Slow Cooker Ribs, Corn on the Cob and Cucumber Salad

For a family reunion dish, I chose a slow cooker recipe that I found. Amid the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and fried chicken, I though that it would be a welcome change.

I was correct! I now have a feeling that I will be expected to make this dish every year.

It's good for summer time cookout too. You can complete the last step on the grill as called for, or not. At the reunion, I didn't and it turned out great! I simply added the BBQ sauce to the crock pot instead.



Dinner Tonight is:

Slow Cooker Ribs
Corn on the Cob
Cucumber Salad
Freshly cubed watermelon

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Slow Cooker Ribs Ingredients:

• 3.5 lbs of pork loin back ribs
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1 medium onion, sliced in strips
• 1/2 cup cola carbonated beverage
• 1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce

1. Spray inside of a 5 qt slow cooker with cooking spray. Remove outer skin from ribs.
2. In small bowl, mix garlic, brown sugar, pepper and liquid smoke. Rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs in 4-inch pieces. Layer ribs and onion in the slow cooker. Pour carbonated beverage over ribs.
3. Cover; cook on low heat for 8 hours.
4. Heat grill. Remove ribs from slow cooker; drain and discard liquid. Place ribs on grill over medium heat; brush with BBQ sauce. Cover grill. Cook 15 minutes.


Corn on the Cob:

Ears of corn, husked

Seasoned butter:
Beat together one stick softened salted butter, two cloves garlic, one teaspoon pepper and one teaspoon dried dill. The result is amazing on corn.

1. Soak ears of corn for 15 minutes in water.
2. Remove corn from water and shake off excess water.
3. Rub seasoned butter lavishly over corn.
4. Wrap in aluminum foil and grill over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Cucumber Salad:

• 3 cucumbers, peeled and cut
• 8 oz sweet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 small purple onion, cut
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• squirt of dijon mustard
• Greek seasoning

1. Add cucumber, tomatoes, and onion to a bowl.
2. In a small bowl add red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. Whisk until miked well. Add oil and whisk.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve; pour dressing mixture over cucumbers and tomatoes. Add Greek Seasoning to taste. Toss.

Tex Mex Beef and Bean Dip

Tonight we're having taco salad, and you can find the healthy recipe here.

But I am also making Beef and Bean Dip. This dip has only 99 calories per 1/4 cup serving (plus 5 baked tortilla chips!) and 2.5 grams of fat. Lots of flavor for little guilt.



To make this dip you will need

1/2 lb ground sirloin (buy the 96/4 if you can)
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) canned pinto beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (no salt added), undrained
3/4 cup of crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 ounces of bite sized baked tortilla chips (about 60, like Tostitos Scoops)

Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef to pan. Add tomato paste and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally.

Spoon meat mixture into a serving bowl; top with crumbled cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

12 servings of serving size of 1/4 cup of dip and 5 chips

99 calories 2.5 grams of fat 7.3 grams of protein 11.7 grams carbs 216 (or less) mg of sodium

Meatless Night! Spaghetti Squash, Grilled Portobellos , and Zucchini Bake

This became an acquired taste for me, but D loves it. I'd never heard of spaghetti squash before until I started hunting down more healthy recipes that had variety.

And it is so simple to cook!

To prepare the squash for baking, you need to cut it in half. Once cut in half, you'll need to clean out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. You want to leave the pulp, as this is what will become "spaghetti-like" after it's cooked.

Once you do this, you're ready.

Nutritional Information is as follows:
For 1 cup of spaghetti squash there is 42 calories 28 mg of sodium (wow!! virtually nothing!) 10 grams of carbs, of which 2 grams are dietary fiber & only 4 grams sugar 1 gram of protein
(when/if you add something else, butter for instance, read the nutritional and serving size information on the packaging to add to this if you keep a food journal)

For 1 cup of portobello mushrooms alone there is: 42 calories 12 mg sodium (wow again - very low) 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of which are dietary fiber 5 grams of protein

This is also a good source of iron. The actual recipe I will give below for the portobellos mixed with ingredients has a total of 76 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, but I do not have the other information for the recipe as is. The recipe will be for 4 servings. Not sure of the serving size amount, but once you cook it, divide it equally into 4 parts and you'll have your serving size.

The Zuccini Bake Recipe Nutritional Information is as follows per serving. Again, the recipe will make 4 servings, so divide it equally when cooked into 4 parts and you will have your serving size.

114 calories 7.4 grams of fat 8 grams of carbs 2.2 of which are dietary fiber 6.2 grams of protein

Dinner Tonight is: Spaghetti Squash Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Zucchini Bake Fresh Strawberries and blueberries with fat free/sugar free vanilla yogurt

Spaghetti Squash
Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

Serve, adding pepper if desired.

