Light Bites - Chicken with Roasted Apples and Garlic

Score for another Light Bites recipe.  I found this recipe super easy and delicious!  I really liked the mix of spices.  I did change a few things I didn't have chicken thighs but I do have lots of breasts.  I think thighs would have made the chicken a little more tender due to that extra fat but I enjoyed it this way and loved the calorie reduction.  Check out Pam's blog for more info on the awesome Light Bites group.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

5 cups chopped peeled Braeburn apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage - I used 1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Cooking spray
8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions


Preheat oven to 475°.
Combine first 5 ingredients. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat. Spread apple mixture on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, and arrange on top of the apple mixture. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done and apple is tender. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.   Partially mash apple mixture with a potato masher, and serve with chicken. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Light Bites - Spinach, Carmalized Onion and Bacon Pizza

Yeah for Light Bites!  I love this group and how it motivates me to cook something other than freezer meals.  Come and join us.

This pizza was delicious!  I am a big fan of pizza without tomato sauce so I knew I would love it.  Mike was so impressed with it.  He loved the way it looked and tasted.  Now the girls.....they didn't really eat it.  Ally picked the bacon off, then took the rest of the toppings off and licked the white sauce.  Kids are so weird.

I decided to use a different crust recipe.  I just made a whole wheat crust and used my bread machine to do all the work.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

Dough
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp of warm water
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
Topping
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced onion
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

 
Directions
Put dough ingredients in to the bread machine according to directions.

To prepare topping, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Set bacon aside. Add spinach to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until wilted. Place spinach in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Add onion and 2 teaspoons sugar to pan; cook 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 3 tablespoons flour and pepper, stirring with a whisk; cook 30 seconds. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Preheat oven to 475º.
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray adn sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Spread milk mixture evenly over dough; top with spinach and onion.

Bake at 475° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with bacon and cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown. Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

Light Bites - Beef and Beer Chili

I took some great pictures...but for some reason the pictures were corrupt.  Grrr....

Yeah for another Light Bites recipe.  Come and join us, we need more people!

Anyways, this was a delicious chili, I loved the addition of cumin!  I made some pretty big changes and I think it made it healthier.  I used ground turkey, liquid sugar twin and well...I didn't use any beer.  I am cheap and I didn't want to buy one bottle of beer for a meal and also I thought the chances of my kids eating the meal with the beer taste was slim to none.  They barely ate it as it was.  I found this chili to be more soupy than I normally like but the flavour was great.  I highly reccomend it.

Ingredients
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
8 ounces extralean ground beef - I used turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar - I used liquid sugar twin
1/2 teaspoon salt - I rarely add salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser)
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.

Light Bites - Falafel Pitas with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

I love the Light Bites group because it forces me to cook and put things on my blog amidst the chaos in my life.  This week's pick was mine!  I don't know why I picked it but I am so glad that I did!  It was incredibly easy and nutritious.  The girls didn't eat it but they don't eat anything that isn't macaroni or peanut butter these days.  I am excited for the left overs.  If you are wondering why my falafel isn't inside the pita well....because I buy them from Costco and freeze them four at a time.  The reason I am sharing this with you is because I discovered a new way to thaw the pitas so that they are soft.  I used to throw them in the microwave and they would be hard, dry and just break.  I have recently gotten a steamer and I am slowly learning how to steam.  So I threw the pitas in the steamer and they came out almost perfect, soft and warm.  They would have been perfect if I could have opened them.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces (I used bread crumbs)
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, split
1/2 cup Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Directions
Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended (mixture will be wet).
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chickpea mixture per patty into pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Line each pita half with 1/4 cup arugula, add 1 patty to each pita half, and spoon 2 tablespoons Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing into each pita half.


Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Light Bites - Garlic Fries

I am so excited that the Light Bites group is back and you should join us.  I love this group so much because it motivates me to actually blog, which is a hobby I love too.

I actually made the fries last week but I got Mike to take the picture on his camera and well....we got busy...kids got sick...and now I am late posting!  Grrrrr.... Oh well.

