Chicken & Pepper Soft Tacos

Talk about Easy!  I tossed these ingredients in the crock pot at about 10am this morning and we had a fantastic meal at 6pm!  Can't get any easier than that!

3-5 chicken breasts depending on size.  Mine were roughly 7oz. each and I used 3.  I even put them in frozen!

2 bell peppers, any color, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
dash salt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of your crock pot, followed by the onions and peppers. Drizzle the lemon juice over chicken.  Mix the spices/salt into the 1/2 cup of chicken broth and pour over chicken.  Set on low and cook for 6-8 hours.  I shredded the chicken at about hour 5 and let it continue to cook until we ate!

We topped ours with my family's FAVORITE salsa - Jack's Special Salsa by Garden Fresh Gourmet.  If you haven't had it - you must try it!  We also used shredded 4 blend cheese and low fat sour cream.  Yum!

Serves 4 (2 tacos each)  These values do not include toppings or tortilla.
130 calories, 10 carbs, 2g fat, 20g protein

Adapted from a recipe found here .

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Today I made Stuffed Pepper soup in the crock pot - My house smelled amazing ALL DAY!  I also made a loaf of bread to go along side of the soup.  HERE is the recipe I used to make the soup.  I used ground turkey instead of the ground beef, and I think the next time I make this I will not make this substitution as it lacked  a flavor that I think the beef would have added.  I added in some crushed red pepper, garlic powder, 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup, and freshly ground black pepper.  I also used 1 entire red bell pepper, and 1 entire yellow bell pepper - both were more than 1/2 a cup as the recipe calls for.  After cooking the ground turkey, I put all of the ingredients (minus the rice) into the crock pot, set on Low for about 7 hours.  I steamed the rice and added it into the crockpot about 10 minutes before serving.  Tasted great along with the crusty bread!

Makes 6 GOOD sized portions.
(After my alterations my nutritional values were slightly different than that of the original poster.)

339 calories per 1 1/3 cup.  48 carb, 3g fat, 20g protein

Cabbage Roll Casserole

I've tried out a few different cabbage roll recipes over the past year, some that take you what seems like all day to make, others that are quick and simple.  This one ranks in the top for flavor, and it was very easy to make.  I mixed ground beef up with ground turkey - half a pound each because that's what I had on hand.  Worked out great!  We really liked the addition of the cheese on top, too!

I used the recipe you can find HERE to make this yummy casserole. 
Serves 10
Calories 250.9, Fat 11.3g, Protein 16.9g, Carbs 23.8

Ranch Turkey Burgers

First off, let me say, WE LOVE THESE.  So incredibly simple, and low in calories.  It will make 4 servings.

1 lb. ground turkey
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix powder

Mix the Ranch mix into the ground turkey.  I use my kitchen aid mixer to do this step, but it's completely not necessary.  Grill or cook in a pan on the stove (I did stove tonight) until cooked through.  You won't believe the flavor!  I chose to eat mine without the bun to save calories (the flavor is so good, there's really no need for a bun - I promise!).  I topped it with ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions.  Hit the spot!  Of course, my husband loaded his up on a bun and smothered in cheese.  Must be nice.....!

Per Serving:
Calories 196, Carbs 6, Fat 8g, Protein 21g

Kris' Chicken Wraps

These wraps are quick and easy, and so delicious!  I made these up for lunch today, and was so pleased!

4 oz. chicken breast, cooked and diced
3 Tablespoons finely diced apple (I left the peel on)
3 Tablespoons canned light mandarin oranges, each segment cut in half
1 Tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl, adding the yogurt/lemon juice last.  This made plenty for 2 soft taco size tortillas.  (I used chi-chi brand tortilla's because that is what I had on hand, but there are definitely more calorie friendly options out there!).

 

Not including the tortilla in the nutritional values:

272 calories, 19 carbs, 4g fat, 4g protein

Warm Cinnamon Apples

These are so fast and easy - great for a side dish or as a dessert. 

2 apples, peeled and sliced
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave from 2 to 5 minutes until apples are soft.  Time will vary depending on the type of apple you are using.  Serves 3.

Per serving:  108 calories, 29 carbs, 0 fat, 1 protein


Enjoy!

Shrimp Enchiladas

 I had very high hopes for these Shrimp Enchiladas - ingredients we all love, and it smelled fantastic while putting it together.  Unfortunately the corn tortillas (mainly the bottom ones) turned to complete mush throughout the whole casserole creating a very unpleasant texture.  The flavor was good though, and once I got past the tortilla mess, I enjoyed everything else.  I plan on making this again, only using a tortilla as a wrap instead of turning it into a casserole.  Would be good served over lettuce or rice as well.

Here is the link  Shrimp Enchiladas to the website the recipe originated from. 

PER SERVING: 277 calories; 5 g fat ; 34 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 8 g fiber

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

 First off, let me say - I DON'T LIKE GREEN PEPPERS!  But I ate over half of one of these!  Apparently cooking them into submission really lessens the flavor to a more tolerable state (for me).  I will definitely make these again, but for once, I will agree with my husband - they were a bit bland.  Nothing that a little hot sauce won't fix.  Maybe some additional spices or some fresh chopped cilantro.  I really liked the use of the couscous (LOVE couscous) as opposed to the typical rice.  The overall texture of the meat mixture was fantastic.   One pepper was plenty large enough for a main dish serving.  We also had a baked potato with low fat sour cream and cheese on the side.  Enjoy!


Nutrition Information:
Calories 300, Carbs 43 g, Fat 9 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 17 g

You can find the recipe for Crockpot Stuffed Peppers here.