Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken

DELICIOUS! Instead of using real peanut butter, you use PB2!! Saving a bunch of calories. Obviously easy, being a slow-cooker meal. I have never cooked with boneless, skinless chicken thighs before - but they are delish! The sauce is yummy and we used linguine made from mostly veggies. Definitely a success!! Served with these awesome Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls!

4 tbsp PB2 (or 1/4 cup of peanut butter)

3/4 c light coconut milk

1 tbsp Sriracha

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 packet of Truvia (or a tbsp of sugar)

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I buy the kind in a tube - way easier!)

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 - 8 thighs)

1/3 c chopped peanuts, for topping

4 tbsp chopped cilantro, for topping

Combine 4 tbsp of PB2 with 3/4 cup of light coconut milk in a medium bowl. Stir well to reconstitute the PB2. Then add in 1 tbsp Sriracha, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 packet of Truvia, and 2 tbsp of ginger. Stir well to combine.

Pour contents of bowl into your slow cooker and add trimmed chicken thighs, turning to coat. Cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours or low for  -5ish hours. Cooking times may vary with different slow cookers. 

Serve on top of whole wheat or veggie linguine. If you serve it with linguine, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and toss the cooked and drained pasta in with the sauce and give it a stir! YUM! (there will be lots of sauce) Top with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Original recipe found here.

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls

These are fabulous!! The site with the original recipe has great step by step pictures if you're not sure how to fold the egg roll!

1 tsp olive oil
2 c savoy cabbage, chopped
2 c shredded carrots
2 c bean sprouts (or 1 can)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 c water
14 egg roll wraps
Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place two tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up like a burrito.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet. Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

Original recipe found here.

Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

I know I haven't been posting many new recipes... but I have been cooking - all the time!! Just not new things. But I finally tried out some new recipes and I am catching up on posting them now.

I am obsessed with the shrimp tacos from El Porton. They are amazing. I've been wanting to replicate them, but I kinda had a thing about cooking with shrimp... didn't really do it or know what to do. I decided to branch out and my mom helped. These were delicious and easy! Highly recommend.

8 small tortillas (used 60 cal ones)
32 large shrimp/prawns
1 avocado, diced
1/2 bag cole slaw, mixed with cole slaw dressing
 handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 chipotles en adobo
2 garlic cloves
cuminchili powder

Using a food processor, add the yogurt, chipotle en adobo, garlic and cumin and blend until smooth and put aside. Toss shrimp with some chili powder and cumin. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes (depending on if they are raw or not). Make your taco however you'd like!

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Pineapple Chicken Salad

OMG. This is my new obsession. This is SO good. I love the crunchiness the carrots & almonds add, plus the sweetness of the pineapple. Light mayo and Greek yogurt make it way healthier than regular chicken salad. I will be taking this for lunch for sure!!

2 ½ c cooked chicken breast, chopped
8 oz can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, drained
¼ c roasted almonds (I used slivered almonds)
½ c matchstick carrots
¼ c green onions, finely chopped
¼ c light mayo
¼ c plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
4 Flat-Out Flatbread wraps (I used a 60 cal low-carb tortilla)

In a medium size bowl, combine chopped chicken, pineapple, almonds, carrots, and green onions. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, combine light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk ingredients together. Transfer mayo mixture to chicken mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients. If you want to make a wrap, add equal parts of chicken salad to the center of each Flatbread wrap. Roll and fold each wrap tightly. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Mediterranean Pasta Toss

This is awesome!! The recipe actually calls for penne pasta, but we just had elbow macaroni, so that's what we used! You could easily add meat to this - Will and my Dad put some chicken on theirs. YUM!

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced
10 small sweet bell peppers, sliced
1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or a can of diced tomatoes)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
1 tsp salt
1 15 oz artichoke hearts in water, drained and sliced in half
1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 c dry whole wheat penne
1/3 c crumbled fat-free feta cheese

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, zucchini, peppers and cherry tomatoes and saute till tender. While vegetables are cooking, bring pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions till al dente. Drain (reserve a little of the pasta water) and hold.

When vegetables are tender, add Italian herbs, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes. Mix well, then add balsamic vinegar. Allow the vinegar to reduce for a few minutes, stirring often. The balsamic will become sweet and sticky and will coat the vegetables. Add the drained pasta to the vegetable mixture. Toss to coat the pasta, adding hot pasta water if necessary. Serve topped with feta crumbles and cracked black pepper.

Original recipe found here.