Chelle's "Healthy-ish" Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I just recently noticed that this blog does not have our family's enchilada recipe on it!  This is the way my sister Chelle taught me how to make enchilada's.  I know that cooking with Cream of Whatever soup is frowned upon these days, I just can't deny the simplicity and comfort level that this recipe gives.  When I took down the recipe from my sis, I wrote that they were "healthy" enchilada's, now I'm not sure they quite qualify for that category,  but they are a lighter version than some people use.  Hope you enjoy.

3-4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 c reduced fat sour cream
4 green onions chopped
1 can diced green chili's
jack cheese
flour tortillas
1 big can your favorite enchilada sauce (you might need one and a half cans if you are doing two dishes)

Preheat  oven to 375 degrees

Cook and shred chicken breasts.
Stir chicken, yogurt, sour cream, green onions, chili's, and soup together.
Get out 9x13 or two 8x8 pans and coat with cooking spray
Pour enough enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan to coat the bottom.
Spoon mixture into enchilada size tortillas and top with a few healthy pinches of cheese. Lay side by side in dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and more cheese please.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes.

You can garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced olives if desired.

I like to split the recipe and make one for now and one for the freezer.  I get about 10-12 enchilada's out of this recipe.

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken

So this was a recipe that I found on pinterest and it's from this woman's website Goddess of Scrumptiousness. I tried it out and WOW is it ever good. Right now is the time when I'm trying to dream up ways to eat all my delicious sun sugar tomatoes and this recipe was perfect.  My husband is not a fan of tomatoes and he commented that it would also be amazing with broccoli or asparagus.  Will do!  I will be making this again and again. It was easy and the flavors were fresh and family friendly.  I definite keeper!

Photo courtesy of her website....

Ingredients:

500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)

1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)

Juice of 1  lemon

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

-  Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).

-  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:

½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups chicken stock

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

-  Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.

-  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.

-  Add the flour and cook for a minute.

-  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.

-  Season with salt and pepper.

-  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this sauce.

-  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

Makes 5-6 servings

Island Mango Chicken

 This is in our rotation at our house. It is a kid and adult pleaser. I love the easy factor as well as it's a great way to use up that big bottle of Mango Peach Salsa that I love to buy at Costco. I got this recipe off the the Sisters Cafe website. They have great stuff!
 3-4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 can corn,
drained 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 cups mango salsa (depending on how much chicken you are using)
 Cumin to taste
 Lemon Pepper to taste

 Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl. Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.
 I serve this dish with Jasmine rice I have made with half water half coconut milk. It gives it that extra island flavor! Garnish with cilantro or parsely, if desired.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

 ~ from Gourmet magazine, adapted by Kimberley Stewart

 The perfect summer cheesecake!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

For the crust

        Grind in a blender:

• Generous 2 Cups graham crackers (about 1-1/2 to 2 packages.  I use low-fat)
• 1 C slivered, blanched almonds

        Pour into a bowl and mix in:

• 1/4 to 1/2 C melted butter – enough to moisten the crumbs so they stick together
• 3 Tbls sugar (optional)

        Wrap a 10” cheesecake pan in tinfoil (bottom and sides). Press the crumbs into the pan, going 2/3 up the sides.  Be sure to make the bottom is smooth and even.   

       Sprinkle:

• 1 C white chocolate chips or chunks, evenly distributed over the bottom crust
• 1 pt. raspberries, evenly distributed over the bottom crust

        Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.

For the filling

        Cream together:

• Four 8 oz packages of cream cheese (can use 2 packages Neufchatel), beat until creamy
• 4 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks added one at a time, mix well
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbl all purpose flour

        Melt:

• 8 oz fine white chocolate

Melt in the microwave or over boiling water on the stove.  Melt very slowly and stir often so the chocolate does not clump.  When the chocolate is melted and smooth, pour it into the cream cheese mixture, while stirring.

When batter is incorporated, pour slowly into the baked crust, so the chocolate pieces and raspberries stay in place.

Slide the cheesecake into the oven and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour-20 minutes.  The top will be very jiggly, but should be firm to the touch. 

Remove from oven and cool completely (I bake this at night and let it cool overnight on the counter.)  When cool, cover loosely with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge at least 6 hours.  Remove when ready to serve.

Dish a slice onto a place, and serve with three raspberries on the side.

Nearly Guilt Free Chocolate Muffins

Nearly Guilt Free Chocolate Muffins This is so easy, we have been making these a lot. I like them because they have the vitamin A and fiber from the flax and pumpkin and the chocolate that my kids love. We have made these a lot so far this summer because they are easy to grab and go. I had heard of making these with spice cake mix, but never the devil's food. It's been a new favorite around here. 1 box devils food 1 16 oz pumpkin puree 1/2 c flax meal 1 c mini chocolate chips Mix cake mix and pumpkin together with a hand mixer or kitchen aid...mixture will be thick. Add chocolate chips last. Spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Roast Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Dinner

If you are a fan of ordering the famed Spinach and Artichoke Dip when you go out to eat, here is the meal for you. Although it's not the healthiest meal I've ever made, it's really not to bad with the light mayo and is great paired with a salad! We tried this meal recently and everyone in the house gobbled it up. Roast Chicken Artichoke Pasta 1 lb roast chicken, chopped 24 oz. artichoke hearts, cooked, drained, quartered 1 lb. penne, cooked and drained 2 c spinach (optional) 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/2 cups Parmesan, grated (to taste) 1/2 cups, olive oil or light mayonnaise 4 oz light cream cheese Splash of milk if needed to thin out sauce Juice from 1 lemon Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped Cook pasta according to directions on package. If you want to add spinach, toss fresh spinach in the boiling pasta water the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and toss with all other ingredients. Serve warm!

Ham Loaf

I can not believe that this family classic is just now making it's debut on the food blog. This is an Easter meal in our family that I have fond memories of. I hate to even post a picture because this is for sure the ugly step child of main dishes. The trickiest part of this recipe is getting the nerve to ask the butcher to grind your ham and you may get a dirty look or two because they have to clean the machine before and after to do this, but for this Stewart family classic it is worth it. My kids ate this meal for the first time and they all loved it's sweetness and texture. It's a great meal and really takes ham to a whole other level!!

Loaf Mixture

1 lbs ground ham
3/4 lbs ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup cracker crumbs (crushed saltines)
1/2 c milk

Purchase you meats at the store, you should be able to buy ground pork in the meat case, and the ham you will purchase in a small ham "roast", then have the butcher put it through the grinder like I talked about. Tip... go to a "customer friendly" grocer. You will have better luck at a high end grocery store then you will asking them to do this at Walmart.
Mix all ingredients together and shape into loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Poke holes in meat with a skewer to allow glaze to distribute in the meat. Set aside while you make the glaze.

Glaze Mixture
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c vinegar
2 t prepared mustard (Dijon)
1/2 c water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in small saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Pour mixture over meat.
Cook in loaf pan 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mustard Sauce
(Make earlier in the day)
1 beaten egg
6 T vinegar
1 T flour
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 T water

Heat ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Heat and Stir until thickens. Take off of heat pour into small bow and cool completely in the refrigerator.
Then fold in
1 c !!Whipped!!! Whipping cream
2 T sugar

Refrigerate mixture until ready to serve as a dollop on top or to the side of ham loaf.