Saturday, November 30, 2013

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Baked flautas stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese are crispy, but don’t have the greasiness of fried versions. To shred poached chicken easily, put it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium for 45 seconds. Store-bought rotisserie chicken can be substituted for the poached chicken to save time. You might also like Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos.
Author: 
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (about 4)
  • 16 ounces Beer (or chicken broth)
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • Jalapeno Pepper, minced
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
  • 5 burrito-size Flour Tortillas (9 inches)
  • 6 ounces Queso Quesadilla or other melting cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
  • Salsa, for serving
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
  2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
  3. Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
  4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 181 Fat: 9 Carbohydrates: 6.3 Fiber: 1.2 Protein: 18.5

Monday, November 11, 2013

Baked oatmeal with pumpkin and bananas:





Baked Oatmeal with Pumpkin and Bananas
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 6 pts 
Calories: 226 • Fat: 6 g • Carb: 41 g • Fiber: 4.6 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 23 g
Sodium: 77 mg  (without salt)



Ingredients:

  • 3 medium ripe bananas, (the riper the better) sliced into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 cup uncooked quick oats
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup fat free milk (or any milk you desire)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Lightly spray a 8 x 8" or 9 x 9" ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.


Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the ceramic dish. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon, honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until the bananas get soft. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt; stir together.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Remove the bananas from the oven, then pour the oat mixture over the bananas.

Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the the top.

Bake the oatmeal for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven.

SOURCE:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/11/baked-oatmeal-with-pumpkin-and-bananas.html

Spaghetti with creamy butternut leek sauce:


Something magical happens to pasta when you combine it with a creamy butternut squash puree, a little Parmigiano Reggiano, leeks, garlic and sage.


I found this out by accident.

This started from a mistake, a butternut squash puree that was far too thin and liquidy.  A very HAPPY mistake!

This is an awesome blender!!

Sauteed leeks and a good quality cheese make this simple savory pasta dish a HUGE success, even if you're not a fan of butternut squash. You'll swear this is full of cream and butter... but it's not. This is perfect for Meatless Mondays, or any night of the week.


It's super easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is very filling. To speed this up, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash. I was craving a thick spaghetti, but any pasta shape would work. Whole wheat of gluten-free pasta would also be great! My family isn't a fan of whole wheat, so I use Ronzoni Smart Taste or Dreamfield's low carb pasta.




Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4  Size: 1/4th of recipe  Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7
Calories: 266 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carb: 56 g • Fiber: 9 g • Protein: 9.5 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 97 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp light butter
  • 8 oz spaghetti of your choice (use brow rice pasta for gluten-free)
  • 1 (1 cup) large leek (white part only)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese
  • 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.



Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter, sauté the leeks and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated.


Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side.

Source:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/10/spaghetti-with-creamy-butternut-leek.html