Chicken Enchilada Soup -- Crock Pot Style

This is another recipe inspired by Skinny Taste. My husband requested something in the crock pot today as we are on the cusp of (another) super-busy week and he likes having food he can just grab out of the fridge. He's also one of those people that can eat the same thing over and over, so crock pot recipes are ideal as they usually make a ton of food.


I broke my cardinal rule of cooking, which is to ALWAYS saute the onions before putting them into anything. Again, I was pressed for time. And it's good in pico de gallo, so hopefully it will be good here.

Chicken Enchilada Soup, Crock Pot Style

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. chicken stock or broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 T sriracha (Rooster) sauce*
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (you can substitute a cup of pre-soaked beans if you prefer)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
about 1/4 c. cilantro, torn apart or chopped

Put all the ingredients into the crockpot. If you have time, saute the onions first in a teaspoon or so of oil. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken with two forks. Adjust seasoning.

Serve in bowls, garnished with shredded cheese, more cilantro, sour cream, and/or crushed tortilla chips. The soup is a thinner-based soup, so if you like a creamier soup, crush some tortilla chips and add at the beginning, or thicken with a tablespoon or two of flour or corn starch if you like.

Here's an in-progress shot. The soup is about half-cooked, and the onions are the same.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

You know what's awesome? Stuffed cabbage. This is a big stuffed cabbage slop, minus most of the prep work. Plus cheese. I adapted another Skinny Taste recipe for this, and it was very good!

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients:
4 t. olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
1 c. chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 head cabbage, cored and chopped
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 t. paprika
1 t. sugar
salt and pepper
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large can/jar spaghetti sauce (28 oz or so)
2 c. cooked brown rice
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray some Pam on a large rectangular baking dish

Put half the olive oil in a large frying pan. When it's hot, sautee the onion and carrot over medium heat. When the onion starts to get translucent, add the ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, paprika, and sugar.

While that simmers, heat up the oil in a large dutch oven. Add the cabbage and stir, cooking the cabbage until it's about half-cooked, about 15 minutes.

Remove the sauce and cabbage from heat. Stir the rice into the meat/tomato mixture.

Put half the cabbage down in an even layer in the baking dish. Add half the tomatoes, then the remaining cabbage, and then the last of the beef mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, add the cheese (you could easily use less) and cook an additional 15 minutes uncovered.

Skinny Chocolate Chip Scones

I've neglecting my poor little blog; I mentioned earlier this month that it's the springitme slough here at my house, and I guess I've just been busy, well, sloughing. Anyway I've been exploring a few new recipe websites and I've really been enjoying Skinny Taste in particular. I was looking for a quick breakfast I could grab for me and the kids, and this fit the bill. It's actually pretty delicious, which is hard to believe considering it's a low-fat, whole grain scone. The only change I made to this recipe was how I put it together. I am lazy and don't enjoy cutting butter into flour for pastries, so I use my food processor. Works great (try it with pie crust!).

Skinny Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces
3/4 cup chocolate chips  
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. If you are using a stonewear baking sheet like I did, preheat it with the oven.

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in the food processor bowl. Dot the butter around the bowl, then pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove blade and gently fold in chocolate chips. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist.

Give the dough a few turns around the bowl with your hands, then press it into a 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Use a knife or pizza cutter to pre-slice the dough into 8-12 scones.

Brush with egg white, then sprinkle the sugar on. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Ginger Soy Salmon Nuggets

It's time for the spring time slim down at our house. This recipe is a Weight Watchers recipe, altered for what kind of ingredients I had on hand. If you are a WW fan, about three of these nuggets equal two points. If you are not a WW person, this recipe is still really good. My husband is a fan (no, he was not told the recipe was from WW). I served them over quinoa, with some steamed broccoli on the side. It's quick, it's easy, it's flavorful, it's filling. What more could you ask for?

Ginger Soy Salmon Nuggets

Ingredients:
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 t. cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1" (or so) cubes
1 t. (I used a bit more) sesame oil
3 green onions, sliced thin

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Add the cubed salmon and stir to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour if you have time.

While the salmon marinates, start your water if you are doing a starch, then start the water in the steamer for a side veggie if you are planning one. While you cook your other foods, stir the salmon occasionally to distribute the marinade.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat (if you don't use Teflon pans, you will need more oil than this). When it's hot, dump the bowl of salmon, including the sauce, into the pan. Stir occasionally (too much and you run the risk of smashing your fish), until salmon is opaque inside and starts to brown. Remove from heat, serve hot. Serve with green onions on top.

Crock Pot Mexican Lasagna

Who doesn't love crockpot dinners? Or lasagna? Or Mexican food? OK, maybe there are some weirdos out there, but for all you cool people, here's an awesome recipe. It's based on a Saving Dinner recipe. I put it together in the evening and stuck it in the fridge with the lid on, then pulled it out the next morning before work and turned it on. 

Crock Pot Mexican Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. oil
1/4 c. (or 1 packet) taco seasoning, plus water per directions
1 can (or about 2 c. homemade) enchilada sauce
1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. salsa
2 packed cups spinach, or 1 package frozen
2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. grated cheese (you can reduce this easily if you are not down with gooey-ooey yumminess)
1 package (10) corn tortillas
oil to fry tortillas in

In a medium fry pan, heat 1 T. of oil over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion and sautee until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Add the taco seasoning and water and stir, simmer per package instructions (about 5 minutes).

While the meat cooks, mix together the enchilada sauce, beans, tomatoes, and salsa in a bowl.

Fry the tortillas in a small fry pan with a thin coating of oil. Place on a plate with a paper towel to drain.

Pam or oil your crockpot. Put about 1/3 of the tomato mixture in the bottom, spread evenly. Spread three of the tortillas out. Add all the meat in an even layer, then 1 cup of cottage cheese (again, evenly), then 1/2 c. of cheese.

Put another third of the sauce on top of this layer. Then three more tortillas, and then the last cup of cottage cheese. Add another 1/2 c. of cheese.

Add the remaining four tortillas, then the last of the tomato mixture, and finally the last cup of delicious, yummy cheese. Cook on low for 8 hours.

If you are in a time crunch, you can easily substitute tortilla chips, crunched up, for the tortilla layers. I would decrease the amount of taco seasoning you use if you do this, so you don't shrivel your tongue up from salt overload.