Soy Glazed Salmon

Soy Glazed Salmon
Makes 2 Servings
Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com

1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice from ½ lemon)
½ tbsp dry white wine (or water)
8 oz. salmon, skin removed
½ cup basmati rice, dry
optional topping: sesame seeds

Cook rice per package instructions on stove. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir sugar, oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and wine until sugar has dissolved. Spray nonstick cooking spray in square baking dish. Add fish in a single layer. Pour glaze over fish and turn to coat evenly. Bake until fish is opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over basmati, spooning remaining glaze on top as a sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Nutritional Information: 401 calories, 43 carbs, 14 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: The glaze was very tasty, and it made plenty to allow for the sauce to give the rice flavor. I liked how easy this was, too – I had all of the ingredients on hand! I did use wine, only because I happened to have a bottle open already, but I feel certain it would be fine with water instead like the recipe suggested as an alternative. I will definitely have this again, and think it would be great with other grains, too, like couscous or quinoa, or with an Asian-inspired salad!

Classic Tomato Soup

Classic Tomato Soup Recipe 
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café
Makes 6 Servings

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons light butter
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a colander set over a large bowl, drain canned tomatoes, pressing lightly to release juices. Transfer tomato juice to a large measuring cup and add chicken broth. The mixture should measure 3 1/2 cups. Set liquid and tomatoes aside. In pot, melt butter in a 4-5-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it is softened, 5 minutes. Add 2/3 of tomatoes, the bay leaf and brown sugar. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, the tomatoes are sizzling and fragrant. The mixture will be very thick. Stir in tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to darken, 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in reserved tomato juice/broth mixture, the remaining tomatoes, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Puree soup in batches (in a blender) Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information: 203 calories, 23 carbs, 11 fat grams and 4 protein grams.

Review: LOVED - had so much flavor and tasted 'restaurant' to me. The cream probably did it. Very healthy servings, and with the calories being where they are you have room to add a 200-calorie grilled cheese to it. PERFECT cold-weather food or in my case, pregnant food - this baby loves some tomato soup! Great classic i'll be making again and again. I bet it freezes good, too - yum!

Skinny General Tso’s Chicken

Skinny General Tso’s Chicken
Adapted from Coup De Pouce Magazine (as seen on Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, who saw it on La Table de Nana)
Makes 4 Servings

1/3 cup light brown sugar (5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
6-8 green onions chopped, plus more for serving
3 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1/4 tsp each hot pepper flakes and sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup basmati rice, dry

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and water. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Cook the chicken in the olive oil until browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Using a paper towel, wipe skillet clean. Add sesame oil, green onions and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. Add chicken back into the skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (if desired).

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 65 carbs, 6 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Okay - yes, it's a bit high carb, but it made that thick, textured sauce you find in those little white square to-go boxes. Awesome. Plenty of sauce that went a long way - you could easily add your favorite Asain veggies - enough sauce to go around. I liked the extra breading, too - a little bit of cornstarch goes such a long way - good stuff! A new household favorite for sure - but next time i'll make sure to save some green onions for garnish - oopsie!

Coconut Curry Soup

Coconut Curry Soup
Recipe adapted by Mel’s Kitchen Café
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts, diced
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
1 tsp light brown sugar
½ tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 cup basmati rice (dry), cooked

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions and peppers are slightly softened. (The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.) Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 43 carbs, 12 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: This one was a major win for us! I loved the flavor, loved the basmati rice and am a huge fan of anything with coconut milk and curry powder - yum! The cilantro was great too and I liked how much color this dish had with the red pepper. It was a nice consistency - almost like a soupier curry with a pretty this sauce, but the rice helped thicken it up. We will definitely make this again - no changes!

a spoonful from the bottom - yummy basmati rice!

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn

Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Makes 6 Servings

1 tbsp canola oil
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 onion, minced
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 14-oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 11-oz. can corn, drained
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 oz. Cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add beef, onion, chili powder, coriander and salt. Cook beef until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat or grease. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer until macaroni is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover and let it sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 357 calories, 43 carbs, 8 fat grams and 27 protein grams.

Review: Wonderful! I liked that it's lower calorie but still filling, and the macaroni came out great. I love recipes that cook the macaroni for me - nice! I will say that I had to add a bit of salt to mine, and next time I might add some hot sauce to the mix to give it a little more heat. It had flavor, but I like mine a bit more spicy. Regardless, this one was a winner, and I love that it makes 6 servings and only takes 25 minutes tops, including prep!

In the skillet!

Classic Red Chili

Classic Red Chili
Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Café
Makes 10 servings

2 medium onions, diced
2 tsp salt
2 pounds 96/4 ground beef
3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained
2 46 oz. can tomato juice
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar

Brown the hamburger and onion in a large skillet with salt. Drain grease. In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup water with the garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and brown sugar. In a large pot, combine tomato juice, beans, tomato sauce, and ketchup. Stir in hamburger and onions and seasoning/water mixture. Mix well. Stir in bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally (this can simmer for as long as 4-5 hours).

