Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 2" cubes
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, in natural juice
• 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drain
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1" strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1" strips
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

Use a 6 quart slow-cooker.

Pour juice from canned pineapple chunks into a small mixing bowl. Add to juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and honey, whisk to combine. Add cornstarch and stir until combined.

Place chicken in slow-cooker, add pineapple chunks and water chestnuts. Pour pineapple mixture over chicken, cover. Add bell pepper the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Serve chicken over a bed of quinoa or other favorite grain.

NOTE: Pineapple is a source of bromelain, which keeps bones and joints healthy.Other add-in suggestions: sliced zucchini, snow peas, green beans, matchstick carrots,diced almonds. Add any of these the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Serves: 6 | Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 255 |Total Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Trans Fats: 0 g | Cholesterol: 24 mg 

Baked Turkey Meatballs with Spinach

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 16 oz frozen chopped spinach (defrosted, drained, and squeezed to remove excess water)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ⅓ cup fat free chicken broth
• 2½ lbs extra lean ground turkey 
• ¾ cup bread crumbs
• 3 egg whites

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray. I actually line my baking sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray.
2. In a frying pan on medium heat, heat olive oil until hot. Then add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onion is tender (about 5-6 minutes total time).
3. Add spinach to pan and combine with onion mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth and mix well to combine. Cook until most of the liquid has cooked out (evaporated). I don't have much liquid in my pan after I combine all these, but it will depend on how well you drained your spinach. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, and egg. Add cooled onion/spinach mixture to the meat. I do all of this step with my hands, but you can use a spoon if you prefer.
5. 5. With your hands, create meatballs that are about 1 - 1½ inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheet. Leave a little bit of space between each meatball. When you are done shaping your meatballs, you will probably have about 40-42 meatballs from this recipe. Don't need that many? Freeze them after baking or cut this recipe in half (but I say freeze them and then you've done the work only once and have a future meal).
6. Bake until your meatballs are cooked through with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F - which was about 20 minutes for my oven. Remove from oven and serve as desired.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 10.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 219
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g	17 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	13 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 85 mg	28 %

Original Recipe at Home Cooking Memories

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Baked Salmon

Ingredients

• Serves 4 - 6,
• 
  
• 2 pounds salmon, skin removed and cut into 4 or 6 fillets 
• Zest and juice of 2 limes
• 3 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place fillets of fish on prepared pan. 
3. Grate a little lime zest over each piece of of salmon.
4. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, sriracha, brown sugar, and salt. 
5. Pour sauce over salmon fillets. 
6. Place salmon in oven and roast for 16 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with scallions and serve

Recipe from Baker By Nature

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

• 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (or 8 breasts if this your first year on Swank diet--saturated fat value will be lower)

• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth (fat free, low sodium)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup flour, optional corn starch
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ cup pitted green olives

   Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly with salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add half of chicken. Cook about 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Transfer to slow cooker, and add lemon slices.
3. Combine broth, juice, flour and cumin, stirring with a whisk. Pour broth mixture over chicken.
4. Top with olives and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Nutrition

Yields: 8 servings | Serving Size: 1-1/2 chicken thighs | Calories: 524 | Previous Points: 12 | Points Plus: 8 | Total Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 252 mg | Sodium: 264 mg | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Dietary Fiber: 1 g | Sugars: 0 g | Protein: 35 g

Original Recipe at   SkinnyMs

Guilt Free Onion Rings

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 large onion
1/2 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. onion powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Dash black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.

Slice off onion's ends and remove outer layer. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, and separate into rings.

In a blender or food processor, grind cereal into crumbs. Transfer to a wide bowl and mix in seasonings.

Place egg substitute in another wide bowl. One at a time, dunk rings in the egg substitute, shake to remove excess, and coat with crumbs. Evenly lay rings on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip rings. Continue to bake until outside is crispy and inside is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Yum!

