Fresh Salsa

From the Low Carb Bible

3md plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2tbs chopped onion
1sm jalapeno pepper
1tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1tbs lime juice
1tsp salt/pepper

Stir ingredients together and chill until ready to use.

Ham and Cheese "Sushi" Rolls

Serves 8

4 thin slices deli ham
1 pack (8oz) softened cream cheese
1 seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut in 4" lengths
4 thin slices American/Cheddar slices room temperature
1 red bell pepper cut in 4" strips

Spread cream cheese on cheese or ham, roll around pepper or cucumber and cut to bite sizes.

Cheeseburger Soup

Serves 8.

Cooking spray
1md chopped garlic clove, minced
1md onion, chopped
1md celery rib, chopped
1lb lean ground beef
2tbs flour
3c chicken broth
1c LF evaporated milk
8oz Velveeta-type cheese
1/2tsp paprika
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
24 baked tortilla chips, crumbled

Saute garlic, onion, and celery in cooking spray 5-10m until tender.
Spray a 3-1/2qt crock pot with cooking spray.
Add vegetables.
Brown beef and add.
In a small cup, mix 1/2c. broth with flour.
When lump free, add to ground beef pot then add remaining broth.
Heat to simmer and add to crock pit.
Add remaining ingredients to crock pot except chips.
Heat on low in crock pot for 2 hours, serve with crumbled chips.

Tomato, Basil, and Smoked Motz. Pasta Salad

8 oz. fusili or spiral pasta
1tbs balsamic vinegar to taste
2tsp olive oil
1/2c. fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2c. smoked diced skim motz
1c. cherry tomatoes
1/8tsp salt/pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Add oil, vinegar, and oregano - toss to coat.
Fold in remaining ingredients.
Serve warm or chilled.

Beer Cheese Soup

Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 45 Min
Ready In: 1 hour 15 min

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups beer
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk or half and half
6 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
popped popcorn, for garnish

Directions
1.In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Stir in hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and beer; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.Meanwhile, heat butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in flour with a wire whisk; cook, stirring until the flour is light brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Gradually stir in milk, whisking to prevent scorching, until thickened. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in cheese. Keep warm.
3.Stir beer mixture into cheese mixture. Stir in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Adjust for hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Serve topped with popcorn.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Adapted from Epicurious
Yield: 6 servings (about 1 2/3 cup each)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature, divided
2 pounds fresh broccoli, stems and florets separated and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
6 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli stems and onion; sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tarragon; sauté 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in milk.
Mix remaining 3 tablespoons butter with flour in small bowl to make paste. Whisk paste into soup. Add broccoli florets. Simmer until soup thickens and florets are tender, stirring frequently, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese.
Divide soup into 6 bowls and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top of each bowl. Enjoy!!

*Great recipe Messy Chef, I can't wait to try it!

Tuna pasta salad with grapes

1lb pasta (any will do, but I like spirals or tube pasta.)
2 cans tuna (I like a lot of tuna.)
handful of grapes, cut in half
1/2-1c mayo
1t. garlic powder
Optional:
1/2c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2c chopped green pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
Put in bowl.
Add tuna and any veggies you're using.
Add mayo to your desired "creamyness."
Add a dash of garlic powder - approx 1t.
Add halved grapes and incorporate gently.

Serve chilled, toss leftovers after 1 day.

Plaza III Steak Soup

1 stick butter/margarine
1c flour
1/2 gallon water
2c. lean ground beef
1c. chopped onion
1c. chopped carrot
1c. chopped celery
2c. frozen mixed veggies (we did 1c each frozen corn and frozen green beans.)
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1T Accent seasoning (good, but not essential)
2T beef base
1T or less black pepper (2t. is more my taste, 1T is pretty peppery)
1T salt (I use way less.)

Melt the stick of butter in a pan and whip in 1c flour to make a smooth paste.
Stir in 1/2 gal water a little bit at a time - heat for a few minutes to create a thicker soup. Saute seperately 2c. lean ground beef (I used 1lb) and add to soup.
Add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until vegetables are done.

Freezes extremely well! Next time I might add some potato, unless I was planning to freeze some.

Chicken Taco Soup

3 FROZEN chicken breasts
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion, diced
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans ,
1 can cannelli (or any white) beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can vegetarian baked beans
1 can kernel corn

Put everything in crockpot in order listed.
Do NOT rinse or drain beans.
DO NOT STIR.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Take chicken out and shred with two forks.
Put chicken back in, stir, and eat.

Meghann's notes: I often make this on the stove top also, and have used ground turkey or ground beef instead of the chicken. If making in the crock pot with ground beef or ground turkey, I brown first before putting in crock pot.

Cheaper: buy taco seasoning and ranch seasoning in large containers at Sam's Club. BSCB is also available there for much cheaper than even most grocery store sales. Some of the beans can be purchased dry and reconstituted.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Similar to the soup served at Space Aliens!


2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans fiesta nacho cheese soup or cheddar cheese soup
1 (10-oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 soup can milk
3 or 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken (can use canned chunk chicken also)

Mix all together in crockpot and heat on low until everything is mixed and melted together well.