Nutritional Information: 423 calories, 55 carbs, 7 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: I actually didn’t follow the directions above – I slowcooked the whole thing raw beef and all. However, I wish I had because this BARELY fit in the slowcooker and took forever to cook! Haha So I’d follow the directions above. :) And don’t forget to drain those beans! I forgot to drain the first can so it was a little soupier than I wanted. SO all in all, regardless of my errors, it was STILL good! Hehe I really liked it, less smokey and more sweet. It has a lot of flavor and is definitely filling. I’m going to make this again – but by following the recipe above!

Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup
Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen.
Makes 4 Servings below (or 6 servings if you want to add garlic croutons or a side of bread to take up the calories)

1 lb 96/4 ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 ½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 32-ounce box fat-free chicken broth will reduce next time (note below)
2 14.5- ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
4 oz. mini farfalle pasta, uncooked
¼ cup of parmesan cheese
60 grams shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

In a large Dutch oven, combine beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions in a separate pan. Drain. Add cooked pasta to soup and stir in Parmesan cheese. Top each bowl of soup with shredded mozzarella.

Nutritional Information (for each serving above as 4): 430 calories, 47 carbs, 10 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Loved it! Great flavor and VERY filling. I will say that, for me, it was too soupy for 4 servings (probably great if you did 6 but that would be too low calorie for me). So next time I would cut the chicken broth in HALF to 16 oz. broth. If I did 6 servings, I would add garlic croutons like Real Mom Kitchen suggested to take it up!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Recipe adapted from cooking light
Makes 2 Servings

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder
.75 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. brown sugar
.75 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. cider vinegar
.75 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp olive oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste

In large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil then chicken tenders and continue to cook until browned. Add paprika and chili powder to chicken mixture and cook through. Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the pan. In small bowl combine tomato sauce, ketchup, cider vinegar, garlic powder and brown sugar. Add sauce to chicken and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is warmed through and starts to thicken. Serve on whole wheat bread. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes.

Nutritional Information: 296 calories, 37 carbs, 5 fat grams and 33 protein grams. Without bread: 216 calories, 18 carbs, 4 fat grams and 28 protein grams!

Review: It was yummy and really filling! Next time I’m going to use less tomato sauce and add diced onions! To make it more low carb, I think it would taste good in a low-carb tortilla like La Tortilla Factory – next time I’m def going to wrap mine up.

in the pan

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Tacos

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Tacos

Makes 4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tbsp light brown sugar
1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
½ tsp red pepper flakes
8 6” corn tortillas

Coat crock pot with no stick cooking spray, and add all ingredients but tortillas. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred Chicken with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded. Serve in tacos.

Nutritional information for ¼ of recipe including two tortillas: 339 calories, 49 carbs, 1 fat gram and 30 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED these! Definitely making them again – maybe with more chicken? I don’t know – just to make it a bit more filling. Either way – SO good!! Definitely don't eat these if you're expecting "real tacos" - they taste different but I like it! They're also a bit runny so if you prefer less juice consider straining first or using a slotted spoon to serve.

Lemon Chicken with Cilantro Rice

Adapted from Closet Cooking

Lemon Chicken with Cilantro Rice

Makes 4 Servings

3 tsp bottled lemon juice
2 tablespoon chicken broth
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar
2 tsp honey

1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
16 oz. chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)

1 clove garlic (minced)
4 green onions (chopped)
2 handfuls cilantro (chopped)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl. Place the chicken into mixture and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan. Add ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the chicken reserving the marinade (use a slotted spoon). Saute chicken until cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Add the green onion and cilantro, stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve on rice, and top with sesame seeds. I served it over Aggie's Kitchen Cilantro Rice – a recipe of hers I’ve been wanting to make! Recipe below makes 4 servings.

1 cup Basmati rice, uncooked
2 cups cold water
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil
large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice and water in a large microwavable covered dish. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and garlic to rice. Place in microwave and cook for 18 minutes. Do not take off lid during cooking process. Once it is cooked, fluff rice with a fork and taste for doneness. (If at this time it's not cooked well enough - it should be - just add a small amount of water and cook for a few more minutes) Toss in chopped cilantro, green onions, salt and pepper. Stir.

Nutritional Information: 359 calories, 6 fat grams, 44 carbs and 30 protein grams.

Review: SUCH a delicious meal! Very light but super flavorful. Next time I may make more chicken, or serve it with a soup or something (just to get the calories up closer to 400 or 450).

Bourbon Chicken

Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen

Bourbon Chicken

Makes 2 Servings

10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tsp olive oil
½ garlic clove, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tbsp apple juice
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup water
6 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 cups white rice

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 496 calories, 6 fat grams and 61 carbs.

Review: We LOVED it – tasted very authentic and spicy but sweet. A new favorite fo sho. Yes, it's a little high on carbs! But this could easily be remedied by taking it down to ½ cup rice instead of ¾ cup – and maybe add some veggies. I think it would be nice with a side of broccoli or edamame!