Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

“But since soup mainly involves tossing everything in a pot and waiting,
it's one of my better dishes.”
― Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

I don't have many soups in my repertoire...yet. This is one I have adapted to our taste over time. Plus with the amount of different illnesses that are going around how could you not want a bowl of chicken noodle soup. This uses the Shredded Chicken recipe that I posted last week.

If you re not a huge fan of lemon, you may want to cut the amount of lemon juice in half. The beauty of this recipe is your can tailor it to fit your preferred taste.

I love how the Shredded Chicken give this soup a homestyle feeling.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 6 servings, 162 calories, 18g carbs, 3g fat, 18g protein

Ingredients:

• 1/2 T Olive Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
  

Salsa Verde Chicken Southwestern Stuffed Baked Potato

Potatoes are so versatile, you can create just about any type of meal you want from the. This one is a meal by itself or a half can be paired with a salad or another side dish. I found a recipe on Laaloosh and combined it with a recipe on SkinnyTaste and made it a few weeks ago.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 4 servings, 10 weight watchers points plus. 415 calories, 54g carbs, 6g fat, 37g protein

It is much more filling than it looks

Ingredients:

• Salsa Verde Chicken
• 1 1/2 lbs raw boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/8 t oregano
• 1/8 t ground cumin
• 16 oz salsa verde
• Potato
• 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
• 1/2 c Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

60 Garlic Chicken

I have seen quite a few different 40 garlic chicken recipes but they never seem to feed more than 4 people. So I adapted a recipe from SlenderKitchen to create 60 Garlic Chicken!!!! (Their recipe states 6 servings but only includes two thirds of a chicken breast and dividing them up is not easy so this recipe serves 6 people with 6 chicken breasts. If you are planning on making this recipe I would recommend having a Garlic Peeler or purchasing Peeled Garlic. I did this by hand the first time and it was not fun. The dish was still worth it though. Many of my chicken dishes you can start with frozen chicken in the crock pot this is NOT one of them.

*Note: We make this dish the day before and reheat it in the oven and the flavors are even better!

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 6 servings,  7 weight watchers points plus. 251 calories, 21g carbs, 4g fat, 38g protein

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs chicken Breasts (6 breasts, I user Perdue frozen, Boneless Skinless)
• 1.5 c Fat Free Chicken Stock
• 1 Chopped Onion, Divided
• 3 Chopped Leeks
• 3 t Paprika
• 60 cloves of Garlic
• 3 t salt
• 3 t black pepper
• 1/3 c Chopped Italian Parsley
• 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions:

1. Saute Leeks in cooking spray until they begin to soften. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Peas and Onions

When I was making the Chicken Picatta I was looking for a quick and easy side dish to go along with it. I had some frozen peas in the freezers so that is where I started. I found a dish on AllRecipes.com that was super easy and was done before the chicken.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 3 weight watchers points plus. 110 calories, 13g carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein.

Ingredients

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 16 oz Frozen Peas
• 1 T Chicken Stock, Fat Free, Reduced Sodium
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat Olive Oil in a skillet

Chicken Piccata

I always asked my parents to make this dish when I was younger. There is just something about the combination of the tartness of the lemon juice and the saltiness of the capers that makes me love this dish. Now that I have found a recipe that makes it lighter without losing ANY of the flavor I feel like I should send a thank you to Emily Bites. She has not only made this dish flavorful and healthy but fairly simple and unintimidating to cook.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 5 weight watchers points plus. 188 calories, 6g carbs, 6g fat, 27g protein.

Ingredients

• 3 T Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 t Salt
• 1/4 t Black Pepper
• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves (1 lb total)
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 T Light Butter
• 1/2 c Low Sodium Fat Free Chicken Broth
• 3 T Lemon Juice (fresh is better)
• 1 Garlic Clove, Minced
• 1/4 c Capers, Drained and Rinsed

Directions

1. Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper in a resealable bag. Add Chicken and shake to coat.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

My mom's 29th* birthday was last week and I went over to make dinner for her. When I was brainstorming with Tammy what to make we came up with this idea. I have always found stuffed peppers to be so bland and wanted to find a way to spice them up a bit. The amount of flavor in these was perfect. If you want a little more spice top with a little Tabasco. I originally calculated this recipe for a whole pepper (both sides) was a serving but after eating I found that 1 stuffed pepper with a side was more than enough.

