Low Carb Goulash

Low Carb Goulash
Servings: 5

• 1 Pound Ground Beef 80/20 or Turkey
• 1 Yellow Onion, medium
• 2 Teaspoons of Minced Garlic
• 1, 15 Ounce Tomato Sauce canned
• 1, 14.5 Ounce Diced Tomatoes canned
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
• 2 Dried Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 10 Ounces Cabbage shredded
• Cheddar Cheese shredded
• INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large skillet or dutch oven, brown the meat over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks into small pieces. Cook until the meat is cooked through and there's no longer any pink.
• Stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the mixture until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaves, seasoned salt, and black pepper.
•  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves. Stir in the cabbage, and let simmer for about 5 minutes (for more crunchy texture) to 10 minutes (for softer texture).
• As you serve, place as much shredded cheddar on top as you would like. I used about a 1/4 cup per serving.

Pin It Now!

New Years Day Greens

New Years Day Greens

Rendered grease from 4 slices of bacon

1 bag chopped turnip greens

1 bag chopped mustard greens

1 bag chopped collard greens

2 smoked ham hocks

10 cups chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 turnip - cut into 3/4” chunks

Heat bacon grease in the bottom of a large stock pot - when hot, add one bag of the greens and cook until wilted.  Add the next bags of greens and wilt.  Add the final bag of greens - by this point, you may need to go ahead and add the cover to help wilt the greens.  Once wilted, add your broth and 2 ham hocks.  Bring the greens to a boil and then turn down the heat to med-low and simmer for 4 hours minimum.  Serve piping hot with cornbread and hot pepper sauce.

Pin It Now!

Chicken Patties

Chicken Patties
Makes about 15 patties or muffins

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts** (read note below)
1 Medium Carrot
1 Medium Zucchini
Chives
2 cups Texmati or Basmati Rice
2 Eggs
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

*Preheat your oven to about 375 degrees

1) Finely grate the carrot and zucchini in the food processor, then set aside in a bowl
2) Chop the chicken breasts in the food processor until it looks like ground chicken
3) Put the chicken into a large mixing bowl - add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. I eyeballed this part, but I'd say 1-2 tsp of each depending on your personal tastes. Mix well.
4) Add in the carrot, zucchini, chives, rice, eggs, and Mozzarella and mix well
5) Lightly grease regular muffin tins (Mine made 15) -- using a medium or large cookie scoop -- fill your muffin tins. I put in 2 scoops to with mine which filled the tins 90% full.
6) Bake for about 45 minutes or until the internal temp is about 160 degrees.

** My family of 4 ate 13 muffins between us -- so larger families will need to adjust the recipe accordingly.

John and I had this with a salad for dinner, and the boys had some corn. My roasted veggies would be a great addition for this meal as well. Pin It Now!

Wild Rice Stuffed Pork Chops

 

Wild Rice Stuffed Pork Chops

Adaped From: Betty Crocker.com

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

1 medium green onion, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick (2 1/2 lb)

1/3 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon dry white wine or apple juice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

 

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook celery and onion in butter, stirring frequently, until celery is crisp-tender. Stir in rice, almonds, salt and pepper until well blended.
• Cut a deep pocket horizontally in each pork chop on the meatiest side of the bone. Press about 1/3 cup stuffing into each pocket. Secure openings with toothpicks. In small bowl, mix apricot preserves, wine and cinnamon.
• Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until it reaches 160 degrees internally, brushing occasionally with preserves mixture and turning 2 or 3 times, until pork is tender and slightly pink when cut near bone on the unstuffed sides of chops. Remove toothpicks. Discard any remaining preserves mixture. 
• We served it with the extra wild rice because we only made 2 chops, and a side of sauteed spinach and mushrooms with a little bit of garlic and balsamic vinegar.

