Cashew Chicken

 

I modified my other cashew chicken recipe to more our tastes since some in my family don't like bell peppers, and I made it a little simpler.  You can of course use different veggies based on what your family likes.  I served mine over quinoa/rice, but the rest of my family enjoyed it over plain white rice.  I will definitely be making this again.  I had some dried chives, so I sprinkled that on the top after in my bowl, but fresh would be delicious as well sprinkled over top at the end of cooking or on individual bowls.  I did have to double this for my family of 6, but I do have 3 teenagers.  I do cook mine without oil in a nonstick electric skillet, but if you can use 1-2 Tbsp light olive oil or coconut oil to grease your pan if you don't have a nonstick one.

Ingredients

1-2 Tbsp light olive oil (see note above if using nonstick skillet)

2 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp soy sauce (I use La Choy brand because it's gluten free)

1 Tbsp white vinegar (or apple cider works too)

1 tsp sugar

dash of ginger

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup cashews (I used halves and pieces)

1/2 lb carrots (about 4 medium), chopped

1 can sliced water chestnuts

chives (optional topping)

Directions

Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in small bowl and mix well.  Heat skillet up over medium high heat.  Add oil (if not nonstick skillet) to skillet and then add chicken and carrots.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.  Add garlic, water chestnuts, and cashews to pan.  Continue cooking 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and carrots are soft.  Pour sauce evenly over top and stir to coat everything and sauce thickens.  Sprinkle with green onions or put on the side for people to put on their individual bowls.  Serve over rice if desired.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

 

Super moist, delicious, & gluten free pumpkin muffins!  My girls even commented they enjoyed the gluten free ones better than the ones with regular flour.  I made these into mini muffins but you can make them into a bundt loaf or a loaf pan if you prefer.  A bundt pan takes about 45 minutes, and a loaf pan takes 60 minutes.  This is my Mom's pumpkin bread recipe except modified some and made with gluten free flour.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 eggs  (use my note for using flaxseed for egg-free)

1 2/3 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 rounded tsp cinnamon

1/2 rounded tsp cloves

1/4 rounded tsp ginger

dash allspice (optional)

dash nutmeg (optional)

Directions

Mix sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, and eggs in a large bowl.  In a separate container combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices.  Add all dry ingredients to the batter and blend well.  Spray mini muffin tin and divide batter evenly among the tin.  Bake 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes.  Allow to cool about 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup

 

I got this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe from my sister who got it off this website.  She modified it some and then I modified it a little more.  My family loves this recipe, and it's perfect on a cool day outside or when you're not feeling well or anytime!  It does make a large pot of soup, so if you don't have a large family, you might want to scale it down or eat it for leftovers.  Leftover chicken works fine in this recipe or dark meat is fine too.  You can also make this gluten free by using gluten free pasta.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut up into bite size chunks

1 Tbsp extra light olive oil

4 celery ribs, diced

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 large onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

10 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

3-4 cups uncooked noodles, about 8-16oz (I like to use macaroni - use gluten free if you desire)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Add oil to large stockpot and heat to medium.  Add onions, carrots, and celery to stockpot and saute until onions are translucent.  Add garlic clove, cut up chicken, chicken broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley.  Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes with lid on.  Add pasta and cook about 10 minutes or according to pasta direction.  Turn off heat and add lemon juice.  Enjoy!

Taco Salad (Keto)

We eat taco salad almost every Tuesday in my house.  It's a very simple recipe, but we love it around here.  We cut up all the toppings and everyone can personalize their bowl.  Before I went Keto, I ate it over corn chips (like Fritos), and my kids still eat it this way.  I make 3-4 pounds of meat for my family of 6.  This recipe includes my homemade taco seasoning.  I make large amounts and use 3 Tbsp per pound of meat.

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Optional toppings:
lettuce
cheese
salsa
tomatoes
avocado
sour cream
guacamole
cucumber
black olives
corn chips (if you're not doing low-carb or keto)

Directions
Brown ground meat, drain, and return to pan.  Add all the seasonings and the water and bring to a boil but then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.  Top with whatever taco toppings you choose.

Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice" (Keto)

This is delicious and easy cauliflower chicken fried rice.  I chose to use low-carb vegetables instead of the traditional starchy peas and carrots. You could always leave out the chicken and make this vegetarian if you like.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken, cooked and chopped

2 frozen bags cauliflower rice, cooked (I used my microwave)

1 stick butter

4 eggs, scrambled and cooked but still wet (I used my microwave again)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 bag frozen broccoli, cooked and roughly chopped

1/2 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in saute pan.  Saute bell pepper & celery for a couple of minutes.  Add cauliflower rice, green onions, garlic, and the other half of the butter.  Cook 3-4 minutes or until celery and pepper are soft.  Add in cooked eggs, cooked chicken, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.  Mix well and remove from heat and serve.