(*actual age redacted for the safety of the author) :-)

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 5 weight watchers points plus. 154 calories, 13g carbs, 7g fat, 11g protein.

Ingredients

• 15 oz can Enchilada Sauce
• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Flour Tortilla, Chopped
• 1 Large Spanish Onion, Chopped
• 1 c Frozen Corn, (I used Roundys, Steam n' Serve Fire Roasted Super Sweet Corn from Mariano's)
• 1/4 c Cilantro, Chopped Finely
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 4 Large Poblano Peppers
• 1/2 c Shredded Reduced-Fat Mexican Cheese
• 1/2 avocado, sliced thin

Directions

1. Place the frozen Chicken and Enchilada Sauce in the Slow Cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

With Football, Hockey and Basketball back in full swing it is the perfect time for some game day food. I found a recipe on SkinnyTaste that has all the flavor of buffalo chicken and packages it in an easy to eat potato skin! When I saw this I had to try them right away because I love potato skins and buffalo chicken and the thought of combining the two makes them even better.

Servings 12 (1 Skin per serving)

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 2 weight watchers points plus. 82 calories, 7g carbs, 2g fat, 8g protein.

Ingredients

• 6 medium Idaho Potatoes
• Cooking Spray (I use an olive oil mister)
• 12 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Celery Stalk
• 1/2 Onion, cut into 4 chunks
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 16 oz Fat Free Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (or other hot pepper sauce)

Chicken Gyro

Behind Pizza and Pasta with Vodka Sauce, a good Gyro is my favorite food but it is always covered in grease and a unhealthy sauce. I found this recipe on Slender Kitchen and plan on making it again and again. At only 6 points plus per Gyro this can be completed as a meal by just adding a side salad.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 6 weight watchers points plus. 258 calories, 26g carbs, 10g fat, 14g protein. (Does not include Tzatziki Sauce)

Makes 8 gyros!

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Chicken

1 Medium White Onion, divided

1/2 T Marjoram

1/2 T Ground Rosemary

2 Garlic Cloves

1 t Salt

1/2 t Ground Black Pepper

8 Tortillas

1 Large Tomato
1 Batch of Skinny Tzatziki Sauce

Skinny Tzatziki

I have made many different versions of this sauce but most were not very successful. Once I found out the secret was in straining not only the yogurt but also the cucumber this created a nice thick sauce to put on my Chicken Gyro which I will post tomorrow!

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 0 weight watchers points plus. 21 calories, 3g carbs, 0g fat, 3g protein.

8 Servings

Ingredients

8 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 Small Cucumber

2 Garlic Cloves

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 t Dried Dill

1 T Chives, Chopped

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. Peel and seed the Cucumber.
2. Grate the Cucumber on the large holes of a box grater.

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

I forgot that I left my car in the driveway last night instead of the insulated garage and it was completely frosted over this morning (brrrr!) I wish I had this in the crock pot for dinner tonight instead of a couple weeks ago. It would be great to come home to a nice warm and already made bowl of chili to warm me up. I found this on Skinny Taste a while back and waited for a cold day to make it.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 6 weight watchers points plus. 262 calories, 21g carbs, 3g fat, 37g protein.

Makes 9 - 1 cup servings!

Ingredients

2 lb 99% Fat Free Ground Turkey

1/2 t Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Small White Onion, Chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 t Chili Powder

2 Bay Leaves

2 t Ground Cumin

1 t Oregano

2 (15 oz cans) White Northern Beans, Drained and Rinsed

15 oz can Pumpkin Puree (Make sure it is not pumpkin Pie Filling!)

4.5 oz Can Chopped Green Chilis

Baked Chicken Egg Rolls

I love egg rolls but all that grease is just so unhealthy. On Emily Bites she has come up with a much healthier and tastier version!

Ingredients

1 t Sesame Oil

2 t Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic, Grated or Minced. (I used my microplane.)

2 t Fresh Ginger, Grated or Minced. (I used my microplane.)

1 lb Chicken Breast, Ground in a Food Processor

1 c Shredded Green Cabbage

1/4 c Shredded Carrots (I used my box grater.)

1/4 c Chopped Bean Sprouts

1 c Chopped Shitake Mushrooms

2 Medium Scallions, Sliced Thinly

3 T Hoisin Sauce

14 Egg Roll Wrappers

Directions

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees.