Pin It Now!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Makes 4 servings

3 Split Chicken Breasts with the skin

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 Minced Garlic Clove or the equivalent of the jarred kind

1 can of Green Chiles

1 can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes

2-3 Limes

4 cups of Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon of Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil

2 1/4 teaspoons of Wildtree Chiplote Lime Rub

1 teaspoon of Wildtree Taco Seasoning

1-2 teaspoon(s) Kosher Salt

Cilantro (optional)

Toppings: Lime Tortilla Chips, Plain Tortilla Chips, Cubed Avocado, Cliantro

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. I gently lifted the skin off of the chicken to season it. Under the skin I sprinkled some salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the Wildtree Chile Lime Rub replace the skin on the meat - then repeat the same seasonings on the bottom side of the chicken. You can sprinkle some of the Garlic Grapeseed Oil on the chicken before you roast it. Roast for 20 minutes or until the internal temp is 160 degrees. Set it aside to cool. Once it is cooled, discard the skin and bones. Then shred the meat or cut it into cubes.

To start the soup, add 1 tablespoon of the Wildtree Garlic Grapeseed Oil to a large stock pot. Heat it over medium low heat, and add in the onion. Let the onion sautee lightly to get translucent - it'll take about 8 minutes. Add in the can of Garlic, Green Chiles, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken Stock, remaining 1 teaspoon of the Wildtree Chile Lime Rub, Taco Seasoning, Lime juice, 1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and Cilantro if you are using it. We put in 2 halves of the lime into the soup for an extra punch of flavor. Let it all simmer covered for about 30-45 minutes. 

My husband, John, and I served ours differently. My version was the picture at the top -- with Plain Tortilla Chips and Cubed Avocado. John's is to add in Cilantro and Lime Tortilla Chips.

Pin It Now!

Carne Asada Tacos

 Carne Asada Tacos

Adapted from: EMeals

*** This needs 12-24 hours to marinate

2 lbs flat iron steak (flank steak or skirt steak would work too)

1/2 cup white vinegar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

5 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

3 limes

1/2 cup + 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into strips
2-3 avocados, diced
1-2 roma tomatoes, diced
corn tortillas
cilantro (optional)

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, juice of 2 limes, and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a gallon size plastic baggie. Add the meat to the marinade and then let it marinate for 12-24 hours.

Grill or broil for 5-7 minutes per side, and then let it rest. Heat a little bit of butter or oil in a pan and saute onion until it starts to caramelize. Mix avocados, tomatoes, juice of one lime, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and cilantro if desired in a bowl. Slice the steak against the grain.

Assemble the tacos by adding some onion, meat, and a bit of the avocado salad on your corn tortillas. Enjoy! Pin It Now!

Homemade Cheez Its

Cheese Straws


1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper (optional - I've had it both ways) 

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse in 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.

2. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and roll into a square or round shape. If you want squares like are pictured, I just rolled into a free form square and cut with a pizza cutter. I've also made them and used a small biscuit cutter as well. Use ungreased baking sheets to bake. They don't spread out much, so you can crowd a lot onto your pan. You could also use cookie cutters in various shapes to make your cheez its more festive!

3. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until ends are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 30 minutes.Pin It Now!

Chocolate Pecan Granola

Chocolate Pecan Granola

4 cups rolled oats

4 TBSP sugar

3 TBSP vegetable oil

12 TBSP honey

12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

2 cups pecan pieces

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. In a large pot, melt your sugar, honey, and vegetable oil together until liquid and runny. Add in your rolled oats and pecans - coat in the honey mixture. Pour on a large jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Spread into an even layer and bake for 10-15 minutes. Mix the oats a bit, and then bake for another 10-15 minutes or until everything is a golden brown color. Leave on cookie sheet until cooled. Pour the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture once it is completely cooled, and then scoop into an air-tight container or baggie for storage. 

You can serve it over ice cream, with milk as a cereal, with yogurt, with fruit, or just eat handfuls of it as a snack. Enjoy!

Pin It Now!

