Skinny Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie.  You either love it or hate it.  I hated this comfort dish with a passion growing up.  I remember when Mom was working or in school and it was Dad's night to cook (before I decided to learn to cook to help him out).  Pot pies were one of his things and I would literally cry my eyes out and go to bed hungry before I ate one.  I've decided to rediscover chicken pot pies twenty or so years later, giving it my own spin.  Inspiration for this recipe comes from Cooking Light's recipe, but I have significantly modified the recipe.  I changed a number of the vegetables they used, plus I used phyllo dough instead of puff pastry.  I LOVE phyllo dough (crispy, light, crunchy, yummy) and it is much much healthier than puff pastry.  The outcome was pretty tasty and makes a great dinner on a chilly evening or a night you're craving some hearty comfort food (without the hearty calories).

 Ingredients:
4 Cups Sodium-Free Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Green Peas (Thawed)
2 Small Yellow or White Potatoes
1 Medium-Large Sweet Potato
4 Stalks Celery
3 Carrots
1 lb. Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
2/3 Cup Whole-Wheat Flour
1 13/4 Cups Skim Milk
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley (or 4 Tbsp. Dried)
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/3 Package Phyllo Dough (12 sheets)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot.  Chop/dice potatoes, celery, and carrots.  Add to stockpot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2.  Cut chicken (not cooked) into small 1-2" pieces.  Add to broth and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove veggies and chicken from broth with a slotted spoon.  Set aside.

3.  Turn heat back up to medium and slowly add flour and milk to broth, whisking well.  Continue to cook about 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.

4.  Add chicken and veggies to the thickened broth.  Stir in parsley and black pepper.

5.  Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Lay 6 phyllo sheets on the bottom of the dish.  Spoon mixture on top of phyllo dough.

6.  Carefully place remaining 6 sheets of dough over chicken mixture, and press the edges to the pan to seal in the chicken mixture.  Cut 3-4 small slits in the dough for steam to escape.  Spray with cooking spray.  Place dish on foil-lined baking sheet (just in case it bubbles over).
7.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is lightly browned and mixture is bubbling.

Serve hot and enjoy!
Note: if you plan on reheating leftovers (as we definitely had to do--then add a little bit of skim milk before reheating in the microwave so the reheated portion is not pasty).

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's that time of year--soups and comfort foods.  Among those is definitely chicken noodle soup.  It has amazing healing powers (science still doesn't fully understand why) and if made right, is very healthy (mainly watch the sodium--SALT).  My little baby boy had his first cold last week, at 8 months (and one week) old.  While he napped, I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle soup for him.  Well, most of it was for Mom and Dad, but I blended a little bit of it for the little babe.
I started making my own homemade chicken noodle soup a few years ago and have tweaked my recipe a few times until I have decided what I have below is exactly what I want.  Hope you love it!

Ingredients:
Noodle Ingredients:

1/2 Cup All-Purpose (Unbleached Organic) Flour

1/2 Cup Whole-Wheat (Unbleached Organic) Flour
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Egg

Soup Ingredients:

3-5 lb. Whole Chicken
12 Cups Water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes or 2 tsp. Granulated Chicken Bouillon (sodium-free)
1/3 Cup. Chopped (or Minced) Onion
1 Tsp. Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Celery, chopped/sliced (about 4-5 stalks)
1 Cup Carrots, thinly sliced (about 4 medium carrots)
1 Batch Noodles (recipe below) or 2 Cup Egg Noodles (if you're feeling less ambitious)

Directions:

Noodle Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; combine well. 

2.  In another small bowl, beat together the water, oil, and egg.  Gradually combine the two to form dough.3.  On floured surface, knead dough until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for1 hour.
4.  On floured surface, roll dough out as thin as possible into rectangle. Cut dough into thirds, lengthwise. Stack three pieces on top of one another (should not stick--should have plenty of flour).  Cut into 1/4" slices. Separate noodles and set aside on a platter, baking sheet or counter top at room temperature for 1-2 hours to dry somewhat.

5.  Start making soup.

Soup Directions:
1.  In 5 quart Dutch oven or large stockpot, combine chicken and water. Bring to a boil. 
2.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface (I used a slotted spoon). 
3.  Add bouillon, onion, pepper and bay leaf. Cover again and simmer, for 40-55 minutes or until chicken is tender and started to come off the bone. 

4.  Remove chicken from broth and place onto cutting board.  Remove chicken from bones and cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Don't fret if a few pieces are pinkish and not quite done, the chicken is going back in the pot to cook longer (although my 4 lb bird was actually all done at 45 min). Skim fat from broth again. Return chicken to broth. 
5.  Stir in celery and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Remove bay leaf. 
6.  Bring to a boil again. Drop noodles into boiling soup. After soup returns to a boil, cook, uncovered for 7-10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Enjoy!


Feel free to add a bit of flour to the broth to thicken it up, if you like it that way.  Also, feel free to mix in some dried parsley to your broth.  I usually do, but was out at the time I posted the recipe. 

Freezer-friendly:  Just store in dated/labeled ziploc bags in your freezer for up to 3 months.  

Oh and here is a photo of the soup pureed for my son, because I know you were curious to see what that looked like too. 

And here's a big bowl of the goodness...for adults.

