Chicken Paella

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, any color, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1” pieces

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 cups cooked saffron rice (instructions below)

Remaining saffron rice liquid

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

For saffron rice:

In a sauce pan add 2 cups chicken broth; add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed saffron.  Season broth and saffron mixture with salt to taste; add 1 cup rice.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is cooked most of the way through (there should be a little liquid remaining and a slight crisp to the rice).  Remove from heat and set aside (leave covered to keep warm).

Directions:

In a large, deep sauté pan (or paella pan if you have one) heat olive oil; season both sides of chicken thighs and place in heated pan.  Cook until chicken is browned on both sides and cooked most of the way through; remove from pan and set aside.  Place onions, bell pepper, and garlic in pan; cook until softened.  Add asparagus and peas; cook until slightly softened.  Add rice, remaining liquid, oregano, red pepper flakes, and additional salt and pepper (if needed) to pan; stir to thoroughly mix.  Add chicken back into the pan as well as the sundried tomatoes.  Cover and cook mixture until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp tender (about 5 minutes).  Serve warm and enjoy!

McCormick does sell a fairly affordable bottle (0.06 oz) of saffron.  It may not seem like a lot for the money, but remember saffron is the most expensive spice in the world!  You also do not need a lot of saffron for most recipes.  This takes only two small pinches from the package so you WILL have enough for at least one more recipe.  If you cannot find saffron, you can substitute turmeric (for color NOT taste).  Just use about 1 tsp (or 4 times as much) turmeric when substituting for saffron.  For this recipe do not boil rice with turmeric, simply add it to the pan and stir to coat when you add the rice.

Serves 6.  7 Weight Watchers points per serving (1 piece of chicken per person and 1/3 cup rice mixture).

Peanut Butter Banana Doggie Treats

As many of you may know, I am a mommy.  Yep, a doggie mommy to this fluffy little one named Zuzu.  Currently I am only a mommy to this one little "furling" as I like to call her... so every once in a while I feel the need to go all out and spoil her rotten!  Well tonight I decided to do just that... by making homemade peanut butter banana dog treats :)  

I found the cutest little animal cookie cutters in the mall last weekend, and the idea was sparked.  They were so adorable I had to buy them, and I knew they would come to good use.

So tonight I finally hunkered down and made my furry baby some AWESOME doggie treats!  Somehow she even knew while I was making them for her.  Normally she steers clear of the kitchen, but tonight she was underfoot the entire time.  And after seeing how these turned out I can see why!

Peanut Butter Banana Doggie Treats

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 banana, mashed

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together egg, banana, peanut butter, and honey.  Once well combined, slowly beat in flour adding small amounts at a time; beat until completely incorporated.  Fold in the oats until well combined.  On a well floured surface, roll dough out until it measures about 1/4” thick; cut out cookie shapes using cookie cutters.  Before baking, use a fork to make small holes in each treat.  Bake in oven on a greased cookie sheet for 20 – 30 minutes or until treats are hardened (depends on size of treats).  Let cool completely before letting the furry ones enjoy!  Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.  These can also be stored in the freezer and thawed when ready to be enjoyed!

Makes about 3 dozen (depending on size).

Feta, Roasted Red Pepper, and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Now, I would like to first start out by saying that this is definitely not the most beautiful of my culinary creations, but it is DELICIOUS!  I have never been able to master any of the "stuffing" techniques perfectly... so this is usually what the final product looks like.  However, don't judge this little number by looks alone... one bite and I bet it will win you over :)

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 sprays olive oil spray, divided

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup spinach, loosely packed

1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup feta, crumbled

1 tbsp lemon zest

Italian seasoning blend

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  To prepare chicken, place in cling wrap and flatten to about 1/4” thick; portion out 4 pieces and set aside.  Meanwhile in a large oven safe sauté pan spray olive oil spray; add shallots and garlic and cook until lightly browned.  Add spinach to pan and coat with olive oil, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until spinach is completely wilted and heated through; transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with roasted red bell pepper, feta, and lemon zest.  Place a quarter of the filling onto the center of each flattened chicken breast; roll until sealed then secured with tooth picks.  Season each roll with Italian seasoning blend and additional salt and pepper if desired.  Spray pan with remaining olive oil spray (in same pan used to cook spinach); add chicken and cook until browned on each side.  Once browned, transfer to heated oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear (about 5 – 10 minutes).  Serve warm and make sure to remove all toothpicks before serving!  Serves 4.