Asian Lettuce Wraps (Keto)

So I usually do 3x-4x this recipe for my family of 6.  It also goes well over rice or mixed with rice if you want to stretch it and aren't concerned about carbs.  If you want to add a little sweetness to it, I use one packet of Truvia when I triple to quadruple the recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 yellow onion, diced 

8 oz canned water chestnuts, drained and finely diced

2 green onions, chopped (optional)

2-3 garlic cloves

3-4 Tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 tsp dried ginger

1 tsp sriracha

1 Tbsp natural peanut butter 

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tsp sesame oil

salt & pepper to taste

butter or hydro lettuce (for wraps)

Directions

Brown ground turkey and onions together.  Drain and return to pan.  Add water chestnuts, garlic, and green onions to pan and saute while you make sauce.  Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sriracha, peanut butter, sugar, sesame oil, and salt/pepper.  Pour over top of meat mixture and combine thoroughly.  Serve inside lettuce.

Keto Chili

I made this yummy low carb/Keto chili in my Instant Pot.  You could also make this in your crockpot or on the stove top if you prefer.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
2 lbs ground sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
3 multi color peppers, cut up bite size pieces
2 cans Rotel
1 large can crushed tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup cumin
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup chili powder
8oz bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions
Brown the ground turkey and sausage with the onion until no longer pink.  Drain and add to your Instant Pot or crockpot.  Add all your other ingredients and put your Instant Pot on high pressure for 30 minutes and allow to release naturally.  If you cook in the crockpot, set on high for 4 hours or low 8 hours.  Serve with cheese and sour cream if you like.

Kettle Corn

So my sister had made this at a few parties at her house.  It is so delicious!  I don't care for kettle corn popped in a microwave bag, but this I could eat and eat!  I want to try this next time with coconut oil, but I used canola this time around.  I also used white kernels because it's what I had but I'm sure it would be just as delish with yellow.  Originally this came off the allrecipes website, but my sister added the salt to it.  Someone commented you could also use brown sugar instead of white and it will taste like caramel corn.

Ingredients
1/4 cup oil (I suggest canola or coconut)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add 3 popcorn kernels and wait for them to pop.  Once all 3 have popped, add the rest of the kernels and carefully sprinkle the sugar over the top.  I found I had to quickly stir it around a little with a spoon before I put the lid on but you might not have to do this.  Cover and shake back and forth constantly over the heat to keep from burning.  Once the popping has slowed to every 2-3 seconds, remove from heat and continue to shake until the popping has stopped.  Open the lid carefully and sprinkle the top with salt.  Put the lid back on and shake around to mix in the salt.  Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool.  Makes about 10 cups.

Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

This is yummy and super easy to make.  I love that it doesn't have any added junk in it and it's natural and clean and it tastes better than store bought stuff too!  You could also use a blackberry or another berry of your choice in place of the raspberry spread.

Ingredients
1/3 cup red raspberry fruit spread (I used Smucker's Natural)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used Pompeian)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp honey (I used raw, local)
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Blend all ingredients, except the oil, in a blender (I used my ninja mini food processor).  Add oil and process until everything is well blended.  Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Will keep about 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

Flourless Oatmeal Cookies

I made these cookies with my girls since I am trying not to eat gluten, so I needed a flourless cookie.  These were very yummy!  I made one batch with mini chocolate chips and one batch, I made with walnuts and craisins....

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups oatmeal (GF if needed)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder (GF)
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used salted and it was fine) at room temperature (or use dairy free if needed)
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg (or use flax seed option on right)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips OR....
1/3 cup craisins & 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or coffee grinder or food processor, process 3/4 cup oats into a fine meal. Mix together ground oats, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add oat mixture, beating until combined. Fold in chocolate chips or craisins and walnuts, and remaining oats.
3. In batches, drop dough in 2-tablespoonful mounds onto a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Apple Craisin Salad

When I had my very first baby, Craig, one of the meals that was brought to us included this delicious apple salad.  I had to have the recipe.  Unfortunately she doesn't write down the amounts so I had to do it by taste.  I usually make this with walnuts as well, but it's delicious without them too.  You can add more sugar or less lemon juice to make it sweeter if you like, but I wanted to keep this lighter and with the sweet apples and craisins, it balances out well.  This recipe is for a single serving, but I have made it for a large group and everyone loves it.  You could use different apples as well.