I am not a big potato fan and I only buy potatos when I actually have a purpose for them.  I had some baby potatoes in the cupboard so I decided to pull out my mandolin and make match stick fries.  I love this recipe!  The fries were delicious.  I liked the addition of the cheese, it made them just that much better.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

4 teaspoons canola oil (I used olive)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.
Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet, and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to pan; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Light Bites - Green Chile Chicken Casserole

I am just getting my Light Bites recipe in just under the wire! I made this last Sunday with the intention of pre-blogging it but this week just disapeared. I tested this on my friend and her three kids and thankfully they loved it! I seem to always end up testing recipes on her family. When I first saw this recipe I wasn't sure if it would be good or not; it seemed too creamy and should be tomato-y. I actually really like the creaminess and the flavour. I rarely cook with green chillies and I wasn't sure how spicy it was going to be but next time I would add some taco seasoning for more flavour. I also didn't use shredded chicken because in my opinion that is way to much prep work for a casserole. I used ground turkey instead and added some fresh peppers. I also really liked how the tortillas turned out, they didn't get soggy like bread and the texture was similar to pasta.

So another winner for the Light Bites group!

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light


1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Light Bites - Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole



Courtesy of Bright Idea Photo



I was very excited about this recipe because I am trying to keep my freezer stocked with casseroles.  I am so fortunate because after having Georgia many of my friends brought a fresh or frozen meal.  It is one of the best gifts you can give a veteran mom.  I love that on days that no one gets dressed or everyone is melting down (me included) that I have delicious food in the freezer and that is a huge load off of my shoulders because then I know we got a least one healthy meal.  This is another great recipe from the Light Bites group and I am so excited to see our group growing.  Mike loved this recipe and has requested that I remember it and make it often.  Ally and Zoe also really liked it.  So this was a hit!  I did make some changes; I used chicken breasts, added spinach, sundried tomatoes and spiced with basil, oregano, and chili peppers.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (3 1/2-ounce) bags boil-in-bag brown rice about one cup regular brown rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Remove rice from bags; add to pan. Sauté 30 seconds. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon rice mixture in an even layer into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer over rice mixture; sprinkle evenly with thyme and salt. Combine broth and cream, stirring well; pour over chicken and rice mixture.

4. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

Light Bites - Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pilau

This week's recipe was my choice.  I chose the recipe because I was intrigued by a 'pilau' it sounded very fancy and I am trying to make more dishes with squash and sweet potato/yams.  What is a sweet potato to you?  To me it is white and yams are orange, it seems like these two vegetables both go by sweet potato and it confuses me.  For this recipe I chose yams sweet potato because of their color to go with the pumpkin. 

 I didn't actually look at the directions before choosing the recipe.  It is a lot of work!  I am so glad that my mother-in-law had Ally and Zoe at her house because I don't think I could have made this with them here.  When I sat down to actually read the recipe, I was very scared.  I had never used fresh pumpkin and cutting it up seemed really difficult.  It actually wasn't that bad but it was more difficult for me because I had to break up the steps between nursing Georgia.  The best part is that it does taste delicious and makes all that hard work worth it.  And I am not even a huge rice fan.  So if you have fresh pumpkin and and afternoon to cook, I highly recommend this recipe!

I did make a few changes like using yams and I added some sliced almonds for a bit of crunch.  I also used jasmine rice because I have a ton of it and no brown rice.

Check out the group page here and I highly suggest you join us, it is tons of fun!

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled fresh pumpkin (about 12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 medium)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion (1 small)
1/3 cup diced celery (about 1 rib)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup brown rice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange pumpkin and sweet potato in an even layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until tender and just until vegetables begin to brown, stirring after 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth and remaining ingredients to onion mixture, stirring to combine; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until rice is done and liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Add pumpkin mixture; stir gently to combine.