Cabbage Roll Soup

Cabbage Roll Soup
Adapted from: Hey That Tastes Good (I added some things)

1 pound ground beef (you could mix beef & pork)

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, cut into half moons

2 stalks of celery, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 head of cabbage, core removed and the rest sliced into thin strips

1/2 cup long grain rice

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon celery salt

 

We are moving to a clean eating household... but aren't there quite yet, so to make this as a true clean eating recipe - you might make your own stock, can your own tomatoes, and use brown rice instead of white.

 

I put the onion, carrots, celery, celery salt, and garlic in a large stock pot with the salt & pepper and let them start cooking for about 5 minutes... I then added the meat and let it brown while the vegetables continued to get soft. After the meat is browned, add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and cabbage. Let the soup come to a boil for about 5-10 minutes then add the rice. Let everything cook together for 20-30 minutes. At the very end, we added the vinegar.

Pin It Now!

Pasta Fagoli Soup

 

Pasta Fagoli Soup
My version

1 lb ground sirloin -- the original recipe called for ground Italian sausage
4 large carrots, sliced or chopped
1 small/medium onion, chopped
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 cup ditalini pasta or small pasta (like a small elbow noodle)
6 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper
2-3 tsp garlic powder (I didn't measure this -- I just added a liberal amount so I'm guessing)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Parmesan for the topping

I made this up to the last step during naptime, and then all I needed to do was add the pasta to finish it when it was dinner time. I love meals that can be prepped ahead and finished quickly. 

I started off browning my meat in a stock pot with a liberal coating of salt & pepper. Add in the carrots and onion - cook until they start to get soft. If there isn't enough grease in the pan from your meat, you may need to add a small amount of olive oil to keep the veggies from burning.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, garlic powder, thyme, bay leaf, and 4 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and let it sit in the pot covered until you're ready to finish it off.

Add in the remaining 2 cups of stock and the pasta, boil until the pasta is ready about 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on the soup as you are serving it. I served ours with bread, but a good homemade Cesar salad would go nicely too. Pin It Now!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

I actually combined several recipes into one that I thought would be enjoyed the most by my family.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet taco seasoning mix
4 cups of water

Toppings:
sour cream
grated cheddar cheese
Fritos

Brown and drain the ground beef. Add the onion to the pan and sautee until translucent. Drain and rinse the pinto and black beans. Mix the beef, onion, beans, tomatoes, corn, ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, and water into a crock pot or large stock pot. Either cook for about 30 minutes on the stove or you can cook in the crock pot on low for 8-9 hours. Serve with Fritos, cheese and a dollop of sour cream... or anything you wish. You could also serve with some green onions as well.

You can freeze in individual containers - or put in a gallon sized freezer baggie and lay flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen. That way it takes up very little room in your freezer.
Pin It Now!

Slow Cooker Bolognese

Slow Cooker Bolgonese
Courtesy of: Real Simple



This recipe makes 3 quarts of sauce - so it's good for freezing. It takes about 35 minutes to get it prepped for the crock pot, but it is WELL worth it. My family LOVED it. 

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds combined ground beef and pork, or meat-loaf mix
1 cup milk
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
6 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large skillet, combine the onion, celery, carrot, and olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until it loses its pink color. Add the milk. Increase heat to high and cook until the milk has evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the tomato paste; cook over low heat to reduce its bitterness, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the cooker, along with the tomatoes, salt, and nutmeg.

Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. I always go for the longer slower cooking time, it just works better for us - I get it on during breakfast or morning naps and then it's ready by the time the boys are ready for dinner. 

Serve over pasta - I used a gemili shaped pasta, but you can use whatever your family likes.

Pin It Now!

Cheese Enchiladas with Rice & Beans

Cheese Enchiladas with Rice & Beans

Courtesy of: The Homesick Texan (fitting, right?!)

