Biggest Loser Chili

 

Ingredients

3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 1/4 lb 99% lean ground turkey
3 cups diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 cup black olives

Directions

Coat large saucepan with olive oil cooking spray. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat unitl soft and just starting to brown. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, for about 6 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients except olives. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with olives.

Makes 12 (1 cup) servings.

Tortilla Soup

2 boneless Breasts of Chicken
1 Can of Black Beans
2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
1 (4oz) can of Green Chiles
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP minced Onion or chop a med onion
2 cans of Tomato Sauce
I pkg Reduced Sodium Taco Seasoning
1 can enchilada sauce
4 cups water
1 cup cooked rice

** Don't drain the cans, I use it all!**
I usually let it simmer on med low for around 30 minutes
You can also use 1 lb of ground beef or turkey instead of chicken for variation.

Garnish with Shredded Cheese, crushed tortilla chips on top and sometimes a dollop of sour cream.

Hunka Chunka Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hunka Chunka Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids  by Jill O'Connor (Chronicle Books, 2009)

There is nothing like watching a group of 7-year-olds taste a batch of chocolate chip cookies - they do so with the same intensity and concentration usually reserved for sampling a fine, aged Bordeaux. These big, fat, saucer-size cookies are crisp around the edges but lusciously soft and chewy in the center. Chockfull of chips and picture perfect, they have been sampled many times to great acclaim-touted as much for their simplicity as their flavor. Starting the batter with melted butter keeps these cookies chewy and dense, and chilling the dough for a little while before baking yields cookies that one young tester told me "look like they came from the bakery." Compliments, indeed.

Makes 18 big cookies


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

{Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugars, vanilla, eggs, and egg yolk. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and stir the ingredients together to form a soft dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a 2-ounce self-releasing ice-cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, form large balls of cookie dough. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, 9 to a sheet to allow room for spreading, and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the cookies until they are golden brown and crisp around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before eating.

Thai Coconut Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 stalk lemon grass, minced
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 3 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound medium shrimp* - peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*You can substitute CHICKEN instead!

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with cilantro.

Chicken Base (for soups)

Ingredients

• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 quart water
• 1 store-bought roast chicken
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, cut into medium dice
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size
• 2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Directions

1. Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Add skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high.
3. Add oil, then onions, carrots and celery. Saute until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Return to a simmer before adding the extras of your choice.)

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced 
1 cup milk 
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty, or let it set at room temperature for until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. 

source: zitzmanfam.blogspot

Bread Bowls

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

 

Source: zitzmanfam.blogspot