MAKES 1 SERVING

NUTRITIONAL VALUES: Entire recipe (about 30 rings): 155 calories, 1g fat, 515mg sodium, 41g carbs, 16g fiber, 7g sugars, 9g 

Recipe Source Hungry Girl:  http://www.hungry-girl.com/recipes/lord-of-the-onion-rings

Crockpot Pasta Fagioli (like Olive Garden)

• 

• Serves 10

Ingredients

• ·         1 lb extra lean ground turkey breast
  ·         1 onion, chopped
  ·         3 carrots, chopped
  ·         4 stalks celery, chopped
  ·         2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  ·         1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  ·         1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  ·         3 (10 ounce) cans no fat chicken stock
  ·         2 tablespoons dried oregano
  ·         2 teaspoons pepper
  ·         5 teaspoons parsley
  ·         1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
  ·         1 (20 ounce) jar marinara sauce
  ·         8 ounces whole wheat pasta (macaroni, tubetti, rigatoni or penne)

·Directions:

• Brown turkey in a skillet, drain and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
  Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
  During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.
  
  

• Nutrition Facts
  Servings 10.0
  Amount Per Serving
  calories 433
  % Daily Value *
  Total Fat 7 g	11 %
  Saturated Fat 2 g	9 %
  Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
  Trans Fat 0 g
  Cholesterol 60 mg	20 %

• 
  

BBQ Chicken Oven Bake

A quick tasty meal when you are in a hurry 

4 servings

Ingredients 

 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
 1/8 cup honey
 1/8 cup ketchup
Siracha sauce to taste (optional)
 1 onion, chopped
 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Directions

Mix bbq, sauce, honey, ketchup and onion
Pour over chicken in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray
Cover and Bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans or baby spinach stir fried in garlic infused olive oil.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 137
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	2 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 24 mg	8 %

Crazy Cake (No eggs, milk, butter or bowls)

Make it in the pan you bake it in.  Also known as Wacky Cake & Depression Cake- No Eggs, Milk, Butter,Bowls or Mixers! Super moist & delicious!  Recipe dates back to the Great Depression. It's darn good cake!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups flour (all-purpose)
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 Cup sugar (All purpose sugar - Granulated Pure Cane Sugar)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  salt

• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 1 Cup water 

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8" square baking pan.  Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients - two small, one larger (see #3 in photo below). Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression.  Pour water over all.  Mix well until smooth.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 minutes.  Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool.  Top with your favorite frosting.  Enjoy!

Note:  Oven cooking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.

Original Recipe:  http://www.sweetlittlebluebird.com/2013/03/tried-true-tuesday-crazy-cake-no-eggs.html

Sausage-Flavoured Beans and Grits

The longer these beans cook, the more flavoful they are, so if you’re looking for a quick breakfast, consider cooking them in a small slow cooker overnight. Right before bedtime, get them started on the stove and then transfer them to a crockpot set to its lowest temperature. Add a little extra broth to keep them from boiling dry. In the morning, add the spinach, make your grits, and enjoy your breakfast!

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• pinch of baking soda (see notes)
• water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked cannellini beans (or other white beans), drained (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup vegetable broth plus additional, as needed
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy want it to be
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• smoked salt, to taste
• 1 cup yellow corn grits, prepared according to package instructions

Instructions

1. Heat a large non-stick pot or skillet. Add the onion, sprinkle it with the baking soda, and immediately stir in one tablespoon of water or vegetable broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion changes color and begins to soften, adding more water if it starts to stick to the pan. Add the chopped pepper and garlic along with another tablespoon of water or broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, adding another splash of water if necessary and making sure that the garlic does not burn.
2. Add the drained beans, vegetable broth, and all seasonings. Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and cook for at least 30 minutes, adding broth if it starts to dry out. The longer and slower you cook them, the more flavorful the beans will be. 
3. While the beans are cooking, prepare the grits according to package instructions. Keep warm until beans are ready.
4. Check the beans, and if they seem dry, add a good splash of broth. (The beans should have a little liquid around them, but not as much as a soup or stew.) Increase the heat to medium, add the spinach, sprinkle with smoked salt if you want, stir well, cover tightly, and cook until the spinach wilts. Serve over the grits.

Notes

Baking soda speeds the cooking of the onion so that no oil and little liquid is needed. 

Fennel helps give the beans the flavor of Italian sausage, but if you’re not a big fennel fan, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more to taste.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4 generous servings or 6 small ones

Nutrition (per serving, 1/4 of recipe including grits): 338 calories, 12 calories from fat, 1.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 438mg sodium, 872.4mg potassium, 66.6g carbohydrates, 12.2g fiber, 2.6g sugar, 16.5g protein. (For beans without grits: 193 calories, .9g total fat, 35.6g carbohydrates, 13g protein.)

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URL to article: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/10/sausage-flavored-breakfast-beans-and-grits.html