Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Spring is here, but you wouldn't know it by the weather we have been having here in Colorado Springs. Snow one day, then it melts the next, two days later it's back. I'm so ready for warmer weather.  This is a great recipe for one of those snowy spring days. Just put everything in the crock pot during the day and your house will be warm and smell fantastic by dinner time. I love crock pot recipes, because I don't have to be in the kitchen the entire my husband is home after work to just cook. Everything is already cooked and I can sit and watch an episode of The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones before we eat. We are really big nerds if you didn't know. :)

I know some germ freaks are probably out there wondering how I could put veggies on the same cutting board as the chicken. Don't worry, I was very careful to put the chicken down then not move it, and none of the veggies touched the chicken. Trust me I am a clean freak every time I use raw poultry. 

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
Betterhome and Garden's Slowcooker Mag

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
2 cups thinly sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1 (14.5oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
1  1/2 teaspoon salt-free cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon slat
8 oz fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp (keep tails on if desired)
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
3/4 cup chopped green, red, or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Celery leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. In a 3 1/2or 4 quart slow cooker combine chicken, celery, onions, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, garlic, and salt.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
3. Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. If using low-heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in uncooked brown rice and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes more or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
4. Before serving, stir shrimp and parsley into chicken mixture. If desired, garnish each serving with celery leaves.

Serves 8

Nutrition: Calories 211; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 88mg; Protein 23g; Fiber 4g; Carb 26g

Broiled Salmon with Black Bean Salsa

This dish was delicious and light. I thought that black beans and oranges were going to be weird together, but I was proved wrong. The sweetness of the orange sections cut into the beans, and with the spices you combine with the salsa blends the two together. Summer is on it's way, and with it simple yet tasty new dishes!

Broiled Salmon
Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

Ingredients:
Salsa:
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced orange sections
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cumin

Fish:
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
2 (8oz) salmon steaks (1 inch thick, each cut into 2 pieces)

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, combine all salsa ingredients; mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours to blend flavors. Stir before serving.
2. Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, combine chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, garlic salt, and oregano; mix well. Lightly sprinkle both sides of salmon steaks with chili powder mixture; place on sprayed pan.
3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, turning once. Serve salsa with fish.

Serves 4

Nutrition: Calories 300; Fat 10g; Protein 31g; Carbs 21g; Cholesterol 75mg; Fiber 7g

Light Creamy Banana Pie

I am ready for summer! Here in Colorado we keep getting a few days of snow, then some sun, then snow again. This week is supposed to be warm and that makes me happy! I really want to wear my summer clothes, no more jackets please. :)

It's Pie Day! March 14th. 3.14...get it :) So in celebration I posted a great recipe for a quick light dessert pie. Creamy, but not too sweet, and full of bananas. This was so easy, because you could make this hours before dinner and not have to worry about dessert. My husband was a big fan, and so was I!

Happy Pie Day!

Light Creamy Banana Pie
adapted from Light Cooking 

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust, 9-inch
1 can (12-oz) Light evaporated Skimmed milk
1 box (3.4oz) French Vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Bake pie crust as directed on package for empty crust; cool.
2. In medium bowl, beat evaporated milk, pudding mix and yogurt until mixture starts to thicken. 
3. Pour half of pudding mixture into cooled crust. Arrange banana slices over pudding mixture; top with remaining pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Garnish with whip topping, if desired.

Serves 8.

Nutrition: Calories 129; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 2mg; Sodium 245mg

Light Chicken Fried Rice

I know this may sound weird, but sometimes I get cravings for things I have never tried. Just the other day my husband said he has never heard of that and I'm a little crazy. Which is true. Well, that is what happened when I decided to make Chicken Fried Rice one day. It just sounded really good, even though I never really tried it before. Chinese food is one of my favorite splurges, but I always get white rice because it's definitely healthier. So when I got the random craving for fried rice, I wanted to find a healthy version.

Now that I'm cooking for both my husband and I, our dinners always have to include some kind of meat. I could eat a bowl of just noodles, but my husband likes to have a bit of protein with every meal. So adding the chicken to a bowl of fried rice made it a really nice dinner. Flavorful and filling!

Light and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
iowagirleats.com

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (brown or white rice)
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper (I used leftover cooked chicken, just as good)
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 egg
3 teaspoons sesame or wok oil, divided
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Whisk egg with 1 teaspoon oil in a small dish then set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large work or skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken then stir fry until cooked through and removed to a plate. (If using pre-cooked chicken, you can skip this step.)
3. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in the wok, add frozen mixed vegetables and green onions. Stir fry until tender, about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Push vegetables to the side of the wok and pour egg mix into the center; scramble the egg. 
4. Add cooked chicken, rice, and soy sauce to wok then toss well to combine. 

