3-BEAN CHILI

OK, OK…yes I am still here. Things have been crazy in my life lately so cooking is one of the last things I feel like doing. But my waistline is starting to notice that difference, so I have started cooking again. And what better way to start back up with a 3 bean chili; you could also call this the pantry chili. I dug into my pantry and gathered as much stuff as I could to make a chili and it turned out AWESOME…spicy and yummy. Here is the recipe that I used.

3-Bean Chili
Points Value: 4-5 points
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
2 (16 oz. cans) – Red Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (16 oz. cans) – White Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (16 oz. cans) – Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion- finely chopped
2 (14.5 oz cans) – Diced tomatoes with green chili’s
1 large can Crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
1 package of chili seasoning or season to taste
Hot sauce, your preferred kind and season to taste
1 teaspoon of oil

Instructions:
1. Heat oil, onions and garlic until browned.
2. Add all beans (rinsed and drained), Rotel, crushed tomatoes, chili seasoning and hot sauce.
3. Stir ingredients together and simmer for 45 minutes.

Print this recipe.

The Ingredients…


The chili simmering…


The final product…


I hope that you enjoy this recipe; happy cooking!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Since there has been quite a cold wave here, I thought it was about time that I made some Chicken Tortilla soup. This has to be one of my favorite soups out there…I have combined a few of my favorite recipes to come up with this version.

When making the soup on Friday night, I realized that corn tortillas do not freeze well; so that was missing from our meal. But it was still an excellent soup!

Below is the recipe that I used:

Chicken Tortilla Soup
POINTS Value: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving size: 2 cups
Number of Servings: 20

Ingredients:
2 10 oz cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes
2 14.5 oz. cans of Diced Tomatoes
1 4 oz. can of Diced Jalapenos
6 cups Fat-Free Chicken broth
1 pound uncooked boneless and skinless chicken breast
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. chili powder
4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
4 (6”) corn tortillas

Instructions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot on stove on med-high heat. Add garlic (and onions if desired). Cook for about 15 seconds.
2. Add broth, diced jalapenos and chili powder. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. While the soup is simmering, boil the 1 pound of chicken breast until cooked fully. Shred chicken and place in a bowl.
4. Stir in Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Add chicken. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.
5. While the soup is simmering, cut tortillas into ¼ X 2” strips. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
6. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle servings evenly with tortillas strips.

Notes:
If you choose to not serve the soup with the tortilla strip, remove 2 points per serving.

Ingredients…


Soup simmering…


Final product…


This batch turned out to be pretty spicy, but it was definitely good!

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP

I have been searching high and low for my favorite black bean soup in the supermarkets and I have not been able to find it; it’s been quite disappointing. Last Sunday, I was really craving my black bean soup & grilled cheese combo meal and I found a similar recipe on the Weight Watchers eTools site. So, I gave it a try. It was EXTREMELY easy and quick to make.

Below is the recipe that I pulled from the Weight Watchers eTools site…

Spicy Black Bean Soup
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings:  8
Preparation Time:  20 min
Cooking Time:  30 min
Level of Difficulty:  Moderate

The key to thickening this soup without flour? Pureeing some of the beans before cooking it. You'll love the stick-to-your-ribs texture that results.

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
4 medium garlic clove(s), minced
45 oz canned black beans, undrained, divided (three 15 oz cans)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth
10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel Tomatoes
11 oz canned yellow corn, drained

Instructions
1. Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Place one can of beans in blender; add sautéed onion mixture, red pepper flakes and cumin. Cover and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour mixture back into stockpot.
3. Place second can of beans and broth in blender and puree until smooth; add to stockpot.
4. Stir third can of beans (do not puree first), tomatoes and green chilies, and corn into stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups of soup per serving.

Soup simmering:


Black bean soup:


Final product:


The grilled cheese is made by my husband because he is the best grilled cheese maker in the world…well, OK SECOND best, my Dad is the first. The grilled cheese is made with two slices of high fiber bread (counting 1 point per piece), 2 Kraft 2% Pepper Jack Cheese singles, 1 Kraft 2% American Cheese Single, Country Crock Butter Spread and cooking spray – Total for a 6 point Grilled Cheese. The soup was served with a sprinkle of 2% Kraft Shredded Mexican Cheese blend on top. Making for a very warm comforting 10 point meal. It’s a bit higher in points than I would like for a dinner, but totally worth it.