Chili Sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cups beef broth, chicken broth or water (I used beef broth)

Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pan, stir in the flour and cook 3-4 minutes to form a roux. Add all the spices to the flour mixture and allow to heat for a minute or two to develop the flavors. Then whisk in the beef broth/chicken broth/water - allow to simmer for 15 minutes. You can add more liquid.

Enchiladas:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I skipped this and wish I hadn't once I was in the process of making them)
8 corn tortillas (I used 12)
8 oz Velveeta
8-10 oz Cheddar Cheese
1 medium onion, diced (I chopped mine finely because I served this to the babies)
2 cups of chili sauce

Preheat oven to 400. In a 9x13 pan - place a 1/2 cup of the chili sauce on the bottom of the pan.

If you use the oil, heat it in a small skillet - then dip each of the tortillas in the oil for a few seconds and keep them wrapped up until all are heated.

Chop up the Velveeta, and mix with grated cheddar and onions. Then place about 1/4 cup or so of filling in a tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled enchilada in your baking dish seam side down. Repeat for all of your remaining tortillas. Once you are finished - pour the remaining chili sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Put remaining cheese and onions on top and bake for about 10 minutes until everything is melted and bubbly.

I served with rice and beans that I made:

For rice - I used long grain white rice with chicken broth instead of water, added a can of diced tomatoes, a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of garlic powder.

For the beans - I used a can of refried beans and added a 1/4-1/2 cup of Velveeta and 1/2 cup of the enchilada chili sauce.

This mean certainly made us feel at home - since we haven't found any Mexican restaurants here in Memphis that have filled the void for our Texan hearts.Pin It Now!

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Courtesy of: Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa)

3 tablespoons pine nuts
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (We did not use the basil in ours)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the pine nuts onto a baking sheet and place in preheated oven 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Shake the baking sheet halfway through baking so the nuts will toast evenly. Remove nuts from oven and set aside to cool completely. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Roast until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

We served this with the TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Chicken
Pin It Now!

Autumn Chopped Salad

Autumn Chopped Salad
Adapted from: Espresso and Cream

6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Vinaigrette (we used Brianna's Home Style dressing)

Chop all of the lettuce, pears, pecans, bacon, and feta into very small pieces. Combine in a bowl for mixing. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with the dressing.

The original recipe also added in dried cranberries and used a dressing mix of 70% poppy seed dressing mixed with 30% of the vinaigrette. We personally aren't huge fans of dried cranberries or poppy seed dressing so I left those out of our salad.

We really enjoyed this salad combination, and will be making it again sometime soon!
Pin It Now!

Strawberry Jello Salad

I've made this for my work Thanksgiving party, and then again for Thanksgiving Day too.

Strawberry Jello Salad
Courtesy of an old family recipe

1 large package strawberry jello (I use sugar free)
2 cups boiling water
1 package frozen strawberries
1/2 pint sour cream (I think that I use the whole pint)
2 riped bananas, mashed
1 big can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup chopped pecans
1 container of whipped cream

Dissolve jello in water. Add strawberries and stir until thawed. Add bananas and pineapple. Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Let set up in refrigerator until firm. Place the bowl with the other 1/2 of the jello mixture in the refrigerator as well.

Mix the sour cream and the pecans together. Spread on first layer of jello. Pour the rest of the jello mixture on top of the sour cream layer. Refrigerate until firm.

Spread the whipped cream on the top. Serve and enjoy!

Pin It Now!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Adapted from: Plain Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I left this out, but if you like spicy - go for it)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme. 

I sometimes do this the night before and put it in the fridge.  Just pop it in the slow cooker in the morning before you leave for the day... or just for ease of prep. For me it helps to not have to spend some of nap time putting the meal together - I can just throw it in there the night before. Win!

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. You can mix in the cooked rice about 15 minutes before serving - or we like to just put the rice in the bottom of our bowl and spoon the Jambalaya on top.
Pin It Now!