Serves 4

Nutrition: Calories 232; Fat 6g; Protein 18g; Cholesterol 74mg; Carb 25g; Fiber 2g

Tex-Mex Chicken Panini

I am trying really hard to keep up with posting, but time keeps going so fast! I can't believe it's already March. Why couldn't last year gone this fast? One good thing is that I am trying so many new recipes, the bad thing is that I keep forgetting to take pictures and when I do I am lazy about typing up the recipes. Right now I'm busy trying to find a job, but I will try really hard to step up the posting.

Now I caught myself with this recipe, but it was after I started cooking. So as you can see I don't have the ingredient picture. This recipe was super quick and simple. My husband was a big fan of this sandwich so I am certain we will make this again!

The poblano peppers and onions are ready to be roasted.  

Tex-Mex Chicken Panini
adapted from Simply Delicious The Costco Way

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 cup non-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
4-6 sandwich rolls (ciabatta, torta, hoagie...etc)
3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
1 large white onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices, roasted
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. To roast peppers and onions: Preheat oven to 400º. Place whole poblanos and onion slices on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the poblano skins are blistered. Remove from oven; place poblanos in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. "Sweat" the chilies for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. The skin should peel off easily. 
2. To assemble panini: In a large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, mayonnaise, cilantro and garlic, mixing lightly but throughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon about 3/4 cup of chicken mixture onto the bottom of half of each sandwich roll. Top evenly with poblano strips, onion slices, and cheese. Close the sandwiches.
4. Grill the sandwiches in a panini press, on medium-high heat, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. This could also be done on a skillet over medium heat, turning once, until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Shrimp w/ Tomatoes & Scallion Couscous

So we are getting to our first month here in Colorado Springs and we are still loving it! After getting everything unpacked, well almost everything, our new apartment is really starting to feel like home. It's so nice coming home to our own place and making dinner together. I have been waiting an entire year to make dinner with my better half again! Okay done with the sappy stuff lets get to the food. :)

This is a great light dinner or quick lunch. Shrimp, with tomatoes and a crunchy flavorful bread crumb topping. So easy, yet delicious! We paired it with a mound of scallion coucous, just adding another layer of flavor. If you are in a rush on a weeknight, just get going on this. Takes almost no time at all!

Shrimp w/ Tomatoes & Scallion Couscous
Cookinglight Magazine Jan/Feb 2011

Ingredients:
Shrimp:
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or 3oz french bread in processor)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-in thick slices (about 1lb)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Couscous:
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 water
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup whole wheat couscous

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. Combine breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumb mixture; cook 3 minutes or until golden brown and garlic is fragrant, stirring frequently.
3. Coat bottom of a 13x9-in baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in bottom of dish; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup breadcrumb mixture; top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top with remaining 3/4 cup breadcrumb mixture; dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake at 450º for 12 minutes or until the shrimp are done.
4. While shrimp is cooking, bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Gradually stir in 1 cup couscous; remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in scallions.
5. When shrimp are done, drizzle with vinegar. 

Serves 6.

Nutrition: (shrimp w/o couscous) Calories 364; Fat 16.5g; Protein 37.1g; Carb 16g; Cholesterol 274mg

Old Fashioned Caramel Layer Cake

All week I have been unpacking and getting our new home in order. There are a few boxes I had in my old garage that I hadn't opened in two years; it was fun looking through those and seeing what I forgot I had. My husband said it was like opening up Christmas presents. Kind of felt that way for sure. It was nice to see things that I haven't seen in a while.

Like I said before because of this move, I haven't been able to make many new dishes, but that is changing soon. I have always wanted to try meal planning, and I spent the last few days looking up recipes, grocery shopping, and organizing my plans. I have a recipe planned for most of this next week, except for date night and leftover night. :) After a few weeks I will update you all on how it's going. Right now I'm starting with planning just a week ahead, then as I get used to it and get more organized I will upgrade to a couple weeks or even a month.

Okay, so are you ready for one of the most delicious cakes you will ever make in your life? If you love maple bars, I mean LOVE them, this cake is definitely for you. Even if you don't like maple bars, you still have to make this and eat it. Yes, it is a tad bit rich, but sometimes you need that in your life right? I made this cake for Christmas dinner and it was so good. I have saved this recipe and I am going to make this again, that is a promise!

To get a clean cake plate after frosting cut three long strips of wax paper and arrange them into a square on the cake plate. Frost cake and when you remove the wax paper it takes all the drippings with it. Now you have a perfect presentation!

Old Fashioned Caramel Layer Cake
CookingLight Cookbook

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons light-colored corn syrup
Dash of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
3. Beat granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with 1 1/4 cups milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.
5. To prepare frosting, combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; stir constantly. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and slightly warm. Cool 2 to 3 minutes (frosting will be thin but thickens as it cools).
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator. 

Makes 18 slices.

Nutrition: (1 slice) Calories 307; Fat 7.5g; Protein 3.8g; Carb 56.7g; Fiber 0.4g; Cholesterol 43mg