Pete loved the soup because he didn’t have to pick anything out of it to be able to eat it!

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Spicy Black Bean Soup recipe.

SLOW-COOKER CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Greetings everyone, it’s been a while since I have posted and I apologize for that. Preparing to become a Jazzercise instructor has dominated my time, but now I am back in a regular routine and I am able to cook again. So what better way to start back cooking by using a slow-cooker recipe? I am a big fan of cheeseburgers (who isn’t!) and I decided to give this recipe a try. It was extremely easy to make and smelled SO good while it was cooking.

I found the recipe on the Weight Watchers eTools site, below is the recipe that I used.

Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings:  8
Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  120 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 medium stalk(s) celery, chopped
1 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup(s) low-fat evaporated milk
8 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product, or similar product, cubed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
24 item(s) baked low-fat tortilla chips, crumbled

Instructions
1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.
2. Place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.
3. In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free. Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hours. Serve soup topped with crumbled chips. Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 3 tablespoons of chips per serving.

Notes
If the soup cooks too long, the cheese could separate. If that happens, combine 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of soup in a cup; stir to a paste. Stir flour mixture back into soup in slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 15 minutes (does not affect POINTS values).

Ingredients cooking:


Final product:


Pete is not a huge fan of cheese and this was a VERY cheesy meal. I loved it, but thought it was missing something, so next time…I think I will add potatoes to make it a full meal. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, if you like cheese. If you’re not a big fan of cheese, I wouldn’t recommend it.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup recipe.

CHUNKY VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP

I pulled this recipe from the ‘Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites’ cookbook. Beef stew is one of my favorite winter-time meals…well I don’t want to eat the high calorie beef stew and regret it later. This soup is a very hearty and filling soup, and the recipe makes plenty so you can freeze your leftovers for later.

When I made this soup, I used the vegetables that I had available. The actual recipe asks for broccoli…well I didn’t have broccoli so I just added green beans instead. I also added carrots, because what soup isn’t complete without carrots.

This is a good recipe replacement for beef stew.

Below is the Weight Watchers Chunky Vegetable-Beef Soup.

WEIGHT WATCHERS CHUNKY VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP
POINTS Value: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 2 cups
Number of servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound beef top round steak, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 slice thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 (14 ½-ounce) can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ cup long-grain white rice
3 cups small broccoli florets
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Spray a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl; set aside. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and bacon to the pot. Reduce the head to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is lightly browned and the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Add enough water to the broth to equal 6 cups. Return the beef to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the head and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the beef is fork-tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add the broccoli and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes.

*This recipe was taken from ‘Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites’ cookbook.

Chunky Soup…


Chunk Soup #2…


CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Weight Watchers Chunky Vegetable-Beef soup.

LEMON GRASS CHICKEN SOUP

I know that I haven’t posted in a while…and I am trying to catch up. We have been craving soup lately because cold weather is upon us. I wanted to try something other than a traditional chicken noodle soup. This recipe state that it has a ‘Thai Spice’ to it…which made me nervous, but it was lemon…and I know that Pete LOVES anything lemon.

This soup was very good! It was extremely easy to make, and it had an extra kick to it with the Lemongrass. I would recommend it!

Below is the Weight Watchers recipe Lemon Grass Chicken Soup.

WEIGHT WATCHERS LEMON GRASS CHICKEN SOUP

POINTS® Value: 3

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 18 min

Cooking Time: 11 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

We gave ordinary chicken soup a hint of Thai spice by infusing the broth with freshly chopped lemon grass.

Ingredients

4 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or homemade broth

8 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium carrot(s), peeled and thinly sliced

1 large stalk(s) celery, thinly sliced

1 small onion(s), finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon grass, fresh, finely chopped

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1 cup(s) cooked egg noodles

1 tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

Instructions

Place broth, chicken, carrot, celery, onion, lemon grass, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken and vegetables are cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Place 1/4 cup of noodles in each of 4 shallow bowls. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of soup over each serving and garnish with parsley.

Soup cooking:

Soup cooking #2:

Final product:

Final product #2:

CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the Weight Watchers Lemon Grass Chicken Soup.