Ingredients
1 apple (I like gala)
3 Tbsp craisins
1 -2 Tbsp walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup Kraft mayo made with Olive Oil (or another mayo if you prefer)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves

Directions
Cut up your apple into small chunks and put in a bowl.  Add craisins and walnuts.  In a jar or small bowl, mix together mayo, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cloves.  Pour 1 Tbsp of mixture over apple salad and put the rest in the fridge.

WW points/Calories:  3 points for the whole salad or 174 calories (without walnuts)

Goulash

My family loves this goulash.  I made it quite often and it's super easy and inexpensive to make.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
2 cans corn, drained
30-32oz tomato sauce
32oz diced tomatoes
3 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
1/2 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cups water
16oz rotini, penne, or medium size pasta (use brown rice noodles for gluten free)
Directions
Brown ground meat, drain, return to pan.  Add everything else except the pasta.  Bring to a boil, add pasta, and cook on low-medium until pasta is fully cooked (about 20 min). Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

OR crockpot version:
Brown ground meat, drain, and add to crockpot.  Add everything else except the pasta. Turn on high 4-6 hours or low 8 hours.  Stir in pasta, turn crockpot on high, and cook last 20-30 minutes until pasta is tender.

Banana pineapple mango smoothie

This has become my new favorite breakfast.  I drink it every morning, and it is very satifying, delicious, and only 4 WW points!

Ingredients
1 ripe banana
1 cup diced frozen pineapple and mangos (I found a huge bag at Sam's, by Dole)
1 cup almond milk
1 packet stevia or spenda

Directions
Blend all ingredients well in a blender and enjoy!  So yummy and good for you!

Weight Watcher Points: 4 points for the whole thing!

Two ingredient banana muffins

A while back I made Banana Spice Muffins with overripe bananas and spice cake mix.  My mom recently started making muffins a lot for my nephews (with a lot of major allergies) with vanilla cake mix and bananas.  The kids all love them, and they are so easy.  I made these with strawberry cake mix and bananas.  I also made chocolate cake mix with bananas for my church one Sunday (mostly because we have a child who had a lot of allergies), and they were a big hit!  Use any cake mix you think would go well with bananas and enjoy.  Just watch for allergens in your cake mixes if you need to be aware of them.  One tip, if you don't have enough bananas, you can add in a little applesauce if your cake mix it too dry.

Ingredients
4 overripe bananas, mashed
1 cake mix (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, spice cake... or another kind if you want)

Directions
Mix bananas and cake mix together well.  No oil, no eggs, no water.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, fill sprayed muffin tins about 2/3 cup full, and bake muffins according to cupcake directions on back.  Remove from muffin tins, cool, and enjoy!  Makes 24 muffins.

Weight Watcher Points: 2 points a muffin

W's chili

I love Wendy's chili, so I decided to go online and see if I could find a copycat recipe.  Well, I found this one, but I had to modify it a little with what I had on hand.  I think it is now my favorite chili that I have made.  I wouldn't say it was terribly like Wendy's chili, but I did modify it, so you can go to the link above if you want, and I hope to next time try it closer to the original recipe to see if it's more like Wendy's.  Yum!  I used hot Italian sausage because that's what I had on hand, but it was a little too spicy for my kids, even with sour cream and cheese on top of theirs.  You can do this in the crockpot as well if you like, low 4-6 hours or high 8-10.  I called this W's chili since I wouldn't call it a Wendy's copycat since I changed it so much.

Ingredients
1 lb spicy Italian sausage (I used hot but would use mild next time for my kids or just use another pound of ground turkey or beef)
1 lb ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
29oz tomato sauce
29oz light kidney beans, undrained
29oz pinto beans, undrained
1 medium onion, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin powder
3 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black powder
2 tsp salt

Directions
Brown meats, breaking apart, and drain off fat.  In a large pot combine all ingredients together.  Simmer over low heat 2-3 hours, stirring occassionally.

Crockpot: Brown meat, drain, add to crockpot.  Combine rest of ingredients.  Stir and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours. 

Makeover: So I made this again and used all ground turkey and did add a 7oz can diced green chilies.  It was super yummy!

Serve over pasta, with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, or cornbread.

