16 Bean and Ham Soup

Homemade 16 Bean and Ham Soup

With football season starting and the trees starting to change color I decided it was time to learn to make soup! I used a bag of 16 bean soup starter (which is a bag of beans, no seasonings or anything else in it).  Simply followed the directions (for the most part).

Ingredients:
1 bag 16 bean starter (the one I got had no need to soak the beans)
8 cups chicken broth
1 16 oz bag of baby carrots chopped up
1 normal sized red onion chopped up
2 Tbsp no salt tomato paste
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Set aside for later
1.5 pound ham chopped up
1 14.5 oz can no salt diced tomatoes (undrained)

Combine all the first ingredients in a big slow cooker (it will fill it!)
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Stir in the ham and tomatoes and cook for 15 more minutes before serving.

It made a LOT but luckily it's tasty! :)

Blueberry Delights

Blueberry Delights

1 cup softened butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 can blueberry pie filling
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat your over to 350. 

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Mix with the flour and baking powder until completely mixed.

Fill the 9x13 baking pan with half of the batter. It will be a somewhat sticky mess but you should be able to flatten it with your hands to coat the bottom of the pan.

Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the filling.

Plop the remaining crust mixture over the filling.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

You can drizzle a glaze over top: made of 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon and 1 Tbsp melted butter.

It was a giant hit at work. And seems healthy what with the antioxidants in there. :)  Ideally you'd use real fresh blueberries but they can be super expensive so I went with the filling in this case.

Cheesecake Delights

Cheesecake Delights

Simple and delicious!

What you will need:
2 boxes of cream cheese of your choosing - full fat, partial or fat free - you choose; I go with Neufchatel
One package of Oreo cookies
Greek yogurt
Sugar
Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
Muffin Tin
Muffin Papers
350 degree pre-heated oven
A little bit of time
Desire for cheesecake goodness

How to make:
16 oz cream cheese (2 boxes)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
Mix well, until smooth

1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix

2 eggs
Mix one at a time and mix well, until completely combined.

Put muffin papers in regular sized muffin tins and add one Oreo cookie as the crust.  Plop some cheesecake filling on top of the Oreo - keeping in mind that it is not going to grow much so fill close to the top.  Bake for 20 minutes or so. Not until brown but it shouldn't jiggle either - find the sweet spot. I take them out just before I think they are perfect as they sit in the muffin tins and will cook slightly until they are cool enough to take out and place on a cooling rack.

Super tasty and fun and quick to make. I received numerous comments about just how tasty these were - that they had a great flavor to them.  Then you say it's make with Greek yogurt and you get to go back and have another because that must mean they are good for you.... ;)

Variations I haven't tried yet would be to use lemon extract instead of vanilla and adding fruit to the top.

One variation I have tried that I highly recommend is to use any leftover Oreos and make a cheesecake sandwich. Yum.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 pound uncooked chicken, cubed
1 cup lower fat sour cream
1 jar taco sauce or enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas or tostadas
1cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine chicken and sour cream.

Pour 1/2 of jar of sauce in bottom of 9x13 nonstick pan. Top with 4 tortillas, then 1/2 the chicken mix, and 1/2 of the cheese.  Top with 4 tortillas, the last chicken mix, and the other half of the cheese. Top it off with the 4 remaining tortillas and pour the other 1/2 jar of sauce on top.

Bake 35 minutes.

I topped it all with some extra cheese because cheese is gooooooood. :) Another recipe from my low fat cooking class that is pretty remarkable. How can it be so tasty with hardly any ingredients in it!? Yummers.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Looking for an amazingly easy and quick homemade tomato sauce?  Look no further.  This was part of my low fat cooking class with my slight modification.

1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
15 oz diced tomatoes (no salt added)
8 oz tomato sauce (no salt added)
6 oz tomato paste (no salt added)
1/4 cup fresh basil (or slightly less of basil paste)

If you'd like it to be a beef sauce - add another 8 oz of tomato sauce and a pound of cooked ground beef.

Cook the onion and garlic to your liking.  Add everything else and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  If you want it a bit sweeter add a bit of sugar (Tbsp or so).

Done.
Yum.

Breakfast Pasta

1 package silken tofu (any firmness)
4 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp black pepper
other seasonings of your choice
6 slices diced cooked bacon
6oz cooked Fettuccine noodles

While you are frying your bacon and cooking your noodles blend the tofu, eggs, cheese and spices until smooth.

Add fettuccine to a large frying pan that is hot.  Add the tofu mix and cook until the eggs are set.

This recipe is from a low fat cooking class. I personally found it bland but super good the next day.  My recommendation is to make it and put it in the fridge for the next day to eat!  Not exactly what you were hoping for? Me neither but there it is!

Slow Cooker Chicken ala King

A low fat version via the slow cooker.  Looking for quick and easy - here you go!

2 tomatoes
4 sliced green onion
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 pound cubed boneless skinless breast (or thigh if you want extra vitamins)
1 (10 3/4 oz) can low fat/reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly ground four peppercorn
1 cup rice
1 1/4 soup can of water (or low sodium chicken broth)

Dump one cup of rice into slow cooker.  Mix soup, water, nutmeg and pepper and pour over rice.  Top with uncooked chicken cubes. Top with mushrooms and green onion. Cook on low for 8 hours.  Add tomatoes, mix and serve.

Without the slow cooker remove the rice and water and throw everything into a skillet to cook until chicken is done.  Serve over whatever makes you happy - toast, rice, orzo, potato or how about spaghetti squash?  Yum.

Enjoy!