White Chicken Chili

I have read other bloggers' raves about white chicken chili for a while now. We tried one recipe back when I was pregnant - in.edi.ble. Too much spice (and I LOVE my spicy food!), too much cumin... blech.

Yet I stayed determined. While I was on maternity leave I saw Giada make a version that didn't appear too smoky and spicy on Giada at Home, and I decided to suck it up and try it. Fantastic! It's smooth, creamy, with just a hint of warmth rather than overt spiciness. I made a few modifications to her original recipe to accommodate what I happened to have in my kitchen, and we definitely weren't disappointed!


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pounds ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
2 tablespoons flour
1 (15-ounce cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/4 cup light sour cream

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, salt, paprika fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add crushed red pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream, and stir until creamy.

Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper, if desired.

WW Info: 3 Points per one-cup serving

Source: Adapted from Giada at Home

Shrimp Scampi Risotto

I love risotto. Love, love, love it. Ever since my first foray into making it at home, it has been a constant in our dinner rotation. This is one of our new favorites.

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion
3 cloves minced garlic, divided
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 bag frozen broccoli

Cook broccoli according to package directions and set aside.

Melt butter and 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and oil is hot, add onion and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and saute until garlic is just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and saute until grains turn opaque.

Reduce heat to medium. Pour wine over rice and stir until liquid is reduced.

Begin adding chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring regularly between each. Once liquid is almost reduced, stir in next ladle. Risotto should be creamy and slightly al dente.

In a separate, smaller skillet, heat remaining olive oil. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic and heat until fragrant. Stir in shrimp and saute until shrimp is pink. Add shrimp, broccoli, and cheese to risotto and stir until cheese is melted.

Szechuan Shrimp

I love Chinese food. And not the good-for-you, light white sauce on the side Chinese food. I love the brown sauce-drenched deep fried Chinese food like General Tso's chicken. Yum. But, of course, those aren't very friendly to the old Points calculator, now are they? So I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks, a blog by a girl after my own heart who follows Weight Watchers but uses real food to do it.

I added lots of veggies (a package of Steamfresh that just cook right in the microwave - love these!) and brown rice to this recipe, and just doubled the sauce from Stephanie's original so I had enough to cover all of the extras.

1 pound cooked large shrimp
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, diced
4 cloves minced or crushed garlic (I used my ever-present garlic press)
1 bag Steamfresh Asian vegetables (no sauce)

Combine water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger in a small bowl. Prepare vegetables in microwave according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic and stir fry for ab about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and vegetables and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

WW Info
4 Points for 1/4 of recipe (not including rice)

Adapted from Stephanie Cooks, originally from Blog Chef.

Apple Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

With more winter weather raging outside, tonight was supposed to be pumpkin waffles. I could have sworn I had a can of pumpkin waiting in the pantry. But when I got in there, no pumpkin to be found. So I decided there was no time like tonight to try apple cinnamon waffles. We weren't disappointed, especially when they were topped with warm maple syrup. They were a cross between waffles and apple dumplings - two great things to have for dinner!

(I promise, a picture is coming. But, to be honest, they look like any other Belgian waffle!)

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 shredded apple
1 tsp. vanilla
Nonstick cooking spray

Heat waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, apple, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, stirring until well moistened (batter will be lumpy). Pour onto greased, hot waffle iron. Bake until cooked through according to waffle iron directions.

Makes 4 Belgian waffles.

WW Info:
4 Points per waffle

Adapted from Cooks.com.

Chili-Lime Chicken Tacos

I saw these tacos listed on Lovestoeat's Weblog, one of my favorite food blogs. This recipe is a great combination of tasty and healthy. Plus you cook these in your crockpot, so it makes life nice and easy. I made these in a 2-quart slow cooker; if you use a larger model, you may want to increase the recipe quantities or adjust the cook time accordingly.


1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup chunky salsa, plus additional for topping
1 package flour tortillas
Sour cream, shredded lettuce, cheese, and other favorite taco toppings

Place the chicken slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through.

When chicken is cooked, remove from slow cooker and cool slightly. Shred and return to the slow cooker and stir in salsa. Cover and cook on low an additional 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.

WW Info:
7 Points for two tacos - two shells and 3 oz. chicken. Add additional Points for any additional toppings.

Adapted from Lovestoeat's Weblog.

Chili

When it's cold outside, I love a big pot of hot chili. Traditionally I'd been pretty basic with my recipe - tomato juice, ground beef, onion, garlic, green pepper, and spices. And while they're all still in this recipe, it has SO much more.

3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (I found these dried peppers in the Hispanic section of my grocery store, hanging on a high shelf)
1 quart beef broth
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 green pepper
1 small onion
4 gloves garlic
1 lb. ground beef
1 bottle beer
2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
3 28-oz., cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. cumin

In a medium saucepan, bring chiles and beef broth to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until chiles are softened, around 10 minutes.

In a large stock pot, heat EVOO, and saute green pepper, garlic, and onion until softened. Add ground beef and cook through, chopping into small pieces. Once beef is cooked, deglaze the pan with beer. Add chocolate. Allow chocolate to melt, beer to cook down, and mixture to thicken.

Once chiles have reconstituted, place peppers in blender with 2 ladles of the broth and puree. Pour pepper puree and remaining broth into stock pot. (IMPORTANT: Don't add all of the broth to the blender or you'll end up with pepper water all over your kitchen. I speak of that which I know firsthand.) Add tomatoes, cumin, and salt and pepper. Allow to cook for 1-2 hours or until it reaches desired thickness.

WW Points: 3 Points per 1-cup serving

Long Time No Type

Wow, it has been a LONG time since I posted anything. But, in my defense, a lot has happened. I was pregnant, due December 23, but was put off work the week before Thanksgiving due to gestational hypertension with a risk of pre-eclampsia. Nicholas stayed put until making his induction-led arrival on December 13, 2009 at 6:06 am. Since then, I've been learning the way of the new parent. When I cooked, it was primarily things that I've tried before.

Until recently. At my 6-week checkup I got the go-ahead that all was well, except my blood pressure. So I decided I would blow the dust off my old Weight Watchers materials and hit the kitchen again. But when it comes to eating healthy, I have one rule: I don't want it to taste like I'm eating healthy. That means no poached fish or grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Give me flavor. Give me taste. Give me cheese! So while these recipes won't give you 4 Point dinners, they will keep your taste buds satisfied.