To serve, top with coarsely crushed tortilla chips/Doritos/Taco flavored Doritos and shredded monterey jack cheese, (or other cheese of choice).

Or put crushed tortilla chips in bottom of soup bowl and ladle soup over, then top with shredded cheese of choice.

Meghann's notes: don't use "knock off" enchilada sauce, the color is different and makes the soup look like mud - appetizing, eh? - but tastes fine. We like Old El Paso. Want more spice? Get spicy enchilada sauce! You could add veggies to this to make it a one-dish dinner.

Lighter: sub 98% FF cream of chicken soup for the regular, use skim milk.

Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Cooking spray

1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 lb uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
8 ounces kraft Velveeta reduced fat cheese product, cubed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
Add garlic, onion & celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 min.
Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.
Place same skillet over medium-high heat & 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.
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.

Variation: you could add some mixed veggies to make it a one-dish meal.

Note: 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).

Serving Size 1 (3/4 Cup) with 5 chips, serves 8. NI Calories 207/Fat 9.7g/Fiber 0.4g

Mexican Lazagna

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 lb zucchini diced (about 3 c.)
2 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn niblets, drained
1 can (10 0z) mild enchilada sauce
1/2 c. chopped Cilantro
5 (8 inc) whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 1/4 c shredded 2% cheddar
Garnish- R/F sour cream

1. Heat oven to 400F. Coat a 3-qt round baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-hig heat. Add onion and saute 5 mins. Add zucchini and cumin, and saute 5 mins. or until zucchini is a crips- tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn and enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
3. Put 1 tortilla in baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups zucchini mixture. sprinkle with 1/4 c cheese. Repeat layers 4 times.
4. Cover with foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, if desired.

NI: 339 calories 17 g protein, 64 g car. 11 g fiber, 8 g fat (3.5 sat fat) 17 mg chol

Lasagna Soup

1 lb. italian sausage (see Homemade Italian Sausage recipe!)
2 cups onion chopped
1 cup diced carrot
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1 14 1/2 oz italian stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce 10 3/4 oz
1 cup dry pasta
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup low fat mozzarella, provolone, or ricotta cheese, optional

Brown sausage in large pot.
Add onion and carrot; saute 3 minutes.
Stir in mushrooms and garlic; saute another 3 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes, and tomatoe sauce and bring to a boil.
Drop in pasta and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes or according to package directions.
Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.
Place 1/4 cup of cheese in bottom of bowls, and ladle soup on top.

Makes 8 (1 cup) servings. NI: 214 calories, 12 g. fat, 3 g. fiber

Fresh Corn Chowder

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1 c. chopped mild yellow onion
4 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 c. flour
2 qt. chicken stock
4 sm. potatoes
2 tsp. freshly cracked white pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 sm. ears sweet corn, cut off the cob (3 c. kernels)
2 c. light cream (I used half and half)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the bacon and sauté until crisp.
Remove the bacon and reserve to use as a garnish for the soup.
Add the onions and celery to the bacon fat and sauté until soft, being careful not to brown.
Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and continue to cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Be carefull not to brown.

Southwest Cheesy Chicken

1 lb. chicken breast cut into pieces

2 Cups water
2 Cups wheat pasta uncooked
1 10 oz. Rotel undrained ( I use Hot because we like it spicy)
8 oz. Light Velveeta
1/2c sour cream

Cook chicken in skillet.
Stir in 2 C of water and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta and cover.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 mins.
Add Velveeta and Rotel.
Cook until Velveeta is melted.
Remove From heat and stir in sour cream.

Suggestions: I like to add some diced red and green bell peppers and a bag of frozen broccoli that has been cooked in the microwave for 5 mins. This adds your WW "extra filling food" and really increases your portion size.

Serves 6.

Nut Free Pesto Sauce

1 bunch fresh arugula, washed 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Toss pesto with cooked linguine or rice noodles (for gluten-free) and enjoy.

Serves 6.

JM's Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS


1 bag (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 Cups fat-free (skim) milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb), cooked, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box

DIRECTIONS
Cook and drain vegetables as directed on bag. Heat oven to 375°F. In 2-quart saucepan, mix flour, salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and milk with wire whisk until blended. Stir in onion. Cook over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Stir in soup and sour cream. Add chicken and cooked vegetables; mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated. Pour into ungreased 2-quart round casserole. Unroll pie crust; place over hot filling. Seal edge and flute as desired. Cut slits in several places in crust.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Gen's Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Nuggets

1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped

1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs (you could try using baby cereal if you want, we know it works well with "baby meatballs")
1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese (please use real cheese and not a "processed cheese food" product. Try tomato & basil cheddar.)
3 Large eggs or 5 egg yolks - Most pediatricians say it's ok to use whole egg in a baked good when baby is over 8-9 months old without allergies. We would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr. Ask YOUR pediatrician.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375
1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
*Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.
3. Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc. and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes. Serve warm. Freezes well.

Suitable for those who have had the ingredients and for those who can handle texture and mash foods with their gums. <-- With regards to babies. :o)