Light Bites - Potato Kale Soup

Courtesy of Bright Idea Photo

This is not an official Light Bites Group Recipe but it has been sitting in my drafts for awhile now so I thought I would upload it.
My sister-in-law loves to garden and grows a wonderful garden every year. I don't get many of the produce but she did give me some kale. I am starting to really fall in love with kale. I also really love soup. I think I could be happy to eat soup every day and maybe for every meal. Unfortunately or fortunately for me no one else likes soup as much as I do. I love to make a big pot of soup and when I do I think of my Great-Grandma Rose, she had a great gift of making wonderful soups out of leftovers. I didn't add any cheese to this because my intention was to freeze most of it right away.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light



2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
7 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 cups coarsely chopped peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
6 cups chopped fresh kale (about 3/4 pound)
1 teaspoon dried basil
9 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, potato, salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.
Stir in kale and basil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher until thick and chunky. Top with cheese

Light Bites - Sausage and Bean Casserole

I was so excited when I saw that this was one of the recipes for the Light Bites Group. I actually made this in September because I was trying to fill my freezer and pre-blog as much as I could before the baby came. This was really good! Mike loved it! I did find it a bit dry so I think next time I would add more liquid. This does make a lot so be prepared for leftovers.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 (16-ounce) package light smoked turkey sausage (such as Hillshire Farm), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and turkey sausage to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, tomato paste, dried thyme, freshly ground black pepper, cannellini beans, and bay leaf. Add ground red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over bean mixture, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Light Bites - Buttered Sweet Potato Rolls

Another great Light Bites recipe, I have been having lots of fun with my group blogging.  I somehow managed to make these for Thanksgiving.  I am pretty proud of myself that I did with my new baby being only 5 days old.  Truthfully, Ally was at Grandma's and the two little ones were napping, so I cheated.  I found these easy to bake even though I did not knot them, I was running out of time.  I have a problem with buns because I always forget how long they are going to take when you factor in the rising time.  These are delicious but I can't taste the sweet potato.  Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner loved them and they were a perfect compliment to the squash soup my Mom made.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm 2% reduced-fat milk (100° to 110°)
3/4 cup canned mashed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 cups bread flour, divided
Cooking spray

Directions

Dissolve yeast in milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, and egg yolks, stirring mixture with a whisk.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 4 1/2 cups flour; stir until a soft dough forms.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel very soft and tacky).


Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes.



Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 24 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), shape each portion into a 9-inch rope. Carefully shape rope into a knot; tuck top end of knot under roll. Place roll on a prepared pan.



Repeat procedure with remaining dough, placing 12 rolls on each pan. Lightly coat rolls with cooking spray; cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.



Preheat oven to 400°.



Uncover rolls. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes with 1 pan on bottom rack and 1 pan on second rack from top. Rotate pans; bake an additional 7 minutes or until rolls are golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped.

Remove rolls from pans; place on wire racks. Brush rolls with 2 tablespoons butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Light Bites - Chicken with cider and bacon sauce

This doesn't really photograph well but it was delicious! I made this when my friend was over with her three kids and everybody loved it! I had a heck of a time finding unsweetened apple cider so after reading the reviews I decided that it couldn't hurt too much just to use the powdered stuff. It didn't hurt at all and maybe the extra sugar made it even better. I did leave the chicken in when I was making the sauce and I think that really helped give the chicken even more flavour.

Ingredients
adapted from Cooking Light

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
3/4 cup unsweetened apple cider
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Directions
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add cider and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in cooked bacon; serve sauce over chicken.

Light Bites - Tuscan Bean Soup

This week was my pick for the Light Bites Group. I picked this soup because it sounded interesting and healthy. I also wanted something I could put in the freezer and eat after baby #3 came. And this soup is packed with protein so a perfect baby moon food. I didn't know what to expect I am not a huge fan of bean soups, if I had my pick I would eat cream soups all the time. But I love soup and it breaks my heart that I am the only one in the family that loves soup. I let this soup simmer for a couple of hours on the stove and I kept tasting it and it was fairly bland but I resisted the temptation to add any more spice because I knew the balsamic vinegar at the end would either make it or break it. The balsamic tops it off so well and then the parmesan! Wow! It was delicious. I ended up changing this recipe a fair bit, not on purpose but out of lack of options and poor reading. I sent Mike to the store to get some canned chickpeas, he could only find a chickpea and fava bean combo so I thought, "Why not?" And then as I was opening the cans to make the soup, the can that I had in the pantry that I thought was chickpeas actually turned out to be lentils. So this in now a 3 bean Tuscan Soup. Enjoy!


Ingredients
Adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups finely chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained or a mixture of fava beans and lentils
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
Spray a large soup pot with pam quite liberally. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.