Pesto and Chicken and Tomato Skewers

So I have been off for a little while working on prepping for my fantasy football drafts. I am now back and have a lot of recipes to post. I love pesto but there is always sooooo much oil. Gina at Skinny Taste has come up with a healthier pesto and marinated chicken in it. These skewers are amazing and unlike many pestos that are overrun by oil and garlic this one is perfectly balanced and it clings to the chicken and when grilled the flavor is infused into the chicken.

Ingredients

1 c Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Clove Garlic

1/4 c Grated Parmesan

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

3 T Olive Oil

1-1/4 lbs Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1-Inch Cubes

24 Cherry Tomatoes

1 Small Red Onion, Sliced into Wedges

16 Wooden Skewers

Directions

1. Blend the Basil, Garlic, Parmesan, Salt, and Pepper in a Food processor. While pulsing the food processor slowly add the garlic.

Broccoli and Smashed Garlic

This is my favorite side dish to make and it is sooooo easy to make. I am not sure where I found it because I just make it from memory because I have made it so many times. Plus it makes 6 servings at only 2 Point Plus per serving.

Ingredients

1 head of Broccoli

8 Garlic Cloves, Smashed

2 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Sometimes I get a taste for specific types of food and can't get it out of my head. I had a taste for some Mediterranean flavors a while back and wasn't finding anything that sounded good to me. I decided to create my own recipe, over the rest of the day I kept jotting down ingredients to see what might match. That night I looked at what I had jotted down and what I had in the cabinets and this recipe was born! I liked it so much that I have not even tweaked it. Even better this makes about 8 servings for only 5 points plus per serving!

Ingredients

1 lemon, juiced

4 T Olive Oil

1 T Dried Oregano

1 T Dried Rosemary

3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Minced

2 lbs Pork Tenderloin

1 Medium Onion, Cut into 1" Pieces

1 Green Pepper, Cut into 1" Pieces

2 T Grated Parmesan

2 T Fresh Parsley, Chopped Finely

1/4 t Salt

1/4 t Pepper

1/3 c Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Drained, Dried and Minced
Toothpicks

Directions

1. Slice the Pork Tenderloin lengthwise but not all the way through.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

If you are looking for a cheesy dish that won't kill your points for the day here is your dish. This dish has everything cheese, sausage, pasta spice and still makes 6 servings at 9 points each! This is a dish that is so good that even Giuliana ate her whole serving (she got about 1/3 of a normal serving.)

6 servings/9 Points Plus

Giuliana was really excited about this recipe

Ingredients

1 t Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 c Chopped Onion

13 oz Smoked Turkey Sausage, Sliced

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2-1/4 c Low Sodium Fat Free Chicken Broth

10 oz can Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies

1/2 c Fat Free Half and Half

1/2 t Salt

1/2 t Black Pepper

10 oz Uncooked Wheat Pasta (Farfalle/Bowties)

4 oz Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese, Shredded

2 Medium Scallions, Sliced

Directions

1. In a large oven Safe Skillet add Olive Oil and bring over medium heat.

Greek Grilled Chicken

I love grilling and when I saw this recipe on Laaloosh I knew I had to make it! The marindae alone would make for a great chicken dish but combine it with the topping of tomatos, feta, kalamata olives and fresh mint and this is an outstanding dish. At only 5 points plus per serving, the flavors are a perfect blend and the mint give it a very fresh taste!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts, Cut into 6 Fillets

1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, Cut into Halves

3/4 c Fat Free Feta Cheese

1/2 c Mint Leaves, Chopped

1 T Olive Oil

1/2 c Kalamata Olives, Pitted

1/4 c Red Wine Vinegar

Juice From 1 Lemon

4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 t Dijon Mustard

1 T Dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Directions

1. Combine Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Oregano, Salt and Pepper in a small bowl.

Slow Cooker Baked Chicken Burritos

My Sous Chef inspecting the spices

When I first ran across this recipe on Laaloosh I was wondering how someone would slow cook a burrito. Well only the filling is slow cooked, it is then wrapped and covered in enchilada sauce and a small amount of cheese and baked. These are packed with so much flavor I am trying to figure out when I can make them again!