Chicken & Shrimp Creole Jambalaya

The cold weather makes a nice warm spicy dish sound great.  This jambalaya recipe is of the Creole (vs. Cajun) style, because it includes tomatoes.  This recipe is quick and healthy, involving three different lean meats (chicken, shrimp, and turkey sausage) and a little spice to boost your mind and metabolism.  Pair it with some tomatoes, celery, green peppers, and fiber-rich brown rice and you have a healthy, delicious meal, made in just minutes!

Ingredients:

• 2 - 14 oz Cans Diced (or Stewed) Tomatoes
• 12-14 oz. Cooked Chicken, Diced
• 12-14 oz. Shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail-removed)
• 12-14 oz Turkey Sausage, Sliced
• 1 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Celery (about 4 stalks)
• 2 Cups Instant Brown Rice
• 5 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
• 2 tsp. Paprika
• 2 tsp. Black Pepper
• Hot Sauce, as much as your taste buds can handle (I used Tabasco)

Directions:
1.  In a large stockpot, over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a light boil.
2.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Potato, Leek & Ham Soup

More soup!  I also decided to make a delicious potato, leek, and ham soup, filled with flavor from some ham and turkey bacon.  There is something comforting (and obviously, warm) about a nice, big bowl of soup.  This is a great recipe to make (and freeze if you'd like) when you have a lot of extra potatoes (which I do, since buying 5-10 lb bags is often much cheaper than buying potatoes individually) you need to use up.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 3-4 oz (6-7 strips) Turkey Bacon 
• 3 Leeks (green portions removed, chop the white and light green parts)
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 8 oz Cooked, Boneless Ham, diced (I love Hormel's Natural Choice, because it's nitrate-free)
• 5 Cups Chicken Broth (sodium-free)
• 2 lbs Russet Potatoes, diced (about 6-8 medium-sized potatoes)
• 1 tsp. Thyme
• 1 tsp. Marjoram
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Milk (or cream or half-and-half for the more indulgent)
• For Topping the Soup:  Chives/Green Onions and Monterrey-Jack shredded cheese

Directions:
1.  In Dutch Oven, or large stockpot, melt the butter and add the turkey bacon.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until bacon is cooked.
2.  Stir in chopped leeks and cook another 5-6 minutes, or until leeks are soft.
3.  Pour in the wine and bring to a gentle boil.
4.  Add in the ham, chicken broth, potatoes, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are quite soft.
5.  Remove soup from heat and working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender (I used a blender).  If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot (I don't).
6.  Stir in the milk.  Serve immediately.  Top with chives and a little Monterrey-Jack cheese.

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

White Chicken Chili

Chili day calls for another version of chili!  This time I'm making it with chicken and white beans, and adding some green chilies, for a yummy White Chicken Chili.  Cuddle up and stay warm with a bowl of this!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Minced Onion
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped (or 3 tsp. Minced Garlic)
1 Can (4 oz) Chopped Green Chillies
3 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Chili Powder
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 lb. Cooked Chicken Breast, chopped or shredded (I shredded)
2 Cans White Beans (I used Northern, but can use Cannellini or Navy)
1 Cup Monterey Jack (or any White Cheese)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan (or stockpot) over medium heat.  Add in onion and stir for a couple minutes. 
2. Add in the garlic, green chillies, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.  Stir another 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken, beans, and cheese.  Turn heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally. 

Enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Love-Yourself Lentil Soup

Hearty soups, without hearty calories.  This quick-and-easy lentil soup is tasty and extremely healthy, with a variety of veggies and fiber, iron, folate, Vitamin B1, protein and potassium-rich lentils.  Health magazine named lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.  This is my first official recipe with lentils, so be prepared to get some more featuring this wonder-food!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4 Medium Carrots, Sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Minced Onion
• 1 1/2 cups Dried Lentils
• 3 Stalks Celery, Diced
• 2 Potatoes, Diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 5 Cups Chicken or Vegetable (sodium-free) Broth
• 1 Tomato, Diced
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Put olive oil in Dutch Oven (or large stockpot) over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add onion and carrots.  Stir for 3-5 minutes.
2.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
3.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40-50 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and serve with crackers or crusty bread.  Enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Turkey Tortellini Soup

SOUP TIME!  Now this is a season-appropriate meal for chilly fall.  This soup has a good amount of vegetables, is lower in sodium than any soup you'll buy in a store (yikes, holy hypertension) and tastes so good.  I made a huge batch of it and we had leftovers whenever we wanted a quick warm cup of soup.

Ingredients:
1 Lb. lean ground turkey breast
3 Tsp. Italian Seasoning (or combine parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder)
2 Cans (sodium-free, or extra low sodium) Tomato Soup (+1 can water)
4 Cups (sodium-free) chicken or vegetable broth
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (no sodium-added)
1 Cup Diced Carrots
1 Cup  Diced Celery
1 Cup Chopped Green Beans (or cut-leaf spinach)

1 Large Pkg cheese-filled tri-color tortellini (20 ounce package I believe)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Season your thawed turkey breast with the Italian seasoning.  Shape into 3/4"-1" balls and place on lined baking sheet.  Place turkey meatballs in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned with no pink inside.  Meanwhile...

2. Turn stovetop to medium heat.  Combine broth and tomato soup in a stockpot.
3.  Add in your tomatoes, diced carrots and celery, and chopped green beans.  Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4.  Add in the tortellini pasta and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
5.  Place cooked turkey meatballs in the stockpot and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with a crusty loaf of Italian bread and enjoy!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.