
• Fat: 12.56 g
• Carbs:19.56 g
• Sodium: 1679.06 mg
• Protein: 15.31 g

Skinny Sloppy Joe

I have never been a big fan of sloppy joes, maybe because the term makes me think of a bad school cafeteria meal from a movie, or maybe because it makes me think of beef (which I don’t eat), needless to say this recipe doesn’t involve any of the before mentioned.

These sloppy joes are one of my favorite go-to meals. Adam introduced them to me, and at first I thought the combination of ground pork and cream of mushroom soup sounded rather strange, but boy was I wrong! These guys are less than 300 calories each (for mixture and bun), and you just HAVE to try them!

What you need:

• 1 lb groud pork
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• garlic powder
• Kroger Lite Buns 
• pepperjack cheese

Then:

• cook pork on stove top with garlic powder (sorry I don’t have an amount, just shake some in there!)
• drain fat from pork and stir in soup
• warm the buns if desired
• spoon pork mixture onto bun and top with cheese (optional, but I HIGHLY recommend adding the cheese to it, specifically pepperjack.)

The important stuff (per serving):

Makes about 6 servings/sloppy joe sandwiches.

• Calories: 299           379 with cheese!
• Fat: 16.06 g
• Carbs: 23.34 g
• Sodium: 713.78 mg
• Protein: 17.86 g

 

Chipotle Lemon Salmon

Salmon is my favorite fish. I eat it in sushi, I enjoy some salmon tartare and I love it on the grill or baked in the oven. Usually I throw it in a bag with some italian dressing and let it marinate all day before throwing it on the trusty George Foreman Grill. However, after working at a restaurant where they used lemon and baked it in the oven, I decided to try it this way, adding some chipotle into the mix.

Salmon is also my favorite fish because of its nutrition. It’s low in mercury, but high in protein and good fat. This fish is also rich in omega 3 and beneficial for cardiovascular health, and fighting cancers such as breast, colon and prostate. (http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-salmon-6315.html)

This salmon dish is so easy to throw together for a delicious dinner, just pair it with your favorite sides.

What you need:

• 2 salmon fillets (should be about 4 oz each, if bigger adjust accordingly, how many you need will also depend on how many you are feeding!)
• 2 lemons
• ground chipotle
• salt
• pepper

Then:

• pat the salmon dry with a paper towel
• spray an oven safe dish with Pam and place the skin side of the salmon down in the dish
• sprinkle with salt, pepper and chipotle lightly covering both filets
• cut one lemon in half and squeeze each half over the fillets
• with the other lemon, cut it into thin slices and then place several of the slices on top of each fillet
  

  before

• bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes
• then broil for 3 -4 minutes, this will help to brown up the lemons and crisp the salmon
  

  after

The important stuff (per serving):

2 fillets=2 servings

• Calories: 172
• Fat: 4.5 g
• Carbs: 14 g
• Sodium: 58 mg
• Protein: 24 g

These Shells are FULL of it!

Growing up I remember my mom making stuffed shells for dinner, quite often, I also remember that I really liked them. So, I wondered, where did they go and why had I not had them in years??? Well, I decided to make them the other night for dinner; I like this meal idea because you can adjust it to your liking. In the past I ate them with spinach and cheese, but you can make them with chicken, ground pork, beef, veggies and even shrimp.  Knowing that the man of the house likes some meat incorporated into our meals I decided to try them with ground pork (you know, the OTHER white meat!) and they turned out great, and all in all are pretty easy to prepare. However, they do make enough to serve a family of 8, so I would definitely cut the recipe in half next time, or invite some people over to chow down on some stuffed shells with us!

What you need:

• 1 box large shells 
• 15 oz Part Skim Ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 24 oz Prego Roasted Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Sauce
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese

Then:

• brown pork on stove top with 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic.
• meanwhile, cook shells according to directions.
• drain fat from the pork once it is cooked.
• in a bowl mix together, pork, ricotta, mozz, remaining garlic, egg (slightly beaten), parsley and salt and pepper.

• drain shells, let cool.
• fill each shell with pork mixture.
• in a baking dish pour half the tomato sauce and spread over the bottom.
• arrange stuffed shells on top on sauce.
• top with the remaining sauce.
• bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
• 3-4 minutes before taking out of the oven sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  

  Finished Product!!

The important stuff (per serving): 

Makes about 8 servings…now before reading below, save this recipe for your “cheat” night, because it is not the healthiest of dinner options, but it sure is hearty and delicious, and great if you are having people over!

• Calories: 587
• Fat: 27.54 g
• Carbs: 56.47 g
• Sodium: 1354.31 mg
• Protein: 31.39 g