Beef and Black Bean Crockpot Chili & Tex-Mex Quinoa Cakes

Our kiddo hasn't been feeling the best lately, and I know chili is one things she will generally always eat.  Not to mention it covers a few of the major food groups all in one dish, so I figured this would be good to make for her tonight as she hasn't eaten much the last few days. 

1 pound lean ground beef (cooked and browned)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans Del Monte Zesty Chili tomatoes
2 Tablespoons honey
2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup beef broth
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounce can diced green chiles
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot ( I used my 3 qt. and it was full to the top!).  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Makes 6 servings.

Calories 290, Carbs 46, Fat 8g, Protein 21g

 

 

 

 

 

Steaming hot Beef and Black Bean Chili!

I saw the recipe for these Tex-Mex Quinoa Patties on Pinterest tonight and thought they would go well with the chili - I was right!  They are really good!  You can find the recipe HERE for them.  Quick and easy, and very tasty.  I dipped them in my chili.  The recipe makes 12 cakes, 2 cakes per serving. 

Tex-Mex Quinoa Bites

Calories 130, Carbs 4, Fat 4, Protein 7g

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

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