6 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb. stir fry beef strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 orange, for juice and zest

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Spray a large, deep sauté pan with cooking spray; add onion and garlic, cooking until caramelized.  Meanwhile, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice and zest, sugar, and ground ginger in a bowl; set aside.  Add the beef to the pan and cook until slightly browned (about 3 minutes).  Add the broccoli and sauce mixture and cook until about 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.  Serve over rice for a complete meal.  Serves 4.

For a thicker sauce, combine 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and add to stir-fry.  Stir constantly until sauce has thickened (about 1 minute).

7 Weight Watchers points (including 1/4 cup rice).

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp light butter, unsalted

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. red potatoes, skin on, diced

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free chicken broth

2 cups fat-free milk

2 tbsp fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded

5 slices turkey bacon, cooked, diced

1 tbsp dried chives

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a stock pot, melt butter; add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until slightly caramelized.  Add garlic and potatoes; cooked until slightly brown.  Stir in flour and coat mixture completely; pour in chicken broth and milk.  Stir until mixture is well combined and slightly thickened; stir in sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, ground red pepper, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low for 20 minutes or until potatoes are completely cooked through.  Serve hot and garnished with thinly sliced scallions and additional shredded cheddar, bacon, and sour cream if desired!  Serves 4.

7 Weight Watchers points (additional points for any extra garnishes).

Orange-Lime Pork and Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cleaned, thinly sliced

Cooking spray

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 lime, for juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 shallot, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed

Directions:

In a large, deep sauté pan spray evenly with cooking spray; add pork and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until all sides of pork are slightly browned.  Meanwhile, mix together marmalade, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, shallot, garlic, ginger, and chili powder.  Once pork is browned, add sugar snap peas and marmalade mixture into pan; cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until pork is cooked through and peas are tender crisp (about 5 minutes).  Serve over brown rice for a full meal.  Serves 4.

8 Weight Watchers points per serving (with 1/4 cup of cooked brown rice)

Chicken, Artichokes, and Lemon Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter, unsalted

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained

1 (3.5 oz.) jar capers, drained

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add olive oil and butter.  Once butter has melted, add garlic and shallots to pan; cook until caramelized then remove from pan.  Meanwhile season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan and brown on both sides.  Add lemon juice, chicken stock, white wine, rosemary, thyme, cooked shallots and garlic; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.  Add artichoke hearts and capers; simmer an additional 1 – 2 minutes or until heated through and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm over desired pasta or rice with parmesan cheese.

Bruschetta Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided

1/4 cup and 1 tsp olive oil, divided

4 roma tomatoes, seeded, diced

3 tbsp basil, cut into thin ribbons

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Mix together 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 cup olive oil; season both sides of chicken breasts.  Marinade seasoned chicken breasts in vinegar oil mixture for at least 1 hour.  In a separate bowl mix together tomato, basil, parmesan, garlic, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°.  Bake chicken with marinade for 30 minutes (baste chicken about every 10 minutes); remove from oven and top each chicken breast with equal parts bruschetta mixture and resume cooking until chicken is cooked through (about 15 minutes).

Buttered Parmesan Noodles

Ingredients:

8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked

4 tbsp butter, unsalted

1/2 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp half and half

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tbsp parsley, dried

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a large, deep skillet; add onion and garlic and cook until caramelized.  Add pasta to pan and toss to coat; pour in half and half.  After pasta is equally coated, stir in parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.  Serve warm with additional cheese if desired. 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 (5 lb.) pork roast

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground red chili pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker, add ketchup, vinegar, molasses, honey, brown sugar, and seasonings; whisk together until completely combined.  Add pork roast to slow cooker; turn heat on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.   When the pork is cooked through, remove from slow cooker and carefully shred the roast using tongs or preferred utensils (if roast is bone-in, make sure to carefully remove the bone before shredding).  Coat shredded pork with barbeque sauce and serve warm!  This recipe goes great with the traditional favorites such as coleslaw and pickles if desired :)

If you prefer a thick barbeque sauce, create a slurry using 2 tbsp of corn starch and water.  Pour the mixture into the sauce and whisk until thickened.