Grilled Portobellos

• 2 tablespoons low or no sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 large potobello mushrooms, stems removed

1. In large shallow dish, mix broth, oil, vinegar, and thyme. Arrange mushroom caps in single layer in the dish, turning once to coat. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, for one hour.
2. Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Bake mushrooms at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. (Can also grill them directly on the grill for 10 minutes on medium-high heat)

Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese, low fat
1 tablespoon butter (smart balance)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
ground black pepper to taste


1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and score diagonally across the top of zucchinis.
2. Place in a baking dish.
3. Baste with melted butter and garlic, sprinkle with cheese and season with pepper to taste.
4. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until tender and crisp).


For dessert, mix 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries with 3/4 cup of fat free/sugar free vanilla yougurt (sweeten with sweet and low if desired) and enjoy! Strawberries and blueberries are chock full of fiber and antioxidants

Chicken and Dumplins' in Crock Pot

This has quickly become a favorite staple in our house, especially for the kiddos. My daughter, who is 6, has taken a liking to helping prepare food for meals and this dish allows her to help in a big way when using refrigerated biscuits for the dumplins'.

The refrigerated biscuits make for more fat in the recipe than I would like, so I use them when in a hurry. This recipe will incorporate making your own dumplins' to make for a more healthy meal overall, but know that even doing it the easy way with biscuit dough is still much more healthy than going out to eat, which is the overall goal for us at least. To be and eat more healthy at home.

You can cook a variety of side items with this. Honey Glazed Pea pods and carrots are good, as well as a side of steamed broccoli sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan. While honey is technically "sugar", it has a lot of healthful properties that gives it a healthful place in moderation while adding tremendously to taste. I mean, after all, who wants to eat "healthy" food that's bland?

First here is the recipe to make your own dumplings. If you do not desire to do this, skip right down to the full recipe that includes the biscuit dough!

Dinner Tonight is:
Chicken and Dumplings in a Crock Pot
Honey Glazed carrots and pea pods
steamed broccoli


Ingredients for Homemade Dumplings:
(makes 8 servings)

1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon parsley flakes, if desired
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt (optional for those on low sodium diets, or use less)
3	tablespoons shortening
3/4	cup 2% milk

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	Mix flour, parsley, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk.
	Drop dough by 10 spoonfuls onto hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew (do not drop directly into liquid). Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

Ingredients and directions for slow cooker Chicken and Dumplings

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter (I use Smart Balance, a 50/50 butter blend with Omega-3 fats)
  
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (low sodium)
  
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces (if not making your own dumplings)
  

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.

1. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit (or homemade) dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Honey Glazed Pea Pods and Carrots Ingredients and Directions:
(makes 6 servings)

• 2 cups sliced fresh carrots
• 1/2 lbs of snow peas (or sugar snap, which I prefer)
• 1 tablespoon of butter (I use smart balance, a 50/50 butter blend)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of honey

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Add pea pods and cook until tender crisp; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in the same pan and stir in cornstarch. Return carrots and peas to pan and stir in honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Steamed Broccoli:

1 lbs of fresh broccoli
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Place broccoli in a colander and bring water to boil in a large pan. Place colander on top of pan and cover with a large lid. Allow steam from boiling water to steam the broccoli until tender. Serve with Parmesan.

EASY Black Bean Soup (and delicious too)

There's something earthy and comforting with a bowl of hot soup on a cold night. Black beans in particular have a nice, meaty texture different than any other bean that I use to make bean soup.

And it's very versatile too. It goes well alone, or with a meal like a mexican dish. My picky eaters usually whine when I make bean soup with the great northern beans and bacon or ham hock. But they ate the black bean soup, which surprised me!

I actually followed a particular recipe a few months ago that I am unable to find now. When I made this the other night, however, I had found another recipe that I was able to follow and tweak just slightly to get the desired result. It was good! Many recipes call for sour cream but that is optional. I don't believe we used sour cream, but I can see how it would go well with this soup.

This can also be adapted to low sodium diets. I use dry beans, soaking them overnight, for bean soup whenever possible because they have no sodium whatsoever in them unlike many canned beans. I have been able to find an organic canned brand that has very little sodium in each can (like 4% vs the 20+% of most cans) But if you have time, use the dry beans to cut out even more sodium and make this even healthier.

And of course, if you don't do low sodium, just substitute the low-sodium ingredients with the regular ingredients.