Breakfast Cupcakes

Breakfast Cupcakes
Adapted from: Love from Texas

1 pound sausage (cooked)
6-7 pieces of thick cut bacon (cooked, chopped)
12 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar (sharp or cheddar jack)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 small onion - diced
1 jalapeno pepper - diced (optional)
salt and pepper
1 can Grands Flakey Layers biscuits - the 10 count per can


Spray muffin pans with cooking spray. Divide each unbaked biscuit in half, separating at the layers (they should just peel apart).  Press each layer in to a cup on the muffin pan. This will make 20 total. Add some of the bacon pieces on top of the biscuit.

Brown the sausage in a skillet and once brown, add the onion and pepper (if desired) and cook them until they are soft or to a texture you desire.

Whisk eggs together and season with ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese and cooked sausage crumble/onion/pepper mixture.

Pour one a large spoonful of the egg/sausage mixture in to each muffin cup.  This would probably be equivalent to a little less than 1/4 cup.  Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes, or until egg is done and tops are golden.

We freeze the muffins, and I send 2-3 with John every morning for breakfast at the office. He pops them in the microwave for 1 minute and they're good to go. He also adds a little hot sauce in them for his enjoyment.

Revision:  Recently our muffin pan started to stick, so John experimented with doing this in a regular 16 X 9 cake pan and this was very successful.  It allows you to place a full can of the biscuits (10 - or 20 halves) in the pan all at one time.  With this revision we recommend that you sprinkle the bacon on top as it will get washed around and won't be evenly distributed if you put it on top of the biscuits and then pour on the egg mixture.Pin It Now!

Peanut Butter Dip

Peanut Butter Dip
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.com

1 cup smooth peanut butter
3 (6 oz) containers vanilla yogurt
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (or as many as desired)

This recipe is so simple, I just mixed all of the ingredients together. I started with the peanut butter and mixed in 1 container of the yogurt at a time. It takes a minute to get it to combine into a smooth mixture. Then add the cinnamon and chocolate chips. I served with pretzel sticks, graham crackers, and apple slices. (Sorry the picture isn't great... it was served at my son's 1st birthday party.)
Pin It Now!

Chicken with Olives, Tomatoes and Orzo

Chicken with Olives, Tomatoes and Orzo
Modified from: My Recipes.com

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs and about 1/3 cup sauce)

Ingredients
12 chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), skinned -- (I used 3 thighs for us)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil (I skipped this)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper (I skipped this)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (I used a 14 oz can)
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used dried parsley)
 ** I added minced onion, some Italian seasoning, and mixed in Orzo

I'm going to tell you how I made this dish here - and the original recipe is below in case you want to compare. I put the chicken in the crock pot raw... I knew I was going to cook it all day - so it was easier for me. I then put the tomato paste in a bowl and whisked it with the white wine. I mixed that in the crock pot with the chicken and tomatoes. I added the rest of the ingredients: salt, pepper, garlic, dried parsley, minced onion, Italian seasoning, and olives. Put everything on low for 5-6 hours.

I then boiled 1 cup of dry orzo in water, and once it was cooked - I added it to the crock pot and put it on the warm setting. I did it for ease of cooking with the kids - that was when I tested it and took the photo above. When I served it to my family - the sauce had completely soaked into the orzo... so if you have the ability - I'd add the orzo and mix it in just before eating.

You could serve it over rice or something else if you'd prefer. It does change the nutritional values below... but I think it's worth it to balance out the meal.


Original Preparation

Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place chicken in an electric slow cooker. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add wine,
scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 30 seconds. Place wine mixture in cooker. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes to cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, olives, and parsley.
 
Nutritional Information: Amount per serving
Calories: 270
Fat: 12.9g
Saturated fat: 3.3g
Monounsaturated fat: 5.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 2.8g
Protein: 29.1g
Carbohydrate: 8.7g
Fiber: 2.2g
Cholesterol: 99mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 658mg
Calcium: 44mg
Pin It Now!