I made this with the Chicken Egg Rolls last night and served it over brown rice...Yum!!

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli from EmilyBites.com

Toss out your takeout menus! This is the best tasting Chinese food I have ever made at home, not to mention the easiest. It even tastes better than any beef & broccoli I’ve ever eaten out of a white paperboard pail. The brown sugar and the garlic and the sesame oil and the soy sauce all mix together to make the most delectable sauce, and the beef and broccoli cooked to perfection in the slow cooker.

This recipe only takes 4 ½ hours total to cook, so it makes a great weekend recipe. If you work an 8+ hour day during the week like I do and can’t let this cook while you’re gone, you can also always cook it in the evening and refrigerate to serve the next day. My favorite part about using a slow cooker is just being able to toss the ingredients in and walk away, and this worked perfectly. I let the recipe start cooking a little after lunch time today, went to the gym, did some cleaning and errands, read for a while, got some other things done, and when it was dinner time, voila! It was already waiting.

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli
Source: Table for Two

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked lean & trimmed boneless top round roast of beef, sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces (I bought it pre-sliced thin into cutlets at Wegmans and then just had to cut it into pieces)
1 cup fat free beef broth
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T sesame oil (found by the other Asian products)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T cornstarch
2 cups frozen broccoli florets/pieces, unthawed

Directions:
1. Combine the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic in your slow cooker and stir together to combine. Add the uncooked beef pieces and mix until the beef is covered by the liquid.
2. Turn crock pot temperature to low and cover. Cook for 4 hours (the original recipe says 6 but my beef was perfect after 4 hours, so check to see if yours is done at 4 and if not you can add more time) until the beef is cooked through.
3. Remove 4 tablespoons of the liquid from your slow cooker to a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Once combined, add the cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and mix in thoroughly. Add the frozen broccoli and stir in. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook on low for another half hour.

Yields 4 (1 cup) servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 8 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 305 calories, 20 g carbs, 11 g fat, 29 g protein, 1 g fiber

Chicken Egg Rolls (Baked Not Fried)

So I've decided that I am going to blog when I can but not put the pressure on myself to blog every recipe...I made these Baked Chicken Eggrolls from EmilyBites.com last night and they were delicious.

 

Chicken Egg Rolls

Chicken Egg Rolls
Source: adapted from Just a Taste

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (I shred it on my box grater)
1 lb ground chicken breast (if you can’t find breast meat only in ground then you can buy a pound of chicken breasts and toss them in your food processor for instant ground chicken breast meat!)
1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
¼ cup finely shredded carrots
¼ cup chopped bean sprouts
1 cup finely chopped shitake mushrooms
3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce (found by the other Asian sauces in your grocery store)
14 egg roll wrappers (these are larger than wonton wrappers and different than spring roll wrappers)

Serving suggestion: Serve these with your favorite egg roll dipping sauce! I recommend Duck sauce, Sweet Chili sauce or Hoisin sauce. Dipping sauce not included in nutritional information below.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or sauté pan, bring the sesame and olive oils to medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the ground chicken and break it up small with a spoon until cooked through. Add the mushrooms, carrots and bean sprouts and cook for another 1-3 minutes until the mushrooms are just wilted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cabbage, scallions and Hoisin sauce. Stir together until thoroughly combined and let cool for 5 minutes or so.
4. Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and put ¼ cup of the chicken mixture on the center of the wrapper. Spread the mixture in a horizontal line from the left corner to the right corner of the wonton wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled egg roll over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped egg roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
5. When all of the egg rolls are wrapped and on the baking sheets, mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 14-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Yields 14 egg rolls. WW P+: 3 per egg roll (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per egg roll from myfitnesspal.com: 113 calories, 15 g carbs, 2 g fat, 10 g protein, 1 g fiber

 

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Recipe 32: Chicken Marsala

Recipe courtesy of weightwatchers.com.....

This recipe was surprisingly easy, healthy and super good. I went on a search for a new chicken teriyaki recipe with less sugar and stumbled across this tasty meal.



I would truly recommend you try it. I followed the instructions and portions very carefully since I am tracking my meals but I am sure that if you wanted you could make variations.

I am currently unable to paste this recipe via blogspot. Please email me at alicia.maxine@gmail.com to request this recipe be emailed to you directly. I am hoping that resolution to this issue is coming in the near future.

Thanks for following me on my cooking journey.