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I got the original recipe off skinnytaste, but I did modify it some.  I think it's an obsession.  I can't leave a recipe alone.  Maybe I feel I have to make it my own.  Either way, I had this on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, and it was yummy.  Put it all in the crockpot before church and it was done when we got home.  I love crockpot meals on Sunday.  I had my in laws over, and we all enjoyed it.  I did use chicken breasts instead of thighs since I don't like dark meat.  She suggests skin removed and bone in, but I didn't feel like going through the whole removing skin, and I couldn't find any breasts with bone in, skin removed.

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
26oz jar traditional spaghetti sauce, watch for allergens
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese to put on top, optional

Directions
Dump everything into the crockpot, give a quick stir, and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Remove lid for last hour and keep on high.  Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta or rice and top with parmesan cheese if desired.  She includes another method that requires browning the chicken beforehand, so go to the link above if you want to see that.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I got this recipe off of skinnytaste, a weight watcher friendly blog that I enjoy.  I'm looking through the recipe now and realizing I didn't even make the spicy hoisin sauce to go with it.  Next time I want to try that since I forgot!  These turned out really yummy.  My kids didn't care for them on lettuce, so they instead ate them on soft taco shells.  I changed a few things, so you can click on the link above if you want to see the original recipe. I doubled this recipe for my family of 6, so cut it in half if only serving like 2 or 3 people.

Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken breast
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce (La Choy brand is gluten free), divided
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
lettuce leaves to serve in, iceburg or I used romaine for more nutritional value

Directions
Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in large skillet on med-high heat and brown chicken and garlic.  Combine soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and sugar in a bowl.  Add water chestnuts, green onions, and sauce to chicken and blend well and heat through about 1-2 minutes.  Spoon into lettuce leaves and enjoy!

I'm not positive on the Weight Watcher Points since I changed it up a bit, but I think it would be comprable.  She says each lettuce wrap with 1/4 cup of the mixture is only 2 points or 3 points plus.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

I got this idea from my sister and also my friend Danila.  My friend Danila served something like this but with carrots and butternut squash in it as well.  It was so yummy!  It's super easy.  Unfortunately apparently I'm the only one who likes sweet potatoes in my family, but I just told them, more for me!  :-)

Ingredients
3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Directions
Mix all of the ingredients well with your hands in a 9x13 dish until potatoes are coated.  Cover with aluminum foil and cut a 2" slit in the top of the aluminum foil for steam to escape.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Banana and Peanut Butter

This is a fun post for me!  :-)  I grew up eating peanut butter and banana, my kids eat it all the time, and it's an all time family favorite for much of my family.  My grandfather eats this every day for lunch, and my oldest son eats this almost every morning for breakfast and now my almost 2 year old does too.  :-)  I am surprised how many people do not know about this amazing combination.  Eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.  Use crunchy or creamy peanut butter.  I love this meal because it's fruit and protein.  It's filling and satifying.  When my 8 year old was little, he called it "Nonny Butter"  :-)

Ingredients
Banana
Peanut Butter (I like natural for heart healthy)

Directions
Cut up your banana and apply a small amount of peanut butter on each bite.... or if you want it to look more like an "adult" meal, just hold your banana and use a knife to put a small amount of peanut butter on the end, bite it off, and put more peanut butter on your next bite. :-)  Eat with a glass of milk if you like.  :-)

Peanut Butter Cookies, Gluten Free

 These are absolutely delicious and highly addicting!  They are a dense cookie that is super easy to make!  I've made them a few times already.  I made them plain for a get together at church and I had many people comment on them and want the recipe.  I made them into kissy cookies the first time I made them for myself at home, and they are absolutely delicious!  I love them with the Hershey's kiss on top and rolled in sugar.  I love that I can eat them since I am not eating gluten/wheat right now.  This doesn't make a huge batch, which is good since I have a hard time keeping from eating them all!

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter (I used natural)

1 cup sugar (+2 Tbsp extra if you are making Kissy Cookies)

1 egg

Hershey's kisses if making Kissy Cookies

Directions

Regular Peanut Butter Cookies: Mix together sugar, egg, and peanut butter well.  Dough is a little crumbly.  I like to use a small ice cream scoop to distribute my dough onto my cookie sheet.  Flatten with a fork, one way and then the opposite way.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Kissy Cookies: Mix together sugar, egg, and peanut butter well.  Using a small ice cream scoop or 1-2 Tbsp dough each, roll into balls and roll in the extra 2 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl.  Place on cookies sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Gently press a Hershey's kiss into each cookie ball, put back in oven for 3 more minutes.

No sugar added: I have not tried this yet, but I read you can make these with Baking Splenda instead of sugar.