I also use a food processor to blend my beans beforehand, but you can use a blender after everything is cooked (be careful and keep lid partially off to allow steam to escape) or opt not to blend the beans at all.
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Black Bean Soup

32-oz no salt added black beans (if dry, follow package directions to prepare them)
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion (finely diced)
2 cloves garlic (finely diced)
20 oz low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cilantro


In saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender.

Add in the beans, broth, cumin and lime juice and bring to boil.

Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Simmer 20 minutes (if using dry beans, cooking time will be longer.)

Stir in cilantro, and top with sour cream when serving.

Chili for a Cold, Icy Day

There is absolutely nothing like a hot bowl of chili on a cold, cold winter day.

I have to say that while we had sub-zero temperatures a couple of weeks ago with little snow, what is happening right now is the epitome of a frigid winter day. Six inches of snow with an inch of ice on top of that and then more snow....well, it makes the idea of a bowl of chili quite heartwarming.

I don't have a particular chili recipe that I follow. Other than one recipe that the kids really like that calls for tomato juice as the base, I really kinda wing it and today was no different. What I do is take a basic recipe (beef, tomatoes, beans, chili seasoning) and start adding a dash of this and a dash of that from various other recipes that I look up in my cookbooks and the 'net both until I get a taste that is pretty good. I am almost always tasting it and deeming that it needs just a little of "something else", and then searching recipes for an ingredient that I haven't used yet.

We also really, really try to follow a fairly healthy recipe. With D's high blood pressure, I buy a lot of "no salt added" canned goods, no sodium broths and use natural flavors of fresh foods and spices to make up for the salt that I do not use.

My recipes are not always sodium free, and may even have more than may be ideal, but they definitely have less than dumping cans of this, cans of that, bouillon cubes and gobs of salt into the pot.

Now, D likes his chili HOT and SPICY. But I like a low-medium hotness, and the kids....well.....they don't desire fire breath, and neither do I. So, hot recipes I modify and figure he can add his own hot sauce to his bowl. I mean, he really has a thing for super hot peppers!

Anyway, this is one of my concoctions, and so far seems to taste pretty good. I was able to modify it with ingredients to offset some of the more hot spices so that the blend of flavors was very unique and blended well.

So, dinner on this cold, snowy day is CHILI!

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• 1- lb lean beef (I used 96/4)
• 1 - yellow onion
• 2 cans of "no salt added" kidney beans
• 3 cans of "no salt added" diced tomatoes (fresh is even better)
• 1- can of water
• 1/4 cup of chili powder
• 1- 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 2-beef bouillon cubes, lower sodium
• 1-chicken bouillon cube, lower sodium
• 1/2 cup of beer (yes, it really brings out the flavor - the alcohol evaporates so safe for kids)
• 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic (or use a bit of garlic powder, about a teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Splenda for baking
• 1/4 cup of pureed pineapple, with juice (YES - believe me, I was skeptical but it offsets the spiciness)

Cook the beef and onion in a large pot over high heat, chopping and stirring until the beef is cooked thoroughly

Lower heat to medium-high and add beans, tomatoes and water.

When hot, add chili powder, tomato paste, bouillon cubes. If too thick, add a bit more water.

Add the beer, Worcestershire and stir, letting it simmer for about a minute or two.

Add the rest of the spices and stir, simmering again for a few minutes.

Add the baking-splenda and add pineapple.

Stir and simmer for 2 hours hour on low. Serve.

(I added elbow macaroni for the kids too, which required more water to soak it in)

Serve with shredded cheese, and Fritos to dip are awesome too!

It also seems to get better as a leftover. YUM!

Enjoy! And stay warm!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Honestly, nothing says "fall/winter" like a nice pot of hot soup. It doesn't matter what kind of soup. Perhaps bean soup, chili, or chicken noodle soup. There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup on a chilly day.

I've already made a few soup dishes this season but have just not had time to post the dinners on the blog. I will in time, not to worry. I will be making some of the recipes again, I am certain. This is my prime soup-making season.

Tonight we are having chicken noodle soup from the crock pot. Chunks of carrots and celery, seasoned with garlic and onion and large egg noodles.....mmmmm.....even the kids eat this!!

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Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breasts, cut up in small pieces
• 1 lb bag of baby carrots, diced
• 6-7 stalks of celery, cut up
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 32 oz of low sodium chicken broth
• 8 oz bag of whole wheat egg noodles
• water as needed

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Add the egg noodles during the last hour of cooking. Add spices as needed. (I sprinkle in a bit of thyme, garlic powder and parsley).

Serve with crackers and sandwiches.

Easy, no fuss dinner!