Recipe 31: Braised Short Ribs

I have been wanting to make these since I saw the episode of "Secrets of A Restaurant Chef" on Food Network but I was waiting for the short ribs to go on sale since they were something I had not made orbought before.

After searching for about a month, I finally realized that this cut of meat doesnt go on sale very often and since I have a small family, I cut the recipe in half and only needed a small pack so I splurged for Sunday dinner and bought them.

This recipe although it has a lot of ingredients is very easy to follow and my husband LOVED this dinner. He said it was one of his favorites.

Braised Short Ribs
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time:
3 hr 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients
6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups water
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

Directions
Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.
Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

Recipe 30: Turkey Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are one thing I know that Lil Harrison likes so when I came across a Ground Turkey recipe that was from scratch instead of using the high sodium packet, I had to try it out.

They were really good. My husband said that he prefers the packet ones I made previously but they were very flavorful. One thing he knows though is that I am always going to try to make any recipe healthier for us and he respects that and doesn't complain too much.

Turkey Sloppy Joes
Courtesy of allrecipes.com
Submitted By: Sue Ann O'Buck
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup no-salt-added ketchup
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion for 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink. Add the next seven ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on buns.

Recipe 29: Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie!

I am not a Chicken Pot Pie fan but my husband loves it so I have been looking for a lower calorie recipe that doesn't make too many servings and thanks to Rachel Ray, I found it!!! He loved it and rated it a 5!

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie!

Courtesy of Rachel Ray
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
3 small onions, 2 cut in half, 1 chopped, divided
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 pound button mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
5 to 6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup frozen peas
1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place chicken, whole onion half and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken has cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Reserve about 1 cup (a mugful) of the cooking liquid and then discard the remaining.

While chicken cools, place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery and parsnips to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, remove the chicken breast meat from the bones and shred.

When the veggies are tender, scoot them over to the side of the pan and add the butter to the center of the pot. Once butter has melted, add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in white wine, milk, chicken stock and reserved poaching liquid. Bring up to a simmer then add the tarragon, Dijon, peas and shredded chicken. Bring back up to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a casserole dish and cover with the pastry dough, trimming it as needed to cover the entire surface. Make a few slits in the dough to allow steam to escape, then brush the top with the beaten egg.

Bake the pot pie until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Recipes 27 and 28: Apple & Sage Pork Chops and an Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

Another rated 5 dinner by my husband and I. The pork chops were served with a simple spinach salad topped with the dressing recipe below....Enjoy!

I am always looking for new things when I go grocery shopping and love to come upon new things "On Sale". The spice people, "McCormick" recently came out with a new line called "Recipe Inspirations". This new line is a Pre-measured Spice Pack and Recipe Card and its very convenient and cost effective because you don't necessarily have to purchase new spices every time you want to make a new recipe. My spice collection is vastly growing as are my potted herbs. It is really fun to try new flavors and tasts. I would encourage you to try this recipe whether you have all of the spices already and go from the recipe below or if you go to the grocery store and pick up the packet. The packet itself has been on sale at both Lucky's and Safeway the last few weeks.

Apple and Sage Pork Chops
Recipe Courtesy of McCormick & Co., Inc.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 tsp. Thyme Leaves
1/2 tsp. Ground Allspice
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick( about 1 1/4lbs.)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinkly sliced
2 red apples, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Directions
1. Mix flour, all of spices and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with 1 tbsp of the seasoned flour.

2. Cook pork chops in hot oil in large skillet on medium- high heat until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender. Add apples; cook and stir 2 minutes.

3. Stir in juice, sugar and remaining seasoned flour until well mixed. Return pork chops to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until done.

***Variations***
I used bone in pork chops (still around 1 1/4 pounds total) because my husband and I prefer this cut.

APPLE VINAIGRETTE SALAD DRESSING
provided by Michigan Apples
Makes about 6 2-tablespoon servings
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Paprika, salt, and pepper (optional)

1. Combine apple juice, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and spices (if desired) in a covered jar. Shake to mix well.2. Serve over fresh greens or pasta salad.

Nutrition Information per serving:Calories 95 Calories from Fat 81Total Fat 9.0 gSaturated Fat 1.6 gCholesterol 0 mgSodium 0 mgTotal Carbohydrate 4 gDietary Fiber 0 gSugar 3 gProtein 0 gVitamin A 0 REVitamin C 2 mgCalcium 1 mgIron 0 mg