Ingredients

1 lb Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 - 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1 Large Green Pepper, Sliced Thinly

1 - 4 oz can Chopped Green Chilies
1 can Jalapeno Infused Black Olives

1 Medium Red Onion, Sliced Thinly
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Packet Taco Seasoning*

8 Tortillas
1 - 15 oz Can Enchilada Sauce
1 c Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese

* I created my own taco seasoning because I don't like the amount of sodium in normal mixes. I will list that recipe below.

Directions

1. Place Chicken, Tomatoes, Green Pepper, Green Chilies, Black Olives, Onions, Garlic, and Taco Seasoning in the Slow Cooker. Cook for 5-6 Hours on Low.

Broccoli and Feta Pasta Sauce

Make sure to have your blender and your appetite ready for this amazing pasta sauce. The feta balances the broccoli in a way that I could have never imagined. This was found on Laaloosh and was intrigued since I have not had anything that I have not liked from her site.

We taught my Giuliana to sign to tell us if she wanted more food or milk. When she tried this she kept signing for more.

This sauce is only 3 points plus per cup of sauce so enjoy!

Ingredients

16 oz Package of Broccoli Florets

1 c Fat Free Feta Cheese

2 T Light Butter

1 Small Onion Finely, Chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 T Olive Oil

1/3 c Water

Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Steam Broccoli until tender

Cold Corn Soup w/ Queso Fresco

I ran across this recipe on Skinny Taste and it was a warm soup but that seemed like too much with the heat wave we had been going through. I decided to chill it and see if it was good cold... it was great! Make sure to use fresh corn because it will give a much better corn flavor. To make it easier/cleaner there are two different methods that you can use. 1) OXO makes a corn stripper that catches all the corn. 2) Place a small bowl upside down inside of a large bowl and place the end of the corn on the smaller bowl. now when you cut the corn it will fall into the larger bowl eliminating the majority of the mess.

Enjoy this soup this weekend it is supposed to get into the eightys here so it will be the perfect temperature for a picnic and the next recipe i post will be the perfect compliment for this soup. I will post it today as well.

Ingredients

1/2 t Olive Oil

1/3 c Chopped Scallions

1 Garlic Clove

3-1/2 c Fresh Corn Kernels, Cut from the Cob (5-6 medium sized ears)

1 (6 oz) Russet Potato, Peeled and Diced

5 c Skim Milk

1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

2 T Chopped Cilantro, Divided

1/4 c Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Salt and Pepper, to Taste

3 oz (6 T) Crumbled Queso Fresco

Directions

1. Heat Olive Oil in a medium heavy pot

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

I LOVE Mexican food so when I ran across this recipe on Emily Bites I had to try it. I combined it with a corn soup to complete the meal. I will post that recipe later. I made the soup yesterday and chilled it overnight for today. Today I prepped all the ingredients before I started cooking to make a quick easy cooking process. The Enchilada Skillet is 8 points plus for 1/6 of the skillet.

My Complete 14 pt meal

Ingredients

1.5 lbs Frozen Chicken Breasts

3 cans Red Enchilada Sauce

1 t Canola Oil

1 Small Onion, Diced (I used a small vidalia)

3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

3 T Chili Powder

1/2 t Salt

2 t Cumin

2 t Sugar

15 oz Can tomato Sauce

1/2 c Water

1-1/4 c Canned Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed

8 - 6 inch Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Bite Size Pieces

4 oz can Chopped Green Chilies

1-1/2 c Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar

Directions

1. Place frozen Chicken Breasts in slow cooker and cover with Enchilada Sauce
2. Cook on high for 4-5 hours
3. Take Chicken out of the slow cooker and discard remaining Enchilada Sauce.
4. With two forks shred chicken
5. Heat Oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add Onions and cook until softened.
6. Add Garlic, Chili Powder, Salt, Cumin, and Sugar and stir to mix.
7. Add Tomato Sauce and Water, stir to mix and simmer until thickened.
8. Add Chicken and Black Beans, stir to mix.
9. In a separate pan add cut up Tortillas and spray with cooking spray stir until heated through.
10. Add Tortillas, Green Chilies, and 1 c of the Sharp Cheddar
11. Mix until well combined
12. Top with remaining Sharp Cheddar and Cover until cheese is melted on top.

I used a 4qt Crock Pot

I love shredding Slow Cooked Chicken it is sooooo easy.

I made the Tortillas into about 3/4" x 3/4" pieces

All my Prepped Non-Canned Ingredients

Simmering the sauce before adding the Chicken and Beans